Chhattisgarh govt approves annual free train travel scheme for Ayodhya darshan
Raipur (PTI): The BJP government in Chhattisgarh has approved an annual free train travel scheme for people who want to go for darshan of Lord Ram at Ayodhya temple.
The decision was taken on Wednesday at a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, an official said.
"Fulfilling yet another guarantee of Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised during the 2023 assembly elections," an official release said.
It said 20,000 people would be taken to Ayodhya on annual pilgrimage by train.
Those in the age group of 18 to 75 years who are medically fit would be eligible under this scheme. In the first leg, the selection of people above 55 years of age would be done.
A committee would be set up under the collector in each district to select pilgrims.
"The scheme would be implemented by the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board and a necessary budget would be provided by the state tourism department," the release said.
An MoU would be inked with the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to implement the scheme and a weekly special train would be arranged.
"People can board the special train from Raipur, Durg, Raigarh, and Ambikapur stations. The main destination of the 900-km tour would be Ayodhya," the release said.
During the tour, pilgrims will make a night halt in Varanasi where they will be taken to Kashi Vishwanath temple and participate in the Ganga Aarti.
Notably, the Sai government last week decided to declare January 22 as a "dry day" to mark the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.
In another decision, the state government has also decided to appoint Prafull Bharat, a senior advocate of the Chhattisgarh High Court, as the new Advocate General (AG), the release said.
He will replace former AG Satish Chandra Verma who resigned after the BJP came to power in the state last month.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
