Cong, SP denied Lord Ram's existence; conspired against devotees: Adityanath
Gorakhpur (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday accused the past governments of the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) of denying the existence of Lord Ram and conspiring against his devotees.
He made the remark while addressing the forest-dwelling communities at a public gathering in the Vantangiya village, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 133 development projects worth Rs 49 crore.
This marked the ninth consecutive year that he celebrated Diwali with the Vantangiya villagers as the chief minister.
"Foreign invaders once humiliated Ayodhya, and later, Congress governments made a vile attempt to deny the existence of Lord Ram. The SP government, too, shed the blood of Ram devotees through its conspiracies," Adityanath alleged.
"Today, Ayodhya stands renewed and divine, inspiring the entire world," he added.
He said the grand Deepotsav of Ayodhya has become a "symbol of prosperity and good governance". Adityanath emphasised that the Ayodhya airport has been named after Maharshi Valmiki, a local eatery after Mata Shabari, and a key intersection after legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar.
Statues of prominent southern saints have been installed, and temples dedicated to sages Valmiki and Vishwamitra now stand within the Ram temple complex, he said, adding that the city "unites people today" rather than dividing them.
During the event, the chief minister distributed symbolic house keys under the CM Awas Yojana, Ayushman cards, approval letters for livestock schemes, and certificates from the horticulture department. He also presented "Diwali gifts" to several beneficiaries and inaugurated exhibitions showcasing government welfare schemes.
State Fisheries Minister and Nishad Party president Sanjay Nishad said other states were learning from Adityanath's welfare model.
Local legislators Vipin Singh and Mahendra Pal Singh praised the chief minister's leadership for "uplifting the long-neglected" Vantangiya community.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
