'Congress will bulldoze Ram temple if it comes to power,' says Modi in UP's Barabanki
Barabanki (UP), May 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday here alleged that the Congress will run a bulldozer on the Ram temple if the INDIA bloc comes to power.
Addressing an election rally, Modi said the Congress is planning to challenge the Supreme Court's order on the Ram temple once it comes to power and will eventually demolish the temple.
"If the SP-Congress comes to power, it will send Ram Lalla once again to a tent, and a bulldozer will be rolled over the temple," he said.
Modi also accused the Congress of being responsible for Partition. He said what used to be thought of as impossible – that the country could ever be divided — was done by the party.
"When the freedom struggle was going on and the talk of dividing the country used to come up, every person used to wonder can the country be divided? Did it happen or not? They did it or not? They can go to any extent. Their track record is such," he said referring to the Congress.
"The country does not matter to them. For them, the game is for family and power," he added.
The PM was in Barabanki to seek support for party candidate Rajrani Rawat who is contesting from the Lok Sabha seat.
He thanked the people for voting for him in the previous elections, saying it was their vote which ended the "500-year-long" wait for the Ram Mandir.
"People from Barabanki walked on foot to Ayodhya with bricks with 'Ram' inscribed on them. The youngsters, the first-time voters, will not understand the 500 years of wait … Generations after generations of our ancestors struggled and sacrificed," he said.
He alleged that Congress under its regime sent Ram Lalla to a "tent" and when it, along with the Samajwadi Party, was invited to the temple's consecration ceremony, refused to attend it.
"There is so much poison in their belly...don't know what enmity they have with Ram," Modi said.
In Barabanki, there are 13 candidates in the fray with the main contest restricted between Tanuj Punia of the Congress and BJP's Rajrani Rawat.
Punia is the son of Congress leader PL Punia, a former MP from Barabanki (SC) Lok Sabha seat.
In March, a day after an explicit video allegedly involving him surfaced online, sitting BJP MP Upendra Singh Rawat, who was fielded again by the party, said he would not contest any election until proven innocent.
Subsequently, the party gave the ticket to Rajrani Rawat.
Barabanki will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections in the state on May 20.
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Veteran Tamil film producer Rajan dies after jumping into Adyar River
Chennai (PTI): Veteran Tamil film producer K Rajan died after jumping into the Adyar River in the city on Sunday, police said.
Police said it appears to be a case of suicide, though the reason for his extreme step was not immediately known.
The 85-year-old film personality asked his driver to stop the car while crossing the Adyar bridge and suddenly got out and jumped into the river, police sources said.
The driver immediately alerted Fire and Rescue Services personnel, who reached the spot, recovered the body, and sent it for post-mortem.
Police have registered a case, and further investigation is underway.
Rajan entered the Tamil film industry as a producer in the early 1980s. Apart from producing films, he also directed a few movies.
He also served as president of a film distributors’ association.
Top leaders of political parties, including the two Dravidian majors—the DMK and AIADMK—expressed shock and grief over his death and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved family.
Former Chief Minister and DMK President M K Stalin said Rajan had always boldly raised his voice for the welfare of small film producers and the overall development of the film industry.
“He had always urged that Tamil films be titled in Tamil,” Stalin said in a statement, adding that Rajan consistently fought for the rights of ordinary workers in the film industry.
AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said Rajan’s voice was important in securing recognition for small-budget films in the Tamil film industry.
Among others who condoled his death was PMK founder S Ramadoss. Leaders from various parties also expressed their condolences to the bereaved family.
“This is terrible news. Deeply shocked to hear about the demise of our beloved member of the film fraternity, producer K Rajan sir,” actor and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar said in a post on social media platform X.
“He was a very respectful person and someone who never hesitated to call a spade a spade. This is very upsetting. May his soul rest in peace,” she added.
