Muslims should leave Ayodhya, will not allow construction of mosque: BJP leader Vinay Katiyar
Ayodhya (UP) (PTI): BJP leader Vinay Katiyar on Wednesday said Muslims should leave Ayodhya district, asserting that the construction of any mosque would not be allowed in the temple town.
Katiyar, who was a part of the Ram Mandir movement, made the controversial remarks at a press conference here when asked about the local authority rejecting Dhannipur mosque plan over pending NOCs.
"No mosque in lieu of the Babri Masjid or any other mosque will be allowed in Ayodhya," he said.
"They (Muslims) have no right to stay here. We are going to exclude them from Ayodhya at any cost and will celebrate Diwali with great enthusiasm after that," he added.
Katiyar further said that Muslims "have no business" in Ayodhya and must vacate the district and "migrate across the (Saryu) river".
Reacting to Katiyar's remarks, Samajwadi Party's Faizabad MP Awadhesh Prasad said, "Katiyar has gone weak in his mind. This country does not belong to followers of any one religion. It belongs to people of all faiths living here. He should mind his words."
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
