Ram temple not a poll issue for BJP: Javadekar
Jaipur, Nov 3 : Senior BJP leader and union minister Prakash Javadekar Saturday said the Ram temple was never a poll issue for the saffron party as he asked the Congress to clarify its stand on the matter.
Highlighting Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's remarks that no good Hindu would want the Ram temple at the site of a demolished mosque, Javadekar asked whether the Congress wanted a temple in Ayodhya or not.
Ram temple is not a poll issue for us but a "matter of belief", the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll in-charge for Rajasthan told reporters here.
The struggle for the temple has been going on for 500 years when there were no elections, he added.
"This is an issue (concerning) the country," he said further.
"BJP is not making Ram temple an election issue but raising a question on the statements of Congress (leaders). Does the party want a temple at the birthplace of lord Ram in Ayodhya or not," he said.
Javadekar also accused the Congress leaders of defaming Rajasthan, where assembly elections will be held on December 7, and claimed that the state progressed in several sectors under the incumbent BJP regime.
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KKR open account in IPL, beat RR by four wickets
Kolkata (PTI): A timely unbeaten 53 from vice-captain Rinku Singh powered former champions Kolkata Knight Riders to their first win of the season as they defeated Rajasthan Royals by four wickets in the IPL here on Sunday.
The spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine applied the brakes effectively to restrict Rajasthan Royals to 155 for nine.
Opting to bat, Yashasvi Jaiswal (39) and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (46) provided a flying start as RR reached 81-0 in 8.3 overs but spin duo of Varun Chakaravarthy (3/14) and Sunil Narine (2/26) put in the squeeze to leave the visitors at 124 for 5 in 16 overs.
Shimron Hetmyer (15) and Riyan Parag (12) reached double digit scores but Kartik Tyagi (3/22 ) then scalped three wickets as they couldn't recover, managing a below-par total.
In reply, KKR slipped 5 for 2 in 2nd over before losing half their side for 70 in 11th over.
Rinku then steadied the chase, sharing a decisive 76-run stand off 37 balls with Anukul Roy (29) to guide KKR home with two balls to spare.
Brief scores:
Rajasthan Royals 155 for 9 in 20 overs (Jaiswal 39, Sooryavanshi 46; Chakaravarthy 3/14, Tyagi 3/22, Narine 2/26).
Kolkata Knight Riders 161 for 6 in 19.4 overs (Rinku 53 not out; Ravindra Jadeja 2/8).
