Kerala govt 'sleeping' over "love jihad": Yogi Adityanath
Kasaragod, Feb 21: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday slammed the Left front government in Kerala for allegedly not taking any constructive steps to stop "love jihad" in the state.
Though the Kerala High Court had made remarks against love jihad in 2009, the state government had done nothing so far to check it, he claimed here.
However, his (Uttar Pradesh) government had brought out legislation to regulate "love jihad" and forceful conversions, Yogi said after inaugurating the state-wide "Vijay Yatra" led by BJP state unit president K Surendran ahead of the state assembly elections expected to be held in April-May.
"In 2009, the Kerala High Court had said the love jihad would turn Kerala into an Islamic state. Despite this, the state government is sleeping," the UP CM alleged.
"Love Jihad" is a term used by right wing activists to refer to the alleged campaign of Muslims forcing Hindu girls to convert in the guise of love.
BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have recently brought religious freedom laws to stop conversion through marriage or by any other fraudulent means.
Adityanath also criticised the Kerala government over the increasing COVID-19 positive cases and claimed that his state had effectively tackled the pandemic.
The 15-day-Vijay Yatra, covering all major constituencies in 14 districts, is seen as the official launch of the saffron party's poll campaign.
Various union ministers and the saffron party's popular leaders and star campaigners at the national level are expected to join the yatra in various days.
Union Minister Amit Shah is expected to inaugurate the finale of the yatra at the state capital on March 7, party sources said.
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Sculptor Ram Sutar, designer of Statue of Unity, passes away
New Delhi (PTI): Noted sculptor Ram Sutar, known for designing the world's tallest statue — Statue of Unity — in Gujarat, passed away late on Wednesday night at his Noida residence, his son said.
He was 100 and ailing with age-related illnesses.
"It is with profound grief that we inform you of the passing of my father Shri Ram Vanji Sutar on 17th December midnight at our residence," his son Anil Sutar said in a note shared with the press on Thursday.
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Born in a humble family in Gondur village under the Dhule district of present-day Maharashtra on February 19, 1925, Sutar is known to have been drawn to sculpting from his childhood.
A gold medallist from JJ School of Art and Architecture, Mumbai, Sutar, has to his credit a long list of achievements.
The iconic statues of Mahatma Gandhi seated in a meditating pose and of Chhatrapati Shivaji riding a horse on the Parliament premises rank among his finest creations.
The Statue of Unity honours Sardar Patel, country's first deputy prime minister and home minister.
Sutar was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1999 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016.
Recently, Sutar was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan Puraskar, the state's highest award.
