Ayodhya mosque project launched with unfurling of tricolour on R-Day
Ayodhya, Jan 26: The Ayodhya mosque project was formally launched on Republic Day, with the unfurling of the tricolour and a tree plantation drive at Dhannipur, around 24 km from the Ram Janmabhoomi, exactly six months after the Sunni Waqf Board constituted the mosque's trust -- Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation.
The trust was constituted following the 2019 Supreme Court verdict that backed the construction of a temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot be found for a mosque in Ayodhya in lieu of the Babri Masjid.
The blueprint of the mosque complex, which includes a hospital, was unveiled on December 19.
The Ayodhya Mosque Trust project was formally started on India's 72nd Republic Day after unfurling of the national flag by Trust chairman Zufar Ahmad Farooqi and planting of nine trees by its members.
Professor R K Singh of the Awadh University and his wife Dr Sunita Sengar, an associate professor at the varsity, donated Rs 22,000.
"The new mosque will be bigger than the Babri Masjid, but won't be a lookalike of the structure which once stood on the Ram Janmabhoomi premises. The hospital of course will hold the centre stage on the five-acre land allotted to the Sunni Waqf Board at Dhannipur village in Ayodhya," secretary of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation Athar Hussain said.
"The hospital will serve humanity in the true spirit of Islam and as taught by the prophet in his last sermon 1400 years ago. The hospital won't be a usual concrete structure, but will be in sync with the architecture of the mosque, replete with calligraphy and Islamic symbols," he said.
It will house a 300-bed speciality unit, where doctors will provide free treatment to the ailing, Hussain said.
The Trust chose January 26, 2021, for laying the foundation of the Ayodhya mosque as on this day our Constitution came into effect more than seven decades ago. Our Constitution is based on pluralism, which is the leitmotif of our mosque project, he said,
Besides Farooqi and Hussain, trustees Adnan Farrukh, Dr Sheikh Sauduzzaman, Mohammad Rashid and Imran Ahmad, and the Imam of the Tiley Wali Masjid of Lucknow Maulana Wasifur Rehman were present for the event.
Local functionaries of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, a branch of the RSS, also attended the function, with its Ayodhya president Dr Anil Singh donating Rs 2,100 for the mosque project. Talking to PTI, Singh said, " With the Ram Mandir, the Hindu community at large will be supporting the construction of this grand mosque , it will be the best example of communal harmony from Ayodhya.".
Programme of IICF on 26.1.2021 at Dhannipur,Ayodhya.
— INDO-ISLAMIC CULTURAL FOUNDATION (@IndoIslamicCF) January 26, 2021
IICF Trust members assembled at Dhannipur at 5acre plot at 8.15AM...National Flag hoisting was at 8.45AM by Chief Trustee of IICF Mr Zufar Ahmad Farooqi with participation of other 5 Trustees of IICF and local residents pic.twitter.com/53VGFC9cFx
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Kerala polls: ‘People rejected 10 years of misrule’, says AICC gen secy
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Kerala Assembly polls was a clear verdict against the “arrogance”, corruption, and nepotism of the CPI(M)-led LDF government headed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference as counting of votes for all 140 Assembly constituencies neared completion, Venugopal said the outcome reflected public anger against what he termed “10 years of misrule” by the Left government.
He claimed that Vijayan’s victory in his home constituency, Dharmadam, was “only technical”, alleging that the CM trailed the UDF candidate in the initial rounds of counting and failed to secure a majority in his own village.
“He just escaped. He suffered a setback even in his home turf. He was the only person who did not realise the people’s mood in this election,” Venugopal said.
Alleging that the CPI(M) and the LDF had resorted to “communal and opportunistic politics”, he further claimed that the ruling front had entered into a “secret understanding” with the BJP in a bid to retain power for a third consecutive term.
He said that when a government driven by power and arrogance attempts to align with anyone to stay in office, even its own cadre turns against it.
Referring to the results, Venugopal said that while the UDF expected rebel CPI(M) leaders, including K Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, to impact the vote share, their victories came as a surprise.
Describing the UDF’s performance as a “historic victory”, he attributed it to coordinated teamwork, grassroots mobilisation, and the dedication of party workers, adding that the alliance accepted the mandate “with humility”.
Venugopal also credited Rahul Gandhi’s campaign guarantees, calling them a “trump card” that helped voters focus on real issues and reject what he described as the LDF’s “false narratives”.
He claimed that the Congress witnessed one of its lowest levels of rebellion in this election, which contributed to the alliance’s strong performance.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP managed to win two seats with the help of the CPI(M), and asserted that forces attempting to divide society on communal lines should “learn a lesson” from Kerala’s verdict.
“This is the real Kerala story,” he said.
On the question of the next Chief Minister, Venugopal said the party leadership would decide at the earliest after due consultations.
The counting of votes began on Monday morning for all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, where the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive majority, defeating the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts, "Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign. As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential… pic.twitter.com/6T4IZbEmp4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026
