Madam plays mischief, doesn't pay bills, curses govt: Himachal minister hits back at Kangana's jibe
Shimla (PTI): After Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEB) clarified that actor-politician Kangana Ranaut has not paid bills including old dues amounting to Rs 90,384 for two months, state PWD minister Vikramaditya Singh recently alleged that she plays mischief, does not pay bills and then curses the government.
Ranaut, the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Mandi, during a public meeting in her constituency recently, criticised the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh over the "inflated electricity bills", a video of which went viral on social media.
"I received an electricity bill of Rs 1 lakh for one month for my house in Manali. I don't even live there. It is such a miserable condition," the 'Queen' fame actor said.
Singh retorted on Thursday, writing on his Facebook account: "Mohtarma badi shararat karti hai, bijli ka bill nahin bharti hai, phir manch par sarkar ko kosti hai, aisa kaisa chalega" (Madam plays mischief, she does not pay electricity bills, then curses government from public platform. How will this work?"
Addressing a gathering at Sarkaghat in Mandi, Kangana on Thursday said "if Vikramaditya Singh is a Raja babu, I am also a queen".
Singh, son of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh is the scion of erstwhile Rampur estate.
She said that the electricity bill which was earlier Rs 5,000 had shot up to Rs 80,000 and questioned whether she was running a factory in her house.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the HPSEB said the bills amounting to Rs 90,384 were for two months, January and February, and they also included previous dues of Rs 32,287.
"The domestic connection under No. 100000838073 is registered in the name of Kangana Ranaut at her residence in Simsa village in Manali.
"It is clarified that the connected load of her house is 94.82 KW, which is 1,500 percent more than the average electric load for a normal house. She (Ranaut) did not pay her bills from October to December on time," the HPSEBL said in the statement.
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Bhojshala case: Disputed structure built from remains of pre-existing temples, claims ASI
Indore (PTI): The ASI has told the Madhya Pradesh High Court that a massive structure dating back to the Paramara kings' rule existed at the disputed Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula mosque complex, and the current structure was built from the remains of temples.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) made the claim on Tuesday based on its 98-day scientific survey and over 2,000-page report.
The Hindu community considers Bhojshala a temple dedicated to Vagdevi (Goddess Saraswati), while the Muslim side claims the monument as the Kamal Maula Mosque. The disputed complex is protected by the ASI.
During the hearing before Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi of the HC's Indore bench, Additional Solicitor General Sunil Kumar Jain, representing the ASI, presented a detailed account of the scientific survey conducted two years ago at the complex.
Referring to the ASI's survey report, he said, "Retrieved architectural remains, sculptural fragments, large slabs of inscriptions with literary texts, Nagakarnika inscriptions on pillars, etc, suggest that a large structure associated with literary and educational activities existed at the site. Based on scientific investigations and archaeological remains recovered during the investigations, this pre-existing structure can be dated to the Paramara period."
It can be said that the existing structure was made from the parts of earlier temples, based on scientific investigations, survey and archaeological excavations conducted, study and analysis of retrieved finds, study of architectural remains, sculptures, and inscriptions, art and sculptures, Jain said quoting the report.
Summarising the report, he also drew the court's attention to the fact that the archaeological study identifies that many architectural components, such as pillars and beams, were originally part of temple structures before being repurposed for a mosque.
"The evidence of this transition includes Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions that were damaged or hidden, alongside sculptures of deities and animals that were often mutilated or defaced," Jain contended.
The report also states that "all Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions are older than the Arabic and Persian inscriptions, indicating that users or engravers of the Sanskrit and Prakrit inscriptions occupied the place earlier".
In light of the Muslim side's earlier objections, the bench wanted to know why there were some discrepancies in the ASI's responses regarding the status of the disputed complex in the cases filed over the years.
The Additional Solicitor General argued that earlier studies of the complex involved only officials, while the current survey involved scientists and the use of advanced technologies such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
The hearing in the Bhojshala case will continue on Wednesday.
The high court has been regularly hearing four petitions and one writ appeal regarding the religious nature of the Bhojshala temple-Kamal Maula mosque complex since April 6.
