JDU's damage control, sacks leader for 'no support to BJP in Manipur' letter
New Delhi/ Imphal, Jan 22 (PTI): The JD(U) on Wednesday sacked its Manipur unit president, Ksh. Biren Singh, in an effort to quell growing speculation about its ties with the BJP.
Party's national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said Singh's removal was due to indiscipline and asserted that the party would continue to support the BJP-led government in the northeastern state.
Ranjan affirmed that the JD(U) remains committed to supporting the BJP-led NDA, not just in Manipur but across the country.
"Our party has worked diligently to strengthen the NDA and will continue to do so," he added.
Ranjan's remark came shorty after Ksh Biren Singh claimed that the party had withdrawn support to the BJP-led Biren Singh government and informed its decision to governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla.
The state unit chief had also claimed that the lone JDU MLA in the state, Md Abdul Nasir, will sit in the opposition benches.
In a letter to governor Bhalla, Ksh Biren Singh said, "After JD (U) became part of India Bloc, support to the BJP led government was withdrawn by JD(U)... as such, seating arrangement of the lone MLA of JD(U) in Manipur Md Abdul Nasir is made in the opposition bench in the last session of the Assembly by the Speaker."
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Lohia Samata Vidyalaya urges renaming of Shivamogga Railway Station after Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia
Bengaluru: In a formal appeal to the Union Minister for Railways, V. Somanna, Dr. Rammanohar Lohia Samata Vidyalaya, under the leadership of Managing Trustee Prof. Ravivarma Kumar, has requested the renaming of Shivamogga or Sagar Railway Station in honour of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, the founder of the Socialist Movement of India. The appeal aims to commemorate Lohia’s 115th birth anniversary on 23 March 2025.
In the letter, Prof. Ravivarma Kumar highlighted Dr. Lohia’s significant contributions as a freedom fighter, advocate for social justice, and champion of land reforms. The letter recalls Dr. Lohia's pivotal role in the Kagodu Satyagraha, a landmark agitation in Shivamogga district demanding land reforms. Prof. Kumar noted that Lohia’s efforts inspired widespread land reform movements across India, culminating in Karnataka's landmark land reforms under the leadership of former Chief Minister D. Devaraj Urs, which benefitted over 15 lakh tenants.
The letter also touched upon Dr. Lohia's role in shaping Indian politics, including his advocacy for non-Congressism, which eventually led to the formation of non-Congress governments in nine states in 1967 and the first non-Congress central government in 1977. His efforts to promote social justice, including reservation for backward classes and women, and his advocacy for gender equality, were also highlighted.
Prof. Kumar emphasised the historical significance of Shivamogga, where Dr. Lohia was arrested at Sagar Railway Station in 1951 during the Kagodu Satyagraha, making it a fitting tribute to name the station after him.
The letter concludes with a plea to Minister Somanna to honour Dr. Lohia’s legacy by renaming either Shivamogga or Sagar Railway Station as "Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Railway Station" on his birth anniversary.
