PM has agreed to come to Ayodhya on Aug 5 for 'Bhoomi pujan' of Ram temple on Aug 5: Trust member
Pune: Swami Govind Devgiri Maharaj, one of the members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra trust, on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5.
Talking to reporters here, he said all chief ministers must be invited for the ceremony.
"The PM has agreed to come to Ayodhya on August 5 for the 'Bhoomi pujan' of Ram temple. He will be there for one-and-a-half hours. Earlier, there were speculations that he would attend the ceremony virtually, but I insisted that it should be done in person," Swami Govind Devgiri Maharaj, also known as Kishorji Vyas, said.
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Replying to a query whether Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will be invited to the ground-breaking ceremony, he said, "He must be invited."
"There is no question of not inviting CM Thackeray. He must be invited...I think there is no point in not inviting anybody. We must invite all the CMs, notable saints, and social leaders," he added.
"But considering some practical difficulties due to COVID-19 and as the PM is coming there, only those people can come there, who can land in Lucknow and can come to Ayodhya by road as helicopters cannot land there," he said.
"According to me, late Balasaheb Thackeray was a great hero, who had emphasized building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya," he said.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had on Tuesday said that Uddhav Thackeray will definitely go for the ground-breaking ceremony of Ram temple construction. Asked whether Thackeray has received an invitation for the ceremony, Raut had said, "It will come."
Asked about NCP chief Sharad Pawar's recent statement that some people think building a temple will help eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic, Swami Devgiri Maharaj said, "People love Modiji so much that they always like to talk about him."
"They always try to find a chance to talk about him- for or against. If someone talks in support, it does not become news, but if someone speaks against, it does and there are people who always like to be in news therefore they speak," he said.
He said that the temple ground-breaking ceremony will be a "great moment" in history as it was awaited for the last five centuries.
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Karnataka power tussle: BJP leader calls Siddaramaiah 'Sultan for 15 days'
Bengaluru/Bagalkot (PTI): In the midst of the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, senior BJP leader and MP Govind Karjol called CM Siddaramaiah "Pandrah din-ka-Sultan" (Sultan for 15 days), and said after that, he will not be the chief minister of the state.
Speculation has once again surfaced within the Congress party and political circles about a possible decision on leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, once the results for Assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, are announced.
"With the fight for the CM chair in the Congress, there seems to be no administration at Vidhana Soudha. The result for Siddaramaiah's CM chair fight will also be declared, along with election results for five states (four states and one union territory) and bypoll results for Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly seats in Karnataka," Karjol, a former Deputy CM, said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "As per today's information, Siddaramaiah is a Sardar for fifteen days, he is Pandrah din-ka-Sultan, after that Siddaramaiah will not be the chief minister of the state."
Stating that Shivakumar is ready to take up the top job, the MP said that this is the reason Siddaramaiah's supporters have gone to New Delhi to meet the Congress President.
"Already 40-odd legislators have lobbied in support of Siddaramaiah; about 50 are lobbying in support of Shivakumar. Amid this fight for the CM chair, the administration has completely collapsed," he said, urging the government to focus on addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer by releasing at least Rs 50 crore per district.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Monday met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary (in charge of Karnataka) Randeep Surjewala in New Delhi and requested them to address the speculation regarding the change of leadership in Karnataka.
Subsequently, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa too met the party leadership in Delhi.
Both Jarkiholi and Mahadevappa are considered close to Siddaramaiah.
While MLAs and leaders who want Shivakumar to be elevated as CM have recently claimed they expect some "sweet news" by May 15, which is their leader's birthday.
Meanwhile, a team of 40 MLAs is preparing to visit New Delhi to press the Congress high command for a Cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka hit out at the Congress leadership for indulging in "power tussle" instead of addressing the people's concerns. He called the government "anti-people" and "dead" to the people of the state.
With the fight for the CM chair, the ruling Congress in Karnataka seems to be shifting to Delhi. Congress MLAs are repeatedly touring Delhi, upset over the state leadership amid a power struggle between the CM and Deputy CM. This proves that there is no value for the state leadership," he said.
Pointing out that the Deputy CM Shivakumar was not present at the recent special cabinet meeting, which decided on internal reservation among SCs, the opposition leader said, "If the cabinet meeting was held purposely, despite knowing that Shivakumar was in Delhi, it proves that there are factions within the party"
"This government is dead in a way," he said, as he hit out at the Congress MLAs and Ministers, including Shivakumar, for doing "Delhi Yatras" instead of addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer, picking up in the state.
