Rajasthan's only Muslim minister prays at Shiva temple
Barmer, Jan 2: Shale Mohammad, the only Muslim face in Ashok Gehlot's cabinet, offered prayers at a Shiva temple in Rajasthan's Jaisalmer days after taking charge of the minority affairs department.
Mohammad, son of Muslim religious leader Gazi Fakir, reached his constituency Pokhran in Jaisalmer on Sunday for the first time after becoming a minister.
"Gods and goddesses don't belong to any caste. It is not about Hindus and Muslims. Everyone has his faith. We have Ganga-Jamuni brotherhood which is in itself an example. Hindus and Muslims both have strong faith in Baba Ramdev (a temple in Ramdevra of local deity Baba Ramdev)," Mohammad told reporters after performing puja.
The minister said that he visited the temple due to his personal belief.
Madhu Changani, priest of the temple, said Mohammad has a long association with the shrine and it was not the first time he performed puja. "He had visited this temple during state assembly election as well. It was not the first time he visited the temple. He has some association with the temple," he said.
The minister performed puja for about half-an-hour following Hindu rituals. He also performed ablution and offered honey and milk on lord Shiva's idol, Changani added.
Mohammad won the Pokhran seat in the recently-held state elections, defeating BJP's Swami Pratap Puri, a spiritual leader and head of Taratara Math in Barmer district.
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Bulk diesel price hike rolled back for Gujarat fishermen: Minister
Gandhinagar (PTI): The latest hike in bulk diesel prices has been withdrawn for Gujarat’s fishermen after the state took up the matter with the Centre, Fisheries Minister Jitu Vaghani said.
The price of premium or higher-grade petrol was increased on Friday by Rs 2 per litre, while the rate of bulk diesel sold to industrial users was hiked by Rs 22.43 a litre, reflecting the spike in global oil prices amid the West Asia conflict.
Vaghani on Saturday said the Gujarat government had urged the Centre to offer relief to the fisheries sector by considering a “special exception” and withdrawing the increase of Rs 22.43 per litre in the price of bulk diesel used in fishermen’s boats.
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The state urged that fishermen be considered on par with retail customers, he said.
“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre has accepted this reasonable representation of the fishermen of Gujarat. The Centre has instructed Bharat Petroleum to withdraw the increase of Rs 22.43 in the price of diesel used in fishermen’s boats, an official release said.
“So, the fishermen of the state will now receive diesel at the previously decided concessional rate,” it added.
The Gujarat government had signed a pact with the public sector undertaking Bharat Petroleum to ensure diesel for fishermen at a discounted price. However, the PSU recently increased the diesel price for fishermen by Rs 22.43 per litre.
“A representation was made to Vaghani, MLAs, local leaders and various fisheries organisations. Considering the seriousness of the matter, Vaghani, under the guidance of the chief minister, made a representation to the Centre to intervene in the matter,” the release said.
