Security wall spanning 4 km to be erected around Ram Temple in Ayodhya
Ayodhya (UP), Apr 14 (PTI): A security wall spanning approximately four kilometres is being erected around the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and is anticipated to be finalised in 18 months, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Building Construction Committee chairperson Nripendra Misra on Monday said.
Updates regarding the Ram Temple's construction were discussed on the third day of the meeting of the committee on Monday, officials said here.
The meeting centred on providing updates regarding the temple's construction progress, encompassing new security measures, installations of statues and developments in the surrounding precincts, they said.
A significant religious ceremony, the 'Kalash Pujan Vidhi', was also held in the morning at the main peak of the sanctum sanctorum and the 'kalash' was positioned.
Misra indicated that the Ram Temple construction endeavour is advancing towards completion within six months.
A security wall spanning approximately four kilometres is expected to be finalised in 18 months, he said.
"Engineers India Limited will construct the security wall for the Ram Temple. The conclusive resolution regarding the wall's height, thickness and design has been established. Construction will be initiated after soil testing," Misra said.
He said the passenger facility centre's capacity with a storage facility will be constructed on 10 acres within the Ram Temple complex and it will feature 62 storage counters.
A meditation precinct will also be established on 10 acres within the Ram Janmabhoomi Complex for devotees to worship, he said.
"All the statues of Sapta Mandal temples arrived in Ayodhya on Sunday. Each of them has reached its respective temple.
"The statues have been delivered to all seven temples. These statues, originating from Jaipur, have been placed inside," Misra stated.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
