Khandwa (PTI): Akbar Taj, a visually impaired bhajan singer and poet from Madhya Pradesh, has expressed happiness on being invited for the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya to be held on January 22.
Taj (42), who is the resident of Hafla Beepla village in Khandwa district, told PTI that he will reach Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on January 14 and recite his poems on Lord Ram.
"I visit the entire country but I am feeling very happy on being invited to Ayodhya and that too on behalf of Ram ji Bhadracharya (Hindu spiritual leader). I am leaving many other programmes and going there," he said.
Taj, who has been writing and singing poems and bhajans in praise of Lord Ram since childhood, said he belongs to a very poor family and lives in a 'kutcha' house.
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New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
