New Delhi, May 12: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday expressed gratitude to the people of Karnataka for allowing the BJP to serve them for many years and said the party under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will continue to work for the welfare of the state and its people.
The Congress returned to power on its own in Karnataka after 10 years, knocking the BJP off its only southern perch on Saturday as voters decisively backed the grand old party desperately seeking electoral revival ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"My sincere gratitude to the people of Karnataka for giving the BJP the opportunity to serve them for so many years. The BJP under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi Ji will continue to strive for the welfare and development of the people of Karnataka," Shah tweeted.
The home minister also complimented the BJP workers in Uttar Pradesh for the party's "stupendous performance" in the state's local bodies polls.
"Congratulations to all the party workers, @Bhupendraupbjp ji and the entire team on the stupendous performance of the BJP in the local body elections in Uttar Pradesh.
"This is a stamp of approval on the public welfare works of the government of @myogiadityanath under the guidance of @narendramodi. Heartfelt gratitude to the people for their continuous faith in BJP," Shah tweeted in Hindi.
The BJP is set for a huge victory in the urban local bodies polls in UP with a clean sweep in mayoral elections. The BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit is headed by Bhupendra Singh Choudhary.
My sincere gratitude to the people of Karnataka for giving the BJP the opportunity to serve them for so many years. The BJP under the leadership of PM @narendramodi Ji will continue to strive for the welfare and development of the people of Karnataka.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 13, 2023
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Sambhal (UP) (PTI): The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has submitted its response in a court -- which had allowed a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid here -- seeking control and management of the Mughal-era mosque as it is a protected heritage structure.
Representing the ASI, lawyer Vishnu Sharma said the agency submitted its counterargument in the court on Friday, stating that it faced resistance from the mosque's management committee and locals in conducting surveys of the site.
He said the ASI also highlighted an incident from January 19, 2018, when an FIR was filed against the mosque's management committee for installing steel railings on the mosque's steps without proper authorisation.
The mosque, notified as an ASI-protected monument in 1920, is under the purview of the agency and as such, public access to the structure should be permitted, provided it adheres to ASI regulations, Sharma said.
The ASI argued that control and management of the monument, including any structural modifications, must remain with it.
It also raised concerns that unauthorised changes to the mosque's structure by the management committee are unlawful and should be restricted.
The court is expected to deliberate on the matter in the coming days.
Violence erupted in Sambhal on November 24 during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid there, killing four people and injuring many others.
A three-member judicial commission has been formed to probe the violence and it is likely to visit Sambhal on Sunday.
Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said, "Two members of the commission formed by the Uttar Pradesh government reached here on Saturday. The third member will join them on Sunday as they head to Sambhal."
The survey was linked to a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site of the mosque.
The commission formed via a notification on November 28 has been directed to complete its probe within two months. Any extension of this timeline will require government approval.
The commission headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora comprises ex-IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad and Arvind Kumar Jain, a retired IPS officer.
It has been entrusted with the task of examining whether the clashes were spontaneous or part of a well-planned criminal conspiracy, as well as the preparedness of the police and the administration in handling the situation.
The commission will also analyse the circumstances leading to the violence and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.