India / World Monday, November 26, 2018 09

BJP seeking TENSION SIMMERS OVER DEMAND FOR BUILDING RAM TEMPLE China lauds voters after defeat of votes in Ram’s pro-independece name needs Taiwan ruling party to be stopped, REUTERS says Yechury TAIPEI CHINA on Sunday welcomed IANS the defeat of Taiwan’s pro-in- AGARTALA dependence ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) at lo- THE BJP and its allies are now cal elections, saying it showed seeking vote in Lord Ram’s people wanted peaceful rela- name, inciting religious senti- tions with Beijing. ments, creating Hindu-Muslim Taiwan President Tsai divide, CPI-M leader Sitaram Ing-wen, who faces re-elec- Yechury said on Sunday, add- tion in a little more than year, ing that his party aims to defeat on Saturday resigned as chair- their divisive politics and set up woman of the DPP, taking a secular state. responsibility for her party’s “The BJP and its partners massive defeat at the mayoral are now seeking vote in the and county elections. name of ‘Ram’,” the Commu- The DPP has now been left nist Party of India-Marxist in control of only six of Taiwan’s General Secretary said ad- cities and counties, compared dressing the party’s state con- with at least 15 for the China- ference here in Tripura. friendly Kuomintang party. “The agitation against the Significantly, it lost one of its Supreme Court verdict on Sa- most steadfast strongholds, the barimala temple in Kerala and southern city of Kaohsiung. launching of “Shri Ramayana “The (election) results re- Express” from Ayodhya in Ut- flected the strong will of the tar Pradesh to Rameswaram Taiwan public in hoping to con- in Tamil Nadu are part of a tinue to share the benefits of the game plan of the BJP and RSS peaceful development of rela- to create communal and re- tions across the Taiwan Strait, ligious polarisation ahead of and their strong wish in hoping the Lok Sabha polls,” the Left to improve the island’s economy leader said. People gather to attend the ‘Dharma Sabha’ rally held by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to demand construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, on Sunday. (EPA-EFE) and people’s wellbeing,” said The Bharatiya Janata Party a statement by China’s policy- and its partners ahead of the making Taiwan Affairs Office next year’s general elections and carried by state media. are “inciting the religious senti- Since Tsai took office in ments, creating Hindu-Muslim Hindu hardliners rally in support 2016 China has ramped up and ethnic divisions”, he add- pressure on Taiwan, suspi- ed. Yechury said that the CPI- cious Tsai wants formal inde- M has been campaigning with pendence, a red line for Bei- three missions–defeat BJP, jing which regards Taiwan as broaden and strengthen the its own. Tsai says she wants Left movement and to set up a of controversial Ayodhya shrine only the status quo. secular government. The CPI-M General Secre- tary urged the Narendra Modi Huge banners bearing images of the mosque being torn down by sledgehammer hung at protest led government to bring back the Rs 12 lakh crore money, ac- AFP after the destruction of an Modi over the issue ahead of Prez, PM mourn cording to him, looted by the AYODHYA, INDIA earlier temple. Hindu zealots Congress ‘delaying’ Ram temple general elections in the next absconding millionaires and reduced the Babri Mosque six months. Congress leader others and to spend the cash TENS of thousands of Hindu to rubble in 1992, kicking off construction, says PM Modi Modi, who is running for the development of the hardliners rallied Sunday for riots across India that left ALWAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the for a second term, has faced Jaffer Sharief country. He also asked him to a temple to be built at a dis- thousands dead, most of them Congress party of adopting “delaying tactics” in the Supreme some disquiet from his core IANS provide quality health services puted Indian holy site, where Muslims. Court to create hurdles in the construction of Ram temple at Ayo- supporters who feel that he NEW DELHI and education besides creating an ancient mosque was razed The site remains a flash- dhya and playing a “dangerous game” of threatening the judges has not done enough for the jobs for the youths. in 1992 sparking deadly riots. point between Hindus and In- with impeachment. cause, despite his parliamen- PRESIDENT Ram Nath “Modi (Narendra Modi)- Huge crowds of saffron- dia’s sizeable Muslim minor- Addressing an election rally here, the PM said, “When the tary majority. Kovind, Prime Minister Shah (Amit Shah) group is clad protesters, some wav- ity and the show of force by case of Ayodhya was going on, a Congress leader and Rajya Sab- The Bharatiya Janata Par- Narendra Modi, Congress running the country. Our ef- ing swords and chanting hardliners comes two weeks ha member was telling the Supreme Court not to hear the case ty (BJP) he rules is a Hindu President Rahul Gandhi forts will be to consolidate the “Praise Be to Ram”, massed before the 26th anniversary till 2019, because there are several elections till then,” Modi said. nationalist outfit with ties to and other political leaders anti-BJP votes and to broaden in Ayodhya in northern Ut- of the mosque’s destruction. He was referring to Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who had some of the hardline groups expressed grief over the the alternative politics before tar Pradesh state and then Huge banners bearing urged the Supreme Court to defer hearing in the Ram Janmab- rallying in Ayodhya, including demise of former Union the next general elections,” the dispersed peacefully on Sun- images of the mosque being hoomi-Babri Masjid title suit till July 2019. (IANS) the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Minister CK Jaffer Sharief, CPI-M party chief said. day where right-wing Hindu torn down by sledgehammer- (VHP) and Shiv Sena. who passed away at a pri- Earlier addressing the groups want a grand temple wielding radicals hung at the “The emotions of Hin- vate hospital in Bengaluru opening session, Tripura CPI- to their god constructed. protest, where hardline lead- Muslim body seeks President’s dus should not be taken for following a heart attack on M Secretary Bijan Dhar said Organisers had expected ers called for parliament to granted,” said Uddhav Thack- Sunday.He was 85. that since the BJP led govern- 300,000 demonstrators to pass a law allowing for the intervention in Ayodhya situation eray, the head of Shiv Sena, “Sorry to hear of the ment came to power in Tripu- attend rallies in Ayodhya and temple’s construction. NEW Delhi: The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM)on as quoted by the Press Trust passing of veteran politi- ra in March, its workers and two other Indian cities, with Uttar Pradesh’s chief Sunday wrote to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking his interven- of India. cal figure CK Jaffer Sharief, goons carried over 5,000 at- protesters arriving by bus and minister Yogi Adityanath, a tion in the Ayodhya situation where thousands of Hindu activists VHP leader leader Cham- who served the nation in tacks on the Left and other op- train throughout the day. firebrand monk who has long and leaders have gathered for a ‘Dharma Sabha. pat Rai told demonstrators many capacities including as position parties’–their houses, Security measures were campaigned for the temple, The AIMMM, said that such a congregation whose stated they would only accept “the Railway Minister. My condo- business establishments and beefed up, with some 5,000 unveiled plans Sunday to aim is to construct a grand Ram temple at the disputed site in entire area” for the Ram tem- lences to his family members other assets. additional police deployed build the world’s largest stat- the Uttar Pradesh temple town, was not only a threat for the ple and would not consider and associates in Karnataka “There is no democracy in to protest areas, especially in ue in Ayodhya–a 221-metre law and order situation of the twin towns of Ayodhya-Faizabad sharing the site with Muslims. and elsewhere,” Kovind said, Tripura now under the BJP Ayodhya. bronze likeness of Ram. but also for the entire nation. Riaz Ahmed, a 50-year- the Prime Minister tweeted: governance. Prople’s freedom Many Hindus believe a The temple controversy “The peace loving Muslim community of twin cities of Ayo- old businessman from Ayod- “Saddened by the demise of curtailed, no free expression spot there marks the birth- has been tied up in courts for dhya, Faizabad is being terrorized in the name of Ram Mandir. hya, said it was understand- Sharief ji. He was an effec- of opinion allowed and demo- place of Ram and that a medi- decades but some hardline There are reports that a large number of peace loving citizens able that religious leaders tive voice for Karnataka’s as- cratic rights are slashed,” the eval mosque that stood there groups are applying pressure have lleft the city amid fear,” an AIMMM letter read. (IANS) would lobby for a temple in pirations in Delhi. CPI-M leader alleged. for 460 years was only built to Prime Minister Narendra the holy city.

At least 30 drown in Uganda pleasure boat disaster Experts suggest regulatory framework for India’s security on eve of Mumbai attacks anniversary AFP yana, adding the boat had KAMPALA sunk 150 metres (yards) IANS ists who came undetected by security, and the Coast Guard from the lakeshore. NEW DELHI sea and killed 166 people, had was entrusted with responsi- THIRTY people drowned “According to one of the exposed gaps in coastal secu- bility of coastal security in ter- and more than 60 were survivors there were more INDIA has considerably im- rity. The government had then ritorial waters. Steps were also feared dead after a pleas- than 90 people on board,” proved its maritime and initiated measures to improve taken to enhance capabilities of ure boat sank in Lake Vic- said Asuman Mugenyi, di- coastal security since the surveillance along the country’s other stakeholders such as ma- toria, Ugandan police said rector of operations for the Mumbai terror attack 10 years 7,516-km-long coastline. rine police, Central Industrial Sunday, in the latest such Uganda police. ago, but a comprehensive reg- As part of the steps taken, Security Force, Border Security incident on Africa’s largest Witnesses claimed the ulatory mechanism for stake- the Cabinet Committee on Se- Force and Customs. body of water. vessel may have been rushed holders is needed to improve curity had assigned specific While real-time informa- “Thirty bodies have back into service following a coordination and help make responsibilities to the Navy tion-sharing, management and been recovered and 27 peo- People carry a victim’s body on to shore at the rescue site of a renovation in order to take best use of institutional capa- and Coast Guard in 2009. The analysis have significantly im- ple rescued,” said police capsized cruise boat on Lake Victoria in Mutima village, south of advantage of the profitable bilities, experts have said. Navy was given responsibility proved, there remains a gap in spokesperson Zura Gan- Kampala, Uganda, on Sunday. (AFP) end-of-year party season. The 2008 terror attack, car- of overall maritime security, tracking of fishing vessels which ried out by 10 Pakistani terror- including offshore and coastal is sought to be addressed. ‘Mann Ki Baat’ apolitical, not praise of govt or self: PM Modi

IANS not about the government, it is for any leader who has millions He said his addresses are NEW DELHI about the society. Mann Ki Baat of listeners. a “humble and modest effort” addresses an aspirational India, “The fact is, if a leader gets towards acknowledging and PRIME Minister Naren- an ambitious India. Politics or Mann Ki Baat is not about hold of a microphone with as- honouring the common man’s dra Modi on Sunday said Political Power are not intrinsic the govt, it is about society. sured listeners to the tune of talent and deeds. his monthly radio address to the Indian ethos; on the con- it addresses an aspirational millions, what else does he “Some people may wonder “Mann Ki Baat” is apolitical trary, social values and society and ambitious India. Politics need?” he said as he cited a as to what I achieved through and does not praise him or are,” the Prime Minister said as or Political Power are not “lexical study” done by “some Mann Ki Baat. It gives me im- the government, and that he he completed its 50th episode. young friends” on the myriad mense satisfaction when people has always raised issues of The Prime Minister’s re- intrinsic to the Indian ethos subjects touched upon over write back to say that as they sit society through it. marks came as the Congress Narendra Modi the many episodes of ‘Mann Ki down together as a family to lis- “Some young friends have on may occasions has asked Baat’, and which concluded that ten to ‘Mann Ki Baat’, they feel attempted a study on the myri- the Election Commision to the programme has remained as if a family elder is sharing ad subjects touched upon, over stop “Mann Ki Baat” during aspirations of listeners through away from politics. his ideas with us. “When I hear the many episodes of ‘Mann Ki election period, saying that it their letters, online comments “Politics or political power such comments, I feel satisfied Baat... One of their findings was has a potential to swing votes and phone calls are crystal are not intrinsic to the Indian to know that I am yours, I am that this programme has re- in Modi’s favour. clear. Modi may come and go, ethos; on the contrary social one amongst you, I am with you mained apolitical. When it com- Modi said the greatest “bul- but this country will never let values and society are. In fact, and it is you who have elevated menced, I had firmly decided wark in ensuring adherence to go of its unity and permanence. politics is one of the numerous me to this position. Your joys that it would carry nothing po- my resolve, in fact my highest Our culture will always be im- other aspects of social life. Mak- and sorrows are my joys and litical, or any praise of the gov- inspiration, has been you. In the mortal,” he said, emphasising ing politics an all-pervasive, sorrows, too. Your expectations ernment, nor Modi for that mat- run-up to each episode of ‘Mann though, that remaining apoliti- powerful factor is not good for a are my expectations, your ambi- ter anywhere. “Mann Ki Baat is Ki Baat’, the expectations and cal could never be an easy task healthy society,” Modi said. tions are my ambitions.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in ‘Mann Ki Baat’.