The Uttar Pradesh government is all set for a historic Guinness World Record attempt by lighting nearly 28 lakh diyas at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Deepotsav on Wednesday. Additionally, more than 1100 people are set to perform the largest aarti together on Saryu Ghat. 

Uttar Pradesh minister Jaiveer Singh said that this is the first Deepotsav after the Pran Pratistha of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and every effort has been made to give grandeur and divinity to the programme. He added that many things will be made to create new records this year. 

Jaiveer Singh also said that CM Yogi Aditynath will attend the event. He mentioned that artists are coming from many countries. He hailed that the special thing this year will be that they have managed to light 28 lakh diyas by breaking all previous records. Besides, they will also perform Aarti with 1100 diyas at the Sarayug Ghat with 1100 Vedacharyas, he continued.

More than 30,000 volunteers are mobilised to support the lighting of 28 lakh diyas across 55 ghats, with prominent areas such as New Ghat, Old Ghat, and Bhajan Sandhya being primary locations for the festivities. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and other key officials are expected to attend, highlighting the event’s significance.

Furthermore, a team from Guinness World Records is overseeing the Deepotsav festivities, aiming to set two records: a 1,100-person Saryu Aarti and the lighting of 28 lakh diyas. Earlier on Tuesday, a 30-member team led by Guinness World Records consultant Nischal Barot began counting the diyas across the 55 ghats of the Saryu using drones.

Reportedly, an elaborate Shobha Yatra is also planned with 18 tableaus and artists from six countries and 16 Indian states participating, amplifying the event’s cultural diversity. In order to ensure safety, nearly 10,000 security personnel, including undercover officers, have been deployed, and 17 key routes leading to Ram Ki Paidi are restricted to pass holders only. Additionally, LED screens have been installed for live viewing, accommodating the crowds with arrangements for 5,000-6,000 people, while additional viewing points across the city ensure widespread access.

Also, special low-soot lamps are being used to raise environmental awareness, and the Animal Husbandry Department has committed to lighting 1,50,000 Gau Deep for the occasion. Security measures are tight, with the ATS, STF, and CRPF commandos deployed. In an attempt to avoid pollution, wax lamps are used outside the main temple building,  and decoration efforts are carefully overseen to prevent any damage to temple structures.

The Congress on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government, saying India is in its most precarious and difficult economic situation in many years, adding wage stagnation, inflation and inequality are undermining consumption growth in the country.

Congress General Secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh warned that failure to address existing chokepoints could severely hinder growth in the coming years.

He noted that over the past three decades, India’s economic narrative has centered on consumption, with millions of families successfully moving out of poverty and into the middle class, now capable of purchasing goods and assets. He asserted this signified a robust and rapidly expanding economy benefiting a broad swath of society.

However, Ramesh pointed out that this consumption trend has reversed in the last decade, posing a significant challenge for the Indian economy. Voices from India Inc. echo his concerns, with one prominent CEO remarking that the middle class is shrinking.

Ramesh identified several key factors contributing to this downturn: stagnant wages, soaring inflation, and rising inequality.

He explained that evidence from various data sources, including the recently published Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for 2022-2023, demonstrates that workers today have less purchasing power than they did a decade ago.

The Congress leader warned that the stagnation in wages might correlate with a decline in labor productivity, leaving families with less disposable income for consumption.

Addressing the issue of high inflation, Ramesh cited Dr. Viral Acharya, former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, highlighting the rise of five major conglomerates, including the Adani Group, which have formed monopolies in 40 sectors such as cement, chemicals, and construction.

He claimed that in 2015, for every Rs 100 spent by consumers, Rs 18 went to industrialists, whereas today, that figure has risen to Rs 36 in profits for the same owners.

Ramesh attributed the recent price hikes to the government’s cronyism and favoritism towards these conglomerates, asserting that the continuous rise in goods and services costs has diminished the common man’s capacity for consumption amidst stagnating wages.

He addressed the issue of inequality, stating that India’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been markedly uneven and K-shaped, with rural areas and the impoverished being disproportionately affected.

He pointed out that two-wheeler sales in rural regions, a key indicator of economic health, remain below 2018 levels.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme accusing him of doing politics over the issue of public health in the national capital. 

Arvind Kejriwal’s reaction followed after PM Narendra Modi criticised the Delhi and West Bengal governments for failing to implement the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme out of political interest. The Prime Minister also said that he was disappointed with the state of free healthcare for the elderly in Delhi and West Bengal and called it a missed opportunity to serve the senior citizens.

Addressing an event at New Delhi’s All India Institute of Ayurveda, PM Modi apologised to all the elderly aged above 70 years in Delhi and West Bengal, and said that due to the state government’s decision, he cannot help them. 

Responding to PM Modi’s allegation, the former Delhi Chief Minister said that speaking wrongly about the issue of public health and indulging in politics on it is not right. Taking to X, Arvind Kejriwal said PM Modi should study the Delhi model of healthcare and replace his government’s Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme with it across the country for real benefit to the people. He further claimed that he is yet to meet a person who got treatment through the Ayushman Bharat scheme. 

Targeting the Prime Minister, Arvind Kejriwal said that speaking wrongly over public health issues and indulging in politics on it is not right. He further stated that under the Delhi government scheme, each person in the city receives free medical treatment, and the government bears the entire cost whether it’s a Rs 5 pill or treatment worth Rs 1 crore. He also offered to send a list of lakhs of beneficiaries of Delhi government’s health scheme. 

The AAP national convenor also questioned benefits under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, saying the CAG found several irregularities in it.