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Yogi Adityanath govt planning a Ram statue taller than Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity

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7 years ago

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Uttar Pradesh government has begun groundwork for construction of a Ram statue at Ayodhya, expected to be announced by chief minister Yogi Adityanath during his pre-Diwali visit to the town, say media reports.

Adityanath, addressing a meeting in Gorakhpur on October 31, had said he will go with good news to Ayodhya for Diwali.

The first lady of South Korea Kim Jung-sook will also visit India from November 4-7 during which she will be at Ayodhya as chief guest for the Deepotsav event on November 6.

“Tender for the architect and design consultant was floated and shortlisted firms gave a presentation to the chief minister. Some changes were suggested and a fresh presentation will be given after which we shall move for selection of the construction agency,” said a senior official of the UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN), reported The Hindustan Times (HT). The date for next presentation by the shortlisted firms is yet to be announced.

The statue will be 151 metres tall and the platform will be 50 metres, making the overall height of the structure 201 metres – taller than the 182 m Sardar Patel’s Statue of Unity in Gujarat, according to the official quoted by HT.

The UPRNN had floated a tender for the project ‘Saryu River front development and construction of Shri Ram Statue at Ayodhya UP’ at a cost of Rs 775 crore approximately, reported HT. The Statue of Unity cost Rs 2989 crore.

After technical evaluation of the bids for for the architecture and designing work, five firms from Kochi, Greater Noida, and Lucknow were reportedly shortlisted for the work.

With general elections slated next year and Ram temple issue remaining at the core of BJP politics to neutralise a host of issues eating away at its popularity – such as Rafale deal, the CBI imbroglio, rising prices, the economic slowdown, the farmers’ agitation – the statue project is likely to take shape soon.

Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya Saturday has refused to commit on a date for Ram temple construction in Ayodhya, saying the matter was being heard by court, but instead, made a case for a Ram statue in the town.

“The issue is sub-judice. Since the matter is in court, we won’t be able to set a date. But yes, who can stop us from coming up with a grand statue of the Lord in Ayodhya? Who can stop us from developing the temple town?” Maurya told HT.

Saints in Ayodhya have been demanding a statue of Lord Ram similar to that of the recently-inaugurated statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of free India.

Mahant Paramhans Das of Tapasvi Chavni has said if a statue of Lord Ram similar to that of Sardar Patel is installed in Ayodhya, it will give boost to tourism and development

Adityanath had recently visited the Sardar Patel statue, which at 182 metres, is the world’s tallest, and was accompanied by some UPRNN officials.

Mahant Satyendra Das, the head priest of the makeshift temple at the disputed site, is however opposed to the Ram statue project.

“Lord Ram’s place is in a temple and not in the open,” Das was quoted as saying in media reports.  Das has been performing puja of Ram Lalla (the child Ram) at the makeshift Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya for over 25 years.

“The Lord’s statue in the open is not acceptable. Who is going to take care of the statue and perform daily puja of the deity?” asked Satyendra Das, who is a former Sanskrit lecturer.

Explaining his point, he said: “Lord Ram’s statue is not a political statue. It is not like any other statue of a politician installed across the country. You very well know the condition of the statues of politicians. No one takes care of them. Nobody wants Lord Ram’s statue to meet the same fate.”

If the government goes ahead with its proposal to install the statue of Lord Ram, then the head priest has some suggestions.

“We do not need the tallest statue of Lord Ram. Its height must be such that it can be easily maintained and it must also have a proper canopy,” he suggested.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas has also demanded proper maintenance of the proposed statue of Lord Ram.

“Lord Ram’s statue is not just any other statue. It cannot be installed and forgotten. The government has to ensure its proper maintenance,” said Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, head of the Nyas, which has spearheaded the Ram Mandir movement across the country.

The chorus for a grand statue of Lord Ram began only after the Supreme Court deferred the hearing on the Ayodhya dispute until January 2019. The apex court’s move irked seers and Hindu organisations such as RSS and VHP who were expecting the verdict in the next few months. The top court’s deferment surprised Hindu outfits who then stepped up the pressure on the government to bring a law to construct Ram temple in Ayodhya.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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BJP releases first list of 47 candidates for Kerala assembly polls

The BJP has released its first list of 47 candidates for the Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April 9, including three former Union ministers.

Published

11 hours ago

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March 16, 2026

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BJP releases list of candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released its first list of 47 candidates for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections scheduled for April 9.

Voting will take place for all 140 seats in the state assembly, with counting of votes scheduled for May 4. A party or coalition needs at least 70 seats to secure a majority in the House.

Among the candidates announced in the first list are three former Union ministers — Rajeev Chandrasekhar, V. Muraleedharan and George Kurian.

Key candidates announced

Kerala BJP chief and former Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar has been fielded from the Nemom assembly constituency. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Chandrasekhar lost the Thiruvananthapuram seat to three-time MP Shashi Tharoor, but he led in the Nemom assembly segment during that contest. The party believes this performance strengthens its prospects in the constituency.

Nemom has held political significance for the BJP since 2016, when senior leader O. Rajagopal won the seat and became the party’s first-ever MLA in the 140-member Kerala Legislative Assembly. The victory marked the BJP’s initial breakthrough in the state assembly.

However, the seat returned to the Left camp in the 2021 Assembly election when V. Sivankutty defeated BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan.

Former Union minister V. Muraleedharan will contest from the Kazhakoottam constituency, while George Kurian has been nominated from Kanjirappally.

Other candidates in the list

According to the list released by the party, several other candidates have also been announced for key constituencies. P. C. George will contest from Poonjar, R. Sreelekha from Vattiyoorkavu and Padmaja Venugopal from Thrissur.

The BJP has also nominated Sobha Surendran from Palakkad, Navya Haridas from Kozhikode North and Kavitha K. S. from Sulthanbathery, a reserved constituency.

Raji Prasad will contest from the Kunnathur seat reserved for Scheduled Castes, while R. Rashmi has been fielded from Kottarakkara.

Political backdrop in Kerala

Kerala’s electoral politics has traditionally alternated between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). However, the BJP has been attempting to expand its presence in the state.

The alternating trend was interrupted in the 2021 Assembly election when the electorate returned the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government to power for a second consecutive term.

The BJP believes recent electoral performances and local body successes have strengthened its position as it prepares to contest the upcoming assembly polls.

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Arvind Kejriwal moves Supreme Court against Delhi High Court order in excise policy case

Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order related to proceedings in the excise policy case and alleging violation of his fundamental rights.

Published

21 hours ago

on

March 16, 2026

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Arvind Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approached the Supreme Court of India challenging certain proceedings in the Delhi excise policy case and alleging a violation of his fundamental rights.

In a petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, Kejriwal has questioned a decision of the Delhi High Court that put a freeze on remarks related to the investigation conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The petition also challenges an order of the High Court Chief Justice rejecting Kejriwal’s request to transfer the case to another bench.

Plea seeks change of bench

Earlier, on March 11, Kejriwal and several others submitted a representation to Delhi High Court Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya seeking reassignment of the case to what they described as an “impartial” judge.

In the representation, Kejriwal stated that he had a “grave, bona fide and reasonable apprehension” that the matter may not receive an impartial hearing before the current bench.

However, the Chief Justice declined the request and said the petition had been assigned as per the existing roster.

According to the communication sent by the High Court’s Registrar General on March 13 to eight individuals including Kejriwal, the Chief Justice noted that any decision on recusal must be taken by the judge hearing the matter and that there was no reason to transfer the petition administratively.

Order on trial court proceedings also challenged

Kejriwal has also challenged a March 9 order passed by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the Delhi High Court.

In that order, Justice Sharma had stayed a trial court direction that called for an investigation into a CBI officer who handled the excise policy case. The High Court had also asked the trial court to defer proceedings connected to the anti-money laundering aspect of the case.

Justice Sharma had further rejected certain observations made by the trial court while discharging Kejriwal and 22 others, stating that some of those remarks were erroneous.

Hearing expected on CBI plea

Meanwhile, Justice Sharma is scheduled to hear a petition filed by the CBI challenging the discharge of Kejriwal, former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others in the excise policy case.

The matter remains under judicial consideration as the legal challenge now moves to the Supreme Court.

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BJP and TMC workers clash in Kolkata ahead of PM rally

Supporters of BJP and TMC clashed in central Kolkata near Girish Park shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally at Brigade Parade Ground.

Published

3 days ago

on

March 14, 2026

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BJP TMC workers clash

Supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Trinamool Congress clashed in central Kolkata on Saturday morning ahead of a rally scheduled to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day.

The confrontation took place near Girish Park, roughly five kilometres from the Brigade Parade Ground where the prime minister is expected to address supporters.

Eyewitnesses reported that members from both political groups raised slogans and threw stones at each other during the confrontation. The clash created tension in the area as supporters were moving towards the rally venue.

According to BJP supporters, stones were allegedly thrown at them without provocation while they were heading towards the rally. One party activist told a Bengali news channel that the group was targeted suddenly and also faced verbal abuse.

However, local TMC workers rejected the allegations. They claimed that BJP supporters initiated the confrontation by hurling abuses and throwing stones first.

TMC supporters also alleged that stones were thrown towards the residence of local party leaders during the incident.

Police personnel were quickly deployed to the spot to control the situation and prevent further escalation. A large contingent of security forces intervened to restore order in the area.

The clash occurred about half an hour before the prime minister’s scheduled address at the Brigade Parade Ground. The rally marks the conclusion of the BJP’s statewide ‘Parivartan Yatra’ ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.

During his visit, the prime minister is also expected to unveil and lay foundation stones for development projects valued at more than Rs 18,000 crore in the state.

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