‘Congress has scuttled Greater Mysuru City Corporation project for political reasons’

Mysuru has to get a  Metro Rail service. We have to start now, else it will become chaotic to build a metro system later like it has happened in Bengaluru.

Mysore/Mysuru: During the virtual inauguration of two new sections of Bengaluru Namma Metro last October, PM Modi hinted at the possibility of metro service in Mysuru.

Building upon Modi’s vision, Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha recently declared that Mysuru is on the brink of a transportation revolution akin to Bengaluru’s Namma Metro, with the impending introduction of a Metro Rail system.

“Similar to Bengaluru’s Namma Metro, which has eased traffic congestion and provided a reliable speedy public transportation option, Mysuru has to get a Metro Rail service. And we should do it now before Mysuru grows, else it will become chaotic to build a Metro system later, like it has happened in Bengaluru,” the MP said.

However, amidst the optimism, critical details regarding the project are yet to be disclosed.

“Elaborate plans will be devised after the upcoming Lok Sabha elections,” Simha told Star of Mysore this morning.

“I have already committed to the people of Mysuru that I will bring Metro Rail to Mysuru to address the city’s growing transportation needs,” the MP Pratap Simha said.

Typically, the routes for a Metro Rail system in a Tier-II and Tier-III city are determined based on factors such as population density, traffic patterns and connectivity to key areas such as residential neighbourhoods, commercial hubs and transportation terminals.

“We will ask local authorities and urban planners to conduct thorough studies and engage with the community to determine the most effective routes for a Metro Rail system in Mysuru,” MP  Pratap Simha added.

“We are committed to establishing Greater Mysuru, incorporating a Greater Mysuru City Corporation. We have upgraded numerous Gram Panchayats to Town Panchayats and Town Panchayats to City Municipal Councils, with plans underway to integrate 45 to 47 villages into Greater Mysuru. The BJP has consistently prioritised the Mysuru city’s scientific progress, introducing transformative projects like the Peripheral Ring Road and the Greater Mysuru City Corporation. Regrettably, the Congress party  has obstructed the Greater Mysuru project for political  reasons,” he said.

“Narendra Modi will resume office as Prime Minister for the third term and the Namma Mysuru Metro Rail project will become a reality. The roads in Mysuru, planned three to four years ago, have now become congested due to increased traffic, necessitating the implementation of Metro Rail service and a Peripheral Ring Road,” emphasised Pratap Simha.

“The groundwork for conducting surveys to quadruple railway tracks, particularly from Mysuru to Bengaluru and other destinations, is currently underway by the Railway Board. Upon completion of the project, a couple of new electric trains will ply between the two cities and efforts will commence to link the Metro Rail from Mysuru to Kengeri in Bengaluru,”  he elaborated.

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2024 Parliamentary Election: Whither Opposition and Congress?

The Parliamentary election 2024 is only a couple of months away and the nation is experiencing a new kind of election fever which we have not seen except in 1977, the post-Emergency Parliamentary election. Then, as expected, the newly cobbled up Opposition parties, under the dynamic and well-accepted leadership of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan (JP)  called Janata Party, took on the Congress party and won.

The present BJP in its older avatar at that time known as Bharatiya Jana Sangh was almost an apology of a political party compared to its other partners namely Congress (O), Socialist Party of India (of Raj Narain and George Fernandes), Bharatiya Lok Dal (of Charan Singh, who was posthumously given Bharat Ratna this year) and Swatantra Party (of C. Rajagopalachari and ‎Minoo Masani). Together, these parties, which were a part of Janata Morcha, a political movement known as ‘Total Revolution’ led by Jayaprakash Narayan, became  Janata Party.

During the election campaign, Indira Gandhi called this Janata Party as a ‘strange animal’ and a ‘khichdi’ party without any political or moral principles. She called the Janata Party as an ‘opportunistic party.’ Indira Gandhi was prophetic in her utterances and tirade against the Janata Party. The Janata Party which won the election and formed the government soon came apart as its Central leadership could not hold those disparate parties together with each party asserting its own political and economic ideology. Naturally, things fall apart when Centre cannot hold.

Leaders of these coalition political parties were too ambitious to become Prime Ministers and looking for an excuse, no matter how frivolous it was. A replay of a similar political acrobatics was seen when Rajiv Gandhi was defeated in 1989 and V.P. Singh became the Prime Minister poisoning the nation with Mandal Commission. Its pernicious effect on our country’s earlier healthy reservation policy is impacting on our society even now.

Before Mandal Commission,  the evil of caste system was just an undercurrent in electoral politics. But thereafter it brazenly surfaced in the elections throwing up many caste-based satraps in States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. No wonder we are hearing the hoarse voices for caste census which will surely perpetuate caste system for all time to come as long as there is electoral politics in our country.

If anyone is to be blamed for this anti-social development, it is our politicians who strut around calling for the abolition of the caste system, but doing nothing about it. We are marching towards an age of reason and societal enlightenment where socially every citizen is of equal status, mutually respected and treated with dignity. But see, what our politicians have done. Their greed for power has seared the souls of the socially discriminated and deprived sections of our citizens. Therefore, we need no more political leaders now. There are enough of them. The need of the hour is for social reformers like Mahatma Gandhi, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, Subramania Bharati, Swami Vivekananda, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswati, Narayana Guru and others.

However, unless the caste factor with its identities is erased from electoral politics, we will never have a fair and free election. Therefore, we need tall social reformers who will reform our politicians  to eschew caste factor in elections completely. Is it an utopian idea?

Be that as it may, let us take a peek into the election that is at our doors. As I mentioned, the Opposition coalition in the past, in 1977 and 1989, won the election. To that extent at least it was a successful political strategy, though it committed harakiri soon after forming the government.

But see what is happening to  a similar coalition launched to face the BJP (rather Modi!) in the 2024 election. The I.N.D.I. Alliance is a still-born baby. Look at the way I.N.D.I. Alliance is coming apart, exploding. It is said that the strength of a chain depends on its weakest link. But here it seems all its links are weak except the one —Congress! And Congress itself seems to be at large, its Prime Ministerial candidate walking the Indian Roads in all directions on a journey to nowhere.

An angry young man, who had the audacity to tear to smithereens his own UPA government’s notification at a press conference in Delhi, he is going to take on Modi in 2024 Parliamentary elections alone, like a One-Man Army without foot soldiers. And worse that his high-ranking officers are deserting him one after the other. Yesterday’s Deccan Herald had given a list of them by name with an apt sub-heading “Never-ending list” and at the last count there were 34 and still counting.

Well, but “Who is afraid of Virginia Wolf?” Or “Who is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” Not Rahul Gandhi, of course. Among those who deserted the sinking Congress Boat are many honourable, loyal Congressmen like for example Supreme Court Advocate Kapil Sibal, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Amarinder Singh,  Jyotiraditya Scindia and Milind Deora. Yes, others might have left to save their skin from ED.

However, should Congress High Command lose these senior honchos at a critical time of Parliamentary election? No. Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather Nehru or his grandmother Indira Gandhi and even his father Rajiv Gandhi (who spoke in a public meeting in Mumbai about ending the evil of power-brokers in Congress and then compromised) would not have allowed these stalwarts to leave the party? Didn’t Nehru stop Gen. K.S. Thimayya from resigning despite V.K. Krishna Menon? But Rahul has guts. He simply shunned these people with a ‘Couldn’t care for you’ attitude saying “People who are leaving tomorrow, should go today itself.”

Now over to the 2024 Parliamentary election.

e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com

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Defender of Faith and Renaissance Man of India

The 2024 Parliamentary election is only a couple of months away. Looking back, in the last 10 years, it has been a golden decade for India. The credit should indeed go to BJP Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi. I am sure this kind of approbation of Modi’s rule will ruffle the feathers of BJP’s bete noire, the Left liberal members of the Opposition.

But, let me begin with a parable told by Kahlil Gibran as my answer to those who ruled us after independence from 1947 to 2014 before Narendra Modi arrived as Prime Minister.

One nightfall, a man travelling on a horseback towards the sea, reached an Inn on the roadside. He dismounted and confident in man and night, he tied his horse to a tree beside the door and entered the Inn.

At midnight, when all were asleep, a thief came and stole the traveller’s horse.

In the morning, the man awoke and discovered that his horse was stolen and grieved for his horse. Then his fellow lodgers came and stood around him and began to talk.

And the first man said, “How foolish of you to tie your horse outside the stable.”

And the second man said, “Still more foolish, without strapping together the legs of the horse.”

And the third man said, “It is stupid at best to travel to the sea on a horseback.”

And the fourth man said, “Only the lazy and the slow on foot own horses.”

Naturally, the traveller, who was the victim of theft, was much astonished at the remarks and comments of other lodgers. At last, he cried, “My friends, because my horse is stolen, you have hastened to tell me my faults and my shortcomings. But strange, not one word of reproach have you uttered about the man who stole my horse.”

In the above parable, imagine the traveller to be the Rajas of different countries within Hindu India in the beginning of the 10th century ACE. The horse that was stolen to be their kingdoms. The lodgers of the Inn to be the Left liberals and those who ruled us from 1947 to 2014 after we got independence in 1947. As an Indian, specially if you are a Hindu, what would be your feeling? Same as that of the victim — traveller in the parable.

These Left liberals are the ruling parties of India who found fault with the Hindu kings and Hindu people of this country for losing the war against foreign conquerors. Strangely, not one word of reproach has been uttered by the Left liberals and the ruling parties about the foreign invaders who stole the kingdoms of these Hindu kings.

The rulers of independent India compromised the evils perpetrated to the virasat (heritage) of Hindus and did not enable Hindus to reclaim their important temples that were destroyed by the Muslim invaders.

Be that as it may, after independence the Hindus had one golden opportunity to reclaim their lost heritage with regard  to their temples, names given to the old Hindu kingdoms, important places and roads. So also with regard to the British and Persian names that are in the land records. There is Moghul and Colonial influence in criminal and civil laws that was crying for change to affirm the fact that India is an independent, sovereign country with a Hindu majority.

Unfortunately, it did not happen for several decades because the first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who ruled for more than 16 years did not countenance efforts of the victims of destroyed temples to reclaim them for reasons best known to him.

The rulers of independent India considered the majority Hindus of the country as a burden on the minority and its impact was seen in the government’s discriminatory policy on education, temple management and criminal and civil laws.

It is axiomatic that the British India was divided in 1947 on the communal political principle of Hindu majority and Muslim majority provinces. The majority Hindus of truncated India believed that they could reclaim their virasat (heritage) and then pursue the path of vikas (development) once the Muslims were granted their demand for Pakistan.

Surprisingly, the Congress leaders who became the rulers of divided India could not influence or convince Nehru to be considerate towards the aspirations of Hindus. It is now revealed that such attitude by the then rulers in dealing with the Hindu question after independence had a political purpose (Remember there was a ‘Muslim question’ before independence!). It was a hidden vote bank agenda of the ruling Congress party and there being no strong Opposition party, there was no one to speak for Hindus.

Defeated, denied, oppressed and even humiliated in a gradual manner for over thousand years, it was but natural for the Hindus to reclaim their lost inheritance and heritage when they got freedom.

However, due to the electoral politics played on the hidden rules of caste, creed, religion and also money, the Hindu majority continued to languish without seeing the new age of renaissance and resurgence.

Fortunately, by sheer serendipity, in 2014 Parliamentary election a miracle happened both for India and for Hindus. The BJP with NDA partners got an absolute majority in the Parliament and also a Prime Minister Narendra Modi like an avatar mentioned in Bhagavad Gita. This helped in reclaiming Hindu virasat and boosting India’s economic growth which took a quantum leap that many thought would be impossible. And the man who made this impossible possible is our Prime Minister Modi.

Though the going is good for the country and its people, both the majority and the minority, it is important to pause and ponder about our democracy and its healthy growth. Presently, the political ethos across the country is eclipsed by a disparate Opposition bereft of political ideology anchored by a weak and fatigued Congress party.

The Opposition seems to suffer not only from a policy paralysis but also from a leadership crisis. Fortunately for the country, the BJP does not suffer from these two major deficiencies and therein lies its strength for now.

In a matured democracy, there must be a strong Opposition in the Parliament. It is for this reason, the Prime Minister too had expressed his desire in the Rajya Sabha for a good constructive Opposition in the Parliament.

Fortunately, the forthcoming 2024 election does not seem to be complicated or complex. Therefore, we can expect a healthy mix of the Ruling and the Opposition parties in the new Parliament functioning from the new Parliament House.

In the midst of all this, we hear a discordant note coming from an MP from Karnataka D.K. Suresh sowing the seed of another partition of the country as North and South for the frivolous alleged reason of the Centre not giving Karnataka its share of tax. The PM was much upset about the MP’s threat and said in Rajya Sabha, “What is this language being spoken? Stop creating such new narratives to break the nation.”

Hearing the utterances of some of our politicians from across the political parties, it seems necessary for them to read the history of India — ancient, modern and the present. Only then they will know how India was conquered and ruled by foreign invaders and traders. Only then they will know how important it is for India to stay united and thereby stay strong so that history will not repeat itself.

Reflecting on the statements made by Congress MP D.K. Suresh and some DMK leaders about our country’s unity, I am reminded of what Dr. B.R. Ambedkar said in Bombay in early fifties at a public meeting when the then Chief Minister of Bombay B.G. Kher concluded his speech saying, “I am an Indian first and Maharashtrian last.”

When Dr. Ambedkar’s turn came to speak, he alluded to Kher’s concluding remark and said, “We should always think we are Indians first and Indians last.”

Let us hope our present day ambitious and parochial politicians will hear Dr. Ambedkar’s advice and think themselves as Indians first and Indians last. Dr. Ambedkar also said in another context, “If India loses who wins.”

History of the world tells us that at all times and circumstances, war, peace, famine or pestilence, as the Leader so is the Country. When you have a good leader, keep him.

Jai Hind.

e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com

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Former Dy.CM Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan inaugurates party’s Election Office in Mysuru

Mysore/Mysuru: Now, with BJP party cadres actively publicising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s achievements aligning with ‘Viksit Bharat’ over the last 10 years, the Mysuru-Kodagu unit of the party has sounded the poll bugle with the inauguration of an Election Office at the BJP Headquarters ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in April-May this year.

The office was inaugurated this morning by former Dy.CM Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan in the presence of MP Pratap Simha who will be running for a third term, BJP Cluster Convenor and former MLA S.A. Ramdas, former MLA Appachu Ranjan, former Minister C.H. Vijayshankar, BJP State Vice-President M. Rajendra, City President L. Nagendra, District President L.R. Mahadevaswamy and others.

Speaking to the media later, Dr. Ashwathnarayan highlighted the significant improvements witnessed in Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha Constituency over the past decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, drawing parallels to the era of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

He emphasised Mysuru’s global recognition and PM Modi’s plans for its further enhancement. Dr. Ashwathnarayan affirmed the party’s commitment to seeking votes based on their achievements over the past decade and proposed development plans for the next five years, aligning with the concept of ‘Viksit Bharat.’

Responding to reports regarding BJP leaders Basavaraj Patil Yatnal and Ramesh Jharkiholi’s criticisms of the party leadership, Dr. Ashwathnarayan expressed confidence in resolving internal differences within the party, noting their shared desire for Narendra Modi’s re-election as the Prime Minister.

Dr. Ashwathnarayan criticised the Congress, alleging misappropriation of taxpayer funds and engaging in appeasement politics, predicting that party’s downfall due to internal discord.

When questioned about fielding Kupendra Reddy as the fifth candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha Polls despite lacking sufficient votes, Ashwathnarayan urged patience until the results were announced.

Regarding Pratap Simha’s candidacy, he praised the MP’s exemplary performance over the past decade and said that the decision on his contest for the third time will be taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board.

BJP Cluster Convenor Ramdas highlighted that the newly inaugurated Election Office serves not only Mysuru and Kodagu but also the Cluster Offices for Chamarajanagar, Mandya and Hassan Lok Sabha Constituencies.

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New Delhi:  On his UAE visit’s second day today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil Hindu temple at Abu Dhabi at 7.30 pm (6 pm Dubai time).

Constructed by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha on a 27-acre plot in Abu Mreikhah, near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway, the BAPS Hindu Mandir embodies traditional construction methods outlined in Hindu scriptures.

Notably, the temple has integrated over 300 advanced sensors to monitor seismic activity and temperature fluctuations. Remarkably, the temple’s construction eschews the use of metal, employing instead fly ash to fortify its foundation. The project, estimated to cost approximately Rs. 700 crore, signifies a harmonious fusion of ancient wisdom and contemporary engineering.

Following the inauguration, Modi will travel to Doha for the second phase of his  two-country trip.

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‘Prime Minister Modi’s popularity a winning formula; do not repeat mistakes that led to downfall of Congress-JD(S) coalition’

Mysore/Mysuru: Union Home Minister Amit Shah underscored the imperative for the Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to harness Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s widespread popularity and convert it into an augmented vote share.

He asked the party workers in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s hometown to secure victory in all 28 Lok Sabha seats in the forthcoming elections. During a strategic session convened at the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel yesterday, Shah delineated the favourable political landscape nationwide, emphasising the conducive environment for the BJP.

Key members of the BJP’s core committee alongside cluster leaders representing the Mysuru-Kodagu, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha Constituencies attended the strategy session.

Shah also issued a stern warning to members against making any loose statements regarding the alliance between the BJP and the JD(S). “It is important to maintain unity and refrain from airing opinions,” Shah said, aimed at curtailing discord within the party ranks. He underscored the significance of a cohesive approach towards alliance matters.

Additionally, Shah cautioned leaders and party workers against repeating past errors that contributed to the downfall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition.

He proposed a streamlined approach where each of the eight Assembly segments within every Parliamentary Constituency commits to maximising efforts to bolster the party’s                                     electoral prospects.

Following the meeting, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra told reporters that strategies were devised to secure a 10 percent increase in votes at every booth across the State as instructed by the Union Home Minister.

“All our leaders have pledged to Amit Shah that the BJP and the JD(S) will jointly contest all 28 Lok Sabha Constituencies and we are fully committed to winning all 28 seats,” Vijayendra stated.

Regarding seat allocation discussions, Vijayendra clarified that these deliberations will occur in Delhi between senior leaders of both parties. However, he emphasised the shared goal of ensuring victory for whichever candidate is selected.

Shah highlighted 45 Assembly seats spanning five districts and urged MLAs to intensify public outreach efforts immediately.

Sources indicated that his comprehensive briefing provided State BJP leaders with a clear understanding of the forthcoming challenges and the urgency for preparations ahead of the 2024 elections.

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Former PMs P.V. Narasimha Rao & Chaudhary Charan Singh; Scientist M.S. Swaminathan

New Delhi: In a series of historic announcements this noon, the Government of India has declared the conferment of the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian award, on three distinguished personalities (posthumous) who have made indelible contributions to the country in various fields. 

In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the conferring of Bharat Ratna on former Prime Ministers Chaudhary Charan Singh and P.V. Narasimha Rao and the Father of India’s Green Revolution Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. 

Bharat Ratnas recognise their unparalleled contributions to agriculture, farmers’ welfare, nation-building  and economic reforms, Modi said.  

Chaudhary Charan Singh: “Chaudhary Charan Singh is a lifelong advocate for farmers’ rights. Charan Singh served as the Prime Minister of India, has been posthumously honoured with the Bharat Ratna for his unwavering dedication to the welfare of farmers. Throughout his political career, including terms as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the Home Minister of India, Singh championed the cause of farmers and played a significant role in nation-building,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post in Hindi.

“Chaudhary Charan Singh’s resistance against the Emergency and his commitment to democracy have been highlighted as sources of inspiration for the entire nation,” PM Modi said.

He expressed pride in the Government’s good fortune to honour Singh’s legacy. 

P.V. Narasimha Rao 

“The Government is also delighted to award the Bharat Ratna to P.V. Narasimha Rao Garu, recognising his visionary leadership that ushered India into a new era of economic development. As a distinguished scholar and statesman, Rao’s tenure as PM was marked by significant reforms that opened India’s markets to the world, laying a solid foundation for the country’s prosperity and growth,” the PM said in his post written in English. 

“Narasimha Rao Garu’s contributions extended beyond economic policy, enriching India’s foreign policy, language and education sectors. Rao’s multifaceted legacy as a leader who steered India through critical transformations has been duly acknowledged,” Modi wrote.

 Dr. M.S. Swaminathan

The Government has acknowledged Dr. M.S. Swaminathan’s monumental role in transforming Indian agriculture and ensuring the country’s food security. “Known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India, Dr. Swaminathan’s efforts in modernising agriculture have been instrumental in achieving self-reliance in food production during critical times,” PM Modi said. 

“His work as an innovator and mentor in encouraging research and learning among students has also been celebrated,” Modi added and personally reflected on Dr. Swaminathan’s visionary leadership and his close relationship with him, emphasising the profound impact of his insights and contributions to the nation’s prosperity.

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Mysore/Mysuru: Veteran BJP leader and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa (BSY) said that the State Congress Government’s five guarantees were no match to the schemes and welfare programmes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He was speaking after inaugurating the day-long Mysuru District (Rural) BJP Executive meeting at Dasara Exhibition Grounds here this morning.

Pointing out that PM Modi has launched ‘Bharat’ brand rice at just Rs. 29 per kg to all citizens of the country, Yediyurappa asserted that this scheme is much more useful than CM Siddaramaiah’s Anna Bhagya as it covers all sections of the population.

Likewise, the PM has launched many other programmes for the welfare and benefit of the people catering to all sections of the society, he maintained.

Stating that he also launched ‘Modi Once Again 2024’ campaign in the city and district earlier today, BSY said that the party workers should give their best for ensuring the party’s victory in all the LS seats in the State.

State BJP OBC Morcha President Raghu Kautilya, in his address, said that in the past, Congress was compared to parthenium weed which grows abundantly everywhere. But now the Congress parthenium has become almost extinct, with the Congress wilting under the BJP’s huge tree called ‘Bharat.’ 

Pointing out that in the past religious leaders sprung up when Hinduism faced threat, he said that now PM Modi has come to build Ayodhya Ram Mandir, thus realising the dreams of crores of Hindus over centuries.

Lashing out at the Congress, Raghu said that the party workers must take ‘Modi Once Again-2024’ campaign to every nook and corner of the country.

Three resolutions

The meeting passed three main resolutions — one thanking PM Modi for the construction of Ayodhya Ram Mandir, secondly condemning the State Congress Government’s anti-farmer and anti-dalit policies and thirdly, attacking the State Congress Government of CM Siddaramaiah for its failure to handle drought and providing relief to farmers.

Earlier, floral tributes were offered to the portraits of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari, erstwhile Jan Sangh leaders Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.

MLA T.S. Srivatsa, former Minister and State SC Morcha President N. Mahesh, former Ministers M. Shivanna and C.H. Vijayashankar, former MLA B. Harshavardhan, former MLC C. Ramesh, District BJP President L.R. Mahadevaswamy, City BJP President and former MLA L. Nagendra, State BJP Vice-President M. Rajendra, party leaders Mangala Somashekar, Mirle Srinivasgowda, N.V. Phanish, District Media Spokesman K. Vasanth Kumar and others were present on the occasion.

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One of the most respected statesmen, his contribution to India’s development is monumental, says Prime Minister Modi

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani will be conferred with the prestigious Bharat Ratna, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced this morning, calling the party stalwart’s contributions to the development of India ‘monumental’.

The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, is conferred in recognition of “exceptional service/ performance of the highest order.” Instituted in 1954, the list of awardees includes Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Vajpayee among others.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Prime Minister wrote, “I am very happy to share that Shri L.K. Advani Ji will be conferred the Bharat Ratna. I also spoke to him and congratulated him on being conferred this honour.”

“One of the most respected statesmen of our times, his contribution to the development of India is monumental. His is a life that started from working at the grassroots to serving the nation as our Deputy Prime Minister,” PM Modi said.

Advani has labelled himself the ‘charioteer’ who steered the ‘rath yatra’ that began in Gujarat’s Somnath on Sept. 25, 1990 and culminated with the demolition of the Babri Masjid on Dec. 6, 1992. He returned to Ayodhya on Jan. 22 this year to see PM Modi, then his aide, leading the Ram Temple consecration ceremony.

An emotional moment: PM Narendra Modi

The Prime Minister further praised the veteran leader and said, he distinguished himself as India’s Home Minister and I&B Minister. “His Parliamentary interventions have always been exemplary, full of rich insights.”

He said, Advani’s decades-long service in public life has been marked by an unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity, setting an exemplary standard in political ethics.

“He has made unparalleled efforts towards furthering national unity and cultural resurgence. The conferring of the Bharat Ratna on him is a very emotional moment for me. I will always consider it my privilege that I got countless opportunities to interact with him and learn from him,” the Prime Minister said.

Born in Karachi, in present-day Pakistan, on Nov. 8, 1927, Advani through the years had served as the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the longest period since its  inception in 1980.

Capping a Parliamentary career of nearly three decades, he was, first, the Home Minister and, later, the Deputy Prime Minister in the Cabinet of Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1999-2004).

Advani is widely regarded as an individual of great intellectual ability, strong principles and unwavering support for the idea of a strong and prosperous India. As confirmed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Advani has ‘never compromised on his core belief in nationalism and yet has displayed flexibility in political responses whenever it was demanded by the situation.’

Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur

Last week, the Narendra Modi Government conferred Bharat Ratna (posthumous) on socialist icon Karpoori Thakur who, as CM of Bihar, was the first to implement an OBC quota with a sub-quota for MBCs in the north in 1978.

Thakur’s 26 percent package, that also had quotas for women and economically weaker sections and which provoked violent protests, was implemented a year before the Constitution of the Mandal Commission.

Belonging to the extremely backward Nai (barber) caste, ‘Jan Nayak’ Thakur was born into a poor family in north Bihar’s Samastipur district. He fought off the odds and obscene social prejudices to become an agent of change in the State which was synonymous with upper caste hegemony.

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India’s veteran tennis player Rohan Bopanna met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday and presented the racket that brought him the Australian Open 2024 title last week, to the PM. Bopanna shared some pictures of him representing the Australian Open Cup and his racket with Modi and thanked the latter for acknowledging his glory in Melbourne.

“I had the privilege to meet our honourable Prime Minister Modi ji today. This acknowledgement is very humbling & it was my honour to present the very racket that led me to become World no. 1 and the AO grand slam champion. Your grace has left me inspired & encouraged. @PMOIndia,” Bopanna wrote on his ‘X’ handle.

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