Gujarat

Mohan Bhagwat reiterates Ram temple issue

Less than a week of BJP’s landslide victory in the Lok Sabha polls, RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat reiterated commitment to building Ram Temple in Ayodhya even as the Apex Court has appointed a three member committee for mediation to resolve the dispute.

In a programme in Rajasthan’s Udaipur on Sunday, Mr. Bhagwat said the RSS stands for building a glorious Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

“Ram ka kaam karna hai (We have to do Lord Rama’s work). This is our work, so we have to do it ourselves. We have given the responsibility to someone, but will have to keep an eye on it,” the RSS chief was quoted as saying in Rajasthan’s Udaipur.

Mr Bhagwat added that “Lord Rama lives in us, so this is our work and we will have to do it.”

It may be noted that the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue is currently in the hands of a three-member mediation panel which has to submit its report to the Supreme Court by August 15.

The three member committee is headed by former Supreme Court judge FMI Kalifulla and comprises two other members — Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Shriram Panchu. The mediating is taking place at Faizabad, close to Ayodhya and media is barred from reporting its proceedings.

New Delhi

Foreign leaders invited for swearing-in ceremony

In response to a question on the invitation extended by the Government of India to foreign leaders for the Swearing-in-Ceremony of the Prime Minister of India on Thursday, May 30, 2019, the Official Spokesperson said:

"Government of India has invited the leaders of the BIMSTEC Member States for the Swearing-in ceremony. This is in line with Government's focus on its 'Neighbourhood First' policy. The President of the Kyrgyz Republic, who is the current Chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Prime Minister of Mauritius, who was the Chief Guest at this year's Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, have also been invited.

We will keep the media abreast of further details in due course."

Tamil Nadu

Rajnikanth, Kamal Haasan invited for swearing in of Modi as PM

The top actors of Tamil cinema, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, have been invited for the May 30 swearing-in of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for a second term, sources close to the actors said.

Sources close to both actors acknowledged the two being invited to Mr. Modi’s swearing-in scheduled on May 30, but did not divulge if the veterans would participate.

Karnataka

JD(S)-Congress govt strong in Karnataka, says Siddaramaiah

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah Monday asserted that the JDS-Congress government was a ‘strong’ one and ridiculed state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa for repeatedly claiming that the coalition will collapse.

In a series of tweets, he also said the people’s mandate was for continuation of the BJP-led government at the Centre and not for ‘toppling’ the state government.

“Yeddyurappa has been saying for the past one year the government will fall. He will continue to say the same for the next four years. I am confident the government is strong,” Siddaramaiah said.

New Delhi

First session of 17th Lok Sabha likely from June 6-15

The 17th Lok Sabha’s first session is likely to start from June 6 and go on till June 15, sources have said.

The dates of the first Parliament session are expected to be finalised during the first meeting of the new Cabinet on May 31, a day after Narendra Modi takes oath as prime minister of the country for a second term, they said.

Uttar Pradesh

Reshuffle in UP cabinet soon

The BJP’s massive win in Uttar Pradesh has paved the way for the first reshuffle of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s council of ministers as three ministers have won the Lok Sabha election creating vacancies in the state Cabinet.

Also, a vacancy was created after disgruntled minister and SBSP leader O P Rajbhar was sacked by the chief minister for his outburst against his senior NDA partner, the BJP.

Ministers Swatantradev Singh, Mahendra Singh and Rita Bahuguna Joshi have been elected to Lok Sabha.

This would be the first cabinet reshuffle since Adityanath was sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017.

Uttar Pradesh

Modi in Varanasi for thanksgiving visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited his parliamentary constituency and offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple on Monday, four days after he steered the BJP to power in New Delhi with a resounding victory of 303 seats in the Lok Sabha. He was received at the airport by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Governor Ram Naik.

Flanked by BJP president Amit Shah and Mr. Adityanath, Mr. Modi entered the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and paid obeisance to the deity as priests recited Sanskrit ‘shlokas’ in the sanctum sanctorum and blew conch shells.

Tamil Nadu

First Cabinet meet must sanction Godavari-Cauvery linking project, says Ramadoss

PMK founder S. Ramadoss with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election campaign near Chennai. File photo | Photo Credit: S.R. Raghunathan

The Pattali Munnetra Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss on Monday urged that the first cabinet meeting of the incoming central government should accord sanction for Godavari-Cauvery river linking project.

“With a new central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to be formed, sanction for the linking of Godavari-Cauvery rivers should be obtained,” Dr. Ramadoss said in a statement issued here.