“Joy In Ayodhya Amplified In Abu Dhabi”: PM Modi Inaugurates Temple In UAE

by Hansraj Agrawal | Feb 14, 2024 | top-stories

PM Narendra Modi conducted rituals for the temple’s inauguration.

Marking a significant milestone for the Indian community in the Middle East, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Abu Dhabi’s first Hindu temple, which is also the largest in the region.

Spread over 27 acres and built at a cost of over Rs 700 crore, the BAPS Hindu temple is also seen as a sign of the deepening relationship between India and the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking after inaugurating the temple PM Modi said in Hindi, “A golden chapter in human history has been written in UAE today. A grand and holy temple has been inaugurated in Abu Dhabi today. Years of hard work have gone into this temple and a long-cherished dream has come true. Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s blessings are also with this temple.”

Referring to the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 the PM said, amid cheers, “A centuries-old dream was fulfilled. All of India and every Indian is still cherishing that feeling. My friend Brahmavihari Swamy was saying, ‘Modi ji s the biggest priest’. I don’t know if I have the qualifications of a temple priest but I am proud to be a priest of Maa Bharti (Mother India).”

Stating that every moment of his life and every molecule in his body is dedicated to Ma Bharti, the Prime Minister said, “The joy we felt in Ayodhya has been amplified in Abu Dhabi today. It is my honour that I witnessed the consecration of the temple in Ayodhya last month and this temple in Abu Dhabi today.”

‘Even Thank You Not Enough’

Continuing his praise for his “brother”, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whom he had hailed as a “friend of the Indian community” at the ‘Ahlan Modi’ event on Tuesday, the PM said he had played the biggest role in fulfilling the dream of constructing a grand temple in Abu Dhabi.

“He has won the hearts of 140 crore Indians. It is my privilege that I have been a part of this temple from the time it was conceptualised to its inauguration. This is why I know that even ‘thank you’ is too small a phrase for his generosity and contribution. I want the world to see the depth of the India-UAE relationship,” PM Modi said.

Recalling that he had spoken to Sheikh Al Nahyan about the temple when they had met in 2015, the PM said the UAE president had said yes to the proposal on the spot and made land available in a short time.

“When I came to the UAE again in 2018, I met Sheikh Al Nahyan and showed him the two models of the temple that had been prepared – one that was based on Vedic architecture and another that was a simple model without Hindu religious symbols – his thought was clear: he told me the temple in Abu Dhabi should be built with splendour and glory. He wanted the temple to not only be built but also look like a temple,” the Prime Minister said and then asked the audience to give the UAE President a standing ovation.

Construction Began In 2019

Sheikh Al Nahyan donated 13.5 acres of land for the construction of the temple in 2015 and PM Modi had laid the foundation three years later. Construction began in 2019 after an additional 13.5 acres of land was donated earlier that year.

Built by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), the temple is located in Abu Mreikhah, near Al Rahba. The consecration ceremony of the idols began at the temple on Wednesday morning.

PM Modi also participated in a ‘global aarti (prayer)’, which was performed simultaneously at over 1,200 temples built by BAPS. Before inaugurating the temple, he offered water in the virtual Ganga and Yamuna rivers at the temple and met people from different religions who played a role in its construction.

Spires Represent Emirates

Temple authorities said seven shikhars (spires) have been built at the temple representing the seven emirates that form the UAE.

“The seven spires have idols of deities, including Lord Ram, Lord Shiv, Lord Jagannath, Lord Krishna, Lord Swaminarayan (considered a reincarnation of Lord Krishna), Tirupati Balaji and Lord Ayappa. The seven shikhars represent the seven emirates of UAE,” Swami Brahmaviharidas, head of international relations for BAPS, told PTI.

“The seven spires also pay homage to seven important deities, underscoring the interconnectedness of cultures and religions. Normally, our temples are either one spire, three, or five but the seven spires express our gratitude to the unity of the seven emirates. But at the same time, the seven spires enshrine seven important deities… The spirals aim to promote unity and harmony in the multicultural landscape,” he said.

PM Modi’s visit to the UAE is his seventh since 2015 and his third in eight months. After the temple inauguration, PM Modi will leave for Doha and hold a bilateral meeting with the Qatari leadership. PM Modi’s visit to the country comes on the heels of Qatar releasing eight navy veterans from prison, which was seen as a huge diplomatic victory for India.

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“If Navy Veterans Can Be Brought Back…” Anurag Thakur On Talks With Farmers

by Hansraj Agrawal | Feb 13, 2024 | top-stories

Mr Thakur urged the farmers to continue their dialogue with the government.

New Delhi:

Union Minister Anurag Thakur has urged protesting farmers to hold talks with the government, stating that even the Indian Navy veterans were brought back from Qatar through the power of dialogue.

Speaking to NDTV on Tuesday, when protesting farmers began their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, Mr Thakur said talks are taking time because the farmers are making new demands, and they should not indulge in violence and arson.

Referring to the eight former Navy personnel who were released by the Qatar government, seven of whom reached India on Monday, Mr Thakur asserted, “When Indian Navy veterans can be saved from the death penalty and brought back safely from Qatar, if 27,000 Indians can be rescued during the Ukraine war under Operation Ganga, if crores of Indians can be brought back during Covid… all of this has been achieved through dialogue. My request to our farmer brothers is to come and continue our dialogue.”

“Our Union ministers sat till late last night to hear the farmers’ concerns but their representatives walked away. Even then we said discussions should continue. The discussions are taking longer because new demands are being put forward – they don’t want us to be part of the World Trade Organisation, they want us to scrap free trade agreements,” the minister, who holds the Information and Broadcasting and Sports portfolios, said in Hindi.

Some of the other new demands, he said, were that stubble burning should not be seen through the prism of pollution and that farmers should be kept out of the purview of the Electricity (Amendment) bill.

“We told them we will form a committee or we can also discuss with the agriculture minister. We will also have to hold discussions with states and other stakeholders. This is why I am telling them to continue the dialogue. When we have met most of your (farmers’) demands, a solution can be found on the rest through discussions,” he said.

Barbed Wires, Nails

Asked about the clashes during the protests and why barbed wires were put up and nails were laid on some of the state borders, the minister said law enforcement is a state subject. He urged the protestors not to indulge in violence as it causes a “loss to the nation”, and also pointed out that thousands of common people were having to endure long traffic jams.

Claiming that the Narendra Modi government has purchased more crops than the previous UPA government and the share of agriculture in the Budget has also gone up, Mr Thakur alleged that the Congress – whose leader Rahul Gandhi promised a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) on Tuesday if it is voted back to power – has never respected farmers. A law on MSP is one of the key demands of the protesting farmers.

“Rahul Gandhi ji, you are giving guarantees today. The Congress was in power for 60 years. The UPA government was in office between 2004 and 2014. You didn’t even implement the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission… Neither will Rahul Gandhi come to power, nor will he do anything for farmers,” he said.

To a question on the opposition pointing out that the farmers were protesting at a time when the Bharat Ratna had been announced for farmer leader and former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh and the father of the Green Revolution, MS Swaminathan, Mr Thakur reiterated his call for dialogue and said the government has worked for the welfare of farmers and will continue to do so.

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Video: Bengaluru Man Bites Cop's Finger After Being Caught Without Helmet

by Hansraj Agrawal | Feb 13, 2024 | top-stories

Bengaluru man bit the finger of the traffic constable to retrieve the keys.

A video of a man yelling and biting a traffic police personnel in Bengaluru – which is in wide circulation now – has triggered huge outrage.

Sayyad Safi was stopped by the traffic police for violating rules after he was caught driving the scooter without a helmet near Wilson Garden 10th Cross.

While a traffic constable took away his scooter keys, Head Constable Siddarameshwara Kaujalagi tried to film the incident to record the violation.

The video shows the 28-year-old man confronting both the traffic constables. At one point, he bit the finger of the traffic constable to retrieve the keys.

He can be heard saying that he forgot to wear the helmet as he was heading to a hospital and that he doesn’t care if his video goes viral.

Sayyad Safi then grabbed the head constable’s phone, asked him why his video was being recorded, and attempted to flee.

He was immediately caught and arrested, officials said.

“The suspect is believed to have abused the traffic constable at Wilson Garden 10th Cross, bit his finger and hurt him,” the police said.

A case has been registered against him for abusing and physically hurting a police personnel on duty, criminal intimidation and breach of peace, they said.

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KL Rahul Ruled Out Of 3rd Test Against England, Surprise Replacement Emerges | Cricket News

by Hansraj Agrawal | Feb 12, 2024 | top-stories

Senior India batter KL Rahul has been ruled out of the Rajkot Test against England after failing to fully recover from his injury. Rahul was added to the India squad for the remaining three Tests of the five-match series against the Three Lions but it came along with the caveat that his availability will be subject to his recovery. Rahul had complained of right quadriceps pain during the first Test match in Hyderabad and as a result, he was ruled out of the second Test which India won comprehensively in Visakhapatnam.

Devdutt Padikkal has been named KL Rahul’s replacement for Rajkot Test.

“KL Rahul, whose availability for the remaining three Tests was subject to fitness, has been ruled out of the third Test against England in Rajkot. Mr. Rahul has reached 90 per cent of match fitness and is progressing well under the supervision of the BCCI Medical Team,” said BCCI in a release on Monday.

“He will continue his recovery process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be completely match-fit for the fourth and fifth Test. The Men’s Selection Committee named Devdutt Padikkal as KL Rahul’s replacement for the third Test,” the release added.

More to follow…

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Viral Video: Woman Turns Heads As She Strolls Through London Streets Wearing A 'Lehenga'

by Hansraj Agrawal | Feb 11, 2024 | top-stories

The reel was shared by Shraddha, who is a Spanish-Indian model and has 1,68,000 followers on Instagram.

A video has gone viral on social media showing a young woman turning heads, as she takes a stroll on the streets of London wearing a red wedding ‘lehenga’. The reel was shared by Shraddha, who is a Spanish-Indian model and has 1,68,000 followers on Instagram. In her bio, she also describes herself as a digital marketer and viral media expert.

In the video, the model first takes a ride on the London tube, while being dressed as a bride in a red embroidered ‘lehenga’, along with heavy jewellery. As she enters the train, all eyes are on her, as travellers seem to be fascinated with her choice of attire. She then reaches her destination, takes a stroll on the streets and receives the same kind of attention. Some were also seen clicking pictures of her, while others shot curious glances.

”Giving y’all anxiety through the screen,” the video was captioned. The text insert on the video reads, ”Reactions to a desi top and skirt in London.”

Watch the video here:

Since being shared on February 1, the reel has amassed 2,732,494 likes, and more than 42 million views.

The video has received mixed reactions from internet users, some of whom appreciated her confidence, while some criticised her for ”attention-seeking behaviour.” Meanwhile, some loved the fact that she was comfortable in her skin and applauded her for embracing her cultural identity.

One user said, ”In India people will think you are a runaway bride.” A second user commented, ”Gorgeous! Yes to wearing what you like where you like!”

A third said, ”Her confidence level.” A fourth added, ”Proud of Indian Culture.” A fifth said, ”Elegant and beautiful.”

A sixth said, ”Embarrassing. Who wears a wedding lehnga & goes to streets or metro stations like that? People don’t even do that in India. Attention-seeking behaviour in the name of “cultural appreciation” to get some likes & followers lol this ppl.”

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Imran Khan vs Nawaz Sharif Goes Into Super Over After Pak Poll Results

by Hansraj Agrawal | Feb 11, 2024 | top-stories

Imran Khan supporters have launched a nationwide protest alleging rigging in the polls.

New Delhi:
Pakistan, which is struggling to recover from an economic crisis, was dealt another blow when the elections threw up a hung verdict. The country now faces days of political horse-trading as parties try to cobble together leaders to prove majority.

Here are 10 updates about Pakistan election results:

Imran Khan, who is in jail and barred from contesting elections, managed to grab the headlines as independent candidates who support his party Pakistan Tehreek-Insaf (PTI) won 102 seats.
But the party still fell 31 seats short of the majority mark needed to form the government. The result of 8 seats is yet to be announced.
Pakistan election commission has attributed the delay to internet issues, due to which polling stations are facing difficulties transmitting the results.
Nawaz Sharif‘s Pakistan Muslim League (N), which was backed by the Army and the favourite to win the polls, could manage just 73 seats in the 266-seat assembly. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won 54.
Both Khan and three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, declared victory yesterday increasing uncertainty over who will form the next government at a time when swift policy action is needed to address multiple challenges.
The independents’ strong performance points to former prime minister Imran Khan‘s enduring popularity among the nation’s 241 million people, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet amid the fastest inflation in Asia.
Several independents, backed by PTI, have alleged fraud in the election results and moved the high court. According to local media reports, several more candidates could approach the court over the next few days alleging that the votes were rigged.
PTI is also expected to launch nationwide protests today as the final results of the elections have still not been released.
Gohar Khan, PTI chairman, called on “all institutions” in Pakistan to respect his party’s mandate. At a press conference, he said if complete results of the polls were not released by Saturday night, the party would hold peaceful protests today outside government offices returning election results around the country.
In a bid to keep Imran Khan’s party away from the country’s top office, Nawaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto are holding talks to join hands. But even with the combined strength, they will fall short of the majority by 6 seats.

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