‘How can one expect better from Cong’: BJP attacks Revanth Reddy over Ram-Shiva comments

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) BJP on Tuesday attacked Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for his remarks contrasting the religious and political identities of North and South India, accusing him of attempting to divide communities for political gains. The BJP also questioned the Congress’s past position on Lord Ram.

Speaking at a media event in the national capital on Monday, Reddy had questioned the BJP’s repeated use of the slogan “Jai Shri Ram” and asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders do not similarly chant “Har Har Mahadev”.

“We are Dravidians. Here (North India), people are Aryans. We are devotees of Shiva, while people here are devotees of Lord Ram. BJP stole Ram. It’s an emotion; a sentiment. Why does Modi ji not say, ‘Har Har Mahadev’? Have you ever seen BJP people say ‘Har Har Mahadev’ on stage? They only say, ‘Jai Sri Ram’. When we chant ‘Har Har Mahadev’, they don’t like it,” Reddy stated.

The Telangana Chief Minister also described Lord Shiva as the “God of the poor” and Lord Ram as the “God of the rich”, adding that both are revered by people.

His remarks drew a strong response from the BJP. The party questioned the manner in which he sought to draw a distinction between the two deities and between the regions.

BJP National Spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo, speaking to IANS, criticised the remarks and referred to the Congress party’s earlier position on Lord Ram.

“Just when one thinks Congress cannot stoop any lower, it does… How can they decide which God belongs to whom… This is the very Congress party which had once stated that Lord Ram is ‘imaginary’… How can we expect anything better from them?… Congress does not need to give anyone a certificate about their faith based on the region,” Shah Deo said.

BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain also questioned Reddy’s remarks. Speaking to IANS, he said, “What kind of remarks are these? Congress had once passed an affidavit calling Lord Ram ‘imaginary’. What is the point of North-South in this? They know that Congress has no future in the North; hence its leaders make such remarks.”

BJP National Spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan also criticised the Telangana Chief Minister, questioning his understanding of the religious and cultural references associated with Lord Ram.

“Revanth Reddy does not know anything. Who was Shabari, who offered berries to Lord Ram? Who were the Kashyapas? I think he does not even know who Kevat was. Revanth Reddy is the same person who used to say that if there is a party of Muslims, it is the Congress party. People who practise appeasement are going to lecture us on this? They have no right to do so,” Paswan told IANS.

BJP leader T.R. Sriniwas, speaking to IANS, also hit out at Reddy’s remarks and accused him of lacking an understanding of Sanatan Dharma and India’s historical and cultural heritage.

“This statement has exposed him… I want to tell Revanth Reddy that if you think you can bring back the same Aryan-Dravidian narrative again, that is foolishness. Lord Shri Ram belonged to everyone and will continue to belong to everyone. If you look at the Ramayana, you will find evidence of Lord Shri Ram’s journey from Chitrakoot and Ayodhya, through Madhya Pradesh and further south to Rameswaram, and from Rameswaram to Lanka,” Sriniwas said.

BJP leader Lanka Dinkar also criticised the Telangana Chief Minister and said the remarks reflected what he described as “ideological bankruptcy” of the Congress leadership.

Speaking to IANS, Dinkar said, “If we observe the comments made by Congress leaders, from Rahul Gandhi to Revanth Reddy and B.K. Hariprasad, their ideological bankruptcy is clearly visible to the people of the country. As the Chief Minister of Telangana, Revanth Reddy should not make such comments by distinguishing between Lord Rama and Lord Shiva based on North and South. He should understand how people connect with the spiritual divinity of God. If he makes such comments just to please Rahul Gandhi, the people of this nation will certainly not tolerate it.”

–IANS

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‘Vocal for Local’ shines at Magh Mela, boosting rural artisans

Prayagraj, Feb 4 (IANS) Handicraft products made by local artisans are emerging as a major attraction for visitors at the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, as the Centre’s ‘Vocal for Local’ initiative gives a strong push to indigenous crafts and traditional livelihoods.

Under the initiative, products manufactured by rural artisans and Self-Help Groups are being prominently showcased at the Mela. Devotees and tourists are showing keen interest in a wide range of locally made items, including handicrafts, khadi garments, handwoven textiles and earthenware.

The demand for these products has remained consistently high, with many visitors preferring handmade goods over mass-produced or imported items.

The initiative is aimed at promoting self-reliance while strengthening traditional industries that form the backbone of the rural economy. Artisans participating in the Mela say the platform has helped them reach a wider audience and generate better income during the festive period.

Visitors at the fair said the quality, durability and uniqueness of locally made products have encouraged them to support indigenous crafts. Many buyers also expressed the view that purchasing local goods contributes directly to employment generation for artisans and craftsmen.

A local shopkeeper said that handicrafts have received unprecedented encouragement in recent years. “Earlier, local products did not get such exposure, but now under the ‘One District, One Product’ initiative, artisans are getting recognition and better marketing opportunities,” he said.

Another visitor remarked that the products available at the Mela are comparable to, and in some cases better than imported goods. “It is better to buy from local artisans as it strengthens their livelihoods and preserves traditional skills,” he said.

Shopkeepers further noted that increased government support has boosted the confidence of artisans, leading to greater participation at the Magh Mela. They believe such initiatives are playing a key role in preserving India’s rich handicraft heritage while also providing sustainable economic opportunities.

–IANS

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India set to transition to upper middle income country by 2030: SBI Research

New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) India is set to touch $4,000 per capita income in another four years in 2030 to transition to an upper middle income country and join China and Indonesia at current classification, an SBI Research report said on Monday.

India took 60 years since independence to reach $1 trillion and achieved achieved $2 trillion in another seven years in 2014.

The country achieved $3 trillion in another seven years in 2021 and $4 trillion in another four years in 2025.

“India is likely to achieve $5 trillion in another two years. India achieved $1,000 per capita income in 62 years since independence in 2009. It achieved $2,000 per capita in another 10 years in 2019 and $3,000 per capita income in another seven years in 2026,” said Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India.

The growth journey in the last decade shows that India’s percentile rank in the cross-country distribution of average real GDP growth has increased from the 92nd percentile over a 25-year horizon to the 95th percentile, implying a rightward shift in its relative position that places India deeper into the upper tail of the global growth distribution.

“If we consider the current per capita GNI (gross national income) threshold for high income country of $13,936 to be reached by 2047 (as per Viksit Bharat vision), India’s per capita GNI has to grow by a CAGR of 7.5 per cent. This seems achievable as India’s per capita GNI has grown by a CAGR of 8.3 per cent during the last 23 years (2001-2024),” Ghosh explained.

However, the threshold level for high income country will also get changed by then. If the threshold for high income country gets changed to $18,000, then India’s per capita GNI needs to grow by a higher rate, CAGR of around 8.9 per cent in the next 23 years for it to become the high-income country by 2047.

The report mentioned that assuming 0.6 per cent average population growth and average deflator of China, Japan, the UK, the US and Euro area of around 2 per cent (average between 1992-2024), this translates into growth of nominal GDP in dollar terms of around 11.5 per cent for the next 23 years.

“India should continue its reform agenda so that we can get higher incremental growth required to reach the high-income bracket,” the report said.

Clearly, India can and will transition to the upper middle-income country, which has the threshold per capita GNI of around $4,500.

Growth of Nominal GDP in dollar terms required to achieve this is around 11.5 per cent which is achievable as this growth has been around 11 per cent before the pandemic (FY04-FY20) and around 10 per cent during FY04-FY25, it added.

—IANS

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‘Operation Lotus never fails’: MP Kirti Azad’s swipe at BJP amid Trinamool rebellion

Kolkata, June 12 (IANS) With dissent within the Trinamool Congress refusing to abate, MP Kirti Azad accused the BJP on Friday of causing the rift within the Mamata Banerjee-led party, quipping: “Operation Lotus never fails”.

The former cricketer’s reaction comes after three pages carrying signatures of 19 rebel Trinamool MPs surfaced earlier in the day, reportedly claiming to be the main and majority bloc of the party’s representation in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking to IANS, Azad said: “There is no loss for Trinamool Congress. The party stands on the name of Mamata Banerjee. She has built the party through struggle. No one can claim that they win elections in Trinamool solely in their individual capacity. Such kind of thinking is a misconception.”

Regarding the rebel MPs, he said: “We knew they would go; five to six of them had CID raids at their residences. BJP workers were threatening them, and the police were not allowing locals to come in. Houses of the first-time MPs were demolished, so they were scared. We knew that some of them might take a decision like this.”

Targeting the BJP, Kirti Azad said: “Operation Lotus never fails.”

However, he questioned why the rebel MPs were taking such a decision only after the party lost the Assembly polls.

“It is evident from the signatures in the letter that those were not taken on one day, and instead taken from MPs at different points of time. The ink used for the signatures by the MPs is starkly different from each other, like the one used by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar,” he alleged.

Responding to a question over Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee’s ultimatum to Mamata Banerjee to “choose” between him and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, Azad said: “Our leader Mamata Banerjee will look into the matter. Kalyan Banerjee has been a very strong and dedicated soldier of the party. There does not seem to be any possibility of him leaving the party.”

Further, he accused the BJP of attempting to finish the Trinamool.

“Shiv Sena and NCP have already been split. Nitish Kumar has been removed from his position as Chief Minister and sent to the Rajya Sabha. JJP in Haryana has also been destroyed by them. They (BJP) don’t want the Opposition to exist in India; that is BJP’s ideology,” he alleged.

Moreover, he added, “BJP wants the support of two-thirds of the members in the Parliament to pass the Delimitation Bill.”

—IANS

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