India
Earlier on Wednesday, TMC released its manifesto for upcoming polls.
Updated : Apr 17, 2024, 11:12 PM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Nalbari in Assam on Wednesday to address an election rally for NDA Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency candidate Phani Bhushan Choudhury of the Asom Gana Parishad.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be in Karnataka on Wednesday to campaign for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, during which he will address public meetings in Mandya and Kolar.
Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, two leaders of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, will be in Ghaziabad on Wednesday to support Congress’s Ghaziabad candidate Dolly Sharma and also meet media persons there.
Here are the live updates:
After my Nalbari rally, I watched the Surya Tilak on Ram Lalla. Like crores of Indians, this is a very emotional moment for me. The grand Ram Navami in Ayodhya is historic. May this Surya Tilak bring energy to our lives and may it inspire our nation to scale new heights of glory. pic.twitter.com/QqDpwOzsTP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 17, 2024
This Ram Navami is very auspicious. There's joy and happiness in Ayodhya. After around 500 years, the celebration of Lord Ram's birth is taking place at his birthplace," says Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath after visiting Gorakhnath Temple on the occasion of Ram Navami.
VIDEO | "This Ram Navami is very auspicious. There's joy and happiness in Ayodhya. After around 500 years, the celebration of Lord Ram's birth is taking place at his birthplace," says Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) after visiting Gorakhnath Temple on the… pic.twitter.com/p7pnxxy05H
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 17, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries his hands on a traditional instrument during his public rally in Nalbari, Assam
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi tries his hands on a traditional instrument during his public rally in Nalbari, Assam. pic.twitter.com/WJ4rD0j17q
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2024
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says "I want to extend my best wishes to everyone on the occasion of Ram Navami. I am happy that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Samajwadi Party are doing a press conference together...Today, we are in Ghaziabad and this time INDIA alliance will wipe out BJP from Ghaziabad to Ghazipur. Today, farmers are upset as all the promises of BJP turned out to be fake..."
#WATCH | Ghaziabad, UP: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav says "I want to extend my best wishes to everyone on the occasion of Ram Navami. I am happy that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the Samajwadi Party are doing a press conference together...Today, we are in Ghaziabad… pic.twitter.com/72ULKixwgp
— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2024
Addressing election rallies in Raiganj and Balurghat, Modi hailed the Calcutta High Court's decision to allow a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) procession in Howrah as a "victory for truth.".
Modi claimed that while the TMC does not permit Ram Navami rallies, it allows stone-pelting at such events.
"Devotees have to move the court to seek permission for Ram Navami rallies, but those who pelt stones at these rallies are permitted to do so," he said.
"This year's Ram Navami celebrations are different as Ram Lalla has returned home in Ayodhya. But the TMC, as in previous years, opposes Ram Navami celebrations in the state and hatches conspiracies," Modi said.
The high court had granted permission to the VHP to hold a Ram Navami procession in Howrah city, imposing certain conditions to ensure the event takes place without tension.
"The permission was granted by the court, and tomorrow Ram Navami processions will be taken out with full reverence and devotion. In the end, truth always triumphs in the state," he said.
On the other hand, Banerjee, while addressing a rally in Jalpaiguri, accused the BJP of trying to engineer riots on Wednesday, two days ahead of the first phase of elections.
"BJP is trying to engineer riots in the state on April 17, aiming to reap electoral dividends in the first phase of elections on April 19. We have information that they are planning to incite communal polarisation in the state," she claimed.
The TMC supremo alleged that after the clashes, the BJP would use the NIA to arrest TMC leaders on fake charges.
"I urge our supporters and the peace-loving people of West Bengal not to fall into their trap and engage in clashes. People must be vigilant to thwart the BJP's plan to incite riots for votes," she said.
TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the BJP wants to use Lord Ram and religion for their political gain.
-PTI