Moderate separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Monday appeared before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a case related to terror funding, officials said.

Mirwaiz was provided security upon his arrival at Delhi airport as was assured by the NIA after he raised the issue for appearing at the agency's headquarter in the national capital.

Hurriyat Conference leaders Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Maulana Abbas Ansari accompanied him.

In 2004, the same group of leaders had met then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then home minister LK Advani for finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue.

The NIA probe seeks to identify the chain of players behind the financing of terror activities, pelting of stones on security forces, burning down of schools and damaging of government establishments.

The case names Hafeez Saeed, Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), the front for banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, as an accused, besides organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference factions led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz, Hizbul Mujahideen and Dukhtaran-e-Millat.&nbsp;

Moderate separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Monday appeared before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a case related to terror funding, officials said.

Moderate separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Monday appeared before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with a case related to terror funding, officials said. Mirwaiz was provided security upon his arrival at Delhi airport as was assured by the NIA after he raised the issue for appearing at the agency's headquarter in the national capital. Hurriyat Conference leaders Abdul Gani Bhat, Bilal Lone and Maulana Abbas Ansari accompanied him. In 2004, the same group of leaders had met then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and then home minister LK Advani for finding a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue. The NIA probe seeks to identify the chain of players behind the financing of terror activities, pelting of stones on security forces, burning down of schools and damaging of government establishments. The case names Hafeez Saeed, Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), the front for banned Lashkar-e-Taiba, as an accused, besides organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference factions led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz, Hizbul Mujahideen and Dukhtaran-e-Millat.

Mirwaiz Umar appears before NIA in terror funding case

The veteran BJP politician LK Advani, a founding member of the party, has written a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/read-the-full-text-of-veteran-bjp-leader-lal-krishna-advani-blog-207942">blog</a> before the BJP's Foundation Day on April 6.&nbsp;

"As one of the Founders of the BJP, I deem it to be my duty to share my reflections with the people of India, and more specifically with the millions of workers of my Party, both of whom have indebted me with their affection and respect," Advani writes in his blog.&nbsp;

He goes on to say that "serving the Motherland has been my passion and my mission ever since I joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the age of 14" and that "the guiding principle of my life has been ‘Nation First, Party Next, Self Last.’And in all situations, I have tried to adhere to this principle and will continue to do so."

Advani adds that the "the essence of Indian democracy is respect for diversity and freedom of expression."&nbsp;

He then goes on to say that: "Right from its inception, the BJP has never regarded those who disagree with us politically as our 'enemies', but only as our adversaries. Similarly, in our conception of Indian nationalism, we have never regarded those who disagree with us politically as 'anti-national'."&nbsp;

Advani adds that "the party has been committed to freedom of choice of every citizen at personal as well as political level."

And that the "defense (sic) of democracy and democratic traditions, both within the Party and in the larger national setting, has been the proud hallmark of the BJP. Therefore BJP has always been in the forefront of demanding protection of independence, integrity, fairness and robustness of all our democratic institutions, including the media. Electoral reforms, with special focus on transparency in political and electoral funding, which is so essential for a corruption-free polity, has been another priority for our Party."

Advani says that "in short, the triad of Satya (truth), Rashtra Nishtha (dedication to the Nation) and Loktantra (democracy, both within and outside the Party) guided the struggle-filled evolution of my Party.The sum total of all these values constitutes Sanskritik Rashtravad (Cultural Nationalism) and Su-Raj (good governance), to which my Party has always remained wedded. The heroic struggle against the Emergengy rule was precisely to uphold the above values."

He begins to wind down his blog by saying that "it is my sincere desire that all of us should collectively strive to strengthen the democratic edifice of India."&nbsp;

And finally concludes with the lines that: "True, elections are a festival of democracy. But they are also an occasion for honest introspection by all the stakeholders in Indian democracy – political parties, mass media, authorities conducting the election process and, above all, the electorate."

Advani had at the start of his blog said that: " Before I share my thoughts, I take this opportunity to convey my most sincere gratitude to the people of Gandhinagar, who have elected me to the Lok Sabha six times since 1991. Their love and support has always overwhelmed me."&nbsp;

Advani will not be fighting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has instead fielded party president Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Gujarat.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The veteran BJP politician LK Advani, a founding member of the party, has written a blog before the BJP's Foundation Day on April 6. "As one of the Founders of the BJP, I deem it to be my duty to share my reflections with the people of India, and more specifically with the millions of workers of my Party, both of whom have indebted me with their affection and respect," Advani writes in his blog.

The veteran BJP politician LK Advani, a founding member of the party, has written a blog before the BJP's Foundation Day on April 6. "As one of the Founders of the BJP, I deem it to be my duty to share my reflections with the people of India, and more specifically with the millions of workers of my Party, both of whom have indebted me with their affection and respect," Advani writes in his blog. He goes on to say that "serving the Motherland has been my passion and my mission ever since I joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at the age of 14" and that "the guiding principle of my life has been ‘Nation First, Party Next, Self Last.’And in all situations, I have tried to adhere to this principle and will continue to do so." Advani adds that the "the essence of Indian democracy is respect for diversity and freedom of expression." He then goes on to say that: "Right from its inception, the BJP has never regarded those who disagree with us politically as our 'enemies', but only as our adversaries. Similarly, in our conception of Indian nationalism, we have never regarded those who disagree with us politically as 'anti-national'." Advani adds that "the party has been committed to freedom of choice of every citizen at personal as well as political level." And that the "defense (sic) of democracy and democratic traditions, both within the Party and in the larger national setting, has been the proud hallmark of the BJP. Therefore BJP has always been in the forefront of demanding protection of independence, integrity, fairness and robustness of all our democratic institutions, including the media. Electoral reforms, with special focus on transparency in political and electoral funding, which is so essential for a corruption-free polity, has been another priority for our Party." Advani says that "in short, the triad of Satya (truth), Rashtra Nishtha (dedication to the Nation) and Loktantra (democracy, both within and outside the Party) guided the struggle-filled evolution of my Party.The sum total of all these values constitutes Sanskritik Rashtravad (Cultural Nationalism) and Su-Raj (good governance), to which my Party has always remained wedded. The heroic struggle against the Emergengy rule was precisely to uphold the above values." He begins to wind down his blog by saying that "it is my sincere desire that all of us should collectively strive to strengthen the democratic edifice of India." And finally concludes with the lines that: "True, elections are a festival of democracy. But they are also an occasion for honest introspection by all the stakeholders in Indian democracy – political parties, mass media, authorities conducting the election process and, above all, the electorate." Advani had at the start of his blog said that: " Before I share my thoughts, I take this opportunity to convey my most sincere gratitude to the people of Gandhinagar, who have elected me to the Lok Sabha six times since 1991. Their love and support has always overwhelmed me." Advani will not be fighting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The BJP has instead fielded party president Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Have never regarded those who disagree with us politically as 'anti-national': LK Advani

BJP leader LK Advani breaks silence says, those who disagree with BJP are not enemies

BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be fought only on the issue of who will lead the country after the polls.

Addressing a rally here before <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shah-to-file-his-nomination-from-gandhinagar-on-saturday-206640">filing his nomination papers for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat</a>, Shah claimed that in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people saw the leader they had been waiting for since the last 70 years.

Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and leaders of NDA allies, including Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan were present on the stage with Shah.

"During my visits to different places in the country, I found people chanting only Modi's name to lead the country," Shah said.

"This election will be fought only on the issue of who will lead the country... When I ask this question to people from Himachal to Kanyakumari and from Kamrup to Gandhinagar, I can only hear one sound -- 'Modi, Modi, Modi'" he said.

"In Narendra Modi, people have found the leader they had been waiting for since the last 70 years," Shah said.

He said it was his "good fortune" to file his nomination papers from Gandhinagar, which has been represented by LK Advani, Ataji (A B Vajpayee) and Purshottam Ganesh Mavlankar in the past.

The BJP chief's Lok Sabha poll debut from the Gandhinagar constituency will mark a generational shift in the party as this seat has been held by Advani since 1998.

The state BJP feels that Shah's nomination will energise the party in Gujarat and help it win all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be fought only on the issue of who will lead the country after the polls. Addressing a rally here before filing his nomination papers for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, Shah claimed that in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people saw the leader they had been waiting for since the last 70 years.

BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said the 2019 Lok Sabha elections will be fought only on the issue of who will lead the country after the polls. Addressing a rally here before filing his nomination papers for the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, Shah claimed that in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people saw the leader they had been waiting for since the last 70 years. Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and leaders of NDA allies, including Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, SAD supremo Parkash Singh Badal and LJP founder Ram Vilas Paswan were present on the stage with Shah. "During my visits to different places in the country, I found people chanting only Modi's name to lead the country," Shah said. "This election will be fought only on the issue of who will lead the country... When I ask this question to people from Himachal to Kanyakumari and from Kamrup to Gandhinagar, I can only hear one sound -- 'Modi, Modi, Modi'" he said. "In Narendra Modi, people have found the leader they had been waiting for since the last 70 years," Shah said. He said it was his "good fortune" to file his nomination papers from Gandhinagar, which has been represented by LK Advani, Ataji (A B Vajpayee) and Purshottam Ganesh Mavlankar in the past. The BJP chief's Lok Sabha poll debut from the Gandhinagar constituency will mark a generational shift in the party as this seat has been held by Advani since 1998. The state BJP feels that Shah's nomination will energise the party in Gujarat and help it win all the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Lok Sabha polls will be fought on issue of who will lead country: Amit Shah

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday&nbsp;released its list of star campaigners for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

According to reports, BJP's star campaigners include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah along with union ministers like Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
BJP has released list of star campaigners for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> for UP. PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti feature on the list. Names of LK Advani &amp; Murli Manohar Joshi missing from the list 40 star campaigners
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1110374857169166338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Interestingly, the party has kept out some of the tallest party leaders and political bigwigs like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi out from its list of 40 star campaigners.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the party is all set to launch its <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-to-kick-off-campaign-blitz-in-bihar-as-poll-heat-picks-up-205646">Lok Sabha election campaign in Bihar</a>.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar on July 2, party sources said on Monday. He is expected to address election rallies in Jamui and Gaya.

Before PM's visit, party chief Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Bihar on March 29.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released its list of star campaigners for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. According to reports, BJP's star campaigners include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah along with union ministers like Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released its list of star campaigners for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. According to reports, BJP's star campaigners include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah along with union ministers like Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj. BJP has released list of star campaigners for #LokSabhaElections2019 for UP. PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Uma Bharti feature on the list. Names of LK Advani & Murli Manohar Joshi missing from the list 40 star campaigners — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 26, 2019 × Interestingly, the party has kept out some of the tallest party leaders and political bigwigs like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi out from its list of 40 star campaigners. Meanwhile, the party is all set to launch its Lok Sabha election campaign in Bihar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar on July 2, party sources said on Monday. He is expected to address election rallies in Jamui and Gaya. Before PM's visit, party chief Amit Shah is scheduled to visit Bihar on March 29. (With inputs from ANI)

Lok Sabha polls: BJP's list of star campaigners skips Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi

The Shiv Sena Saturday said L K Advani would remain the “tallest leader” of the BJP irrespective of his poll presence, two days after the party nominated its chief Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, a seat represented by the BJP patriarch. In an editorial in the party mouthpiece “Saamana”, the Sena said Shah contesting in place of Advani is politically translated as the ‘Bhishmacharya’ of Indian politics being “forced” to retire.

“Lal Krishna Advani is known as the ‘Bhishmacharya’ of Indian politics, but his name does not feature in the list of BJP’s candidates for Lok Sabha polls, which is not surprising,” the edit said. The Sena said the development underlined that the BJP’s Advani era has come to an end. “Advani has been elected from Gujarat’s Gandhinagar constituency six times. Now, Amit Shah will be contesting from that seat. This simply means Advani has been forced to retire,” the editorial said. Marking a generational shift in the BJP, the party recently announced candidature of Shah, who will be contesting his debut parliamentary election, from Gandhinagar.

Advani, 91, had served as Union home minister and deputy prime minister. He won the Gandhinagar seat six times. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP to a massive victory in 2014 and Shah was made the party president, Advani was made a member of Margdarshak Mandal (a group of mentors).

The Sena said, “Advani was one of the founding members of the BJP, who along with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee steered the rath of the party ahead. “But today, Modi and Shah have taken the place of them (Vajpayee and Advani). An environment has already been created in the party to ensure that seniors do not get any responsibility this time,” it stated. The Sena further said Advani has played a “long innings” in politics and would remain the “tallest leader” of the BJP.

The Sena is contesting the next month’s Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP. The Sena said it didn’t believe that a leader retains his top position only if he continues to be in active politics. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also attacked the Congress which has said the Gandhinagar seat has been snatched from Advani.

“The party (Congress) should not talk about insult to elders. The then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, who had steered the Congress governments in difficult times, was insulted by the party even after his death,” it said.

The Sena also referred to the 2013 incident when Rahul Gandhi tore an ordinance (on protecting convicted lawmakers) in the presence of the then prime minister Manmohan Singh. “What happened with Sitaram Kesari (former Congress president who was succeeded by Sonia Gandhi)?….Therefore it does not suit the Congress to talk about respecting elders,” the Sena said.

Praising Advani, the Sena said he was responsible for expanding the BJP’s footprint across the country. “Every shining sun has to set. The BJP could reach the top because of Advani’s ‘Rath Yatra’ in Ayodhya in the 1990s. The BJP is reaping (dividends) because of Advani’s toil,” the Sena said.

The Shiv Sena Saturday said L K Advani would remain the “tallest leader” of the BJP irrespective of his poll presence, two days after the party nominated its chief Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, a seat represented by the BJP patriarch.

The Shiv Sena Saturday said L K Advani would remain the “tallest leader” of the BJP irrespective of his poll presence, two days after the party nominated its chief Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, a seat represented by the BJP patriarch. In an editorial in the party mouthpiece “Saamana”, the Sena said Shah contesting in place of Advani is politically translated as the ‘Bhishmacharya’ of Indian politics being “forced” to retire. “Lal Krishna Advani is known as the ‘Bhishmacharya’ of Indian politics, but his name does not feature in the list of BJP’s candidates for Lok Sabha polls, which is not surprising,” the edit said. The Sena said the development underlined that the BJP’s Advani era has come to an end. “Advani has been elected from Gujarat’s Gandhinagar constituency six times. Now, Amit Shah will be contesting from that seat. This simply means Advani has been forced to retire,” the editorial said. Marking a generational shift in the BJP, the party recently announced candidature of Shah, who will be contesting his debut parliamentary election, from Gandhinagar. Advani, 91, had served as Union home minister and deputy prime minister. He won the Gandhinagar seat six times. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP to a massive victory in 2014 and Shah was made the party president, Advani was made a member of Margdarshak Mandal (a group of mentors). The Sena said, “Advani was one of the founding members of the BJP, who along with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee steered the rath of the party ahead. “But today, Modi and Shah have taken the place of them (Vajpayee and Advani). An environment has already been created in the party to ensure that seniors do not get any responsibility this time,” it stated. The Sena further said Advani has played a “long innings” in politics and would remain the “tallest leader” of the BJP. The Sena is contesting the next month’s Lok Sabha elections in alliance with the BJP. The Sena said it didn’t believe that a leader retains his top position only if he continues to be in active politics. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also attacked the Congress which has said the Gandhinagar seat has been snatched from Advani. “The party (Congress) should not talk about insult to elders. The then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, who had steered the Congress governments in difficult times, was insulted by the party even after his death,” it said. The Sena also referred to the 2013 incident when Rahul Gandhi tore an ordinance (on protecting convicted lawmakers) in the presence of the then prime minister Manmohan Singh. “What happened with Sitaram Kesari (former Congress president who was succeeded by Sonia Gandhi)?….Therefore it does not suit the Congress to talk about respecting elders,” the Sena said. Praising Advani, the Sena said he was responsible for expanding the BJP’s footprint across the country. “Every shining sun has to set. The BJP could reach the top because of Advani’s ‘Rath Yatra’ in Ayodhya in the 1990s. The BJP is reaping (dividends) because of Advani’s toil,” the Sena said.

LK Advani ‘Bhishmacharya’ of Indian politics, says Shiv Sena after BJP denies him poll ticket

After 25 years, Ayodhya is back as the main poll agenda for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. VHP, RSS and Shiv Sena have lend muscle to the 'Dharma Sabha' which will take place on Sunday on the banks of Sarayu river in Ayodhya. It will be followed by a holy ceremony (yagna) which will take place between December 1 and 6.&nbsp;

The city is teeming with saffron hue and decked up to welcome thousands of people who will descend in Ayodhya on Sunday, putting pressure on its insufficient civic infrastructure.&nbsp;

Point to be noted, the mobilisation of this scale is taking place in Ayodhya almost after two decades. The elections after 1996 were fought on issues other than Ayodhya. &nbsp;Post demolition, Ayodhya as a political issue was kept at the back burner for the compulsion of coalition politics. Interestingly, it was never the original vision of BJP when it was formed in the year 1980. It was only adopted in 1987 during the Palampur session.

The Dharma Sabha is being organised to exert pressure on the Central government to swiftly resolve the Ayodhya issue. This has happened because the Supreme Court has not displayed urgency on the matter as desired by a section of the civil society and political parties like BJP and Shiv Sena. In fact, the judiciary has always treated the issue as a land suit. Unfortunately, it has the potential to bring the judiciary and the executive face-to-face on the issue of law and governance.

The original poster boys of the Ayodhya movement today are long gone. LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are on sidelines, Uma Bharti does have hold in the current dispensation, Sadhvi Ritambhara is not in politics, Kalyan Singh has been retired as a governor and Vinay Katiyar does not enjoy that weight in politics any more.

Advani’s politics after the demolition was constrained by the compulsion of a coalition. The fact they required help from smaller parties to form the government, the mandir agenda was brushed under the carpet; it lasted from 1996 until 2014. PM Modi’s big victory changed the game for BJP.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Over a period of time, BJP found it difficult to explain it to its core voters the reason behind its inability to construct the temple. It is this compulsion that has led to the mobilisation in Ayodhya. It is for this reason that BJP is questioning the Supreme Court on the issue of Sabarimala and Ayodhya. It is for this reason, BJP is trying to pitch this political narrative as a war against people versus the elitist institution. And, it is for this reason that right before the Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party wants its electoral campaign to have decisive Ayodhya colour, just in case the economic chest thumping fails.

Ayodhya, for this very reason, is back on agenda for BJP. The only issue which is worrisome is the law and order. Despite assurances given by the Kalyan Singh government, the mosque was brought down. Subsequently, BJP governments were dismissed by a presidential order. BJP is in no position to allow such a mischief, but in case anything of this order happens, the game will be wide open to political parties with hard secretarian views.

An issue which is being treated both as a land suit and a matter of faith has once again acquired the ability to mutate the DNA of a republic which is invested in constitutional morality.

If legal lines are crossed again, India will mirror ugly realities of Pakistan which it has not been able to deal with ever since partition because of rapid break down of civilian institutions and religion acquiring primacy over culture, politics and economy.&nbsp;

The most unfortunate part is that the principal Opposition party is in no position to take any position on Ayodhya. Rajiv Gandhi got the locks opened and the mosque fell when PV Narasimha Rao held the charge as the prime minister.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi is far more focussed on his image makeover by temple hopping, leaving a vacuum in cultural space to be consumed by BJP-RSS alike. Today, there is no stopping BJP because Congress cannot take a position on temple dispute. BJP has changed the goalposts of debate on religion and state, on which Congress failed as a neutral gatekeeper.

After 25 years, Ayodhya is back as the main poll agenda for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. VHP, RSS and Shiv Sena have lend muscle to the 'Dharma Sabha' which will take place on Sunday on the banks of Sarayu river in Ayodhya.

After 25 years, Ayodhya is back as the main poll agenda for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. VHP, RSS and Shiv Sena have lend muscle to the 'Dharma Sabha' which will take place on Sunday on the banks of Sarayu river in Ayodhya. It will be followed by a holy ceremony (yagna) which will take place between December 1 and 6. The city is teeming with saffron hue and decked up to welcome thousands of people who will descend in Ayodhya on Sunday, putting pressure on its insufficient civic infrastructure. Point to be noted, the mobilisation of this scale is taking place in Ayodhya almost after two decades. The elections after 1996 were fought on issues other than Ayodhya. Post demolition, Ayodhya as a political issue was kept at the back burner for the compulsion of coalition politics. Interestingly, it was never the original vision of BJP when it was formed in the year 1980. It was only adopted in 1987 during the Palampur session. The Dharma Sabha is being organised to exert pressure on the Central government to swiftly resolve the Ayodhya issue. This has happened because the Supreme Court has not displayed urgency on the matter as desired by a section of the civil society and political parties like BJP and Shiv Sena. In fact, the judiciary has always treated the issue as a land suit. Unfortunately, it has the potential to bring the judiciary and the executive face-to-face on the issue of law and governance. The original poster boys of the Ayodhya movement today are long gone. LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are on sidelines, Uma Bharti does have hold in the current dispensation, Sadhvi Ritambhara is not in politics, Kalyan Singh has been retired as a governor and Vinay Katiyar does not enjoy that weight in politics any more. Advani’s politics after the demolition was constrained by the compulsion of a coalition. The fact they required help from smaller parties to form the government, the mandir agenda was brushed under the carpet; it lasted from 1996 until 2014. PM Modi’s big victory changed the game for BJP. Over a period of time, BJP found it difficult to explain it to its core voters the reason behind its inability to construct the temple. It is this compulsion that has led to the mobilisation in Ayodhya. It is for this reason that BJP is questioning the Supreme Court on the issue of Sabarimala and Ayodhya. It is for this reason, BJP is trying to pitch this political narrative as a war against people versus the elitist institution. And, it is for this reason that right before the Lok Sabha elections, the saffron party wants its electoral campaign to have decisive Ayodhya colour, just in case the economic chest thumping fails. Ayodhya, for this very reason, is back on agenda for BJP. The only issue which is worrisome is the law and order. Despite assurances given by the Kalyan Singh government, the mosque was brought down. Subsequently, BJP governments were dismissed by a presidential order. BJP is in no position to allow such a mischief, but in case anything of this order happens, the game will be wide open to political parties with hard secretarian views. An issue which is being treated both as a land suit and a matter of faith has once again acquired the ability to mutate the DNA of a republic which is invested in constitutional morality. If legal lines are crossed again, India will mirror ugly realities of Pakistan which it has not been able to deal with ever since partition because of rapid break down of civilian institutions and religion acquiring primacy over culture, politics and economy. The most unfortunate part is that the principal Opposition party is in no position to take any position on Ayodhya. Rajiv Gandhi got the locks opened and the mosque fell when PV Narasimha Rao held the charge as the prime minister. Rahul Gandhi is far more focussed on his image makeover by temple hopping, leaving a vacuum in cultural space to be consumed by BJP-RSS alike. Today, there is no stopping BJP because Congress cannot take a position on temple dispute. BJP has changed the goalposts of debate on religion and state, on which Congress failed as a neutral gatekeeper.

As Congress lacks a stand on Ayodhya dispute, BJP pitches a political narrative on it

Pranab Mukherjee&#39;s term as President of India ends on July 24 and the process to elect India&#39;s 15th President commences on Wednesday, June 14 when the election commission of India will issue&nbsp;the notification calling for the election. If required, voting will be held on July 17 while July 20 has been fixed as the date of counting.

So who elects the President of India? 
Elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the elected members of state legislative assemblies including NCT of Delhi and UT of Puducherry vote to elect the President of India 
A total of 4,896 legislators &mdash; 543 from Lok Sabha, 233 from Rajya Sabha and 4,120 from the state assemblies &mdash; will form the electoral college for the presidential polls this time.

How many votes does a legislator have? 
The value of votes of each MLA and MP is arrived at by using formulae that take into account the population of respective states as per the 1971 census. 
Currently, the total value of the votes of 4,120 MLAs is 5,49,495.&nbsp; 
And the total value of votes of 776 MPs is 5,49,408.&nbsp; 
Thus, the total value of votes for the presidential polls is 10,98,903.

What&#39;s the process to vote? 
Voting for presidential polls in India is conducted using ballot papers. The ballot paper does not contain any election symbol and has just two columns--column 1 containing the heading &ldquo;name of candidate&rdquo; and column 2 containing the heading &ldquo;order of preference&rdquo;. 
Each elector will have as many preferences as there are contesting candidates. 
An elector in giving his vote will place the figure &ldquo;1&rdquo; in the space opposite the name of the candidate whom he chooses for his first preference and may, in addition, mark as many subsequent preferences as he wishes by placing on his ballot paper the figures 2,3,4 and so on in the spaces opposite the names of other candidates, in order of preference.

Is it a secret ballot? 
The constitution has expressly provided that election to the office of Pesident shall be by secret ballot. Therefore, the electors are expected to scrupulously maintain secrecy of vote. There is no concept of open voting at this election and showing the ballot to anyone under any circumstances in the case of presidential elections is totally prohibited.

What about party whips? 
Significantly, political parties cannot issue any whip to their MPs and MLAs in the matter of voting in the presidential election. This implies that legislators can vote as per their conscience and need not stick to political loyalties.

How is counting done? 
After calculating the total value of votes polled by each candidate, the returning officer totals up the value of all valid votes polled. The quota for declaring a candidate as elected is determined by dividing of the valid votes by 2 and adding one to the quotient, 
Ignoring the remainder, if any. For example, assuming the total value of valid votes polled by all candidates is 1,00,001. The quota required for getting elected would be 50,000+1=50,001 
In the current scenario, whichever candidate wins 5,49,452 votes will become the next president of India.

Though several names have informally been doing the rounds, neither the ruling NDA nor the Opposition parties have formally announced the names of their respective candidates for the presidential polls yet. While the BJP would be hoping to create some consensus for its candidate, the opposition would try to use this as an opportunity to embarrass the govt by getting its candidate elected. This election will also provide opposition parties to form a front against the BJP in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

WION's Raghvendra Rao explains how the election will take place

Pranab Mukherjee's term as President of India ends on July 24 and the process to elect India's 15th President commences on Wednesday, June 14 when the election commission of India will issue the notification calling for the election. If required, voting will be held on July 17 while July 20 has been fixed as the date of counting. So who elects the President of India? Elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the elected members of state legislative assemblies including NCT of Delhi and UT of Puducherry vote to elect the President of India A total of 4,896 legislators — 543 from Lok Sabha, 233 from Rajya Sabha and 4,120 from the state assemblies — will form the electoral college for the presidential polls this time. How many votes does a legislator have? The value of votes of each MLA and MP is arrived at by using formulae that take into account the population of respective states as per the 1971 census. Currently, the total value of the votes of 4,120 MLAs is 5,49,495. And the total value of votes of 776 MPs is 5,49,408. Thus, the total value of votes for the presidential polls is 10,98,903. What's the process to vote? Voting for presidential polls in India is conducted using ballot papers. The ballot paper does not contain any election symbol and has just two columns--column 1 containing the heading “name of candidate” and column 2 containing the heading “order of preference”. Each elector will have as many preferences as there are contesting candidates. An elector in giving his vote will place the figure “1” in the space opposite the name of the candidate whom he chooses for his first preference and may, in addition, mark as many subsequent preferences as he wishes by placing on his ballot paper the figures 2,3,4 and so on in the spaces opposite the names of other candidates, in order of preference. Is it a secret ballot? The constitution has expressly provided that election to the office of Pesident shall be by secret ballot. Therefore, the electors are expected to scrupulously maintain secrecy of vote. There is no concept of open voting at this election and showing the ballot to anyone under any circumstances in the case of presidential elections is totally prohibited. What about party whips? Significantly, political parties cannot issue any whip to their MPs and MLAs in the matter of voting in the presidential election. This implies that legislators can vote as per their conscience and need not stick to political loyalties. How is counting done? After calculating the total value of votes polled by each candidate, the returning officer totals up the value of all valid votes polled. The quota for declaring a candidate as elected is determined by dividing of the valid votes by 2 and adding one to the quotient, Ignoring the remainder, if any. For example, assuming the total value of valid votes polled by all candidates is 1,00,001. The quota required for getting elected would be 50,000+1=50,001 In the current scenario, whichever candidate wins 5,49,452 votes will become the next president of India. Though several names have informally been doing the rounds, neither the ruling NDA nor the Opposition parties have formally announced the names of their respective candidates for the presidential polls yet. While the BJP would be hoping to create some consensus for its candidate, the opposition would try to use this as an opportunity to embarrass the govt by getting its candidate elected. This election will also provide opposition parties to form a front against the BJP in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. (WION)

Process to elect next President of India begins today

The Supreme Court reinstated Wednesday the charge of criminal conspiracy against LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

The CBI had earlier told the court that the charge of criminal conspiracy had been dropped against the senior BJP leaders, and 19 others, on technical grounds.

The Babri Masjid was pulled down on December 6, 1992. &nbsp;

There were two cases being heard in connection with the demolition.&nbsp;

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Others who will face criminal conspiracy charges are Vinay Katiyar,Sadhvi Ritambara,Satish Pradhan,Champat Rai Bansal &amp; Late Giriraj Kishore
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/854569793487327232">April 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Babri Masjid Case: Now matter will be heard in Lucknow Court, Day to day hearing would continue.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/854563017299697664">April 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The first, being heard in a Lucknow court, was against the thousands of unnamed&nbsp;karsevaks&nbsp;(religous workers) who pulled down the mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

The second, being heard in a Rae Bareilly court, was against the senior BJP leaders and the 19 others.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court said Wednesday that the case against Advani, Joshi and Bharti would now be heard by the Lucknow court.&nbsp;

The case would continue to be heard on a daily basis and the trial to be wound up within two years. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The court also ordered that no adjournment was be given under normal circumstances. And that no judge hearing the case would be transferred

(WION)

The case will be heard on a daily basis in a Lucknow court, the trial is to be wound up in two years

The Supreme Court reinstated Wednesday the charge of criminal conspiracy against LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti in the Babri Masjid demolition case. The CBI had earlier told the court that the charge of criminal conspiracy had been dropped against the senior BJP leaders, and 19 others, on technical grounds. The Babri Masjid was pulled down on December 6, 1992. There were two cases being heard in connection with the demolition. Others who will face criminal conspiracy charges are Vinay Katiyar,Sadhvi Ritambara,Satish Pradhan,Champat Rai Bansal & Late Giriraj Kishore — ANI (@ANI_news) April 19, 2017 × Babri Masjid Case: Now matter will be heard in Lucknow Court, Day to day hearing would continue. — ANI (@ANI_news) April 19, 2017 × The first, being heard in a Lucknow court, was against the thousands of unnamed karsevaks (religous workers) who pulled down the mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. The second, being heard in a Rae Bareilly court, was against the senior BJP leaders and the 19 others. The Supreme Court said Wednesday that the case against Advani, Joshi and Bharti would now be heard by the Lucknow court. The case would continue to be heard on a daily basis and the trial to be wound up within two years. The court also ordered that no adjournment was be given under normal circumstances. And that no judge hearing the case would be transferred (WION)

Babri Masjid demolition: Supreme Court reinstates criminal conspiracy charges against Advani, Joshi & Bharti

India&#39;s top court said on Monday that it won&#39;t accept dropping of charges against senior BJP leader LK Advani and others in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

Supreme Court also expressed concern over the delay in trial and favoured a joint trial of the accused.

The court was hearing a petition opposing dropping of criminal conspiracy charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

There are two cases in the Babri demolition -&nbsp;one is against LK Advani and others who were on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj on December 6, 1992 when the demolition happened and the second case is against thousands of &quot;karsevaks&quot; (volunteers) who were in and around the structure. &nbsp;

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), had&nbsp;challenged the May 21, 2010 verdict of the High Court which upheld a special CBI court verdict.

The special CBI court had ordered dropping of charges against Advani, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and Murli Manohar Joshi.&nbsp;

The Babri Masjid was demolished allegedly by a group of karsevaks&nbsp;on December 6, 1992 in&nbsp;India&#39;s northern city of Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It was&nbsp;allegedly demolished at the behest of top&nbsp;Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders, several cases have been&nbsp;lodged since then against various people including political outfits and BJP, VHP leaders.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

India's top court also expressed concern over the delay in trial and favoured a joint trial of the accused

India's top court said on Monday that it won't accept dropping of charges against senior BJP leader LK Advani and others in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Supreme Court also expressed concern over the delay in trial and favoured a joint trial of the accused. The court was hearing a petition opposing dropping of criminal conspiracy charges in the Babri Masjid demolition case. There are two cases in the Babri demolition - one is against LK Advani and others who were on the dais at Ram Katha Kunj on December 6, 1992 when the demolition happened and the second case is against thousands of "karsevaks" (volunteers) who were in and around the structure. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), had challenged the May 21, 2010 verdict of the High Court which upheld a special CBI court verdict. The special CBI court had ordered dropping of charges against Advani, Kalyan Singh, Uma Bharti, Vinay Katiyar and Murli Manohar Joshi. The Babri Masjid was demolished allegedly by a group of karsevaks on December 6, 1992 in India's northern city of Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It was allegedly demolished at the behest of top Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders, several cases have been lodged since then against various people including political outfits and BJP, VHP leaders. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Won't accept dropping of charges against Advani, others in Babri demolition: Supreme Court

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