My Opinion

On the Ram Janmabhoomi dispute, there are still diverse opinions. Some want the matter to be sorted out through negotiations, while others want the Supreme Court to have the final say. But on one point, all parties to the dispute are unanimous. They want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appoint a mediator. If all parties do not agree on resolving the dispute, the apex court should start a day-to-day- hearing and decide. The issue now before the court is: who should be given the ownership title right. It has been established that Babri mosque was built after demolishing a temple. The Supreme Court has to decide about the title issue. Even now, if all parties agree, the Prime Minister should appoint a mediator, and all parties should accept his/her decision.

Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad not only thrashed an Air India staffer with his sandal 25 times, but openly boasted in front of media that he had done the right thing. The reason: he had a business class ticket, but was given a seat in an all-economy flight. One should praise the Managing Director of Air India Ashwini Lohani who stood with his staff and directed them to contact his office immediately if any passenger misbehaved. Nobody, whether he is a leader, an MP or a minister, has the right to beat any airline staffer. Stringest action must be taken against the Shiv Sena MP. The action should be such that it should act as a deterrent and a lesson for such unruly people.

Like tobacco products, pan masala and gutkha are injurious to health, and yet, a large section of people are unable to discontinue the habit of chewing gutkha and pan masala. People who chew these products, more often than not, spit on roadside, on staircases, on walls, inside washrooms and in public places. With Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in place, it is the duty of every citizen to contribute towards cleanliness, and the decision of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to ban the use of pan masala and gutkha in government offices and hospitals is a welcome step. I appeal to the people of India to discard the habit of chewing pan masala and gutkha. This would be their greatest contribution to cleanliness in public places, and would definitely make our Prime Minister’s Swacch Bharat Abhiyan a success.

The Ayodhya dispute lingering over last several decades, can be resolved only if all parties read the underlying message behind the Supreme Court’s advice given to all parties on Tuesday. The stand taken by Chief Justice J S Khehar is truly praiseworthy. He did not speak on legal issues, nor stood his ground on technicalities, but called for reconciliation through talks. The apex court has correctly understood the sensitivity of the people at large. The most important part of Tuesday’s proceedings was that the Chief Justice of India himself offered mediation. Chief Justice Khehar’s observation that “all must adopt a ‘give a bit and take a bit’ approach to find a solution”, is indeed praiseworthy. He also observed that “this is not one of those issues which can be decided in a huff. Given the sensitivity attached to the issues in question, it is better to settle the differences through negotiations between parties.” It is now time that the government, leaders and religious heads from both sides sit together and find an amicable way out, so that brotherhood among communities can prevail.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath is still to take complete charge of his government, but some Opposition politicians, notably Mayawati, have already started criticizing him. In my view, one should give at least six to eight months to the new government to work, and then analyze and raise questions. Already questions are being raised about Yogi’s incendiary comments made about minorities in the past. People have also raised questions about the special “purification” pooja conducted at the UP chief minister’s official residence. One should understand that Adityanath is a yogi and pooja is part of his daily routine. Nobody should object to this. Critics have begun predicting that Muslims during Yogi’s rule in UP, will have to live in fear, but the fact remains that in Yogi’s own workplace in Gorakhpur, a large number of Muslims flock to him daily to get their grievances addressed. It will be unfair to level charges against Yogi without giving him time to perform. He is on record of having said that he would implement Modi’s ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ vision in UP. So give him a chance.

Navjot Singh Sidhu is not only a politician. He has been quite popular as a cricketer, as a cricket commentator and has achieved fame on TV shows.

Nobody should question if one makes earnings from TV shows through talent and merit, but Sidhu should understand that he is no more an MLA or an MP, he is now a minister in the Punjab government.

He will be getting the salary and allowances given to a minister and he will be getting government accommodation and all other perks. Naturally, the people and the government of Punjab will expect Sidhu to serve the public in the post of a minister.

A minister appearing on TV comedy shows by taking fees will go against established traditions of governance. It may be that Sidhu lacks experience, as he has made his debut as a minister. He should think over it and understand that appearing on shows without charging fees would be better.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday told his party MPs ‘na baithoonga, na baithne doonga’, meaning neither he would sit and take rest, nor would he allow party leaders to become complacent after the unprecedented poll successes. The BJP not only swept to power in UP and Uttarakhand, but also formed governments in Manipur and Goa, where it was not the single largest party. The party acted swiftly and decisively at lightning speed. So, it was no surprise when he was welcomed in Parliament on Thursday with slogans from party MPs. It has to be noted that PM Modi has already begun preparing to face the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. One marvels at his speed and ceaseless and untiring work. This has put the Opposition in quandary. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has already left for the US, and his party’s work will remain at a standstill till he returns.

It is really shocking that a group of 45 Muslim clerics have issued a fatwa against a 16-year old female singer from Assam, Nahid Afrin, raising objections to her singing at public concerts. What was Nahid Afrin’s sin? She sang patriotic and religious songs.

Instead of praising her, the clerics have issued an injunction against her. However, senior Islamic scholars say that there is ‘qawaali’ (singing of religious songs) singing every day at dargahs. Then why was this injunction issued? Is it justice? This should not be tolerated by all right-thinking people.

One should praise Nahid Afrin for standing up against this injunction and giving the clerics a resounding reply. One should also ask all those intellectuals who were raising their voice against so-called intolerance and had returned their awards to the government.

We are waiting for these so-called secular intellectuals to speak up against the Muslim clerics.

The results of five assembly elections have written a new chapter in India’s political history. No leader has achieved such a huge popularity from the masses since independence, and 100 pc of the credit goes to Modi’s magic. The people of Uttar Pradesh have blatantly rejected Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi, the Congress party’s strength in the assembly has shrunk to less than that of a small regional party Apna Dal, and BSP leader Mayawati was so much worried that she has laid the blame on EVM ‘rigging’.

One cannot fail to agree with BJP chief Amit Shah’s remark that Modi is independent India’s tallest leader. Modi achieved popularity within a very short time and this was nothing less than magic. For 13 years, Modi ruled Gujarat, but from November 2013 onwards, Modi toiled endlessly and crisscrossed the nation to establish himself as a national leader.

The 2014 Lok Sabha polls proved that he was India’s most popular leader. For the last three years as PM, Modi has not taken a single day’s leave, working 18 hours daily, and this was noticed by workers, farmers and poor people, who viewed him as a poor man’s icon. The result was: all caste combinations and Hindu-Muslim equations were smashed and all sections of people stood behind Modi.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP scored a historic victory, as chief minister Harish Rawat lost from both the seats he contested. It seems Rawat failed to feel the pulse of the people, whereas Modi’s popularity and Amit Shah’s strategy worked. They understood the mood of the electors, took risks in opting dissident leaders from the Congress, placated their own leaders and the result was a huge landslide victory.

The Aam Aadmi Party was so badly mauled in both Punjab and Goa, that its supremo Arvind Kejriwal did not dare to venture out of his residence. The LEDs that were hung outside his residence were quietly moved out and the crowds that were invited melted away as the poll trends came in. The credit for Congress victory in Punjab goes to Capt Amarinder Singh and the Akali Dal was not as badly mauled as was expected. The results showed that the people of Punjab, which was dissatisfied with the Akali Dal, refused to accept AAP as the alternative, and the Congress reaped the benefit.

The people of Goa and Manipur gave fractured mandates, but the BJP is hopeful of getting support from 3 MLAs to form its government in Goa, while the Congress is hopeful of getting support from 3 MLAs to form its government in Manipur.

The results were a stinging slap in the face of those opposing Modi. Rahul Gandhi had described Modi’s rule as “suit-boot ki sarkar’, Modi responded by launching pro-poor schemes like Jan Dhan and Ujjwala LPG. Kejriwal described Modi as friends of the rich, Rahul alleged his government was being run by Adani and Ambani, leaders like Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal were projected as alternatives.

These leaders were expecting Modi to lose in UP, then in Gujarat, and later in the 2019 LS polls. Modi today proved that he is unmatched in toiling hard, in executing schemes for the poor, and in invigorating his party. People will now be expecting Modi to rule for the next 10 to 15 years, and this seems to be the message that emerges from today’s results.

Exit poll projections aside, my gut feeling is that BJP may win 200 seats and form the government in Uttar Pradesh. The party may also form governments in Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. If BJP forms governments in four states, it will be seen as the culmination of a sustained campaign by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It will also signify that the masses have given their approval to Modi’s demonetization move. It may also denote the trust the masses have reposed in the Prime Minister’s leadership, as Modi has frequently in his speeches said that his government was working for the benefit of the poor and downtrodden. Particularly, in UP, Modi’s campaign created a wave of sorts and Amit Shah used this to the hilt in the election campaign.

Details emerging after the Lucknow encounter have made one thing clear: that these terrorists were “self-proclaimed ISIS supporters” and they had no direct contacts with the dreaded outfit. These terrorists became ISIS followers on the internet, made ISIS flags, and learnt the ropes of bomb making through the internet. The pressing need of the hour is to stop such youths from being radicalized. No doubt this is a tough job, but religious heads should come forward to guide such youths, and authorities should catch those people who are trying to radicalize and misguide our youths. One should salute the slain terrorist Saifullah’s father who has refused to take his body for burial, saying he has done an anti-national act. We should also appreciate the close coordination between the Telangana, MP and UP police in nabbing the terrorists.

Indian Test captain Virat Kohli deserves fulsome praise for not only making DRS an issue, but for also exposing the Australian team. Nobody expected such an attitude from a renowned player like Aussie captain Steve Smith. One can see the replay in which Smith was awaiting a signal from the pavilion before going in for DRS. Smith knew he had only one chance left to seek DRS, and this surely went against a sportsman’s spirit. Such a behaviour from the captain of a professional team like Australia is shameful. India TV cricket expert Ravi Shastri has rightly praised Virat Kohli’s captaincy and he is hopeful of a repeat Indian win in Ranchi Test. Kohli had created a record of sorts by not losing 18 Tests in a row. His team lost the first Test to Australia, but it goes to the skipper’s credit that he did not lose hope, fought bravely with his men in the next Test and won. Such an attitude makes a player great and Virat Kohli has surely done that.