Lok Sabha poll: Ram in the air, eye on Delhi win for BJP

NEW DELHI: A grand stage adorned with pictures of Ram Lalla, Bharat Mata, Lord Hanuman and Lord Mahavir set the backdrop alongside a large digital screen displaying the Ram temple consecration.
Thousands of Hindu priests and devotees, holding saffron flags and clad in saffron attire, gathered on Sunday at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Stadium to celebrate the Hindu New Year and the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.The event was organised by Delhi BJP.
The event started with the recitation of mantras by priests, followed by cultural performances and recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, along with bhajan singer Anuradha Paudwal and other party functionaries, lit a ceremonial lamp and inaugurated the temple cell event.
Popular poet Anamika Jain Amber, who performed at the event, began with the lines: “Maang rahe thhey kal tak jo praman Ram ke hone ka… unse unhi ke hone ka praman samay ne maang liya (Till yesterday, those who were asking for proof of Ram's existence…time is now asking for proof of their existence).”
Speeches were delivered by senior functionaries.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that Lord Rama was under a tent in Ayodhya due to the appeasement politics of Congress, but under the leadership of PM Modi, people were able to witness the historical incident of Ram Lalla moving from a tent to a palace.
He mentioned that people from Delhi would soon be able to travel to Dehradun via an elevated road, whose construction is under way. “At present, it takes seven to eight hours to reach Dehradun, but after this is completed, it would not take more than two-and-a-half hours,” he said.
Dhami highlighted that under PM Modi, several decisions were made, whether it was scrapping Article 370 or other initiatives.
He said Uttarakhand became the first state in the country where the Uniform Civil Code bill has been passed . Senior BJP functionarie, including Piyush Goyal, Om Prakash Dhankhar, BJP temple cell head Karnail Singh, and others, addressed the gathering.
All seven BJP Lok Sabha candidates were present.
Union minister Goyal said: “Today is a very auspicious day because Mahavir Jayanti was celebrated with great pomp in Mumbai, and look at the atmosphere in Delhi today.”
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has worked to enhance India's culture, faith, and heritage along with India's development. “It is a matter of pride that the country has entered an era which is making India prosperous and developed,” he said.
Delhi BJP Lok Sabha election in-charge Om Prakash Dhankhar said: “With the presence of so many great saints in the stadium, one can now say that we have seen the direct manifestation of God. I am among those who has seen Ram in Babri, seen Ram in a tent, and have seen Shri Ram in a grand temple.”
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that the congregation of saints has happened, and now it can be said that just as there is a Ram devotee's rule in the Centre, there should be a Ram devotee's rule in Delhi.
“In the last 10 years, we have seen our nation change, and we have seen that our culture, our traditions, which were under attack, have been protected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
He said that the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, arrangements near Baba Kedarnath after the deluge of floods, all these works glorify every Sanatani.