BJP MP Tejaswi Surya demands public holiday in Karnataka on January 22 for Ram temple opening

BJP leaders criticize Karnataka government for not declaring a holiday for the opening of the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Published on: Jan 20, 2024, 16:28:07 IST

By Yamini C S

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As the southern state of Karnataka has not yet decided on declaring a government holiday to mark the grand opening of the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, BJP leaders hit out at the ruling Congress, saying that it is “unfortunate” that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is “discouraging and disconnecting” the people of the state.

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“Karnataka shares a very special bond with Ayodhya and Shri Ram because we are the land of Shri Hanuman. Even the Shri Ram idol was carved by a sculptor from Karnataka on a stone that was found in Karnataka. Seers and saints involved in the whole ceremony also belong to Karnataka. It is natural that people of Karnataka want to witness this epochal moment live on TV with their families and community, and celebrate this momentous occasion,” BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said.

“It is unfortunate that CM Siddaramaiah, who has 'Rama' in his name is discouraging and disconnecting the people of Karnataka. I demand that January 22nd must be declared a public holiday in Karnataka, as this will allow children to spend time with their grandparents and learn about Shri Ram,” he added.

The CM on Saturday told reporters that he has not yet decided to declare a government holiday to signify the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony in the Lord Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya on January 22.

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Following this, saffron group leaders from the opposition demanded that a holiday be declared, with the Karnataka Legislative Council's Leader of Opposition, Kota Srinivas Pujari, even writing a letter to him on the matter.

"No, not yet. We will see. I have not yet seen the letter. We will see it," Siddaramaiah said.

(With agency inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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