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Evening brief: BJP's take on Cong refusing Ram Temple invite, Siddaramaiah on Karnataka tableau rejection; latest news
A shortlist of the biggest headlines, recommended stories, and a special collection of news items you should check out.
The Congress party will regret its decision to not attend the January 22 consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple, Union minister and BJP leader Hardeep Singh Puri said on Wednesday, in the party's first reaction to Sonia Gandhi rejecting the invitation for the grand Ayodhya event. He also accused the Congress party of being stuck in its "rhetoric". "They are stuck in their rhetoric...Why take them seriously? They will regret it if they don't go," said Puri. BJP leader Nalin Kohli said the Congress party's decision wasn't surprising as they had denied Lord Ram's existence. "The Congress took no steps over the last few decades for a temple at Ayodhya. They denied the existence of Lord Ram and delayed the hearing in the Supreme Court. So, the Congress party officially stating that it is not going to attend Ram Mandir Pran Pratistha should come as no surprise," he said. Dig Deeper
Following the rejection of the state's tableau for this year's Republic day parade, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday hit out at the central leadership, saying that seven crore Kannadigas were insulted by the decision. The CM and senior Congress leader took to social media and wrote, “The Central Government has insulted the seven crore Kannadigas by denying the opportunity for the state's tableau at the Republic Day parade to be held in New Delhi on January 26th. Karnataka faced a similar situation even last year as our state's tableau was initially rejected. They later permitted keeping Karnataka elections in mind. This time, the central government has again continued its trend of insulting Kannadigas.” Dig Deeper
The Latest News
'Will regret if...': BJP's first reaction on Sonia Gandhi rejecting Ram Mandir invitation. Dig Deeper
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India News
Sonia Gandhi, Kharge, Adhir Ranjan won't attend ‘RSS/BJP’ Ram Mandir event: Congress. Dig Deeper
Maldives has 'more robust' ties with China, admits leader amid strain with India. Dig Deeper
Sam Pitroda says Rajiv Gandhi's palm once bled after shaking hands with 5,000 people, BJP mocks. Dig Deeper
Global Matters
Despair in Gaza: Fighting intensifies despite Israel's promise to scale down war. Dig Deeper
Why Mark Zuckerberg is giving cows only beer and macadamia nuts. Dig Deeper
Iraq seeks quick exit of US forces but no deadline set: Report. Dig Deeper
Sports Goings
Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is expecting a three-horse race for the vacant wicketkeeper spot at Team India in the ICC World T20 year. After India's multi-format tour to South Africa, Team India is gearing up for their next white-ball assignment against Afghanistan. Sanctioning the returns of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the T20I setup, the Indian think tank also had to rest and not select some high-profile names for the upcoming series against Afghanistan. Champions in the 2007 edition of the ICC World T20, India will meet the Asian visitors in its final T20I series ahead of the big-ticket event. Former champions West Indies and United States will co-host the T20 World Cup later this year. Announcing the squad on Sunday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed the return of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson. Dig Deeper
Entertainment Focus
The first reviews of Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif's thriller, Merry Christmas, are out and it seems filmmaker Sriram Raghavan is all set to deliver another gem after his 2018 movie, Andhadhun. Filmmaker Vignesh Shivan and few others watched the film before it hits theatres on January 12 and shared their praise for the film. Taking to his Instagram Stories, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan wrote, “Absolutely awestruck by the outstanding performances from @actorvijaysethupathi & @katrinakaif in this superbly written thrilling screenplay from the genius @sriram.raghavanofficial takes us back to Alfred Hitchcock times @ipritamofficial's music is another major pillar, the last 30 mins is just tooo good! Enjoy it in theatres from Jan12th! Totally proud of you Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi! You just held it all together with effortless ease." Dig Deeper
