Bihar BJP invites Narendra Modi to contest LS polls from state

The state unit of BJP has invited party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to contest from any Lok Sabha seat in Bihar, a senior leader said on Wednesday.

"We have invited Modi to contest from any Lok Sabha seat in Bihar during the next general elections," former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi told reporters here.

All our sitting MPs are keen to vacate their seats to enable Modi to contest from any Lok Sabha seat, he said, adding, "We will ensure that Modi wins hands down from any seat in Bihar during the next general elections."

A formal proposal has been sent to the BJP leadership apprising about the sentiments of the BJP state leadership and workers on Modi contesting from Bihar, but a final decision would be taken by the party's parliamentary board, he said.

The Bihar BJP's invite to Modi to contest the general elections from the state comes a day after a proposal was sent to him requesting him to visit the state for a third time to address public meetings between December-end and mid-January next year.

Modi had recently visited Bihar twice within a span of a week - first to address the party's 'Hunkar Rally' at the Gandhi Maidan on October 27 last which was marred by serial blasts claiming six lives and second, to express condolences to the kins of the blasts victims on November 2 last.

Source: TOI

EC issues notice to Narendra Modi for his 'khooni panja' remark

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been issued a notice by the Election Commission for an alleged model code of conduct violation over his "khooni panja" remark. The Election Commission has asked Modi to explain by 5 pm on November 16 why action should not be initiated against him for the alleged model code of conduct violation.

The notice was issued on a complain by the Congress party which sought stern action against Modi for his "khooni panja" barb against the party.

In its communication to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath, Congress accused BJP's prime ministerial candidate of making "intemperate, malicious and defamatory" remarks by referring to the hand symbol, allotted by the Commission to Congress, as "Khooni Panja" and "Jalim Haath".

"The use of the expression 'khooni panja' is extremely significant and deplorable and has an effect of terrorising the public at large against Congress," the party had said in its petition.

The Congress move to approach the EC came days after the Election Commission notice to the party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi over his remark that Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was in touch with some victims of Muzaffarnagar violence.

After BJP's petition to EC in this regard, Rahul Gandhi was served a notice to which he had replied on Friday stating that he had not violated the model code of conduct.

Congress also sent to the EC a DVD of Modi's speech at Dongargarh in Chhattisgarh in which he had made the remarks as well as clippings of a newspaper report.

The party also sent the EC, the text of Modi's speech in which the BJP leader had said, "Yadi aap chahte hain ki Chattisgarh ke upar kisi khooni panje ka saya na pade to aap sabhi kamal mein button dabana aur Chhattisgarh ko khooni panje se bachana. (If you want that the shadow of bloodied hand does not fall on Chattisgarh, press the button on Lotus)"

The party has alleged that Modi had gone on to say - "Jalim hatho mein Chattisgarh ko dena chahate ho?.... Galti se bhee jalim panja ke hatho me Chattisgarh nahi jane dena." (Do you want to give away Chattisgarh to brutal hands....Don't let Chhatisgarh slip into the grip of brutal hands even by mistake)."

Source: IBN

Thai commandos guard 300 kg gold for Mahabodhi temple

Two dozen commandos from Thailand are guarding nearly 300 kg gold in 13 boxes in Bihar's Bodh Gaya town as work began to cover the dome of 1,500-year old Mahabodhi temple in glitter.

The much awaited work to gold-plate the dome is being carried out by a team of technical experts from Thailand, officials said.

Two days after the 289 kg gold, donated by Buddhist devotees from Thailand, was brought at Bodh Gaya in a special plane from Bangkok, technical experts have finally started the work under tight security in and around the temple, said N. Dorjee, secretary of the Bodh Gaya temple management committee.

"It is a happy moment for all of us that the spire of the temple will get a glittering look with gold," Dorjee said.

Arvind Kumar Singh, a member of the committee, said the work by experts from Thailand is being videographed since it involves handling gold.

"A 40-member team, including a dozen experts and two dozen commandos, from Thailand arrived at Bodh Gaya with gold in 13 boxes to complete the work in 40 to 50 days," Singh said.

He said the team is led by Thailand's former deputy prime minister General Pricha.
"About 24 Thailand commandos are providing security to the gold boxes kept in the temple premises," Singh said.

The district administration too has deployed additional security to safeguard the gold.

Thailand-based company Kreing Thavorn Containers Co. Ltd. is carrying out the work.
Dorjee said last year Thailand's King Bhumibol Atulya took the decision to cover the dome of the temple with gold.

But it took some time to get clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for the work. The ASI officials will also provide technical supervision for the gold inlay work.

A special prayer will be held under the holy Bodhi tree behind the main temple Nov 16 in which around 500 devotees from Thailand, including those who donated gold, are likely to participate, Dorjee said.

According to him, the first phase of the work involving chemical treatment was completed in August to prepare the foundation for gold plating.

"Now stairs have been installed around the temple's dome to enable experts to reach the top of the structure to inlay it with thin gold sheet," he said.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also shown keen interest in the work.
A string of low-intensity bombs exploded in the temple complex in July. But there were no casualties and no damage was caused to the structure.

The ancient 180 feet structure of the Mahabodhi temple is estimated to have been built between the 5th and 6th century AD. It was lost and rediscovered in the 19th century by Alexander Cunningham, who founded the ASI in 1861.

The Mahabodhi temple is the holiest pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from around the world. It marks the place where Lord Gautama is believed to attained his enlightenment, turning him into the Buddha.