Saturday, 23 November 2024
Saturday, 23 November 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday began his address with “Jai Siya Ram” and urged his audience to join him, but hours later his ministers and party president were continuing to stick to the strident Hindutva war cry of “Jai Shri Ram”.
Modi repeatedly invoked Sita in his Ayodhya speech after the bhoomi pujan for the Ram temple, leading the gathering in chanting “Siyavar Ram Chandra ki jai” and “Siya Pati Ram Chandra ki jai”.
Political commentators said Modi’s choice of the gentler “Jai Siya Ram” seemed to signal that with the battle for the Ram temple won, the focus was now on peace and harmony.
If so, the message seemed not to have percolated to his lieutenants.
