WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — Indian Prime Minister Modi traveled to Ayodhya to be part of the prayer service and groundbreaking of the Ram Mandir. It’s a significant victory for Modi and the majority BJP government, who ran on a platform to return a Hindu temple to this historic site, where a Muslim mosque also once stood. With both venues destroyed, India’s Supreme Court ruled late last year a Hindu temple would be allowed to be built on this specific land, with a Muslim mosque to be built nearby.
Meanwhile, in New York’s Times Square, hundreds of Ram Mandir supporters chanted “SitaRam” to celebrate the start of construction, while billboards with the image of the mandir and Ram were shown above. Down the street from the celebration in Times Square, hundreds of protesters yelled “shame,” claiming India’s government was anti-Muslim and fascist.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who has been in Congress representing a New York City district since 1993, declared victory in the Democratic primary over Suraj Patel. But Patel is not conceding yet. In a lawsuit he filed against the Board of Elections, a judge has ordered more ballots be counted since a number of mail-in ballots were deemed late. In response, Maloney’s team says her lead was at 3,762 votes, with only about 1,200 absentee ballots thrown out due to postmark problems. So it does not appear Patel has a path to victory.
Ravi Kapur contributed to this report.
