After Ram Mandir, NDA will construct Sita Mata temple: Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced on Thursday that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is planning to transform the Punaura Dham Mandir in Bihar's Sitamarhi district into an international pilgrimage site. The temple is believed to be Goddess Sita's birthplace. "After Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, we will construct a massive temple of Sita Mata in Sitamarhi," Shah stated during an election rally. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's cabinet has reportedly approved a budget of ₹72.47 crore for the project.
Shah asserts India's claim over Pakistan Occupied Kashmir
In the same address, Shah made a strong statement regarding Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), asserting that it is Indian territory and will be reclaimed "at any cost." He also criticized the Congress-led opposition for their concerns about Pakistan's nuclear capabilities. Recalling the opposition's reaction to the scrapping of Article 370, Shah quoted, "When Article 370 was scrapped, Rahul Gandhi had said that it would lead to bloodshed. Five years have elapsed, and not a pebble has been hurled."
Shah accuses Congress ally of fearmongering over PoK
Shah also accused Congress ally Farooq Abdullah of instilling fear in the PoK due to Pakistan's atomic weapons. "I wish to declare from the birthplace of Goddess Sita that Bharat and its 140 crore people fear no one. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is ours, and it will remain so. We will take it back," he said. In Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term, the NDA will ensure full security along the India-Nepal border, Shah added.
Shah criticizes opposition, praises Modi's respect for backward classes
The home minister further criticized the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for its alliance with Congress, which he accused of opposing the Mandal Commission's recommendations. "Lalu joined hands with the Congress only to make his son, Tejashwi Yadav, the chief minister of Bihar... but the state needs 'vikasraj, not 'jungelraj'," he claimed. Five constituencies in Bihar will go to the polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.
