Gods can bless. Or curse.

"While India has come up from being the 11th largest economy of the world to being the fifth largest over last decade, as Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister for the third consecutive term, India will climb the ladder up to the third position within the next five years, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said." "India has emerged as the Vishwa Mitra (World's Friend) over the years." Maldives does not agree. "The Maldives under pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu has signed a deal with Turkey to buy drones to patrol its exclusive economic zone waters. So far, New Delhi and Male jointly patrolled this region in the Indian Ocean." BT. Neither does Canada. "Study permits for Indians aspiring to pursue an education in Canada nose-dived in the Oct-Dec 2023 quarter to 14,910, an 86% drop from the 110,000 during the same months in 2022." TOI. To make sure of his election victory, "Ornate gifts have started arriving in the Indian city of Ayodhya as the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to inaugurate a vast Hindu temple that he hopes will firm his chances for a rare third election win in just a few months' time." CNN. "Top spiritual leaders of Sanatan Hindu Dharma, the four Shankaracharyas, have decided to skip the 'pran pratistha' (consecrations) ceremony of the idol of Lord Ram in Ayodhya on January 22, even as three of them backed the ceremony while voicing their opposition to the rituals being followed." India Today. "The title 'Shankaracharya' is held by the heads of four cardinal monasteries established by the 8th century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara." They are refusing to attend because of, "concerns about deviations from traditional Hindu rituals and procedures", "They believe the temple construction is not yet complete" and hence, "the event has become overly politicised, losing its spiritual essence." Who cares about Hindus or rituals when the general election has to be held by May 2024  (wikipedia)? Mr Modi absolutely must win the election because of his government's use of investigative agencies against opposition leaders (The Wire) and "Less than 3% of the arrests made under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) between 2015 and 2020 have resulted in convictions, the People's Union of Civil Liberties said." "Out of the 8,371 persons arrested under the stringent law, only 235 were convicted in the five-year period, the report said, citing data from the National Crime Record Bureau." Scroll. The courts have helped. The Supreme Court denied bail to Manish Sisodia of the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi on "the criminal charge of criminal conspiracy to benefit private parties in the excise policy case". India Today. Whereas, convicted murderer and rapist Dera Sacha Sauda preacher Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been repeatedly released on parole or furlough by the BJP government of Haryana. TOI. Opposition parties are waiting to settle scores and many hundreds are depending on Mr Modi to save their skins by winning the election. Just as long as they remember that just as our gods can bless they can also give "shaap" which means a 'curse' (shabdkosh). After all, Ram came on earth to fulfill a 'shaap' on Ravana. IMGB. Is this Lord Ram's second visit?