The Wire Staff 
Here are the leading headlines for December 30:
Modi in Ayodhya
With less than a month to go before the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the temple town on Saturday, December 30, to inaugurate the newly built Maharishi Valmiki International Airport. Modi also laid the foundation stone of 46 projects worth Rs 15, 700 crore and flagged off six Vande Bharat and two Amrit Bharat trains. He also inaugurated the redeveloped Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station and addressed a roadshow in the city.
Modi said that the whole world is “eagerly waiting” for January 22 when the consecration ceremony at the new Ram Temple will take place.
“Whatever be the country in the world if it has to reach new heights of development, it will have to take care of its heritage. Ram Lala was there in a tent, today pucca house has been given to not only Ram Lala but also to the 4 cr poor of the country. The campaign to make India a developed nation is getting new energy from Ayodhya,” he said.
Cheap gas cylinders, rail fares or selfie with Shehenshah? Rahul Gandhi
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Union government and questioned whether the people of the country need cheaper gas cylinders, rail fares, or selfie booths with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photos.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Gandhi said that railway fares have been increased while concessions given to the elderly have been abolished.
“Platform ticket prices were increased. The doors to privatisation were opened. Was this money being squeezed from the hard-earned money of the public to make a ‘selfie stand’? What do the people of India want? Cheap gas cylinders and easy rail travel? Or a picture with ‘Shahenshah’s statue’?”
Pakistan confirms India sought extradition of 26/11 attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed
Pakistan on Saturday confirmed that India has sought the extradition of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind.
Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told Dawn newspaper that Pakistan received a request from the Indian authorities seeking Saeed’s extradition in a “so-called money laundering case”. She was quoted as saying that “it is pertinent to note that no bilateral extradition treaty exists between Pakistan and India”.
Wearing oxygen masks BJP protests against AAP’s handling of Delhi pollution
Wearing oxygen masks Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in the national capital held protests on Saturday in four places against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the deteriorating air quality in Delhi.
Party leaders said that protests were held at the ITO crossing, near the India Gate, the roundabout near the Le Meridian Hotel, and the 11 Murti roundabout, reported Press Trust of India.
Rajasthan cabinet expansion: 22 MLAs Sworn in as Minister
Nearly a month after the BJP won the elections in the state, 22 MLAs were sworn in as ministers of the Rajasthan cabinet during a ceremony at the Raj Bhawan in Jaipur on Saturday.
This included 12 who were sworn in as Cabinet ministers, five as ministers of state (independent charge) and five as ministers of state, reported Press Trust of India.
This included Kirodi Lal Meena, Gajendra Singh Khinvsar, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Babulal Kharadi, Madan Dilawar who were sworn in as ministers.
Sunehri Bagh Mosque imam Moves Delhi high court
The Imam of the Sunehri Bagh mosque on Saturday moved the Delhi high court against the proposed demolition of the structure due to alleged traffic congestion in the area, reported Press Trust of India.
In his petition, Abdul Aziz challenged a December 24 public notice issued by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) seeking objections and suggestions from the general public by January 1 regarding the demolition of the mosque.
The petition has been listed for January 8 after the NDMC’s counsel said to the court that nothing would happen in the meantime as a final call on the action has to be taken by the Heritage Conservation Committee (HCC).
Seven deaths and 743 new COVID-19 cases in India
India has recorded 743 new COVID-19 cases along with seven deaths, according to data by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday.
The number of active cases has however recorded a decrease to 3,997 on Saturday from 4,091 recorded the previous day.
The increase in the number of cases comes with the rising number of JN.1 cases. At least 162 cases of the new variant JN.1 have been detected in India so far, with the highest 83 sequences coming from Kerala, according to India’s genome sequencing consortium INSACOG, reported The Indian Express.
Bajrang Punia urges Sports Ministry to resume wrestling activities
Olympic medal-winning boxer Bajrang Punia who returned his Padma Shri award in protest last week against the recently concluded Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, has urged the Union sports ministry to resume wrestling activities at the earliest.
“Wrestling work has come to a standstill for the last several months. Neither has any national been held nor have any camps been organized to prepare the players. There are Olympic Games after 7 months but no one seems serious about the Olympics whereas wrestling has given four consecutive medals in the last four Olympics,” he wrote on X.
“Sports Ministry is requested to start all wrestling activities as soon as possible so that the future of the players can be saved.”