Archives for March 2023

Prime Minister Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Karnataka on Sunday during which he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of projects worth around Rs 16,000 crore, his office said Friday.

At around 12 noon Sunday, Prime Minister Modi will dedicate and lay the foundation stones of key road projects in Mandya. Thereafter, at around 3:15 PM, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various development initiatives in Hubbali-Dharwad, a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office said.

This will be Modi’s sixth visit to poll-bound Karnataka this year. Assembly elections in the state are due in April-May.

The rapid pace of development of infrastructure projects has been a testament to the vision of the prime minister to ensure world-class connectivity across the country, the statement said.

Moving ahead in this endeavour, Prime Minister Modi will dedicate the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway to the nation, it said.

The project involves six-laning of the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta-Mysuru section of NH-275. The 118-km-long project has been developed at a total cost of around Rs 8,480 crore.

It will reduce the travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from around three hours to about 75 minutes, the statement said.

It will act as a catalyst for socio-economic development in the region, it said.

Earlier in the day, Modi tagged a tweet by Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari who said the construction of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, which encompasses a portion of NH-275, entails the development of four rail overbridges, nine significant bridges, 40 minor bridges, and 89 underpasses and overpasses.

“An important connectivity project which will contribute to Karnataka’s growth trajectory,” Modi said of the project.

Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Mysuru-Khushalnagar four-lane highway.

The 92-km-long road project will be developed at a cost of around Rs 4,130 crore, the statement said.

The project will play a key role in boosting connectivity of Kushalnagar with Bengaluru and will help halve the travel time from about 5 to only 2.5 hours, it said.

In Hubbali-Dharwad, the prime minister will dedicate IIT Dharwad to the nation.

The foundation stone of the institute was laid by Prime Minister Modi in February 2019.

Developed at a cost of over Rs 850 crore, the institute currently offers four-year B.Tech. programmes, inter-disciplinary five-year BS-MS programmes, M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes.

Prime Minister Modi will also dedicate to the nation the longest railway platform in the world at Sri Siddharoodha Swamiji Hubballi Station.

The record has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records recently. The 1,507-metre-long platform has been built at a cost of about Rs 20 crore.

The prime minister will also dedicate to the nation the electrification of Hosapete-Hubballi-Tinaighat section of the railway network and the upgradation of Hosapete station for boosting connectivity in the region.

Developed at a cost of over Rs 530 crore, the electrification project establishes seamless train operation on electric traction.

The redeveloped Hosapete station will provide convenient and modern facilities to travellers. It has been designed to resemble the Hampi monuments, the statement said.

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of various projects of Hubballi-Dharwad smart city. The total estimated cost of these projects is about Rs 520 crore, it said.

These efforts will enhance the quality of life by creating hygienic, safe and functional public spaces and transform the town into a futuristic urban centre, it said.

Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Jayadeva Hospital and Research Centre.

The hospital will be developed at a cost of about Rs 250 crore and will provide tertiary cardiac care to the people of the region.

In order to further augment water supply in the region, Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Dharwad Multi Village Water Supply Scheme, which will be developed at a cost of over Rs 1,040 crore.

He will also lay the foundation stone of Tupparihalla Flood Damage Control Project, which will be developed at a cost of about Rs 150 crore.

The project aims to mitigate damage caused by floods and involves construction of retaining walls and embankments, the statement said.

Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Assembly on Friday passed a resolution requesting the Centre to take strict action against BBC for tarnishing the image and popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its documentary on the 2002 riots in the state.

The controversial two-part series by the British Broadcasting Corporation titled ‘India: The Modi Question’ misrepresents the events of 2002 in a malicious and low-level attempt to tarnish India’s image globally, Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Vipul Patel said in the House while moving the resolution.

The documentary claims to have probed certain aspects of the riots, which took place after the Godhra train burning incident, when Modi was Gujarat chief minister.

The documentary was banned in India soon after its release.

Patel’s resolution was supported by BJP MLAs Manisha Vakil, Amit Thaker, Dhavalsinh Zala and minister Harsh Sanghavi.

It was passed by voice vote in the absence of Congress MLAs who were expelled from the House earlier in the day.

After passing the resolution unanimously, Speaker Shanker Chaudhary said the attempt by BBC is “reprehensible” and is “condemned vehemently,” adding the House passed the resolution to send its message to the Centre.

“India is a democratic country and freedom of expression is at the core of its Constitution, but that does not mean a news media can act by abusing such freedom,” said Patel while moving the private-member resolution in the second sitting of the House.

“If someone behaves or acts like this (BBC), then it cannot be taken lightly. BBC is losing its credibility and seems to be working with some hidden agenda against India and the Indian government. Hence, this House requests the Central government to take strict action against the mind-boggling findings shown in the BBC documentary,” Patel said in the Assembly.

Through the documentary, there is a deliberate attempt to “tarnish the image and popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi” with an agenda to affect the country’s intention to find top place globally, Patel said.

He claimed opposition parties in other countries support the government during such times, but this is not the case in India, which allowed international organisations like the BBC to get the strength to carry out activities against the country.

The Nanavati-Shah Commission concluded after thorough investigation the burning of coaches S6 and 7 of Sabarmati Express at Godhra on February 27, 2002 was a premeditated conspiracy, and that the state-wide riots that followed were spontaneous, Patel said.

The Nanavati-Shah Commission found no evidence the state government, religious organization, or political party played any role in the riots, and attempts to make the then chief minister (Modi) and officials responsible have also failed in the courts, Patel asserted.

Supporting the resolution, BJP MLA Vakil said the intention of the documentary was to tarnish India’s global image, adding Modi’s life has been a journey of courage and compassion.

As the chief minister and prime minister, he has become the most popular world leader, she said.

On the 2002 riots, she said certain NGOs and activists conspired to defame the Gujarat government and wanted to damage Modi’s reputation, adding there was a larger political conspiracy of destabilising the state government by hook or crook.

Vakil referred to the Supreme Court verdict on the Zakia Jafri case giving clean chit to Modi and claimed the BBC documentary was “mere international propaganda which is totally biased and showcases the colonial mindset”.

Supporting the resolution, Thaker said Modi is not a question but a solution for various issues plaguing the world today, such as climate change and COVID-19 pandemic, etc.

The BBC is in the habit of making controversial documentaries on subjects in India, Thaker alleged.

He also questioned the timing of the documentary by connecting it with the conclusion of Congress ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by Rahul Gandhi.

Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said the documentary was not just against Modi but against 135 crore citizens of the country.

“The resolution brought by Vipul Patel for strict action is historic. ..Is it Modi’s fault to realise the dream of making Gujarat a riot-free state? Many forces worked to ensure Gujarat does not get a stable government,” Sangahvi said in his speech in the House.

He said “so-called intellectuals” started hurling one allegation after another on Modi after he took over as the prime minister.

“As 2024 (Lok Sabha polls) approaches, they (opponents) have no other issue against Modi. They used BBC to make a documentary,” Sanghavi said.

He also criticised social activist Teesta Setalvad and said “truths regarding her have not been shown in any documentary”.

Sanghavi also quoted “important people” who have commented and criticised the BBC documentary such as the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, British parliamentarian Bob Blackman, and former BBC head Mark Tully.

The Gujarat minister compared the BBC documentary to the “toolkit” conspiring against India, adding certain sections of the media suffered from “Modi phobia”.

JAIPUR: A man allegedly blackmailed a woman judge with her morphed photographs and demanded Rs 20 lakh in return for not making them public, police said.

The man has been identified and efforts are being made to nab him, they said.

The judge’s photographs were downloaded from her social media account, edited and sent to her chambers in the court as well as her house by the accused, they said.

A case in this regard was registered on February 28.

No arrest has been made so far, police said.

In the FIR, the judge complained that on February 7, her stenographer brought a parcel delivered by a man who claimed that it was from her children’s school.

When the stenographer asked his name, he left.

The parcel contained some sweets, morphed obscene photographs of the judge and a letter in which, the blackmailer threatened to make the photographs public if she did not pay Rs 20 lakh, the FIR said.

“Be ready with Rs 20 lakh, otherwise will spoil you and your family. Time and place will be informed soon,” the letter read.

Another parcel containing similar items was sent to the judge’s residence 20 days later.

That’s when she lodged an FIR, police said.

A man, who appeared to be in his 20s, was seen delivering the parcel to her chambers in the CCTV camera footage taken from the court, police said.

BENGALURU: KPCC will send its list of candidates for 200 constituencies to its central leadership soon for final decision.  KPCC president DK Shiv­ak­­umar, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Campaign Committee chairman MB Patil, and other senior leaders were present during the State Congress Screening Committee meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday and Wednesday. They examined the applications received from ticket aspirants. 

Party sources said that candidates for 120 seats are almost final, and in around 75 seats, there are two to three candidates. In a few segments, the decision will be taken later as leaders from BJP and JDS are likely to join the party, sources said. The candidates in such constituencies are likely to be decided after March 27 when elections are likely to be announced, sources said.

Earlier, Shivakumar said candidates in 75 per cent of the seats have been finalised, and the list will be sent to central leaders after finalising candidates in all segments. He exuded confidence that Congress will come to power, and BJP will not even cross 65 seats. Responding to question if Minister V Somanna will join Congress, Shivakumar called it a speculation.

CAIRO: At least 14 women and children died in a shipwreck off Yemen’s Red Sea coast earlier this week, authorities said Wednesday.

The boat, with over two dozen of people on board, capsized off the province of Hodeida, according to a statement by the Fisheries Authority in Hodeida, run by the country’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

The tragedy happened late on Monday, the statement said. Eleven women and three children drowned while 11 people, including a child, survived. The group was heading to a relative’s wedding party on Kamaran Island when their boat capsized because of high winds and waves.

Authorities dispatched coast guard vessels to search for the bodies in a channel between Kamaran and the province’s district of Luhiya, the statement added.

It was the latest maritime tragedy off Yemen’s shores. Most previous shipwrecks in the region involved African migrants fleeing wars and poverty in their home countries. The migrants risk perilous voyages from Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia to Yemen and on to richer Gulf Arab countries in search of work.

Yemen descended into civil war in 2014 when the rebel Houthis descended from their northern stronghold and seized the capital, Sanaa, along with much of the country’s north. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 to try and restore the internationally recognized government to power.

The conflict has spawned one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and pushed impoverished Yemen to the brink of famine.

MUMBAI: Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the most corrupt party in India today and that all opportunists are joining the BJP as a safe haven away from their corruption cases. He was addressing a mammoth crowd at Khed in Konkan. 

This was Uddhav Thackeray’s first public rally at Khed after losing the Shiv Sena (founded by his father Balasaheb Thackeray) and its traditional symbol – the bow and arrow.

Incidentally, Khed is represented by former Shiv Sena minister Ramdas Kadan’s son Yogesh Kadam who is part of the Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Uddhav Thackeray while attacking the BJP claimed that earlier, saints used to sit on the BJP’s stage but now it is full of corrupt leaders and opportunists. He said that during campaigning for the recently concluded Meghalaya elections, BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had called Chief Minister Conrad Sangma corrupt and had asked people not to vote for him.

Thackeray went on to add, “But after the elections, the BJP cemented an alliance with Mr Sangma and supported his bid to remain chief minister of Meghalaya. Even Prime minister Narendra Modi tweeted that Conrad’s father late PA Sangma must be happy with this new alliance.” This is the BJP today, which alleges you are corrupt in elections but then sits with the same people in power, Thackeray said.

Uddhav Thackeray also said that all the central agencies and even the Election Commission of India
(ECI) are like slaves in the hands of the BJP’s leadership.

Stating that democracy is in danger, Uddhav Thackery said, “The 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be the last elections in India if the BJP is not thrown out of power. After that, there will be no elections and people will not be allowed to cast their votes as well. All democratic things will end, so people have to decide what to do and protect the democracy in India.”

Talking about the ECI’s order, Thackery said he did not believe in it. The apex poll body had granted Shiv Sena’s name and ‘Bow and Arrow’ symbol faction. 

The ECI’s order in the Supreme Court. How much will the BJP and ‘plunder gang’ (referring to Eknath Shinde) steal? Earlier, they stole the party founded by my father and its symbol and they also want to use his photograph to garner votes. I dare them to use their father and PM Narendra Modi’s photo.. why do they want to use my father’s name and photo,” Uddhav Thackeray asked.

The former chief minister also spoke of businesses being shifted to adjoining states. “Maharashtra has been deprived of the big investment. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde is more in Delhi than in Maharashtra. He has succumbed to the power of Delhi which was not the case earlier. I worked hard during the pandemic therefore the work of the Maharashtra government was appreciated worldwide but where are we headed today? No jobs, no industry… even the adjoining state of Karnataka has been threatening us and claiming rights over our region,” said Thackeray.