KABUL: A suicide bomber struck near the Russian embassy in the Afghan capital Kabul on Monday, killing two staff from the diplomatic mission and wounding several other people, the foreign ministry in Moscow said.-

In the first attack targeting a foreign mission since the Taliban seized power in August last year, the bomber blew himself up near the entrance of the embassy’s consular section.

“As a result of the attack, two employees of the diplomatic mission were killed, and there are also Afghan citizens among the wounded,” the Russian foreign ministry said.

Afghan interior ministry spokesman Abdul Nafy Takor gave AFP a different account, saying a suicide attacker was shot dead by Taliban guards at the Russian embassy.

An Afghan civilian was killed and several others wounded, he said.

As with other recent attacks, heavy Taliban security quickly sealed off the area and prevented media from filming nearby.

No group has so far claimed the attack on the embassy.

“Without any doubt, we are talking about a terrorist act, which is absolutely unacceptable,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists in Moscow.

Violence in Afghanistan has largely declined since the Taliban returned to power, but several bomb blasts — some targeting minority communities — have rocked the country in recent months, many claimed by the jihadist Islamic State (IS) group.

Last week, a suicide bomber struck one of western Afghanistan’s biggest mosques, killing at least 18 people, including an influential imam.

Cleric Mujib ur Rahman Ansari, who had called for those who committed even the “smallest act” against the government to be beheaded, was killed in that attack in the city of Herat.

Ansari was the second pro-Taliban cleric to be killed in a blast in less than a month, after an August 11 suicide attack targeted Rahimullah Haqqani at his madrassa in Kabul.

Several mosques across the country have been targeted this year, some in attacks claimed by IS.

At least 21 people were killed and dozens more wounded on August 17 when a blast ripped through a mosque packed with worshippers in Kabul.

IS has primarily targeted minority communities such as Shiites, Sufis and Sikhs.

While IS is a Sunni Islamist group like the Taliban, the two are bitter rivals and greatly diverge on ideological grounds.

Taliban officials claim that IS has been defeated but experts say the group is the main security challenge for the country’s current Islamist rulers.

By ANINEW DELHI: Delhi police have arrested a person, accused of stealing over 5,000 vehicles and being a supplier of illegal arms. The accused identified as Anil Chauhan was a class-1 contractor in the Assam Government, police said

According to, Shweta Chauhan, DCP Central District, the recent spurt in the supply of illegal arms in areas of Central Delhi had instigated Delhi police to curb these activities. A team of Special staff was given the responsibility to curb these activities. In compliance of the directions, the team of special staff contacted secret informers, and information was obtained from them.

Accused, Anil Chauhan was arrested in Delhi after receiving information about his arrival in Delhi by Special Staff under the jurisdiction of Deshbandhu road police station. One illegal country-made pistol, two live cartridges, and one stolen motorcycle were recovered from him.

During the course of the investigation, five more country-made pistols and a stolen car were recovered from him.

According to police, Accused Anil Chauhan had been previously accused in 180 criminal cases and had been convicted for 5 years in a criminal case registered in Nizammudin police station.

From 1997, accused Anil Chauhan is alleged to have stolen 5,000 vehicles and was arrested multiple times and sent to jail. The accused was a Class-I contractor in the Assam government.

NEW DELHI: On 24 October 2016, Tata Sons issued a crisp 100-word statement announcing the removal of Cyrus Mistry from the post of chairman.

“Tata Sons today announced that its Board has replaced Mr. Cyrus P. Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons. The Board has named Mr Ratan N. Tata as Interim Chairman of Tata Sons,” read the first half of the statement.

This short statement by the country’s most respected industrial house sent the corporate world into a tizzy. What ensued was an ugly public spat between the Tata Group and Cyrus Mistry, who also happened to be the scion of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group (SP Group), which held 18 per cent stake in Tata Sons.

Mistry moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against his removal. In his submission to NCLT,  Mistry attributed his unceremonious removal from Tata Sons to his efforts to remedy past acts of mismanagement inherited from the past management, resist the interference from Ratan Tata and institute a formal governance framework to regulate the role of Tata Trusts.

Of course, Tata Sons refuted all the claims made by Mistry. 

On the allegations of interference by Ratan Tata, Tata Sons informed the NCLT that the company board gives its “chairman complete autonomy to manage opportunities and challenges”.

It even claimed that the tenure of the former chairman was marked by repeated departures from the culture and ethos of the group.

On the allegations of past acts of mismanagement, Tata Sons argued that “Mr Mistry has been a director of Tata Sons since 2006 and as such was fully involved in all the key decisions that the Tata Group had taken over the years.”

Tata Sons further said that it was unfortunate that only on his removal as chairman that he began making allegations and misrepresentations about business decisions he was party to for over a decade.

In July 2018, the NCLT dismissed Mistry’s petition against his removal and also the allegations levelled against Tata Sons by Mistry.

Mistry later moved to NCLAT, which gave its decision in favour of Mistry and directed Tata Sons to reinstate him as the Chairman.

Against the NCLAT order, Tatas moved the Supreme Court, which in March 2021 ruled in favour of Tata Sons approving its decision to remove Cyrus Pallonji Mistry as the executive chairman and director of the group and overturned the NCLAT order reinstating him.

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor met Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot here on Sunday and discussed the party’s future as well as the upcoming AICC president polls, sources said.-ADVERTISEMENT-Ads by 

The meeting comes amid both leaders being seen as prospective contenders for the post of AICC president.

Sources said the two leaders discussed the party’s future going ahead as well as the upcoming polls for the post of All India Congress Committee (AICC) president during their meeting that lasted for about half-an-hour.

Gehlot last week had sought to play down reports about him being the frontrunner for the Congress president’s post and said efforts will be made till the last minute to persuade Rahul Gandhi to take over the reins of the party again.

Tharoor has said he would decide whether to throw his hat in the ring for the Congress president polls only after the election notification comes out.

Both Gehlot and Tharoor were present at the party’s ‘Mehengai Par Halla Bol’ rally at the Ramlila Maidan here.

Speaking at the rally, Gehlot said, “The people in the BJP are fascists, they only wear the mask of democracy.”

“The situation of the entire country is very concerning, the Constitution is being destroyed, democracy is in danger. Modi has forgotten the things he had said during UPA rule,” he said.

“The credibility of Gandhis is highest and even more than yours (Modi’s), as no one in the Gandhi family has held any position in the government including being the prime minister,” he said.

Gehlot said there is an atmosphere of hatred and violence in the country and thus the need for uniting people, and the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

Later, in a tweet, Tharoor hailed Rahul Gandhi’s “strong speech” at the party’s rally here and noted that huge crowds thronged the Ramlila Maidan for it.

The notification for the Congress president’s election will be out on September 22 and the process for filing nominations will be held from September 24 to 30.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17.

The results will be out on October 19.

Tharoor, who is contemplating running for the post of party president, on Sunday hailed Rahul Gandhi’s “strong speech” at the party’s ‘Mehengai Par Halla Bol’ rally here and noted that huge crowds thronged the Ramlila Maidan for it.

Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP of weakening the country by spreading fear and hatred which he said will benefit India’s enemies, as the party tried to corner the central government over the price rise issue with a massive rally here.

Launching an all-out attack on the government at the rally, the former Congress chief alleged since the BJP government has come, there is pressure on institutions such as the media, judiciary, and Election Commission, and the government is undermining them.

Praising Gandhi, Tharoor tweeted, “A strong speech by Rahul Gandhi at Congress ‘Mehengai Par Halla Bol rally’ roused the huge crowds thronging the Ram Lila Maidan.

Now to take the message across the country in the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra!” Tharoor has said he would decide whether to throw his hat in the ring for the Congress president polls only after the election notification comes out.

The notification for the Congress president’s election will be out on September 22 and the process for filing nominations will be held from September 24 to 30.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and the election, if required, will be held on October 17.

The results will be out on October 19.

Slogans of “Make Rahul Gandhi INC president” rent the air on Sunday as thousands of Congress supporters reached the Ramlila Maidan here to raise their voice against price rise and unemployment.

Many party workers, who came to attend the ‘Mehangai Par Halla Bol’ rally, put up banners demanding Rahul to once again lead the party.

The rally also saw the presence of women, children and the elderly who braved the scorching heat and participated in the gathering to register their protest against “skyrocketing” prices of essential commodities.

As soon as Gandhi came on the dias, the crowd gave him a standing ovation and raised slogans of “Rahul Gandhi Zindabad”.

“Rahul ji is our true leader and we have full faith in him that he will restore the glory of the Congress. He should be made the party president,” Deepesh Singh, who came to attend the rally from Muzaffarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh, said.

Rahul had resigned from the top post following the party’s debacle in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Sonia Gandhi has been leading the party as interim president since August 2019.

Rahul and a host of senior leaders of the party addressed the rally.

Party workers from Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh, besides other parts of the country, were in attendance.

The rally comes ahead of the opposition party’s 3,500-km ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, starting September 7, highlighting the issues of price rice and unemployment, and promoting communal harmony.

Sumit Meena, who came from Rajasthan, said Rahul Gandhi can lead the party as well as the country.

“Not only the Congress, Rahul Gandhi can also lead the country. He is the only leader who talks about real issues like ‘mehangai’ (price rise) or unemployment. He should be made the party chief,” he said.

Ramlila Maidan was packed with Congress supporters and workers who came from different parts of the country to listen to their leader.

People jostled at entry gates to get inside the venue.

Some men, who came in a group from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan wearing traditional turbans, danced to the tunes of patriotic songs.

Songs talking about inflation like “Mehangai Dayan Khaye Jat Hai” were also played at the venue.

Meanwhile, people picked various ways to register their protest against inflation and unemployment.

Some sat on streets around Ramlila Maidan, wearing Congress T-shirts and hats with the slogan of “Halla bol against Mehangai” written on them, while some reached the venue barefoot.

“The situation (of inflation) is such that I cannot even afford a pair of shoes, that is why I came here barefoot,” Shalini, who came from Madhya Pradesh, said.

Mohammad Sajid sat in the middle of the road wearing the Congress T-shirt and hat.

“I am happy because this rally talks about ending inflation and defeating the Modi government which is the root cause of skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. Rahul ji is my brother and he will rule the country and take it to new heights,” he said.

Stalls selling tea, fried snacks, shoe polish, stoles with Congress party symbol, ice cream, among others, were set up around Ramlila Maidan.

People were also seen taking pictures with Rahul Gandhi’s posters.

Gandhi on Sunday accused him of weakening the country by spreading “fear and hatred” and said the opposition parties will together defeat the BJP-RSS ideology that ”divides” the country.

Since the BJP government has come to power, there is pressure on institutions such as the media, judiciary, and Election Commission, and the government is undermining them, Gandhi alleged as the Congress party stepped up its offensive against the Modi dispensation.

The massive ‘Mehangai Par Halla Bol’ rally at Ramlila Maidan here, intended to corner the government over price rise and unemployment as well as to galvanise the party’s rank and file, also saw Congress workers who gathered here from across the country raising slogans for Rahul Gandhi to take over the party leadership once again.

“This is a battle of ideologies, and the Congress ideology and all other opposition parties will together defeat the BJP and RSS ideology,” Gandhi said.

In his no-holds-barred attack on the prime minister, the Congress leader said while Modi wants to “benefit big businessmen by dividing the country”, the Congress ideology stands for providing equal benefits to all, especially the poor and the downtrodden.

“Narendra Modi is taking India backwards. Narendra Modi ji is spreading hatred and fear. This will benefit the country’s enemies, it will benefit China, it will benefit Pakistan but not India. The more hatred, anger and fear is spread in India, the more it will be weakened,” Gandhi said.

He alleged Modi was working 24 hours to benefit two big industrialists, who, in turn, were working for the prime minister.

“On one side there is control over the media and on the other, there is control over the prime minister,” he alleged.

“I can guarantee that Narendra Modi cannot be the prime minister without these two big industrialists and neither can he be the PM without the media’s support.

India’s institutions – be it the media, the judiciary, Election Commission – all are being attacked and undermined by the government and there is pressure on them,” he alleged.

Under PM Modi, he said, two Indias are being created, one which belongs to the poor where no dream could be accomplished, and the other of a few big businessmen where every dream can be achieved.

Talking about his questioning in the National Herald case, Gandhi alleged, “Anyone be it activists or opposition leaders are attacked when they criticise this government.

“I was made to sit for 55 hrs at the ED office but want to tell the PM, I am not scared of your ED (Enforcement Directorate) even if you make me sit for 500 hours.”

The ruling BJP mocked the Congress rally as “Rahul Gandhi relaunch 4.0”, saying no one wants to lead the party, and claimed it was an attempt to save the Gandhi family.

It also took a dig at him over his slip of tongue during the rally speech, saying he doesn’t even know whether flour is solid or liquid.

While comparing the prices under the UPA and the NDA, Gandhi said flour which was earlier “Rs 22 per litre is now Rs 40 per litre”.

He immediately corrected it to kilograms.

Hitting back at Gandhi over his remarks that the BJP and the RSS are spreading hatred and anger in the country, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “Actually it was his speech which was full of hatred and anger.”

“In the National Herald case of Rs 5,000 crore, Rahul and Sonia are out on bail, investigation is going on. Those who are corrupt and who used to think that corruption is their birthright are today scared. Because of this fear, hatred and anger were reflected in his speech,” he added.

In his address, Gandhi alleged that the government did not allow the Opposition to speak in Parliament, and the “only way for us is to talk directly to people and tell the truth of the country to people and hear them out”.

Slogans of “Make Rahul Gandhi INC president” rent the air at Ramlila maidan as thousands of Congress supporters converged for the show of strength in the national capital.

Many Congress workers put up banners in support of their demand.

Today’s rally comes two days ahead of the start of the Congress’ 3500-km Bharat Jodo Yatra – from Kanyakumari to Kashmir – seen as an effort by a beleaguered party to reach out to the grassroots to help reverse its electoral fortunes and stem the tide of dissent in its ranks.

Coinciding with the rally was the first public meeting of veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad in Jammu after he quit the Congress last week.

Azad, who had questioned Rahul Gandhi’s functioning in his resignation letter, said he would announce the name of his new party after consulting people and leaders of Jammu and Kashmir.

In Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ this week will help talk directly to people and discuss their issues.

“The only way left for the Congress and other opposition is to go amongst people and tell the country’s truth to them,” he said, adding that this yatra is needed as all paths of the Opposition have been blocked.

Gandhi claimed the Congress lifted 27 crore people out of poverty but in the last eight years, PM Modi has “pushed 23 crore” people back into poverty.

“The work we did in 10 years they destroyed it in eight years.”

He accused Modi of “finishing India’s economic power, with unemployment touching a 40-year high”.

“BJP and RSS leaders divide the country and deliberately spread fear,” he alleged.

“The question is whom do they do it for and why. Who benefited from this fear and hate. Tell me what benefits the poor, labourers and small traders have got from the Modi government? Two industrialists have benefited from this fear and hate,” Gandhi said.

“The Congress unites the country, we remove hatred and fear. When hatred and fear are removed, the country progresses, we have shown this for so many years,” the former Congress chief said.

In a tweet later, Gandhi said, “Only the Congress ideology can bring the country on the path of progress. We will go straight to the people and tell them the truth and understand whatever is in their hearts. Now there will be #BharatJodoYatra,” he tweeted.

Gandhi also alleged the three ‘black farm laws’ were brought in not to help farmers, but for the benefit of a few industrialists.

Several other Congress leaders also addressed the rally, with Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge saying the party made all efforts to hold a debate on price rise in Parliament but the government kept avoiding it.

After they fought from “Parliament to streets under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership”, only five hours were given to discuss it, of which the Congress was allocated just 28 minutes, he said.

“GST has been increased on daily use items such as curd. Unemployment and prices are rising on one hand and on the other hand the rupee’s value is going down vis-a-vis the dollar,” Kharge said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, “The people in the BJP are fascists, they only wear the mask of democracy.”

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel said when the Congress governments waive farm loans, and provide free treatment and rations to the poor, those at the Centre term it ‘Revdi’.

“When UPA-led central government waive farmers loan worth Rs 70,000 crore, the BJP called it Revdi. But when BJP waives lakhs of crores of loans of big industrialists, it should be called ‘Rabdi’,” he said on the BJP’s criticism of poll freebies.

Congress, BJP engage in war of words

The Congress on Sunday took a swipe at the BJP government on the issue of price rise, saying unemployment and inflation were its “two brothers”, with Rahul Gandhi blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the problems being faced by the common people.

“The king is busy with the earnings of friends, people are suffering from inflation.

“Today, people have to think ten times before even buying items they need. Only the Prime Minister is responsible for these problems. We will keep adding voices against inflation and the king will have to listen,” Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.

Addressing the ‘Mehngai par Halla Bol rally’ at Ramlila maidan here, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the party made all efforts to hold a debate on price rise in the Parliament and the government kept avoiding it.

He said the government did agree for a debate after they fought from ‘Parliament to streets under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership’, but got only five hours to discuss it, of which Congress was allocated just 28 minutes.

“GST has been increased on daily use items such as curd. Unemployment and prices are rising on one hand and on the other hand the rupee’s value is going down vis-a-vis the dollar.”

“I want to ask Modi ji what are you doing as unemployment, prices are rising and China is also attacking us. But he does not respond to these issues,” Kharge said.

ALSO READ | ‘Modi government has 2 brothers — unemployment and inflation’, says Congress 

Speaking at the rally, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said, “The people in the BJP are fascists, they only wear the mask of democracy.”

“The situation of the entire country is very concerning, the constitution is being destroyed, democracy is in danger. Modi has forgotten the things he had said during UPA rule,” he said.

“The credibility of Gandhis is highest and even more than yours (Modi’s), as no one in the Gandhi family has held any position in the government including being the prime minister,” he said.

Gehlot said there is an atmosphere of hatred and violence in the country and thus the need for uniting people, and the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra.’

He claimed that “wonderful work” was done under the UPA government under Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh and it was made to go through a conspiracy.

“An atmosphere was created against the government by discrediting it through a conspiracy,” he said.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel slammed the BJP over its “revdi” remark in which the party recently disparaged the “freebie” politics.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said input costs for farmers were increasing and their income was decreasing.

He said unemployment has reached such proportions that even for the post of peon thousands of graduates and post graduates apply.

Hooda also slammed the Agnipath scheme of the government.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said it is easy to come into the Congress and leave, “but it is very difficult to stay on and fight.”

His apparent dig was at Ghulam Nabi Azad, who quit the party recently blaming the leadership.

Ahead of Sunday’s ‘Mehngai par halla bol’ rally of the party at the Ramlila Maidan here, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the rally was not being held as with 2024 elections in mind, but to highlight the two “biggest challenges” of inflation and unemployment to the people.

“Modi government has two brothers – unemployment and inflation. Modi government has two brothers – ED and CBI,” the Congress leader went on to say.”

“We had protested against this even on August 5. About 70 MPs were detained, including Rahul Gandhi.

People from 12-13 states are coming and we want to send an effective message to the insensitive Modi government that people are suffering from this back-breaking inflation and unemployment and solutions should be found for them,” Ramesh said.

Asked about Ghulam Nabi Azad’s rally in Jammu on Sunday, Ramesh said he would speak about the Congress rally “not that of the BJP.”

On BJP’s allegation that the Congress was trying to divert people’s attention from the issue of corruption, Ramesh said the party has been protesting against rise in prices for over a year.

“A rally was held in Jaipur. About 70 MPs were detained from Vijay Chowk. We have raised these issues inside and outside Parliament. We have held protests in various states. This rally is part of that series of protests.”

“On September 7, we will begin the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which too will have the economic disparity as the biggest issue,” Ramesh said.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and a host of party leaders are slated to address the rally.

Party workers from Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, and other parts of the country, are converging for the event.

The rally comes ahead of the opposition party’s 3,500-km ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ which will traverse the length of the country from Kanyakumari to Kashmir starting September 7.

The Congress has said the rally’s aim is to highlight the issues of the price rice and unemployment and promote communal harmony in the country.

The party said its workers will continue to raise these issues as a responsible opposition and will take to the streets to fight for the cause of the common people.

The BJP on Sunday mocked the Congress rally against price rise as “Rahul Gandhi relaunch 4.0” and took a dig at him over his slip of tongue saying he doesn’t even know whether flour is solid or liquid.

Speaking at the Congress’ ‘Mehangai Par Halla Bol’ rally at Ramlila Maidan here, Gandhi said flour which was earlier “Rs 22 per litre is now Rs 40 per litre”.

He immediately corrected it to kilograms.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, party spokesperson Sambit Patra said Gandhi’s speech was “immature”.

He said Gandhi was “speaking on the topic of inflation and he converted flour into litres.

He doesn’t know whether potatoes grow above the ground or under, he doesn’t know whether the flour is solid or liquid but (he) speaks on every subject”.

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya asked in a tweet “whether Rahul Gandhi’s impending Presidency will be measured in kg or litre?” Taking a swipe at the former Congress president, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted: “Taking Rahul Gandhi seriously on price rise is like taking Congress seriously on fighting corruption and taking Hitler seriously on human rights.”

Patra termed Gandhi’s remarks on the judiciary and media at the rally “contempt of court” and “abysmally low”.

ALSO READ | 

In his speech at the rally, Gandhi said there is pressure on all institutions including the judiciary and media.

The government is attacking them, while the media is controlled by a few corporates and not functioning independently, he alleged.

Patra said, “From this high table of the BJP, we would like to appeal to your Lordship this is contempt of court.”

Without the media, this democracy is incomplete, he said.

Patra dubbed the Congress rally ‘Parivaar Bachao Andolan’ and said it was organised to save the Gandhi family’s existence.

“He repeated his old script. Rahul and responsibility cannot move together. Rahul Gandhi, the Congress ‘shehzada’ (prince) today rolled out an immature speech,” the BJP spokesperson said.

Hitting back at Gandhi over his remarks that the BJP and the RSS are spreading hatred and anger in the country, Patra said, “Actually it was his speech which was full of hatred and anger.”

“In the National Herald case of Rs 5,000 crore, Rahul and Sonia are out on bail, investigation is going on. Those who are corrupt and who used to think that corruption is their birthright, today they are scared. Because of this fear, hatred and anger were reflected in his speech,” he added.

Earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said at a press conference at the party headquarters that the real purpose of the Congress rally was to relaunch Gandhi.

“This rally is meant to save the family and not to protest against price rise, and to relaunch Rahul Gandhi, who has been launched several times in politics. This rally is ‘Rahul Gandhi relaunch 4.0’ as no one wants to lead the Congress,” Rathore said.

On August 28, the Congress announced that the long-awaited election for its president would be held on October 17.

The party last saw a contest for the post in November 2000.

On the Congress’ electoral track record, Rathore said the opposition party “has lost 90 per cent of the elections since 2014”.

In the Uttar Pradesh elections, Congress candidates forfeited their deposits on more than 90 per cent of the seats, he said.

Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant here on Friday, that put India into a select league of countries with domestic capability to build such large war ships.

The Prime Minister commissioned the carrier, built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, at a function organised at the Cochin Shipyard Limited here.

With the commissioning of Vikrant, India joined a select group of nations having the niche capability to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by a host of dignitaries including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Kerala Governor Arif Mohamad Khan, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and top officials of Navy and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).

Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the induction of INS Vikrant, named after its predecessor that played a crucial role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, into the Navy.

The carrier is equipped with state-of-the-art features.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: A veritable political ‘storm in a tea cup’ has arisen over TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee’s assertions on Wednesday that all in the RSS were not bad and there are many who do not support BJP .

While the AIMIM, Congress and CPM on Thursday attacked her for what they saw as opportunism on Banerjee’s part, the BJP said it did not need certificates from her.

The RSS, instead of commenting on her left-handed praise, pointed to Bengal’s record of political violence and asked for corrective measures.

The sharpest attack came from the Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, who on Thursday said that in 2003 too, she had called RSS patriots’, (and) in turn Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh had called her Durga .

Owaisi, whose party failed to win a single seat including Muslim majority constituencies in Bengal in the last assembly elections where it positioned itself as opposed to both TMC and BJP, said sarcastically hope TMC’s Muslim faces’ praise her for her honesty and consistency.

The TMC, however, tried to make light of Owaisi’s remark and said the party doesn’t need to prove its secular credentials to him.

“We don’t need to prove anything to Owaisi. Mamata Banerjee has tried to say that every organisation has good and bad people. We don’t need to prove our secular credentials to anyone after we defeated the BJP-RSS juggernaut in the last assembly polls,” TMC MP Sougata Roy said.

However, besides AIMIM, a host of bigger parties joined the fray in taking on Mamata’s `praise’ for the RSS.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury “This is not for the first time that she (Mamata Banerjee) has praised the RSS. Banerjee had allied herself with the BJP-led NDA during late Atal Behari Vajpayee’s term at Prime Minister, before distancing herself from the NDA but had a tempestuous relationship with the alliance, often attacking it over disinvestment and other issues.

He repeated Owaisi’s instance from 2003, when she had participated in a book release programme of the RSS. She had sought their support to topple the Left Front government (then).

Chowdhury claimed Banerjee had even before that expressed her gratitude to the Nagpur-based RSS, which is considered the ideological parent of the BJP.

Sometimes she cajoles Hindu fundamentalists and sometimes the Muslims to get electoral dividends. Mamata Banerjee has been exposed again,” the Congress leader told PTI.

The West Bengal chief minister had in a passing remark at state secretariat function on Wednesday said, “RSS was not that bad. There are still people in the RSS who do not support the politics BJP does”.

The Communists were not far behind in pillorying Banerjee. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty claimed that her comments vindicate the Left party’s stand that she is a “product” of the RSS.

“It is once again clear that TMC is not trustworthy in the fight against BJP,” the CPI(M) leader claimed.

The RSS, whose relations with TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was the topic for political speculation, chose to ignore the praise and urged her to stop the cycle of political violence in the state.

“She has said there are some good people in RSS. We would like to tell her that there can be political differences, but does that mean (political activists should involve themselves in) killing opponents, RSS state general secretary Jishnu Basu said.

Basu claimed around 60 people have been killed in the state in post-poll violence.

She should have ensured law and order is in place. She is chief minister of those who voted for her and those who voted against her, he pointed out.

BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said neither the RSS nor the BJP need a certificate from Banerjee.

“We don’t need a certificate from Mamata Banerjee on who is good and who is bad. It is for the people to decide. We are not answerable to her,” Ghosh said.