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Modi woos diaspora at Wembley, says India’s diversity is its strength

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Modi-Wembley

London: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that diversity was India’s strength as he urged the country’s diaspora to become integral part of its growth story and dispelled concerns highlighted in media over some incidents intolerance in the country, saying that “there is a very deep and best India outside TV screen”.

Addressing a huge, enthusiastic gathering of British Indians at the expansive Wembley Stadium here, Modi announced resumption of a direct flight between London and Ahmedabad, simplification of the process concerning Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card and measures taken towards electronic travel authorisation and e-migration portal.

British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was present at the stadium, described it “a historic day” and said it was biggest gathering of Indian diaspora.

Modi, who spoke for over an hour, talked of his government’s plans to launch railway rupee bond in London and raised slogan “James Bond, Brooke Bond and Rupee Bond” to loud cheers from the gathering.

Modi, who has faced questions over intolerance from the media during his visit to the United Kingdom, said India was a land of diversity. “Diversity is its pride and its strength,” he said.

Towards the end of his speech, Modi recalled work of Imran Khan, a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan who has developed over 50 mobile applications related to education and dedicated them to students.

“My India is in Imran Khan of Alwar,” Modi said. He said leaders of the world ask him with some amazement how there is so much harmony in a diverse and big country like India.

Referring to the work of his government in the past 18 months, Modi said India’s stature had risen in the world and said the diaspora must also be experiencing it.

“This change is the sign of India’s success. Today when India talks, it does from a position of equality,” he said.

“India is moving on the path of development at a fast pace. I can tell you that the speed which India has taken, the direction it has taken, results will be evident soon,” Modi said.

Modi took out his watch and demonstrated that if it is seen upright it shows London time and if it is reversed it shows the time in India.

“There is no other two countries with such equation. Till the time there is sun and moon, the relations between India and England will continue to gain strength. We will cross new frontiers of development,” Modi said.

Modi thanked people for “outpouring their affections” and said India will not judge its diaspora by the colour of their passport.

“You have as much right on India as I have,” Modi said and asked them to renew their links with the country as their dreams will be fulfilled.

Referring to the challenges of terrorism and global warming faced by the world, Modi said life of Mahatma Gandhi showed solution to these problems and India can show the right path.

He also referred to Sufi tradition and said its greater spread would have helped check terrorism.

Modi said while his government wanted FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) in many sectors, for him FDI conveyed First Develop India.

Referring to increase in FDI flows, he said, “The world’s confidence in India was rising. That is our biggest strength. We want to move ahead with that.”

Referering to his proposal to launch a global solar alliance later this month in Paris, he said there were 102 countries which have harness solar energy. “India can lead in this,” he said.

Modi said he wanted to make a “Clean India” and provide round the clock power to all by 2019, which is 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Modi referred to his humble origins as tea seller and recalled his push towards fighting female infanticide and financial inclusion.

Modi told the gathering that India has no reason to be poor took digs at the previous governments over corruption and their inability to remove poverty and said 18,000 villages in India were still without electricity.

“I do not why there is a habit to see that it stays,” he said.

Referring to India having 800 million people below 35 years, he said “a country which has so many youth cannot stay behind”.

Modi said India’s rankings had improved in ease of doing business and in fighting corruption.

Without going into specifics, Modi said he had heard problems raised by Sikh leaders who met him and was working towards addressing them.

People intermittently shouted “Modi, Modi” as the prime minister delivered the speech.

(Agencies)

Modi UK visit sees business deals worth $14 billion

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modi-cameron

London: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit here has seen $14 billion worth of business deals inked by enterprises of the sides, including a $4.4-billion investment by Britain’s OPG Power Ventures to add 4,200 MW capacity of new electricity generation in Tamil Nadu over the next few years.

Among the two-dozen pacts and investment commitments acknowledged by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and David Cameron was one by Merlin Entertainment to open the famed Madame Tussauds wax museum in New Delhi by early-2017 and another by Vodafone to invest $1.4 billion to support the Government of India’s “Digital India” and “Make in India” initiatives.

This apart, the largest Solar power generator in Europe, Lightsource, said it was investing a little over $3 billion in India to design, install and manage around 3 GW of solar power infrastructure in India over the next five years in partnerships with Indian companies, led by Srei Infrastructure.

“Prime Ministers Cameron and Modi noted the deep and fruitful business relationship between the UK and India and welcomed the 9.2 billion pounds ($14 billion) of commercial deals between the UK and India announced during the visit,” said a joint statement issued by the two sides after the official talks.

Other major deals announced late on Thursday included:

– Standard Life, Bupa and Aviva to invest a combined total of $365 million in their Indian joint ventures

– Pact between Britain’s cloudBuy for facilitating $5,3 billion worth of transactions using an online marketplace

– British technology company Intelligent Energy’s $1.8 billion contract to provide clean energy for 27,400 telecoms towers of GTL

– Holland and Barrett International pact with Apollo to open 1,000 stores in India over the next five years

– Kloudpad Mobility Research’s investment in South India to make next generation smart watches, wearables and tablets

– TVS to open an advanced logistics facility at Barnsley, a town in South Yorkshire

– London Stock Exchange and Yes Bank pact for collaborations on bond and equity issuance, with focus on green infrastructure

– HDFC’s proposal for rupee-denominated bonds overseas up to $750 million under new Indian central bank guidelines

– Wipro’s commitment to increases its investment in Britain.

As per the joint statement, the two prime ministers also announced three UK-India city partnerships with Indore, Pune and Amaravati to support India’s ambitious urban development goals through technical assistance, expertise sharing and business engagement.

They also launched a new Thames-Ganga partnership for healthy river systems.

(Agencies)

Modi is embarrassing India: Congress

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Anand Sharma

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is embarrassing India by repeatedly saying in foreign capitals that the country enjoyed no credibility till he came to power, the Congress said on Friday.

“We completely reject his claim that he has restored India’s credibility,” Congress leader Anand Sharma told a news conference here, on the second day of Modi’s visit to Britain.

He said Modi’s claim implied that India had no credibility earlier and the world did not respect India before Modi took power in May 2014.

“By repeating this thing over and over again in capitals that he visits, he is embarrassing the country.

“India had respect, India had credibility and India was one of the most favoured destinations for FDI because of government policies” even earlier, Sharma said.

The Congress leader alleged that there was an atmosphere of fear in India today, and the whole blame for this lay on the prime minister.

“The PM presides over a government which is arbitrary in functioning. The PM is authoritarian when it comes to the conduct of the affairs of the state.

“It is his government which has sullied India’s image as a favoured destination because of forces which have been unleashed and which have been given protection and endorsement by Modi,” Sharma said.

(Agencies)

Modi arrives in Britain for three-day visit

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Modi-Britain

London: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in London on Thursday for a three-day visit to Britain that will see India and Britain sign a number of pacts on mutual investments and defence cooperation.

Modi, wearing a dark coat, stepped out of the aircraft with folded ‘namaste’.

In a series of pre-departure Facebook posts, Modi said: “My visit is aimed at strengthening cooperation with a traditional friend that is not only a major economic partner of India but also one of the leading economic players of the world.”

Modi’s visit to Britain is the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister in nine years after Manmohan Singh’s visit in 2006. Singh visited Britain in 2009 to attend the G-20 summit.

“UK is one of the fastest growing G-7 economies and is home to a strong financial services sector,” Modi stated. “I see immense scope for our economic and trade relations to improve and this will benefit both our economies,” he added.

On November 14, Modi will leave for Turkey to attend the annual G-20 summit.

(IANS)

L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi raise banner of revolt against Modi

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L K Advani Murli Manohar Joshi

New Delhi: Two days after the BJP was routed in Bihar, the party’s old guard including L.K. Advani on Tuesday took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, demanding “a thorough review” of the debacle but said it can’t be done by those who were responsible.

In a virtual challenge to Modi’s leadership who became the prime minister in May 2014, former party presidents Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, former union minister Yashwant Sinha and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Shanta Kumar said the Bihar defeat showed that the BJP had learnt nothing from its crushing defeat by the AAP in Delhi in February.

“To say that everyone is responsible for the defeat in Bihar is to ensure that no one is held responsible,” said the brief hard-hitting statement signed by Sinha on behalf of the four leaders.

“It shows that those who would have appropriated credit if the party had won are bent on shrugging off responsibility for the disastrous showing in Bihar,” it said, in a clear reference to Modi and Shah who were the BJP’s faces vis-a-vis the Grand Alliance of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The statement followed a meeting of the leaders at Advani’s residence and then at Joshi’s where former central minister Arun Shourie, who has blamed Modi, Shah and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the Bihar defeat, was also present along with former BJP ideologue K.N. Govindacharya.

“The result of the Bihar election shows that no lesson was learnt from the fiasco in Delhi,” the statement said.

Advani and the others said that a review of the Bihar rout — where the Bharatiya Janata Party won just 53 of the 243 assembly seats — “must not be done by the very persons who have managed and who have been responsible for the campaigning in Bihar”.

In an obvious reference to Modi and his confidant Shah, it said “a thorough review must be done of the reasons for the defeat as well as the way the party is being forced to kowtow to a handful and how its consensual character has been destroyed”.

The statement said the principal reason for the party’s defeat in Bihar “is how the party has been emasculated in the last year”.

The statement came hours after Home Minister Rajnath Singh — a la Jaitley on Monday — said that Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat were not to blame for the disaster in Bihar where the JD-U, RJD and Congress won a whopping 178 seats.

“The prime minister can’t be blamed for the defeat in Bihar,” Rajnath Singh said. “It is the BJP’s and NDA’s electoral loss, not the PM’s as a leader.”

Jaitley had expressed similar views a day earlier, adding that there was no question of removing Shah as the BJP president because he had led the party to victories in other states after the Lok Sabha battle.

But voices of discontent have been steadily mounting in the BJP since the Bihar results came out on Sunday.

On Tuesday, Bhola Singh became the fifth BJP MP to blame Modi for the defeat.

The Begusarai MP said the rampant use of “unparliamentary language” by Modi and other party leaders during the election campaign harmed the BJP, leading to its defeat.

“There was no logic to raise issues such as beef and that firecrackers would be burst in Pakistan if the BJP loses,” he said. “All these resulted in our defeat.”

The other four MPs who have found fault with Modi and Shah, directly or indicrectly, for the Bihar rout are Shatrughan Sinha (Patna Saheb), Hukum Deo Narain Yadav (Madhubani), R.K. Singh (Ara) and Ashwani Kumar Choubey (Buxar).

Advani, credited with building the BJP since it was left with just two Lok Sabha seats in 1984, has been mostly sidelined since Modi took charge of the party’s campaign committee and, later, the government.

But those affected by Modi’s style of functioning continue to look upon him as their mentor.

There was no formal reaction from the party to the old guard, who enjoyed senior posts before Modi took the national stage.

But BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli told CNN-IBN that a review of the Bihar result was already on and the party would respond to Advani and others if needed.

(IANS)

Modi gives Rs. 80,000 crore economic package to J&K

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Narendra_Modi

Srinagar: Restrictions were imposed on Saturday in parts of Srinagar ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kashmir.

A senior police officer said restrictions have been imposed in old city and uptown areas of Srinagar falling under the jurisdictions of Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Safakadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma police stations.

Razor fitted concertina wire coils were placed across traffic crossings on the main roads in the areas where restrictions were imposed.

Senior separatist leaders including hardliner Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan, and Asiya Andrabi were placed under preventive detention.

Separatists had called for a parallel rally on Saturday in Srinagar barely half a km away from the venue of Modi’s public rally.

Authorities had conveyed to Geelani that permission for the rally was declined because of the prime minister’s visit the same day.

Unprecedented security arrangements were seen in Srinagar city on Saturday as police personnel and paramilitary central reserve police force (CRPF) troopers wearing bullet proof vests and holding automatic weapons took up positions along roads and at important installations.

All roads leading to Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium were sealed for vehicular movement.

Passage on these roads is regulated through special passes issued to security forces and other participants.

Modi is scheduled to arrive here at 11.30 a.m., and will address the public rally at noon.

He will fly to Chanderkote in Ramban district at 1 p.m. where he will inaugurate the 450 megawatt phase second of Baglihar power project.

The prime minister will also inaugurate the four laning of the Udhampur-Bannihal stretch of Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

All shops, public transport, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar city.

Train services from Bannihal town in Ramban district to Baramulla town in Kashmir Valley have also been suspended for the day.

Only one-way traffic will be allowed from Srinagar to Jammu on the national highway on Saturday.

(Agencies)

Moody’s warns Modi: Rein in BJP members or risk losing credibility

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modi-sword

New Delhi: International rating agency Moody’s Analytics on Friday cautioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India might lose domestic and global credibility if he did not rein in controversial members of his Bharatiya Janata Party.

In a report titled India Outlook: Searching for Potential, Moody’s Analytics said for the country to reach its growth potential it has to deliver the promised reforms.

“Undoubtedly, numerous political outcomes will dictate the extent of success,” it said. The ruling BJP does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha and crucial reforms bills has been met with an obstructionist opposition.

“But in recent times, the government also hasn’t helped itself, with controversial comments from various BJP members.
While Modi has largely distanced himself from the nationalist gibes, the belligerent provocation of various Indian minorities has raised ethnic tensions.

“Along with a possible increase in violence, the government will face stiffer opposition in the upper house as debate turns away from economic policy. Modi must keep his members in check or risk losing domestic and global credibility,” Moody’s said.

It projected that India’s GDP growth for September quarter at 7.3%, while for the full fiscal it would be 7.6%.
“Key economic reforms could deliver greater potential GDP, as they would improve India’s productive capacity. These include the land acquisition bill, a national goods and service tax, and revamped labour laws. They are unlikely to pass through Parliament in 2015, but there is an even chance of success in 2016,” Moody’s said.

As regards interest rates, it said low rates will buttress the economy in the short-term but reforms are needed to reach long-term potential growth.

The Reserve Bank kick-started the recovery by cutting the repo rate by 1.25% this year.

It said positive signs are emerging with the State Bank of India, the nation’s largest bank, cut its base lending rate earlier this month.

“Capacity utilisation has been low across industries this year. The capital expenditure pipeline is running dry. However, interest rate cuts should encourage investment, as will the softer inflation profile,” it added.

(PTI)

Modi is first PM who always stays outside India: Raj Thackeray

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raj thackeray

Mumbai: Taking potshots at Narendra Modi on his frequent foreign tours, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray today alleged that he is the first Prime Minister in Indian history to have remained out of the country for long.

“What kind of a government do we have? Instead of doing work, they are behind banning every possible thing. Here we have a PM, who is the first in the country to have remained out of India for so many days,” Thackeray said.

Raj was speaking here at an India Today conclave here. “I just heard that Salman Khan is now making Bajrangi Bhaijan part 2. In the sequel, he will be seen bringing back Modi to India from a foreign country,” he said taking a dig on the PM.

As of October 2015, Modi has reportedly made 28 foreign trips. Most of them were state visits to Asian countries, following his neighborhood first and Act East policies.

Criticising the proposed Bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Thackeray questioned the purpose that would be served by introducing this super fast train.

“Why do we need a Bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad? Why not to some other state? What purpose will it serve? Just go to Gujarat, eat a Dhokla (Gujarati delicacy) and come back. Thats all,” he said.

He further said that the recent standoffs between the BJP and Sena are ruining the smooth running of the government.
“The way these both parties fight publicly, even husbands and wives dont fight this way. CM says all is well between them, but if that is so, one needs to go and ask the Sena ministers,” he said.

“It is only the BJP whose Acche Din have come. Their ally and its ministers are only sulking,” he added.
Backing Senas Opposition to Ghazal maestro Ghulam Alis concert here, Thackeray said, “Opposition is not to him as a singer. But, do our artists get the kind of respect they deserve in Pakistan? There is so much of talent here in India that we do not need an outsider to perform here.”

(PTI)

Pakistan’s Edhi Foundation refuses to accept Rs 1 crore offer by Modi

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Edhi Foundation

New Delhi: Noted humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi on Tuesday refused to accept Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s donation of Rs 1 crore to his charity.

“Abdul Sattar Edhi has thanked Modi and politely declined to accept his announced financial help,” Edhi Foundation Spokesman Anwar Kazmi was quoted as saying by Dawn news.

Kazmi said Edhi’s son, Faisal Edhi, will be addressing a press conference in this regard at 4:30 pm at Karachi Press Club.

Modi had on Monday announced the contribution to the charity after the return of hearing and speech impaired girl Geeta to India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday offered Rs.1 crore to Pakistan’s Edhi Foundation for taking care of Geeta, a deaf and mute young Indian woman who was stranded there for over a decade.

“I don’t think any amount of words are enough to thank the Edhi family for taking care of Geeta. They are apostles of kindness and compassion,” Modi tweeted on Monday.

“What the Edhi family has done is too priceless to be measured but I am happy to announce a contribution of Rs 10 million for their foundation,” said another tweet from PM Modi.

PM Modi also expressed his gratitude to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his efforts that ensured Geeta’s return to India.

The Edhi Foundation is a non-profit social welfare programme in Pakistan, founded by Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1951. He is popularly known as Pakistan’s “Father Teresa”.

(Agencies)

BJP govt is Congress plus a cow, never seen a weaker PMO: Arun Shourie

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arun shourie

New Delhi: In a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government, BJP leader Arun Shourie on Monday contended that it believes that managing economy means “managing the headlines” and that people had started recalling the days of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“Doctor Singh (Manmohan Singh) ko log yaad karne lag gaye hain (People have started recalling the days of Manmohan Singh). The way to characterise policies of the government is — Congress plus a cow. Policies are the same,” Mr. Shourie said at book launch function.

The function to launch Turn of The Tortoise, a book written by former Business Standard Editor-in-Chief T. N. Ninan, was attended by Manmohan Singh, Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subranamian and former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.

Pointing out differences between the present and the previous governments, Mr. Shourie said: “There is clearer belief (in the present dispensation) that managing economy means managing the headlines and this is not really going to work.”

Mr. Shourie, who was a Minister in the Vajpayee government, said: “I feel there was never a weaker a PMO as now… There has never been as great a centralisation of functions, not power, of functions in PMO as now. …If fellows don’t have domain expertise, that Brajesh Mishra had, L.K. Jha had, all these principal secretaries had, then things get stuck.”

Mr. Shourie said, “If you see impediments that were there in tax administration, virtually no change… Banking reform has been delayed by year and a half for no reason. So therefore this tortoise is a very generous metaphor. Ye to so hi jata hai (this tortoise goes to sleep).”

‘Industrialists afraid’

He claimed that industrialists are afraid of speaking against the government. “The industrialists who meet the Prime Minister don’t speak the whole truth. After meeting PM, they say ‘please do something’ And in front of the media they give the government 9 out of 10.”

(Agencies)

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