BJP, Sena bury hatchet, Desai to be in Union Cabinet

November 8, 2014

BJP SenaMumbai, Nov 8: BJP and Shiv Sena today appeared to have resolved their differences with the latter deciding to nominate Rajya Sabha member Anil Desai to be included in the Union Cabinet when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reshuffles and expands his ministry tomorrow.

After blowing hot and cold over the last few days, the party also looked agreeable to accepting a power-sharing arrangement in Maharashtra.

"Uddhavji (Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray) had initially decided that we will not recommend any name to be included in the Modi Cabinet unless talks at the state level reach a conclusion.

"But now since the talks are finally in a conclusive mode, we have changed our stand. Our leader has decided to recommend Anil Desai's name so he can be included in the Cabinet tomorrow," a Sena MP told PTI on condition of anonymity.

He said the party leadership will decide the second name to be included in the Union Council of Ministers by evening.

The Prime Minister's Office had on Thursday asked Shiv Sena to recommend two names to be included in the Union government and the party had said it would be forwarding those the next day.

However, with back channel talks failing to resolve issues between the two parties over power-sharing in Maharashtra, Uddhav had appeared disinclined to nominate any leader to be included in the Union government.

The Sena MP said talks between the estranged former allies in Maharashtra had reached a 'conclusive stage' and a decision on supporting the BJP government during the trust vote scheduled for November 12 will be taken by the party chief tomorrow.

Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of newly elected Shiv Sena MLAs and top leaders tomorrow to deliberate on the developments.

"Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called up Uddhavji and said they want us to be a part of the new government and that they are not interested in taking the support of NCP.

We have been offered 12 ministerial berths of which 5 will be of Cabinet rank and 7 Ministers of State," he said.

It was, however, still not clear if Sena had given up on its demand for deputy chief ministership.

BJP had earlier rejected Sena's demand for following the 1995 formula when being the junior partner it had got the post of deputy chief minister.

BJP with 121 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly is the single largest party but way short of the magic figure of 145 despite support of 7 independents and some from smaller parties. 41-member NCP has declared outside support to the new government.

However, the 63 MLA-strong Sena coming on board will obviate the need for backing from Sharad Pawar's party.

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Agencies
January 11,2020

New Delhi, Jan 11: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday said that he has never seen innocents like the Indian people, who believe the claims made by the government on the implementation of its programmes. The former Union Minister, addressing a literary event, said, "I have never seen innocents like the Indian people. If something appears on print (and named two newspapers also), we believe it. We believe anything."

Claims like all villages having been electrified in the country and toilets built for 99 per cent of families in India were being believed, he said.

Similar was the case of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana or PM-JAY is a flagship health care scheme of the Centre), he alleged.

Stating that his Delhi-based driver's father had to get a surgery done under the scheme, he said, however, it could not be performed.

"I asked him (car driver) if he had the Ayushman card and he showed a card and I told him to take it (to hospital). In hospital after hospital, they said they were not aware of anything like that (Ayushman scheme). But we believe that the Ayushman scheme has come to the whole of India," he said.

Further, he said "we believe that for any disease, treatment will be done (indicating the Ayushman scheme) without shelling out money. We are being innocents."

Many news items and data were contrary to the truth, he added.

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Agencies
July 29,2020

New Delhi, Jul 29: Calling touchdown of Rafale fighter aircraft at Ambala airbase as "historic day" for Indian Air Force and proud moment for India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that "world-class fighter jets will prove to be a game-changer".

In a series of tweets, Shah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Indian Air Force and the entire country on this "momentous day".

"Rafale touchdown is a historic day for our vigorous @IAF_MCC and a proud moment for India! These are the world's most powerful machines capable to thwart any challenge in the sky. I am sure Rafale will help our Air warriors to safeguard our skies with its mighty superiority," Shah said in a tweet.

"From speed to weapon capabilities, Rafale is way ahead! I am sure these world class fighter jets will prove to be a game changer. Congratulations to PM @narendramodi ji, DM @rajnathsingh ji, Indian Air Force and the entire country on this momentous day. #RafaleInIndia," he added.

Shah said that Modi government is committed to build India's defence capabilities.

"Induction of these next generation aircrafts is a true testimony of PM @narendramodi's resolve to make India a powerful and secure nation. Modi govt is committed to build on India's defence capabilities. I thank honourable PM for providing this unprecedented strength to our IAF," he tweeted.

Earlier today, the five French Rafale fighter jets touched down at Haryana's Ambala after covering a distance of nearly 7,000 km to join the Indian Air Force.

The jets were given a customary water salute upon their arrival at the airbase, some 220-km from the India-Pakistan border.

The formal induction ceremony of the aircraft would be held later. The aircraft would move out soon to another operational base for operational sorties.

The five Rafale fighter aircraft took off on Monday for India from an airbase in France.
Rafale has multi-directional radar system which can detect 40 targets at the same time in a range of over 100 Kms. It has advance radar warning receiver to identify hostile tracking system a towed decoy system to thwart incoming missile attacks.

Rafale will ensure that our pilots will not have to cross the border to strike the target, that is about 600 Km in enemy territory.

It will get French industrial support for 50 years. India had signed a deal worth over Rs 60,000 crore with France in September 2016 for 36 Rafales to meet the emergency requirements of the IAF.

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News Network
January 31,2020

Jan 31: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act as "historic" in his address to joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, prompting protests by some opposition members.

He also said that debate and discussion on any issue strengthens democracy while violence during protests weaken it.

"The Citizenship Amendment Act is a historic law. It has fulfilled wishes of our founding fathers including Mahatma Gandhi," he said.

"Debate and discussions strengthen democracy, but violence during protests weaken democracy," he said without directly referring to the anti-CAA protests in the country some of which have witnessed violence.

In a reference to abrogation of Article 370, Kovind said there is happiness among people of India that people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got rights on par with the rest of the country.

The president said Parliament has created record in the first seven months of the new government headed by Narendra Modi by enacting several landmark legislations.

"My government is taking strong steps for making this decade as India's decade and this century as India's century," he said.

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