Aiyar gave 'supari' in Pakistan to get me 'removed': PM Modi

Agencies
December 9, 2017

Bhabhar (Guj), Dec 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar of giving 'supari' (contract) while on a visit to Pakistan to get him "removed" from the way to ensure peace between India and the neighbouring country.

Targeting the diplomat-turned politician for the second time in two days after the Congress leader's 'neech aadmi'(lowly person) jibe at him yesterday, Modi also alleged that the Congress tried to suppress this episode and did not take any action against Aiyar.

Attacking the Congress over its work culture, Modi alleged that the party believes in--'atkana' (to stall) 'latkana' (to keep the issue hanging) and 'bhatkana' (to divert an issue).

The prime minister's remarks come a day after Aiyar set off a political firestorm when he called Modi a "neech kism ka aadmi". The Congress yesterday suspended Aiyar from the primary membership of the party and issued him a show cause notice for his remarks.

"Shriman Mani Shankar Aiyar...you know what he did?" Modi asked a gathering of people in this small town of Banaskantha district in North Gujarat.

"He gave this 'gaali' (abuse) to me or you? Did he abuse me or Gujarat? Did he abuse the cultured society of India or me?" Modi asked.

"Let us not talk about that abuse, as people of Gujarat will look into it and give a reply and they (Congress) will know the result on December 18," he said.

"But, after I became prime minister, this man (Aiyar) went to Pakistan and met some Pakistanis. All this thing is available on the social media. In that meeting, he is seen discussing with Pakistanis that 'jab tak Modi ko raste se hataya nahi jata' (until Modi is not removed from the way), relationship between India and Pakistan cannot improve," Modi added.

"Someone tell me what is the meeting of 'raste se hatana'. You had gone to Pakistan to give my 'supari', you wanted to give Modi's 'supari' (contract killing)," the PM said.

However, people need not worry as 'Maa Ambe' (goddess) is protecting me, he added.

"This conversation took place three years back. The Congress party had tried to suppress this episode...They did not take any action against him for last three years," Modi alleged.

"What is my crime? This country's people have elected me in a democratic way, and you go to Pakistan and say that this man is coming in the way and remove him!" he said. Modi was referring to a controversy that had erupted in 2015 when Aiyar during a talk show in Pakistan had reportedly made the controversial statement. Yesterday, during a rally in Surat, he had said, "Shriman (Mr) Mani Shankar Aiyar today said that Modi is of 'neech' (lower) caste and is 'neech' (lowly). Is this not an insult to Gujarat?...This is a Mughal mentality where if such a person (who comes from a humble background) wears good clothes in a village, they have a problem."

During today's rally, Modi further said the issue here is of Congress' mentality and the party's work culture means "atkana, latkana and bhatkana".

"What Congress has done so far is-atkana, latkana and bhatkana. They will either stall, keep an issue hanging or try to divert it," Modi said adding that they are not interested in solving people's problems.

When our brave jawans conducted the surgical strike then, I think that all the people of the country felt proud, but only Congress was not happy, he said.

"They raised questions about the surgical strike- did this (surgical strike) happen or not? Pakistan is saying that it did not happen...why none of our soldiers were killed... Would you believe Pakistan or India in such matters?" Modi asked.

Comments

Jameel
 - 
Monday, 11 Dec 2017

modi, are you worth the supari. hehehe.

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
April 6,2020

New Delhi, Apr 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India's efforts to combat coronavirus have set an example and it is among countries which understood the pandemic's seriousness and took various timely decisions to combat the virus.

Addressing BJP workers to mark the 40th foundation day of the party, he also appreciated the maturity shown by people during the lockdown, describing it as  unprecedented.

"We got to see our collective strength on Sunday evening," he said referring to the countrywide exercise to switch off lights and illuminate diyas for nine minutes to show India's collective strength to fight the deadly virus.

He also urged BJP workers to follow a five-point agenda, including working to ensure that no poor goes hungry.

He asked them to follow the guidelines issued by party president J P Nadda.

Fight against coronavirus is no less than war, Modi said, asking BJP workers to donate and encourage others to contribute to the PM-CARES fund.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
August 6,2020

Mumbai, Aug 6: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday that overly focusing on what sovereign rating agencies think can take one's eyes off what needs to be done for the economy.

"It is also important to convince both domestic and international investors that after the crisis associated with the pandemic is over, we will return to fiscal responsibility over the medium term, and the government should do more to convince them of that," Rajan told the Global Markets Forum.

India was placed under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in late March for more than two months to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but cases have continued to rise steadily since the government eased restrictions in June, stymieing hopes of an economic recovery.

The government has announced several initiatives to help the poor and small- and medium-size businesses, but actual cash outgo from the government's measures has been estimated at just about 1% of GDP.

Several attribute the fiscal prudence to fear of a downgrade after Moody's cut India's rating and outlook in early June followed closely by a change in outlook from Fitch.

The central bank on its part too has reduced the key lending rate by 115 basis points on top of the 135 bps last year and is widely expected to cut rates by another 25 bps later on Thursday.

"The RBI and government have certainly been cooperating, but it seems like it is elsewhere, the ball is in the government's court to do more," Rajan said.

He said the RBI needs to focus on whether credit is reaching the stressed areas of the economy and also if the viable firms were able to access credit and not the unviable ones.

"And I think that's where it has to focus its attentions, because resources, as you well know, are limited in India today."

Recently analysts, however, have cited the growing possibility the RBI may prefer to pause and cut rates only at its October meeting.

Government officials too have suggested the possibility of any more fiscal stimulus being announced, would only come in the second half of the fiscal year, once a recovery has taken root and coronavirus cases have peaked.

"What India should focus on at this point is protecting its economic capabilities, so that when it has dealt with the virus it can go resume activity in a reasonable way. That should be the focus," Rajan said.

"And if it does that, there is no reason why the rating agencies will not see that as an appropriate policy".

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
February 7,2020

Washington DC, Feb 7: United States on Thursday asked all countries to speak out against mistreatment of Muslims living in China especially in Xinjiang region by Chinese authorities.

Alice G. Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, while talking to reporters appreciated the steps taken by Central Asian states to ensure that no ethnic Kazakh, Uighur, Kyrgyz is refouled to China and that the human rights of individuals who reach Central Asia are observed.

"As a matter of principle we urge all countries, not just Central Asian countries, to speak out against human rights abuses that are evident against Muslims in all of China but certainly in Xinjiang. And the countries of Central Asia, several of the countries of Central Asia have deep first-hand knowledge of those abuses given the direct impact it has on their own populations who have loved ones, family members, that are swept up in these detention centers," Wells said.

"We appreciate steps by Central Asian states to ensure that no ethnic Kazakh, Uighur, Kyrgyz is refouled to China, that the human rights of individuals who reach Central Asia are observed. And we also appreciate I think what countries like Kazakhstan can do to promote the free and safe travel of compatriots, ethnic compatriots across the border," she added.

China has been accused of oppressing the Uighurs by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities and sending the community to undergo some form of forceful re-education or indoctrination. However, Pakistan has stayed mum over this issue.

As many as 1 million people, or about 7 per cent of Xinjiang's Muslim population, have been incarcerated in a sprawling network of "political re-education" camps, according to US and UN studies.

In 2018, the New York-based Human Rights Watch released a report accusing Beijing of a "systematic campaign of human rights violations" against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.

Beijing says its camps in Xinjiang are "vocational training centres."

Last year, several documents leaked revealed details about Beijing's fears about religious extremism and its wholesale crackdown on Uighurs.

The US had called on the Chinese government to "immediately release all of those who are arbitrarily detained and to end its draconian policies that have terrorised its own citizens in Xinjiang."

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.