NCP-UPA trouble live: Congress in damage control after Sharad Pawar quits

July 20, 2012

congressdam

New Delhi, July 20: 11:15 am: The UPA is reportedly making all possible efforts to placate Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar after he and party leader Praful Patel sent their resignation letters to the Prime Minister. The Congress has said that the NCP is important to it.

"Pawar has supported Pranab Mukherjee, he is an important person. The NCP is important to us and ll our allies are intact," Congress leader Jagdambika Pal said.

10:45 am: It is being said that the UPA is not following the coalition dharma and is ignoring smaller allies. Sharad Pawar has now red-flagged the issue and has, in a way, asked the UPA to be serious about smaller allies.

10 am: The UPA is likely to accommodate some demands of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, according to sources. Sharad Pawar, in his meeting with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, conveyed his displeasure.

Sharad Pawar is reportedly angry at being superseded for the number two position in the Union Cabinet. However, Congress sources claim that the number two position in the Cabinet is not an issue and say the government will take up some of Pawar's demands like forward contracts soon.

9:30 am: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, who resigned from the Cabinet late on Thursday night, met UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday morning.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and party member Praful Patel on Friday sent in their resignations to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, sources said. The duo were said to be upset over the NCP chief not being made the number two within the UPA government.

The duo had said they will not attend their offices on Friday. Pawar and Patel sent their resignation letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late on Thursday night. However, the letters have been written in a manner that leaves a window of opportunity open for the UPA as it provides a scope for negotiations.

This may be seen as a trouble for the UPA as the NCP has been one of the most reliable allies of the UPA as it has supported the UPA in important situations. The NCP was among one of the first parties to support UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee in the Presidential poll. Therefore, the UPA is likely to make efforts to placate Pawar.

The UPA has two options. They can either give the number two position to Pawar, as he desires, or they can make him the Leader of the Lok Sabha. The UPA core committee will meet later on Friday and may chalk out a plan to placate Pawar and Patel.

In fact, for a second time on Thursday, Pawar and Patel had skipped the Cabinet meeting despite the fact that on agenda was a matter relating to Pawar's ministry.

Sources said the rift was over the number two slot. With Pranab Mukherjee gone, Pawar, as per seniority, should have been made number two.

Congress, however, argued that the NCP had only nine MPs while Congress was the largest constituent of the UPA and hence could choose the number two. It's Defence Minister AK Antony who got the slot. This upset the NCP.

NCP sources also said Pawar was upset by the Congress's witch-hunting and lack of gratitude.

Pawar is believed to have been angry that some of his nominees for the Governor's post and for chairmanship of NABARD and NAFED were rejected. Certain projects with which Sharad Pawar was involved were not cleared by government. Also, he accused the Cabinet of dragging its feet over forward trading.

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Kerala HC refuses to extend US citizen's stay who 'felt safer in India' amid covid-19

Agencies

July 30,2020

Kochi, Jul 30: The Kerala High Court on Thursday refused to grant the extension for the stay of a 74-year-old US citizen, Johnny Paul Pierce, who had earlier said that he felt safer to remain in India than in the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The single-judge bench of Justice CS Dias, which considered the writ petition, observed that the grant or extension of visa to foreign nationals fall exclusively within the domain of the Government of India (GoI) and that judicial review in such matters is minimal.

The power of the GoI to expel foreigners is absolute and unlimited, the bench said.

"In view of the categoric declaration of law by the Supreme Court, the plea of the petitioner to permit him to stay back in India cannot be accepted, as it falls within the purview of the guidelines and the discretion of the Government of India," the order said.

"The petitioner cannot be heard that the guidelines/policies/regulations formulated by the Government of India, that an American national though has been granted a visa having validity of five years has to leave India within 180 days, is irrational or unreasonable," it added.

The High Court, which was hearing a plea to permit the US citizen to stay in India for a further period of six months, said that the petitioner does not have a case that there is an infraction of Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

"The petitioner was well aware of the visa conditions when he arrived in India, and it is too late in the day for him to raise a grievance on the visa conditions," the bench said noting that the petitioner's love for India was heartening.

The High Court also directed the Foreigners Registration Officer to consider the petitioner's representation within a period of two weeks in accordance with the applicable guidelines and policies.

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PM Modi turns emotional after Dehradun woman says, 'I have seen God in you'

News Network

March 7,2020

New Delhi, Mar 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned emotional on Saturday when a woman beneficiary of his government's generic medicine programme told him that she had seen God in him.

Dehradun-resident Deepa Shah, who suffered paralysis in 2011, was interacting with the prime minister through video-conference on the occasion of Jan Aushadhi Diwas.

"I have not seen god, but I have seen God in you," she said, tears rolling down her eyes.

Modi was visibly emotional as the woman repeated her remark.

She also thanked the Uttarakhand chief minister and others who had helped her all along and said doctors had once told her that she cannot be cured.

"But on hearing your voice I have become better," she told Modi while profusely thanking the prime minister for his efforts to reduce the cost of medicines.

An emotional prime minister paused for a moment before telling her that it was her courage that had won over her disease and that she must carry on with the spirit.

Shah was expressing her plight and how she had suffered due to high cost of medicines after she suffered from paralysis in 2011 and has now started saving Rs 3,500 every month after benefitting from the government's low-cost generic medicines programme.

Soon after Shah rose to express her views, Modi asked her to sit and speak as he said she was uncomfortable while standing.

"You have defeated disease with your own will power. Your courage is your god and that same courage has given you the strength to emerge from such a big crisis. You should carry on this confidence in you," Modi told her.

He said some people still keep spreading rumours about generic medicines, going by their past experience, wondering how can medicines be available so cheap and that there must be something wrong with the medicine.

"But, by seeing you countrymen would gain confidence that there is nothing wrong in generic medicines. These medicines are not at all of inferior quality than any other medicine. These medicines have been certified by the best laboratories. These medicines are made in India and is 'Make in India' and are cheap," the prime minister said.

He said there is demand for generic medicines from India across the world and the government has made it mandatory for doctors to prescribe generic medicines to patients, unless necessary.

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Wowww so emotional... Lol .really god in you??? Drama king and queen

in 2002 riot we have seen shaitan in you..how come shaitan become GOD...

did he put atleat one tear for his mother, did he feel sad when pregnant muslim woman brutally murdered..

this guy is 21st century dajjal..

Big Nautanki, Dramebaz

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MP BJP MLA tests covid positive hours after Rajya Sabha polls voting

News Network

June 20,2020

Bhopal, Jun 20: A senior BJP MLA in Madhya Pradesh tested COVID-19 positive hours after he cast his vote for the Rajya Sabha polls in the state and attended party meetings, an official said on Saturday. The legislator's wife has also tested positive for the infection, he said.

Voting for three Rajya Sabha seats in the state took place on Friday.

The couple's test reports came on Friday night and the news of the MLA's infection triggered panic among other MLAs with some of them reaching hospitals to get themselves tested.

"The MLA and his wife were found infected with COVID- 19 in the tests conducted by a private laboratory. We are examining their condition and making a decision whether they need to be hospitalised or home quarantined," a health department official told.

He said that the MLA's contact tracing has been initiated.

"Further tests are also being conducted," he said.

He is the second legislator in Madhya Pradesh, who was tested coronavirus positive.

Earlier, a Congress MLA was found infected. He had voted for the Rajya Sabha polls on Friday after reaching the state assembly complex wearing a PPE suit.

Talking to , a member of the BJP MLA's family said that the medical team was called on Friday afternoon for the COVID-19 test after the legislator's wife complained of uneasiness.

"The MLA and his wife gave the samples to the medical team for the COVID-19 tests on Friday afternoon and they were told at night that both of them have tested positive for the infection," he said.

After the news of BJP MLA testing positive spread, a senior BJP MLA from Mandsaur, Yashpal Singh Sisodiya, reached government-run J P Hospital here along with two other party MLAs.

Talking to reporters, Sisodiya said, "I came here along with two other MLAs from our division- Dilip Makwana (Ratlam Rural) and Devilal Dhakad (Garoth)- after we came to know through media and social media that one of the MLAs from our division has tested positive for COVID-19."

"We don't have any symptoms, but came to test for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure," he said.

Dhakad said that he came for testing as he had dined with the MLA two days back.

Talking to , Madhya Pradesh State Assembly's Principal Secretary A P Singh said that all the precautionary measures were taken during the Rajya Sabha polling.

"All employees were in safety gears during the Rajya Sabha election process. The assembly campus was being sanitised every 15-20 minutes during the polling process...We are now going through the CCTV footage to trace those who had come in his contact," he said.

Congress MLA and former minister P C Sharma said that those who came in contact with the BJP legislator should be traced and quarantined.

"The employees and MLAs who came in contact with him during the voting process should be tested," Sharma said.

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