Nitish Kumar opposes Narendra Modi as NDA's prime ministerial candidate for 2014 polls

August 5, 2012

Nitish

New Delhi, August 5: BJP has assured BIhar CM Nitish Kumar that it would decide on its prime ministerial candidate in consultation with NDA allies.

Party chief Nitin Gadkari gave this assurance to Kumar when he recently sought a guarantee from the saffron partner that the BJP would not project Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in the 2014 parliamentary polls.

According to sources, Kumar sought the specific assurance from Gadkari at a quiet meeting they had here on July 25.

Kumar had earlier stressed — in an interview with the Economic Times and while addressing a convention of party workers — the need for the NDA to project a "secular" person as the PM. His conversation with Gadkari over dinner marked the first instance when the JD(U) leader spelt out his opposition to Modi, potentially complicating BJP's challenge of assuaging a crucial but restless ally without annoying the Gujarat strongman.

When contacted by TOI, Gadkari confirmed that the Bihar CM raised the leadership issue with him. "We had a good meeting in Delhi about a week ago. I told him that we have taken no decision yet on the leadership issue. it is too early for that. Whenever we take a decision, we will do so after consulting all the NDA partners," the BJP chief said.

The meeting had been sought by the BJP against the backdrop of Kumar's anxiety that the main Opposition may declare Modi to be its prime ministerial candidate. The Bihar CM plans to wean Muslims away from arch-rival Lalu Prasad, and has worked on the BJP to ensure that the Gujarat CM was not assigned campaign duty in any election in Bihar since 2005. However, with a section in the BJP keeping up a steady support for Modi as the PM candidate, the JD(U) leader worries that the momentum for the Gujarat CM may become irresistible if he scores his third straight win in Gujarat polls likely to be held in November.

Sources said that in the meeting, Kumar had insisted on an early decision on the leadership issue, and there are indications that he may press his demand again in view of the looming Gujarat polls as well as the projections that Modi is the odds on favourite this time as well.

Despite being a partner of the BJP since the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, Kumar prizes his "secular" credentials: something which in the last election hindered the effort of his rivals to get Muslims to vote against him. Estimates of the actual support that he got from the community diverge, but there is consensus that the BJP-JD(U) alliance does not evoke the same hostility that NDA would otherwise face.

The CM's worry is that the entry of Modi into the fray would not only frustrate his effort to build upon the goodwill he has among Muslims, but would trigger a sharp polarization against him, distracting the attention from his development agenda and handing an advantage to Prasad, Congress and Ram Vilas Paswan.


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News Network
January 18,2020

Jan 18: Days after the arrest of Deputy SP Davinder Singh along with two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, Shiv Sena on Saturday questioned the role of police in the Kashmir Valley.

"Cross border infiltration is ongoing in Kashmir. But the police machinery is being used to help the terrorists in Kashmir to safely cross the border (to Pakistan) and a President's medal awarded Deputy SP was arrested for doing so. In Kashmir (it seems), the government is using the police for some other purposes, what will the country's Home Ministry say if somebody has a doubt in connection with the Pulwama attacks," Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, read.

This was in reference to the incident in which Jammu and Kashmir police intercepted a vehicle on Sunday and arrested DySP Davinder Singh along with two top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, who were travelling together.

The Sena mouthpiece asserted that the impact and acceptance of the Centre removing Article 370 should be visible "through the people" during the upcoming Republic Day celebrations.

"Jammu and Kashmir is now a Union Territory. It is being ruled by the Centre through President's Rule. The government had removed Article 370 in a historic decision...The joy and excitement in the people over the removal of 370 should be visible in the Republic Day celebrations this time. The tricolour should be seen flying over all houses in Kashmir, it is the least that can be expected," it added.

The Sena mouthpiece further said that with the arrest of terrorists in the recent days, it hoped that "Republic Day will be celebrated safely in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir".

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News Network
January 27,2020

New Delhi, Jan 27: The government on Monday issued the preliminary information memorandum for 100 per cent stake sale in national carrier Air India. As part of the strategic disinvestment, Air India would also sell 100 per cent stake in low cost airline Air India Express and 50 per cent shareholding in joint venture AISATS, as per the bid document issued on Monday.

Management control of the airline would also be transferred to the successful bidder.

The government has set March 17 as the deadline for submitting the Expression of Interest (EoI).

EY is the transaction adviser for Air India disinvestment process.

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News Network
July 18,2020

Washington, Jul 18: The government of India has agreed to allow US air carriers to resume passenger services in the US-India market starting July 23, the US Transportation Department said on Friday.

The Indian government, citing the coronavirus, had banned all scheduled services, prompting the US Transportation Department in June to accuse India of engaging in "unfair and discriminatory practices" on charter air carriers serving India.

The Transportation Department said it was withdrawing an order it had issued requiring Indian air carriers to apply for authorization prior to conducting charter flights, and said it had approved an Air India application for passenger charter flights between the United States and India.

A group representing major US airlines and the Indian Embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on Friday.

India's Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Twitter it was moving to "further expand our international civil aviation operations" and arrangements from some flights "with US, UAE, France & Germany are being put in place while similar arrangements are also being worked out with several other countries."

"Under this arrangement," it added, "airlines from the concerned countries will be able to operate flights from & to India along with Indian carriers."

The US Transportation Department order was set to take effect next week. The Trump administration said in June it wanted "to restore a level playing field for US airlines" under the US-India Air Transport Agreement. The Indian government had banned all scheduled services and failed to approve US carriers for charter operations, it added.

The US government said in June that Air India had been operating "repatriation" charter flights between India and the United States in both directions since May 7.

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