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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Agencies
June 8,2020

New Delhi, Jun 8: Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has said that CBSE board results can be declared by August 15. The results of both class 10 and 12 will be declared at an interval of just a few days.

However, the decision to open schools will be taken after August keeping in mind the current COVID-19 situation. At present, the Ministry of Human Resource Development has not set any date for reopening schools.

Nishank said during a discussion "We hope that the results of both 10th and 12th class will be declared by August 15. These include the results of previous exams and the results of examinations in July."

On the issue of reopening of schools, Nishank said "after August the process of opening schools will be started."

A final decision in this regard will be taken only after assessing the prevailing conditions. According to the HRD ministry, after August, new sessions will also start in universities.

Meanwhile, the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi has also written to the HRD ministry on the subject of reopening schools. Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia said in the letter, "Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said some time ago that we have to learn to live with coronavirus. So it would be better to open schools with proper safety measures."

Sisodia said that first of all, we have to assure every child that they are important to us. Everyone has equal rights over the physical and intellectual environment of his school. Education cannot progress beyond online classes only. It would be impossible to pursue education only by calling older children to school and keeping younger children at home.

Several private schools have also suggested measures to the HRD ministry to open schools and safety in schools during this period. However, the ministry is not in a hurry to reopen schools at present. According to senior officials of the ministry, at present, preparations are being made to conduct the remaining board exams of class 10 and 12 between July 1 and 15.

After the examinations, the first priority is to declare the results. Only then can the process of reopening school colleges begin.

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News Network
March 7,2020

New Delhi, Mar 7: No country in the world says everybody is welcome, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, hitting out at those criticising India over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Jaishankar criticised the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for its criticism on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying its director had been wrong previously too and one should look at the UN body's past record on handling the Kashmir issue.

"We have tried to reduce the number of stateless people through this legislation. That should be appreciated," he said when asked about the CAA at the ET Global Business Summit. "We have done it in a way that we do not create a bigger problem for ourselves."

"Everybody, when they look at citizenship, have a context and has a criterion. Show me a country in the world which says everybody in the world is welcome. Nobody says that," the minister said.

The external affairs minister said moving out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was in the interest of India's business.

Asked about the UNHRC director not agreeing with India on the Kashmir issue, Jaishankar said: "UNHRC director has been wrong before.

"UNHRC skirts around cross-border terrorism as if it has nothing to do with country next door. Please understand where they are coming from; look at UNHRC's record how they handled Kashmir issue in past," he added.

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News Network
May 24,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, May 24: Keralites on Sunday celebrated a low-key Eid-ul-Fitr amid the coronavirus lockdown in the state as most of the faithful marked the culmination of the fasting month of Ramzan by offering thanksgiving prayers at home.

The festival is being celebrated across Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, while the rest of the country will celebrate Eid on Monday.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan extended Eid-ul-Fitr greetings to all Keralites across the world.

State Governor Arif Mohammed Khan also extended his festival wishes to all the Keralites.

"May we also have the blessing to prevent and eliminate the COVID-19 disease," Khan tweeted.

Vijayan said this year Ramzan is celebrated at a time when the world is going through "an unprecedented crisis and misery" because of pandemic COVID-19.

"Usual celebration during Ramzan is not there anywhere in the world due to the pandemic. Instead of offering prayers at mosques, which is important for Muslims, this time the prayers and the feast is performed in their homes.

Community leaders have taken this important decision to protect the interests of the society" he added.

The chief minister said Eid-ul-Fitr gives out a message of equality, tolerance and repentance.

The state government had earlier announced that the lockdown restrictions in the state onSunday will be relaxed in the view of Eid-ul-Fitr with shops selling essential items remaining open.

The State government had earlier declared that a complete shutdown would be observed in Kerala on Sundays in order to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

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