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BJP releases Nitish Kumar’s 2003 speech praising Modi

June 17, 2013

Nitish_Kumar_speachNew Delhi, Jun 17: The bitter falling out between BJP and JD(U) was evident with the saffron party releasing Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's 2003 speech in which he praised Gujarat CM Narendra Modi as a leader with a future outside the state.

The BJP move to embarrass Kumar - who has made opposition to Modi a cornerstone of his "secular" politics - is intended to argue that the Bihar CM was not always opposed to the saffron strongman.

As the speech delivered at the inauguration of a railway project is well after the 2002 riots, the BJP's intent is obvious. "I am certain that Narendrabhai will not be confined to Gujarat for long and the country will get the benefit of his services," Kumar is quoted as saying.

JD(U) sources were, however, quick to argue that the BJP move smacked of its desperation after the breakup of the alliance and amounted to trying to shoot a messenger who bears bad news. "This won't take away from the fact that Modi is a deeply divisive and polarizing leader," a senior JD(U) leader said.

Meanwhile, BJP president Rajnath Singh said he was "saddened" by the "unfortunate" walking out of JD(U) from NDA and maintained that it would weaken the fight against Congress.

However, Singh also got a taste of continuing rumblings in BJP with veteran leader L K Advani reported to have brought up Modi's elevation as head of the party's campaign committee as a reason for the breakup of the alliance with JD(U).

Advani and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj see the end of the alliance as a highly unfortunate development although the mood of other leaders, including those from Bihar, has turned more aggressive. "The breakup of NDA is sad and unfortunate," Swaraj said on Twitter.

Rajnath, however, had a different take on the events and said, "We always treated JD(U) as a younger brother and our relationship of 17 years was not a political but an emotional one. It was never made under pressure."

Singh was speaking at a programme organised by the BJP's youth wing. "When a coalition is formed, it is based on trust and mutual understanding. When that goes, it is really sad. We can be betrayed but we will never betray," he said.

He said if Modi was being considered communal because of the 2002 post-Godhra riots, there have been thousands of riots in 24 years of Congress rule since independence.

Singh pointed out that in 2000, BJP was a bigger party than JD(U) in Bihar as it had 60 seats while JD(U) won only "36-37 seats". But still, BJP chose a JD(U) leader to become chief minister, he said.

He warned JD(U) that a party which does not care for the feelings of the people in a democratic country cannot survive for long.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New Delhi, Jul 30: Preparing for a long haul in the Eastern Ladakh sector in extreme winters, the Indian Army has an edge over the Chinese as it has deployed 35,000 troops there who have already done tenures in high altitude and cold conditions.

The Indian troops deployed there are mentally prepared for tackling the weather and terrain.
In contrast, the Chinese troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are not used to these conditions as they have been brought from mainland China and are not accustomed to high altitude extreme cold weather conditions.

"We are preparing to provide extreme cold weather portable cabins for around 35,000 troops that have been deployed in the Eastern Ladakh sector," government sources said.

"Our soldiers deployed there have already done a tenure or two in Siachen, Eastern Ladakh or Northeast and they are physically and mentally prepared for a longer deployment there," they said.

The Chinese soldiers deployed on the Indian front include mainly conscripts who join the PLA for a period of 2-3 years and then return to their normal lives, sources said.

Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a standoff situation all along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh from sub-sector north with both sides having deployed around 40,000 troops against each other over there.

The two sides have disengaged at three friction points including Patrolling Point 14, PP-15 and PP-17 and PP-17A.

At PP-17 and 17A, the Chinese have now maintained a small element of close to 50 troops and the remaining elements have gone back into their permanent locations.

The sources said the Army is also not much bothered about the Chinese build-up along the LAC as it has got more than two additional divisions from outside Ladakh sector.

India Army has more troops than what the Chinese have brought there, they said.

For the winter deployment, the Army already has a sizeable stock of clothes and habitat for troops as the Indian army deploys troops at the world's highest battlefield Siachen glacier and is prepared.

For additional requirements, the force is in the process of placing orders for additional tents and shelters from indigenous as well as foreign vendors.

The time for summer stocking is on and we are going to get the additional cabins and tents by that time, the sources.

Months of June, July, and August are considered to be the best time for stocking winter rations and ammunition. The snowfall is expected to start soon in the Eastern Ladakh area where the temperature is already low.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has given financial powers of Rs 500 crore per procurement to the defence forces to address any type of shortages of weapons, ammunition, and habitat.

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News Network
May 9,2020

May 9: Two more companies are said to be eyeing stakes in Reliance Jio Platforms, the $65-billion digital unit of Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries, suggests a Bloomberg report. If these deals materialise, they would add to a growing list of firms that have recently invested in the Indian company.

US private equity firm General Atlantic was considering investing about $850 million to $950 million in the Mumbai-based company, a Bloomberg report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The deal could be completed as soon as this month, though no agreement had been finalised and plans may change, it added.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) is also considering to buy a minority stake in Jio, Bloomberg said in a separate report.

General Atlantic declined to comment on the report, while Jio and PIF did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Hours earlier on Friday, Reliance Industries announced a $1.5 billion stake sale in Jio to Vista Equity Partners, the third deal in just over two weeks.

The conglomerate cut a $5.7 billion deal with Facebook for a 9.99 per cent stake in Jio on April 22 and a few days later, it secured a $750 million investment from private equity firm Silver Lake.

Together the three deals will inject a combined $8 billion in the telecoms-to-energy group and help it pare its debt.

Vista's investment gave Jio an equity value of Rs 4.91 trillion ($65 billion) and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 trillion, said Reliance, controlled by billionaire tycoon Mukesh Ambani.

The potential investments from New York-based General Atlantic and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, which manages over $300 billion in assets, would inject money on top of the $8 billion which Jio has already raised.

Saudi's PIF has been buying minority stakes several companies. Last month, it disclosed an 8.2 per cent stake in coronavirus-hit Carnival Corp, sending the cruise operator's shares up nearly 30 per cent higher.

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News Network
April 16,2020

Kochi, Apr 16: A middle-aged man carrying his ailing father on his shoulders walked close to one-kilometre in Kerala’s Punalur when the autorickshaw he was driving was allegedly stopped by the police over the ongoing lockdown. He was bringing back his father from the hospital after he was discharged on Wednesday.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, the man can be seen carrying his bare-bodied father on the shoulders and struggling to handle the weight while a woman carrying the hospital documents, prescriptions and other items, is running along with him.

The incident took place in Punalur town of Kollam district.

The 65-year-old man, a native of Kulathupuzha, was released from the Punalur Taluk Hospital and his son was taking him home when he was stopped on the road. The man has alleged that even after he produced hospital documents, the police refused to let him pass with the autorickshaw.

The vehicle was stopped about a kilometre from their house in the middle of a traffic jam and the family had to walk the rest of the path. He said even after he told the police and showed papers from hospital he was not allowed to go.

After the video went viral in Kerala, the state human rights commission took suo motu cognizance of the incident.

The nationwide lockdown has prevented all non-essential movement in the public space while medical emergencies have been allowed. The extended lockdown will now continue till May 3.

According to the police, the vehicle did not have the patient when it was stopped. The driver was asked to show a declaration document.

He stepped out of the vehicle and walked to the hospital which was 200 metres from the checkpoint and returned carrying his father on the back, said the police.

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