Nitish hits back at Modi, says his dream of PM will remain so

October 29, 2013

Nitish_hitsRajgir (Bihar), Oct 29: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today hit back at Narendra Modi, comparing him to Hitler and said his desperate dream to unfurl national flag at Red Fort would remain unfulfilled.

Days after Modi launched an no-holds barred attack on him in a Patna rally, he rejected the accusation that he had "betrayed and backstabbed" socialist stalwarts like Jaiprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia.

Kumar said Modi neither has "sweetness in his voice" nor "patience" required of somebody aspiring for the top post and questioned his knowledge of history.

"When had I deserted JP's ideology? Just because JP comes in BJP, he (Modi) made the allegation by linking the two together as it rhymes.... Lohia brought parties together to fight Congress. BJP is walking its own path alone. Where is the comparison," he said in his address to his party JD(U)'s convention, accusing BJP of weakening the fight against Congress.

Modi, the Chief Minister said, believed in repeating a lie hundred times to make it sound true. All this talk about Modi wave is also part of this misinformation campaign and there is no truth in it, he alleged.

"His dream to unfurl national flag at Red Fort would remain a dream," Kumar said.

"It is not just dictatorship. It is fascism and those who believe in fascism, their icon is Hilter. They they will do what Hitler did. Hitler's propaganda minister would tell a lie hundreds of times and it would seem to be true. The same thing is happening here now," he said.

Dismissing Modi's barb that he was dreaming to become prime minister, he asked when did he dream to become PM but added that such an aspiration was not a bad thing.

"Gujaratis are very fond of ice-creams but this sweetness is not visible in his (Modi) speech. He kept drinking water, wiping sweat and cursing me... The man dreaming to be on the country's highest post should be sober, why this unnecessary excitement and hurry?

"You can create hype around an individual but it can't ensure your victory. Bihar's poor will vote for those who fight for them. Those aspiring for the top post must speak sweetly with everybody and take everyone along," he said.

Kumar also picked holes in Modi's references to some of their meetings where he alleged that the JD(U) leader was uncomfortable in his presence while sharing a table with him over lunch.

"These are incorrect," he said referring to Modi's claim that he had was not taking food and water at a lunch hosted by the Prime Minister and that the Gujarat leader had to comfort him saying that there were no cameras around.

He also dismissed claim that Modi had served Kumar 'khaman and dhokla' to his heart's content after which he had praised the Gujarat Chief Minister at a lunch in his state years ago.

"When did he host me. What I remember is that I attended the function of the Chief Justice. He (Modi) was a guest and I too was a guest there," Kumar said.

Modi keeps harping about his early days as a tea-seller, Kumar said, adding that he also came from an ordinary family but never made a fuss about it.

"I am the son of a freedom fighter. I am also from an ordinary background.I am an ordinary man, anything can be said against me.

"One can't be a backward leader by just being born in such a family. What you have done for backward castes is important. I do not have the experience of selling tea in stations," he said

On Modi's remarks that Kumar had returned the aid for Kosi flood victims sent by Gujarat, the Bihar Chief Minister said that in Indian culture one does not praise oneself.

"Gujarat government sent money for Kosi flood victims and then they started advertising that they had helped Bihar. If one helps someone, then it should not be advertised. The cheque was returned and then they encashed it."

Questioning him on history, Kumar said, "I also have knowledge of history. I never left Jaiprakash Narayan. He said I backstabbed JP and Ram Manohar Lohia. In fact JP and Lohia had taken on these forces head on and also forced them into corner. I have never compromised on my principles and followed the path shown by JP and Lohia."

In a point-by-point rebuttal in his 90-minute speech, Kumar, Kumar said that while speaking against him at the Patna rally, Modi had in his "excitement" given out wrong historical information.

Acting like a "knowledgeable person", Modi referred to Chandragupta as great king of Gupta dynasty instead of Maurya dynasty which ruled from Patliputra which is now Patna.

"The BJP leader in excitement cited wrong history by saying Taxila was a great historical site in Bihar which is wrong as the place is in North-West Pakistan. Chanakya, the great economist who had written 'Arthasashtra', was a teacher there before coming to Patliputra," a smiling Kumar said, adding he had even visited there once.

"King Alexender had never reached Ganga as he was stopped at river Satluj itself," he said.

He urged the people to ensure that communal forces do not emerge victorious. "Let not your difference lead to communal violence. Let the dream to hoist the Indian flag at the Red Fort be a dream only."

Tracing the events that led to the split Kumar blamed the BJP for breaking the 17-year-old alliance with the JDU.

"What did we want? We suggested that the leader for the prime minister's post should be someone who is accepted by all, someone who works for all.

"If you have to win, there should be single target. You (BJP) have set two targets, one to remove Congress and the second is to take all the credit. It is wrong to blame us whereas you have betrayed us," he said.

"Yesterday you were with me and you would appreciate and praise me. Now that we are not allies and you are finding faults with me," he said.

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News Network
June 8,2020

New Delhi, June 8: Only 20.26 lakh migrant workers of the targeted 8 crore such labourers have received free food grains in May and June (2020), according to data released by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

In the middle of May, as part of the Rs 20 lakh crore Atma Nirbhar Bharat package, the Modi government had announced that migrant labourers who are not covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) or any state-run PDS scheme, will receive free food grains for two months.

"Non-card holders shall be given 5 kg wheat or rice per person and 1 kg chana per family per month for the next 2 months. About 8 crore migrants will benefit from this scheme that will cost the government Rs 3500 crore,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said at a press conference following PM Modi’s announcement.

But the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said on Sunday, "The states and UTs have lifted 4.42 LMT (lakh metric tonne) of food grains and distributed 10,131 MT of it to 20.26 lakh beneficiaries."

It added, "The Government of India also approved 39,000 MT pulses for 1.96 crore migrant families. Around 28,306 MT gram/dal have been dispatched to the states and UTs. A total 15,413 MT gram have been lifted by various states and UTs". The state governments, the ministry added, had distributed only 631MT (metric tonnes) of gram so far.

Because of the constant movement of migrant workers, the Centre had said that the states will be responsible for identifying the migrants and subsequent food distribution.

The Centre claims it is spending approximately Rs 3,109 crore for food grains and Rs 280 crores for grams/chana under this package.

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Agencies
May 6,2020

New Delhi, May 6: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has extended the validity of electronic way (E-way) bills, whose expiry date fell between March 20 and April 15, till May 31.

"Notification No. 40/2020-Central Tax issued to extend the validity of e-way bills till May 31 for all those e-way bills which were generated on or before March 24, 2020 and had expiry between the period from March 20 to April 15, 2020," the CBIC tweeted on Tuesday.

E-way bill is produced by transporters and businessmen before a Goods and Services Tax (GST) inspector for moving goods worth over Rs 50,000 from one state to another.

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News Network
June 9,2020

New Delhi, Jun 9: Petrol price on Tuesday was hiked by 54 paise per litre and diesel by 58 paise a litre - the third straight daily increase in rates after oil PSUs ended an 82-day hiatus in rate revision.

Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 73.00 per litre from 72.46, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 71.17 a litre from Rs 70.59, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies.

This is the third daily increase in rates in a row. Oil companies had on Sunday restarted revising prices in line with costs, after ending an 82-day hiatus.

Prices were raised by 60 paise per litre each on both petrol and diesel on Sunday as well as on Monday. In all, petrol price has gone up by Rs 1.74 per litre and diesel by Rs 1.78 a litre in three days.

Oil PSUs - Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) - had put daily price revisions on hold soon after the government on March 14, hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre each.

Oil companies did not pass on that excise duty hike, as well as the May 6 increase in tax on petrol by Rs 10 per litre and Rs 13 a litre hike on diesel by setting them off against the decline in retail prices that should have effected to reflect international oil rates falling to two-decade low.

International rates have since rebounded and oil companies having exhausted all the margin are now passing on the increase to customers, an industry official said.

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