Rahul Gandhi should become leader of opposition: Digvijaya Singh

May 29, 2014

New Delhi, May 29: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh believes Rahul Gandhi should head the party in Parliament if he is to lead the Congress, a linkage that is sure to put pressure on the reluctant Gandhi scion ahead of the decision on who should be leader of opposition in Lok Sabha.

Rahul Gandhi Digvijaya Singh "If Rahul wants to lead the Congress, he must lead," Singh said, when asked if he wants the Congress vice-president to take up the leader of opposition's post.

Stressing the point, Singh said, "I strongly feel he is the leader and has to lead from the front. He should be the leader of opposition."

Singh's opinion comes at a time when Congress is in the process of clinching the decision on who should be the party's main face in the opposition benches.

Rahul was the natural choice till now given his position as heir apparent but the scale of the election defeat and criticism of his leadership has put a question mark on his abilities to steer the party in Parliament. Seeking to brush aside doubts, Singh said, "It is ultimately the leader who has to lead."

Singh's strong views contrast with the multiplicity of opinion in the Congress post-defeat. A section in the party believes Sonia Gandhi should take over the reins of leadership to restore the confidence of workers and that she should start with being leader of opposition. The possibility of an experienced MP like Kamal Nath getting the assignment is also seen as strong.

The "Rahul should lead" line is shared by the bloc closely aligned with the leader. An influential AICC general secretary said, "Rahul should take up the post. That is the natural flow of leadership." An MP, who is part of Team Rahul, told TOI that the young Gandhi should not hesitate to step up to the plate.

As the decision is taken, there are concerns about Rahul delivering as opposition leader. While the post would require a fulltime engagement and "realpolitik" like cutting deals with government and other opposition outfits, he would be the face of the opposition to take on the treasury benches to be led by a confident Narendra Modi. "Rahul vs Modi-II" is a faceoff that does not inspire confidence among the demoralized Congress cadre.

Digvijaya Singh dismissed the notion that the transition of party's leadership from Sonia to Rahul would be affected by the electoral reverses. "That is the natural process. It would take its course," he said.

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With highest single-day spike of 64,399 cases, India's COVID-19 tally reaches 21,53,011

Agencies

August 9,2020

New Delhi, Aug 9: Indian on Sunday achieved a grim milestone after recording the highest single-day spike of 64,399 coronavirus cases, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As many as 861 deaths were reported in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative toll to 43,379.

With the new cases, the country's coronavirus count has reached 21,53,011 including 6,28,747 active cases and 14,80,885 cured/discharged/migrated.

Maharashtra has 1,47,355 active coronavirus cases, the highest in the country.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 7,19,364 samples were tested on August 8 while over 2.41 crores samples so far have been tested in the country.

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Kerala's strategy for containment of COVID-19 satisfactory, PCR test going on in 9 labs: KK Shailaja

News Network

April 5,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, April 5: Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja on Sunday said that the state's preparations for containment of COVID-19 were satisfactory and added that PCR tests were going on in nine laboratories, in which upwards of eight thousand samples have been tested so far.

"Our strategy for the containment of COVID-19 is satisfactory. We are yielding good results from our strategy for tracing, isolation, testing & treatment. PCR test is going on in 9 laboratories. We have tested more than 8000 samples so far," Shailaja told ANI here.

She further said that the state government wanted to implement Rapid test in Kerala and added that they had ample PPEs and N95 masks.

"We want to implement Rapid Test in Kerala. Yesterday, we got 2000 kits; Right now, we have sufficient PPEs and N95 masks. If the number of COVID19 cases increases in the coming weeks then we will need more equipment," Shailaja said.

Keeping up with the need of the hour, the new administrative block of Kasaragod Medical College will soon be converted into a COVID-19 hospital for providing better treatment facilities to the coronavirus patients.

A team constituting 26 doctors and medical staff of the Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram will join the efforts of converting the new administrative block into a COVID-19 Hospital in Kasaragod on Sunday.

The total number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 3,374 in India on Sunday, as per the data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

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'5 to 7 Million People from Airport to Ahmedabad Stadium': Before India Visit, Trump Reveals Modi's Promise

News Network

February 12,2020

Washington, Feb 12: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would sign a trade deal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi if 'it was the right one'.

The two countries have been trying to reach a limited trade pact with lower tariffs, but talks have run into problems over issues with data privacy and e-commerce controls.

Trump further said that he is looking forward to his visit to India later this month where millions of people would welcome him. "He (Modi) is a great gentleman and I look forward to going to India. So, we'll be going at the end of the month," Trump told reporters in his Oval Office, a day after the White House announced dates of his anticipated India trip.

Responding to a question, the president indicated that he is willing to sign a trade deal with India if it is the right one. "They (Indians) want to do something and we'll see... if we can make the right deal, (we) will do it," said Trump, a fortnight ahead of his visit to the country as the 45th US president.

India's new Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI that Trump's forthcoming visit is a "reflection of the strong personal rapport" between Trump and Modi. "It also demonstrates their strong desire to take the relationship to new heights," said Sandhu, who had presented his credentials to Trump in Oval Office last week.

Over the last three years, Trump and Modi have developed a personal friendship and in 2019, the duo met four times including their joint address before a strong 50,000 crowd of Indian Americans in Houston.

This year, they have spoken over the phone on two occasions, including the one over the weekend. "Just spoke with Prime Minister Modi," Trump told reporters on Tuesday in response to a question on his India visit.

Excited to travel to India later this month, said Trump referring to his conversation with Modi during which the prime minister apparently told him about the hundreds and thousands of Indians who would be there to welcome him in Ahmedabad.

Trump jokingly told reporters that now he will "not feel good" about the size of the crowd that he addresses in the US which is usually between 40,000 to 50,000. "He (Modi) said we will have millions and millions of people. My only problem is that last night we probably had 40 or 50,000 people... I'm not going to feel so good... There will be five to seven million people just from the airport to the new stadium (in Ahmedabad)," Trump said.

"And you know (it) is the largest stadium in the world. He's (Modi) building it now. It's almost complete and it's the largest in the world," Trump said. The two leaders are expected to joint address a massive public rally at the newly build Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Being built at an estimated cost of USD 100 million, the Motera Stadium with a seating capacity of 100,000 spectators will be the world's largest cricket stadium overtaking the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.

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Waste of money and time.....!!!