Sushma Swaraj among ex-ministers absent from PM Modi’s new cabinet

Agencies

May 31, 2019

New Delhi, May 31: In a major surprise, Sushma Swaraj, one of the senior-most leaders of the BJP, was among seven ministers of the previous Council of Ministers to be dropped as Prime Minister Narendra Modi formed his government for the second term.

The 67-year-old Swaraj who has held key positions in the party and its governments since decades was conspicuous by her absence in the new Cabinet.

Also missing in the new Council of Ministers were Suresh Prabhu, JP Nadda, Mahesh Sharma, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Jayant Sinha.

Although the reasons for Swaraj’s omission were not immediately clear, the main reason possibly could be her ill-health.

Swaraj, who was External Affairs Minister during the previous term of Modi government, did not contest the Lok Sabha elections this time, declaring that her health did not permit her to enter the fray and campaign.

During her tenure as the External Affairs Minister, she was very popular among the Indian diaspora and the compatriots stranded anywhere across the globe. Just one tweet to her about any problem any Indian faced anywhere and she would immediately swing into action and activate the Indian mission in those countries for help.

When the BJP was in Opposition during the UPA government from 2004 to 2014, Swaraj was the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a successful one.

Along with her, Prabhu, who held the key portfolios of Railways and then Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation, also did not find a place in the new Council of Ministers.

Nadda, who was the Health Minister in the previous term, was also absent from the list of ministers this time. However, there is speculation that he could be made the BJP President to succeed Amit Shah who has been included in the Cabinet.

Rathore, a former Olympian, who was a successful Sports and Information and Broadcasting Minister, also did not figure in the list of ministers.

Gen V.K. Singh, a former Army Chief who was Minister of State for External Affairs earlier, was also dropped this time, as was Mahesh Sharma, the Minister for Tourism and Culture in the previous government.

Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Finance in the previous government, also was missing in the new Cabinet.

He is the son of former BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, who has been extremely critical of Modi.

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Rajasthan Assembly passes resolution against CAA

Agencies

January 26,2020

Jaipur, Jan 26: Rajasthan on Saturday on Saturday became the third state in the country to pass a resolution urging the Centre to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

he resolution was passed in the state Assembly amid opposition by the BJP which accused the ruling Congress of pursuing appeasement politics.

It is the second Congress-ruled state to pass such a resolution after Punjab. The Kerala Assembly too had passed such a resolution against the CAA moved jointly by the ruling Left Front alliance and the opposition Congress-led UDF.

The Rajasthan Assembly resolution, passed by voice vote, also asked the Centre to withdraw the new fields of information that have been sought for updation of the National Population Register (NPR) 2020.

"It is evident that the CAA violates the provisions of the Constitution. Therefore, the House resolves to urge upon the government of India to repeal the CAA to avoid any discrimination on the basis of religion in granting citizenship and to ensure equality before law for all religious groups of India," the state's parliamentary affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal said, moving the resolution.

Leader of the opposition Gulab Chand Kataria of the BJP questioned the state's right to challenge the Act.

"Granting citizenship is a matter for the Centre. In such a situation do we have the right to challenge the CAA? The Congress should stop doing appeasement and vote bank politics," he said.

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Salute to Rajasthan Govt for rejecting communal and black CAA bill. This bill is agaisnt the teach of our Constitution and bjp has never done anything as per our constitutin. Its trying its best to scrap the constitution and restore it with RSS agenda. We should oppose any move by bjp against the value of constitution. As bjp has no respect to our constitution, it has no right to be in power. Many of bjp leaders are giving statemetns against the value of constitution and such leaders should be treated as anti indians and action be taken on them.

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PM Modi lays the foundation stone for Ram Mandir in the presence of RSS chief

Agencies

August 5,2020

Ayodhya, Aug 5: After laying the foundation stone for the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the 'bhoomi pujan' event as an "emotional moment" for the entire country and added that "every heart is illuminated today".

"Every heart is illuminated; it is an emotional moment for the entire country... A long wait ends today... A grand temple will now be built for our Ram Lalla who had been living under a tent for many years," said Prime Minister Modi at foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Ram temple.

"With the construction of this temple, not only history is being made, but is being repeated.

The way boatmen to tribals helped Lord Ram, the way children helped Lord Krishna lift Govardhan mountain, similarly, with everyone's efforts temple construction will be completed," he added.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi conducted 'bhoomi pujan' for the construction work of Ram temple.

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Indian Army supports US-Taliban negotiated peace deal: CDS

Agencies

January 16,2020

New Delhi, Jan 16: Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Thursday said that he supported a negotiated peace deal between the US and Taliban in Afghanistan.

Gen. Rawat was speaking along with other world leaders at Raisina dialogue organised by India's influential think-tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

Arguing that terrorism was going to stay in the world as long as states were going to use it against other states, he said it was important to prevent states from using terrorism as a "proxy war".

"The only way to deal with it was what the US did post 9/11," he said, adding that the war against terror was necessary.

However, now a peace deal with Taliban is required, Gen. Rawat said.

"It must be a negotiated peace deal so that the Taliban stops using terrorism," he added. Hinting that the US should maintain its presence in Afghanistan, the CDS said that though Afghan security forces are now equipped to fight back terror groups in Afghanistan but they still need support.

The newly appointed CDS officially confirmed that India has shifted its stance on Taliban. India has traditionally been opposed to the Pakistan-backed Taliban in Afghanistan. Thousands of Afghans were given refuge in India when they fled the country due to oppression and terrorism of the Taliban regime. India is in alignment with the democratically elected government in Kabul that the Taliban remains supported by Pakistan.

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