'When decision is right, its echo is heard across globe': PM in Bangkok

News Network
November 3, 2019

Bangkok, Nov 3: India has eliminated a big reason behind sowing of seeds of terrorism and separatism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Saturday, in a clear reference to abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and reorganisation of the state.

The Prime Minister's remarks on Kashmir at an Indian diaspora meet in this bustling Thai capital city were greeted with laud applause and a standing ovation by around 5,000 people. "You are aware that India has decided to eliminate a big reason behind sowing of seeds of terrorism and separatism," Modi said.

"When a decision is right, its echo is heard across the globe. And I can hear it in Thailand as well," he said at the 'Sawasdee PM Modi' event at an indoor stadium in central Bangkok. The government has been maintaining that Article 370 providing special status to Jammu and Kashmir was a reason behind terrorism and separatism in the state.

As people stood up and hailed his remarks, Modi said the standing ovation was for India's Parliament and parliamentarians and that their blessings will further energize Indian lawmakers to work harder for the nation. "Your standing ovation will further energize our Parliamentarians. It is a salute to India's Parliament," he said.

In his nearly 50-minute speech Modi also spoke on a range of issues including the welfare measures rolled out by his government, his return to power with a bigger mandate in the Lok Sabha elections, strength of the Indian economy, importance of Indian diaspora in overall growth of the country and how India is emerging as a "major power" globally.

Modi said his government was working to fulfil those aspirations which seemed impossible earlier, adding people's expectations go up from those who work. "People want more work from those who deliver. Their expectations go up from those who work," he said, drawing another round of laud applause.

PM Modi also highlighted India's Act East policy and the importance of the country's ties with 10-nation ASEAN grouping, besides referring to historical linkages between India and Thailand. The prime minister, on a three-day visit here, will address the annual ASEAN-India summit on Sunday. In his address, Modi also traced historical and cultural links between India and Thailand, saying the relationship has been of “heart and soul”.

Noting that Indo-Thai relationship reflects greater amalgamation of cultural bonds, he said his government has been focusing on enhancing the North Eastern region's connectivity with Thailand. "Once the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway is thrown open, there will be seamless connectivity between both our countries," Modi said.

"This is my first official visit to Thailand, and I can see a lot of Indianness in various aspects in this country—be it culture, food habits or social values...The entire world celebrated Diwali along with India, and I can see that it was the case here too," he said.

The Prime Minister also talked about the Thai royal family's ties with India and even said that Queen Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is a Sanskrit scholar with a deep connect with India. "The affinity and closeness the Thai royal family has for India reflected the strong historical relationship between the two countries,” he said.

In his speech, Modi also talked how the government is celebrating 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and said his teachings were a treasure for not only the Sikh community but for the whole world.

Modi also talked about the Kartarpur Corridor and said pilgrims will be able to visit Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan once the corridor is thrown open next week. The much-awaited corridor will connect Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur - the final resting place Guru Nanak - with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district.

Talking about various reform initiatives undertaken by his government, Modi said Indians across the globe feel proud about the changes taking place in India in the last five years. “When India speaks, the whole world listens to it because 1.3 billion Indians are involved in building a new India. Because of the changes, people of India have given us bigger mandate in the Lok Sabha polls then earlier,” he said.

The Prime Minister also said India was among the fastest growing economies in the world and that the country is working hard to become a USD 5 trillion economy in next five years. Modi also said that his government decided that holders of the Overseas Citizens of India card can enrol for the new pension scheme, adding his government is also working hard to significantly improve visa consular services abroad.

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Agencies
January 21,2020

Kochi, Jan 21: A special court here on Tuesday sent two students, who were arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) case in Kozhikode last November, to the custody of National Investigation Agency (NIA) for a day.

The NIA court ordered that the duo, who were in judicial custody till now, to be produced before it tomorrow.

In its application, the NIA had said that the accused must be interrogated on the basis of digital records and sought custody of the duo for a week.

However, the defendant argued that no new evidence had been found against the accused and therefore no custody should be granted.

During an earlier hearing, the two had told the court, "We are not Maoists. We are CPI (M) activists. The Chief Minister, who says we are Maoists, should bring proof of whom we killed and where we bombed. In the last election, we have served as CPI (M), booth agents. We are the ones who went out to vote and pasted posters for the party."

The two were charged under Sections 20 (punishment for being a member of terrorist gang or organisation), 38 (offence relating to membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of the UAPA.

Allen and Thaha, students of law and journalism respectively of Kannur University, were taken into custody by the police from Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode on November 1 last year.

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News Network
January 11,2020

New Delhi, Jan 11: Islamic preacher Zakir Naik has revealed that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government offered to drop false money-laundering charges against him and provide with a "safe passage to India" in return for his support to the government's move to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution.

In a statement issued by Naik's PR team on Saturday, the Islamic preacher said that he was approached by a representative of the Indian government in September, who offered him the said deal on Kashmir, which he refused.

"Three and a half months before, the Indian officials approached me for a private meeting with a representative of the Indian government. When he came to Putrajaya (a Malaysian city), in the fourth week of September 2019, to meet me, he said that he is coming after personally meeting and under the direct instructions of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and the Home Minister of India Amit Shah," Naik said in a video statement released by his Mumbai-based PR team.

Naik, who has been living in Malaysia for the last three years, is facing charges of inciting communal disharmony and committing unlawful activities in India.

"(The representative) said that he wanted to remove the misconceptions and miscommunications between myself (Naik) and the Indian government, and wants to provide me a safe passage to India," he added. "He (the representative) said that he would like to use my connections to better the relationship between India and the other Muslim countries."

"The meeting lasted for several hours. He told me that he wanted me to support the BJP government when they revoked Article 370 in Kashmir. And I flatly refused," he added.

Naik said that after he refused the offer, he was further asked to not make public statements against the BJP or Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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News Network
July 23,2020

New Delhi, Jul 23: With the highest single-day spike of 45,720 cases, India's coronavirus count crossed 12 lakh mark on Thursday.

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed that 1,129 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours.

The total number of coronavirus cases stand at 12,38,635 including 4,26,167 active cases, 7,82,606 cured/discharged/migrated. The cumulative toll has reached 29,861 deaths.

Maharashtra has reported 3,37,607 cases, highest in the country followed by Tamil Nadu with 1,86,492 cases. Delhi coronavirus count has reached 1,26,323 cases.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 1,50,75,369 samples were tested till July 22 out of which 3,50,823 samples were tested yesterday.

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