Opposition wants Parrikar to stop 'chilling' in Goa

December 10, 2014

Parrikar chillingPanaji, Dec 10: After outrage on the social media, the opposition is protesting against Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's presence at a book release function in Goa, hours after a major terrorist strike in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress have asked the former Goa chief minister to safeguard India's borders and not continue to interfere in state politics as a "Super CM".

Congress leader Durgadas Kamat claims that if an Indian defence minister can spare two days a week "chilling" in Goa, there was something seriously amiss.

"Defence minister is a full-time job. The country does not want a part-timer in that position. How can (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, himself a workaholic, allow his defence minister to do such a shoddy, half-hearted job?" Kamat asks.

On Friday evening, hours after suspected militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba attacked an army camp in Baramulla killing eight soldiers and two policemen, Parrikar took time to attend a literary festival held on the outskirts of Panaji.

Ever since he was elevated as defence minister in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government last month, Parrikar, who is synonymous with the BJP in the politically non-significant state, has been visiting Goa two to three days almost every week.

BJP sources said that Parrikar was in the process of establishing a camp office in Panaji, where he is expected to spend two days each week to oversee political as well as administrative matters in Goa.

"The staff is being shortlisted. The camp office will be located at the Paryatan bhavan," a source said.

Reacting to the former chief minister's constant presence in Goa, NCP state vice president Trajano D'Mello asked Parrikar to stop riding two boats -- in the national interest.

"You cannot be defence minister and continue to run Goa by remote control. The problem with Parrikar is he is too used to being No.1. He cannot be No.1 in the NDA with Modi around.

Therefore he wants to come to Goa, where his writ runs over his replacement chief minister," D'Mello said.

Parrikar has defended his presence in Goa over the weekend.

"There are some who said I should be in Kashmir... If I am in Kashmir the army will have to spend energy on taking care of me," the defence minister said, adding he was monitoring the Kashmir situation on an hourly basis.

The Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa believes that Parrikar's weekly departures from South Block to Goa were not an issue, and if some sorting out was needed, Modi and Parrikar could handle it among themselves.

"He (Parrikar) knows his job better than me... If he comes to Goa, the party here is happy," state BJP vice president Wilfred Mesquita said.

"But if there is something to be done there, he and the prime minister will do it. It is not an issue for us," he said.

Earlier, a photograph of the defence minister's presence at the Goa book release went viral on the social media, with Twitter commentators drawing comparisons with former home ministers in the UPA government Sushil Kumar Shinde and Shivraj Patil, whose tenure was marked by controversies.

While Patil came under fire in 2008 for taking time for a change of shirts in the aftermath of a terror strike in Mumbai, Shinde attracted flak for attending a movie music launch and posing alongside actress Kangana Ranaut after the serial blasts in Patna last year.

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News Network
June 20,2020

Hyderabad, Jun 20: IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Saturday said that the force is well prepared and suitably deployed to respond to any contingency and it will never let the sacrifice of the bravehearts of Galwan go in vain.

"It should be very clear that we are well prepared and suitably deployed to respond to any contingency. I assure the nation that we are determined to deliver and will never let the sacrifice of the braves of Galwan go in vain," IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria said here.

Bhadauria was speaking at the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) at Air Force Academy in Hyderabad.

His remarks come days after 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in the violent face-off on June 15-16 during an attempt by the Chinese troops to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation in eastern Ladakh.

Speaking about the current border situation with China, he said: "We are aware of the situation, be it on LAC or beyond, be it their air deployments, their posture and kind of deployments. We've full analysis and we have taken necessary action that we need to take to handle any contingency that may come up."

"We are monitoring all the moments and we are aware of the full situation," he added.

He further said that in spite of the "unacceptable Chinese action" at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh, which claimed lives of 20 Indian Army personnel, efforts are underway to ensure that the current situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is resolved peacefully.

He asserted that the IAF is determined to deliver and the development at the LAC in Ladakh is a small snapshot of what the force is required to handle at short notice.

The IAF Chief further appealed to people to join him in paying tribute Colonel Santosh Babu and his brave men who made the sacrifice while defending the LAC in Galwan valley.

"The gallant actions in a highly-challenging situation have demonstrated our resolve to protect India's sovereignty at any cost," the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief said.

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News Network
April 9,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 9: Kerala, which was among the first state in the country to report a Corona positive case, has turned its entire public healthcare system into a single interconnected grid to generate uninterrupted information and provide flawless services, thanks to the daily zoom or video conferences of top health authorities for chalking out a dynamic strategy to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The daily zoom or remote conferences held by Health Minister K K Shailaja and top health sector officials with the medical and paramedical personnel on the ground have lent a cutting edge to the state government’s all out efforts in monitoring the situation on the ground and formulating effective responses to address the various needs and concerns of the people, an official release said on Thursday.

The Minister is joined in this meticulous exercise by top administrators and planners, including Dr Rajan N Khobragade, Principal Secretary, Health; Dr. Rathan U Kelker, State Mission Director, National Health Mission, Dr Saritha, Director of Health Services, Dr Ramla Beevi, Director of Medical Education and other senior officials.

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News Network
July 22,2020

New Delhi, Jul 22: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government as 'goonda raj' (rule by hooligans), hours after Ghaziabad-based journalist Vikram Joshi succumbed to bullet injury he received from a group of men, who had allegedly harassed the scribe's niece.

"Journalist Vikram Jashi was killed after he protested against the harassment against his niece. My condolence to the family. They promised Ram Raj, but gave Goondaraj," Gandhi tweeted.

"Is it the same Ram Rajya that BJP promised after it came to power? This is complete 'Goondaraj'. Neither journalist, nor those who protect the law are safe in UP, so how can the common man expect justice," tweeted his party colleague Randeep Surjewala.

Expressing his shock over the incident, party leader and lawyer Abhishek Singhvi said, "Shocking jungle raj in #Ghaziabad area with journalist #Joshi, already known as the complainant in #FIR, being shot on a scooter while with his daughters, struggling in a coma with a bullet in the skull! Thank God daughters not hit. Shocking, scary, disgusting lack of fear of law & order! #UP."

Ajay Kumar Lallu, Congress president in the state added, "The Ghaziabad incident has shocked the entire state. It's a tragic incident. Nobody is safe in Uttar Pradesh. If it is not jungle raj then what is. The government remains silent while criminals are becoming more active. While leaving home in the morning, people in the state worry whether they will be able to return in the evening or not."

In the meantime, the Station in-charge has been suspended and a departmental inquiry has been ordered after the journalist's family accused the police of inaction. A total of nine accused have been taken into the custody, while efforts are on to nab another accused.

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