Month: May 2024

Accusing the BJP of making efforts to mislead the people on religious and divisive issues in the Lok Sabha election campaign, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speeches over the past 15 days “did not speak a word” on unemployment and price rise even as he mentioned “Modi” 758 times, Congress 232 times and referred to INDIA alliance 573 times.

Addressing a press conference here, Kharge expressed confidence of the INDIA bloc forming the government after the Lok Sabha polls and said they will take everyone along.

He accused the Election Commission of not acting on “divisive” speeches by PM Modi

“In his election speeches, PM Modi spoke Mandir-Masjid 421 times and spoke divisive words. He spoke words like Muslim, minority 224 times but Election Commission did act against him” Kharge said.

The campaigning for the seventh and last phase of Lok Sabha polls ended on May 30.

Kharge said the election for the 18th Lok Sabha will be remembered for a long time because in this election, every citizen of the country has come together to save democracy and the Constitution, forgetting caste, creed, religion, region, gender, language.

“The PM and leaders of the BJP made countless efforts to mislead the people on religious and divisive issues. Despite this, the people chose issues and we asked for votes on issues,” he said.

“We are confident that on June 4, 2024, the people of this country will give a mandate to a new alternative government. INDIA alliance will form a government with full majority and all of us together will give this country an inclusive nationalistic developmental government and we will move forward taking everyone along,” he added.

The Congress chief said Mahatma Gandhi had faith on non-violence and never hated anyone. “But PM’s Modi’s words reflect hatred,” he alleged.

Kharge said Congress always works by keeping in mind the problems of people. “When Manmohan Singhji was the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi was (UPA) chairperson, we brought schemes that helped the poor,” he said.

The Congress chief accused PM Modi of misusing probe agencies against his opponents and not paying attention to issues such as unemployment, price rise and economic inequality

“We fought on these issues and got full support of the people. I congratulate all my colleagues who are standing fearlessly for the protection of democracy,” he said.

Kharge also cited Dr BR Ambedkar as saying that ‘bhakti’ can be a path to salvation in religion “but ‘bhakti’ or hero-worship in politics is a definite road to disaster which ends in dictatorship.”

A total of 57 seats will go to the polls in the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls on Saturday. Votes will be counted on June 4. (ANI)

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As Delhi braces itself for a shortage of water in various parts of the National capital, , the Delhi Government will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday at the Delhi Secretariat to address the issue.

The meeting will be led by the Water Minister of Delhi, Atishi and the Health Minister of Delhi, Saurabh Bhardwaj, with all senior officials, including the Chief Secretary, in attendance.

This announcement came after reports of severe water crises surfaced from various parts of the city, where residents have had to wait for hours in a long queue for water tankers.

Speaking with ANI, the residents of the Geeta Colony in the East Delhi district have raised concerns regarding the inadequate supply of water from the government. They also complain that the government only provides half the needed amount.

Vinay, a resident of Geeta Colony, told ANI, “We are facing a severe water crisis. Our locality has a population of around 3,000-4,000 people, but the government sends only half the required number of tankers.”

“Although a tanker comes daily, but in this scorching heat, the demand for water has significantly increased. Sometimes, they reduce the amount of water in the tanker, due to which we suffer a lot. While in the absence of tankers, the wealthier residents can buy water, but the poorer ones cannot, due to which they have to drink dirty water, which leads to illness,” he added.

He further asserted, “We have complained to the MLA of the area multiple times, but we have never received a valid response. No one is listening to us.”

An elderly resident shared, “I usually come after 10-15 days, sometimes even a month, but as always, I don’t get water.”

Shabru Khatun, a resident of the colony, said, “There are a lot of problems regarding water in this area. We get only one tanker for the entire area. The tanker water is used for drinking and cooking purposes. Sometimes, we don’t even get the tanker, and we are forced to buy bottled water.”

Earlier, on Tuesday, Delhi minister Atishi accused the Haryana government of not releasing Delhi’s water share even after “so many talks.”

She had further asserted if the water supply does not improve in the coming 1-2 days, then “we will move to Supreme Court also.”

Meanwhile, the water minister also urged the people to use water judiciously or the government will be forced to rationalise the water supply in the national capital.

She also warned that if people do not heed this appeal, the government may have to impose fines for the excess use of water in the coming days.

Highlighting the steps that will be taken to curb the water shortage in the national capital, she said, “In the last one week, there has been water crisis in many areas of Delhi… We have taken various steps but because the water level is decreasing constantly, we have to take more steps. The areas which get a water supply for two times will be reduced to once… We are in an adverse condition where Delhi’s water supply is being halted by Haryana.” (ANI)

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The Southwest Monsoon has hit the coast of Kerala and advanced into parts of northeast India from Thursday, said the Indian Meteorological Department.

This year’s Monsoon onset is two days earlier as the usual date of the onset is on June 1.

This year, Kerala experienced widespread pre-monsoon rains.

In 2023, rainfall over the country as a whole during monsoon season (June-September), was 94 per cent of its long-period average.

The advance of the southwest monsoon over the Indian mainland is marked by monsoon onset over Kerala and is an important indicator characterising the transition from a hot and dry season to a rainy season.

As the monsoon progresses northward, relief from scorching summer temperatures is experienced over the areas that it tends to cover.

These rains are crucial to the Indian agriculture economy (especially for kharif crops). India has three cropping seasons — summer, kharif and rabi.

Crops that are sown during October and November and the produce harvested from January depending on maturity are Rabi. Crops sown during June-July and dependent on monsoon rains are harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops produced between Rabi and Kharif are Summer crops.

Traditionally, the Kharif crops are heavily dependent on the normal progression of monsoon rainfall. Paddy, moong, Bajra, maize, groundnut, soya bean, and cotton are some of the major Kharif crops.

The dependency of Kharif crop output on monsoon rainfall has been on a gradual decline, according to an analysis done by India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra).

Earlier this year, IMD in its first long-range forecast stated the southwest monsoon (June-September) this year is expected to be above normal (106 per cent of the long-period average).

Skymet, a private forecaster, has also forecast a normal monsoon this year. India receives over 70 per cent of its overall rainfall during this southwest monsoon period.

Thus, the timely and proper occurrence of monsoon rainfall holds prominence for the Indian economy, given the livelihood of nearly 45 per cent of India’s population depends on agriculture which depends on rainfall.

The IMD has been releasing its first stage forecast for southwest monsoon rainfall during April since 2003. The first stage forecasts hold importance for farmers, policymakers, and investors, who make use of this information to undertake necessary actions for the forthcoming Kharif season. (ANI)

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New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): Gautam Adani, Chairman of the Adani Group, recently took to social media platform X to share insights from his meeting with Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki of Japan.

The discussion was held during the Ambassador’s visit to the Mundra Port and the site of the world’s largest Hybrid Renewable Energy Park in Khavda.

“Had a very engaging discussion with Amb Hiroshi Suzuki of Japan. We are grateful for his visit to our Mundra Port and to Khavda where we are building the world’s largest Hybrid Renewable Energy Park of 30 GW capacity. The Ambassador’s appreciation for India’s culture, the value he places on our partnership and his tremendous support for India are truly inspiring. @HiroSuzukiAmbJP,” Adani Group chairman said in a post on X on Wednesday.

In his post, Adani expressed gratitude for Ambassador Suzuki’s visit to these key locations, emphasizing the importance of their partnership in driving forward innovative and sustainable initiatives.

The planned 30 GW capacity Renewable Energy Park represents a step towards achieving renewable energy goals, and Adani underscored the value of Ambassador Suzuki’s support in this endeavour.

Furthermore, Adani highlighted the Ambassador’s appreciation for India’s rich cultural heritage and emphasized the importance of fostering strong partnerships based on mutual respect and shared goals.

The positive sentiments exchanged during the meeting serve as a testament to the growing cooperation between India and Japan in the realm of renewable energy and sustainable development.

Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki’s visit to the Mundra Port and the Khavda project site signifies Japan’s interest and support in India’s renewable energy sector. (ANI)

India has assumed the Chair of Colombo Process for 2024-26, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Wednesday. It is the first time India has assumed the Chair of the Colombo Process since its inception.

Randhir Jaiswal stated that Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process of migrant worker origin countries from South and Southeast Asia. India has been member of Colombo Process since its inception in 2003, according to MEA statement.

In a post on X, Jaiswal stated, “India assumed the Chair of Colombo Process for 2024-26, for the first time since its inception. Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process of migrant worker origin countries from South and SE Asia. It serves as a forum for exchange of best practices on overseas employment.”

The Colombo Process comprises 12 Member States of Asia (countries of origin of migrant workers and provides an important for consultations on the management of overseas employment and contractual labour, according to MEA statement.

The Process is non-binding and decision-making is by consensus, according to MEA statement. The Process is coordinated through Permanent Missions of Member States at UN in Geneva. The Process is governed by Ministerial Consultations wherein recommendations and action plans are discussed and adopted by the Ministers of the participating countries.

So far, ministerial consultations have been held in Colombo, Manila, Bali, Dhaka, Colombo and Kathmandu. India has been actively participating in the ministerial consultations, senior Officers Meeting and Meetings of Thematic Area Working Groups (TAWGs), according to MEA statement. India has also contributed to various studies undertaken under this process on remittance framework, rating mechanisms of recruitment agencies, social protection for migrant workers etc. (ANI)

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Actor Janhvi Kapoor, who appeared on ‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ along with fellow actor Rajkummar Rao was teased by the host about her releationship with rumoured beau Shikhar Pahariya.

Makers of the show dropped a promo recently in which host Kapil was seen asking Janhvi in a hilarious way about her expectations regarding a perfect life partner.

He queried whether she would choose a life partner with the same interest as “jis Shikhar par aap aaj hai”

In her response, Janhvi is seen blushing.

The promo begins with a ridiculous charades game in which Janhvi tries to communicate something to Rajkummar. She even makes hilarious expressions in an attempt to convey it to him. She then urges Kapil not to include such strange movements in the trailer.

Transitioning to another scene, Kapil is seen quizzing Rajkummar about working with Jahnvi. The actor previoulsy collaborated with her on ‘Roohi’, in which she portrays a ghost, and in his next release ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’, she is seen essaying the character of his wife.

Asked whether Janhvi startled him more as a ghost or as a wife, Rajkummar replies, “Whether it’s a ghost or a wife, it is the same.”

‘The Great Indian Kapil Show’ streams on Netflix.

Although Janhvi and Shikhar have not officially confirmed their relationship glimpses into the pair’s alleged romance have surfaced from time to time.

The much-anticipated sports drama ‘Mr & Mrs Mahi’ starring Rajkummar Rao and Jhanvi is slated for release on May 31.

The film has been directed by Sharan Sharma, who is known for his directorial debut ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl.’

‘Mr & Mrs Mahi’ marks the second collaboration between Janhvi and Sharan. It also marks the second collaboration between Janhvi and RajKummar. The duo was earlier seen in ‘Roohi’.

The film is backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. (ANI)

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Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday said that the way BJP is running the country should be changed because their policies have caused huge losses to small businesses.

Addressing a rally in support of Congress candidate from Mandi seat, Vikramaditya Singh, Priyanka said that steps like demonetization and GST caused a huge impact on small businesses in the country.

“During the entire tenure of Modiji, the work of creating employment has almost come to a standstill. Our country is facing the highest unemployment in the last 45 years. 70 crore youth are unemployed. To remove this, the way BJP is running the country must be changed because their policies have caused huge losses to small businessmen. Everyone knows that demonetization and GST have caused damage to the tourism industry,” she said.

She asserted that if elected to power, they will work to strengthen the small business in the country as most of the employment is provided by this sector.

“We want that if our government comes to power at the Centre, we will strengthen the small and middle-class businesses. Our understanding is such that most of the employment is provided by these industries,” Priyanka said.

Targeting the BJP, the Congress leader said that their policy is to strengthen big billionaires by eliminating small businesses.

“Today, all the wealth of the country is slowly being given to a selected few billionaires. The country’s coal, mines, ports, airports, everything is being given to their friends. This causes a lot of loss to the country. Most of the cold storages in Himachal belong to Adani ji. What this means is that today Adani ji will decide what will be the price of your Apple. You have reduced the tax on apples coming from America and our farmers are paying GST for everything. Today all the agricultural equipment has become expensive,” Priyanka Gandhi added.

Speaking on the Agniveer scheme, Priyanka said, “Many youths from Himachal join the army and protect us. But today Modi ji brings a scheme like Agniveer. If an Agniveer is killed in action, he will not get the status of a martyr. The martyr’s parents will not even get a pension.”

Voting for all four seats in Himachal will be done in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1. (ANI)

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Several crucial ‘Made in India’ defence projects including the proposal for buying more K-9 Vajra self-propelled howitzers and fighter aircraft engines will be on the Centre’s agenda for final approval after the elections.

The deals were planned to be taken up for approval in March this year but all projects were postponed for decision after elections.

“K-9 Vajra howitzers, engines for the Su-30 MKi fighter aircraft engines and many research and development projects are on the agenda for the Cabinet Committee on Security,” a defence official told ANI.

The defence public sector undertaking Hindustan Aeronautics Limited would be involved in the production of these engines which would be worth around Rs 20,000 crore.

The HAL manufactures these engines for the Su-30 MKI combat aircraft at its facility in Koraput in Odisha and it has a lot of indigenisation.

The engines are taken by the Indian Air Force at regular intervals for their planes but the requirements have accumulated in view of the pandemic and other developments at the international level.

The Centre is also expected to take up the proposal for buying 100 more K-9 Vajra SP howitzers in view of demand by the Indian Army.

The Indian Army had inducted these guns initially to meet its requirements in the plains and desert sector, but now it has been used successfully in the Ladakh sector by the force.

A number of defence research and development programmes of the DRDO are also in the pipeline for clearance and final approval by the government.

The Centre had cleared the projects to buy 61 close-in weapon systems and High Powered Radars in its last meeting before the announcement of the model code of conduct came into force.

The Defence Ministry and the Army, Navy along with the Indian Coast Guard have also given their proposals to the government for inclusion in the 100 days and the 6-month agenda.

Top government functionaries have also made it clear that the work will flow out soon after the poll process is completed.

Mega Indigenous deals like the Rs 65,000 crore worth 97 LCA Mark 1A aircraft programme are also in progress. (ANI)

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Reeling under severe heatwave conditions, Delhi’s Mungeshpur on Wednesday recorded a maximum temperature of over 52 degree Celsius, the highest temperature in the national capital.

Mungeshpur recorded 48.3 degree Celsius earlier on May 26.

According to Kuldeep Srivastava, Head, Regional Weather Forecasting Centre, the highest temperature of this season was recorded today in Mungeshpur area of North Western Delhi at 52.3 degrees at the automatic weather station.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a heatwave warning for several states in the northern part of the country including Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday.

As per the IMD, heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely over most parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh,Delhi, many parts of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, parts of West Madhya Pradesh, isolated parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Jammu division.

Heat wave conditions are likely over isolated parts of Himachal Pradesh, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh on May 29 and 30.

Executive Director of Interventional Cardiology Fortis Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi, Dr Atul Mathur warned of cardiovascular system issues and advised drinking water to keep the body hydrated amid IMD’s heatwave warning in the national capital.

“Our country is facing aggressive temperatures. Due to this, even a normal person can have issues with the cardiovascular system. If you have not been drinking water, you will be dehydrated. For those who have pre-existing heart issues, their BP becomes high. The main concern is dehydration. So, everyone should regularly drink water to keep themselves hydrated. Senior citizens should avoid going out during extreme heat hours,” Dr Atul Mathur told ANI on Wednesday.

Also, the IMD has predicted light intensity rain/drizzle and winds with a speed of 20-30 km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of Delhi and NCR, Kharkhoda, Jhajjar, Sohana, Palwal, Nuh, Aurangabad, Hodal (Haryana) Jattari, Khair (U.P.) during the remaining part of the day.

Earlier on May 28, Rajasthan’s Churu posted a record-high temperature in the state of 50.5 degree Celsius, which is 7.5 degrees above normal. (ANI)

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Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “sent by God” remark, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday asked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to clarify their stand on the issue.

This comes after PM Modi, in an interview said that he has been “sent by Parmatma (God).”

In an interview with ANI, Kejriwal said, “There is a lot of rage in public against BJP. People are fed up with inflation and unemployment…people are not able to make ends meet, and their children are unemployed. They hope that the Prime Minister will resolve their issues. But when they open their television and listen to PM’s speech, they find him hurling abuses.”

The Delhi CM said that people are distressed amid high prices and unemployment but the Prime Minister is not helping them and is busy in “abusing.”

“He (PM Modi) is saying that if you vote for the INDIA bloc, they will take one of your two buffalos, they will take away ‘tontis’ (tap), they will take away your ‘mangalsutra’. In Maharashtra, he said Sharad Pawar is a ‘bhatakti aatma’, Uddhav Thackeray is the fake son of his father,” Kejriwal said.

“People don’t expect these things, they expect the PM to speak on reducing petrol/diesel prices…so on one hand, they are suffering and on the other hand, the Prime Minister is busy abusing,” he added.

Further taking a swipe at the Prime Minister, the AAP national convenor asked people if they were ready to accept PM Modi as ‘God’. He

Slamming the BJP, he asked the RSS to make their stand clear whether they believed PM Modi is a God or not.

“Nowadays, PM Modi is in a different world altogether. If you look at his last 10-12 interviews, he is openly saying that I am not a normal human, I am God’s avatar. I was not born out of my mother but directly emerged on this planet. Today, I want to ask the people of this country, do they also believe that PM Modi is God? We believe in Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Lord Shiva, and Waheguru. How can we accept him as God?” Kejriwal asked.

He added, “Now, even his followers are saying the same thing…Sambit Patra said Lord Jagannath is PM Modi’s devotee. JP Nadda says PM Modi is ‘Devtaon ka devta’. In which world are they living, people are under distress and they are calling themselves as God. And I want RSS to take a clear stand here, they can’t remain silent. Does RSS also believe that PM Modi is God’s avatar?”

Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged scam in the framing of Delhi excise policy, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 1.

AAP is contesting 22 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. The voting in the 7 seats of Delhi were held during the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 25.

Voting for Punjab’s 13 Lok Sabha seats will take place in the seventh and final phase on June 1. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. (ANI)

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