Govt and Modi spread hatred, says Rahul
“The current government and Mr. Narendra Modi spread hatred in the country and the Congress party knows and understands that the only way to combat hatred is through love and affection,” says Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Kerala’s Nilambur.
“We're committed to defending space of Opposition, defending weak people in this country, defending people who are under attack by Mr. Modi's policies and Mr. Modi himself. I look forward to representing you and working with you to build a better Wayanad,” Mr. Gandhi is quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Mr. Gandhi arrived at his Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency on June 7 on a three-day thanksgiving visit.
The Congress president arrived at Kozhikode airport around 2 p.m. and is scheduled to participate in at least 15 public receptions across the constituency, spread over in the districts of Wayanad, Malappuram and Kozhikode.
Take charge, douse fire: Moily tells Rahul
Appealing to Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily has asked him to step in and quell dissidence raging in some State units, saying he can’t quit as the party president without putting in place an alternative.
“We are all concerned in the party,” the former Union Minister said referring to reports of infighting in Punjab and Rajasthan and desertions in Telangana and Maharashtra. “When leadership does not act, all these things will happen“.
“And even if he wants to resign, this is not the time. Unless he puts an alternative in place to handle the situation, I don’t think Rahul Gandhi should just leave the position,” the former Karnataka Chief Minister told PTI in Hyderabad.
The senior Congress leader said Mr. Gandhi should immediately “recall” his resignation, take charge, assert himself, enforce discipline and revamp the party without loss of time, infusing “confidence, vigour and passion.”
The Congress should not get frustrated by the Lok Sabha election setback, he said, adding, the party would bounce back in the future. “That kind of optimism should be with every Congress leader and also with Congress rank and file.”
“Desperate attempts to deprive the Congress of its rightful place in the national scenario is not good and appropriate,” he commented without any specific reference.
Mr. Moily stressed the need for adopting appropriate strategy to keep the morale of the party’s rank and file high. At the same time, there is a need to inspire confidence in the local, State and national leadership.
“Reasons can be gone into for the defeat, but at the same time, keeping the party intact and together is very important,” Mr. Moily said. “Opposition should not allowed to take advantage of the defeat of Congress“.
Mr. Gandhi should convene a brainstorming meeting in Delhi, inviting not only the CWC and heads of State units, but also party leaders who always stood by the outfit. Similar meetings should also be convened at State levels.
According to him, party committees at various levels should be revamped immediately and those who could not deliver the goods should be replaced. “I think this kind of activity cannot wait any longer, he has to step in and do this“.
“He (Mr. Gandhi) should immediately take stock of the things. You cannot keep that post (of Congress President) vacant. He has to step in; discipline has to be enforced, wherever there are problems, on a war-footing that have to be tackled.”
“Even if he wants to resign...not at this stage, he has to take very firm action, people who cannot deliver goods have to be removed at state level and other places, he cannot just leave. He has to assert himself and put the party in order. That’s his duty,” Mr. Moily said.
Nirmala to meet industry chambers on June 11
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called a meeting of leading industry chambers on June 11 to elicit their views on various issues, including steps to boost FDI inflows and industrial productivity, as part of the pre-Budget consultation exercise, sources said.
This would be the first joint interaction with Ms. Sitharaman, who took over as India’s first full-time woman Finance Minister last month, after the BJP-led NDA government won a second term.
Representatives of industry bodies like CII, FICCI and Assocham, among others, are expected to attend the meeting.
Most of the industry bodies have already submitted their memoranda of demands to the finance ministry for consideration.
The Budget will be presented by the Minister in the Lok Sabha on July 5.
Sources said the topics likely to be taken up during the meeting Tuesday include changes in the FDI guidelines to spur overseas investments in the country.
The Minister would also seek their views on the issue of mergers to enhance productivity, the categories of services needed to be expanded to meet domestic demand, and tariff structure to increase domestic output and exports.
Special focus is likely to be on the tourism sector.
Sources said the Minister is particularly interested to know views of the industry on development of tourist sites with a view to attract more domestic as well as foreign travellers.
In line with the custom, the NDA government had presented an interim Budget for 2019-20 in February ahead of the general elections.
Now, the government will be presenting a regular Budget for the fiscal.
The finance ministry has already indicated that it would be not be making major changes in the allocations earmarked for different ministries and departments in the interim Budget.
Sri Lanka all set for Modi’s visit on Sunday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will briefly visit Sri Lanka on Sunday during which he will hold discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena, according to the president’s office in Colombo.
Mr. Modi will be the first foreign leader to visit the island nation after the Easter bombings that killed over 250 people, including 11 Indians.
This will be Mr. Modi’s third visit to Sri Lanka. Earlier, he visited the country in 2015 and 2017.
“The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to arrive in Colombo on Sunday for a visit limited to a few hours. The re-elected Indian leader will be on transit from the Maldives,” President Sirisena’s office said.
Mr. Modi who will arrive at 11 am is to attend an official luncheon hosted by the Sri Lankan President Sirisena and hold bilateral talks.
Sri Lankan police said they have made elaborate security arrangements for the visit, including traffic movement restrictions during the day.
In New Delhi, the External Affairs Ministry said that Prime Minister Modi is visiting the country with a very clear message of solidarity and signalling our confidence in the Sri Lankan government in overcoming the tragedy.
Asked whether India will help Sri Lanka deal with the scourge of terrorism, the ministry said on Thursday it was ready for any assistance to any country of the region.
Sri Lanka was hit by a wave of bombings on April 21. The attacks came despite prior intelligence warnings from India
Govt reaches out to Sonia ahead of Parliament session
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday met Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi, seeking her party’s cooperation for the smooth functioning of the Parliament session beginning June 17.
“Our meeting with Sonia Gandhi was very cordial. We sought her cooperation for the smooth functioning of Parliament. She said they [Opposition] also need cooperation from the treasury benches. I told her that the government has always been ready to cooperate,” Mr. Joshi told reporters after the meeting at her residence.
He was accompanied by Union Ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Ahead of the Parliament session, the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs is likely to meet on Friday evening at Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence. Mr. Singh will head the meeting of the committee, whose members include Home Minister Amit Shah.
Mamata expresses inability to attend Niti Aayog meeting
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing her inability to attend the Niti Aayog meeting on June 15, saying it is “fruitless” as the body has no financial powers to support State plans.
“Given the fact that the Niti Aayog has no financial powers and the power to support state plans it is fruitless for me to attend the meeting of a body that is bereft of any financial powers,” Ms. Banerjee said in a letter to the Prime Minister.
Earlier too, Ms. Banerjee had skipped meetings of the policy think tank, expressing her displeasure over the dissolution of the Planning Commission and creation of a new structure.
Mr. Modi is set to chair the fifth meeting of the Niti Aayog’s Governing Council on June 15 to discuss various issues regarding the country’s development.
Delhi court grants bail to Tharoor over ‘scorpion sitting on a Shivling’ remark
A Delhi court granted bail to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday on a complaint over his alleged ‘scorpion’ remarks referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal granted relief to Mr. Tharoor on a personal bond of ₹20,000 after he appeared before the court and moved bail application.
The court was hearing a criminal defamation complaint filed against Mr. Tharoor by Delhi BJP leader Rajeev Babbar, who had said his religious sentiments were hurt by the Congress leader’s statement.
Last year in October, Mr. Tharoor landed in a controversy on Sunday after he referred to the quote of an unnamed RSS functionary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a nearly six-year-old magazine article.
Rajasthan BJP chief targets Mughal emperor Akbar, triggers row
Rajasthan BJP chief Madan Lal Saini on Thursday claimed Mughal emperor Akbar tried to misbehave with a Bikaner queen in an all-women Meena Bazaar, which he used to frequent in disguise.
Mr. Saini’s statement invited swift condemnation from the Congress, which accused the State BJP of creating communal disharmony.
“The entire world knows that Akbar organised ‘Meena Bazaars’ where only women worked. Men were not permitted to visit them. But Akbar used to visit them in disguise to commit ‘dushkarm’,” claimed Saini.
“It is recorded on the pages of history,” he asserted, while talking to reporters on sidelines a function to mark the birth anniversary of Mewar king Maharana Pratap.
Mr. Saini later said by “dushkarm” or wrongdoing, he meant "chhed chhad" (indecent behaviour).
The State BJP president claimed the Meena Bazar was closed down only when the Mughal emperor once tried to commit mischief there with Bikaner queen Kiran Devi, who put her sword on the emperor’s chest and forced him to plead for his life.
Maharana Pratap is great because he fought for his religion, culture and honour and never tried to grab anyone’s land and never yielded to the people who attacked the country, said Saini.
Congress vice president Archana Sharma flayed Mr. Saini’s remarks.
“The entire country is proud of Maharana Pratap’s valour and people imitate his values but the BJP leader has presented a distorted history which creates enmity in society and leads to its disintegration,” Ms Sharma said.
It is the Opposition’s responsibility to maintain harmony in the society, she said, adding that the BJP leader’s statement was highly condemnable.
(With inputs from Agencies)
