<p>Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday described Modi&#39;s statement that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat &#39;&#39;outrageous&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s allegations that the Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat and that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him, Congress leader Sharma said&nbsp;that statement was an attempt to polarize the country&nbsp;ahead of the&nbsp;second phase of voting&nbsp;and added that it showed Modi&#39;s desperation.</p>

<p>BJP&#39;s loss was now guaranteed, he added. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP&#39;s loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress <a href="https://t.co/1Ax2qxDzvN">pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940112995161554944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding and&nbsp;there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats, former Army chief among other dignitaries. Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize, Sharma further said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats,former Army chief among other dignitaries.Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize: Anand Sharma,Congress <a href="https://t.co/K07MwkwhFE">pic.twitter.com/K07MwkwhFE</a></p>
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<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Modi also claimed that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him.</p>

<p>The meeting took place at Aiyar&#39;s residence, Modi claimed.</p>

<p>He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat.

Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday described Modi's statement that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat ''outrageous''. Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations that the Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat and that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him, Congress leader Sharma said that statement was an attempt to polarize the country ahead of the second phase of voting and added that it showed Modi's desperation. BJP's loss was now guaranteed, he added. PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP's loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding and there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats, former Army chief among other dignitaries. Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize, Sharma further said. Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats,former Army chief among other dignitaries.Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/K07MwkwhFE — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Modi also claimed that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him. The meeting took place at Aiyar's residence, Modi claimed. He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.

Modi desperate about BJP loss in Gujarat, Pak trying to influence polls is outrageous: Anand Sharma

<p>Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah&#39;s grandfather Santok Singh has been found dead in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said police found his body near the Dadhichi bridge on the Sabarmati riverfront.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh had been missing for the last two days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He had reportedly travelled down to Ahmedabad from Uttarakhand to meet Jasprit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>News reports said his last wish had been to meet and bless Bumrah.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But that Bumrah was not home when Singh got there -- Bumrah was on Sunday playing the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/1st-odi-sri-lanka-beat-india-by-7-wickets-26373">first ODI</a> against Sri Lanka.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that Bumrah&#39;s mother reportedly did not let Singh meet him later on.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh had been missing ever since.&nbsp;</p>


Santok Singh had been missing for the last two days

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah's grandfather Santok Singh has been found dead in Ahmedabad. News reports said police found his body near the Dadhichi bridge on the Sabarmati riverfront. Singh had been missing for the last two days. He had reportedly travelled down to Ahmedabad from Uttarakhand to meet Jasprit. News reports said his last wish had been to meet and bless Bumrah. But that Bumrah was not home when Singh got there -- Bumrah was on Sunday playing the first ODI against Sri Lanka. And that Bumrah's mother reportedly did not let Singh meet him later on. Singh had been missing ever since.

Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah's grandfather found dead in Ahmedabad

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/arab-foreign-ministers-say-no-peace-without-a-free-jerusalem-26340" target="_blank">&nbsp;Arab foreign ministers say no peace without a &#39;free&#39; Jerusalem</a></p>

<p>Arab Foreign Ministers collectively denounced on Saturday President Donald Trump&#39;s acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital. Ministers from across the region met in Cairo to discuss a response to Trump&#39;s announcement on Wednesday (December 6), which overturned decades of US policy towards the Middle East.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/dangal-girl-zaira-wasim-alleges-molestation-attempt-in-delhi-mumbai-flight-26352" target="_blank">&#39;Dangal&#39; Girl Zaira Wasim alleges molestation attempt in Delhi-Mumbai flight</a></p>

<p>&#39;Dangal&#39; Girl Zaira Wasim alleged molestation attempt by a man sitting behind her in a Delhi-Mumbai flight. The man allegedly touched her neck and her back repeatedly with his feet.&nbsp;In an Instagram post, she alleged that a middle-aged man sitting behind her on Delhi-Mumbai Vistara flight tried to molest her.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nia-arrests-pulwama-youth-with-let-links-26351" target="_blank">NIA arrests Pulwama youth with LeT links</a></p>

<p>The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a man on Saturday for allegedly having links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The arrested person, identified as Tauseef Ahmed Malik, (25), is a resident of Pulwama district, according to the anti-terror investigation agency.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/kohli-rested-india-all-set-to-take-lanka-in-odi-series-opener-26341" target="_blank">Kohli rested, India all set to take Lanka in ODI series opener</a></p>

<p>As the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between India and Sri Lanka begins on Sunday, the hosts will aim to attain the top spot at the ICC team rankings, whereas the visitors will look forward to tasting a win after the Test series loss.Though the Indian side &#39;run machine&#39; and regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, it would still not be easy for Sri Lanka, as they will face the Men in Blue spearheaded by the most successful IPL captain Rohit Sharma, here at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in &quot;fresh air&quot;.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-should-not-harbour-any-illusion-about-gujarat-poll-result-bjp-26350" target="_blank">Congress should not harbour any illusion about Gujarat poll result: BJP</a></p>

<p>With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result.</p>


Arab foreign ministers say no peace without a 'free' Jerusalem Arab Foreign Ministers collectively denounced on Saturday President Donald Trump's acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Ministers from across the region met in Cairo to discuss a response to Trump's announcement on Wednesday (December 6), which overturned decades of US policy towards the Middle East. 'Dangal' Girl Zaira Wasim alleges molestation attempt in Delhi-Mumbai flight 'Dangal' Girl Zaira Wasim alleged molestation attempt by a man sitting behind her in a Delhi-Mumbai flight. The man allegedly touched her neck and her back repeatedly with his feet. In an Instagram post, she alleged that a middle-aged man sitting behind her on Delhi-Mumbai Vistara flight tried to molest her. NIA arrests Pulwama youth with LeT links The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a man on Saturday for allegedly having links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The arrested person, identified as Tauseef Ahmed Malik, (25), is a resident of Pulwama district, according to the anti-terror investigation agency. Kohli rested, India all set to take Lanka in ODI series opener As the three-match One Day International (ODI) series between India and Sri Lanka begins on Sunday, the hosts will aim to attain the top spot at the ICC team rankings, whereas the visitors will look forward to tasting a win after the Test series loss.Though the Indian side 'run machine' and regular skipper Virat Kohli has been rested for the series, it would still not be easy for Sri Lanka, as they will face the Men in Blue spearheaded by the most successful IPL captain Rohit Sharma, here at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala in "fresh air". Congress should not harbour any illusion about Gujarat poll result: BJP With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result.

WION Morning News Brief, 10 December 2017

<p>With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result.</p>

<p>Talking to ANI, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said, &quot;The way in which first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections has concluded, it seems the public has decided to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP win by securing a three-fourths majority. Gujarat has cleared the misgivings of Congress through its turnout in the first phase.&quot;</p>

<p>He said people of the state did not accept the kind of language used against the Prime Minister.</p>

<p>&quot;The voting has been in favour of the BJP and there is an excitement among the people,&quot; Hussain further said.</p>

<p>Another BJP leader, Bizay Sonkar Shastri said the votes in the first phase were clearly in party&#39;s victory.</p>

<p>&quot;The first phase voting will benefit our party and, moreover, the heavy membership within the party will play a positive role here,&quot; Shastri added.</p>

<p>While a Congress leader, Raju Waghmare said, &quot;It is a very good sign for the Congress and there are two reasons behind it. Some BJP voters are very nervous and they are disappointed by their party&#39;s performance. On the other hand, whatever the turnout is right now, the public wants a change and that change is possible with Congress&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;This 68 per cent is a very good sign for our party and we will take this first phase seriously,&quot; the Maharashtra leader added.</p>

<p>Sixty-eight percent voters came out to vote in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections, informed the Election Commission, on Saturday.</p>

<p>The voting for 89 assembly constituencies in Saurashtra and South Gujarat region, began at 8:00 am and ended in the evening on Saturday.</p>

<p>Prominent candidates in the fray include Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani of BJP, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), along with Congress&#39; Shaktisinh Gohil and Paresh Dhanani.</p>

<p>The second phase will be held on December 14 for the remaining 93 assembly constituencies. Counting of votes and the results will be announced on December 18.&nbsp;</p>


With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result

With 68 per cent voter turnout in the first phase of Gujarat assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday expressed confidence over its victory, and said, now, Congress should not harbour any illusion about the result. Talking to ANI, BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said, "The way in which first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections has concluded, it seems the public has decided to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP win by securing a three-fourths majority. Gujarat has cleared the misgivings of Congress through its turnout in the first phase." He said people of the state did not accept the kind of language used against the Prime Minister. "The voting has been in favour of the BJP and there is an excitement among the people," Hussain further said. Another BJP leader, Bizay Sonkar Shastri said the votes in the first phase were clearly in party's victory. "The first phase voting will benefit our party and, moreover, the heavy membership within the party will play a positive role here," Shastri added. While a Congress leader, Raju Waghmare said, "It is a very good sign for the Congress and there are two reasons behind it. Some BJP voters are very nervous and they are disappointed by their party's performance. On the other hand, whatever the turnout is right now, the public wants a change and that change is possible with Congress". "This 68 per cent is a very good sign for our party and we will take this first phase seriously," the Maharashtra leader added. Sixty-eight percent voters came out to vote in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections, informed the Election Commission, on Saturday. The voting for 89 assembly constituencies in Saurashtra and South Gujarat region, began at 8:00 am and ended in the evening on Saturday. Prominent candidates in the fray include Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani of BJP, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), along with Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil and Paresh Dhanani. The second phase will be held on December 14 for the remaining 93 assembly constituencies. Counting of votes and the results will be announced on December 18.

Congress should not harbour any illusion about Gujarat poll result: BJP

<p>Several cases of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioning reported in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election which began today morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An EVM machine in Surat&#39;s Varaccha was replaced earlier today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Master trainee of the election commission in Surat&#39;s Varaccha said that all the faulty machines have been replaced.&nbsp; &quot;These were electronic items, it could have had issues,&nbsp;&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;&#39;We have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic&nbsp;items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay and voting is started,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Faulty EVM in Sardar Patel Vidyalaya booth in Surat&#39;s Varaccha has been replaced <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/X6Tzu7aNCs">pic.twitter.com/X6Tzu7aNCs</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939356762192277504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay &amp; voting has started: Vipul Goti, Master Trainer, Election Commission in Surat&#39;s Varaccha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/RVF86aW4Wh">pic.twitter.com/RVF86aW4Wh</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939364978573709312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Meanwhile, Congress leader Ahmed Patel urged the election officials to deal with&nbsp;EVM malfunctioning immediately.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wherever there are complaints of EVM malfunctioning, it should be dealt with immediately: Ahmed Patel, Congress <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/CPkE8hM6cq">pic.twitter.com/CPkE8hM6cq</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/939367044058722304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The first phase of Gujarat election is underway. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The voting is being held in 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with a total of 977 candidates in the fray.</p>

<p>The second phase of election will be held in 93 seats in North and Central Gujarat and is scheduled for December 14.</p>

<p>Counting of votes will begin on December 18.</p>


Amidst the ongoing first phase assembly elections in Gujarat, reports of several faulty Electronic Voting Machines have surfaced

Several cases of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioning reported in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly election which began today morning. An EVM machine in Surat's Varaccha was replaced earlier today. Master trainee of the election commission in Surat's Varaccha said that all the faulty machines have been replaced. "These were electronic items, it could have had issues, " he said. "'We have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay and voting is started," he added. Faulty EVM in Sardar Patel Vidyalaya booth in Surat's Varaccha has been replaced #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/X6Tzu7aNCs — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × Have replaced two machines and one VVPAT, you cannot really call it a technical error, these are electronic items there can be some issues. Now everything is okay & voting has started: Vipul Goti, Master Trainer, Election Commission in Surat's Varaccha #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/RVF86aW4Wh — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × Meanwhile, Congress leader Ahmed Patel urged the election officials to deal with EVM malfunctioning immediately. Wherever there are complaints of EVM malfunctioning, it should be dealt with immediately: Ahmed Patel, Congress #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/CPkE8hM6cq — ANI (@ANI) December 9, 2017 × The first phase of Gujarat election is underway. The voting is being held in 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions with a total of 977 candidates in the fray. The second phase of election will be held in 93 seats in North and Central Gujarat and is scheduled for December 14. Counting of votes will begin on December 18.

Gujarat elections: Faulty EVMs hinder smooth polling

<p>Around 11 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the initial two hours during polling on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions in the first phase of the crucial Gujarat assembly polls.</p>

<p>After the polling process began at 8 am, people could be seen stepping out of their homes despite cold weather and queuing up to exercise their franchise at the polling stations.</p>

<p>According to officials, around 11 per cent voting has been recorded in the first two hours.</p>

<p>Although there were reports of technical glitches in EVMs in Surat and some other centres, the polling process resumed after the machines were replaced, officials of the Election Commission said.</p>

<p>In the first two hours, several important leaders and candidates cast their votes, including Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, his opponent on Rajkot-West seat Indranil Rajyaguru, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani and Congress MLA of Amreli seat Paresh Dhanan, among others.</p>

<p>Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara also cast his vote in Rajkot.</p>

<p>A total of 89 seats out of 182 -- spanning the Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions -- are up for grabs in the first phase with 977 candidates in the fray.</p>

<p>Prominent candidates for today&#39;s battle include Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), Congress&#39; Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli).</p>

<p>The election is being viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The election is a crucial battleground for the Congress and the BJP before 2019 Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>The poll campaign shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi, and often turned personal.</p>

<p>The Congress, in the political wilderness in Gujarat for nearly 22 years, is desperate to break the jinx. It has raised issues such as the BJP&#39;s &quot;hollow development model&quot;, besides demonetisation and GST.</p>

<p>Gandhi emerged as the Congress&#39; pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on his home turf.</p>

<p>While Modi addressed about 15 rallies, Gandhi spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and south Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Around 11 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the initial two hours during polling on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions in the first phase of the crucial Gujarat assembly polls

Around 11 per cent voter turnout was recorded in the initial two hours during polling on 89 seats of Saurashtra and South Gujarat regions in the first phase of the crucial Gujarat assembly polls. After the polling process began at 8 am, people could be seen stepping out of their homes despite cold weather and queuing up to exercise their franchise at the polling stations. According to officials, around 11 per cent voting has been recorded in the first two hours. Although there were reports of technical glitches in EVMs in Surat and some other centres, the polling process resumed after the machines were replaced, officials of the Election Commission said. In the first two hours, several important leaders and candidates cast their votes, including Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, his opponent on Rajkot-West seat Indranil Rajyaguru, senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani and Congress MLA of Amreli seat Paresh Dhanan, among others. Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara also cast his vote in Rajkot. A total of 89 seats out of 182 -- spanning the Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions -- are up for grabs in the first phase with 977 candidates in the fray. Prominent candidates for today's battle include Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, who is contesting from Rajkot (West), Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil (Mandvi) and Paresh Dhanani (Amreli). The election is being viewed as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a litmus test for the leadership of soon-to-be Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. The election is a crucial battleground for the Congress and the BJP before 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The poll campaign shaped up as a duel between Modi and Gandhi, and often turned personal. The Congress, in the political wilderness in Gujarat for nearly 22 years, is desperate to break the jinx. It has raised issues such as the BJP's "hollow development model", besides demonetisation and GST. Gandhi emerged as the Congress' pivot to take on the might of the prime minister on his home turf. While Modi addressed about 15 rallies, Gandhi spent more than seven days in Saurashtra and south Gujarat, addressing a number of meetings.

Gujarat elections: 11 per cent voter turnout in first two hours

<p>The first phase of voting in 89 assembly constituencies of Gujarat has begun today.</p>

<p>In 2012, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 63 of the 89 constituencies while the Congress got only 22 seats. Others won four seats.</p>

<p>Here is all you need to know about the first phase of elections for 182-member Gujarat Assembly.</p>

<p>Voters Breakup</p>

<p>Total Registered Voters: 2,12,31,652</p>

<p>Men: 1,11,05,933</p>

<p>Women: 1,01,25,472</p>

<p>Apart from it, there are seven constituencies with electors numbering more than 1.5 lakh but less than 2 lakh. Rest 82 constituencies have more than 2 lakh registered voters in each of them.</p>

<p>Largest Constituency</p>

<p>Abdasa Assembly seat in Kachchh district is the largest constituency, which is spread over 6,278 sq km.</p>

<p>Smallest Constituency</p>

<p>Karanj Assembly seat in Surat district is smallest constituency, which is spread over only 4 sq km</p>

<p>Total Candidates</p>

<p>A total of 977 candidates are in the fray, out of which 57 are women candidates.</p>

<p>Constituency with Highest Number of candidates</p>

<p>Jamnagar Rural in Saurashtra region has the highest number of contenders. Here 27 candidates are trying their luck.</p>

<p>Constituency with Lowest Number of candidates</p>

<p>Jhagadia (ST) in Bharuch district and Gandevi (ST) in Navsari district have only 3 contestants in fray.</p>

<p>Districts having maximum and minimum number of constituencies</p>

<p>While Surat district has maximum (16) number of stories, Dangs district has only one constituency.</p>

<p>District wise Constituency Breakup</p>

<p>Kachchh district: Abdasa, Mandvi , Bhuj, Anjar, Gandhidham (SC), and Rapar.</p>

<p>Surendranagar district: Dasada (SC) , Limbdi, Wadhwan, Chotila, and Dhrangadhra.</p>

<p>Morbi district: Morbi, Tankara, and Wankaner.</p>

<p>Rajkot district: Rajkot East, Rajkot West, Rajkot South, Rajkot Rural (SC), Jasdan, Gondal, Jetpur, and Dhoraji.</p>

<p>Jamnagar district: Kalavad (SC), Jamnagar Rural, Jamnagar North, Jamnagar South, and Jamjodhpur.</p>

<p>Devbhumi Dwarka district: Khambhalia, and Dwarka.</p>

<p>Porbandar district: Porbandar and Kutiyana.</p>

<p>Junagadh district: Manavadar, Junagadh, Visavadar, Keshod, and Mangrol.</p>

<p>Gir Somnath district: Somnath, Talala, Kodinar (SC), and Una.</p>

<p>Amreli district: Dhari, Amreli, Lathi, Savarkundla, and Rajula.</p>

<p>Bhavnagar district: Mahuva, Talaja, Gariadhar, Palitana, Bhavnagar Rural, Bhavnagar East, Bhavnagar West.</p>

<p>Botad district: Botad and Gadhada (SC).</p>

<p>Narmada district: Nandod (ST) and Dediapada (ST).</p>

<p>Bharuch district: Jambusar, Vagra, Jhagadia (ST), Bharuch, and Ankleshwar.</p>

<p>Surat district: Olpad, Mangrol (ST), Mandvi (ST), Kamrej, Surat East, Surat North, Varachha Road, Karanj, Limbayat, Udhna, Majura, Katargam, Surat West, Choryasi, Bardoli (SC), Mahuva (ST).</p>

<p>Tapi district: Vyara (ST) and Nizar (ST).</p>

<p>Dangs district: Dangs (ST).</p>

<p>Navsari district: Jalalpore, Navsari, Gandevi (ST), and Bansda (ST).</p>

<p>Valsad district: Dharampur (ST), Valsad, Pardi, Kaprada (ST), and Umbergaon (ST). (ANI)</p>


In 2012, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 63 of the 89 constituencies while the Congress got only 22 seats. Others won four seats

The first phase of voting in 89 assembly constituencies of Gujarat has begun today. In 2012, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 63 of the 89 constituencies while the Congress got only 22 seats. Others won four seats. Here is all you need to know about the first phase of elections for 182-member Gujarat Assembly. Voters Breakup Total Registered Voters: 2,12,31,652 Men: 1,11,05,933 Women: 1,01,25,472 Apart from it, there are seven constituencies with electors numbering more than 1.5 lakh but less than 2 lakh. Rest 82 constituencies have more than 2 lakh registered voters in each of them. Largest Constituency Abdasa Assembly seat in Kachchh district is the largest constituency, which is spread over 6,278 sq km. Smallest Constituency Karanj Assembly seat in Surat district is smallest constituency, which is spread over only 4 sq km Total Candidates A total of 977 candidates are in the fray, out of which 57 are women candidates. Constituency with Highest Number of candidates Jamnagar Rural in Saurashtra region has the highest number of contenders. Here 27 candidates are trying their luck. Constituency with Lowest Number of candidates Jhagadia (ST) in Bharuch district and Gandevi (ST) in Navsari district have only 3 contestants in fray. Districts having maximum and minimum number of constituencies While Surat district has maximum (16) number of stories, Dangs district has only one constituency. District wise Constituency Breakup Kachchh district: Abdasa, Mandvi , Bhuj, Anjar, Gandhidham (SC), and Rapar. Surendranagar district: Dasada (SC) , Limbdi, Wadhwan, Chotila, and Dhrangadhra. Morbi district: Morbi, Tankara, and Wankaner. Rajkot district: Rajkot East, Rajkot West, Rajkot South, Rajkot Rural (SC), Jasdan, Gondal, Jetpur, and Dhoraji. Jamnagar district: Kalavad (SC), Jamnagar Rural, Jamnagar North, Jamnagar South, and Jamjodhpur. Devbhumi Dwarka district: Khambhalia, and Dwarka. Porbandar district: Porbandar and Kutiyana. Junagadh district: Manavadar, Junagadh, Visavadar, Keshod, and Mangrol. Gir Somnath district: Somnath, Talala, Kodinar (SC), and Una. Amreli district: Dhari, Amreli, Lathi, Savarkundla, and Rajula. Bhavnagar district: Mahuva, Talaja, Gariadhar, Palitana, Bhavnagar Rural, Bhavnagar East, Bhavnagar West. Botad district: Botad and Gadhada (SC). Narmada district: Nandod (ST) and Dediapada (ST). Bharuch district: Jambusar, Vagra, Jhagadia (ST), Bharuch, and Ankleshwar. Surat district: Olpad, Mangrol (ST), Mandvi (ST), Kamrej, Surat East, Surat North, Varachha Road, Karanj, Limbayat, Udhna, Majura, Katargam, Surat West, Choryasi, Bardoli (SC), Mahuva (ST). Tapi district: Vyara (ST) and Nizar (ST). Dangs district: Dangs (ST). Navsari district: Jalalpore, Navsari, Gandevi (ST), and Bansda (ST). Valsad district: Dharampur (ST), Valsad, Pardi, Kaprada (ST), and Umbergaon (ST). (ANI)

All you need to know about 1st phase of Gujarat Assembly elections

<p>Hardik Patel&#39;s key aide and senior member of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti Dinesh Bambhania has alleged that the quota agitation spearhead&#39;s support to the Congress party smacks of some kind of &quot;fixing&quot; between them.</p>

<p>Bambhania yesterday said he could not understand why Patel was supporting the Congress party, despite it not clarifying how it would give reservation to the Patidar community if voted to power.</p>

<p>&quot;In the poll manifesto, the Congress has not clarified how it would grant us reservation under OBC quota after coming to power in Gujarat. It shows that Congress actually never wanted to give us reservation. Yet, Hardik Patel is doing rallies in Congress&#39; favour,&quot; he told reporters here.</p>

<p>&quot;Though there is no clarity how we will get reservation under OBC quota, Hardik is mum about it. It seems like fixing to me. Our fight was not about bringing a party to power. At least I do not wish to be an agent of a party. Hardik should not politicise the agitation,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Hardik is playing into the hands of Congress in the name of the Patidar movement, Bambhania said, adding, &quot;Hardik is using the agitation for political purposes and I am totally against it.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;&quot;I urge all the Patidars to use their wisdom when they go for voting tomorrow,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Bambhania&#39;s open rebellion against Patel came a day ahead of the first phase of polling in Saurashtra and south Gujarat.</p>

<p>Commenting on Patel&#39;s purported sex tapes, Bambhania indicated that only one CD can be morphed, not all.</p>

<p>&quot;Hardik is seen as an icon. Patidars are having very high hopes from him. One CD can be morphed, but, when so many CDs came out, it does not suit a man who is the leader of a community. I am deeply pained by the entire episode,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Bambhania claimed he was still with Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and said he was not joining the BJP.</p>

<p>&quot;Neither am I against Hardik, nor I am leaving PAAS. I am also not joining BJP. My only contention is that Hardik has failed to pressure the Congress to accept our demand as agreed earlier between both PAAS and Congress,&quot; he added.</p>


Bambhania yesterday said he could not understand why Patel was supporting the Congress party, despite it not clarifying how it would give reservation to the Patidar community if voted to power

Hardik Patel's key aide and senior member of Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti Dinesh Bambhania has alleged that the quota agitation spearhead's support to the Congress party smacks of some kind of "fixing" between them. Bambhania yesterday said he could not understand why Patel was supporting the Congress party, despite it not clarifying how it would give reservation to the Patidar community if voted to power. "In the poll manifesto, the Congress has not clarified how it would grant us reservation under OBC quota after coming to power in Gujarat. It shows that Congress actually never wanted to give us reservation. Yet, Hardik Patel is doing rallies in Congress' favour," he told reporters here. "Though there is no clarity how we will get reservation under OBC quota, Hardik is mum about it. It seems like fixing to me. Our fight was not about bringing a party to power. At least I do not wish to be an agent of a party. Hardik should not politicise the agitation," he added. Hardik is playing into the hands of Congress in the name of the Patidar movement, Bambhania said, adding, "Hardik is using the agitation for political purposes and I am totally against it." "I urge all the Patidars to use their wisdom when they go for voting tomorrow," he said. Bambhania's open rebellion against Patel came a day ahead of the first phase of polling in Saurashtra and south Gujarat. Commenting on Patel's purported sex tapes, Bambhania indicated that only one CD can be morphed, not all. "Hardik is seen as an icon. Patidars are having very high hopes from him. One CD can be morphed, but, when so many CDs came out, it does not suit a man who is the leader of a community. I am deeply pained by the entire episode," he said. Bambhania claimed he was still with Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) and said he was not joining the BJP. "Neither am I against Hardik, nor I am leaving PAAS. I am also not joining BJP. My only contention is that Hardik has failed to pressure the Congress to accept our demand as agreed earlier between both PAAS and Congress," he added.

PAAS leader claims 'fixing' between Hardik Patel, Congress

<p>Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history.&nbsp;</p>

<p>UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at &quot;at least 12&quot; Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed.</p>

<p>The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history.</p>

<p>&quot;I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime,&quot; Guterres said in a statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else.&quot;</p>

<p>Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack.</p>

<p>The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.&nbsp;</p>


Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at "at least 12" Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence. A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed. The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources. In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history. "I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime," Guterres said in a statement. "I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else." Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack. The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.

WION Morning News Brief, 9 December, 2017

<p>Obstacles in elections always come out of the blue. They are sudden and have the capacity to change the narrative. Indian elections are far more prone to react to lose talk and emotional pitch. Both Kapil Sibal and Mani Shankar Aiyyar&rsquo;s comments proved once again that elections can go off the course if organisations fail to control leaders of their extra-curricular activities.</p>

<p>Many in BJP rejoiced that Congress handed over a &#39;<em>Maut Ka Saudagar</em>&#39; moment to them on a platter till Nana Patole, BJP MP resigned from Lok Sabha calling BJP anti-farmers. It is too early to know about the nature and depth of the damage and whether it is <em>Maut ka Saudagar</em> part 2, it definitely tells us a few things about current politics.</p>

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<h5>Despite analysts making broad observations about highly charged urban Gujarat, rural and economic issues have found resonance in the state.</h5>
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<p>Despite analysts making broad observations about highly charged urban Gujarat, rural and economic issues have found resonance in the state. It, for this reason, BJP clung to mandir and &#39;<em>neech</em>&#39; remarks quickly because it could harness latent Gujarati pride. Lastly, the industry which has worked well pillorying Rahul Gandhi have a cause to worry.</p>

<p>Even social media&rsquo;s response to this issue in Gujarat and rest of India remained very different. Rahul is a dynast and not like Modi who has become Prime Minister out of his own might and will. The only difference is that for the first time instead of being seen as a child of privilege, Rahul is getting sympathy for a simple reason that the people feel that he has received more than his share of brickbats.</p>

<p>BJP should be wary of it. Indira became authoritarian from being strong in a very short period of time. Rajiv Gandhi from being the most honest and fresh politician became a symbol of corruption. The liberal and new age Nehru became weak within a decade and division of power between Sonia and Manmohan led to the theme of PM without authority in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>Rahul who has portrayed as <em>Pappu</em> and a dynast has the capacity to become an underdog. It should worry the government, whether Gujarat is retained or not. It should worry Modi too though he is quick to change and responded pretty quickly to <em>suit boot ki Sarkar</em> jibe which had pinned him as pro industrialist. It is for this reason land bill is still in cold storage.</p>

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<h5>Politicians like Mani Shankar and Kapil Sibal enjoyed a good amount of autonomy under Sonia which I don&rsquo;t think will continue under Rahul Gandhi.</h5>
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<p>Internally, what we see today is a different Congress. Politicians like Mani Shankar and Kapil Sibal enjoyed a good amount of autonomy under Sonia which I don&rsquo;t think will continue under Rahul Gandhi. Within hours, Mani Shankar Aiyyar was suspended, apology issued and BJP was asked to extend a similar courtesy to Congress when their senior leaders abuse Gandhi&rsquo;s in person.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
BJP on the other hands remain fixated on the power of emotional issues. Its campaign which had been lacklustre only picked up after <em>neech</em>&nbsp;and <em>mandir</em> made it to the public domain. Prime Minister was quick to seize the opportunity and milked the statement to best of his abilities. It remains to be seen whether it can recreate the magic of <em>maut ka saudagar</em>&nbsp;once again.</p>

<p>The controversy shows that BJP wants to ensure that its national campaign remains centred around cultural nationalism and Ayodhya issue. The success of Gujarat will show the way to BJP for 2019 campaign. During 2014, the campaign was around delivering a prosperous India. 2019 may be about strong and united India if the emotional pitch of PM works in Gujarat. Whatever may be the result, the election would be interesting and polarised.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


In 2014 the campaign was around delivering a prosperous India. 2019 may be about strong and united India if the emotional pitch of PM works in Gujarat

Obstacles in elections always come out of the blue. They are sudden and have the capacity to change the narrative. Indian elections are far more prone to react to lose talk and emotional pitch. Both Kapil Sibal and Mani Shankar Aiyyar’s comments proved once again that elections can go off the course if organisations fail to control leaders of their extra-curricular activities. Many in BJP rejoiced that Congress handed over a 'Maut Ka Saudagar' moment to them on a platter till Nana Patole, BJP MP resigned from Lok Sabha calling BJP anti-farmers. It is too early to know about the nature and depth of the damage and whether it is Maut ka Saudagar part 2, it definitely tells us a few things about current politics. Despite analysts making broad observations about highly charged urban Gujarat, rural and economic issues have found resonance in the state. × Despite analysts making broad observations about highly charged urban Gujarat, rural and economic issues have found resonance in the state. It, for this reason, BJP clung to mandir and 'neech' remarks quickly because it could harness latent Gujarati pride. Lastly, the industry which has worked well pillorying Rahul Gandhi have a cause to worry. Even social media’s response to this issue in Gujarat and rest of India remained very different. Rahul is a dynast and not like Modi who has become Prime Minister out of his own might and will. The only difference is that for the first time instead of being seen as a child of privilege, Rahul is getting sympathy for a simple reason that the people feel that he has received more than his share of brickbats. BJP should be wary of it. Indira became authoritarian from being strong in a very short period of time. Rajiv Gandhi from being the most honest and fresh politician became a symbol of corruption. The liberal and new age Nehru became weak within a decade and division of power between Sonia and Manmohan led to the theme of PM without authority in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Rahul who has portrayed as Pappu and a dynast has the capacity to become an underdog. It should worry the government, whether Gujarat is retained or not. It should worry Modi too though he is quick to change and responded pretty quickly to suit boot ki Sarkar jibe which had pinned him as pro industrialist. It is for this reason land bill is still in cold storage. Politicians like Mani Shankar and Kapil Sibal enjoyed a good amount of autonomy under Sonia which I don’t think will continue under Rahul Gandhi. × Internally, what we see today is a different Congress. Politicians like Mani Shankar and Kapil Sibal enjoyed a good amount of autonomy under Sonia which I don’t think will continue under Rahul Gandhi. Within hours, Mani Shankar Aiyyar was suspended, apology issued and BJP was asked to extend a similar courtesy to Congress when their senior leaders abuse Gandhi’s in person. BJP on the other hands remain fixated on the power of emotional issues. Its campaign which had been lacklustre only picked up after neech and mandir made it to the public domain. Prime Minister was quick to seize the opportunity and milked the statement to best of his abilities. It remains to be seen whether it can recreate the magic of maut ka saudagar once again. The controversy shows that BJP wants to ensure that its national campaign remains centred around cultural nationalism and Ayodhya issue. The success of Gujarat will show the way to BJP for 2019 campaign. During 2014, the campaign was around delivering a prosperous India. 2019 may be about strong and united India if the emotional pitch of PM works in Gujarat. Whatever may be the result, the election would be interesting and polarised. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Rahul, the underdog?

<p>After announcing the next-generation Snapdragon 845 SoC at the Snapdragon Tech Summit 2017 in Maui, Hawaii, Qualcomm&nbsp;has today detailed the features of the new mobile platform. The new chipset is based on the 10nm FinFET process with big.LITTLE architecture. Qualcomm has already mentioned that the new chipsets will be manufactured by Samsung Foundry. Here are the changes that the new chipset brings over last year&rsquo;s Snapdragon 835 SoC.</p>

<p><strong>Kryo 385 CPU</strong></p>

<p>The key enhancements over Snapdragon 835 comes in the form of better battery life and faster performance. The chipset is manufactured using Samsung&rsquo;s second-gen 10nm LPP FinFET process. The Kryo CPU architecture includes four performance cores (Cortex A75) clocked up to 2.8GHz with up to 30 percent performance improvement over Snapdragon 835. These performance cores are paired with four efficiency cores (Cortex A55) clocked at 1.8GHz, which Qualcomm says is 30 percent more energy efficient compared to its predecessor.</p>

<p>The Snapdragon 845 SoC comes with Quick Charge 4 support, which Qualcomm claims can take the battery from empty to 50 percent in 15 minutes. Also, on full charge, the chipmaker says that smartphones powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC can offer around four hours of Ultra HD 4K video playback, up to three hours of immersive unwired VR usage, and talk time of up to two days on VoLTE.</p>

<p><strong>Adreno 630 GPU</strong></p>

<p>The Snapdragon 845 SoC is paired with the Adreno 630 GPU, which Qualcomm says is faster and more efficient in processing. The new GPU is designed to offer 30 percent faster graphics, 30 percent improved energy efficiency and 2.5 times faster display throughput. It will also support 2K + 2K 120fps XR for virtual and augmented reality devices.</p>

<p><strong>X20 LTE modem</strong></p>

<p>The X20 is Qualcomm&rsquo;s second-generation Gigabit LTE modem with TrueWireless connectivity. It is designed to over 20 percent improvement over X16 modem on the Snapdragon 835 SoC. The X20 modem can offer maximum speeds of up to 1.2Gbps over 12 streams. It comes with 5 carrier aggregation with 4&times;4 MIMO technology. So, what do these specifications mean? Well, it can offer faster upload and download data speeds on upcoming 5G networks.</p>

<p>It also supports multi-Gigabit Wi-Fi with 60GHz range with ad baseband. The modem also supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac for 16 times faster connection setup and 30 percent efficiency. The X20 modem on the Snapdragon 845 SoC now supports dual-SIM 4G connectivity and Dual-VoLTE on both SIMs. It also comes with advanced Bluetooth capabilities to broadcast HD quality music or live audio to connect to multiple devices. Also, the modem is designed to consume 50 percent less power when using wireless earbuds.</p>

<p><strong>Camera</strong></p>

<p>The Snapdragon 845 SoC comes with Hexagon 685 DSP and Spectra 280 ISP (Image Signal Processing) for improved photography. The smartphone camera will also support capturing Ultra HD Premium videos at 60fps. Qualcomm has also made improvements to the ISP to correct the color gamut, color depth and luminance to make your captured photos look more lifelike.</p>

<p>It basically helps to correct the color volume, dynamic range and improve the banding. The new chipset will also support slow-motion video capture at 720p in HDR10 format, with a frame rate of 480fps. The chipset will also consume 30 percent less power when recording videos.</p>

<p>Most smartphones today come with dual-camera setups and they allow capturing photos with DSLR-like bokeh effects. The new Snapdragon chipset comes with &lsquo;Computer Vision&rsquo; for depth mapping and to add the depth-of-field effects even when using a single camera. It also supports Face scanning for biometric authentication and security.</p>

<p><strong>Artificial Intelligence</strong></p>

<p>Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (ML) is everywhere today, right from finance to healthcare, entertainment, insurance, and transportation. The Snapdragon 845 SoC is the third generation mobile AI platform from Qualcomm. With the new chipset, Qualcomm is moving intelligence from cloud to edge to improve low latency, privacy and reliability.</p>

<p>With AI integration, Qualcomm wants to offer richer and more personalized experiences. It works with multiple platforms, such as Android, Linux and Windows, and Qualcomm is working with a number of partners such as Facebook, Google, Amazon Alexa, Baidu, and more for improved experiences.</p>

<p>AI on Snapdragon 845 comes with features such as speech recognition, object detection, face recognition, single camera bokeh effects to your camera photos, landmark detection, malware detection and more.</p>

<p><strong>Security</strong></p>

<p>The security architecture on the Snapdragon 845 SoC comes with a secure vault. It is hardware based and comes with its own Secure Processing Unit to keep your photos, videos, content and other details safe and secure. We have moved from typing passwords to fingerprint scanning, iris scanning and face scanning biometric authentication systems. And because biometrics is important to us from a privacy viewpoint, the data is encrypted and validated in the secure processing unit, thus keeping it secure. Also, with mobile payments becoming increasingly mainstream, the integration of secure vault in the chipset will enable higher level of security of your biometrics.</p>

<p><em>Disclaimer: The correspondent Ritesh Bendre is in Maui, Hawaii on Qualcomm&rsquo;s invite. Qualcomm paid for his travel and accommodation in Hawaii. The article was originally published in BGR.in, <a href="http://www.bgr.in/features/qualcomm-snapdragon-845-soc-with-kryo-385-cpu-x20-lte-modem-ai-capabilities-launched/">click here</a> to read it.</em></p>


Gujarat tops the list with more than three-fourths of its working population in the informal sector being blatantly vulnerable

After announcing the next-generation Snapdragon 845 SoC at the Snapdragon Tech Summit 2017 in Maui, Hawaii, Qualcomm has today detailed the features of the new mobile platform. The new chipset is based on the 10nm FinFET process with big.LITTLE architecture. Qualcomm has already mentioned that the new chipsets will be manufactured by Samsung Foundry. Here are the changes that the new chipset brings over last year’s Snapdragon 835 SoC. Kryo 385 CPU The key enhancements over Snapdragon 835 comes in the form of better battery life and faster performance. The chipset is manufactured using Samsung’s second-gen 10nm LPP FinFET process. The Kryo CPU architecture includes four performance cores (Cortex A75) clocked up to 2.8GHz with up to 30 percent performance improvement over Snapdragon 835. These performance cores are paired with four efficiency cores (Cortex A55) clocked at 1.8GHz, which Qualcomm says is 30 percent more energy efficient compared to its predecessor. The Snapdragon 845 SoC comes with Quick Charge 4 support, which Qualcomm claims can take the battery from empty to 50 percent in 15 minutes. Also, on full charge, the chipmaker says that smartphones powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC can offer around four hours of Ultra HD 4K video playback, up to three hours of immersive unwired VR usage, and talk time of up to two days on VoLTE. Adreno 630 GPU The Snapdragon 845 SoC is paired with the Adreno 630 GPU, which Qualcomm says is faster and more efficient in processing. The new GPU is designed to offer 30 percent faster graphics, 30 percent improved energy efficiency and 2.5 times faster display throughput. It will also support 2K + 2K 120fps XR for virtual and augmented reality devices. X20 LTE modem The X20 is Qualcomm’s second-generation Gigabit LTE modem with TrueWireless connectivity. It is designed to over 20 percent improvement over X16 modem on the Snapdragon 835 SoC. The X20 modem can offer maximum speeds of up to 1.2Gbps over 12 streams. It comes with 5 carrier aggregation with 4×4 MIMO technology. So, what do these specifications mean? Well, it can offer faster upload and download data speeds on upcoming 5G networks. It also supports multi-Gigabit Wi-Fi with 60GHz range with ad baseband. The modem also supports Wi-Fi 802.11ac for 16 times faster connection setup and 30 percent efficiency. The X20 modem on the Snapdragon 845 SoC now supports dual-SIM 4G connectivity and Dual-VoLTE on both SIMs. It also comes with advanced Bluetooth capabilities to broadcast HD quality music or live audio to connect to multiple devices. Also, the modem is designed to consume 50 percent less power when using wireless earbuds. Camera The Snapdragon 845 SoC comes with Hexagon 685 DSP and Spectra 280 ISP (Image Signal Processing) for improved photography. The smartphone camera will also support capturing Ultra HD Premium videos at 60fps. Qualcomm has also made improvements to the ISP to correct the color gamut, color depth and luminance to make your captured photos look more lifelike. It basically helps to correct the color volume, dynamic range and improve the banding. The new chipset will also support slow-motion video capture at 720p in HDR10 format, with a frame rate of 480fps. The chipset will also consume 30 percent less power when recording videos. Most smartphones today come with dual-camera setups and they allow capturing photos with DSLR-like bokeh effects. The new Snapdragon chipset comes with ‘Computer Vision’ for depth mapping and to add the depth-of-field effects even when using a single camera. It also supports Face scanning for biometric authentication and security. Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (ML) is everywhere today, right from finance to healthcare, entertainment, insurance, and transportation. The Snapdragon 845 SoC is the third generation mobile AI platform from Qualcomm. With the new chipset, Qualcomm is moving intelligence from cloud to edge to improve low latency, privacy and reliability. With AI integration, Qualcomm wants to offer richer and more personalized experiences. It works with multiple platforms, such as Android, Linux and Windows, and Qualcomm is working with a number of partners such as Facebook, Google, Amazon Alexa, Baidu, and more for improved experiences. AI on Snapdragon 845 comes with features such as speech recognition, object detection, face recognition, single camera bokeh effects to your camera photos, landmark detection, malware detection and more. Security The security architecture on the Snapdragon 845 SoC comes with a secure vault. It is hardware based and comes with its own Secure Processing Unit to keep your photos, videos, content and other details safe and secure. We have moved from typing passwords to fingerprint scanning, iris scanning and face scanning biometric authentication systems. And because biometrics is important to us from a privacy viewpoint, the data is encrypted and validated in the secure processing unit, thus keeping it secure. Also, with mobile payments becoming increasingly mainstream, the integration of secure vault in the chipset will enable higher level of security of your biometrics. Disclaimer: The correspondent Ritesh Bendre is in Maui, Hawaii on Qualcomm’s invite. Qualcomm paid for his travel and accommodation in Hawaii. The article was originally published in BGR.in, click here to read it.

Opinion: Gujarat is prosperous, but where is the job security

<p>For a democracy to function, elections are crucial. The Indian state of Gujarat is going to the polls&nbsp;tomorrow. This will be a bitterly contested run to state power as it is the home ground of India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After their UP debacle, the Congress is pumped up too with carefully chosen electoral partners. They have tied up with disgruntled Patidar community leader Hardik Patel as well as have strong support from the Dalit and the Muslim community.</p>

<p>While the whole country debates the shifting dynamics of Gujarati politics, keeping itself engrossed with nitty-gritty details over seats, leaders, areas of influence, we are neglecting to sift through the political discourse that is developing around this state election.</p>

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<h5>What the leaders say in the election campaigns and what the voters want to listen may be very different from the election manifesto that the political parties release amidst much fanfare.</h5>
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<p>Beyond seats and leaders, voters and voting pattern an election can give us foray into the mind of the nation. What the leaders say in the election campaigns and what the voters want to listen may be very different from the election manifesto that the political parties release amidst much fanfare. While the manifestoes may register all the politically correct and so-called progressive ideas and plans directed at nation-building, what the leaders go out to say in political rallies is completely different.</p>

<p>This year&#39;s Gujarat state election best illustrates the point. Months before the Gujarat election dates were announced, the political leaders, as well as, the media houses were referring to Gujarat development model as if it will be the most important criterion in deciding the fate of this election. The newsrooms were abuzz with words such as infrastructure, foreign direct investment, employment generation and other economic jargons. We were splitting hair as to between Kerala and Gujarat&#39;s development path what we should choose and what we let go.</p>

<p>GST figured too. Just like demonetisation, the GST kept Indians busy. We discussed Moody ratings, ease of doing business, doing away with double taxation. All discussions did not revolve around positives though, we were somewhat clueless too about rates of GST and what differences it made to past and current prices.</p>

<p>But such non-religious debates centering around policy measures couldn&#39;t keep either our leaders or voters enticed for long. Their wish was fulfilled when Rahul Gandhi referred to GST as &#39;Gabbar Singh Tax&#39;. I am sure Rahul was referring to what he thought the arbitrary and coercive nature of GST, but the public debate immediately shifted towards name calling. With each passing round, the political leaders of opposing parties tried to prove their&nbsp;better sense of humour over the other. All this tamasha happened at the expense of serious political debate of course.</p>

<p>One would expect, particularly learning from better days of Indian democracy and that of the US, that political leaders would enter into a verbal duel with each other over health, education, municipal administration, infrastructure building and the hazards of pollution. Matters that affect our lives, our children&#39;s lives. But no, we prefer, rather rejoice, to go hoarse over Ram Mandir, Babur, Aurangzeb, Gujarati asmita, calling each other &#39;<em>neech</em>&#39;, demand for reservation and use it to rouse populist sentiment.</p>

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<h5>Instead of such rabble-rousing, why can&#39;t we enter into a constructive political discourse where we really try to figure out how we can build a neat and clean city like Surat or Rajkot.</h5>
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<p>Instead of such rabble-rousing, why can&#39;t we enter into a constructive political discourse where we really try to figure out how we can build a neat and clean city like Surat or Rajkot. Such cities were in a deplorable mess not that many years ago. But with proper drainage and sewage system, the cities have completely undergone a makeover. Why can&#39;t we make all Indian cities like that? I am sure that there would be the question of resource constraint. Then, let&#39;s talk about resources and how we can mobilise it and put it to proper use.</p>

<p>I am equally surprised how pollution never figures in our electoral campaign but Ram Mandir does? The famous London smog almost killed Prime Minister Churchill&#39;s career but our leaders are pretty well surviving as we bicker over Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir. Pray, tell me what is more crucial to our survival: clean air or a place to pray?</p>

<p>A country gets a political system it deserves. Until and unless we evolve ourselves into a conscious democracy, we don&#39;t start asking tough questions and demand better living conditions for our children, we are a doomed nation.</p>

<p>India aspires to be a modern superpower but our political culture and rhetoric smack of primitive feudal ideas.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


India aspires to be a modern superpower but our political culture and rhetoric smack of primitive feudal ideas

For a democracy to function, elections are crucial. The Indian state of Gujarat is going to the polls tomorrow. This will be a bitterly contested run to state power as it is the home ground of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After their UP debacle, the Congress is pumped up too with carefully chosen electoral partners. They have tied up with disgruntled Patidar community leader Hardik Patel as well as have strong support from the Dalit and the Muslim community. While the whole country debates the shifting dynamics of Gujarati politics, keeping itself engrossed with nitty-gritty details over seats, leaders, areas of influence, we are neglecting to sift through the political discourse that is developing around this state election. What the leaders say in the election campaigns and what the voters want to listen may be very different from the election manifesto that the political parties release amidst much fanfare. × Beyond seats and leaders, voters and voting pattern an election can give us foray into the mind of the nation. What the leaders say in the election campaigns and what the voters want to listen may be very different from the election manifesto that the political parties release amidst much fanfare. While the manifestoes may register all the politically correct and so-called progressive ideas and plans directed at nation-building, what the leaders go out to say in political rallies is completely different. This year's Gujarat state election best illustrates the point. Months before the Gujarat election dates were announced, the political leaders, as well as, the media houses were referring to Gujarat development model as if it will be the most important criterion in deciding the fate of this election. The newsrooms were abuzz with words such as infrastructure, foreign direct investment, employment generation and other economic jargons. We were splitting hair as to between Kerala and Gujarat's development path what we should choose and what we let go. GST figured too. Just like demonetisation, the GST kept Indians busy. We discussed Moody ratings, ease of doing business, doing away with double taxation. All discussions did not revolve around positives though, we were somewhat clueless too about rates of GST and what differences it made to past and current prices. But such non-religious debates centering around policy measures couldn't keep either our leaders or voters enticed for long. Their wish was fulfilled when Rahul Gandhi referred to GST as 'Gabbar Singh Tax'. I am sure Rahul was referring to what he thought the arbitrary and coercive nature of GST, but the public debate immediately shifted towards name calling. With each passing round, the political leaders of opposing parties tried to prove their better sense of humour over the other. All this tamasha happened at the expense of serious political debate of course. One would expect, particularly learning from better days of Indian democracy and that of the US, that political leaders would enter into a verbal duel with each other over health, education, municipal administration, infrastructure building and the hazards of pollution. Matters that affect our lives, our children's lives. But no, we prefer, rather rejoice, to go hoarse over Ram Mandir, Babur, Aurangzeb, Gujarati asmita, calling each other 'neech', demand for reservation and use it to rouse populist sentiment. Instead of such rabble-rousing, why can't we enter into a constructive political discourse where we really try to figure out how we can build a neat and clean city like Surat or Rajkot. × Instead of such rabble-rousing, why can't we enter into a constructive political discourse where we really try to figure out how we can build a neat and clean city like Surat or Rajkot. Such cities were in a deplorable mess not that many years ago. But with proper drainage and sewage system, the cities have completely undergone a makeover. Why can't we make all Indian cities like that? I am sure that there would be the question of resource constraint. Then, let's talk about resources and how we can mobilise it and put it to proper use. I am equally surprised how pollution never figures in our electoral campaign but Ram Mandir does? The famous London smog almost killed Prime Minister Churchill's career but our leaders are pretty well surviving as we bicker over Babri Masjid and Ram Mandir. Pray, tell me what is more crucial to our survival: clean air or a place to pray? A country gets a political system it deserves. Until and unless we evolve ourselves into a conscious democracy, we don't start asking tough questions and demand better living conditions for our children, we are a doomed nation. India aspires to be a modern superpower but our political culture and rhetoric smack of primitive feudal ideas. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why don't we speak of progressive ideas in election campaigns

<p>While addressing a rally in Gujarat&#39;s Dhandhuka, Prime minister Narendra Modi has said that he has no objection to Kapil Sibal representing the Muslim community in Ayodhya case.</p>

<p>However, he questioned how is the case connected to Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>PM Modi said,&quot;how can he say do not find a solution to this until next election?&nbsp;how is the case connected to Lok Sabha?&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">No objection that Kapil Sibal is fighting on behalf of Muslim community but how can he say do not find a solution to this (Ayodhya issue) until next election? How is it connected to Lok Sabha elections?: PM Modi in Gujarat&#39;s Dhandhuka <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/oFzXCyEWRW">pic.twitter.com/oFzXCyEWRW</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938305769019248641?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Sunni Waqf Board which&nbsp;is being represented by Kapil Sibal in the Ayodhya case has also disapproved Sibal&#39;s request to the Supreme Court for conducting the judgment after July 2019.</p>

<p>Haji Mehboob from The Sunni Waqf Board has said that Sibal asking for a delay in the judgment was wrong and that they want the court to pronounce the judgment as soon as possible.</p>

<p>He said: &quot;Yes Kapil Sibal is our lawyer but he is also related to a political party, his statement in Supreme Court yesterday was wrong, we want a solution to the issue at the earliest.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yes Kapil Sibal is our lawyer but he is also related to a political party, his statement in SC yesterday was wrong, we want a solution to the issue at the earliest: Haji Mehboob,Sunni Waqf Board <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ayodhya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ayodhya</a> <a href="https://t.co/CMN8MXr5ta">pic.twitter.com/CMN8MXr5ta</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938314276044984321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Mehboob had previously dissociated himself from Sibal&#39;s&nbsp;statement, saying &quot;we have got nothing to do with the statement&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have got nothing to do with his statement as we are not connected to any political party or do politics. Every Hindu and Muslim of the country wants a solution to the issue soon: Haji Mehboob,Sunni Waqf Board on Kapil Sibal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ayodhya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ayodhya</a> <a href="https://t.co/AxWFB3mAoS">pic.twitter.com/AxWFB3mAoS</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938344493572485120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra recited a poetry on Kapil Sibal&#39;s request for extending the judgment of the Babri Masjid.</p>

<p>He sai&nbsp;&quot;<em>Badalte hue mausam ka balata hua parwana hun mai, Gujarat mein janeudhari hindu hun toh UP-Bihar mei maulana hun main</em>&quot;</p>

<p>Targetting Rahul Gandhi he said while Rahul Gandhi is a &quot;janeudhari&quot; hindu in Gujarat, he becomes a&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;in UP-Bihar.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Badalte hue mausam ka badalta hua parwana hun main, Gujarat mein janeudhari hindu hun toh UP-Bihar mein maulana hun main: Sambit Patra, BJP on Rahul Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/FNXrvX36fJ">pic.twitter.com/FNXrvX36fJ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938324815689129984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has Sibal&#39;s representation&nbsp;&quot;irresponsible and unfair&quot;. He said that &quot;Sibal must not forget that he had been the law minister in the past.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prasad said he will ask Rahul and Sonia Gandhi to present their stand on the Ram Janambhoomi case.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As a lawyer <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KapilSibal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KapilSibal</a> can argue any matter but he should not forget that he has been the law minister in the past. What does he mean, when he says don&#39;t hear the matter till 2019 as it will have an impact outside? It is unfair and in many ways irresponsible: RS Prasad <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ayodhya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ayodhya</a> <a href="https://t.co/KfDBz8fRxI">pic.twitter.com/KfDBz8fRxI</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938318660149551104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am going to ask Rahul Gandhi &amp; Sonia Gandhi, please explain your party&#39;s position on should the Ram Janambhoomi case be heard at the earliest or not?: RS Prasad, Union Law minister</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938318923614765056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah had asked&nbsp;Congress to clear its&nbsp;stand on temple issue. He said at a point when Rahul&nbsp;Gandhi is visiting temples in Gujarat, Kapil Sibal is asking for a delay in Ram Janambhoomi case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Senior advocate Kapil Sibal who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board in&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/a-wion-perspective-ayodhyas-temple-of-harmony-7163" target="_blank">Ayodhya Babri Masjid case</a>&nbsp;had asked the Supreme Court yesterday to take up the matter on July 15, 2019, once all the pleadings are complete.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p>He told the Supreme Court that serious repercussions will be created outside the court, whenever the matter is heard. To preserve the decorum of law and order, the court should conduct the proceedings after all pleadings are complete.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Supreme court has fixed the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/babri-masjid-ramjanmabhoomi-dispute-a-timeline-25799" target="_blank">&nbsp;Ayodhya dispute matter</a>&nbsp;for further hearing on February 8, 2018.</p>

<p>Twitterati also reacted to Kapil Sibal&#39;s request to extend the court proceedings t0 2019.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Every Sensible Person Wants To Speed Up The Judicial Process But This Hypocrite Kapil Sibal Threatens To Walk Out So That <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ayodhya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ayodhya</a> Ram Mandir Verdict Can Be Delayed To Post 2019 Elections. Hypocrite Congress Can Stoop To Any Low For &quot;Vote Bank&quot; Appeasement. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamMandir?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RamMandir</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KapilSibal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KapilSibal</a> <a href="https://t.co/d9IiE2UbN6">pic.twitter.com/d9IiE2UbN6</a></p>
&mdash; Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) <a href="https://twitter.com/SirJadeja/status/938016714654183426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Those who think India&#39;s only enemy are Pakistan &amp; China must not forget Congress. Thanks to lord Ram coz of him many traitors like Kapil Sibal are exposed over Ram Mandir debate in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ayodhya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ayodhya</a> . These hypocrites have made <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RamTemple?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RamTemple</a> issue a laughing stock. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KapilSibal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KapilSibal</a></p>
&mdash; Ravi ???? (@hypernationlist) <a href="https://twitter.com/hypernationlist/status/938023344800067584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">From defending <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kanhaiyakumar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kanhaiyakumar</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HardikPatel?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HardikPatel</a> from supporting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaq</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AIMPLB?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AIMPLB</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SunniWaqfBoard?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SunniWaqfBoard</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ayodhya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ayodhya</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KapilSibal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KapilSibal</a> has a long list of Such clients. HIS CHOICE.<br />
May Ram Lalla bless him!</p>
&mdash; Monika Arora (@advmonikaarora) <a href="https://twitter.com/advmonikaarora/status/937942658114138112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


While addressing a rally in Gujarat's Dhandhuka, Prime minister Narendra Modi has said that he has no objection to Kapil Sibal representing the Muslim community in Ayodhya case. He, however, questioned how is the case connected to Lok Sabha elections

While addressing a rally in Gujarat's Dhandhuka, Prime minister Narendra Modi has said that he has no objection to Kapil Sibal representing the Muslim community in Ayodhya case. However, he questioned how is the case connected to Lok Sabha elections. PM Modi said,"how can he say do not find a solution to this until next election? how is the case connected to Lok Sabha?" No objection that Kapil Sibal is fighting on behalf of Muslim community but how can he say do not find a solution to this (Ayodhya issue) until next election? How is it connected to Lok Sabha elections?: PM Modi in Gujarat's Dhandhuka #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/oFzXCyEWRW — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 × The Sunni Waqf Board which is being represented by Kapil Sibal in the Ayodhya case has also disapproved Sibal's request to the Supreme Court for conducting the judgment after July 2019. Haji Mehboob from The Sunni Waqf Board has said that Sibal asking for a delay in the judgment was wrong and that they want the court to pronounce the judgment as soon as possible. He said: "Yes Kapil Sibal is our lawyer but he is also related to a political party, his statement in Supreme Court yesterday was wrong, we want a solution to the issue at the earliest." Yes Kapil Sibal is our lawyer but he is also related to a political party, his statement in SC yesterday was wrong, we want a solution to the issue at the earliest: Haji Mehboob,Sunni Waqf Board #Ayodhya pic.twitter.com/CMN8MXr5ta — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 × Mehboob had previously dissociated himself from Sibal's statement, saying "we have got nothing to do with the statement". We have got nothing to do with his statement as we are not connected to any political party or do politics. Every Hindu and Muslim of the country wants a solution to the issue soon: Haji Mehboob,Sunni Waqf Board on Kapil Sibal #Ayodhya pic.twitter.com/AxWFB3mAoS — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 × BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra recited a poetry on Kapil Sibal's request for extending the judgment of the Babri Masjid. He sai "Badalte hue mausam ka balata hua parwana hun mai, Gujarat mein janeudhari hindu hun toh UP-Bihar mei maulana hun main" Targetting Rahul Gandhi he said while Rahul Gandhi is a "janeudhari" hindu in Gujarat, he becomes a Muslim in UP-Bihar. Badalte hue mausam ka badalta hua parwana hun main, Gujarat mein janeudhari hindu hun toh UP-Bihar mein maulana hun main: Sambit Patra, BJP on Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/FNXrvX36fJ — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 × Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has Sibal's representation "irresponsible and unfair". He said that "Sibal must not forget that he had been the law minister in the past." Prasad said he will ask Rahul and Sonia Gandhi to present their stand on the Ram Janambhoomi case. As a lawyer #KapilSibal can argue any matter but he should not forget that he has been the law minister in the past. What does he mean, when he says don't hear the matter till 2019 as it will have an impact outside? It is unfair and in many ways irresponsible: RS Prasad #Ayodhya pic.twitter.com/KfDBz8fRxI — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 × I am going to ask Rahul Gandhi & Sonia Gandhi, please explain your party's position on should the Ram Janambhoomi case be heard at the earliest or not?: RS Prasad, Union Law minister — ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2017 × Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah had asked Congress to clear its stand on temple issue. He said at a point when Rahul Gandhi is visiting temples in Gujarat, Kapil Sibal is asking for a delay in Ram Janambhoomi case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal who is representing the Sunni Waqf Board in Ayodhya Babri Masjid case had asked the Supreme Court yesterday to take up the matter on July 15, 2019, once all the pleadings are complete. He told the Supreme Court that serious repercussions will be created outside the court, whenever the matter is heard. To preserve the decorum of law and order, the court should conduct the proceedings after all pleadings are complete. The Supreme court has fixed the Ayodhya dispute matter for further hearing on February 8, 2018. Twitterati also reacted to Kapil Sibal's request to extend the court proceedings t0 2019. Every Sensible Person Wants To Speed Up The Judicial Process But This Hypocrite Kapil Sibal Threatens To Walk Out So That #Ayodhya Ram Mandir Verdict Can Be Delayed To Post 2019 Elections. Hypocrite Congress Can Stoop To Any Low For "Vote Bank" Appeasement. #RamMandir #KapilSibal pic.twitter.com/d9IiE2UbN6 — Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) December 5, 2017 × Those who think India's only enemy are Pakistan & China must not forget Congress. Thanks to lord Ram coz of him many traitors like Kapil Sibal are exposed over Ram Mandir debate in #Ayodhya . These hypocrites have made #RamTemple issue a laughing stock. #KapilSibal — Ravi ???? (@hypernationlist) December 5, 2017 × From defending #kanhaiyakumar to #HardikPatel from supporting #TripleTalaq & #AIMPLB to #SunniWaqfBoard in #Ayodhya#KapilSibal has a long list of Such clients. HIS CHOICE. May Ram Lalla bless him! — Monika Arora (@advmonikaarora) December 5, 2017 ×

How is Ayodhya case related to 2019 elections? PM Modi asks Kapil Sibal in Gujarat election rally

<p>In the wake of Gujarat election, the fare prices of flights and trains have increased.</p>

<p>The increase in the fare price is due to the increase in the number of passengers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The fare price of a flight for a day before the first phase of election and the election day is charged at Rs 4400 Rs. While the usual fares for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad economy class is Rs 2000.</p>

<p>The usual 3000-3500 ticket for Vadodara is charged for Rs 4500-15000 before the election day. The same ticket is availed for Rs 4500 to Rs 6500 on the election day.</p>

<p>The tickets for Jamnagar have also been increased. The tickets for Mumbai-Jamnagar on 8 December is available at Rs 4500 to 15,000. While the tickets for 7000 is being charged for Rs 9000 on the election day.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The&nbsp;ticket for Rajkot usually available for Rs 4000- 5000 have also been increased. The tickets on 8-9 December is priced at Rs 8,000-14,000.</p>

<p>All sleeper to AC trains have released huge waiting lists. Passengers going from Mumbai to Ahmedabad have ticket in premium trains. However normal trains have waiting in sleeper and AC.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Most trains do not even have waiting tickets available during elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The railway officials have said that keeping in mind the increasing number of waiting tickets they can add few additional coaches.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A similar price hike is also seen in fare prices of private cars and buses leading to high earnings for the tour apparatus.</p>


The increase in the fare price is due to the increase in the number of passengers

In the wake of Gujarat election, the fare prices of flights and trains have increased. The increase in the fare price is due to the increase in the number of passengers. The fare price of a flight for a day before the first phase of election and the election day is charged at Rs 4400 Rs. While the usual fares for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad economy class is Rs 2000. The usual 3000-3500 ticket for Vadodara is charged for Rs 4500-15000 before the election day. The same ticket is availed for Rs 4500 to Rs 6500 on the election day. The tickets for Jamnagar have also been increased. The tickets for Mumbai-Jamnagar on 8 December is available at Rs 4500 to 15,000. While the tickets for 7000 is being charged for Rs 9000 on the election day. The ticket for Rajkot usually available for Rs 4000- 5000 have also been increased. The tickets on 8-9 December is priced at Rs 8,000-14,000. All sleeper to AC trains have released huge waiting lists. Passengers going from Mumbai to Ahmedabad have ticket in premium trains. However normal trains have waiting in sleeper and AC. Most trains do not even have waiting tickets available during elections. The railway officials have said that keeping in mind the increasing number of waiting tickets they can add few additional coaches. A similar price hike is also seen in fare prices of private cars and buses leading to high earnings for the tour apparatus.

Airline, Train ticket rates high before Gujarat elections

<p>Schools and colleges will remain shut in Mumbai metropolitan region, Sindhudurga, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts due to cyclone Ockhi warnings.</p>

<p>Maharashtra&#39;s Education and Sports minister Vinod Tawde announced the news on Twitter</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Precautionary holiday declared for schools in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Sindhudurga, Ratnagiri, Thane, Raigad and Palghar Districts for the safety of the students due to the serious weather predictions on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MumbaiRains</a></p>
&mdash; Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) <a href="https://twitter.com/TawdeVinod/status/937692404320051200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Areas near the metropolis and the Mumbai-Pune highway witnessed a hailstorm today.</p>

<p>The traffic on Eastern and Western Express Highways in Mumbai has slowed down after rain in some parts of Mumbai throughout last night.</p>

<p>A high tide alert has&nbsp;been issued for Tuesday and the disaster management unit of Brihanmumbai Municipal&nbsp;Corporation (BMC) also advised not to visit beaches.</p>

<p>As per the BMC, tides of more than 5 meters height are expected on Tuesday.</p>

<p>People residing in the area of Dadar Chowpatty have been given special instructions to avoid the beach area as a&nbsp;huge&nbsp;crowd is expected ahead of the Babasaheb Ambedkar Anniversary on November 6.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The weather department has forecast intermittent rains in Mumbai and suburbs in the next 24 hours.</p>

<p>&quot;Intermittent rain/thundershowers very likely to occur in Mumbai and suburbs in next 24 hours,&quot; a report of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai stated at 8 am.</p>

<p>&quot;Heavy rainfall is likely at a few places with squally wind speed reaching 50 to 60 km per hour gusting to 70 km per hour very likely along coastal area in next 24 hours.&quot;<br />
<br />
The Central Railway Mumbai division has&nbsp;updated all the emergency numbers and has also have opened an emergency cell at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Kalyan. (Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">Cyclone </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">Ockhi</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">,&nbsp;357 fishermen rescued so far, says defence minister</a>)</p>

<p>250 railways police force and Maharashtra State Security Force Personnel on crowd management and other related activities, have also been deployed at stations by Central Railway Mumbai Division.</p>

<p>Cyclone Okchi, which originated from Kanyakumari has so far wreaked havoc in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Lakshwadeep, Goa&nbsp;and Sri Lanka.</p>

<p>On Monday, a warning of Ockhi&nbsp;hitting&nbsp;<a href="http://Cyclone Ockhi expected to make landfall in Gujarat, Maharashtra">Maharashtra and South Gujarat</a> in the next 24 hours, were issued by the Indian Metrological Department (IMD). (Also read : <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">Cyclone </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">Ockhi</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">,&nbsp;Indian Navy finds 9 Kochi fishermen missing for 15 days</a>)</p>

<p>Thane and Navi Mumbai were lashed by heavy rains on Monday night.</p>

<p>According to reports, 19 people have been killed and several are still missing in the sea.</p>

<p>(With inputs from news agencies)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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On Monday, warnings of Ockhi to hit Maharashtra and South Gujarat in next 24 hours, were issued by?Indian Metrological Department(IMD)

Schools and colleges will remain shut in Mumbai metropolitan region, Sindhudurga, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts due to cyclone Ockhi warnings. Maharashtra's Education and Sports minister Vinod Tawde announced the news on Twitter Precautionary holiday declared for schools in Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Sindhudurga, Ratnagiri, Thane, Raigad and Palghar Districts for the safety of the students due to the serious weather predictions on #CycloneOckhi #MumbaiRains — Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) December 4, 2017 × Areas near the metropolis and the Mumbai-Pune highway witnessed a hailstorm today. The traffic on Eastern and Western Express Highways in Mumbai has slowed down after rain in some parts of Mumbai throughout last night. A high tide alert has been issued for Tuesday and the disaster management unit of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also advised not to visit beaches. As per the BMC, tides of more than 5 meters height are expected on Tuesday. People residing in the area of Dadar Chowpatty have been given special instructions to avoid the beach area as a huge crowd is expected ahead of the Babasaheb Ambedkar Anniversary on November 6. The weather department has forecast intermittent rains in Mumbai and suburbs in the next 24 hours. "Intermittent rain/thundershowers very likely to occur in Mumbai and suburbs in next 24 hours," a report of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai stated at 8 am. "Heavy rainfall is likely at a few places with squally wind speed reaching 50 to 60 km per hour gusting to 70 km per hour very likely along coastal area in next 24 hours." The Central Railway Mumbai division has updated all the emergency numbers and has also have opened an emergency cell at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Kalyan. (Also read: Cyclone Ockhi, 357 fishermen rescued so far, says defence minister) 250 railways police force and Maharashtra State Security Force Personnel on crowd management and other related activities, have also been deployed at stations by Central Railway Mumbai Division. Cyclone Okchi, which originated from Kanyakumari has so far wreaked havoc in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Lakshwadeep, Goa and Sri Lanka. On Monday, a warning of Ockhi hitting Maharashtra and South Gujarat in the next 24 hours, were issued by the Indian Metrological Department (IMD). (Also read : Cyclone Ockhi, Indian Navy finds 9 Kochi fishermen missing for 15 days) Thane and Navi Mumbai were lashed by heavy rains on Monday night. According to reports, 19 people have been killed and several are still missing in the sea. (With inputs from news agencies)

Cyclone Okchi: Hailstorm near Mumbai, schools colleges shut today

<p>The weather department has issued a high tide alert for Mumbai in the wake of Cyclone Ockhi.</p>

<p>The tide is expected to reach about 5.4 meters high and is expected to hit at around 1:43 am on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Weather advisory has&nbsp;been sent to people residing near the sea, reports said.</p>

<p>Schools and colleges in Mumbai&nbsp;were closed today as the city received unprecedented rainfall due to cyclone&nbsp;Ockhi.</p>

<p>After creating a havoc in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep, Cyclone Ockhi has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-heads-towards-gujarat-causes-hailstorm-in-mumbai-25913" target="_blank">moved towards Gujarat</a>.</p>

<p>It is expected to hit the coast of Gujarat on Wednesday night.</p>

<p>However, the director of Indian Meteorological Department has said that the cyclone is showing signs of decreasing intensity.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> around 350 km south-SW of Surat,it is expected to cross tonight. It is showing sign of decreasing in intensity.Issued heavy rainfall alert in coastal districts only for tonight, wind speed expected to be around 65-70 kmph when cyclone cross: Director, IMD Ahmedabad <a href="https://t.co/U9ewB4U9GD">pic.twitter.com/U9ewB4U9GD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938053489518772224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The tide is expected to reach about 5.4 meters high and is expected to hit at around 1:43 am

The weather department has issued a high tide alert for Mumbai in the wake of Cyclone Ockhi. The tide is expected to reach about 5.4 meters high and is expected to hit at around 1:43 am on Wednesday. Weather advisory has been sent to people residing near the sea, reports said. Schools and colleges in Mumbai were closed today as the city received unprecedented rainfall due to cyclone Ockhi. After creating a havoc in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Lakshadweep, Cyclone Ockhi has moved towards Gujarat. It is expected to hit the coast of Gujarat on Wednesday night. However, the director of Indian Meteorological Department has said that the cyclone is showing signs of decreasing intensity. #CycloneOckhi around 350 km south-SW of Surat,it is expected to cross tonight. It is showing sign of decreasing in intensity.Issued heavy rainfall alert in coastal districts only for tonight, wind speed expected to be around 65-70 kmph when cyclone cross: Director, IMD Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/U9ewB4U9GD — ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2017 ×

Cyclone Ockhi: Weather department issues high tide alert for Mumbai

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the government prevailing during the 2008 Mumbai attacks had declined the plan of surgical strikes that was offered to the then prime minister.</p>

<p>Citing an Air Force official working at a high position in 2008, he said that the government were offered to conduct surgical strikes in response&nbsp;to the deadly terror attacks on Mumbai. However, the&nbsp;then government&nbsp;refused to carry out the counter attacks on Pakistan.</p>

<p>While addressing a rally in Jamnagar, Gujarat, PM Modi said: &quot;Someone who served at a high position in our Air Force has said that after 26/11 they went to the then PM with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then Government did not show courage to do that.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;When we were attacked in Uri, see how we answered terrorists,&quot; he added.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Someone who served at a high position in our Air Force has said that after 26/11 they went to the then PM with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then Government did not show courage to do that. When we were attacked in Uri, see how we answered terrorists: PM in Jamnagar <a href="https://t.co/j4ko9M3duJ">pic.twitter.com/j4ko9M3duJ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937688496629628929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>PM Modi further said that since the BJP government came to power in Gujarat, the state is ahead in employment opportunities.</p>

<p>He said parts of Gujarat have drawn people from all parts of the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said, &quot;We are focusing on Padhai for students, Kamai for the youth and Davai for the elderly.&quot; He added that his government had transformed the education sector of the state.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have waged a strong battle against corruption and black money: PM Narendra Modi in Jamnagar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/vfH1ycDBOU">pic.twitter.com/vfH1ycDBOU</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937688276793671681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hitting out at the Congress, he highlighted&nbsp;Congress&#39;s recent poll defeats, saying:&nbsp;&quot;It is &nbsp;because they were not delivering on people&#39;s aspirations.&quot;</p>

<p>Talking about the Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation, SAUNI, he said the Congress never envisioned anything like that.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For Congress, &#39;work&#39; was giving a hand pump. They never envisioned something like a SAUNI (Saurashtra-Narmada Avataran Irrigation) Yojana: PM Modi in Junagadh <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/sUPYcPLw2N">pic.twitter.com/sUPYcPLw2N</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937650377582788608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">While we worked hard to make Junagadh the tourism capital, the Congress did not devote attention to this region. They stalled the ropeway project for years: PM Modi in Junagadh <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/FBsRQ7xncV">pic.twitter.com/FBsRQ7xncV</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937650026347511808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He praised Sardar Patel for his efforts on integrated the nation,&nbsp;adding, &quot;If it was not for Sardar Patel where would we be?&quot;</p>


Citing an Air Force official working at a high position in 2008, he said that the government were offered to conduct surgical strikes in response?to the deadly terror attacks on Mumbai.However, they refused to carry out the counter attacks on Pakistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the government prevailing during the 2008 Mumbai attacks had declined the plan of surgical strikes that was offered to the then prime minister. Citing an Air Force official working at a high position in 2008, he said that the government were offered to conduct surgical strikes in response to the deadly terror attacks on Mumbai. However, the then government refused to carry out the counter attacks on Pakistan. While addressing a rally in Jamnagar, Gujarat, PM Modi said: "Someone who served at a high position in our Air Force has said that after 26/11 they went to the then PM with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then Government did not show courage to do that." "When we were attacked in Uri, see how we answered terrorists," he added. Someone who served at a high position in our Air Force has said that after 26/11 they went to the then PM with a plan for surgical strikes. Sadly, the then Government did not show courage to do that. When we were attacked in Uri, see how we answered terrorists: PM in Jamnagar pic.twitter.com/j4ko9M3duJ — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2017 × PM Modi further said that since the BJP government came to power in Gujarat, the state is ahead in employment opportunities. He said parts of Gujarat have drawn people from all parts of the country. He said, "We are focusing on Padhai for students, Kamai for the youth and Davai for the elderly." He added that his government had transformed the education sector of the state. We have waged a strong battle against corruption and black money: PM Narendra Modi in Jamnagar #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/vfH1ycDBOU — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2017 × Hitting out at the Congress, he highlighted Congress's recent poll defeats, saying: "It is because they were not delivering on people's aspirations." Talking about the Saurashtra Narmada Avataran Irrigation, SAUNI, he said the Congress never envisioned anything like that. For Congress, 'work' was giving a hand pump. They never envisioned something like a SAUNI (Saurashtra-Narmada Avataran Irrigation) Yojana: PM Modi in Junagadh #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/sUPYcPLw2N — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2017 × While we worked hard to make Junagadh the tourism capital, the Congress did not devote attention to this region. They stalled the ropeway project for years: PM Modi in Junagadh #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/FBsRQ7xncV — ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2017 × He praised Sardar Patel for his efforts on integrated the nation, adding, "If it was not for Sardar Patel where would we be?"

Government had declined plan to conduct surgical strikes after 2008 Mumbai attacks: PM Modi

<p>BJP President Amit Shah told Rahul Gandhi on Sunday to &quot;please&nbsp;respect the honour and valour of our jawans guarding the borders&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shah, who was campaigning in Mahuva, Gujarat, said the Congress vice-president had asked for proof after the surgical strike carried out by the army in Pakistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;He (Rahul Gandhi) was asking, who saw the surgical strikes taking place?&quot; said Shah.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Rahul bhai, please respect the honour and valour of our jawans guarding the borders,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When Uri terror attack took place, anger was brewing in the entire nation.<br />
Everyone thought PM would give a statement&amp; things will get over but this time it wasn&#39;t the government of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh rather it was a govt chosen by you: Amit Shah in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a>&#39;s Mahuva <a href="https://t.co/6uco6zh7hb">pic.twitter.com/6uco6zh7hb</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937245797397098496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Within ten days Indian Army went to Pakistan, took revenge &amp; came back.Pak was left red faced&amp; Rahul Gandhi was demanding proof. He was asking, who saw the surgical strikes taking place? Rahul Bhai, please respect the honour and valour of our jawans guarding the borders:Amit Shah <a href="https://t.co/bsIe0EqWAg">pic.twitter.com/bsIe0EqWAg</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937246142026301440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>This was not the first attack on Gandhi on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had reacted to Rahul&#39;s &quot;development has gone mad&quot; comment by saying&nbsp;&quot;unke dimaag par taras aata hai&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;Development can slow down, it can speed up, it can stop, but does it ever go mad?&quot; Singh had said. Adding,&nbsp;&quot;And what do you call someone who says that?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unke-dimaag-par-taras-aata-hai-rajnath-singh-on-rahul-gandhis-development-has-gone-mad-remark-25734" target="_blank">&#39;Unke </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unke-dimaag-par-taras-aata-hai-rajnath-singh-on-rahul-gandhis-development-has-gone-mad-remark-25734" target="_blank">dimaag</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unke-dimaag-par-taras-aata-hai-rajnath-singh-on-rahul-gandhis-development-has-gone-mad-remark-25734" target="_blank"> par </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unke-dimaag-par-taras-aata-hai-rajnath-singh-on-rahul-gandhis-development-has-gone-mad-remark-25734" target="_blank">taras</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unke-dimaag-par-taras-aata-hai-rajnath-singh-on-rahul-gandhis-development-has-gone-mad-remark-25734" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unke-dimaag-par-taras-aata-hai-rajnath-singh-on-rahul-gandhis-development-has-gone-mad-remark-25734" target="_blank">aata</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unke-dimaag-par-taras-aata-hai-rajnath-singh-on-rahul-gandhis-development-has-gone-mad-remark-25734" target="_blank"> hai&#39;: Rajnath Singh on Rahul Gandhi&#39;s &#39;development has gone mad&#39; remark</a></p>

<p>Gandhi had himself on Sunday accused the BJP government of not providing the women of poll-bound Gujarat with security, education, or nutrition.</p>

<p>Gujarat goes to the polls on December 9 and 14.&nbsp;</p>


Shah said Rahul Gandhi had asked for proof of the 'surgical strike'

BJP President Amit Shah told Rahul Gandhi on Sunday to "please respect the honour and valour of our jawans guarding the borders". Shah, who was campaigning in Mahuva, Gujarat, said the Congress vice-president had asked for proof after the surgical strike carried out by the army in Pakistan. "He (Rahul Gandhi) was asking, who saw the surgical strikes taking place?" said Shah. "Rahul bhai, please respect the honour and valour of our jawans guarding the borders," he added. When Uri terror attack took place, anger was brewing in the entire nation. Everyone thought PM would give a statement& things will get over but this time it wasn't the government of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh rather it was a govt chosen by you: Amit Shah in #Gujarat's Mahuva pic.twitter.com/6uco6zh7hb — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Within ten days Indian Army went to Pakistan, took revenge & came back.Pak was left red faced& Rahul Gandhi was demanding proof. He was asking, who saw the surgical strikes taking place? Rahul Bhai, please respect the honour and valour of our jawans guarding the borders:Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/bsIe0EqWAg — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × This was not the first attack on Gandhi on Sunday. Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had reacted to Rahul's "development has gone mad" comment by saying "unke dimaag par taras aata hai". "Development can slow down, it can speed up, it can stop, but does it ever go mad?" Singh had said. Adding, "And what do you call someone who says that?" 'Unke dimaag par taras aata hai': Rajnath Singh on Rahul Gandhi's 'development has gone mad' remark Gandhi had himself on Sunday accused the BJP government of not providing the women of poll-bound Gujarat with security, education, or nutrition. Gujarat goes to the polls on December 9 and 14.

Rahul bhai, please respect honour & valour of jawans guarding borders: Amit Shah

<p>Minister of State for Prime Minister&#39;s Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Sunday said Gujarat is one of the safest states for women to live in.</p>

<p>Reacting over Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi&#39;s tweets to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on safety and education of women in Gujarat, Singh told ANI, &quot;As far as women are concerned, the whole country knows that one of the safest places for women to live in happens to be Gujarat. You can find young women walking back home late after night shifts and festivities without any risk, threat or insecurity. I don&#39;t know which part of Gujarat Rahul Gandhi has been to.&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">22 ????? ?? ?????,<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%87_%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#??????_?????_????</a><br />
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??????????????- 5??? ????:<br />
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? ???????, ? ??????, ? ????,<br />
??????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ????,<br />
????????? ????? ?? ???,<br />
???? ?? ?? ???????<br />
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?????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ????,<br />
???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?????? <a href="https://t.co/yXvCRbxsXW">pic.twitter.com/yXvCRbxsXW</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/937141069191438337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He added that such questions don&#39;t merit a response and suggested Gandhi to change his scriptwriters.</p>

<p>Singh, also denied senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh remarks that November 8 was a black day for Indian economy and democracy.</p>

<p>&quot;I am constrained to say that this is factually and statistically incorrect. The figures point out evidently that as a result of demonetisation the terror funding came down by almost 90 per cent. This has prevented large number of killings that would have otherwise happened, particularly in Kashmir valley where incidents of stone pelting and hawala-funded terrors attacks have come down,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday had expressed grief over the death of more than 100 people while standing in queues outside banks days after demonetisation, labeling&nbsp;November 8 as black day for India&#39;s economy and democracy.&nbsp;</p>


'As far as women are concerned, the whole country knows that one of the safest places for women to live in happens to be Gujarat,' Singh said

Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office, Dr Jitendra Singh, on Sunday said Gujarat is one of the safest states for women to live in. Reacting over Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's tweets to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on safety and education of women in Gujarat, Singh told ANI, "As far as women are concerned, the whole country knows that one of the safest places for women to live in happens to be Gujarat. You can find young women walking back home late after night shifts and festivities without any risk, threat or insecurity. I don't know which part of Gujarat Rahul Gandhi has been to." 22 ????? ?? ?????,#??????_?????_???? ??????????????- 5??? ????: ? ???????, ? ??????, ? ????, ??????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ????, ????????? ????? ?? ???, ???? ?? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ????, ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?????? pic.twitter.com/yXvCRbxsXW — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 3, 2017 × He added that such questions don't merit a response and suggested Gandhi to change his scriptwriters. Singh, also denied senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh remarks that November 8 was a black day for Indian economy and democracy. "I am constrained to say that this is factually and statistically incorrect. The figures point out evidently that as a result of demonetisation the terror funding came down by almost 90 per cent. This has prevented large number of killings that would have otherwise happened, particularly in Kashmir valley where incidents of stone pelting and hawala-funded terrors attacks have come down," he said. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday had expressed grief over the death of more than 100 people while standing in queues outside banks days after demonetisation, labeling November 8 as black day for India's economy and democracy.

Gujarat safe for women: Jitendra Singh responds to Rahul Gandhi accusation

<p>The women got neither safety, nor education or nutrition, but only exploitation, Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Sunday.</p>

<p>&quot;The women got neither safety, nor education or nutrition, but only exploitation. From Anganwadi to ASHA workers, everyone was disappointed. Only promises were made to the women of Gujarat and it was never their intention to fulfil them,&quot; Gandhi asked his fifth question in his &quot;a question a day&quot; series with a tweet in the run-up to Gujarat assembly elections and demanded answers over the alleged failure of the Modi-led government in fulfilling the promises.</p>

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? ???????, ? ??????, ? ????,<br />
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???? ?? ?? ???????<br />
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?????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ????,<br />
???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?????? <a href="https://t.co/yXvCRbxsXW">pic.twitter.com/yXvCRbxsXW</a></p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/937141069191438337?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Congress vice-president also tagged a picture carrying statistics on women safety, education and health.</p>

<p>&quot;Why is Gujarat ranked 3rd in women trafficking, 5th in acid attacks and 10th in the rape of minor girls...Why are the two most important cities, Ahmedabad and Surat, ranked among the top ten in crime against women in India?&quot; it claimed.</p>

<p>&quot;Why does Gujarat lag behind at 20th place in girl child education? Why has female literacy rate dropped from 70.3 per cent to 57.8 between 2001 to 2011? Why has maternal mortality rate risen to 85, putting the state at number 11 in 15 states in reduction of MMR,&quot; it asked.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Launching a counter-attack, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged that the questions showed the &quot;feudal fantasy&quot; of the Congress.</p>

<p>Hitting back, Naqvi alleged, &quot;Those who cannot differentiate between &#39;burger and baingan (brinjal)&#39;, &#39;pyaz (onion) and pizza&#39; and &#39;cake and banana&#39; are trying to become &#39;champion of questions&#39;. This is the Congress&#39; feudal fantasy.&quot;</p>

<p>Congress spokesperson Suhmita Dev later claimed that none of the top BJP leaders had any answers to the questions raised by Gandhi.</p>

<p>He said the Congress was contesting this election for the betterment of Gujarat and of its people, including women, youth and the poor.&nbsp;</p>


The Congress vice-president also tagged a picture carrying statistics on women safety, education and health.

The women got neither safety, nor education or nutrition, but only exploitation, Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Sunday. "The women got neither safety, nor education or nutrition, but only exploitation. From Anganwadi to ASHA workers, everyone was disappointed. Only promises were made to the women of Gujarat and it was never their intention to fulfil them," Gandhi asked his fifth question in his "a question a day" series with a tweet in the run-up to Gujarat assembly elections and demanded answers over the alleged failure of the Modi-led government in fulfilling the promises. 22 ????? ?? ?????,#??????_?????_???? ??????????????- 5??? ????: ? ???????, ? ??????, ? ????, ??????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ????, ????????? ????? ?? ???, ???? ?? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ????, ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?????? pic.twitter.com/yXvCRbxsXW — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 3, 2017 × The Congress vice-president also tagged a picture carrying statistics on women safety, education and health. "Why is Gujarat ranked 3rd in women trafficking, 5th in acid attacks and 10th in the rape of minor girls...Why are the two most important cities, Ahmedabad and Surat, ranked among the top ten in crime against women in India?" it claimed. "Why does Gujarat lag behind at 20th place in girl child education? Why has female literacy rate dropped from 70.3 per cent to 57.8 between 2001 to 2011? Why has maternal mortality rate risen to 85, putting the state at number 11 in 15 states in reduction of MMR," it asked. Launching a counter-attack, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged that the questions showed the "feudal fantasy" of the Congress. Hitting back, Naqvi alleged, "Those who cannot differentiate between 'burger and baingan (brinjal)', 'pyaz (onion) and pizza' and 'cake and banana' are trying to become 'champion of questions'. This is the Congress' feudal fantasy." Congress spokesperson Suhmita Dev later claimed that none of the top BJP leaders had any answers to the questions raised by Gandhi. He said the Congress was contesting this election for the betterment of Gujarat and of its people, including women, youth and the poor.

'Why Gujarat ranked 5th in acid attacks and 10th in rape of minor girls', Rahul Gandhi asks Modi

<p>After creating havoc in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Cyclone&nbsp;Ockhi may now hit Gujarat.</p>

<p>Warnings have been issued to fishermen in Saurashtra, Gujarat.</p>

<p>The Gir Somnath district collector has said the cyclone may hit the Saurashtra coast in the next 48 hours.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OckhiCyclone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OckhiCyclone</a> likely to lash Saurashtra coast in the next 48 hours and subsequently weaken. All fishermen are warned to not venture out &amp; those already out to be contacted immediately to return: Collector Gir Somnath district <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937288083321393153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Meanwhile, Commodore G Prakash, commanding officer of the INC Venduruthy, said the navy has rescued 25 people from the Lakshadweep Islands and another 13 from off the Kerala coast.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prakash said the Lakshadweep Islands had suffered extensive damane.</p>

<p>That roofs had been blown off homes, trees had fallen on homes, and boats had capsized.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added that the navy is conducting a massive search in the area.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have rescued 25 people from Lakshadweep and picked 13 people off Kerala coast. Navy is continuing conducting a massive search with 8-10 ships off Kerala coast: Commodore G Prakash, Commanding Officer of INS Venduruthy in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kochi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kochi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/AdNAHId1MR">pic.twitter.com/AdNAHId1MR</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937280248466386945?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kerala: Team of Indian Navy makes preparation in Kochi to fly to Lakshadweep for rescue operation. So far 25 people have been rescued from Lakshadweep. <a href="https://t.co/L5AKUxE7ZT">pic.twitter.com/L5AKUxE7ZT</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937284680067334144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also reached Kanyakumari to review the situation.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reached Kanyakumari, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNadu</a> and reviewed the current situation along with Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, senior ministers, officers of Navy, coastguard and district officials. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/1GM767unrU">pic.twitter.com/1GM767unrU</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937300472796344321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tamil Nadu: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took stock of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOchki?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOchki</a> affected Kanyakumari and interacted with the locals. <a href="https://t.co/DQU0Gdzij3">pic.twitter.com/DQU0Gdzij3</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937312282366713856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tamil Nadu: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took stock of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOchki?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOchki</a> affected Kanyakumari and interacted with the locals. <a href="https://t.co/nRdIOzNDYI">pic.twitter.com/nRdIOzNDYI</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937318692873912320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tamil Nadu: Deputy CM O Panneerselvam visited cyclone affected areas in Kanyakumari to take stock of the situation earlier today. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/poiihdmxlV">pic.twitter.com/poiihdmxlV</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937306824595742720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Ockhi is expected to hit the Saurashtra coast in the next 48 hours

After creating havoc in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Cyclone Ockhi may now hit Gujarat. Warnings have been issued to fishermen in Saurashtra, Gujarat. The Gir Somnath district collector has said the cyclone may hit the Saurashtra coast in the next 48 hours. #OckhiCyclone likely to lash Saurashtra coast in the next 48 hours and subsequently weaken. All fishermen are warned to not venture out & those already out to be contacted immediately to return: Collector Gir Somnath district #Gujarat — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Meanwhile, Commodore G Prakash, commanding officer of the INC Venduruthy, said the navy has rescued 25 people from the Lakshadweep Islands and another 13 from off the Kerala coast. Prakash said the Lakshadweep Islands had suffered extensive damane. That roofs had been blown off homes, trees had fallen on homes, and boats had capsized. He added that the navy is conducting a massive search in the area. We have rescued 25 people from Lakshadweep and picked 13 people off Kerala coast. Navy is continuing conducting a massive search with 8-10 ships off Kerala coast: Commodore G Prakash, Commanding Officer of INS Venduruthy in #Kochi #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/AdNAHId1MR — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Kerala: Team of Indian Navy makes preparation in Kochi to fly to Lakshadweep for rescue operation. So far 25 people have been rescued from Lakshadweep. pic.twitter.com/L5AKUxE7ZT — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also reached Kanyakumari to review the situation. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reached Kanyakumari, #TamilNadu and reviewed the current situation along with Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, senior ministers, officers of Navy, coastguard and district officials. #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/1GM767unrU — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Tamil Nadu: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took stock of #CycloneOchki affected Kanyakumari and interacted with the locals. pic.twitter.com/DQU0Gdzij3 — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Tamil Nadu: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman took stock of #CycloneOchki affected Kanyakumari and interacted with the locals. pic.twitter.com/nRdIOzNDYI — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × Tamil Nadu: Deputy CM O Panneerselvam visited cyclone affected areas in Kanyakumari to take stock of the situation earlier today. #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/poiihdmxlV — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 ×

Cyclone Ockhi?may now hit Gujarat coast

<p>With the Gujarat Assembly election drawing ever nearer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reached out to BJP&#39;s Mahila Morcha through the Narendra Modi app.</p>

<p>As part of a special campaign outreach, the Prime Minister held a live interaction in Gujarati with the women workers of the party this evening, and talked about the developmental works undertaken by the party.</p>

<p>The election campaign for the polls reached a notch higher as Prime Minister Modi kick-started his campaign on November 28, to attend at least 20 public meetings and rallies in the next 15 days.</p>

<p>The outreach to the women wing of the party is aimed at expanding the campaign to the women voters in the state, who constitute almost half the voters in the polls.</p>

<p>Interestingly, the BJP has fielded only 11 women candidates for the 182-member assembly, marginally ahead of Congress, which has fielded only 10 women candidates.Gujarat will go to polls in two phases; the first phase will be held on December 9, while the second phase is scheduled for December 14.&nbsp;</p>


As part of a special campaign outreach, the Prime Minister held a live interaction in Gujarati with the women workers of the party this evening and talked about the developmental works undertaken by the party

With the Gujarat Assembly election drawing ever nearer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reached out to BJP's Mahila Morcha through the Narendra Modi app. As part of a special campaign outreach, the Prime Minister held a live interaction in Gujarati with the women workers of the party this evening, and talked about the developmental works undertaken by the party. The election campaign for the polls reached a notch higher as Prime Minister Modi kick-started his campaign on November 28, to attend at least 20 public meetings and rallies in the next 15 days. The outreach to the women wing of the party is aimed at expanding the campaign to the women voters in the state, who constitute almost half the voters in the polls. Interestingly, the BJP has fielded only 11 women candidates for the 182-member assembly, marginally ahead of Congress, which has fielded only 10 women candidates.Gujarat will go to polls in two phases; the first phase will be held on December 9, while the second phase is scheduled for December 14.

PM Modi interacts with BJP's Mahila Morcha via NM app

<p>When you step into the Sardar Sarovar Dam Area, the immensity of the project does not dawn upon you. Only signs are visible. Like, an oil discharge from a steel workshop. The first sign is an emaciated stream masquerading as the mighty Narmada. Later one realises that it is the Narmada.</p>

<p>The river looks like someone who has been relieved from a long stay at the concentration camp. The Narmada appears thin, ugly, weak, without vigour and beauty. She looks bereft of royal pomp and grandeur as if both left her ages ago. The Narmada looks like this in a country where she and many other rivers are venerated as divine and associated with rich civilizational heritage. For instance, Ganga and Yamuna- both the rivers recently been accorded the title of living entities.</p>

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<p>The Narmada river is drained now and it is dying of thirst itself. (Others)</p>
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<p>As you approach the project from far, the walls of the dam look straight out from the film Lords of the Ring. My intention is not to make fun of the dam as it provides water to millions of farmers. The dam provides potable water. It solves the daily problem of living.</p>

<p>To be fair, Pandit Nehru bestowed sacredness to dams which he referred to as the temples of modern India, an idea rooted in the philosophy of harnessing nature for mankind, stealing its autonomy as well as the lifestyle that developed naturally around the river.</p>

<p><strong>In Pictures:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/the-mighty-narmada-in-dire-straits-in-gujarat-582">The mighty Narmada in dire straits in Gujarat</a></strong></p>

<p>To stand in midst of the solid relief of concrete surrounded by forests is a surreal experience. You can see the Narmada through the two small holes of the dam but you cannot hear her gush nor the breeze associated with free moving water. What you hear is continuous<em> </em><em>trr</em><em> </em><em>trr</em> of massive electricity wires hanging over your heads.</p>

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<p>View of Narmada river from a vantage point (Others)</p>
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<p>You don&rsquo;t see the turbines nor you hear them, but the enormous electricity, created in the bowels of the mighty structure, is felt through the<em> </em><em>trr</em> of the wires hanging above your head. The rhythm is occasionally broken by the honking of the cars or visitors who are allowed access to the vantage point.</p>

<p>The enormity of the occasion only dawns on you when you stand on top of the dam. It&rsquo;s like standing on the shoulder of Hercules, holding millions of cusecs of water in his embrace. You see many green submerged tops of erstwhile hills jutting out of the water and making their presence felt.</p>

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<p>Green submerged tops of erstwhile hills, making their presence felt. (Others)</p>
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<p>The water looks blue and clean. Only on the deep side, one realises that dam was built by labour and not Gods. You realise this when you come across swirling ponds of leather chappals at the holding gate of the dam. It belongs to the very labourers who lost their <em>chappals</em> in the water during repair work. These<em> chappals</em> fell inside the deep pits of the Sarovar to gradually accumulate and quietly emerge at the gates of the massive reservoir as a reminder of thousands of nimble and unknown foots who made this quiet giant a reality.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Sardar Sarovar Project has helped many as mentioned. It irrigates land and provided water to millions where rainwater is scarce.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Narmada also restores politically contested Gujarati <em>asmita</em>. It also reminds me of much famed <em>Narmada Bachao Aandolan</em> but I cannot recall the debate as politics of the dam has moved away from environmentalism towards disruptive NGOs.</p>

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<h5>I don&rsquo;t know as to how Sardar would have reacted to this but his statue is a testimony to the fact that Indian freedom struggle remains an unresolved project.</h5>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I don?t know as to how Sardar would have reacted to this but his statue is a testimony to the fact that Indian freedom struggle remains an unresolved project." target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
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<p>It is remembered with great sorrow that a lot of water was wasted when the Narmada gushed into the ocean freely. I&rsquo;m being told that today a trickle reaches the sea and the remaining 75 kilometres remain dry with a thread of white running through it. Same is the case with hundreds of rivers. Rivers have become resources to be exploited to the hilt. You have to be there to see the ugly dark, rocky and dry innards of Narmada.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
On the far end, you see a massive figure jutting into the sky which will become the highest statue in the world. The Sardar&rsquo;s frame has been built and it&#39;s deck for visitors stands higher than the dam. I don&rsquo;t know as to how Sardar would have reacted to this but his statue is a testimony to the fact that Indian freedom struggle remains an unresolved project.</p>

<p>The imagination of the leaders is marked with &#39;ifs&#39; and &#39;buts&#39; which erupts in different forms in different states. In Gujarat, it is about <em>asmita</em> and their leaders not been given the due honour after they passed away.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Indian political economy has succeeded in enslaving multiple cradles of the Indian civilization. The Narmada, like Ganga, is one amongst many. Whether you tag them as living entities or Goddess, it will not make any difference as people have already decided to have the best of them. A river runs its full course when it meets the sea and we live in the time when the very philosophy and river and sea have been turned upside down.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>

<p>Image Credit: Kartikeya Sharma</p>


Human needs have left the Narmada bereft of its earlier glory, she appears thin, ugly, weak, without vigour and beauty

When you step into the Sardar Sarovar Dam Area, the immensity of the project does not dawn upon you. Only signs are visible. Like, an oil discharge from a steel workshop. The first sign is an emaciated stream masquerading as the mighty Narmada. Later one realises that it is the Narmada. The river looks like someone who has been relieved from a long stay at the concentration camp. The Narmada appears thin, ugly, weak, without vigour and beauty. She looks bereft of royal pomp and grandeur as if both left her ages ago. The Narmada looks like this in a country where she and many other rivers are venerated as divine and associated with rich civilizational heritage. For instance, Ganga and Yamuna- both the rivers recently been accorded the title of living entities. The Narmada river is drained now and it is dying of thirst itself. (Others) × As you approach the project from far, the walls of the dam look straight out from the film Lords of the Ring. My intention is not to make fun of the dam as it provides water to millions of farmers. The dam provides potable water. It solves the daily problem of living. To be fair, Pandit Nehru bestowed sacredness to dams which he referred to as the temples of modern India, an idea rooted in the philosophy of harnessing nature for mankind, stealing its autonomy as well as the lifestyle that developed naturally around the river. In Pictures: The mighty Narmada in dire straits in Gujarat To stand in midst of the solid relief of concrete surrounded by forests is a surreal experience. You can see the Narmada through the two small holes of the dam but you cannot hear her gush nor the breeze associated with free moving water. What you hear is continuous trr trr of massive electricity wires hanging over your heads. View of Narmada river from a vantage point (Others) × You don’t see the turbines nor you hear them, but the enormous electricity, created in the bowels of the mighty structure, is felt through the trr of the wires hanging above your head. The rhythm is occasionally broken by the honking of the cars or visitors who are allowed access to the vantage point. The enormity of the occasion only dawns on you when you stand on top of the dam. It’s like standing on the shoulder of Hercules, holding millions of cusecs of water in his embrace. You see many green submerged tops of erstwhile hills jutting out of the water and making their presence felt. Green submerged tops of erstwhile hills, making their presence felt. (Others) × The water looks blue and clean. Only on the deep side, one realises that dam was built by labour and not Gods. You realise this when you come across swirling ponds of leather chappals at the holding gate of the dam. It belongs to the very labourers who lost their chappals in the water during repair work. These chappals fell inside the deep pits of the Sarovar to gradually accumulate and quietly emerge at the gates of the massive reservoir as a reminder of thousands of nimble and unknown foots who made this quiet giant a reality. Sardar Sarovar Project has helped many as mentioned. It irrigates land and provided water to millions where rainwater is scarce. The Narmada also restores politically contested Gujarati asmita. It also reminds me of much famed Narmada Bachao Aandolan but I cannot recall the debate as politics of the dam has moved away from environmentalism towards disruptive NGOs. I don’t know as to how Sardar would have reacted to this but his statue is a testimony to the fact that Indian freedom struggle remains an unresolved project. × It is remembered with great sorrow that a lot of water was wasted when the Narmada gushed into the ocean freely. I’m being told that today a trickle reaches the sea and the remaining 75 kilometres remain dry with a thread of white running through it. Same is the case with hundreds of rivers. Rivers have become resources to be exploited to the hilt. You have to be there to see the ugly dark, rocky and dry innards of Narmada. On the far end, you see a massive figure jutting into the sky which will become the highest statue in the world. The Sardar’s frame has been built and it's deck for visitors stands higher than the dam. I don’t know as to how Sardar would have reacted to this but his statue is a testimony to the fact that Indian freedom struggle remains an unresolved project. The imagination of the leaders is marked with 'ifs' and 'buts' which erupts in different forms in different states. In Gujarat, it is about asmita and their leaders not been given the due honour after they passed away. Indian political economy has succeeded in enslaving multiple cradles of the Indian civilization. The Narmada, like Ganga, is one amongst many. Whether you tag them as living entities or Goddess, it will not make any difference as people have already decided to have the best of them. A river runs its full course when it meets the sea and we live in the time when the very philosophy and river and sea have been turned upside down. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity). Image Credit: Kartikeya Sharma

Opinion: The Narmada dies a lonely death

<p>Randip Surjewala, Chairman, Congress Media Cell tells WION&#39;s <strong><em>Kartikeya Sharma</em></strong> Rahul Gandhi is a Hindu but BJP wants to polarize the election on the basis of religion and perpetrated a fraud in Somnath Temple. Rahul Gandhi signed the visitor&rsquo;s register and wrote that he was inspired by the spirituality in the Somnath Temple. In a register which was signed by a colleague of ours in the media department for the entry of the journalists, it was used to prove that Rahul Gandhi has converted. Excerpts &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Q: Why is your party in contest in Gujarat this time around?</strong><br />
A: People of Gujarat are fed up with BJP and there is a deep yearning for change. BJP has been high on rhetoric and less on the delivery of promises. We have also changed our strategy. We have fanned out at grass root level and ensured that people from neighbouring states help our party in Gujarat. We also ensured that social media is used effectively and it has worked in our favour this time around.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: If you are so confident, then where is the manifesto? It is being said that party will have to clarify its position on Patidar quota issue?</strong><br />
A: No. Even BJP has not released the manifesto but the outline of our manifesto has been made public by Rahul Gandhi in his speeches. In next 72 hours, we will be releasing the manifesto. The document will not be a manifesto in the traditional sense of the word but a layout of what we intend to do in terms of development.<br />
<strong>&nbsp;<br />
Q: Is there a crisis of leadership in Gujarat as no one leader was projected as the CM candidate?</strong><br />
A: Every state has a different strategy. There are states where we declare CM candidates and there are states we go with collective leadership. We have a young leadership in Gujarat. We will go with our collective leadership in the state. We have to see what are the aspirations of people in the state. BJP didn&rsquo;t portray anyone as a CM candidate in Uttar Pradesh but still won the elections.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: Off </strong><strong>late</strong><strong> the election in Gujarat has become all about </strong><strong>asmita</strong><strong>. Your comments?</strong><br />
A: Gujarati asmita is extremely important. But the question is as to who attacked Gujarati asmita and took away the jobs and good life from people both in urban and rural areas. BJP leadership has been insensitive towards Gujarati people. Look at the way the BJP leadership removed a woman Chief Minister of Gujarat. This conspiracy was hatched by BJP leaders to remove Anandiben Patel as the CM.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: Why did you use the word Janeyudhari Hindu?</strong><br />
A: Rahul Gandhi is a Hindu but BJP wants to polarize the election on the basis of religion. They perpetrated a fraud in Somnath Temple. Rahul Gandhi signed the visitor&rsquo;s register and wrote that he was inspired by the spirituality in the Somnath Temple. In a register which was signed by a colleague of ours in the media department for the entry of the journalists, it was used to prove that Rahul Gandhi has converted.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Q: My question was that why did you use the word Janyeudhari?</strong><br />
A: In our culture, certain rituals require janeyu. It is customary on some occasions but please remember that Rahul Gandhi has said that he respects all religion that his country and his flag is his religion. So, his commitment it to his belief, country and the flag.</p>


Even BJP has not released the manifesto but the outline of our manifesto has been made public by Rahul Gandhi in his speeches.

Randip Surjewala, Chairman, Congress Media Cell tells WION's Kartikeya Sharma Rahul Gandhi is a Hindu but BJP wants to polarize the election on the basis of religion and perpetrated a fraud in Somnath Temple. Rahul Gandhi signed the visitor’s register and wrote that he was inspired by the spirituality in the Somnath Temple. In a register which was signed by a colleague of ours in the media department for the entry of the journalists, it was used to prove that Rahul Gandhi has converted. Excerpts Q: Why is your party in contest in Gujarat this time around? A: People of Gujarat are fed up with BJP and there is a deep yearning for change. BJP has been high on rhetoric and less on the delivery of promises. We have also changed our strategy. We have fanned out at grass root level and ensured that people from neighbouring states help our party in Gujarat. We also ensured that social media is used effectively and it has worked in our favour this time around. Q: If you are so confident, then where is the manifesto? It is being said that party will have to clarify its position on Patidar quota issue? A: No. Even BJP has not released the manifesto but the outline of our manifesto has been made public by Rahul Gandhi in his speeches. In next 72 hours, we will be releasing the manifesto. The document will not be a manifesto in the traditional sense of the word but a layout of what we intend to do in terms of development. Q: Is there a crisis of leadership in Gujarat as no one leader was projected as the CM candidate? A: Every state has a different strategy. There are states where we declare CM candidates and there are states we go with collective leadership. We have a young leadership in Gujarat. We will go with our collective leadership in the state. We have to see what are the aspirations of people in the state. BJP didn’t portray anyone as a CM candidate in Uttar Pradesh but still won the elections. Q: Off late the election in Gujarat has become all about asmita. Your comments? A: Gujarati asmita is extremely important. But the question is as to who attacked Gujarati asmita and took away the jobs and good life from people both in urban and rural areas. BJP leadership has been insensitive towards Gujarati people. Look at the way the BJP leadership removed a woman Chief Minister of Gujarat. This conspiracy was hatched by BJP leaders to remove Anandiben Patel as the CM. Q: Why did you use the word Janeyudhari Hindu? A: Rahul Gandhi is a Hindu but BJP wants to polarize the election on the basis of religion. They perpetrated a fraud in Somnath Temple. Rahul Gandhi signed the visitor’s register and wrote that he was inspired by the spirituality in the Somnath Temple. In a register which was signed by a colleague of ours in the media department for the entry of the journalists, it was used to prove that Rahul Gandhi has converted. Q: My question was that why did you use the word Janyeudhari? A: In our culture, certain rituals require janeyu. It is customary on some occasions but please remember that Rahul Gandhi has said that he respects all religion that his country and his flag is his religion. So, his commitment it to his belief, country and the flag.

There is a deep yearning for change in Gujarat: Randip Surjewala

<p>While addressing a rally in Prachi, Gujarat, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/development-for-us-is-not-about-winning-polls-pm-modi-says-in-gujarat-25423" target="_blank">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> asked Congress &quot;What is it that you have against our army?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Referring to One Rank One Pension(OROP), he said the demand for raising pension for the armed forces was pending for forty long years, obliquely referring to the Congress.</p>

<p>He said the Congress released a &quot;meagre amount of Rs 500 crore when elections were approaching even when the real requirement was a lot more.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He questioned the opposition Congress while posing the question:&quot;Why did successive&nbsp;Congress governments do&nbsp;nothing about that?&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I want to ask the Congress. What is it that you have against our army? The demand for OROP was pending for forty long years. Why did successive Congress governments do nothing about that?: PM Modi in Prachi <a href="https://t.co/oQMt3mQp3P">pic.twitter.com/oQMt3mQp3P</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935788499969515520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Taking a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi&#39;s recent visit to Somnath temple, PM Modi said that India&#39;s&nbsp;first prime minister(Nehru) was not in favour of a temple being built in Somnath.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Somnath Temple in Gujarat <a href="https://t.co/4i4QF0TT8Q">pic.twitter.com/4i4QF0TT8Q</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935786772818038784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>PM Modi said: &quot;Today some people are remembering Somnath, I have to ask them- have you forgotten&nbsp;your history? Your family members, our first PM was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;If there was no Sardar Patel, the temple in Somnath would never have been possible,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>&quot; When Rajendra Prasad was to come to inaugurate the Somnath Temple, Pandit Nehru expressed his displeasure. Sardar Patel dreamt about the Narmada but your family did not let that dream be fulfilled.&quot;</p>

<p>Speaking about Constitutional status for&nbsp;OBC commission, PM Modi said that though Congress seeks to get votes from OBC communities, they didn&#39;t allow OBC Commission to get Constitutional status in all these years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said the move was introduced in the Lok Sabha but was stalled in the Rajya Sabha, where Congress has the majority. He assured to give the OBC community&nbsp;&quot;their due&quot;.</p>

<p>He said: &quot;I want to assure you, Congress may try to put roadblocks, I am committed to ensure their design fail. Parliament is meeting soon and we are going to bring that issue on the floor of the House again. We want to give our OBC communities their due.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Talking about One Rank One Pension, PM Modi said that the demand was pending for forty long years

While addressing a rally in Prachi, Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Congress "What is it that you have against our army?" Referring to One Rank One Pension(OROP), he said the demand for raising pension for the armed forces was pending for forty long years, obliquely referring to the Congress. He said the Congress released a "meagre amount of Rs 500 crore when elections were approaching even when the real requirement was a lot more." He questioned the opposition Congress while posing the question:"Why did successive Congress governments do nothing about that?" I want to ask the Congress. What is it that you have against our army? The demand for OROP was pending for forty long years. Why did successive Congress governments do nothing about that?: PM Modi in Prachi pic.twitter.com/oQMt3mQp3P — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × Taking a dig at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's recent visit to Somnath temple, PM Modi said that India's first prime minister(Nehru) was not in favour of a temple being built in Somnath. Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Somnath Temple in Gujarat pic.twitter.com/4i4QF0TT8Q — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × PM Modi said: "Today some people are remembering Somnath, I have to ask them- have you forgotten your history? Your family members, our first PM was not happy with the idea of a temple being built there." "If there was no Sardar Patel, the temple in Somnath would never have been possible," he added. " When Rajendra Prasad was to come to inaugurate the Somnath Temple, Pandit Nehru expressed his displeasure. Sardar Patel dreamt about the Narmada but your family did not let that dream be fulfilled." Speaking about Constitutional status for OBC commission, PM Modi said that though Congress seeks to get votes from OBC communities, they didn't allow OBC Commission to get Constitutional status in all these years. He said the move was introduced in the Lok Sabha but was stalled in the Rajya Sabha, where Congress has the majority. He assured to give the OBC community "their due". He said: "I want to assure you, Congress may try to put roadblocks, I am committed to ensure their design fail. Parliament is meeting soon and we are going to bring that issue on the floor of the House again. We want to give our OBC communities their due."

'What is it that you have against our army,' PM Modi asks Congress at Gujarat election rally

<p>Gujarat&rsquo;s development model rests primarily on its industrial performance. Industrial output accounts for nearly 40 per cent of state domestic product as compared to an all-India average of around 30 per cent. Correspondingly 16 per cent of the Gujarat workforce is in manufacturing (which is the largest subset of the industrial sector) as compared to an all-India average of 10.5 per cent. This much of the story is well-known.</p>

<p>But can Gujarat&rsquo;s industrial performance be a desirable model for the rest of the country? One way to address this question is to take a closer look at the way this sector has performed in Gujarat compared to the national average over the last few years.</p>

<p>The most commonly used nationally comparable dataset on the organised manufacturing is the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) conducted by the Central Statistics Office, which provides data on employment, value added, and other key variables for the &ldquo;factory sector.&rdquo; Note that, this does not include the vast number of micro and small enterprises that are not required to register under the Factories Act.</p>

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<h5>Indian manufacturing has become more and more capital intensive over the years.</h5>
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<p>Here, I take a brief look at what these data reveal for Gujarat. I am looking at the period from 1983 to 2013, but I also examine if the trends in the past fifteen years are any different from the preceding fifteen. At the national level, ASI data show that Indian manufacturing has become more and more capital intensive over the years.</p>

<p>That is, the number of people employed per rupee of fixed capital used has been falling steadily. This trend has been commented on widely in the economics literature as well as the popular press, in the context of &ldquo;jobless growth&quot;. Together with this rise in capital intensity, and partly as a consequence of it, has come increasing labour productivity and a falling share of value-added going to labour in the form of wages and salaries.</p>

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<h5>Gujarat does not stand out as far as employment generation is concerned and if anything does a bit worse than the national average.</h5>
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<p>The trends for Gujarat are similar to the rest of India. However, some interesting and instructive differences also emerge. First, the general trend towards increasing capital intensity is much sharper for Gujarat compared to the all India average or comparable states like Karnataka. So, while in 1983, 63 jobs were created per rupee of fixed capital, by 2014 this was down to less than 5 jobs.</p>

<p>The comparable numbers for India are 59 and 8, and for Karnataka are 70 and 8. Most of the increase in capital intensity has happened in the 1980s and 1990s, with the trend being relatively flat in the 2000s. This has happened nationally. So, Gujarat does not stand out as far as employment generation is concerned and if anything does a bit worse than the national average.</p>

<p>Second, likely as a result of the increasing capital intensity there has been an increasing divergence of labour productivity on the one hand, and wages and salaries on the other hand. Labour productivity refers to value added per employee. The relationship between productivity and employee wages and salaries tells us how much ordinary people have benefited from increases in productivity.</p>

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<h5>While in 1983, 63 jobs were created per rupee of fixed capital, by 2014 this was down to less than 5 jobs.</h5>
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<p>In the case of Gujarat, adjusting for inflation, annual emoluments (wages and salaries) per person went from ~ INR 47,000 in 1983 to ~ INR 96,000 in 2014 while productivity went from ~ INR 91,000 to ~ INR 750,000 in the same thirty-year period (amounts are in 2004-05 rupee values). That is productivity increased eight-fold while earnings of labour only doubled. This divergence has accelerated over time, particularly during the BJP&rsquo;s tenure.</p>

<p>This divergence between productivity and earnings is observed all over India but is much higher for Gujarat than the national average. Another measure of how much industrial growth and development have benefited ordinary people is the labour share of value-added, i.e. the proportion of value-added accruing to workers in the form of wages and salaries. The nature of changes occurring in the manufacturing sector in India, particularly the increasing capital intensity of production, has meant a steadily falling labour share.</p>

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<h5>In Gujarat while productivity increased eight-fold, earnings of labour only doubled.</h5>
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<p>In Gujarat, the labour share has fallen from 36 per cent in 1982-83 to 18 per cent in 2015. The national average trend is from 40 per cent to 25&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(245, 246, 245);">per cent</span>. For Karnataka, the numbers are 38&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(245, 246, 245);">per cent</span>&nbsp;to 30&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(245, 246, 245);">per cent</span>. This again shows that Gujarat&rsquo;s industrial development has been much more anti-labour than the all-India average.</p>

<p>One possible counter-point is to say that even if the labour share is lower in Gujarat, the level of wages may be higher due to higher productivity. But here too the story is not as clean. In 2014- 2015, the latest year for which data are available, annual emoluments per person employed in Gujarat were INR 229,868 per year (in current rupees) while the national average was INR 221,000 and the Karnataka figure is INR 246,222. So while Gujarat does a little better than the national average, it is by no means a star performer.</p>

<p>Thus, both in terms of job creation, as well as earnings of industrial workers and employees Gujarat, performs either worse than or only slightly better than the national average. At least as far the organised manufacturing sector is concerned, development in Gujarat has benefited capitalists far more than ordinary people.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).</em></p>


Development in Gujarat has benefited capitalists more than common people.

Gujarat’s development model rests primarily on its industrial performance. Industrial output accounts for nearly 40 per cent of state domestic product as compared to an all-India average of around 30 per cent. Correspondingly 16 per cent of the Gujarat workforce is in manufacturing (which is the largest subset of the industrial sector) as compared to an all-India average of 10.5 per cent. This much of the story is well-known. But can Gujarat’s industrial performance be a desirable model for the rest of the country? One way to address this question is to take a closer look at the way this sector has performed in Gujarat compared to the national average over the last few years. The most commonly used nationally comparable dataset on the organised manufacturing is the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) conducted by the Central Statistics Office, which provides data on employment, value added, and other key variables for the “factory sector.” Note that, this does not include the vast number of micro and small enterprises that are not required to register under the Factories Act. Indian manufacturing has become more and more capital intensive over the years. × Here, I take a brief look at what these data reveal for Gujarat. I am looking at the period from 1983 to 2013, but I also examine if the trends in the past fifteen years are any different from the preceding fifteen. At the national level, ASI data show that Indian manufacturing has become more and more capital intensive over the years. That is, the number of people employed per rupee of fixed capital used has been falling steadily. This trend has been commented on widely in the economics literature as well as the popular press, in the context of “jobless growth". Together with this rise in capital intensity, and partly as a consequence of it, has come increasing labour productivity and a falling share of value-added going to labour in the form of wages and salaries. Gujarat does not stand out as far as employment generation is concerned and if anything does a bit worse than the national average. × The trends for Gujarat are similar to the rest of India. However, some interesting and instructive differences also emerge. First, the general trend towards increasing capital intensity is much sharper for Gujarat compared to the all India average or comparable states like Karnataka. So, while in 1983, 63 jobs were created per rupee of fixed capital, by 2014 this was down to less than 5 jobs. The comparable numbers for India are 59 and 8, and for Karnataka are 70 and 8. Most of the increase in capital intensity has happened in the 1980s and 1990s, with the trend being relatively flat in the 2000s. This has happened nationally. So, Gujarat does not stand out as far as employment generation is concerned and if anything does a bit worse than the national average. Second, likely as a result of the increasing capital intensity there has been an increasing divergence of labour productivity on the one hand, and wages and salaries on the other hand. Labour productivity refers to value added per employee. The relationship between productivity and employee wages and salaries tells us how much ordinary people have benefited from increases in productivity. While in 1983, 63 jobs were created per rupee of fixed capital, by 2014 this was down to less than 5 jobs. × In the case of Gujarat, adjusting for inflation, annual emoluments (wages and salaries) per person went from ~ INR 47,000 in 1983 to ~ INR 96,000 in 2014 while productivity went from ~ INR 91,000 to ~ INR 750,000 in the same thirty-year period (amounts are in 2004-05 rupee values). That is productivity increased eight-fold while earnings of labour only doubled. This divergence has accelerated over time, particularly during the BJP’s tenure. This divergence between productivity and earnings is observed all over India but is much higher for Gujarat than the national average. Another measure of how much industrial growth and development have benefited ordinary people is the labour share of value-added, i.e. the proportion of value-added accruing to workers in the form of wages and salaries. The nature of changes occurring in the manufacturing sector in India, particularly the increasing capital intensity of production, has meant a steadily falling labour share. In Gujarat while productivity increased eight-fold, earnings of labour only doubled. × In Gujarat, the labour share has fallen from 36 per cent in 1982-83 to 18 per cent in 2015. The national average trend is from 40 per cent to 25 per cent. For Karnataka, the numbers are 38 per cent to 30 per cent. This again shows that Gujarat’s industrial development has been much more anti-labour than the all-India average. One possible counter-point is to say that even if the labour share is lower in Gujarat, the level of wages may be higher due to higher productivity. But here too the story is not as clean. In 2014- 2015, the latest year for which data are available, annual emoluments per person employed in Gujarat were INR 229,868 per year (in current rupees) while the national average was INR 221,000 and the Karnataka figure is INR 246,222. So while Gujarat does a little better than the national average, it is by no means a star performer. Thus, both in terms of job creation, as well as earnings of industrial workers and employees Gujarat, performs either worse than or only slightly better than the national average. At least as far the organised manufacturing sector is concerned, development in Gujarat has benefited capitalists far more than ordinary people. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Is Gujarat's industrial performance spectacular?

<p>&quot;Those who have looted the country can only think of dacoits,&quot; Prime MInister Narendra said Wednesday in Morbi, Gujarat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi was referring to Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi who had dubbed the GST (Goods and Services Tax) a &quot;Gabbar Singh Tax&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi also took a dig at Rahul&#39;s grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying that when she visited Morbi, he remembered a photograph of her holding a handkerchief over her nose because of the foul smell.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">When Indira Ben came to Morbi,I remember there was a photo of her in Chitralekha Magazine with a hanky over her nose due to the foul smells, but for Jansangh/RSS the streets of Morbi are fragrant,its the fragrance of humanity: PM Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElections2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElections2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/YJasuCNfMS">pic.twitter.com/YJasuCNfMS</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935756110442778624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;But for (the) Jansangh/ RSS, the streets of Morbi are fragrant,&quot; he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;Adding that &quot;it is the fragrance of humanity.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi also talked about development, while continuing to attack the Congress.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the Congress, Modi said, development meant the handing out of water pumps.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;For BJP it is the SAUNI scheme (the Narmada water project for Saurashtra region), where we will fill dams of Saurashtra through huge pipelines,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For Congress, &#39;development&#39; was giving hand pumps. For BJP, it is SAUNI Yojana and large pipelines that carry Narmada waters: PM Modi in Morbi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElections2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElections2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/jmeqFmTByL">pic.twitter.com/jmeqFmTByL</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935758280995074048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&quot;Development for us is not about winning polls,&quot; Modi said. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It is about serving every citizen,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In Gujarat we initiated a mass movement to conserve every drop of water. This is because we understand the adverse impact of lack of water. Development for us is not about winning polls, it is about serving every citizen: PM Modi in Morbi <a href="https://t.co/tAUvYIwvgr">pic.twitter.com/tAUvYIwvgr</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935755246470615043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Modi, who was campaigning in Morbi, Gujarat, also attacked former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

"Those who have looted the country can only think of dacoits," Prime MInister Narendra said Wednesday in Morbi, Gujarat. Modi was referring to Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi who had dubbed the GST (Goods and Services Tax) a "Gabbar Singh Tax". Modi also took a dig at Rahul's grandmother, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying that when she visited Morbi, he remembered a photograph of her holding a handkerchief over her nose because of the foul smell. When Indira Ben came to Morbi,I remember there was a photo of her in Chitralekha Magazine with a hanky over her nose due to the foul smells, but for Jansangh/RSS the streets of Morbi are fragrant,its the fragrance of humanity: PM Modi #GujaratElections2017 pic.twitter.com/YJasuCNfMS — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × "But for (the) Jansangh/ RSS, the streets of Morbi are fragrant," he said. Adding that "it is the fragrance of humanity." Modi also talked about development, while continuing to attack the Congress. For the Congress, Modi said, development meant the handing out of water pumps. "For BJP it is the SAUNI scheme (the Narmada water project for Saurashtra region), where we will fill dams of Saurashtra through huge pipelines," he added. For Congress, 'development' was giving hand pumps. For BJP, it is SAUNI Yojana and large pipelines that carry Narmada waters: PM Modi in Morbi #GujaratElections2017 pic.twitter.com/jmeqFmTByL — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × "Development for us is not about winning polls," Modi said. "It is about serving every citizen," he added. In Gujarat we initiated a mass movement to conserve every drop of water. This is because we understand the adverse impact of lack of water. Development for us is not about winning polls, it is about serving every citizen: PM Modi in Morbi pic.twitter.com/tAUvYIwvgr — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 ×

Gabbar Singh Tax: Modi attacks Rahul Gandhi, says those who looted country can only think of dacoits

<p>&nbsp;A new controversy erupted after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi&#39;s visit to the Somnath temple in Gujarat.</p>

<p>The controversy emerged after a picture was circulated showing Rahul Gandhi&#39;s signature in a register that records&nbsp;the entry of &quot;non-Hindus&quot;&nbsp;in the temple.</p>

<p>The entry was reportedly made by his media coordinator Manoj Tiwari. The name of veteran Congress leader Ahmed Patel was also included in the register, a media report stated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress leader Randeep S Surejwala issued a clarification saying that Rahul Gandhi signed only the visitor&#39;s book.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said: &quot; Rahulji made an entry into the visitor&#39;s book. The signature which is being talked of is different, neither it is Rahul Gandhi nor was the register ever given to him.&quot;</p>

<p>He further said that Rahul Gandhi is not only a Hindu, he is a &quot;janeu&nbsp;dhari&quot; Hindu.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Not only is Rahul Gandhi ji a Hindu, he is a &#39;janeu dhari&#39; Hindu. So BJP should not bring down the political discourse to this level: RS Surjewala,Congress <a href="https://t.co/YY5MKQEKt5">pic.twitter.com/YY5MKQEKt5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935853419016761344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Another Congress leader Deependra Hooda showed a picture of the &quot;original signature&quot; of Rahul Gandhi. He said: &quot;The other signature was written as Rahul Gandhi ji, why would he write ji?&quot;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here is the original signature of Rahul Gandhi at Somnath Temple.Very clearly. The other signature is written as &#39;Rahul Gandhi ji&#39;, why would he write ji? Don&#39;t know who wrote it. BJP doing what it does best, diverting from real issues: Deependra Hooda,Congress <a href="https://t.co/CeRqJnlA6A">pic.twitter.com/CeRqJnlA6A</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935844144483778560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, &quot;For Rahul Gandhi and Congress religion is a matter of convenience and not devotion. Rahul Gandhi must answer this.&quot;</p>

<p>Patra&nbsp;added: &quot;They say this is a conspiracy but we say Congress is a conspiracy. The tip of the iceberg of their conspiracy is visible today. There is no conspiracy by anyone. You are a sinner, sin is yours. Rahul Gandhi must say who he actually is.&quot;</p>

<p>&nbsp;During his last visit to the poll-bound state earlier in November, the Congress leader had visited&nbsp;the Swaminarayan&nbsp;Akshardham&nbsp;temple&nbsp;in Gandhinagar. He had also visited Ambaji&nbsp;temple.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Somnath Temple in Gujarat <a href="https://t.co/4i4QF0TT8Q">pic.twitter.com/4i4QF0TT8Q</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/935786772818038784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The controversy emerged after a picture was circulated showing Rahul Gandhi's signature in a register that records?the entry of non-Hindus?in the temple

A new controversy erupted after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Somnath temple in Gujarat. The controversy emerged after a picture was circulated showing Rahul Gandhi's signature in a register that records the entry of "non-Hindus" in the temple. The entry was reportedly made by his media coordinator Manoj Tiwari. The name of veteran Congress leader Ahmed Patel was also included in the register, a media report stated. Congress leader Randeep S Surejwala issued a clarification saying that Rahul Gandhi signed only the visitor's book. He said: " Rahulji made an entry into the visitor's book. The signature which is being talked of is different, neither it is Rahul Gandhi nor was the register ever given to him." He further said that Rahul Gandhi is not only a Hindu, he is a "janeu dhari" Hindu. Not only is Rahul Gandhi ji a Hindu, he is a 'janeu dhari' Hindu. So BJP should not bring down the political discourse to this level: RS Surjewala,Congress pic.twitter.com/YY5MKQEKt5 — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × Another Congress leader Deependra Hooda showed a picture of the "original signature" of Rahul Gandhi. He said: "The other signature was written as Rahul Gandhi ji, why would he write ji?" Here is the original signature of Rahul Gandhi at Somnath Temple.Very clearly. The other signature is written as 'Rahul Gandhi ji', why would he write ji? Don't know who wrote it. BJP doing what it does best, diverting from real issues: Deependra Hooda,Congress pic.twitter.com/CeRqJnlA6A — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 × Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "For Rahul Gandhi and Congress religion is a matter of convenience and not devotion. Rahul Gandhi must answer this." Patra added: "They say this is a conspiracy but we say Congress is a conspiracy. The tip of the iceberg of their conspiracy is visible today. There is no conspiracy by anyone. You are a sinner, sin is yours. Rahul Gandhi must say who he actually is." During his last visit to the poll-bound state earlier in November, the Congress leader had visited the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar. He had also visited Ambaji temple. Rahul Gandhi offers prayers at Somnath Temple in Gujarat pic.twitter.com/4i4QF0TT8Q — ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2017 ×

Row over Rahul Gandhi's 'religion' after visit to Somnath Temple

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-addresses-myanmars-buddhist-monks-avoids-using-the-term-rohingya-again-25447" target="_blank">Pope Francis addresses Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist monks, avoids using the term &#39;Rohingya&#39; again</a></p>

<p>Pope Francis addressed a gathering<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pope-francis-meets-aung-san-suu-kyi-as-rohingya-crisis-simmers-25346">&nbsp;of Myanmar&#39;s Buddhist monks today&nbsp;</a>and urged them to &quot;surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred&quot;. Pope Francis has avoided using the term &quot;Rohingya&quot; during his visit to Myanmar, following the advice of Vatican insiders who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar&#39;s military and government against minority Christians, Reuters reported.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-ivanka-concludes-india-trip-with-visit-to-golconda-fort-25453" target="_blank">After GES, Ivanka concludes India trip with visit to Golconda Fort</a></p>

<p>Advisor to United States President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ivanka-trump-arrives-in-hyderabad-to-addressing-the-global-entrepreneurship-summit-ges-25300" target="_blank">Ivanka Trump</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday concluded her three-day trip to India by visiting the iconic Golconda Fort. Ivanka, who posed for shutterbugs there, was taken on a guided tour of the fort and was accompanied by India&#39;s Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, and others.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-is-it-that-you-have-against-our-army-pm-modi-asks-congress-25435" target="_blank">&#39;What is it that you have against our army,&#39; PM Modi asks Congress at Gujarat election rally</a></p>

<p>While addressing a rally in Prachi, Gujarat,&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Congress &quot;What is it that you have against our army?&quot;&nbsp;Referring to One Rank One Pension(OROP), he said the demand for raising pension for the armed forces was pending for forty long years, obliquely referring to the Congress.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pervez-musharraf-im-lashkars-biggest-supporter-they-like-me-too-25405" target="_blank">I am Lashkar&#39;s biggest supporter, I know they like me: Pervez Musharraf</a></p>

<p>Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba&#39;s (LeT) &quot;biggest supporter&quot; and that he is aware that they &quot;like&quot; him too.&nbsp;In an interview with Pakistan&#39;s ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of&nbsp;LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the&nbsp;mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bcci-retires-sachin-tendulkars-no-10-jersey-25409" target="_blank">BCCI retires Sachin Tendulkar&#39;s No. 10 jersey</a></p>

<p>The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has &quot;unofficially&quot; retired the No 10 jersey worn by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar all through his One Day International (ODI) career.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Pope Francis addresses Myanmar's Buddhist monks, avoids using the term 'Rohingya' again Pope Francis addressed a gathering of Myanmar's Buddhist monks today and urged them to "surmount all forms of misunderstanding, intolerance, prejudice and hatred". Pope Francis has avoided using the term "Rohingya" during his visit to Myanmar, following the advice of Vatican insiders who feared it could set off a diplomatic incident and turn Myanmar's military and government against minority Christians, Reuters reported. After GES, Ivanka concludes India trip with visit to Golconda Fort Advisor to United States President Donald Trump Ivanka Trump on Wednesday concluded her three-day trip to India by visiting the iconic Golconda Fort. Ivanka, who posed for shutterbugs there, was taken on a guided tour of the fort and was accompanied by India's Ambassador to the United States, Navtej Sarna, and others. 'What is it that you have against our army,' PM Modi asks Congress at Gujarat election rally While addressing a rally in Prachi, Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Congress "What is it that you have against our army?" Referring to One Rank One Pension(OROP), he said the demand for raising pension for the armed forces was pending for forty long years, obliquely referring to the Congress. I am Lashkar's biggest supporter, I know they like me: Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf has said that he is banned terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba's (LeT) "biggest supporter" and that he is aware that they "like" him too. In an interview with Pakistan's ARY News, Musharraf said that he is similarly appreciative of LeT co-founder and the man thought to be the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks Hafiz Saeed. BCCI retires Sachin Tendulkar's No. 10 jersey The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has "unofficially" retired the No 10 jersey worn by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar all through his One Day International (ODI) career.

WION Evening News Brief, November 29, 2017

<p>BJP president Amit Shah has assured of victory in Gujarat Assembly elections. He said the BJP will win with a &quot;full majority in the state&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shah was responding to a question asked by Sudhir Chaudhary, the Editor-in-Chief of Zee at the Zee Conclave &quot;Game of Gujarat&quot;.</p>

<p>Sudhir Chaudhary asked him if the target of 150 seats in Gujarat was a little ambitious, to this Shah said&nbsp;people laughed at him when he said the same in Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand.</p>

<p>He said people use to tell him that no one ever secured more than 47 seats in Uttrakhand till date. His party, however, had achieved the target everywhere, he asserted. He said that there &quot;is a&nbsp;math behind the prediction.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He then talked about the huge mandate with which the BJP achieved&nbsp;in 2014. The BJP president said the party had fought the election under the leadership of Narendra Modi to whom people showered all their love and support as a result BJP won with an absolute&nbsp;majority.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added that this happened three and a half years ago. The country has since then seen many elections but the share of their party had not dropped since then, saying the party had in fact &quot;maintained vote share in all the elections.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said: &quot;If we continue to maintain this record in Gujarat, then the 59 per cent seat will get us&nbsp;165 seats, and the&nbsp;target is a little less than that.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said he had full confidence in every election that was held in Gujarat since 1995.</p>

<p>&quot;The people of Gujarat have blessed the BJP, the people of Gujarat have given us victory.&quot;</p>

<p>Sudhir Chaudhary later questioned the BJP president about the release of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed from the house arrest in Pakistan. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Amit Shah said&nbsp;that for the first time since Independence, people were &quot;celebrating&quot;&nbsp;the release of Hafiz Saeed. He said the &quot;political discourse&quot;&nbsp;had dropped so low and that&nbsp;blame game is spoiling the image of India abroad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Shah referring to Pakistan, said, &quot;under their rule, there was no arrest at all.&quot;</p>

<p>Shah added&nbsp;that the government had raised strong objections to his release and has now decided to take this to every international forum.</p>


Shah was responding to a question asked by Sudhir Chaudhary, the Editor-in-Chief of Zee in Zee Conclave 'Game of Gujarat'

BJP president Amit Shah has assured of victory in Gujarat Assembly elections. He said the BJP will win with a "full majority in the state". Shah was responding to a question asked by Sudhir Chaudhary, the Editor-in-Chief of Zee at the Zee Conclave "Game of Gujarat". Sudhir Chaudhary asked him if the target of 150 seats in Gujarat was a little ambitious, to this Shah said people laughed at him when he said the same in Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttrakhand. He said people use to tell him that no one ever secured more than 47 seats in Uttrakhand till date. His party, however, had achieved the target everywhere, he asserted. He said that there "is a math behind the prediction." He then talked about the huge mandate with which the BJP achieved in 2014. The BJP president said the party had fought the election under the leadership of Narendra Modi to whom people showered all their love and support as a result BJP won with an absolute majority. He added that this happened three and a half years ago. The country has since then seen many elections but the share of their party had not dropped since then, saying the party had in fact "maintained vote share in all the elections." He said: "If we continue to maintain this record in Gujarat, then the 59 per cent seat will get us 165 seats, and the target is a little less than that." He said he had full confidence in every election that was held in Gujarat since 1995. "The people of Gujarat have blessed the BJP, the people of Gujarat have given us victory." Sudhir Chaudhary later questioned the BJP president about the release of LeT chief Hafiz Saeed from the house arrest in Pakistan. Amit Shah said that for the first time since Independence, people were "celebrating" the release of Hafiz Saeed. He said the "political discourse" had dropped so low and that blame game is spoiling the image of India abroad. Shah referring to Pakistan, said, "under their rule, there was no arrest at all." Shah added that the government had raised strong objections to his release and has now decided to take this to every international forum.

BJP will win with full majority in Gujarat: Amit Shah

<p>Development economist and activist John Dreze today said there was &quot;no evidence&quot; that the so-called &quot;Gujarat Model&quot; was a model in any sense, pointing out to the state&#39;s backwardness in social indicators.</p>

<p>&quot;If you look at almost any ranking of development indicators, whether it is social indicators, human development index, child development index, multi-dimensional poverty index and all the standard poverty indexes of the planning commission...Gujarat almost always comes around the middle,&quot; said the noted economist at Times LitFest here.</p>

<p>It was the case much before Narendra Modi became chief minister and it remained the case after that, said Dreze, who helped draft the first version of NREGA (now called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act).</p>

<p>Dreze, who once wrote an article titled &quot;Gujarat Muddle&quot;, recalls that the term, &quot;Gujarat model&quot;, was coined around the time of the last Lok Sabha elections (2014).</p>

<p>He describes the model as a counter-example, because of the disappointing social indicators inspite of the high growth in terms of standard economic indicators.</p>

<p>There is obviously, Dreze believes, something lacking and, in that sense, it can be an illustration of the limitations of relying on private-enterprising growth for development in the larger sense.</p>

<p>Commenting on ratings-agency Moody&#39;s recent upgrade of India&#39;s sovereign-credit rating to &#39;Baa2&#39; from &#39;Baa3&#39;, Dreze says he doubts the credibility of such an index.</p>

<p>&quot;If you dig into the methods behind these indexes, there is very little to them, except that they are taken seriously!&quot;</p>

<p>He also raised concerns about the Aadhaar scheme, fearing that it will create an &quot;infrastructure of surveillance&quot;.</p>

<p>Underlining that his opposition to Aadhaar was not related to welfare programmes, but civil liberties.</p>

<p>&quot;Aadhaar multiplies the power of the state to keep track of everybody over time,&quot; he said, flagging apprehensions that it could lead to stifling of dissent, as a lot of the databases that are going to be linked will be accessible to the government.</p>

<p>Speaking about the recent agitations of Patidars, Jats, and others for reservations, Dreze partly blamed the stagnation of agricultural growth for the unrest.</p>

<p>According to Dreze, the people, who have seen the size of their landholding shrink and with the population explosion in the last few decades, have certainly suffered.</p>

<p>&quot;That probably creates a sense of grievance, which must have translated to some of these movements, but there must be other things also,&quot; he adds.</p>

<p>The &#39;Gujarat Model&#39; has remained the BJP&#39;s favorite example of success in election campaigns over the years. Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, goes to polls on December 9 and 14.&nbsp;</p>


Dreze described the model as a counter-example, because of the disappointing social indicators inspite of high growth

Development economist and activist John Dreze today said there was "no evidence" that the so-called "Gujarat Model" was a model in any sense, pointing out to the state's backwardness in social indicators. "If you look at almost any ranking of development indicators, whether it is social indicators, human development index, child development index, multi-dimensional poverty index and all the standard poverty indexes of the planning commission...Gujarat almost always comes around the middle," said the noted economist at Times LitFest here. It was the case much before Narendra Modi became chief minister and it remained the case after that, said Dreze, who helped draft the first version of NREGA (now called the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). Dreze, who once wrote an article titled "Gujarat Muddle", recalls that the term, "Gujarat model", was coined around the time of the last Lok Sabha elections (2014). He describes the model as a counter-example, because of the disappointing social indicators inspite of the high growth in terms of standard economic indicators. There is obviously, Dreze believes, something lacking and, in that sense, it can be an illustration of the limitations of relying on private-enterprising growth for development in the larger sense. Commenting on ratings-agency Moody's recent upgrade of India's sovereign-credit rating to 'Baa2' from 'Baa3', Dreze says he doubts the credibility of such an index. "If you dig into the methods behind these indexes, there is very little to them, except that they are taken seriously!" He also raised concerns about the Aadhaar scheme, fearing that it will create an "infrastructure of surveillance". Underlining that his opposition to Aadhaar was not related to welfare programmes, but civil liberties. "Aadhaar multiplies the power of the state to keep track of everybody over time," he said, flagging apprehensions that it could lead to stifling of dissent, as a lot of the databases that are going to be linked will be accessible to the government. Speaking about the recent agitations of Patidars, Jats, and others for reservations, Dreze partly blamed the stagnation of agricultural growth for the unrest. According to Dreze, the people, who have seen the size of their landholding shrink and with the population explosion in the last few decades, have certainly suffered. "That probably creates a sense of grievance, which must have translated to some of these movements, but there must be other things also," he adds. The 'Gujarat Model' has remained the BJP's favorite example of success in election campaigns over the years. Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, goes to polls on December 9 and 14.

Economist Jean Dreze punches holes in 'Gujarat Model'

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