<p>Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday made a landmark announcement in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament), that Article 370 of the Constitution - which gives special powers to the state of Jammu and Kashmir - will be revoked.</p>

<p>While Congress and some other parties opposed the move, others stood by the government and offered full support in revoking the controversial provision.</p>

<p>Here are some of the reactions from different political parties:</p>

<p><strong>Home Minister Amit Shah:</strong> We should not waste a minute in revoking Article 370. Under the umbrella of Article 370 three families looted J&amp;K for yrs. Leader of Opposition (GN Azad) said Article 370 connected J&amp;K to India, it's not true. Maharaja Hari Singh signed J&amp;K Instrument of Accession on 27 October 1947, Article 370 came in 1954.</p>

<p><strong>Mehbooba Mufti, PDP (on Twitter):</strong> Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. Decision of Jammu and Kashmir leadership to reject two-nation theory in 1947 and align with India has backfired. Unilateral decision of government of India to scrap Article 370 is illegal and unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in Jammu and Kashmir.</p>

<p><strong>MDMK leader Vaiko:</strong> You have played with the sentiments of people of Kashmir. When additional army personnel were deployed there, I was worried. Kashmir should not become Kosovo, East Timor and South Sudan. I am opposing this Bill (Article 370). This is a day of shame, shame, shame...this is murder of democracy.</p>

<p><strong>A Navaneethakrishnan, AIADMK:</strong> Amma is well known for upholding sovereignty and integrity. So AIADMK party supports the two resolutions, Reorganisation Bill &amp; the Reservation Bill.</p>

<p><strong>Prasanna Acharya, BJD:</strong> In real sense today, Jammu &amp; Kashmir has become a part of India. My party supports this resolution. We are a regional party but for us nation is first.</p>

<p><strong>KC Tyagi, JD(U):</strong> Our chief Nitish Kumar is carrying forward the tradition of JP Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia &amp; George Fernandes. So our party is not supporting the Bill moved in the Rajya Sabha today. We have different thinking. We want that Article 370 should not be revoked.</p>

<p><strong>Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, BJP:</strong> I welcome the Bill on behalf of everyone in Ladakh. People there wanted the region to be a Union Territory. People in Ladakh wanted that the region be freed from the dominance &amp; discrimination of Kashmir, that is happening today.</p>

<p><strong>Satish Chandra Mishra, BSP:</strong> Our party gives complete support. We want that the Bill be passed. Our party is not expressing any opposition to Article 370 Bill &amp; the other Bill.</p>

<p><strong>Sharad Pawar, NCP:</strong> I think Govt of India should have taken them (leaders of the valley) into confidence which unfortunately the govt didn't do. And then they should have taken the decision (to revoke 370).<br />
<br />
<strong>Arvind Kejriwal, AAP:&nbsp;</strong>We support the government on its decisions on J&amp;K. We hope this will bring peace and development in the state.</p>


Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday made a landmark announcement in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament), that Article 370 of the Constitution - which gives special powers to the state of Jammu and Kashmir - will be revoked.

Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday made a landmark announcement in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament), that Article 370 of the Constitution - which gives special powers to the state of Jammu and Kashmir - will be revoked. While Congress and some other parties opposed the move, others stood by the government and offered full support in revoking the controversial provision. Here are some of the reactions from different political parties: Home Minister Amit Shah: We should not waste a minute in revoking Article 370. Under the umbrella of Article 370 three families looted J&K for yrs. Leader of Opposition (GN Azad) said Article 370 connected J&K to India, it's not true. Maharaja Hari Singh signed J&K Instrument of Accession on 27 October 1947, Article 370 came in 1954. Mehbooba Mufti, PDP (on Twitter): Today marks the darkest day in Indian democracy. Decision of Jammu and Kashmir leadership to reject two-nation theory in 1947 and align with India has backfired. Unilateral decision of government of India to scrap Article 370 is illegal and unconstitutional which will make India an occupational force in Jammu and Kashmir. MDMK leader Vaiko: You have played with the sentiments of people of Kashmir. When additional army personnel were deployed there, I was worried. Kashmir should not become Kosovo, East Timor and South Sudan. I am opposing this Bill (Article 370). This is a day of shame, shame, shame...this is murder of democracy. A Navaneethakrishnan, AIADMK: Amma is well known for upholding sovereignty and integrity. So AIADMK party supports the two resolutions, Reorganisation Bill & the Reservation Bill. Prasanna Acharya, BJD: In real sense today, Jammu & Kashmir has become a part of India. My party supports this resolution. We are a regional party but for us nation is first. KC Tyagi, JD(U): Our chief Nitish Kumar is carrying forward the tradition of JP Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia & George Fernandes. So our party is not supporting the Bill moved in the Rajya Sabha today. We have different thinking. We want that Article 370 should not be revoked. Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, BJP: I welcome the Bill on behalf of everyone in Ladakh. People there wanted the region to be a Union Territory. People in Ladakh wanted that the region be freed from the dominance & discrimination of Kashmir, that is happening today. Satish Chandra Mishra, BSP: Our party gives complete support. We want that the Bill be passed. Our party is not expressing any opposition to Article 370 Bill & the other Bill. Sharad Pawar, NCP: I think Govt of India should have taken them (leaders of the valley) into confidence which unfortunately the govt didn't do. And then they should have taken the decision (to revoke 370). Arvind Kejriwal, AAP: We support the government on its decisions on J&K. We hope this will bring peace and development in the state.

How political parties reacted to scrapping of Article 370

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Parliament Library on the second day of 'Abhyas Varga' training programme being organised by the BJP for all its parliamentarians in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.</p>

<p>Modi was accompanied by BJP working president JP Nadda, among others.</p>

<p>On day one of the exercise, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-asks-party-mps-to-take-government-work-to-grassroots-240429">Prime Minister gave lessons</a> to the newly-elected BJP MPs on how to become a successful public representative.</p>

<p>According to those who attended the training being held in the Parliament premises, Modi asked the MPs to remain connected with their well-wishers who had worked for their success in their respective constituencies.</p>

<p>While Modi spoke on how to become an 'efficient MP', Nadda spoke on organisation expansion and party's mantra of 'paanch nishthayen' (that include Rashtriyata (nationalism), democracy, gandhiwadi samajwad (Gandhian socialism), sarvadharm sambhav (religious harmony) and politics guided by morals.</p>

<p>Chosen by the party, the lawmakers -- Bhagwanth Kuba, C R Patil and Sudhir Gupta shared the formula of being a "successful MP".<br />
The trio, under the leadership of Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, shared the stories of implementation of central government schemes in their respective constituencies.</p>

<p>The agenda of the two-day 'Abhyas Varga' training programme is a focused group discussion on 'Situation in West Bengal' and a session that imparts NaMo App training to parliamentarians among other things.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Parliament Library on the second day of 'Abhyas Varga' training programme being organised by the BJP for all its parliamentarians in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Parliament Library on the second day of 'Abhyas Varga' training programme being organised by the BJP for all its parliamentarians in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Modi was accompanied by BJP working president JP Nadda, among others. On day one of the exercise, the Prime Minister gave lessons to the newly-elected BJP MPs on how to become a successful public representative. According to those who attended the training being held in the Parliament premises, Modi asked the MPs to remain connected with their well-wishers who had worked for their success in their respective constituencies. While Modi spoke on how to become an 'efficient MP', Nadda spoke on organisation expansion and party's mantra of 'paanch nishthayen' (that include Rashtriyata (nationalism), democracy, gandhiwadi samajwad (Gandhian socialism), sarvadharm sambhav (religious harmony) and politics guided by morals. Chosen by the party, the lawmakers -- Bhagwanth Kuba, C R Patil and Sudhir Gupta shared the formula of being a "successful MP". The trio, under the leadership of Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, shared the stories of implementation of central government schemes in their respective constituencies. The agenda of the two-day 'Abhyas Varga' training programme is a focused group discussion on 'Situation in West Bengal' and a session that imparts NaMo App training to parliamentarians among other things.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Parliament for second day of training programme

<p>Tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir have the potential to blow up into a regional crisis and it is the right time for US President Donald Trump to mediate, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday.</p>

<p>"President Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir. This is the time to do so as the situation deteriorates there and along the LOC (line of control) with new aggressive actions being taken by Indian occupation forces," Khan said on Twitter.</p>

<p>The latest statement came days after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-army-tells-pakistan-to-receive-the-bodies-of-slain-army-regulars-terrorists-240534">Indian Army foiled an infiltration attempt</a> by Pakistani Border Action Team&nbsp;in Jammu and Kashmir's Keran Sector while eliminating five-seven Pakistani Army regulars and terrorists.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">President Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir. This is the time to do so as situation deteriorates there and along the LOC with new aggressive actions being taken by Indian occupation forces. This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis.</p>
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1157963122981920768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>"This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis," Khan said.</p>

<p>India accuses Pakistan of funding armed terrorists, as well as separatist groups in Kashmir. Islamabad denies any wrongdoing, saying it provides only diplomatic and moral support to a separatist movement.</p>

<p>In July, Trump told reporters that&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him during a meeting in Japan if he would like to be a mediator on Kashmir. India denied that Modi ever asked for any mediation.</p>

<p>Tensions have been high in the Kashmir region since Friday when the&nbsp;government issued an alert over possible terrorist attacks by Pakistan-based groups.</p>

<p>Pakistan has rejected those assertions, but thousands of Indian tourists, pilgrims and workers have left the region in panic.</p>

<p>India on Saturday said it had killed at least five Pakistan-based militants who tried to attack its forces, an allegation Pakistan denied.</p>


Tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir have the potential to blow up into a regional crisis and it is the right time for US President Donald Trump to mediate, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday.

Tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir have the potential to blow up into a regional crisis and it is the right time for US President Donald Trump to mediate, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday. "President Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir. This is the time to do so as the situation deteriorates there and along the LOC (line of control) with new aggressive actions being taken by Indian occupation forces," Khan said on Twitter. The latest statement came days after the Indian Army foiled an infiltration attempt by Pakistani Border Action Team in Jammu and Kashmir's Keran Sector while eliminating five-seven Pakistani Army regulars and terrorists. President Trump offered to mediate on Kashmir. This is the time to do so as situation deteriorates there and along the LOC with new aggressive actions being taken by Indian occupation forces. This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 4, 2019 × "This has the potential to blow up into a regional crisis," Khan said. India accuses Pakistan of funding armed terrorists, as well as separatist groups in Kashmir. Islamabad denies any wrongdoing, saying it provides only diplomatic and moral support to a separatist movement. In July, Trump told reporters that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked him during a meeting in Japan if he would like to be a mediator on Kashmir. India denied that Modi ever asked for any mediation. Tensions have been high in the Kashmir region since Friday when the government issued an alert over possible terrorist attacks by Pakistan-based groups. Pakistan has rejected those assertions, but thousands of Indian tourists, pilgrims and workers have left the region in panic. India on Saturday said it had killed at least five Pakistan-based militants who tried to attack its forces, an allegation Pakistan denied.

Right time for Donald Trump mediation on Kashmir as situation deteriorates: Pakistan PM Imran Khan

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon newly-elected BJP MPs to take the work done by the government to the grassroots and said that they should increase their involvement in social activities as it will improve their connect with people.</p>

<p>He made the remarks at the inaugural event of the two-day orientation programme for BJP MPs.</p>

<p>Sources said Modi told the MPs to remain in touch with ministers to get a better idea of government schemes.</p>

<p>Modi sat among the MPs after his brief introductory remarks. He is expected to make his concluding remarks on Sunday.Sources said that BJP working president J P Nadda spoke on 'Hamara Vichar Aur Naye Bharat Ki Sankalpna'&nbsp;(Our thoughts and vision to build a New India) and spoke in detail about government schemes and their string linkage with masses.</p>

<p>He said the effort should be to see that the benefits reach all the intended beneficiaries.</p>

<p>The party's general secretary Bhupender Yadav briefed the MPs about the parliamentary procedures and practices and urged members to make the best use of their time in Parliament.</p>

<p>Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal spoke on how the members can make the best use of MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon newly-elected BJP MPs to take the work done by the government to the grassroots and said that they should increase their involvement in social activities as it will improve their connect with people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon newly-elected BJP MPs to take the work done by the government to the grassroots and said that they should increase their involvement in social activities as it will improve their connect with people. He made the remarks at the inaugural event of the two-day orientation programme for BJP MPs. Sources said Modi told the MPs to remain in touch with ministers to get a better idea of government schemes. Modi sat among the MPs after his brief introductory remarks. He is expected to make his concluding remarks on Sunday.Sources said that BJP working president J P Nadda spoke on 'Hamara Vichar Aur Naye Bharat Ki Sankalpna' (Our thoughts and vision to build a New India) and spoke in detail about government schemes and their string linkage with masses. He said the effort should be to see that the benefits reach all the intended beneficiaries. The party's general secretary Bhupender Yadav briefed the MPs about the parliamentary procedures and practices and urged members to make the best use of their time in Parliament. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal spoke on how the members can make the best use of MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).

PM Modi asks party MPs to take government work to grassroots

<p>Buoyed by the sweeping victory of the BJP in the Tripura panchayat elections, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/narendra-modi-20-would-propel-affordable-housing-in-india-224832">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Friday lauded efforts of the local party unit in making BJP formidable.</p>

<p>"Tripura`s faith in @BJP4India remains unwavering! I thank the people of the state for blessing the party in the Panchayat Elections across the state. The transformative work in Tripura`s rural areas is positively impacting many lives. Kudos to the local unit for the hard work!" Modi tweeted in response to Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb`s tweet announcing Panchayat poll results.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Prime Minister also appealed to BJP workers from other states to interact with their counterparts in Tripura.</p>

<p>"I would urge @BJP4India Karyakartas from other states to interact with Karyakartas from Tripura. The Party's repeated successes in the state demonstrate the power of development politics and democratic temperament. It also shows that with the right effort, everything is possible," Modi said in his subsequent tweet.</p>

<p>BJP swept the three-tier Panchayat polls in Tripura, results of which were announced on Thursday.</p>

<p>In Zilla Parishad, the party won 114 out of the 116 seats that went to polls in eight districts, the Chief Minister said.</p>

<p>"The figures say it all. In Zilla Parishad Out of total 116 seats in 8 districts #BJP has won 114. In Panchayat Samiti out of total 419 seats in 35 blocks #BJP has won 411. In Gram Panchayats out of total 6111 seats in 591 Panchayats #BJP has won 5916 #BJPVictory" read Biplab`s tweet.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Buoyed by the sweeping victory of the BJP in the Tripura panchayat elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded efforts of the local party unit in making BJP formidable.

Buoyed by the sweeping victory of the BJP in the Tripura panchayat elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded efforts of the local party unit in making BJP formidable. "Tripura`s faith in @BJP4India remains unwavering! I thank the people of the state for blessing the party in the Panchayat Elections across the state. The transformative work in Tripura`s rural areas is positively impacting many lives. Kudos to the local unit for the hard work!" Modi tweeted in response to Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb`s tweet announcing Panchayat poll results. The Prime Minister also appealed to BJP workers from other states to interact with their counterparts in Tripura. "I would urge @BJP4India Karyakartas from other states to interact with Karyakartas from Tripura. The Party's repeated successes in the state demonstrate the power of development politics and democratic temperament. It also shows that with the right effort, everything is possible," Modi said in his subsequent tweet. BJP swept the three-tier Panchayat polls in Tripura, results of which were announced on Thursday. In Zilla Parishad, the party won 114 out of the 116 seats that went to polls in eight districts, the Chief Minister said. "The figures say it all. In Zilla Parishad Out of total 116 seats in 8 districts #BJP has won 114. In Panchayat Samiti out of total 419 seats in 35 blocks #BJP has won 411. In Gram Panchayats out of total 6111 seats in 591 Panchayats #BJP has won 5916 #BJPVictory" read Biplab`s tweet.

PM Modi lauds efforts of Tripura BJP unit post panchayat poll victory

<p>External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Bejing this month to prepare for the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in India later this year.</p>

<p>Jaishankar is the first Indian minister to visit China after the Narendra Modi government came to power for a second consecutive term.</p>

<p>Jaishankar is expected to hold a wide range of talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to finalise XI Jinping's visit to India. According to reports, they would also address the 4th India-China Media Summit Forum on August 12.</p>

<p>Modi and Xi had met in Wuhan in April, 2018 for their first informal summit in order to deepen bilateral cooperation.</p>

<p>The External Affairs Minister is currently in Thailand to attend a host of engagements. Earlier on Friday, he participated at the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting (EAS FMM).<br />
<br />
On Thursday, Jaishankar addressed ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting and Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting and met 10 of his counterparts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking about connectivity, he said, "India seeks greater connect with the ASEAN region. We envision connectivity within the region in very broad terms including physical, economic and political and close contact at people to people level."</p>

<p>"The historic, cultural, economic political that have existed between India and ASEAN region are the stepping stones to achieve the vision of a more connected India and ASEAN region and a closer partnership," he added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Bejing this month to prepare for the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in India later this year.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit Bejing this month to prepare for the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in India later this year. Jaishankar is the first Indian minister to visit China after the Narendra Modi government came to power for a second consecutive term. Jaishankar is expected to hold a wide range of talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to finalise XI Jinping's visit to India. According to reports, they would also address the 4th India-China Media Summit Forum on August 12. Modi and Xi had met in Wuhan in April, 2018 for their first informal summit in order to deepen bilateral cooperation. The External Affairs Minister is currently in Thailand to attend a host of engagements. Earlier on Friday, he participated at the 9th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting (EAS FMM). On Thursday, Jaishankar addressed ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting and Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Ministerial Meeting and met 10 of his counterparts. Talking about connectivity, he said, "India seeks greater connect with the ASEAN region. We envision connectivity within the region in very broad terms including physical, economic and political and close contact at people to people level." "The historic, cultural, economic political that have existed between India and ASEAN region are the stepping stones to achieve the vision of a more connected India and ASEAN region and a closer partnership," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

S Jaishankar to visit Beijing to prepare for PM Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping second informal summit

MS Dhoni sets out to discharge his duties as lieutenant colonel in territorial army in J&K

<p>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tweet acknowledging the coverage of Israeli election by WION has been appreciated by Twitter users.</p>

<p>Many users congratulated WION for its coverage and others appreciated the fact the the hard work is "finally being recognised".</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Way to go <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/palkisu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@palkisu</a>!<br />
Making an impact with news from India's perspective!<br />
Just what one would hope for watching the western propaganda machinery in the 90s!</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wow. What a moment for <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIONews</a> Congratulations 😊</p>
— Kedar Kulkarni (@kedardk) <a href="https://twitter.com/kedardk/status/1156153330554421250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Omg! What a big moment for wion! Finally the hardwork, is being recognised by world leaders! Kudos. 😊</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Always a pleasure to watch you 🙏</p>
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<p>Netanyahu on Tuesday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-in-israel-election-campaign-benjamin-netanyahu-tweets-wion-video-239468">tweeted WION's video</a> on the election campaign in Israel. The story which aired on WION's prime time show Gravitas, talked about how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is integral to the Israeli Prime Minister's election campaign.</p>

<p>"The media in India reports about the personal friendship and tremendous relationship between me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Netanyahu said in his tweet written originally in Hebrew.</p>

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— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1156140229033680896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Israel will be holding elections on September 17 after no party was able to get majority or cobble up a coalition in April elections.</p>

<p>With its focus on global news, WION has presented unbiased coverage of the biggest news stories world over. the channel has been instrumental in giving its users the coverage on Israeli elections. The viewers have appreciated WION's focus and the way it presents news.</p>

<p>WION is available in nearly 30 countries.</p>

<p><strong>Watch the full video</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-star-campaigner-in-israel-too-modi-in-netanyahus-campaign-239316/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his election victory in the Lok Sabha elections in May this year. Lauding PM Modi's mandate he said, "the election results further reaffirm your leadership of the world's largest democracy."</p>

<p>Netanyahu is expected to visit India on September 9. He had visited India in January 2018 to commemorate 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties with India.</p>


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tweet acknowledging the coverage of Israeli election by WION has been appreciated by Twitter users. Many users congratulated WION for its coverage and others appreciated the fact the the hard work is "finally being recognised".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tweet acknowledging the coverage of Israeli election by WION has been appreciated by Twitter users. Many users congratulated WION for its coverage and others appreciated the fact the the hard work is "finally being recognised". Way to go @WIONews @palkisu! Making an impact with news from India's perspective! Just what one would hope for watching the western propaganda machinery in the 90s! — DeeBee (@tweetofdb) July 30, 2019 × Wow. What a moment for @WIONews Congratulations 😊 — Kedar Kulkarni (@kedardk) July 30, 2019 × Omg! What a big moment for wion! Finally the hardwork, is being recognised by world leaders! Kudos. 😊 — अभियंता आरूँध चौहान (@AarundhChauhan) July 30, 2019 × Always a pleasure to watch you 🙏 — Rajkishore Dutta (@RajkishoreDutt1) July 30, 2019 × Netanyahu on Tuesday tweeted WION's video on the election campaign in Israel. The story which aired on WION's prime time show Gravitas, talked about how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is integral to the Israeli Prime Minister's election campaign. "The media in India reports about the personal friendship and tremendous relationship between me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Netanyahu said in his tweet written originally in Hebrew. התקשורת בהודו מדווחת במהדורות החדשות על החברות האישית והיחסים האדירים ביני לבין ראש ממשלת הודו נרנדרה מודי 🇮🇱🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/sNQCGUIni2 — Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) July 30, 2019 × Israel will be holding elections on September 17 after no party was able to get majority or cobble up a coalition in April elections. With its focus on global news, WION has presented unbiased coverage of the biggest news stories world over. the channel has been instrumental in giving its users the coverage on Israeli elections. The viewers have appreciated WION's focus and the way it presents news. WION is available in nearly 30 countries. Watch the full video Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his election victory in the Lok Sabha elections in May this year. Lauding PM Modi's mandate he said, "the election results further reaffirm your leadership of the world's largest democracy." Netanyahu is expected to visit India on September 9. He had visited India in January 2018 to commemorate 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties with India.

Benjamin Netanyahu tweets a WION story, twitterati cheers

<p>Union Minister Amit Shah will hold a meeting on Jammu and Kashmir with other senior BJP leaders on Tuesday.</p>

<p>BJP Working President JP Nadda, General Secretary BL Santosh, Jammu and Kashmir party President and Deputy Chief Minister Ravinder Rana and Kavinder Gupta will attend the meeting.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to join the meeting.</p>

<p>Earlier today, PM Modi, Shah, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State (MoS) for Water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal arrived at the Parliament for the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting.&nbsp;</p>


Union Minister Amit Shah will hold a meeting on Jammu and Kashmir with other senior BJP leaders on Tuesday. BJP Working President JP Nadda, General Secretary BL Santosh, Jammu and Kashmir party President and Deputy Chief Minister Ravinder Rana and Kavinder Gupta will attend the meeting.

Union Minister Amit Shah will hold a meeting on Jammu and Kashmir with other senior BJP leaders on Tuesday. BJP Working President JP Nadda, General Secretary BL Santosh, Jammu and Kashmir party President and Deputy Chief Minister Ravinder Rana and Kavinder Gupta will attend the meeting. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to join the meeting. Earlier today, PM Modi, Shah, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi and Minister of State (MoS) for Water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal arrived at the Parliament for the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting.

Home minister Amit Shah to hold meeting on Jammu and Kashmir today

<p>Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday tweeted WION's video on the election campaign in Israel. The story which aired on WION's prime time show Gravitas, talked about how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is integral to the Israeli Prime Minister's election campaign.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
"The media in India reports about the personal friendship and tremendous relationship between me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Netanyahu said in his tweet written originally in Hebrew.</p>

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<p dir="rtl" lang="iw">התקשורת בהודו מדווחת במהדורות החדשות על החברות האישית והיחסים האדירים ביני לבין ראש ממשלת הודו נרנדרה מודי 🇮🇱🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/sNQCGUIni2">pic.twitter.com/sNQCGUIni2</a></p>
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1156140229033680896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Israel will be holding elections on September 17 after no party was able to get majority or cobble up a coalition in April elections.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
PM Modi has been featured in Netanyahu's election campaign. Netanyahu's Likud party has in a campaign video shown clips of PM Modi along with Netanyahu. The clips are from PM Modi's visit to Isreal in 2017, the first standalone visit by any Indian Prime Minister to the West Asian country.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Star campaigner in Israel too - Modi in Netanyahu's campaign</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-star-campaigner-in-israel-too-modi-in-netanyahus-campaign-239316/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The video shows PM Modi being welcomed at the airport in Israel as well as various moments of his trip to Israel. The beach stroll by both the leaders at Haifa's beach to see a demonstration of the mobile desalination unit became one of the highlights of Modi's visit.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his election victory in the Lok Sabha elections in May this year. Lauding PM Modi's mandate he said, "the election results further reaffirm your leadership of the world's largest democracy."<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Netanyahu is expected to visit India on September 9. He had visited India in January 2018 to commemorate 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties with India.</p>


Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday tweeted WION's video on the election campaign in Israel. The story which aired on WION's prime time show Gravitas, talked about how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is integral to the Israeli Prime Minister's election campaign.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday tweeted WION's video on the election campaign in Israel. The story which aired on WION's prime time show Gravitas, talked about how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is integral to the Israeli Prime Minister's election campaign. "The media in India reports about the personal friendship and tremendous relationship between me and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Netanyahu said in his tweet written originally in Hebrew. התקשורת בהודו מדווחת במהדורות החדשות על החברות האישית והיחסים האדירים ביני לבין ראש ממשלת הודו נרנדרה מודי 🇮🇱🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/sNQCGUIni2 — Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) July 30, 2019 × Israel will be holding elections on September 17 after no party was able to get majority or cobble up a coalition in April elections. PM Modi has been featured in Netanyahu's election campaign. Netanyahu's Likud party has in a campaign video shown clips of PM Modi along with Netanyahu. The clips are from PM Modi's visit to Isreal in 2017, the first standalone visit by any Indian Prime Minister to the West Asian country. Watch: Star campaigner in Israel too - Modi in Netanyahu's campaign The video shows PM Modi being welcomed at the airport in Israel as well as various moments of his trip to Israel. The beach stroll by both the leaders at Haifa's beach to see a demonstration of the mobile desalination unit became one of the highlights of Modi's visit. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his election victory in the Lok Sabha elections in May this year. Lauding PM Modi's mandate he said, "the election results further reaffirm your leadership of the world's largest democracy." Netanyahu is expected to visit India on September 9. He had visited India in January 2018 to commemorate 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties with India.

PM Modi in Israel election campaign: Benjamin Netanyahu tweets WION video

Chandrayaan-2: What Lander 'Vikram' & Rover 'Pragyan' plan to find on the Moon

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bhutan on a two-day visit starting August 17. This will be his first visit to Bhutan since the Doklam crisis in 2017. The crisis saw a two-month-long standoff between Indian and Chinese forces in Doklam which is claimed by Beijing but is part of Bhutan.</p>

<p>New Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering was on a state visit to India in December of 2018. He returned to Delhi in May to take part in the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi at Rashtrapati Bhawan along with other leaders of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Bhutan, his first visit abroad after taking charge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Hydro-power sector is one of the main pillars of India-Bhutan ties with New Delhi building three power projects in the country. Bhutan exports three-fourth of power generated, which is in surplus, to India and uses the rest for domestic consumption.</p>

<p>Bhutan was the first foreign visit of PM Modi after taking charge in 2014. During that visit, he addressed the joint session of Bhutanese Parliament, laid the foundation stone of the 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydropower Project and inaugurated the Supreme Court building which was constructed with Government of India's assistance.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bhutan on a two-day visit starting August 17. This will be his first visit to Bhutan since the Doklam crisis in 2017. The crisis saw a two-month-long standoff between Indian and Chinese forces in Doklam which is claimed by Beijing but is part of Bhutan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Bhutan on a two-day visit starting August 17. This will be his first visit to Bhutan since the Doklam crisis in 2017. The crisis saw a two-month-long standoff between Indian and Chinese forces in Doklam which is claimed by Beijing but is part of Bhutan. New Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering was on a state visit to India in December of 2018. He returned to Delhi in May to take part in the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi at Rashtrapati Bhawan along with other leaders of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Bhutan, his first visit abroad after taking charge. Hydro-power sector is one of the main pillars of India-Bhutan ties with New Delhi building three power projects in the country. Bhutan exports three-fourth of power generated, which is in surplus, to India and uses the rest for domestic consumption. Bhutan was the first foreign visit of PM Modi after taking charge in 2014. During that visit, he addressed the joint session of Bhutanese Parliament, laid the foundation stone of the 600 MW Kholongchhu Hydropower Project and inaugurated the Supreme Court building which was constructed with Government of India's assistance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Bhutan on August 17-18

<p>Members of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have mounted protests that have paralysed production at one of India's biggest coalfields following a deadly accident last week.</p>

<p>The BJP workers have been staging sit-down protests and waving flags at state-run <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/four-feared-dead-after-landslide-in-state-run-coal-mine-in-odisha-238096">Coal India Ltd's mines in Odisha</a>, demanding a safety audit of all mines in the region.</p>

<p>Rescue officials said they have recovered the bodies of three workers who were trapped inside the mine in Odisha's Angul district after a landslide on Tuesday, and are trying to recover another body from inside the mine.</p>

<p>Kalandi Samal, a local BJP leader who is leading the protests, said the demonstrations will continue until authorities ensure safety measures to prevent such tragedies and ensure adequate compensation to the victims.</p>

<p>"We demand specific guidelines on safety audits of mines," Samal said.</p>

<p>Production at Odisha state's Talcher coalfields, which account for at least an eighth of Coal India's annual production, has not resumed after the accident, said Dikken Mehra, a spokesman for Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, a unit of Coal India.</p>

<p>State-run Coal India has a near monopoly on the coal industry in India, producing more than four-fifths of the country's coal output.</p>

<p>"The forced stoppage of all the mines at Talcher has resulted in a cumulative loss of 842,000 tonnes of coal production," Mehra told Reuters, adding that the company has suffered a loss of about 856.8 million rupees ($12.43 million).</p>

<p>Though deaths at coal mines in India have come down over time, it remains one of the most dangerous countries to be a coal miner, with one worker dying every seven days on average in state-run mines in 2018.</p>

<p>In addition, thousands of workers, including children, have been killed in illegal rat-hole mines that are notorious for their poor safety record, with many accidents going unreported.</p>

<p>"We are in talks with all the stakeholders to resolve the issues as soon as possible," Mehra said, without divulging details on the timeframe for resumption of production.</p>

<p>Coal India is trying to divert supplies from elsewhere to ensure coal availability at utilities and companies that normally rely on the Odisha coalfields.</p>

<p>Those entities include state-owned NTPC Ltd, India's biggest electricity generator, as well as the state-owned National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO).</p>

<p>"Production will be affected if the mines remain shut for more days," said Tapan Kumar Chand, chairman of NALCO.</p>


Members of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have mounted protests that have paralysed production at one of India's biggest coalfields following a deadly accident last week.

Members of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have mounted protests that have paralysed production at one of India's biggest coalfields following a deadly accident last week. The BJP workers have been staging sit-down protests and waving flags at state-run Coal India Ltd's mines in Odisha, demanding a safety audit of all mines in the region. Rescue officials said they have recovered the bodies of three workers who were trapped inside the mine in Odisha's Angul district after a landslide on Tuesday, and are trying to recover another body from inside the mine. Kalandi Samal, a local BJP leader who is leading the protests, said the demonstrations will continue until authorities ensure safety measures to prevent such tragedies and ensure adequate compensation to the victims. "We demand specific guidelines on safety audits of mines," Samal said. Production at Odisha state's Talcher coalfields, which account for at least an eighth of Coal India's annual production, has not resumed after the accident, said Dikken Mehra, a spokesman for Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd, a unit of Coal India. State-run Coal India has a near monopoly on the coal industry in India, producing more than four-fifths of the country's coal output. "The forced stoppage of all the mines at Talcher has resulted in a cumulative loss of 842,000 tonnes of coal production," Mehra told Reuters, adding that the company has suffered a loss of about 856.8 million rupees ($12.43 million). Though deaths at coal mines in India have come down over time, it remains one of the most dangerous countries to be a coal miner, with one worker dying every seven days on average in state-run mines in 2018. In addition, thousands of workers, including children, have been killed in illegal rat-hole mines that are notorious for their poor safety record, with many accidents going unreported. "We are in talks with all the stakeholders to resolve the issues as soon as possible," Mehra said, without divulging details on the timeframe for resumption of production. Coal India is trying to divert supplies from elsewhere to ensure coal availability at utilities and companies that normally rely on the Odisha coalfields. Those entities include state-owned NTPC Ltd, India's biggest electricity generator, as well as the state-owned National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO). "Production will be affected if the mines remain shut for more days," said Tapan Kumar Chand, chairman of NALCO.

Protests over worker deaths paralyse production at some Coal India mines

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mann-ki-baat-chandrayaan-2-is-indian-in-heart-and-spirit-says-pm-modi-238958">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> has been featured in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-prime-minister-blasts-european-union-for-trying-to-save-iran-nuclear-deal-236278">Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu</a>'s election campaign. Netanyahu's party, Likud party, has in a campaign video shown clips of PM Modi along with Netanyahu. The clips are from PM Modi's visit to Isreal in 2017, the first standalone visit by any Indian Prime Minister to the West Asian country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The video shows PM Modi being welcomed at the airport in Israel as well as various moments of his trip to Israel. Remember, the beach stroll by both the leaders at Haifa's beach to see a demonstration of the mobile desalination unit became one of the highlights of Modi's visit. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The two other leaders in the video include Rusian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PM Modi in Israeli Election campaign! Benjamin Netanyahu's <a href="https://twitter.com/Likud_Party?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Likud_Party</a> party shows pictures of PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> along with <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@netanyahu</a> in the election campaign video. <a href="https://t.co/yqRpDP36BC">pic.twitter.com/yqRpDP36BC</a></p>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1155491801496576001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>It is also interesting to note, the headquarters of Likud party has a large picture of Netanyahu with PM Modi. On the other sides are the installations of gigantic posters of Netanyahu with Trump and Putin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is perhaps for the first time when an Indian PM's pictures have been used in a foreign election campaign, particularly in West Asia.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Full Video of Likud party on Election campaign: Along with PM Modi, Other 2 foreign leaders in the campaign include Trump and Putin. This is perhaps for the first time Indian PMs pictures being used in a foreign election campaign. <a href="https://t.co/yjZmqrmgSu">pic.twitter.com/yjZmqrmgSu</a></p>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1155492940258537472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Isreal will be holding elections on September 17 after no party was able to get majority or cobble up a coalition in April elections.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his election victory in the Lok Sabha elections that were conducted in May this year. Lauding PM Modi's mandate he said, "the election results further reaffirm your leadership of the world's largest democracy."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Netanyahu is expected to visit India on September 9. He had visited India in January 2018 to commemorate 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties with India.&nbsp;</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been featured in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign. Netanyahu's party, Likud party, has in a campaign video shown clips of PM Modi along with Netanyahu.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been featured in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign. Netanyahu's party, Likud party, has in a campaign video shown clips of PM Modi along with Netanyahu. The clips are from PM Modi's visit to Isreal in 2017, the first standalone visit by any Indian Prime Minister to the West Asian country. The video shows PM Modi being welcomed at the airport in Israel as well as various moments of his trip to Israel. Remember, the beach stroll by both the leaders at Haifa's beach to see a demonstration of the mobile desalination unit became one of the highlights of Modi's visit. The two other leaders in the video include Rusian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. PM Modi in Israeli Election campaign! Benjamin Netanyahu's @Likud_Party party shows pictures of PM @narendramodi along with @netanyahu in the election campaign video. pic.twitter.com/yqRpDP36BC — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) July 28, 2019 × It is also interesting to note, the headquarters of Likud party has a large picture of Netanyahu with PM Modi. On the other sides are the installations of gigantic posters of Netanyahu with Trump and Putin. This is perhaps for the first time when an Indian PM's pictures have been used in a foreign election campaign, particularly in West Asia. Full Video of Likud party on Election campaign: Along with PM Modi, Other 2 foreign leaders in the campaign include Trump and Putin. This is perhaps for the first time Indian PMs pictures being used in a foreign election campaign. pic.twitter.com/yjZmqrmgSu — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) July 28, 2019 × Isreal will be holding elections on September 17 after no party was able to get majority or cobble up a coalition in April elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of the first leaders to congratulate Modi after his election victory in the Lok Sabha elections that were conducted in May this year. Lauding PM Modi's mandate he said, "the election results further reaffirm your leadership of the world's largest democracy." Netanyahu is expected to visit India on September 9. He had visited India in January 2018 to commemorate 25 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties with India.

PM Modi features in Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's election campaign

<p>Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Modi government during its first term laid down the foundation in order to make India a $5 trillion economy.</p>

<p>"The PM (Narendra Modi) said India will be made a $5 trillion economy. Remarks were made by people. But I'd like to say that between 2014-2019, the central government completed the work of laying down a foundation for this," said Shah, during UP Government's second groundbreaking ceremony of projects.</p>

<p>Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech early this month, had announced that the government envisioned to make India a $5 trillion economy.</p>

<p>Targeting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Shah said that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government failed to improve the Indian economy.</p>

<p>"When Atal Bihari Vajpayee government lost in 2004, We were 11th largest economy in the world. Then UPA government took over and for 10 years there was no growth in the ranking," he said.</p>

<p>"But in the last five years, we jumped from 11th biggest economy to sixth-largest economy," he added.</p>

<p>He also praised UP Government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for its development works.</p>

<p>"It is a matter of great pleasure and shock to me that in just three years Adityanath has contributed a lot for the development of the state," he added.</p>

<p>"At that time the only thought of Narendra Modi and me, as party president, was that someone who is determined and capable of hard work will adapt to all situations. So we handed over UP`s future in hands of Yogi ji. That decision was proven right by him," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Modi government during its first term laid down the foundation in order to make India a $5 trillion economy. "The PM (Narendra Modi) said India will be made a $5 trillion economy.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Modi government during its first term laid down the foundation in order to make India a $5 trillion economy. "The PM (Narendra Modi) said India will be made a $5 trillion economy. Remarks were made by people. But I'd like to say that between 2014-2019, the central government completed the work of laying down a foundation for this," said Shah, during UP Government's second groundbreaking ceremony of projects. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech early this month, had announced that the government envisioned to make India a $5 trillion economy. Targeting the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, Shah said that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government failed to improve the Indian economy. "When Atal Bihari Vajpayee government lost in 2004, We were 11th largest economy in the world. Then UPA government took over and for 10 years there was no growth in the ranking," he said. "But in the last five years, we jumped from 11th biggest economy to sixth-largest economy," he added. He also praised UP Government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for its development works. "It is a matter of great pleasure and shock to me that in just three years Adityanath has contributed a lot for the development of the state," he added. "At that time the only thought of Narendra Modi and me, as party president, was that someone who is determined and capable of hard work will adapt to all situations. So we handed over UP`s future in hands of Yogi ji. That decision was proven right by him," he added.

Foundation to make India $5 trillion economy was laid in Modi government's first term: Amit Shah

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-presents-50-days-report-card-of-modi-government-20-238697">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> is slated to address a 50,000 people-strong gathering at the NRG Stadium in Houston here on September 22.</p>

<p>The event titled 'Howdy, Modi!' is being hosted by the Texas India Forum and the Indian diaspora in the United States is expected to attend the do, according to the organisers.</p>

<p>"We are excited to hold this summit at the renowned NRG Stadium. This will be the largest ever gathering of Indian-Americans and friends of India, with diverse representation from the region and across the country," said Jugal Malani, convener of the 'Howdy, Modi!" organizing committee.</p>

<p>"The tagline for the summit, 'Shared Dreams, Bright Futures' reflects the intent to build on the common aspirations that bring together the great democracies of the United States and India," a statement released by the organisers said.</p>

<p>The Texas India Forum (TIF) is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages cooperation between the United States and India. TIF brings together Indian-American organizations and institutions to encourage collaboration within the region and expand opportunities for engagement with India.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address a 50,000 people-strong gathering at the NRG Stadium in Houston here on September 22. The event titled 'Howdy, Modi!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address a 50,000 people-strong gathering at the NRG Stadium in Houston here on September 22. The event titled 'Howdy, Modi!' is being hosted by the Texas India Forum and the Indian diaspora in the United States is expected to attend the do, according to the organisers. "We are excited to hold this summit at the renowned NRG Stadium. This will be the largest ever gathering of Indian-Americans and friends of India, with diverse representation from the region and across the country," said Jugal Malani, convener of the 'Howdy, Modi!" organizing committee. "The tagline for the summit, 'Shared Dreams, Bright Futures' reflects the intent to build on the common aspirations that bring together the great democracies of the United States and India," a statement released by the organisers said. The Texas India Forum (TIF) is a not-for-profit organisation that encourages cooperation between the United States and India. TIF brings together Indian-American organizations and institutions to encourage collaboration within the region and expand opportunities for engagement with India.

PM Modi to address 50,000 people in Houston in September

<p>President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday saluted the ''grit and valour of those who defended India on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/shell-shocked-20-years-on-a-witness-recall-bloody-kargil-war-238138">20th anniversary of India's victory in the Kargil War</a>.</p>

<p>''On Kargil Vijay Diwas, a grateful nation acknowledges the gallantry of our Armed Forces on the heights of Kargil in 1999. We salute the grit and valour of those who defended India, and record our everlasting debt to those who never returned,'' President tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">On Kargil Vijay Diwas, a grateful nation acknowledges the gallantry of our Armed Forces on the heights of Kargil in 1999.<br />
<br />
We salute the grit and valour of those who defended India, and record our everlasting debt to those who never returned.<br />
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Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a></p>
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1154564701700755456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi also remembers his time during the Kargil War in 1999.</p>

<p>''During the Kargil War in 1999, I had the opportunity to go to Kargil and show solidarity with our brave soldiers. This was the time when I was working for my Party in J&amp;K as well as Himachal Pradesh. The visit to Kargil and interactions with soldiers are unforgettable,'' PM Modi tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">During the Kargil War in 1999, I had the opportunity to go to Kargil and show solidarity with our brave soldiers.<br />
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This was the time when I was working for my Party in J&amp;K as well as Himachal Pradesh.<br />
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The visit to Kargil and interactions with soldiers are unforgettable. <a href="https://t.co/E5QUgHlTDS">pic.twitter.com/E5QUgHlTDS</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1154581533098795008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>The 20th-anniversary celebrations are being held at Kargil War Memorial in Dras, Jammu and Kashmir.</p>

<p>Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and Ex-Army Chief General VP Malik participated in Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Kargil war victory at Kargil War Memorial.</p>

<p>Naik Deepchand from 1889 Missile regiment in Kargil War said, ''My battalion had fired 10,000 rounds during the war. I am proud of this fact. We had only one target in mind that is to defeat the enemy. I have come here to pay tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in Kargil War.''</p>

<p>The war memorial has around 500 tombstones with the name of soldiers inscribed in them.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;20 years of Kargil war</strong></p>

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<p>The Indian armed forces had defeated Pakistan on July 26, 1999. Since then, the day is celebrated as ''Kargil Vijay Diwas''.</p>

<p>Air Chief on Thursday said that Indian Air Force has changed a lot since Kargil War and the biggest change is in its ability for reconnaissance and surveillance.</p>

<p>''Air Force has changed a lot in the last 20 years and the biggest change that I think had taken place is in our ability for reconnaissance and surveillance. We could not pick up the intrusion before the Kargil operation," said Dhanoa.</p>


President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday saluted the ''grit and valour of those who defended India on 20th anniversary of India's victory in the Kargil War. ''On Kargil Vijay Diwas, a grateful nation acknowledges the gallantry of our Armed Forces on the heights of Kargil in 1999.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday saluted the ''grit and valour of those who defended India on 20th anniversary of India's victory in the Kargil War. ''On Kargil Vijay Diwas, a grateful nation acknowledges the gallantry of our Armed Forces on the heights of Kargil in 1999. We salute the grit and valour of those who defended India, and record our everlasting debt to those who never returned,'' President tweeted. On Kargil Vijay Diwas, a grateful nation acknowledges the gallantry of our Armed Forces on the heights of Kargil in 1999. We salute the grit and valour of those who defended India, and record our everlasting debt to those who never returned. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳 #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) July 26, 2019 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi also remembers his time during the Kargil War in 1999. ''During the Kargil War in 1999, I had the opportunity to go to Kargil and show solidarity with our brave soldiers. This was the time when I was working for my Party in J&K as well as Himachal Pradesh. The visit to Kargil and interactions with soldiers are unforgettable,'' PM Modi tweeted. During the Kargil War in 1999, I had the opportunity to go to Kargil and show solidarity with our brave soldiers. This was the time when I was working for my Party in J&K as well as Himachal Pradesh. The visit to Kargil and interactions with soldiers are unforgettable. pic.twitter.com/E5QUgHlTDS — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 26, 2019 × The 20th-anniversary celebrations are being held at Kargil War Memorial in Dras, Jammu and Kashmir. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and Ex-Army Chief General VP Malik participated in Kargil Vijay Diwas commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Kargil war victory at Kargil War Memorial. Naik Deepchand from 1889 Missile regiment in Kargil War said, ''My battalion had fired 10,000 rounds during the war. I am proud of this fact. We had only one target in mind that is to defeat the enemy. I have come here to pay tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in Kargil War.'' The war memorial has around 500 tombstones with the name of soldiers inscribed in them. Watch: 20 years of Kargil war The Indian armed forces had defeated Pakistan on July 26, 1999. Since then, the day is celebrated as ''Kargil Vijay Diwas''. Air Chief on Thursday said that Indian Air Force has changed a lot since Kargil War and the biggest change is in its ability for reconnaissance and surveillance. ''Air Force has changed a lot in the last 20 years and the biggest change that I think had taken place is in our ability for reconnaissance and surveillance. We could not pick up the intrusion before the Kargil operation," said Dhanoa.

President Ram Nath Kovind hails soldiers on 20th anniversary of India's victory in Kargil War

<p>India on Monday outrightly rejected United States President Donald Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-trump-offers-to-mediate-on-kashmir-issue-during-meeting-with-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-report-237780">mediation to resolve Kashmir issue</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar said, "No such request has been made by PM Narendra Modi to US President. It has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally"</p>

<p>"Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally" Raveesh Kumar said.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have seen <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>'s remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India &amp; Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> to US President. It has been India's consistent position...1/2</p>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1153371327371173895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>According to Shimla and Lahore accords, India and Pakistan will resolve their issues bilaterally without third-party intervention.</p>

<p>The latest development comes after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/working-with-pakistan-to-find-way-out-of-war-in-afghanistan-trump-on-meeting-with-pm-imran-khan-at-white-house-237765">Donald Trump</a> said that PM Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir while he was <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/imran-khan-trump-to-hold-bilateral-meeting-working-lunch-today-237715">hosting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan the Oval office</a>.</p>

<p>"I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject (Kashmir). And he actually said, 'would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?' I said, 'where?' (PM Modi said) 'Kashmir'," Trump said.</p>

<p>Trump last met PM Modi in Osaka, Japan on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-holds-20-bilaterals-pull-asides-on-day-2-of-g20-summit-231427">sidelines of G20 Summit </a>on June 29.</p>

<p>Explaining his position, Trump said, "I would love to be a mediator, Its impossible to believe, two incredible countries that are very, very smart with very smart leadership can't solve a problem. But if you would want me to mediate or arbitrate, I would be willing to do."</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Even as Imran khan meets Donald Trump, here's the story of Khan's visit so far</strong></p>

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<p>He also said that Kashmir "should be resolved" and he will speak to Indian Prime Minister and see "what we can do".</p>

<p>This is for the first time Trump has spoken on Kashmir publically.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Pakistani PM said the US "can play a most important role in bringing peace in the subcontinent," adding that Islamabad tried its best "to start a dialogue, resolve our differences through dialogue but unfortunately.. haven't made headways as yet, but I'm hoping President Trump would push the process."</p>

<p>A fact sheet was issued by White House on Trump -Imran meeting in which it was mentioned that while Islamabad "has taken some steps against terrorist groups operating within Pakistan", it is "vital that Pakistan take action to shut down all groups once and for all."</p>


India on Monday outrightly rejected United States President Donald Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought his mediation to resolve Kashmir issue.

India on Monday outrightly rejected United States President Donald Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought his mediation to resolve Kashmir issue. In a statement, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar said, "No such request has been made by PM Narendra Modi to US President. It has been India's consistent position that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally" "Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India and Pakistan bilaterally" Raveesh Kumar said. We have seen @POTUS's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India & Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM @narendramodi to US President. It has been India's consistent position...1/2 — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) July 22, 2019 According to Shimla and Lahore accords, India and Pakistan will resolve their issues bilaterally without third-party intervention. The latest development comes after Donald Trump said that PM Modi had asked him to mediate on Kashmir while he was hosting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan the Oval office. "I was with Prime Minister Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject (Kashmir). And he actually said, 'would you like to be a mediator or arbitrator?' I said, 'where?' (PM Modi said) 'Kashmir'," Trump said. Trump last met PM Modi in Osaka, Japan on the sidelines of G20 Summit on June 29. Explaining his position, Trump said, "I would love to be a mediator, Its impossible to believe, two incredible countries that are very, very smart with very smart leadership can't solve a problem. But if you would want me to mediate or arbitrate, I would be willing to do." Watch: Even as Imran khan meets Donald Trump, here's the story of Khan's visit so far × He also said that Kashmir "should be resolved" and he will speak to Indian Prime Minister and see "what we can do". This is for the first time Trump has spoken on Kashmir publically. Meanwhile, Pakistani PM said the US "can play a most important role in bringing peace in the subcontinent," adding that Islamabad tried its best "to start a dialogue, resolve our differences through dialogue but unfortunately.. haven't made headways as yet, but I'm hoping President Trump would push the process." A fact sheet was issued by White House on Trump -Imran meeting in which it was mentioned that while Islamabad "has taken some steps against terrorist groups operating within Pakistan", it is "vital that Pakistan take action to shut down all groups once and for all."

India rubbishes Donald Trump’s claim that PM Modi asked him to mediate in resolving Kashmir issue

<p>Hours after President Donald Trump claimed that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-rubbishes-donald-trumps-claim-that-pm-modi-asked-him-to-mediate-in-resolving-kashmir-issue-237794">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> invited him for third-party mediation on Kashmir issue, US State Department on Monday said that the matter is a bilateral issue concerning Islamabad and New Delhi, however, Washington is "ready to assist".</p>

<p>"While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss, the Trump administration welcomes Pakistan and India sitting down and the United States stands ready to assist. We believe the foundation for any successful dialogue between India and Pakistan is based on Pakistan taking sustained and irreversible steps against militants and terrorists on its territory," US state department spokesperson told ANI.</p>

<p>"These actions are in line with Prime Minister Khan`s stated commitments, and Pakistan`s international obligations. We will continue to support efforts that reduce tensions and create an environment conducive for dialogue. This first and foremost means tackling the menace of terrorism. As the President indicated, we stand ready to assist," it added.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, Trump said that Modi had asked him to act as a mediator to resolve the Kashmir issue.</p>

<p>"So I was with Prime Minister Narendra Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject. And he actually said, would you actually like to be a mediator or arbitrator? Did I say, where? He said Kashmir because this has been going for many, many years. I was surprised at how long it has been going on," said Trump, who was hosting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House.</p>

<p>"It should be resolved, so he has to think the same thing, so maybe I will speak to him and we will see what we can do," he added.</p>

<p>However, the US state department in its statement did not comment on T<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-rubbishes-donald-trumps-claim-that-pm-modi-asked-him-to-mediate-in-resolving-kashmir-issue-237794">rump's claim on Modi asking for his assistance to play the role of mediator</a> to resolve Kashmir issue.</p>

<p>After Trump made remarks on Kashmir, India in a swift response clarified that no such request was made by Modi to the US President.</p>

<p>"We have seen @POTUS's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate if requested by India &amp; Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM @narendramodi to US President. It has been India's consistent position," tweeted MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.</p>

<p>"...that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Shimla Agreement &amp; the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India &amp; Pakistan bilaterally," he said in a subsequent tweet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We have seen <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>'s remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India &amp; Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> to US President. It has been India's consistent position...1/2</p>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1153371327371173895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Hours after President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him for third-party mediation on Kashmir issue, US State Department on Monday said that the matter is a bilateral issue concerning Islamabad and New Delhi, however, Washington is "ready to assist".

Hours after President Donald Trump claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him for third-party mediation on Kashmir issue, US State Department on Monday said that the matter is a bilateral issue concerning Islamabad and New Delhi, however, Washington is "ready to assist". "While Kashmir is a bilateral issue for both parties to discuss, the Trump administration welcomes Pakistan and India sitting down and the United States stands ready to assist. We believe the foundation for any successful dialogue between India and Pakistan is based on Pakistan taking sustained and irreversible steps against militants and terrorists on its territory," US state department spokesperson told ANI. "These actions are in line with Prime Minister Khan`s stated commitments, and Pakistan`s international obligations. We will continue to support efforts that reduce tensions and create an environment conducive for dialogue. This first and foremost means tackling the menace of terrorism. As the President indicated, we stand ready to assist," it added. Earlier in the day, Trump said that Modi had asked him to act as a mediator to resolve the Kashmir issue. "So I was with Prime Minister Narendra Modi two weeks ago and we talked about this subject. And he actually said, would you actually like to be a mediator or arbitrator? Did I say, where? He said Kashmir because this has been going for many, many years. I was surprised at how long it has been going on," said Trump, who was hosting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the White House. "It should be resolved, so he has to think the same thing, so maybe I will speak to him and we will see what we can do," he added. However, the US state department in its statement did not comment on Trump's claim on Modi asking for his assistance to play the role of mediator to resolve Kashmir issue. After Trump made remarks on Kashmir, India in a swift response clarified that no such request was made by Modi to the US President. "We have seen @POTUS's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate if requested by India & Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM @narendramodi to US President. It has been India's consistent position," tweeted MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. "...that all outstanding issues with Pakistan are discussed only bilaterally. Any engagement with Pakistan would require an end to cross border terrorism. The Shimla Agreement & the Lahore Declaration provide the basis to resolve all issues between India & Pakistan bilaterally," he said in a subsequent tweet. We have seen @POTUS's remarks to the press that he is ready to mediate, if requested by India & Pakistan, on Kashmir issue. No such request has been made by PM @narendramodi to US President. It has been India's consistent position...1/2 — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) July 22, 2019 ×

Kashmir is bilateral issue, US ready to assist: State Department

<p>After a dramatic 23 days, the precariously placed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cm-kumaraswamys-congress-jds-government-loses-floor-test-in-karnataka-assembly-237989">HD Kumaraswamy government</a> in Karnataka collapsed, bringing down the first Congress state government after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphatic win in May 2019.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The government that had the support of 119 MLAs up till June, came crashing down when 16 MLAs resigned in a week in July.</p>

<p>After many delays, mostly intentional, the coalition government lost the trust vote with 99 MLAs as opposed to 105 with the BJP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the absence of 20 MLAs the house strength was down to 204 making 103 the magic number. The missing MLAs included 12 rebel Congress MLAs, 3 rebel JD(S) MLAs, 2 Congress MLAs who are unwell and undergoing treatment, 2 Independents and 1 BSP MLA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Celebrations broke out at BJP office in Bengaluru with supporters sloganeering in favour of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/it-is-the-victory-of-democracy-bs-yeddyurappa-on-winning-trust-vote-in-karnataka-assembly-238012">BJP State Chief BS Yeddyurappa</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>''It is the victory of democracy. People were fed up of the Kumaraswamy government. I want to assure people of Karnataka, that a new era of development will start. Farmers suffering due to drought and other factors will be given importance,'' said Yeddyurappa who is set to take over as the next Chief Minister. BJP is expected to stake claim to the government over the next few days.&nbsp;</p>

<p>''I thank the people of the state for giving me an opportunity to govern'' said HD Kumaraswamy, smiling at the media, probably for the first time since he took over as Chief Minister.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On the contrary, a visibly upset Siddaramaiah alleged the BJP had won the trust vote by means of horsetrading.&nbsp;</p>

<p>''Everyone absent is because of them(BJP). They have been kept in wrongful confinement and that is the reason they did not come. It is a betrayal of democracy. This is a conspiracy by BJP to gain power. They have lured them with promises and done horsetrading and won this trust vote. BJP did not have the mandate. They have won 104 seats'' said Siddaramaiah, CLP leader.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The collapse of the government doesn't just put an end to the uncertainty in the state's administration, but could also lead to the rebel MLAs finally returning from Maharashtra.&nbsp;</p>

<p>''The result is finally out. There was uncertainty. But we were all hopeful that the government will collapse. We are in Pune and we will return soon... This government was serving only a few people,'' said rebel MLA H Vishwanath, while speaking to a local channel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>14 MLAs have been holed up in Pune fearing threats and coercion from the coalition leaders over the last two weeks. Soon after the test vote results, the Bahujan Samaj Party expelled it's lone MLA from Karnataka N Mahesh.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/congress-jds-govt-falls-as-kumaraswamy-loses-trust-vote-238009/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Despite party chief Mayawati's directions to support the coalition, Mahesh remained absent leading to his expulsion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, it is not going to be smooth sailing for the next few months. After the resignations are accepted, Karnataka will witness by-polls in the 15 constituencies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also, they face the threat of being disqualified for violating the whip, despite the Supreme Court order ensuring they were not compelled to attend the session. The results of these by-polls could further complicate matters in the assembly where BJP currently has 107 MLAs in its favour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In full strength, a government will need the support of a 113 MLAs to survive.</p>


After a dramatic 23 days, the precariously placed HD Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka collapsed, bringing down the first Congress state government after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphatic win in May 2019.

After a dramatic 23 days, the precariously placed HD Kumaraswamy government in Karnataka collapsed, bringing down the first Congress state government after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's emphatic win in May 2019. The government that had the support of 119 MLAs up till June, came crashing down when 16 MLAs resigned in a week in July. After many delays, mostly intentional, the coalition government lost the trust vote with 99 MLAs as opposed to 105 with the BJP. With the absence of 20 MLAs the house strength was down to 204 making 103 the magic number. The missing MLAs included 12 rebel Congress MLAs, 3 rebel JD(S) MLAs, 2 Congress MLAs who are unwell and undergoing treatment, 2 Independents and 1 BSP MLA. Celebrations broke out at BJP office in Bengaluru with supporters sloganeering in favour of BJP State Chief BS Yeddyurappa. ''It is the victory of democracy. People were fed up of the Kumaraswamy government. I want to assure people of Karnataka, that a new era of development will start. Farmers suffering due to drought and other factors will be given importance,'' said Yeddyurappa who is set to take over as the next Chief Minister. BJP is expected to stake claim to the government over the next few days. ''I thank the people of the state for giving me an opportunity to govern'' said HD Kumaraswamy, smiling at the media, probably for the first time since he took over as Chief Minister. On the contrary, a visibly upset Siddaramaiah alleged the BJP had won the trust vote by means of horsetrading. ''Everyone absent is because of them(BJP). They have been kept in wrongful confinement and that is the reason they did not come. It is a betrayal of democracy. This is a conspiracy by BJP to gain power. They have lured them with promises and done horsetrading and won this trust vote. BJP did not have the mandate. They have won 104 seats'' said Siddaramaiah, CLP leader. The collapse of the government doesn't just put an end to the uncertainty in the state's administration, but could also lead to the rebel MLAs finally returning from Maharashtra. ''The result is finally out. There was uncertainty. But we were all hopeful that the government will collapse. We are in Pune and we will return soon... This government was serving only a few people,'' said rebel MLA H Vishwanath, while speaking to a local channel. 14 MLAs have been holed up in Pune fearing threats and coercion from the coalition leaders over the last two weeks. Soon after the test vote results, the Bahujan Samaj Party expelled it's lone MLA from Karnataka N Mahesh. Despite party chief Mayawati's directions to support the coalition, Mahesh remained absent leading to his expulsion. However, it is not going to be smooth sailing for the next few months. After the resignations are accepted, Karnataka will witness by-polls in the 15 constituencies. Also, they face the threat of being disqualified for violating the whip, despite the Supreme Court order ensuring they were not compelled to attend the session. The results of these by-polls could further complicate matters in the assembly where BJP currently has 107 MLAs in its favour. In full strength, a government will need the support of a 113 MLAs to survive.

Grateful for opportunity to govern: Kumaraswamy after losing trust vote in Karnataka Assembly

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-rubbishes-donald-trumps-claim-that-pm-modi-asked-him-to-mediate-in-resolving-kashmir-issue-237794">India rubbishes Donald Trump’s claim that PM Modi asked him to mediate in resolving Kashmir issue</a></p>

<p>India on Monday outrightly rejected United States President Donald Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought his mediation to resolve Kashmir issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/could-win-afghanistan-war-in-a-week-or-ten-days-but-chose-not-to-do-so-says-donald-trump-in-meeting-with-pakistan-pm-imran-khan-237798">Could win Afghanistan war in 'a week or ten days' but chose not to do so, says Donald Trump in meeting with Pakistan PM Imran Khan</a></p>

<p>US President Donald Trump on Monday said that he could win Afghanistan war in "a week or ten days" but he doesn't want to "wipe" Afghanistan off the face of the earth.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-crisis-trust-vote-in-vidhana-soudha-expected-to-take-place-before-6pm-today-237799">Karnataka crisis: Trust vote in Vidhana Soudha expected to take place before 6pm today</a></p>

<p>The political drama in Karnataka entered its fourth week on Monday with the Congress-JD(S) coalition government employing all tactics to delay the trust vote.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-tech-ceos-support-trump-on-huawei-restrictions-white-house-237802">US tech CEOs support Trump on Huawei restrictions: White House</a></p>

<p>Chief executives from several US tech companies met with President Donald Trump on Monday and expressed "strong support" for policies restricting the use of products from Chinese telecom giant Huawei.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistani-intelligence-led-cia-to-osama-bin-laden-imran-khan-237807">Pakistani intelligence led CIA to Osama Bin Laden: Imran Khan</a></p>

<p>Pakistan's main spy agency provided the US with a lead that helped them find and kill Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


India rubbishes Donald Trump’s claim that PM Modi asked him to mediate in resolving Kashmir issue India on Monday outrightly rejected United States President Donald Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought his mediation to resolve Kashmir issue.

India rubbishes Donald Trump’s claim that PM Modi asked him to mediate in resolving Kashmir issue India on Monday outrightly rejected United States President Donald Trump's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought his mediation to resolve Kashmir issue. Could win Afghanistan war in 'a week or ten days' but chose not to do so, says Donald Trump in meeting with Pakistan PM Imran Khan US President Donald Trump on Monday said that he could win Afghanistan war in "a week or ten days" but he doesn't want to "wipe" Afghanistan off the face of the earth. Karnataka crisis: Trust vote in Vidhana Soudha expected to take place before 6pm today The political drama in Karnataka entered its fourth week on Monday with the Congress-JD(S) coalition government employing all tactics to delay the trust vote. US tech CEOs support Trump on Huawei restrictions: White House Chief executives from several US tech companies met with President Donald Trump on Monday and expressed "strong support" for policies restricting the use of products from Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Pakistani intelligence led CIA to Osama Bin Laden: Imran Khan Pakistan's main spy agency provided the US with a lead that helped them find and kill Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Monday.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi in introduced his very special friend on Instagram on Tuesday. In a post, PM added two photos of himself holding a baby at his office in the Parliament complex.</p>

<p>"A very special friend came to meet me in Parliament today," PM Modi wrote, which garnered more than a million likes in about an hour.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0QPjPLFlUo/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">A very special friend came to meet me in Parliament today.</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/narendramodi/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Narendra Modi</a> (@narendramodi) on <time datetime="2019-07-23T09:12:28+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jul 23, 2019 at 2:12am PDT</time></p>
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<p>The post has two photos of the PM playing with the baby, who looks more interested in the chocolates lying on the Prime Minister's desk.</p>

<p>Many of the Instagram users were delighted to see the post. While for some it was cute and lovely picture, others wanted to know who the child is.</p>

<p>The officials later said that the child is the grandson of BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Satyanarayan Jatiya.</p>

<p>PM Modi's affection for children is well known and he has been seen - and photographed - interacting with children on many occasions. Even during his official trips to other countries, candid photos of the PM speaking or playing with children have often revealed his softer side.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi in introduced his very special friend on Instagram on Tuesday. In a post, PM added two photos of himself holding a baby at his office in the Parliament complex.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in introduced his very special friend on Instagram on Tuesday. In a post, PM added two photos of himself holding a baby at his office in the Parliament complex. "A very special friend came to meet me in Parliament today," PM Modi wrote, which garnered more than a million likes in about an hour. View this post on Instagram A very special friend came to meet me in Parliament today. A post shared by Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) on Jul 23, 2019 at 2:12am PDT × The post has two photos of the PM playing with the baby, who looks more interested in the chocolates lying on the Prime Minister's desk. Many of the Instagram users were delighted to see the post. While for some it was cute and lovely picture, others wanted to know who the child is. The officials later said that the child is the grandson of BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Satyanarayan Jatiya. PM Modi's affection for children is well known and he has been seen - and photographed - interacting with children on many occasions. Even during his official trips to other countries, candid photos of the PM speaking or playing with children have often revealed his softer side.

PM Modi shares photo of a 'very special friend', Instagram delighted

<p>The government is planning to conduct a competition among states to encourage water conservation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The states that will perform better will get more funds from the Centre, he said. The plan was discussed at BJP`s parliamentary party meeting held at the Parliament on Tuesday morning.</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Joshi said: "There will be a healthy competition among the states. The states that will perform well in terms of water conservation will get more funds."Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat gave a presentation to the BJP MPs on how they can contribute towards water conservation in their respective constituencies.</p>

<p>Joshi also said that the government will promote the competition at block-level to ensure that "every drop of water is utilised".</p>

<p>The government`s plan to ensure drinking water to every household was also discussed at the meeting.</p>

<p>Joshi said that Home Minister Amit Shah briefed MPs about the celebration of 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi`s birth anniversary and on tree plantation at booth level.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not speak at the meeting, he said.</p>


The government is planning to conduct a competition among states to encourage water conservation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday. The states that will perform better will get more funds from the Centre, he said.

The government is planning to conduct a competition among states to encourage water conservation, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Tuesday. The states that will perform better will get more funds from the Centre, he said. The plan was discussed at BJP`s parliamentary party meeting held at the Parliament on Tuesday morning. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Joshi said: "There will be a healthy competition among the states. The states that will perform well in terms of water conservation will get more funds."Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat gave a presentation to the BJP MPs on how they can contribute towards water conservation in their respective constituencies. Joshi also said that the government will promote the competition at block-level to ensure that "every drop of water is utilised". The government`s plan to ensure drinking water to every household was also discussed at the meeting. Joshi said that Home Minister Amit Shah briefed MPs about the celebration of 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi`s birth anniversary and on tree plantation at booth level. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not speak at the meeting, he said.

Government planning competition among states to encourage water conservation

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists of Indan Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-moon-mission-chandrayaan-2-successfully-launched-as-india-takes-a-giant-leap-237666">successful launch of India's moon mission</a>, Chandrayaan 2.</p>

<p>"Special moments that will be etched in the annals of our glorious history! The launch of #Chandrayaan2 illustrates the prowess of our scientists and the determination of 130 crore Indians to scale new frontiers of science. Every Indian is immensely proud today!" the PM said in his tweet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Special moments that will be etched in the annals of our glorious history!<br />
<br />
The launch of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan2</a> illustrates the prowess of our scientists and the determination of 130 crore Indians to scale new frontiers of science.<br />
<br />
Every Indian is immensely proud today! <a href="https://t.co/v1ETFneij0">pic.twitter.com/v1ETFneij0</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1153240987587641344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Indian at heart, Indian in spirit! What would make every Indian overjoyed is the fact that #Chandrayaan2 is a fully indigenous mission," he further said in his subsequent tweet.</p>

<p>Talking about the importance of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-chandrayaan-2-will-accomplish-and-why-the-mission-is-significant-for-india-237667">Chandrayaan mission</a>, PM Modi said, "#Chandrayaan2 is unique because it will explore and perform studies on the south pole region of lunar terrain which is not explored and sampled by any past mission. This mission will offer new knowledge about the Moon."</p>

<p>The second generation moon mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lifted off from the Satish Dhawan centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2:43 pm IST on Monday.</p>

<p>A few minutes later, ISRO announced the launch was successful.</p>

<p><strong>Watch -&nbsp;Chandrayaan-2: How crucial achievement of this mission will be for India?</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/chandrayaan-2-how-crucial-achievement-of-this-mission-will-be-for-india-237663/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>I salute the people who made it happen, said ISRO chief K Sivan.</p>

<p>This was the second attempt by ISRO to launch Chandrayaan-2 after the first attempt had to be called off at the 11th hour on July 15.</p>

<p>Almost the entire Chandrayaan-2's orbiter, lander and rover have been designed and made in India.</p>

<p>India used its most powerful rocket launcher, GSLV Mk-III, to carry the 2.4 tonne orbiter, which has a mission life of about a year.</p>

<p>The spacecraft carried the 1.4 tonne lander Vikram - which in turn is taking the 27-kilogramme (60-pound) rover Pragyan - to a high plain between two craters on the lunar South Pole when it lands on the moon in September, 2019.</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists of Indan Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of India's moon mission, Chandrayaan 2.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists of Indan Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of India's moon mission, Chandrayaan 2. "Special moments that will be etched in the annals of our glorious history! The launch of #Chandrayaan2 illustrates the prowess of our scientists and the determination of 130 crore Indians to scale new frontiers of science. Every Indian is immensely proud today!" the PM said in his tweet. Special moments that will be etched in the annals of our glorious history! The launch of #Chandrayaan2 illustrates the prowess of our scientists and the determination of 130 crore Indians to scale new frontiers of science. Every Indian is immensely proud today! pic.twitter.com/v1ETFneij0 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2019 × "Indian at heart, Indian in spirit! What would make every Indian overjoyed is the fact that #Chandrayaan2 is a fully indigenous mission," he further said in his subsequent tweet. Talking about the importance of the Chandrayaan mission, PM Modi said, "#Chandrayaan2 is unique because it will explore and perform studies on the south pole region of lunar terrain which is not explored and sampled by any past mission. This mission will offer new knowledge about the Moon." The second generation moon mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lifted off from the Satish Dhawan centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2:43 pm IST on Monday. A few minutes later, ISRO announced the launch was successful. Watch - Chandrayaan-2: How crucial achievement of this mission will be for India? I salute the people who made it happen, said ISRO chief K Sivan. This was the second attempt by ISRO to launch Chandrayaan-2 after the first attempt had to be called off at the 11th hour on July 15. Almost the entire Chandrayaan-2's orbiter, lander and rover have been designed and made in India. India used its most powerful rocket launcher, GSLV Mk-III, to carry the 2.4 tonne orbiter, which has a mission life of about a year. The spacecraft carried the 1.4 tonne lander Vikram - which in turn is taking the 27-kilogramme (60-pound) rover Pragyan - to a high plain between two craters on the lunar South Pole when it lands on the moon in September, 2019.

Every Indian is immensely proud today: PM Modi hails successful launch of Chandrayaan-2

<p>India and the Maldives on Monday signed currency swap agreement for $400 million as part of the $1.4 billion economic package announced last year.</p>

<p>The package was announced during the visit of Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in December 2018. The swap will allow the countries to exchange currencies with pre-determined terms and conditions. The primary aim of currency swap is to avoid risks in foreign exchange market and exchange rate.</p>

<p>As part of the package, India will provide the cash in the form of budgetary support, currency swap, and concessional lines of credit to fulfill the Maldives' socio-economic development programmes.</p>

<p>India and the Maldives signed four agreements during Solih's visit last year. One was an agreement on the facilitation of visa arrangements which will ease the issuance of visas for the people of both countries.</p>

<p>PM Modi noted that the new agreement will address common concerns and ensure that people-to-people contacts are enhanced. President Solih said the agreement will allow many Maldivians who send their children to school in India to be able to accompany them. The agreement also facilitates easier visa arrangements for Maldivian citizens and their families to come to India for medical treatment.</p>

<p>The Maldives is one of the very few countries with which India has a visa-free arrangement.</p>

<p>India's relationship with the Maldives had suffered under the previous Yameen government who had junked his country's pro-India policy for a pro-China policy.</p>


India and the Maldives on Monday signed currency swap agreement for $400 million as part of the $1.4 billion economic package announced last year. The package was announced during the visit of Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in December 2018.

India and the Maldives on Monday signed currency swap agreement for $400 million as part of the $1.4 billion economic package announced last year. The package was announced during the visit of Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in December 2018. The swap will allow the countries to exchange currencies with pre-determined terms and conditions. The primary aim of currency swap is to avoid risks in foreign exchange market and exchange rate. As part of the package, India will provide the cash in the form of budgetary support, currency swap, and concessional lines of credit to fulfill the Maldives' socio-economic development programmes. India and the Maldives signed four agreements during Solih's visit last year. One was an agreement on the facilitation of visa arrangements which will ease the issuance of visas for the people of both countries. PM Modi noted that the new agreement will address common concerns and ensure that people-to-people contacts are enhanced. President Solih said the agreement will allow many Maldivians who send their children to school in India to be able to accompany them. The agreement also facilitates easier visa arrangements for Maldivian citizens and their families to come to India for medical treatment. The Maldives is one of the very few countries with which India has a visa-free arrangement. India's relationship with the Maldives had suffered under the previous Yameen government who had junked his country's pro-India policy for a pro-China policy.

India, Maldives sign $400 million currency swap agreement

India bids farewell to Sheila Dikshit, thousands mourn her loss

<p>The Narendra <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-puts-312-officials-on-compulsory-retirement-over-negligence-lack-of-integrity-234561">Modi government</a> has completed 50 days in its second stint. And this period has been hectic as well as transformative for the country.</p>

<p>Developments on the domestic front, the introduction of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/budget-2019-government-rewards-middle-class-233299"> welfare schemes</a> for farmers and a healthy environment for start-ups, traders and industry - every aspect of India's national life has seen developments happen.</p>

<p>From surgical strike against corruption in the form of removal of tainted bureaucrats to clean-up of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, the Modi government has again shown its commitment and resolve to work tirelessly for the welfare of the country.</p>

<p>The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/budget-2019-nirmala-sitharaman-to-launch-study-in-india-initiative-to-encourage-foreign-students-233240">Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman</a> earlier this month laid a roadmap for a US $5 trillion economy as well as for doubling farmer income. During 2019-20 to 2021-22, 1.95 crore houses are proposed to be provided to eligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-Rural). By 2022, the 75th year of India's Independence, the government will look to ensure that every single rural family has electricity and a clean cooking gas connection.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Budget 2019 reflects Modi's vision</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/budget-2019-budget-reflects-modis-vision-233385/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The Budget also gave provisions for electric vehicles and of the mission of taking electricity and cooking gas to every home.</p>

<p>When it comes to creating a business-friendly climate, the government has made corporate tax rate 25 per cent for companies with an annual turnover up to Rs 400 crore. This threshold used to be Rs 250 crore earlier. This will cover 99.3% of all companies. The government is also to expedite streamlining multiple labour laws into a set of four labour codes.</p>

<p>Zero Budget Farming will be promoted, and 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) will be formed. These FPOs will help small and marginal farmers team up to get lower rates for inputs and sell produce at higher rates.</p>

<p>When it comes to the pro-people decisions taken by the government in the first 50 days of its second stint, the Centre has introduced labour reforms, enacted strong laws against frauds who dupe the poor, introduced death penalty for child sexual assault, and offered higher MSP for Kharif crops among other measures.</p>

<p>PM Modi has already made waves on the international arena as well. BIMSTEC leaders arrived to witness his swearing-in. PM Modi was one of the most sought-after leaders for pull-aside meetings in the recent G-20 Summit. He visited Sri Lanka and Maldives and showed his strong belief in 'Neighbourhood First' policy.</p>

<p>He strongly articulated India's position against terror at the SCO Summit and also led the world in celebrating International Yoga Day.</p>


The Narendra Modi government has completed 50 days in its second stint. And this period has been hectic as well as transformative for the country. Developments on the domestic front, the introduction of welfare schemes for farmers and a healthy environment for start-ups, traders and industry - every aspect of India's national life has seen developments happen.

The Narendra Modi government has completed 50 days in its second stint. And this period has been hectic as well as transformative for the country. Developments on the domestic front, the introduction of welfare schemes for farmers and a healthy environment for start-ups, traders and industry - every aspect of India's national life has seen developments happen. From surgical strike against corruption in the form of removal of tainted bureaucrats to clean-up of Jammu and Kashmir Bank, the Modi government has again shown its commitment and resolve to work tirelessly for the welfare of the country. The Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this month laid a roadmap for a US $5 trillion economy as well as for doubling farmer income. During 2019-20 to 2021-22, 1.95 crore houses are proposed to be provided to eligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Gramin (PMAY-Rural). By 2022, the 75th year of India's Independence, the government will look to ensure that every single rural family has electricity and a clean cooking gas connection. Watch: Budget 2019 reflects Modi's vision The Budget also gave provisions for electric vehicles and of the mission of taking electricity and cooking gas to every home. When it comes to creating a business-friendly climate, the government has made corporate tax rate 25 per cent for companies with an annual turnover up to Rs 400 crore. This threshold used to be Rs 250 crore earlier. This will cover 99.3% of all companies. The government is also to expedite streamlining multiple labour laws into a set of four labour codes. Zero Budget Farming will be promoted, and 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) will be formed. These FPOs will help small and marginal farmers team up to get lower rates for inputs and sell produce at higher rates. When it comes to the pro-people decisions taken by the government in the first 50 days of its second stint, the Centre has introduced labour reforms, enacted strong laws against frauds who dupe the poor, introduced death penalty for child sexual assault, and offered higher MSP for Kharif crops among other measures. PM Modi has already made waves on the international arena as well. BIMSTEC leaders arrived to witness his swearing-in. PM Modi was one of the most sought-after leaders for pull-aside meetings in the recent G-20 Summit. He visited Sri Lanka and Maldives and showed his strong belief in 'Neighbourhood First' policy. He strongly articulated India's position against terror at the SCO Summit and also led the world in celebrating International Yoga Day.

In 50 days, Modi 2.0 laid foundation for US $5 trillion economy

<p>Allahabad High Court has issued a notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with a petition challenging his election from Varanasi constituency in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.</p>

<p>The petition was filed by Tej Bahadur, ex-BSF jawan and SP candidate, whose nomination to contest from Varanasi was rejected by the Election Commission.</p>

<p>The court will hear the case on August 21. On May 1, Yadav's candidature was rejected by the returning officer after he failed to submit a certificate on whether or not he was dismissed from the service for corruption or disloyalty to the government.</p>

<p>In his petition, Yadav alleged that his nomination papers were "wrongly" rejected and urged the court to declare Modi's election null and void as a member of Parliament from Varanasi On May 9, the apex court had dismissed Yadav's plea challenging the rejection of his nomination by the Election Commission from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.</p>

<p>A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said, "We don`t find any merit to entertain this petition.</p>

<p>"Samajwadi Party had fielded Yadav as its candidate against Prime Minister Modi in Varanasi on April 29. Prior to that, he was in the fray as an independent candidate.&nbsp;</p>


Allahabad High Court has issued a notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with a petition challenging his election from Varanasi constituency in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Allahabad High Court has issued a notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection with a petition challenging his election from Varanasi constituency in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The petition was filed by Tej Bahadur, ex-BSF jawan and SP candidate, whose nomination to contest from Varanasi was rejected by the Election Commission. The court will hear the case on August 21. On May 1, Yadav's candidature was rejected by the returning officer after he failed to submit a certificate on whether or not he was dismissed from the service for corruption or disloyalty to the government. In his petition, Yadav alleged that his nomination papers were "wrongly" rejected and urged the court to declare Modi's election null and void as a member of Parliament from Varanasi On May 9, the apex court had dismissed Yadav's plea challenging the rejection of his nomination by the Election Commission from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had said, "We don`t find any merit to entertain this petition. "Samajwadi Party had fielded Yadav as its candidate against Prime Minister Modi in Varanasi on April 29. Prior to that, he was in the fray as an independent candidate.

Allahabad High Court issues notice to PM Narendra Modi on plea challenging his election to Lok Sabha

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday came down heavily on some ministers who were absent from Parliament duty.<br />
<br />
During the BJP's weekly parliamentary party meeting, he asked for a list of ministers who did not adhere to the roster and were absent from their Parliament duty today.</p>

<p>Whenever Parliament is in session, a roster is prepared for the MPs. It mentions as to when an MP should compulsorily attend the House.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked parliamentarians to work towards ensuring that government schemes reach people across the country.</p>

<p>He urged BJP MPs to work on humanitarian causes apart from their parliamentary duties."He told members to work on humanitarian causes. He took the example of the disease of leprosy," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi.</p>

<p>Modi also asked the lawmakers to work towards the issues related to water scarcity.</p>

<p>The meeting was attended by all BJP MPs of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, and Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan were among the early leaders to arrive for the meeting.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Currently, the Monsoon Session of Parliament is underway. The session will conclude on July 26.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday came down heavily on some ministers who were absent from Parliament duty. During the BJP's weekly parliamentary party meeting, he asked for a list of ministers who did not adhere to the roster and were absent from their Parliament duty today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday came down heavily on some ministers who were absent from Parliament duty. During the BJP's weekly parliamentary party meeting, he asked for a list of ministers who did not adhere to the roster and were absent from their Parliament duty today. Whenever Parliament is in session, a roster is prepared for the MPs. It mentions as to when an MP should compulsorily attend the House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asked parliamentarians to work towards ensuring that government schemes reach people across the country. He urged BJP MPs to work on humanitarian causes apart from their parliamentary duties."He told members to work on humanitarian causes. He took the example of the disease of leprosy," said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi. Modi also asked the lawmakers to work towards the issues related to water scarcity. The meeting was attended by all BJP MPs of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar, and Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan were among the early leaders to arrive for the meeting. Currently, the Monsoon Session of Parliament is underway. The session will conclude on July 26. (With inputs from agencies)

PM Narendra Modi upset with BJP MPs for skipping roster duty in Parliament

<p>Samajwadi Party leader Neeraj Shekhar on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav.</p>

<p>Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Monday. He told Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu that he was resigning voluntarily.</p>

<p>According to reports, he also met other senior BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah before resigning as Rajya Sabha MP.<br />
<br />
As per the rules, if a Member hands over the letter of resignation to the Chairman personally and informs him that the resignation is voluntary and genuine and the Chairman has no information or knowledge to the contrary, the Chairman may accept the resignation immediately.</p>

<p>He had been a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh since November 26, 2014, and was due to retire on November 25, 2020.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Samajwadi Party leader Neeraj Shekhar on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav. Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

Samajwadi Party leader Neeraj Shekhar on Tuesday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in presence of BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav. Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, resigned as a member of the Rajya Sabha on Monday. He told Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu that he was resigning voluntarily. According to reports, he also met other senior BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah before resigning as Rajya Sabha MP. As per the rules, if a Member hands over the letter of resignation to the Chairman personally and informs him that the resignation is voluntary and genuine and the Chairman has no information or knowledge to the contrary, the Chairman may accept the resignation immediately. He had been a member of the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh since November 26, 2014, and was due to retire on November 25, 2020. (With inputs from agencies)

Samajwadi Party leader Neeraj Shekhar joins BJP

<p>Pakistan legal team on <a href="Tuesday reached The Hague in the Netherlands">Tuesday reached The Hague in the Netherlands</a>, a day before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to announce its verdict in Kulbushan Jadhav case.</p>

<p>The team, led by Attorney General for Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan, also included Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal, reported Express Tribune.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 48-year-old former Naval officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism on April 11, 2017.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Following which, India approached ICJ against Pakistan "for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter.</p>

<p>India has contended that it had not been informed of Mr Jadhav`s detention until long after his arrest and that Pakistan had failed to inform the accused of his rights.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It further alleged that, in violation of the Vienna Convention, the authorities of Pakistan had denied India its right of consular access to Jadhav, despite repeated requests.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Subsequently, on May 18, 2017, a 10-member bench of the ICJ restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till the adjudication of the case.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In February this year, the ICJ rejected five pleas made by Pakistan during the hearing of Jadhav's case, including the playing of the so-called "confessional statement" of the Indian national and a request to adjourn the hearing citing illness of its ad-hoc judge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The four-day hearing in the Jadhav case started on February 18 at the ICJ headquarters in The Hague.</p>

<p>Pakistan had further urged the ICJ to dismiss India's plea for relief for its national Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in an "opaque trial."&nbsp;</p>


Pakistan legal team on Tuesday reached The Hague in the Netherlands, a day before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to announce its verdict in Kulbushan Jadhav case.

Pakistan legal team on Tuesday reached The Hague in the Netherlands, a day before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is expected to announce its verdict in Kulbushan Jadhav case. The team, led by Attorney General for Pakistan Anwar Mansoor Khan, also included Foreign Office Spokesperson Muhammad Faisal, reported Express Tribune. The 48-year-old former Naval officer, Kulbhushan Jadhav, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism on April 11, 2017. Following which, India approached ICJ against Pakistan "for egregious violations of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1963" in the matter. India has contended that it had not been informed of Mr Jadhav`s detention until long after his arrest and that Pakistan had failed to inform the accused of his rights. It further alleged that, in violation of the Vienna Convention, the authorities of Pakistan had denied India its right of consular access to Jadhav, despite repeated requests. Subsequently, on May 18, 2017, a 10-member bench of the ICJ restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav till the adjudication of the case. In February this year, the ICJ rejected five pleas made by Pakistan during the hearing of Jadhav's case, including the playing of the so-called "confessional statement" of the Indian national and a request to adjourn the hearing citing illness of its ad-hoc judge. The four-day hearing in the Jadhav case started on February 18 at the ICJ headquarters in The Hague. Pakistan had further urged the ICJ to dismiss India's plea for relief for its national Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in an "opaque trial."

Pakistan legal team in Hague for Kulbushan Jadhav verdict

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