Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are all set to kick-start the party's campaign in Bengal ahead of the first phase of elections scheduled to be held on April 11, 2019.

The party has set a target of at least 23 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the top leadership is leaving no stone unturned to boost the morale of the state unit and reach out to the masses.

According to the BJP's state unit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in the state on April 3. He will hold two public rallies on the day. The first rally will be held in North Bengal's Siliguri — part of the Darjeeling constituency — at 1pm and later hold another public meeting in Kolkata at the Brigade Parade Grounds at 3pm.

Brigade Parade Grounds is a significant venue for this is where Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee held her first Mahagathbandhan meeting on January 19 early this year.

BJP president Amit Shah will hold two public meetings on March 30 ahead of the first phase of elections.

Shah's first meeting will be held at Cooch Behar and the second at Raigunj in North Dinajpur – both North Bengal districts.

He will return to Bengal again for a second time on April 2 and hold a public meeting at Jalpaiguri.

Sources in the state unit say the party is also trying to rope in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are all set to kick-start the party's campaign in Bengal ahead of the first phase of elections scheduled to be held on April 11, 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are all set to kick-start the party's campaign in Bengal ahead of the first phase of elections scheduled to be held on April 11, 2019. The party has set a target of at least 23 of the total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the top leadership is leaving no stone unturned to boost the morale of the state unit and reach out to the masses. According to the BJP's state unit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will campaign in the state on April 3. He will hold two public rallies on the day. The first rally will be held in North Bengal's Siliguri — part of the Darjeeling constituency — at 1pm and later hold another public meeting in Kolkata at the Brigade Parade Grounds at 3pm. Brigade Parade Grounds is a significant venue for this is where Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee held her first Mahagathbandhan meeting on January 19 early this year. BJP president Amit Shah will hold two public meetings on March 30 ahead of the first phase of elections. Shah's first meeting will be held at Cooch Behar and the second at Raigunj in North Dinajpur – both North Bengal districts. He will return to Bengal again for a second time on April 2 and hold a public meeting at Jalpaiguri. Sources in the state unit say the party is also trying to rope in Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: Modi, Amit Shah to kick-start BJP campaign in Bengal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted from his official handle this morning that he is going to announce something very important in the next 15 minutes, and urged the people to listen to the announcement.

The actual address was, however, delayed by a few minutes and by then, Twitter was abuzz will all kinds of wild guesses and anxiety:

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Daud pakda gaya , aur bharat laya ja raha hai .
— Abhishek (@anandabhishek40) <a href="https://twitter.com/anandabhishek40/status/1110793473614118912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In my opinion, he'll just thank the whole country for giving him an opportunity to serve the nation.
— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) <a href="https://twitter.com/theskindoctor13/status/1110793123209375744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Masood Azhar “ji” maare gaye kya ?
— Chowkidar Maithun 😎 (@Being_Humor) <a href="https://twitter.com/Being_Humor/status/1110783992540946432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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हम टीवी के सामने अपने मित्रों के साथ बैठे है हमें बेसब्री से इंतजार है आपके सम्बोधन का🙏
— Chowkidar कुंवर अजयप्रताप सिंह 🇮🇳 (@SengarAjay505) <a href="https://twitter.com/SengarAjay505/status/1110784970262351872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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And then there were tweets about demonetisation and Indian currency:

&nbsp;

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omg --- EVERYBODY RUN TOWARDS ATM
— Astronaut nehr_who (@Nehr_who) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nehr_who/status/1110787850784497664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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इसी तरह का anouncment नोटबन्दी के समय किया था, आज फिर अचानक 
 
मतलब आज कुछ बड़ा होने वाला है मेरी तो धड़कने बहुत तेज हो गई है
— Chowkidar कुंवर अजयप्रताप सिंह 🇮🇳 (@SengarAjay505) <a href="https://twitter.com/SengarAjay505/status/1110788651967864832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Are you banning 2000 Rupees note ?
— Yuva Desh (@yuvadesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/yuvadesh/status/1110783699782643712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Just came back from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATM</a> had to face a long queue , 
Aisa announcement na Kiya kro sir AP😂🤣 dar lgta hai cash crunch ka😅
— NITESH (@NITESHRAJPOOT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NITESHRAJPOOT/status/1110845772252237825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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When his address began, PM Modi announced that India had shot down a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/what-is-low-earth-orbit-satellite-against-which-india-launched-a-surgical-strike-in-space-205974">low earth orbit satellite</a> with an A-Sat (anti-satellite) missile. With that, Modi added, India had become an "elite space power".

Only three countries - America, Russia and China - the prime minister said, have this capability. India is the fourth to join the club.

The operation had been called "Mission Shakti", and consisted of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/all-you-need-to-know-about-mission-shakti-indias-anti-satellite-missile-test-205998">A-Sat missile</a> shooting down a live satellite in low earth orbit.&nbsp; The entire operation, Modi said, had taken three minutes.

Modi added that India's A-Sat missile was not meant to be used for offence, but for defence.

Later, at a press conference, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said criticised the previous governments for not giving permission to build the anti-satellite missile.

"The process started in 2014 after the PM gave the permission, it's a huge achievement, not only we have become space power but we are now in big four. We should not forget that tomorrow's wars will not be the same as yesterday's wars," said Jaitley.

Targeting the Congress, he said those patting their own back for India's strategic missile programme were doing so for wrong reasons.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted from his official handle this morning that he is going to announce something very important in the next 15 minutes, and urged the people to listen to the announcement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted from his official handle this morning that he is going to announce something very important in the next 15 minutes, and urged the people to listen to the announcement. The actual address was, however, delayed by a few minutes and by then, Twitter was abuzz will all kinds of wild guesses and anxiety: Daud pakda gaya , aur bharat laya ja raha hai . — Abhishek (@anandabhishek40) March 27, 2019 × In my opinion, he'll just thank the whole country for giving him an opportunity to serve the nation. — THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) March 27, 2019 × Masood Azhar “ji” maare gaye kya ? — Chowkidar Maithun 😎 (@Being_Humor) March 27, 2019 × हम टीवी के सामने अपने मित्रों के साथ बैठे है हमें बेसब्री से इंतजार है आपके सम्बोधन का🙏 — Chowkidar कुंवर अजयप्रताप सिंह 🇮🇳 (@SengarAjay505) March 27, 2019 × And then there were tweets about demonetisation and Indian currency: omg --- EVERYBODY RUN TOWARDS ATM — Astronaut nehr_who (@Nehr_who) March 27, 2019 × इसी तरह का anouncment नोटबन्दी के समय किया था, आज फिर अचानक मतलब आज कुछ बड़ा होने वाला है मेरी तो धड़कने बहुत तेज हो गई है — Chowkidar कुंवर अजयप्रताप सिंह 🇮🇳 (@SengarAjay505) March 27, 2019 × Are you banning 2000 Rupees note ? — Yuva Desh (@yuvadesh) March 27, 2019 × Just came back from #ATM had to face a long queue , Aisa announcement na Kiya kro sir AP😂🤣 dar lgta hai cash crunch ka😅 — NITESH (@NITESHRAJPOOT) March 27, 2019 × When his address began, PM Modi announced that India had shot down a low earth orbit satellite with an A-Sat (anti-satellite) missile. With that, Modi added, India had become an "elite space power". Only three countries - America, Russia and China - the prime minister said, have this capability. India is the fourth to join the club. The operation had been called "Mission Shakti", and consisted of the A-Sat missile shooting down a live satellite in low earth orbit. The entire operation, Modi said, had taken three minutes. Modi added that India's A-Sat missile was not meant to be used for offence, but for defence. Later, at a press conference, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said criticised the previous governments for not giving permission to build the anti-satellite missile. "The process started in 2014 after the PM gave the permission, it's a huge achievement, not only we have become space power but we are now in big four. We should not forget that tomorrow's wars will not be the same as yesterday's wars," said Jaitley. Targeting the Congress, he said those patting their own back for India's strategic missile programme were doing so for wrong reasons.

Here's how anxious Twitterati handled delay in PM Modi's address

'Mission Shakti', India's homegrown anti-satellite missile: All you need to know

India became 4th nation to test anti-satellite weapon: Arun Jaitley

BSP supremo Mayawati Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of playing politics over India's anti-satellite missile capability.

"Congratulations to Indian defence scientists for the successful experiment of shooting down a satellite in the space. But the prime minister playing politics under its garb for electoral gains is most condemnable," she said in her tweet in Hindi.

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भारतीय रक्षा वैज्ञानिकों द्वारा अंतरिक्ष में सैटेलाइट मार गिराये जाने का सफल परीक्षण करके देश का सर ऊंचा करने के लिए अनेकों बधाई। लेकिन इसकी आड़ में पीएम श्री मोदी द्वारा चुनावी लाभ के लिये राजनीति करना अति-निन्दनीय। मा. चुनाव आयोग को इसका सख्त संज्ञान अवश्य लेना चाहिए।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mayawati/status/1110815742235017216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Her remarks came a few hours after Modi announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite.

"The honourable election commission should definitely take cognizance of this," Mayawati said in her tweet.

BSP supremo Mayawati Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of playing politics over India's anti-satellite missile capability. "Congratulations to Indian defence scientists for the successful experiment of shooting down a satellite in the space.

BSP supremo Mayawati Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of playing politics over India's anti-satellite missile capability. "Congratulations to Indian defence scientists for the successful experiment of shooting down a satellite in the space. But the prime minister playing politics under its garb for electoral gains is most condemnable," she said in her tweet in Hindi. भारतीय रक्षा वैज्ञानिकों द्वारा अंतरिक्ष में सैटेलाइट मार गिराये जाने का सफल परीक्षण करके देश का सर ऊंचा करने के लिए अनेकों बधाई। लेकिन इसकी आड़ में पीएम श्री मोदी द्वारा चुनावी लाभ के लिये राजनीति करना अति-निन्दनीय। मा. चुनाव आयोग को इसका सख्त संज्ञान अवश्य लेना चाहिए। — Mayawati (@Mayawati) March 27, 2019 × Her remarks came a few hours after Modi announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite. "The honourable election commission should definitely take cognizance of this," Mayawati said in her tweet.

PM Narendra Modi playing politics over anti-satellite missile capability: Mayawati

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India shot down a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-important-message-to-nation-modi-says-india-shot-down-low-earth-orbit-satellite-with-anti-satellite-missile-pm-modi-205973">Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite</a> and congratulated the Indian scientists for the feat. He said the anti-satellite (A-Sat) missile used to bring the LEO satellite down was made in India.

"Today, a LEO (Low-Earth Orbit) was downed by our space scientists. LEO had a set target, was shot down by anti-satellite missile in just three minutes," PM Modi said in his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-addresses-nation-with-important-message-205943">address to the nation</a>.

This is a proud moment for every Indian, he added.

But what is a Low-Earth Orbit satellite and how is it different from a regular satellite?

The Low-Earth Orbit satellites revolve around the earth only a few hundred kilometres (the low-earth orbit, hence the name) above the surface as against a geostationary orbit or other higher orbits which are used by communication or defence satellites to keep an eye on our plant. These satellites are primarily used for data communication and move at extremely high speeds.

More and more LEO satellites are being made today and they have crowded the space. These satellites are cost-effective and require lowest amount of energy for placement in space sice they use less powerful amplifiers for successful transmission. The latency too is very less and such satellites are easily accessible to crews.

One of the biggest disadvantages of using a LEO satellite, as pointed out by experts, is that its field of view is very limited, so a cluster of such satellites is needed to provide continuous coverage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that today's 'Mission Shakti' has propelled India into the league of elite countries which have this capability - of using an A-Sat missile to ward of threats from LEO satellites. India, Modi said, is now the fourth country after US, Russia and China to possess this technology.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India shot down a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite and congratulated the Indian scientists for the feat.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that India shot down a Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite and congratulated the Indian scientists for the feat. He said the anti-satellite (A-Sat) missile used to bring the LEO satellite down was made in India. "Today, a LEO (Low-Earth Orbit) was downed by our space scientists. LEO had a set target, was shot down by anti-satellite missile in just three minutes," PM Modi said in his address to the nation. This is a proud moment for every Indian, he added. But what is a Low-Earth Orbit satellite and how is it different from a regular satellite? The Low-Earth Orbit satellites revolve around the earth only a few hundred kilometres (the low-earth orbit, hence the name) above the surface as against a geostationary orbit or other higher orbits which are used by communication or defence satellites to keep an eye on our plant. These satellites are primarily used for data communication and move at extremely high speeds. More and more LEO satellites are being made today and they have crowded the space. These satellites are cost-effective and require lowest amount of energy for placement in space sice they use less powerful amplifiers for successful transmission. The latency too is very less and such satellites are easily accessible to crews. One of the biggest disadvantages of using a LEO satellite, as pointed out by experts, is that its field of view is very limited, so a cluster of such satellites is needed to provide continuous coverage. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that today's 'Mission Shakti' has propelled India into the league of elite countries which have this capability - of using an A-Sat missile to ward of threats from LEO satellites. India, Modi said, is now the fourth country after US, Russia and China to possess this technology.

What is Low-Earth Orbit satellite against which India launched a 'surgical strike' in space?

All you need to know about Mission Shakti, India's Anti-Satellite Missile test

India has attained anti-satellite capability, becoming the fourth such country after the US, China and Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday.

The mission was completed within three minutes when a pre-determined target satellite some 300 km away in the sky was destroyed using a complicated space manoeuvre, Modi said in a nationally televised speech.

Calling it "Mission Shakti", the Prime Minister said it did not violate any international law.

His address to the nation was widely hailed on social media.

"#MissionShakti is special for 2 reasons: (1) India is only the 4th country to acquire such a specialised &amp; modern capability. (2) Entire effort is indigenous. India stands tall as a space power! It will make India stronger, even more secure and will further peace and harmony," PM Modi posted on his Twitter handle after the address.

India's main Opposition party, the Congress, congratulated the country's space scientists for the feat.

"We congratulate @isro &amp; the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1961 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru &amp; the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud with its ground breaking achievements," said a tweet from Congress's official handle.

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We congratulate <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> &amp; the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1961 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru &amp; the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud with its ground breaking achievements.
— Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1110805841374928897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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A tweet from Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Congratulations to @DRDO_India &amp; @isro scientists on the success of ‘Mission Shakti’. The success of this mission will help in strengthening India’s defence capabilities. We are proud that our Space &amp; Defence prog has touched unprecedented heights with this glorious achievement."

"Massive Space Leap for India. Kudos to #DRDO scientists for this huge technological advancement. Arrival of #India as #Space Super Power... India only 4th Country after #US, #Russia and #China to acquire anti-satellite missile capability. #MissionShakti," Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said on Twitter.

"Under the able leadership of PM @narendramodi, team @DRDO_India has achieved a remarkable &amp; historic feat. I am feeling proud that #MissionShakti has been successfully conducted making India, the only 4th nation with capability to destroy low orbit satellite using A-SAT missile," tweeted former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"Space wars are not just Hollywood fiction. The US, Russia and China continue to pursue anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, India's successful "kill" with an ASAT weapon is significant," strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney said on Twitter.

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Without building deterrence by demonstrating an ASAT capability, India risked encouraging an adversary like China to go after Indian space capabilities early in a conflict. To "defend" its satellites, India has to deter China's use of its direct ascent missiles and laser weapons.
— Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chellaney/status/1110808292358533120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Modi said he wanted to clarify to the world's powers that this new technology was not meant to be used against any country, but that it was for India's defence.

He added India is against a space race, and that "we still follow this policy".

India has attained anti-satellite capability, becoming the fourth such country after the US, China and Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday.

India has attained anti-satellite capability, becoming the fourth such country after the US, China and Russia, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Wednesday. The mission was completed within three minutes when a pre-determined target satellite some 300 km away in the sky was destroyed using a complicated space manoeuvre, Modi said in a nationally televised speech. Calling it "Mission Shakti", the Prime Minister said it did not violate any international law. His address to the nation was widely hailed on social media. "#MissionShakti is special for 2 reasons: (1) India is only the 4th country to acquire such a specialised & modern capability. (2) Entire effort is indigenous. India stands tall as a space power! It will make India stronger, even more secure and will further peace and harmony," PM Modi posted on his Twitter handle after the address. India's main Opposition party, the Congress, congratulated the country's space scientists for the feat. "We congratulate @isro & the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1961 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru & the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud with its ground breaking achievements," said a tweet from Congress's official handle. We congratulate @isro & the Govt on the latest achievement for India. The Indian Space Programme established in 1961 by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru & the Indian Space Research Organisation set up under Smt. Indira Gandhi has always made India proud with its ground breaking achievements. — Congress (@INCIndia) March 27, 2019 × A tweet from Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Congratulations to @DRDO_India & @isro scientists on the success of ‘Mission Shakti’. The success of this mission will help in strengthening India’s defence capabilities. We are proud that our Space & Defence prog has touched unprecedented heights with this glorious achievement." "Massive Space Leap for India. Kudos to #DRDO scientists for this huge technological advancement. Arrival of #India as #Space Super Power... India only 4th Country after #US, #Russia and #China to acquire anti-satellite missile capability. #MissionShakti," Civil Aviation minister Suresh Prabhu said on Twitter. "Under the able leadership of PM @narendramodi, team @DRDO_India has achieved a remarkable & historic feat. I am feeling proud that #MissionShakti has been successfully conducted making India, the only 4th nation with capability to destroy low orbit satellite using A-SAT missile," tweeted former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. "Space wars are not just Hollywood fiction. The US, Russia and China continue to pursue anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons. Space is being turned into a battlefront, making counter-space capabilities critical. In this light, India's successful "kill" with an ASAT weapon is significant," strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney said on Twitter. Without building deterrence by demonstrating an ASAT capability, India risked encouraging an adversary like China to go after Indian space capabilities early in a conflict. To "defend" its satellites, India has to deter China's use of its direct ascent missiles and laser weapons. — Brahma Chellaney (@Chellaney) March 27, 2019 × Modi said he wanted to clarify to the world's powers that this new technology was not meant to be used against any country, but that it was for India's defence. He added India is against a space race, and that "we still follow this policy".

Mission Shakti: Giant leap for India, say leaders

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to be the game changer in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

"I don't think any other issue or scheme is going to do anything. Only PM Narendra Modi is going to be the game changer in this election," Jaitley told Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary.

He also said that Modi gave India a strong leadership.

"The people of the country know that we can take tough decisions, provide leadership and that the country is safe under PM Modi's leadership. Any other PM would have thought 'whether I should give the permission or not for the airstrikes in Balakot'. He decided to strike the terrorists at their point of origin - both surgical strikes and IAF strikes prove it," Jaitley said.

The ability to take such decisions has given an assurance to the people of this nation that Modi will give the country a strong leadership.

"They violate the sanctity of Line of Control nearly every day. The changed defence doctrine that we have adopted will give a new sense of safety to the countrymen," he said.

Jaitley also slammed Congress's direct benefit transfer scheme announced by its president Rahul Gandhi on Monday.

Calling Rahul Gandhi's minimum income promise a bluff he said: "Congress has only given slogans to the poor, we gave them means. We got 91% of villages connected to roads. We have promised that all the BPL families will have a house by 2022. We waived off the hospital expense for 50 crore people of this country. We did not increase income tax by a single rupee, in fact, we reduced it.we also increased the tax base. 10,000km national highways were constructed every year during our tenure. We already have 55 scheme for our poor."

"Jitna ye vada kar rahe hain, usse 1.5 guna zyada hum already kar rahe hain&nbsp;(what they (Congress) is promising, we are already giving 1.5 times of that)," he added. 
 
Earlier on Monday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi announced that his party, if voted to power, would give a minimum income guarantee of Rs 6,000 per month to 20 crore household. He said that the move would bring the people out of poverty.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to be the game changer in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. "I don't think any other issue or scheme is going to do anything.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to be the game changer in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. "I don't think any other issue or scheme is going to do anything. Only PM Narendra Modi is going to be the game changer in this election," Jaitley told Zee News Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary. He also said that Modi gave India a strong leadership. "The people of the country know that we can take tough decisions, provide leadership and that the country is safe under PM Modi's leadership. Any other PM would have thought 'whether I should give the permission or not for the airstrikes in Balakot'. He decided to strike the terrorists at their point of origin - both surgical strikes and IAF strikes prove it," Jaitley said. The ability to take such decisions has given an assurance to the people of this nation that Modi will give the country a strong leadership. "They violate the sanctity of Line of Control nearly every day. The changed defence doctrine that we have adopted will give a new sense of safety to the countrymen," he said. Jaitley also slammed Congress's direct benefit transfer scheme announced by its president Rahul Gandhi on Monday. Calling Rahul Gandhi's minimum income promise a bluff he said: "Congress has only given slogans to the poor, we gave them means. We got 91% of villages connected to roads. We have promised that all the BPL families will have a house by 2022. We waived off the hospital expense for 50 crore people of this country. We did not increase income tax by a single rupee, in fact, we reduced it.we also increased the tax base. 10,000km national highways were constructed every year during our tenure. We already have 55 scheme for our poor." "Jitna ye vada kar rahe hain, usse 1.5 guna zyada hum already kar rahe hain (what they (Congress) is promising, we are already giving 1.5 times of that)," he added. Earlier on Monday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi announced that his party, if voted to power, would give a minimum income guarantee of Rs 6,000 per month to 20 crore household. He said that the move would bring the people out of poverty.

Narendra Modi will be the game changer in Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Arun Jaitley

Not so long ago most Indians were rejoicing in their globe-trotting Prime Minister’s diplomatic conquests. He received rockstars welcome and charged the People of Indian origin with frenzy.&nbsp;

New ‘strategic partnerships’ were forged with potential allies ranging from the US to Japan. The neighbourhood wasn’t neglected either. Narendra Modi invited leaders of all SAARC nations to his oath-taking ceremony and followed it up by lavishing special attention on Nepal. An Olive Branch was extended to Pakistan and the warm welcome extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping arousing hopes of further ‘normalisation’ of relationship with the usually belligerent ‘superpower in the making.’&nbsp;

From G20 summits to BRICS conclaves and sessions at UN the Indian Prime Minister performed in dazzling contrast with his lacklustre predecessor-timid and tongue-tied Dr Manmohan Singh. It appeared for a few shining moments that India had arrived.&nbsp; 
 
As the nation goes to polls that many consider a decisive moment, a possible turning point, foreign policy is strangely forgotten in public discourse. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pulwama and retaliatory air strikes across the border the many ‘achievements’ of past five years in the realm of international relations are not even being mentioned as an aside.&nbsp;

It seems that nothing matters more than an inimical Pakistan next door. Protected by China and forever propped up by the US it continues to cripple us like the proverbial albatross round the neck. The myriad options explored by Modi apparently were not enough to redress the imbalance tilting against our vital national interest in South Asia. The country seems to be back at square one.&nbsp;

What is even more distressing is that the election campaign has been highjacked by supercharged ‘Patriots’ and the ‘Traitors’ targeted by them. The dangerous labelling of political opponents as ‘jingoist chauvinists’ or ‘traitors and enemy agents’ has made it impossible to take stock of the challenges confronting the nation. Rhetoric devoid of reason is trying to sway voters it's way. The traditional consensus in matters of foreign policy has been almost entirely eroded.&nbsp;

We forget at our peril that in ultimate analysis foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy. It is an instrument to safeguard the independence and autonomy in the formulation of economic policies, to enjoy the freedom to live according to ones cultural preferences-inherited as well as acquired. In short, the task of foreign policy is not confined to protecting the borders from external invasions.&nbsp; 
 
This is where Pakistan has succeeded in distorting our perspective disastrously. Be it the perpetual turmoil in the valley of Kashmir or legislation affecting customary practices of Muslim Indian citizen those at the helm try to steal a look towards Islamabad. It isn’t surprising that this has resulted in an incurable painful squint. Either the secular-supposedly liberal- regime at the helm bends backwards to appease the self-styled leaders of minorities-Muslims, Sikhs and Christians- or those who have proclaimed themselves to be custodians of tradition and swadeshi &nbsp;culture, begin hounding anyone who dares to dissent- issuing ultimatums to ‘Go to Pakistan!’ or face the lynch mobs. Discussion on foreign policy has been reduced to a farce.

The response to China’s bullying isn’t very different. Few Indians have displayed the wisdom to assess the long term Chinese ‘threat’ dispensing with the Pakistani looking glass. It is the Chinese Veto shielding Azhar Masood that blinkers our eyes. China’s tentacles in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar remain invisible but the Dragon can bare its fangs and claws at will. China, today, no longer has to irritate India with Doklam like cleverly engineered crisis on the border. Fomenting resentment against India among its smaller neighbours. We occasionally express nominal concern about the Garland of Poisoned Pearls it has trigged to strangle us but remain blind to the traps it is laying for us in distant lands where we are China’s principal competitors in the domain of food and energy security.&nbsp; 
 
Pakistan and China keep us so preoccupied that the rest of foreign policy is forgotten. Election sloganeering deafens us to alarm bells ringing from West Asia to Europe. Let us wake up to the harsh realities of life. Foreign Policy isn’t some luxury that you can dispense with when elections are underway.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

Not so long ago most Indians were rejoicing in their globe-trotting Prime Minister’s diplomatic conquests. He received rockstars welcome and charged the People of Indian origin with frenzy.

Not so long ago most Indians were rejoicing in their globe-trotting Prime Minister’s diplomatic conquests. He received rockstars welcome and charged the People of Indian origin with frenzy. New ‘strategic partnerships’ were forged with potential allies ranging from the US to Japan. The neighbourhood wasn’t neglected either. Narendra Modi invited leaders of all SAARC nations to his oath-taking ceremony and followed it up by lavishing special attention on Nepal. An Olive Branch was extended to Pakistan and the warm welcome extended to Chinese President Xi Jinping arousing hopes of further ‘normalisation’ of relationship with the usually belligerent ‘superpower in the making.’ From G20 summits to BRICS conclaves and sessions at UN the Indian Prime Minister performed in dazzling contrast with his lacklustre predecessor-timid and tongue-tied Dr Manmohan Singh. It appeared for a few shining moments that India had arrived. As the nation goes to polls that many consider a decisive moment, a possible turning point, foreign policy is strangely forgotten in public discourse. In the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pulwama and retaliatory air strikes across the border the many ‘achievements’ of past five years in the realm of international relations are not even being mentioned as an aside. It seems that nothing matters more than an inimical Pakistan next door. Protected by China and forever propped up by the US it continues to cripple us like the proverbial albatross round the neck. The myriad options explored by Modi apparently were not enough to redress the imbalance tilting against our vital national interest in South Asia. The country seems to be back at square one. What is even more distressing is that the election campaign has been highjacked by supercharged ‘Patriots’ and the ‘Traitors’ targeted by them. The dangerous labelling of political opponents as ‘jingoist chauvinists’ or ‘traitors and enemy agents’ has made it impossible to take stock of the challenges confronting the nation. Rhetoric devoid of reason is trying to sway voters it's way. The traditional consensus in matters of foreign policy has been almost entirely eroded. We forget at our peril that in ultimate analysis foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy. It is an instrument to safeguard the independence and autonomy in the formulation of economic policies, to enjoy the freedom to live according to ones cultural preferences-inherited as well as acquired. In short, the task of foreign policy is not confined to protecting the borders from external invasions. This is where Pakistan has succeeded in distorting our perspective disastrously. Be it the perpetual turmoil in the valley of Kashmir or legislation affecting customary practices of Muslim Indian citizen those at the helm try to steal a look towards Islamabad. It isn’t surprising that this has resulted in an incurable painful squint. Either the secular-supposedly liberal- regime at the helm bends backwards to appease the self-styled leaders of minorities-Muslims, Sikhs and Christians- or those who have proclaimed themselves to be custodians of tradition and swadeshi culture, begin hounding anyone who dares to dissent- issuing ultimatums to ‘Go to Pakistan!’ or face the lynch mobs. Discussion on foreign policy has been reduced to a farce. The response to China’s bullying isn’t very different. Few Indians have displayed the wisdom to assess the long term Chinese ‘threat’ dispensing with the Pakistani looking glass. It is the Chinese Veto shielding Azhar Masood that blinkers our eyes. China’s tentacles in Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar remain invisible but the Dragon can bare its fangs and claws at will. China, today, no longer has to irritate India with Doklam like cleverly engineered crisis on the border. Fomenting resentment against India among its smaller neighbours. We occasionally express nominal concern about the Garland of Poisoned Pearls it has trigged to strangle us but remain blind to the traps it is laying for us in distant lands where we are China’s principal competitors in the domain of food and energy security. Pakistan and China keep us so preoccupied that the rest of foreign policy is forgotten. Election sloganeering deafens us to alarm bells ringing from West Asia to Europe. Let us wake up to the harsh realities of life. Foreign Policy isn’t some luxury that you can dispense with when elections are underway. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Moving away from China and Pakistan, Indian foreign policy needs a major overhaul

Using hashtag #VoteKar, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-2019-over-100-farmers-from-tamil-nadu-set-to-challenge-pm-modi-in-varanasi-205231">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Saturday went on a tweet spree again urging celebrities from various fields to motivate people to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Interestingly, Prime Minister Modi tweeted 16 times in just half-an-hour using the hashtag.

“My fellow Indians, The time has come to say- #VoteKar. In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, ensure that you as well as your family and friends turn out in record numbers. Your doing so will have a positive impact on the nation’s future,” he tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
My fellow Indians, 
 
The time has come to say- <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VoteKar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VoteKar</a>. 
 
In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, ensure that you as well as your family and friends turnout in record numbers. 
 
Your doing so will have a positive impact on the nation’s future.
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1109822374008877056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

He later went on to tag film celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Anupam Kher, Kabir Bedi, R Madhavan, Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit, Madhur Bhandarkar, Rajkummar Rao, Parineeti Chopra and Kartik Aryan among others to ask their respective fans to go and vote in the coming election.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/AnilKapoor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnilKapoor</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/ajaydevgn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ajaydevgn</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/MadhuriDixit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MadhuriDixit</a>, 
 
After the box office, it is time to create Total Dhamaal at the polling booths. 
 
Your support to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VoteKar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VoteKar</a> movement will augur well for India’s democracy. 
 
Let us ensure high voter turnout!
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1109824861084344320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

This was the second time when Prime Minister Modi made such an appeal.

On March 13, he had urged various politicians to encourage voter participation and urged them to inspire more people to come out and vote during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

“I appeal to Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and MK Stalin to encourage increased voter participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. A high turnout augurs well for our democratic fabric,” Prime Minister Modi wrote at that time.

He later went on to call upon Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to “work towards bringing maximum Indians to the polling booths in the upcoming elections. May voter awareness efforts be strengthened across the length and breadth of India.”

Seven-phased elections in the country will begin on April 11, and will culminate on May 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23.

Using hashtag #VoteKar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday went on a tweet spree again urging celebrities from various fields to motivate people to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

Using hashtag #VoteKar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday went on a tweet spree again urging celebrities from various fields to motivate people to vote in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Interestingly, Prime Minister Modi tweeted 16 times in just half-an-hour using the hashtag. “My fellow Indians, The time has come to say- #VoteKar. In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, ensure that you as well as your family and friends turn out in record numbers. Your doing so will have a positive impact on the nation’s future,” he tweeted. My fellow Indians, The time has come to say- #VoteKar. In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, ensure that you as well as your family and friends turnout in record numbers. Your doing so will have a positive impact on the nation’s future. — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 24, 2019 × He later went on to tag film celebrities like Hrithik Roshan, Anupam Kher, Kabir Bedi, R Madhavan, Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Madhuri Dixit, Madhur Bhandarkar, Rajkummar Rao, Parineeti Chopra and Kartik Aryan among others to ask their respective fans to go and vote in the coming election. Dear @AnilKapoor, @ajaydevgn & @MadhuriDixit, After the box office, it is time to create Total Dhamaal at the polling booths. Your support to the #VoteKar movement will augur well for India’s democracy. Let us ensure high voter turnout! — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 24, 2019 × This was the second time when Prime Minister Modi made such an appeal. On March 13, he had urged various politicians to encourage voter participation and urged them to inspire more people to come out and vote during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. “I appeal to Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav and MK Stalin to encourage increased voter participation in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. A high turnout augurs well for our democratic fabric,” Prime Minister Modi wrote at that time. He later went on to call upon Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to “work towards bringing maximum Indians to the polling booths in the upcoming elections. May voter awareness efforts be strengthened across the length and breadth of India.” Seven-phased elections in the country will begin on April 11, and will culminate on May 19. The counting of votes will be done on May 23.

Lok Sabha polls 2019: PM Modi tweets 16 times, tells people to vote

Days after Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar expressed his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/javed-akhtar-denies-writing-songs-for-pm-narendra-modi-biopic-tweets-shocked-204911">disappointment over the inclusion of his name</a> on the poster of the 'Narendra Modi' movie, producer of the movie Sandip Singh, clarified on Sunday that he was given approval from T-series Bhushan Kumar.

"I grew up hearing Javed Akhtar sir's songs, I wanted to keep one of his songs in the movie; I spoke to T-series' Bhushan Kumar ji, he agreed to it. I don't know if he (Akhtar) was informed about it, it's the music company's job, "Sandip Singh said.

Javed Akhtar had earlier tweeted the poster of the film and said, “Am shocked to find my name on the poster of this film. Have not written any songs for it."

Akhtar was mentioned in the poster of the movie "Narendra Modi" which is set to release on April 5. &nbsp;

Directed by Omung Kumar, the movie is starring Vivek Oberoi who is playing the role of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On being cast for the role, Vivek in an interview said, "I consider Modiji as an inspiration. Modiji is one of those personalities... if he decides something, if he is clear with his vision, he doesn't fear to achieve his goal. It is very inspirational."

Days after Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar expressed his disappointment over the inclusion of his name on the poster of the 'Narendra Modi' movie, producer of the movie Sandip Singh, clarified on Sunday that he was given approval from T-series Bhushan Kumar.

Days after Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar expressed his disappointment over the inclusion of his name on the poster of the 'Narendra Modi' movie, producer of the movie Sandip Singh, clarified on Sunday that he was given approval from T-series Bhushan Kumar. "I grew up hearing Javed Akhtar sir's songs, I wanted to keep one of his songs in the movie; I spoke to T-series' Bhushan Kumar ji, he agreed to it. I don't know if he (Akhtar) was informed about it, it's the music company's job, "Sandip Singh said. Javed Akhtar had earlier tweeted the poster of the film and said, “Am shocked to find my name on the poster of this film. Have not written any songs for it." Akhtar was mentioned in the poster of the movie "Narendra Modi" which is set to release on April 5. Directed by Omung Kumar, the movie is starring Vivek Oberoi who is playing the role of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On being cast for the role, Vivek in an interview said, "I consider Modiji as an inspiration. Modiji is one of those personalities... if he decides something, if he is clear with his vision, he doesn't fear to achieve his goal. It is very inspirational."

T-series Bhushan Kumar agreed to include Javed Akhtar's song in 'Narendra Modi' movie: Producer Sandip Singh

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-bjp-releases-list-of-36-candidates-sambit-patra-to-contest-from-puri-204967">BJP has announced the names</a> of 297 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in six lists released so far, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi and party chief Amit Shah from Gandhinagar.&nbsp;

The lists include almost all candidates for those seats where polling will be held in first two phases.

In the first list released Thursday, the party announced the names of 184 candidates, including the prime minister and the BJP chief. Later on the same day, the party announced its candidate for Daman and Diu constituency as well.

The party released three lists on Friday and one on Saturday.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will again contest from Lucknow while party's senior leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib in Bihar and national spokesperson <a href="Lok Sabha polls: BJP releases list of 36 candidates, Sambit Patra to contest from Puri">Sambit Patra from Puri in Odisha</a>.

The party fielded Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Jayant Sinha, Shripad Naik from Morena (Madhya Pradesh), Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), North Goa seats respectively.

Party leader Anurag Thakur has been renominated from Hamirpur. 
Veteran party leader and sitting Kangra MP Shanta Kumar has been replaced by Kishan Kapoor as the BJP nominee from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh.

With these candidates, the party has so far announced the name of its 297 candidates for the election to the 543-member Lok Sabha which will be held in seven phases beginning on 11 April and ending on 19 May. The counting will take place on 23 May.

The names for the first two phases have been cleared by the BJP's central election committee (CEC), headed by its chief Amit Shah and including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The names of its 17 candidates for Bihar Lok Sabha seats were shared with media by the BJP in a joint press conference with its allies in Patna.

The party is contesting on 40 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar in alliance with JD(U) and the LJP, where both BJP and JD(U) will fight on 17 seats each and the LJP on remaining six.

The big names which were announced on Saturday include Ravi Shankar Prasad who will be now the party's candidate from Patna Sahib replacing film actor and sitting MP Shatrughan Sinha.

The party also announced the candidature of its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri, where Modi's name was also speculated as a candidate.

The party has also changed the seat of Union minister Giriraj Singh from Nawada to Begusarai in Bihar.&nbsp;

The highlight of the first list was the party's decision to field Shah from Gandhinagar in place of its veteran leader L K Advani.&nbsp;

The BJP has announced the names of 297 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in six lists released so far, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi and party chief Amit Shah from Gandhinagar.

The BJP has announced the names of 297 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in six lists released so far, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi and party chief Amit Shah from Gandhinagar. The lists include almost all candidates for those seats where polling will be held in first two phases. In the first list released Thursday, the party announced the names of 184 candidates, including the prime minister and the BJP chief. Later on the same day, the party announced its candidate for Daman and Diu constituency as well. The party released three lists on Friday and one on Saturday. Home Minister Rajnath Singh will again contest from Lucknow while party's senior leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna Sahib in Bihar and national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri in Odisha. The party fielded Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar, Jayant Sinha, Shripad Naik from Morena (Madhya Pradesh), Hazaribagh (Jharkhand), North Goa seats respectively. Party leader Anurag Thakur has been renominated from Hamirpur. Veteran party leader and sitting Kangra MP Shanta Kumar has been replaced by Kishan Kapoor as the BJP nominee from Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. With these candidates, the party has so far announced the name of its 297 candidates for the election to the 543-member Lok Sabha which will be held in seven phases beginning on 11 April and ending on 19 May. The counting will take place on 23 May. The names for the first two phases have been cleared by the BJP's central election committee (CEC), headed by its chief Amit Shah and including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The names of its 17 candidates for Bihar Lok Sabha seats were shared with media by the BJP in a joint press conference with its allies in Patna. The party is contesting on 40 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar in alliance with JD(U) and the LJP, where both BJP and JD(U) will fight on 17 seats each and the LJP on remaining six. The big names which were announced on Saturday include Ravi Shankar Prasad who will be now the party's candidate from Patna Sahib replacing film actor and sitting MP Shatrughan Sinha. The party also announced the candidature of its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri, where Modi's name was also speculated as a candidate. The party has also changed the seat of Union minister Giriraj Singh from Nawada to Begusarai in Bihar. The highlight of the first list was the party's decision to field Shah from Gandhinagar in place of its veteran leader L K Advani.

Lok Sabha polls: BJP announces names of 297 candidates in six lists

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mueller-submits-trump-russia-report-clamour-grows-for-its-quick-release-204966">Mueller submits Trump-Russia report, clamour grows for its quick release</a>

Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday handed in a confidential report on his investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election and any potential wrongdoing by US President Donald Trump, setting off a clamour from lawmakers in both parties for the document's quick release.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995">Pakistan national day: PM Modi writes </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995">letter</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995"> to Pak PM as part of customary practice; calls for terror-free South Asia</a>

India has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written a letter to Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan as part of the diplomatic practice of writing to the Heads of state/Govt on their respective National Days. The letter is sent to all countries with whom India shares diplomatic relations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-asks-un-council-to-uphold-resolutions-on-golan-heights-204971">Syria asks UN council to uphold resolutions on Golan Heights</a>

Syria on Friday asked the UN Security Council to uphold resolutions declaring that Israel withdraws from the Golan Heights after President Donald Trump said the United States would recognize Israel's annexation of the territory.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/muslims-return-to-christchurch-mosque-as-new-zealand-works-to-move-on-204991">Muslims return to Christchurch mosque as New Zealand works to move on</a>

Muslims returned to Christchurch's main mosque on Saturday for the first time since a white supremacist massacred worshippers there, as New Zealand sought to return to normality after the tragedy.

The Al Noor mosque was taken over by police for investigations and security reasons after alleged gunman Brenton Tarrant attacked Muslims gathered there and at a smaller mosque for Friday prayers, killing 50 people.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-bjp-releases-list-of-36-candidates-sambit-patra-to-contest-from-puri-204967">Lok Sabha polls: BJP releases list of 36 candidates, Sambit Patra to contest from Puri</a>

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of 36 candidates for Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Odisha ahead of the general elections.

The party has fielded Girish Bapat from Pune (Maharashtra), its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri (Odisha), Dilip Kumar Kilaru from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Bharati Pawar from Dindori (Maharashtra) and Sanbor Shullai from Shillong (Meghalaya).

Mueller submits Trump-Russia report, clamour grows for its quick release Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday handed in a confidential report on his investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election and any potential wrongdoing by US President Donald Trump, setting off a clamour from lawmakers in both parties for the document's quick release.

Mueller submits Trump-Russia report, clamour grows for its quick release Special Counsel Robert Mueller on Friday handed in a confidential report on his investigation into Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election and any potential wrongdoing by US President Donald Trump, setting off a clamour from lawmakers in both parties for the document's quick release. Pakistan national day: PM Modi writes letter to Pak PM as part of customary practice; calls for terror-free South Asia India has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written a letter to Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan as part of the diplomatic practice of writing to the Heads of state/Govt on their respective National Days. The letter is sent to all countries with whom India shares diplomatic relations. Syria asks UN council to uphold resolutions on Golan Heights Syria on Friday asked the UN Security Council to uphold resolutions declaring that Israel withdraws from the Golan Heights after President Donald Trump said the United States would recognize Israel's annexation of the territory. Muslims return to Christchurch mosque as New Zealand works to move on Muslims returned to Christchurch's main mosque on Saturday for the first time since a white supremacist massacred worshippers there, as New Zealand sought to return to normality after the tragedy. The Al Noor mosque was taken over by police for investigations and security reasons after alleged gunman Brenton Tarrant attacked Muslims gathered there and at a smaller mosque for Friday prayers, killing 50 people. Lok Sabha polls: BJP releases list of 36 candidates, Sambit Patra to contest from Puri The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released a list of 36 candidates for Lok Sabha polls in Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Odisha ahead of the general elections. The party has fielded Girish Bapat from Pune (Maharashtra), its national spokesperson Sambit Patra from Puri (Odisha), Dilip Kumar Kilaru from Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Bharati Pawar from Dindori (Maharashtra) and Sanbor Shullai from Shillong (Meghalaya).

News brief: Big stories of the day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi writes in a blog on Saturday that Dr Lohia would be "proud" of the NDA government led by the BJP for following his ideas.

"Today those parties that falsely claim to be Dr Lohia's followers are desperate to form an opportunistic 'maha-milawat' or adulteration alliances with the same Congress (which Lohia opposed). It is both ironical and reprehensible," wrote PM Modi in a blog to mark the 109th birth anniversary of Lohia.

The Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal-Secular, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal, which will merge with the RJD after the Lok Sabha polls, were some of the parties formed on socialist ideology.

"Dr Lohia's thoughts inspire us. He wrote about modernising agriculture and empowering farmers, which the NDA government is effectively doing through efforts such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Krishi Sinchai Yojana, e-Nam, Soil Health Cards and more," he said in the blog shared on Twitter.

Referring to gender inequality, the prime minister said nothing pained Lohia more than the caste hierarchy and inequality between women and men.

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Today they are betraying the principles of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, tomorrow they will also betray the people of India. 
 
My thoughts on why those who claim to follow Dr. Lohia have let him down. Do read. <a href="https://t.co/gq1srcXwkx">https://t.co/gq1srcXwkx</a>
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1109306402395377665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"But neck deep in vote bank politics, it was parties that dishonestly claim to be Dr Lohia's followers that opposed the NDA government's move to abolish the inhuman practice of triple talaq," he alleged.

Hitting out at the Congress, Modi said whenever Lohia spoke, the Congress "trembled with fear".

He said Lohia had once claimed that during the Congress regime neither agriculture and industry nor the Army improved.

"These words can accurately describe even subsequent Congress regimes, where farmers were harassed, the industry was discouraged (except if they belonged to friends and relatives of Congress leaders) and national security was ignored," the PM wrote.

(With inputs from PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi writes in a blog on Saturday that Dr Lohia would be "proud" of the NDA government led by the BJP for following his ideas. "Today those parties that falsely claim to be Dr Lohia's followers are desperate to form an opportunistic 'maha-milawat' or adulteration alliances with the same Congress (which Lohia opposed).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi writes in a blog on Saturday that Dr Lohia would be "proud" of the NDA government led by the BJP for following his ideas. "Today those parties that falsely claim to be Dr Lohia's followers are desperate to form an opportunistic 'maha-milawat' or adulteration alliances with the same Congress (which Lohia opposed). It is both ironical and reprehensible," wrote PM Modi in a blog to mark the 109th birth anniversary of Lohia. The Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal-Secular, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Sharad Yadav's Loktantrik Janata Dal, which will merge with the RJD after the Lok Sabha polls, were some of the parties formed on socialist ideology. "Dr Lohia's thoughts inspire us. He wrote about modernising agriculture and empowering farmers, which the NDA government is effectively doing through efforts such as PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, Krishi Sinchai Yojana, e-Nam, Soil Health Cards and more," he said in the blog shared on Twitter. Referring to gender inequality, the prime minister said nothing pained Lohia more than the caste hierarchy and inequality between women and men. Today they are betraying the principles of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, tomorrow they will also betray the people of India. My thoughts on why those who claim to follow Dr. Lohia have let him down. Do read. https://t.co/gq1srcXwkx — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2019 × "But neck deep in vote bank politics, it was parties that dishonestly claim to be Dr Lohia's followers that opposed the NDA government's move to abolish the inhuman practice of triple talaq," he alleged. Hitting out at the Congress, Modi said whenever Lohia spoke, the Congress "trembled with fear". He said Lohia had once claimed that during the Congress regime neither agriculture and industry nor the Army improved. "These words can accurately describe even subsequent Congress regimes, where farmers were harassed, the industry was discouraged (except if they belonged to friends and relatives of Congress leaders) and national security was ignored," the PM wrote. (With inputs from PTI)

Ram Manohar Lohia would have been proud of NDA government: PM Modi

Pakistan wants peace with India and they should focus on health and education, the Pakistani president said on Saturday during a parade to show off its military might following a tense standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The conflict between the rivals erupted last month following a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/pulwama-terror-attack-indias-response-was-carefully-calibrated-200450">suicide bomb attack claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group</a> in the Indian party of the disputed and divided Kashmir region that killed 40 paramilitary police.

"We do not believe in war and want to solve problems through dialogue," President Arif Alvi said in his Pakistani Republic Day speech.

"Instead of war we should focus on education and health."

Pakistani warplanes engaged in a dogfight with Indian aircraft over Kashmir on February 27, a day after a raid by Indian jets on what it said was a militant camp in Pakistan.

Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995"> PM Modi writes </a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995">letter</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-national-day-pm-modi-writes-letter-to-pak-pm-as-part-of-customary-practice-calls-for-terror-free-south-asia-204995"> to Pak PM as part of customary practice; calls for terror-free South Asia</a>

In their first such clash since their last war, in 1971, Pakistan downed an Indian plane and captured its pilot after he ejected over Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

The pilot was later released by Pakistan as a peace gesture.

The president, who largely holds ceremonial duties, said India had blamed Pakistan for the suicide-bomb attack without evidence, which he said was irresponsible.

Saturday's military parade included an air show featuring the Pakistani-built JF-17 fighter jet. One of the aircraft shot down the Indian plane last month.

"Today's parade is sending the message that we are a peaceful people but we will never be oblivious of our defence," Alvi said.

The parade was attended by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was invited to attend as the chief guest, and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Khan said on Twitter earlier that he had received a message from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his best wishes for Republic Day and calling for peace and regional cooperation.

"I welcome PM Modi's message to our people," Khan said.

"I believe it's time to begin a comprehensive dialogue with India to address and resolve all issues. The dispute over the former princely state of Kashmir sparked the first two of three wars between India and Pakistan after independence in 1947. They fought the second in 1965, and a third, largely over what become Bangladesh, in 1971.

Pakistan wants peace with India and they should focus on health and education, the Pakistani president said on Saturday during a parade to show off its military might following a tense standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Pakistan wants peace with India and they should focus on health and education, the Pakistani president said on Saturday during a parade to show off its military might following a tense standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbours. The conflict between the rivals erupted last month following a suicide bomb attack claimed by a Pakistan-based militant group in the Indian party of the disputed and divided Kashmir region that killed 40 paramilitary police. "We do not believe in war and want to solve problems through dialogue," President Arif Alvi said in his Pakistani Republic Day speech. "Instead of war we should focus on education and health." Pakistani warplanes engaged in a dogfight with Indian aircraft over Kashmir on February 27, a day after a raid by Indian jets on what it said was a militant camp in Pakistan. Also read: PM Modi writes letter to Pak PM as part of customary practice; calls for terror-free South Asia In their first such clash since their last war, in 1971, Pakistan downed an Indian plane and captured its pilot after he ejected over Pakistan-controlled Kashmir. The pilot was later released by Pakistan as a peace gesture. The president, who largely holds ceremonial duties, said India had blamed Pakistan for the suicide-bomb attack without evidence, which he said was irresponsible. Saturday's military parade included an air show featuring the Pakistani-built JF-17 fighter jet. One of the aircraft shot down the Indian plane last month. "Today's parade is sending the message that we are a peaceful people but we will never be oblivious of our defence," Alvi said. The parade was attended by Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who was invited to attend as the chief guest, and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. Khan said on Twitter earlier that he had received a message from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his best wishes for Republic Day and calling for peace and regional cooperation. "I welcome PM Modi's message to our people," Khan said. "I believe it's time to begin a comprehensive dialogue with India to address and resolve all issues. The dispute over the former princely state of Kashmir sparked the first two of three wars between India and Pakistan after independence in 1947. They fought the second in 1965, and a third, largely over what become Bangladesh, in 1971.

Pakistan calls for peace with India as it shows off its military might in parade

The Balakot air attack on February 26 by the Indian Air Force on Pakistan-based terror camps, which killed terrorists and destroyed their training facilities, has now become a watershed in the fight against terror. It required political leadership, military preparedness, combative skill and planning along with superior air strike capability. &nbsp;These aspects will be analysed for long. As it took place on the crucial 2019 election eve, its political impact is of more immediate significance.&nbsp;

There are clear indications that the air strike has ignited the spirit of nationalism throughout the country. The image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the national icon has been reinforced. That the world has rallied around India and Pakistan was demonstrably isolated has proved the big diplomatic strides India has taken with Modi-Sushma Swaraj in the last five years.&nbsp;

What are the big takeaways of the strike in the political, diplomatic and defence front? It has fired up the national psyche and thus changed the political narrative. &nbsp;For four decades India was seen as a helpless victim of Islamic terror, sponsored, promoted, guided and defended by Pakistan. No other country in the world has suffered for so long and so heavy as India. Indian response till Narendra Modi took office was one of pleading to the world for sympathies and cajoling Pakistan, if not propitiating it with endless comprehensive peace talks and track two diplomacy. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh described Pakistan as a victim of terror. After 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, the Indian security establishment had suggested an appropriate retaliatory response against Pakistan. But the UPA leadership had taken a pusillanimous approach. They characterised it as an attempt to derail the peace process. Every terror attack on India was described as such. Modi changed it all. He knew that Pakistan was waging a proxy war on India and using terror outfits as strategic assets. Now Modi is determined to end terror attacks on India permanently.&nbsp;

Modi was not looking for easy options. He has evolved a new security doctrine. This is going to be the most decisive aspect of the 2019 election. Let’s see how Modi has scripted the new narrative. First through his persistent initiatives convinced the world community that terrorism in any form, anywhere, against any country by any outfit is a threat to humanity. The world recognised that Pakistan was the main source of terror export and that it was on an asymmetric war with India.

After the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 41 CRPF soldiers were killed, the whole world in one voice condemned it and stood with India in its right to retaliate. For the first time, the US publicly acknowledged India’s right to revenge. So far Pakistan used to blackmail India with its nuclear arsenal which it threatened to use against India if it reacted. With the Air Force strike, Modi called the neighbour’s nuclear bluff.&nbsp;

All this was hailed and supported by the world leaders. Even China had to tone down its support to Pakistan and cautioned it against escalation. The UN Security Council members except China on their own moved to act against Pakistan harbouring terror outfits and wanted to declare Masood Azhar a wanted terrorist. Internally India acted withdrawing MFN status to Pakistan, imposing high duty on imports from there and banning Jamaat-e-Islami and removing security cover to separatist leaders.&nbsp;

The nation cheered all this. India’s unprecedented diplomatic outreach paid off. The External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was honoured at OIC, much to Pakistan’s dismay, wherein a sterling performance she swayed the hosts presenting Indian position. She could persuade China to take a neutral stand and be counted on fight against terror. On the election eve, by speaking the language that found echoed in Pakistan the anti-Modi Opposition lost the plot. As Modi is being hailed as the best guarantee for preserving national unity and integrity the Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi are talking as if they have no stake in national security. After initially supporting the Air Force strike, within hours they started questioning the veracity and proof. After denying bullet-proof jackets to Indian Army and advanced combat aircraft to Air Force for ten years, the UPA’s attack on Rafale sounded ill-timed and motivated. The fact Opposition criticism of Modi is being cited by Pakistan leaders to defend themselves have spoiled their case in India.&nbsp;

Modi has an enviable record of achievements in the last five years. His welfare schemes have brought an entirely new constituency of vote base for BJP. Only on development plank, he can vow the voters. But this round after the air strike the electoral narrative has entirely changed. In whose hands India is safe? Whom Pakistan and terrorists fear the most? Whom Pakistan and Imran Khan would like to see defeated in Indian polls? Who can take India forward and rally the world behind? These are the questions being debated after Balakot.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-heart-of-darkness-pierced-2731781">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

&nbsp;

The Balakot air attack on February 26 by the Indian Air Force on Pakistan-based terror camps, which killed terrorists and destroyed their training facilities, has now become a watershed in the fight against terror.

The Balakot air attack on February 26 by the Indian Air Force on Pakistan-based terror camps, which killed terrorists and destroyed their training facilities, has now become a watershed in the fight against terror. It required political leadership, military preparedness, combative skill and planning along with superior air strike capability. These aspects will be analysed for long. As it took place on the crucial 2019 election eve, its political impact is of more immediate significance. There are clear indications that the air strike has ignited the spirit of nationalism throughout the country. The image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the national icon has been reinforced. That the world has rallied around India and Pakistan was demonstrably isolated has proved the big diplomatic strides India has taken with Modi-Sushma Swaraj in the last five years. What are the big takeaways of the strike in the political, diplomatic and defence front? It has fired up the national psyche and thus changed the political narrative. For four decades India was seen as a helpless victim of Islamic terror, sponsored, promoted, guided and defended by Pakistan. No other country in the world has suffered for so long and so heavy as India. Indian response till Narendra Modi took office was one of pleading to the world for sympathies and cajoling Pakistan, if not propitiating it with endless comprehensive peace talks and track two diplomacy. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh described Pakistan as a victim of terror. After 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai, the Indian security establishment had suggested an appropriate retaliatory response against Pakistan. But the UPA leadership had taken a pusillanimous approach. They characterised it as an attempt to derail the peace process. Every terror attack on India was described as such. Modi changed it all. He knew that Pakistan was waging a proxy war on India and using terror outfits as strategic assets. Now Modi is determined to end terror attacks on India permanently. Modi was not looking for easy options. He has evolved a new security doctrine. This is going to be the most decisive aspect of the 2019 election. Let’s see how Modi has scripted the new narrative. First through his persistent initiatives convinced the world community that terrorism in any form, anywhere, against any country by any outfit is a threat to humanity. The world recognised that Pakistan was the main source of terror export and that it was on an asymmetric war with India. After the Pulwama terror attack on February 14 in which 41 CRPF soldiers were killed, the whole world in one voice condemned it and stood with India in its right to retaliate. For the first time, the US publicly acknowledged India’s right to revenge. So far Pakistan used to blackmail India with its nuclear arsenal which it threatened to use against India if it reacted. With the Air Force strike, Modi called the neighbour’s nuclear bluff. All this was hailed and supported by the world leaders. Even China had to tone down its support to Pakistan and cautioned it against escalation. The UN Security Council members except China on their own moved to act against Pakistan harbouring terror outfits and wanted to declare Masood Azhar a wanted terrorist. Internally India acted withdrawing MFN status to Pakistan, imposing high duty on imports from there and banning Jamaat-e-Islami and removing security cover to separatist leaders. The nation cheered all this. India’s unprecedented diplomatic outreach paid off. The External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was honoured at OIC, much to Pakistan’s dismay, wherein a sterling performance she swayed the hosts presenting Indian position. She could persuade China to take a neutral stand and be counted on fight against terror. On the election eve, by speaking the language that found echoed in Pakistan the anti-Modi Opposition lost the plot. As Modi is being hailed as the best guarantee for preserving national unity and integrity the Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi are talking as if they have no stake in national security. After initially supporting the Air Force strike, within hours they started questioning the veracity and proof. After denying bullet-proof jackets to Indian Army and advanced combat aircraft to Air Force for ten years, the UPA’s attack on Rafale sounded ill-timed and motivated. The fact Opposition criticism of Modi is being cited by Pakistan leaders to defend themselves have spoiled their case in India. Modi has an enviable record of achievements in the last five years. His welfare schemes have brought an entirely new constituency of vote base for BJP. Only on development plank, he can vow the voters. But this round after the air strike the electoral narrative has entirely changed. In whose hands India is safe? Whom Pakistan and terrorists fear the most? Whom Pakistan and Imran Khan would like to see defeated in Indian polls? Who can take India forward and rally the world behind? These are the questions being debated after Balakot. (This article was originally published on DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

With Balakot air strike, Narendra Modi government has evolved new security doctrine

India has extended Nepalese Rupees 35. 5 million as financial assistance for the construction of an educational campus in Nepal.

The campus building was jointly inaugurated by District Coordination Committee and Campus Management Committee on Friday.

India has extended a total of Nepalese Rupees 35.5 million as financial assistance for the construction of the three-storied building for the Siddheswar

Education Public Campus at Ramechhap district which has now been completed.

Established in 1963 the educational institution presently provides education to 1000 students.&nbsp;

The new infrastructure constructed with India's grant assistance is a triple storied campus building comprising of 12 classrooms that also includes a meeting hall, a laboratory room and a library.

The newly built infrastructure will not only boost learning environment of students but also enhance access to education to needy, poor and marginalised students of the district and adjoining area, according to a press release issued by the Indian embassy here.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

India has extended Nepalese Rupees 35. 5 million as financial assistance for the construction of an educational campus in Nepal. The campus building was jointly inaugurated by District Coordination Committee and Campus Management Committee on Friday.

India has extended Nepalese Rupees 35. 5 million as financial assistance for the construction of an educational campus in Nepal. The campus building was jointly inaugurated by District Coordination Committee and Campus Management Committee on Friday. India has extended a total of Nepalese Rupees 35.5 million as financial assistance for the construction of the three-storied building for the Siddheswar Education Public Campus at Ramechhap district which has now been completed. Established in 1963 the educational institution presently provides education to 1000 students. The new infrastructure constructed with India's grant assistance is a triple storied campus building comprising of 12 classrooms that also includes a meeting hall, a laboratory room and a library. The newly built infrastructure will not only boost learning environment of students but also enhance access to education to needy, poor and marginalised students of the district and adjoining area, according to a press release issued by the Indian embassy here.

India extends financial aid to Nepal for campus building

Union minister JP Nadda announces first list of candidates for LS polls

Here's a glimpse how India is celebrating the festival of Colours, fun and freedom

In the world of biopics, the makers have now released the trailer of ‘PM Narendra Modi’ that stars Vivek Anand Oberoi as and in the role of the current Indian PM.&nbsp;

The trailer shows the journey of Modi as he joins RSS, becomes a saint, joins politics actively and in the role of Gujarat’s Chief Minister. You can hear the opposition parties of the time saying how can a man serving tea become India’s prime minister. The trailer (and possibly the film) is more on his journey as a CM than the country’s PM.

Frankly, Vivek does not look like Modi in the trailer but does try to make up with his acting.&nbsp;

He is also seen making a reference to Indira Gandhi’s Emergency and getting arrested. In the last bit, he can be seen challenging Pakistan to not mess with India as there will be dire consequences.

Boman Irani plays industrialist Ratan Tata and Manoj Joshi is seen playing Amit Shah in the film.&nbsp;

The film is directed by Omung Kumar who has previously made biopics on Mary Kom and Sarabjit Singh.&nbsp;

It will release on April 5 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.&nbsp;

See the trailer here:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="720" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X6sjQG6lp8s" width="1280"></iframe>

In the world of biopics, the makers have now released the trailer of ‘PM Narendra Modi’ that stars Vivek Anand Oberoi as and in the role of the current Indian PM.

In the world of biopics, the makers have now released the trailer of ‘PM Narendra Modi’ that stars Vivek Anand Oberoi as and in the role of the current Indian PM. The trailer shows the journey of Modi as he joins RSS, becomes a saint, joins politics actively and in the role of Gujarat’s Chief Minister. You can hear the opposition parties of the time saying how can a man serving tea become India’s prime minister. The trailer (and possibly the film) is more on his journey as a CM than the country’s PM. Frankly, Vivek does not look like Modi in the trailer but does try to make up with his acting. He is also seen making a reference to Indira Gandhi’s Emergency and getting arrested. In the last bit, he can be seen challenging Pakistan to not mess with India as there will be dire consequences. Boman Irani plays industrialist Ratan Tata and Manoj Joshi is seen playing Amit Shah in the film. The film is directed by Omung Kumar who has previously made biopics on Mary Kom and Sarabjit Singh. It will release on April 5 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. See the trailer here:

Watch trailer: Vivek Oberoi as a young Narendra Modi in biopic

"The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions," <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-run-by-a-dynasty-cannot-serve-the-people-amit-shah-193708">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> tweeted Wednesday.&nbsp;

"From the press to Parliament. From soldiers to free speech. From the Constitution to the courts. Nothing is spared," he said.&nbsp;

In his tweet, Modi also attached a link — "Sharing some thoughts," he said — to a blog on his official page.&nbsp;

The blog was entitled "Institutional respect and Institutional contempt - two contrasting approaches".&nbsp;

Modi wrote on his blog that "In the summer of 2014, the people voted decisively for: Honesty over dynasty. Development over decay. Security over stagnation. Opportunities over obstacles. Vikas over vote-bank politics.

Indians were tired of our beloved nation being in the Fragile Five, where corruption, cronyism and nepotism made headlines instead of anything positive.

India voted to shed the baggage of the past in pursuit of a better future."&nbsp;

He added that the "The mandate of 2014 was epoch-making also because it was for the first time in the history of India that a non-dynastic party was blessed with a complete majority."&nbsp;

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The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions. 
 
From the press to Parliament. 
 
From soldiers to free speech. 
 
From the Constitution to the courts. 
 
Nothing is spared. 
 
Sharing some thoughts. <a href="https://t.co/nnRCNcht8e">https://t.co/nnRCNcht8e</a>
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1108211498701254661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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He then went on to take a closer look at the various subheads — parliament, the army, the courts — he had mentioned in his tweet.&nbsp;

On Parliament he wrote:

The overall productivity of the 16th Lok Sabha was a phenomenal 85%, which is significantly higher than the productivity of the 15th Lok Sabha.

On the&nbsp;Press and Expression:

Dynastic parties have never been comfortable with a free and vibrant press. No wonder, the very first Constitutional Amendment brought in by the Congress government sought to curtail free speech. Speaking truth to power, which is the hallmark of a free press was seen as vulgar and indecent.

On the Constitution and Courts:&nbsp;

Congress’ contempt for the courts is anyway legendary. It was Mrs. Indira Gandhi who called for a “committed judiciary”, which seeks to make the courts more loyal to a family than to the Constitution.

On Government bodies:

In a telling comment, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi called the Planning Commission led by Dr. Manmohan Singh, ‘A bunch of jokers.’

This comment gives you a glimpse of how Congress treats government institutions.

On the Armed Forces:

Congress has always seen the defence sector as a source of income which is why the armed forces never got the respect from the Congress that they deserved.&nbsp;

On the Congress’ own (lack of) internal democracy and sense of entitlement:

Political parties are vibrant bodies that manifest diverse public opinion. Sadly, Congress does not believe in internal democracy.

If a leader dares to dream to head that party, he or she is shunted out of the Congress.

Finally, Modi advised, Think wisely:

"From the press to parliament. From soldiers to free speech. From the constitution to the courts. Institutional insult is the Congress way. Everyone is wrong, only the Congress is correct.

As you go to vote- remember the past and how one family's desire for power cost the nation so greatly.

If they could do it then, they can surely do it now."&nbsp;

The pushback was of course swift, with Congress general secretary <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/priyanka-gandhi-vadras-ganga-yatra-and-triumph-of-soft-hindutva-204136">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</a> saying the "BJP has systematically attacked every institution in last 5 years including the media. PM should stop thinking people are fools and understand that they see through this."

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Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on PM Modi's tweet 'The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions': "BJP has systematically attacked every institution in last 5 years including the media. PM should stop thinking people are fools and understand that they see through this." <a href="https://t.co/9X4JyFHnSI">pic.twitter.com/9X4JyFHnSI</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1108232122454691840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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What is also interesting to note is that it is usually the opposition accusing Modi of browbeating India's institutions. The prime minister, with his tweet, seems to be trying to turn the tables on his opponents.&nbsp;

That would be similar to what he has tried to do with his Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign.&nbsp;

Modi had called himself the country's chowkidar (watchman; "Na khaoonga, na khaane doonga," he had said) in the run-up to the 2014 elections.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has&nbsp;recently tried to subvert that narrative by saying "Chowkidar hi chor hai"; the Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign was seen as pushback to that.&nbsp;

"The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted Wednesday. "From the press to Parliament. From soldiers to free speech.

"The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted Wednesday. "From the press to Parliament. From soldiers to free speech. From the Constitution to the courts. Nothing is spared," he said. In his tweet, Modi also attached a link — "Sharing some thoughts," he said — to a blog on his official page. The blog was entitled "Institutional respect and Institutional contempt - two contrasting approaches". Modi wrote on his blog that "In the summer of 2014, the people voted decisively for: Honesty over dynasty. Development over decay. Security over stagnation. Opportunities over obstacles. Vikas over vote-bank politics. Indians were tired of our beloved nation being in the Fragile Five, where corruption, cronyism and nepotism made headlines instead of anything positive. India voted to shed the baggage of the past in pursuit of a better future." He added that the "The mandate of 2014 was epoch-making also because it was for the first time in the history of India that a non-dynastic party was blessed with a complete majority." The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions. From the press to Parliament. From soldiers to free speech. From the Constitution to the courts. Nothing is spared. Sharing some thoughts. https://t.co/nnRCNcht8e — Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 20, 2019 × He then went on to take a closer look at the various subheads — parliament, the army, the courts — he had mentioned in his tweet. On Parliament he wrote: The overall productivity of the 16th Lok Sabha was a phenomenal 85%, which is significantly higher than the productivity of the 15th Lok Sabha. On the Press and Expression: Dynastic parties have never been comfortable with a free and vibrant press. No wonder, the very first Constitutional Amendment brought in by the Congress government sought to curtail free speech. Speaking truth to power, which is the hallmark of a free press was seen as vulgar and indecent. On the Constitution and Courts: Congress’ contempt for the courts is anyway legendary. It was Mrs. Indira Gandhi who called for a “committed judiciary”, which seeks to make the courts more loyal to a family than to the Constitution. On Government bodies: In a telling comment, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi called the Planning Commission led by Dr. Manmohan Singh, ‘A bunch of jokers.’ This comment gives you a glimpse of how Congress treats government institutions. On the Armed Forces: Congress has always seen the defence sector as a source of income which is why the armed forces never got the respect from the Congress that they deserved. On the Congress’ own (lack of) internal democracy and sense of entitlement: Political parties are vibrant bodies that manifest diverse public opinion. Sadly, Congress does not believe in internal democracy. If a leader dares to dream to head that party, he or she is shunted out of the Congress. Finally, Modi advised, Think wisely: "From the press to parliament. From soldiers to free speech. From the constitution to the courts. Institutional insult is the Congress way. Everyone is wrong, only the Congress is correct. As you go to vote- remember the past and how one family's desire for power cost the nation so greatly. If they could do it then, they can surely do it now." The pushback was of course swift, with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra saying the "BJP has systematically attacked every institution in last 5 years including the media. PM should stop thinking people are fools and understand that they see through this." Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on PM Modi's tweet 'The biggest casualty of dynastic politics are institutions': "BJP has systematically attacked every institution in last 5 years including the media. PM should stop thinking people are fools and understand that they see through this." pic.twitter.com/9X4JyFHnSI — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 20, 2019 × What is also interesting to note is that it is usually the opposition accusing Modi of browbeating India's institutions. The prime minister, with his tweet, seems to be trying to turn the tables on his opponents. That would be similar to what he has tried to do with his Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign. Modi had called himself the country's chowkidar (watchman; "Na khaoonga, na khaane doonga," he had said) in the run-up to the 2014 elections. Congress president Rahul Gandhi has recently tried to subvert that narrative by saying "Chowkidar hi chor hai"; the Main Bhi Chowkidar campaign was seen as pushback to that.

Biggest casualty of dynasty is institutions: PM Modi

The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a show cause notice to BJP leader Babul Supriyo for a poll code violation on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The additional Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Basu said, ''We are keeping a close watch on media and through the surveillance, we came to know of the election campaign song of Babul Supriyo. The All India Trinamool Congress has also registered a complaint against the song with us. We investigated the complaint and it seems that he (Babul Supriyo) promoted the song without media certification in the electronic media, social sites.''

Sanjay Basu added, ''This is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. We have issued a show cause notice to Babul Supriyo. He has to reply to the show cause notice within 48 hours. As far as the content is concerned, we have received another complaint from the All India Trinamool Congress.''

Supriyo, on the other hand, claimed that he had not created the music video, rather media houses had covered it during the recording of the song.&nbsp;

''I will definitely reply to the show cause notice. The song will be sent to the media certification department and will be released in a proper manner from the BJP party office. I have not released the song on the social site also. During the recording, I had shared it with the party members and it seems that they have circulated it. I will abide by all the rules and regulations of the Election Commission,'' said Supriyo.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, an FIR was lodged against Supriyo at the Asansol South Police Station for the song slamming the ruling party in the state – Trinamool Congress.&nbsp;

On the same day, a high-level delegation of the Trinamool Congress, comprising party leaders Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Dr Chandan Mitra, met the officials of Election Commission of India in Delhi on a range of issues.&nbsp;

The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a show cause notice to BJP leader Babul Supriyo for a poll code violation on Tuesday. The additional Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Basu said, ''We are keeping a close watch on media and through the surveillance, we came to know of the election campaign song of Babul Supriyo.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a show cause notice to BJP leader Babul Supriyo for a poll code violation on Tuesday. The additional Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Basu said, ''We are keeping a close watch on media and through the surveillance, we came to know of the election campaign song of Babul Supriyo. The All India Trinamool Congress has also registered a complaint against the song with us. We investigated the complaint and it seems that he (Babul Supriyo) promoted the song without media certification in the electronic media, social sites.'' Sanjay Basu added, ''This is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. We have issued a show cause notice to Babul Supriyo. He has to reply to the show cause notice within 48 hours. As far as the content is concerned, we have received another complaint from the All India Trinamool Congress.'' Supriyo, on the other hand, claimed that he had not created the music video, rather media houses had covered it during the recording of the song. ''I will definitely reply to the show cause notice. The song will be sent to the media certification department and will be released in a proper manner from the BJP party office. I have not released the song on the social site also. During the recording, I had shared it with the party members and it seems that they have circulated it. I will abide by all the rules and regulations of the Election Commission,'' said Supriyo. Earlier in the day, an FIR was lodged against Supriyo at the Asansol South Police Station for the song slamming the ruling party in the state – Trinamool Congress. On the same day, a high-level delegation of the Trinamool Congress, comprising party leaders Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Dr Chandan Mitra, met the officials of Election Commission of India in Delhi on a range of issues.

Election Commission issues a show cause notice to Babul Supriyo for poll code violation

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Central Election Committee (CEC) met on Tuesday to discuss seat-sharing allocation in 10 states.

The meeting, currently underway, at the party's headquarters here is presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president&nbsp;Amit Shah.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister Rajnath Singh are also present at the meeting.

According to sources, discussions will be held on seat allocation in 10 states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Odisha.

BJP has so far not released any list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Congress, on the other hand, has already released five lists. So far, the Congress has declared 137 candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, which will be held in seven phases beginning April 11. The last phase of polling is scheduled for May 19 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Election Commission&nbsp;of India had on Monday issued a notification for the first phase of&nbsp;Lok Sabha&nbsp;election, which is due to be held on April 11 
States that will go to polls on April 11 in the first phase of the upcoming seven-phase Lok Sabha elections are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

As many as 91 Parliamentary constituencies spread over 20 states and Union Territories will go to polls in this phase. The last date for filing of nominations is March 25 and the scrutiny of the nomination papers will be carried out on March 26.

The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is March 28.

Among the constituencies going for polls in the first phase are - eight in Uttar Pradesh, five in Uttarakhand, four in Bihar, seven in Maharashtra, five in Assam, four in Odisha, two each in Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and West Bengal, and one each in Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.&nbsp;

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Central Election Committee (CEC) met on Tuesday to discuss seat-sharing allocation in 10 states. The meeting, currently underway, at the party's headquarters here is presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah.

Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Central Election Committee (CEC) met on Tuesday to discuss seat-sharing allocation in 10 states. The meeting, currently underway, at the party's headquarters here is presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah. Union Minister Arun Jaitley, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Union Minister Rajnath Singh are also present at the meeting. According to sources, discussions will be held on seat allocation in 10 states including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, and Odisha. BJP has so far not released any list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Congress, on the other hand, has already released five lists. So far, the Congress has declared 137 candidates for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls, which will be held in seven phases beginning April 11. The last phase of polling is scheduled for May 19 and the counting of votes will take place on May 23. The Election Commission of India had on Monday issued a notification for the first phase of Lok Sabha election, which is due to be held on April 11 States that will go to polls on April 11 in the first phase of the upcoming seven-phase Lok Sabha elections are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. As many as 91 Parliamentary constituencies spread over 20 states and Union Territories will go to polls in this phase. The last date for filing of nominations is March 25 and the scrutiny of the nomination papers will be carried out on March 26. The last date for withdrawal of nomination papers is March 28. Among the constituencies going for polls in the first phase are - eight in Uttar Pradesh, five in Uttarakhand, four in Bihar, seven in Maharashtra, five in Assam, four in Odisha, two each in Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and West Bengal, and one each in Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.

BJP holds Central Election Committee meeting in presence of PM Modi, Amit Shah

The problem with history is that it is often nuanced. Therefore, Rahul Gandhi’s colourful barb at NaMo’s China diplomacy in the Masood Azhar episode case might resonate with those bashing PM Narendra Modi, but betrays deep historical ignorance.

Such ignorance adds up because graver implications of past mistakes cannot be undone.&nbsp;

It is a fact that India was a founding member of the United Nations, whereas mainland China was excluded from that body until the early 1970s.

Nehru campaigned for China’s entry in the UN, and for making it a member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) at the expense of India’s chance of becoming a member of that apex body.&nbsp;

Even though never requested by China, India voluntarily and vigorously advocated Peoples Republic of China (PRC) for the permanent membership of the UNSC in lieu of Taiwan, lobbying with all nations for the UN membership and UNSC permanent seat - not for itself, but for China.&nbsp;

Both the US and the USSR were willing to accommodate India as a permanent member of the UNSC in 1955, in lieu of Taiwan, or as a sixth member, after amending the UN charter.&nbsp;

Nehru wanted the seat to be given to China, as he did not want them to be marginalised, a gesture reciprocated by China in kind seven years later in 1962.&nbsp;

That the lesson was completely lost on Nehru is evident from the fact that Nehru’s sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit — the first woman president of the United Nations General Assembly — advocated China’s case even in 1963.

Shashi Tharoor in his book ‘Nehru: The Invention of India’ recalls that when the US offered support for an “Indian Monroe Doctrine” in southern Asia in 1953, Nehru turned John Foster Dulles down with scorn.

“Indian diplomats who have seen the files swear that at about the same time Jawaharlal also declined a US offer to take the permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, then held, with scant credibility, by Taiwan, urging that it be offered to Beijing instead”.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in his speech in Parliament in August 1959, recalled how the Chinese occupation of Tibet in October 1950 notwithstanding, India had decided to raise the question of China’s admission into the United Nations in September 1959 at Nehru’s bidding.&nbsp;

On November 18, 1950, the representative of El Salvador moved the United Nations formally and asked the General Assembly to create a special committee to ‘study’ what measures should be adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to shield Tibet against ‘unprovoked’ Chinese aggression.&nbsp;

But when the Steering Committee of the United Nations met, the Indian representative asked the committee to drop the whole matter. When Vajpayee had moved a resolution in Parliament that simultaneously India should also raise the Tibetan issue in the United Nations, Nehru was unresponsive.&nbsp;

KM Panikkar, the Indian Ambassador in Beijing, stated that to protest the Chinese invasion of Tibet would be an act of interference vis a vis India’s efforts on behalf of China in the UN and destroy PRC’s prospects of entry into the UN.

Vallabhbhai Patel did try to draw the attention of Nehru to the threat expansionist China, warning against pursuing its entry into the UN, without quid-pro-quo, but Nehru seemed to be living in his own world, so far as China was concerned.

Patel advise came “in view of the rebuff which China has given us and the method which it has followed in dealing with Tibet”.

“There would probably be a threat in the UNO virtually to outlaw China, in view of its active participation in the Korean War”, Patel warned in his letter to Nehru, “We must determine our attitude on this question also.”

Nehru went ahead with his bull-headed stubbornness, his miscalculations driven by his inexplicably adamant and unreasonable approach, which ended up creating and complicating India-China border problem and allowed it to drift into an unfortunate war.&nbsp;

He bungled Kashmir in 1947-48 by refusing the military advice of its generals to clear the state of invaders, and internationalised the issue by sending it to the UN.&nbsp;

The Panchsheel in 1954 and the Indus Water Treaty in 1960, with zero reciprocity, amounted to massive giveaways.&nbsp;

After signing the Panchsheel agreement with China in 1954 and helping Chou Enlai to emerge into the limelight in Bandung in 1955, Nehru’s starry-eyed phase of “Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai” blissfully glossed over the real divergence of interests between the two countries at that time.&nbsp;

India exploded a bomb in 1974, but instead of declaring weapons status, it declared its intent to stay non-nuclear and left itself vulnerable to external pressures to disarm.

Nehru’s idealistic shenanigans were fatal, to say the least. Patel was strongly against the reference of Kashmir to the UN and preferred ‘timely action’ on the ground.&nbsp;

Because of this reference, the issue no longer remained an internal affair, but snowballed into an international issue in the UNSC, enabling Pakistan to rake it up every now and then.&nbsp;

If the grand old party is willing to own up the role of Indian National Congress in liberating India from the British rule all to itself, it must also be willing to accept that many of the pathogens still afflicting India are bequeathed to India by Nehru. Cosying up to China is one of them.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-cosying-up-to-the-dragon-2730407">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
 
&nbsp;

The problem with history is that it is often nuanced. Therefore, Rahul Gandhi’s colourful barb at NaMo’s China diplomacy in the Masood Azhar episode case might resonate with those bashing PM Narendra Modi, but betrays deep historical ignorance.

The problem with history is that it is often nuanced. Therefore, Rahul Gandhi’s colourful barb at NaMo’s China diplomacy in the Masood Azhar episode case might resonate with those bashing PM Narendra Modi, but betrays deep historical ignorance. Such ignorance adds up because graver implications of past mistakes cannot be undone. It is a fact that India was a founding member of the United Nations, whereas mainland China was excluded from that body until the early 1970s. Nehru campaigned for China’s entry in the UN, and for making it a member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) at the expense of India’s chance of becoming a member of that apex body. Even though never requested by China, India voluntarily and vigorously advocated Peoples Republic of China (PRC) for the permanent membership of the UNSC in lieu of Taiwan, lobbying with all nations for the UN membership and UNSC permanent seat - not for itself, but for China. Both the US and the USSR were willing to accommodate India as a permanent member of the UNSC in 1955, in lieu of Taiwan, or as a sixth member, after amending the UN charter. Nehru wanted the seat to be given to China, as he did not want them to be marginalised, a gesture reciprocated by China in kind seven years later in 1962. That the lesson was completely lost on Nehru is evident from the fact that Nehru’s sister Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit — the first woman president of the United Nations General Assembly — advocated China’s case even in 1963. Shashi Tharoor in his book ‘Nehru: The Invention of India’ recalls that when the US offered support for an “Indian Monroe Doctrine” in southern Asia in 1953, Nehru turned John Foster Dulles down with scorn. “Indian diplomats who have seen the files swear that at about the same time Jawaharlal also declined a US offer to take the permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, then held, with scant credibility, by Taiwan, urging that it be offered to Beijing instead”. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in his speech in Parliament in August 1959, recalled how the Chinese occupation of Tibet in October 1950 notwithstanding, India had decided to raise the question of China’s admission into the United Nations in September 1959 at Nehru’s bidding. On November 18, 1950, the representative of El Salvador moved the United Nations formally and asked the General Assembly to create a special committee to ‘study’ what measures should be adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to shield Tibet against ‘unprovoked’ Chinese aggression. But when the Steering Committee of the United Nations met, the Indian representative asked the committee to drop the whole matter. When Vajpayee had moved a resolution in Parliament that simultaneously India should also raise the Tibetan issue in the United Nations, Nehru was unresponsive. KM Panikkar, the Indian Ambassador in Beijing, stated that to protest the Chinese invasion of Tibet would be an act of interference vis a vis India’s efforts on behalf of China in the UN and destroy PRC’s prospects of entry into the UN. Vallabhbhai Patel did try to draw the attention of Nehru to the threat expansionist China, warning against pursuing its entry into the UN, without quid-pro-quo, but Nehru seemed to be living in his own world, so far as China was concerned. Patel advise came “in view of the rebuff which China has given us and the method which it has followed in dealing with Tibet”. “There would probably be a threat in the UNO virtually to outlaw China, in view of its active participation in the Korean War”, Patel warned in his letter to Nehru, “We must determine our attitude on this question also.” Nehru went ahead with his bull-headed stubbornness, his miscalculations driven by his inexplicably adamant and unreasonable approach, which ended up creating and complicating India-China border problem and allowed it to drift into an unfortunate war. He bungled Kashmir in 1947-48 by refusing the military advice of its generals to clear the state of invaders, and internationalised the issue by sending it to the UN. The Panchsheel in 1954 and the Indus Water Treaty in 1960, with zero reciprocity, amounted to massive giveaways. After signing the Panchsheel agreement with China in 1954 and helping Chou Enlai to emerge into the limelight in Bandung in 1955, Nehru’s starry-eyed phase of “Hindi-Chini bhai-bhai” blissfully glossed over the real divergence of interests between the two countries at that time. India exploded a bomb in 1974, but instead of declaring weapons status, it declared its intent to stay non-nuclear and left itself vulnerable to external pressures to disarm. Nehru’s idealistic shenanigans were fatal, to say the least. Patel was strongly against the reference of Kashmir to the UN and preferred ‘timely action’ on the ground. Because of this reference, the issue no longer remained an internal affair, but snowballed into an international issue in the UNSC, enabling Pakistan to rake it up every now and then. If the grand old party is willing to own up the role of Indian National Congress in liberating India from the British rule all to itself, it must also be willing to accept that many of the pathogens still afflicting India are bequeathed to India by Nehru. Cosying up to China is one of them. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Congress's barb at Narendra Modi government's China diplomacy shows historical ignorance

Intensifying his 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' (I too am watchman) campaign, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-pays-tribute-to-manohar-parrikar-in-goa-204051">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on March 31 will interact with people, who have pledged their support to the campaign, from 500 places across the country.

Speaking at a press conference here, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the campaign has become a "people's movement" as the 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' hashtag has been tweeted 20 lakh times and had 1680 crore impressions.

Replying to a question if the campaign was a counter to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's 'chowkidar chor hai' (watchman is the thief) barb, he rejected the suggestion and asserted that Modi in his campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls had projected himself as the "first servant" and 'chowkidar' of the country.

On Saturday, Modi had urged his supporters to take the ''main bhi chowkidar''&nbsp;(I too am watchman) pledge, saying he is not alone in the fight against graft and social evils.

Following his appeal, all BJP leaders, including party chief Amit Shah and Union ministers, prefixed the word 'chowkidar' to their names in their Twitter profile as they sought people's support in the Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

Intensifying his 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' (I too am watchman) campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 31 will interact with people, who have pledged their support to the campaign, from 500 places across the country.

Intensifying his 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' (I too am watchman) campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 31 will interact with people, who have pledged their support to the campaign, from 500 places across the country. Speaking at a press conference here, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the campaign has become a "people's movement" as the 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' hashtag has been tweeted 20 lakh times and had 1680 crore impressions. Replying to a question if the campaign was a counter to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's 'chowkidar chor hai' (watchman is the thief) barb, he rejected the suggestion and asserted that Modi in his campaign for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls had projected himself as the "first servant" and 'chowkidar' of the country. On Saturday, Modi had urged his supporters to take the ''main bhi chowkidar'' (I too am watchman) pledge, saying he is not alone in the fight against graft and social evils. Following his appeal, all BJP leaders, including party chief Amit Shah and Union ministers, prefixed the word 'chowkidar' to their names in their Twitter profile as they sought people's support in the Lok Sabha elections.

PM Modi to interact with people on March 31 over 'Main Bhi Chowkidar' campaign

One of the most anticipated biopic this election season is that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's. Titled 'PM Narendra Modi', the film features Vivek Oberoi in the titular role.&nbsp;

According to makers, the film will capture Modi's journey from his early days to his historic win at the 2014 general elections. On Monday, trade analyst Taran Adarsh revealed 9 different looks that Oberoi will be sporting the film.&nbsp; 
 
"Vivek Anand Oberoi's different looks in the biopic #PMNarendraModi... Directed by Omung Kumar... Produced by Sandip Ssingh, Suresh Oberoi and Anand Pandit... 12 April 2019 release," Adarsh wrote.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Vivek Anand Oberoi's different looks in the biopic <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PMNarendraModi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PMNarendraModi</a>... Directed by Omung Kumar... Produced by Sandip Ssingh, Suresh Oberoi and Anand Pandit... 12 April 2019 release. <a href="https://t.co/lkIMrbBhJT">pic.twitter.com/lkIMrbBhJT</a>
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/1107482087211229184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The new posters were to be unveiled by BJP president Amit Shah and Oberoi in Delhi on Monday but the event was eventually cancelled due to the news of Goa CM Manohar Parikar's death on Sunday night.&nbsp;

Directed by Omung Kumar, 'PM Narendra Modi' is scheduled to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/narendra-modis-biopic-starring-vivek-oberoi-is-releasing-on-this-date-203562">release on 12th April.&nbsp;</a>

One of the most anticipated biopic this election season is that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's. Titled 'PM Narendra Modi', the film features Vivek Oberoi in the titular role.

One of the most anticipated biopic this election season is that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's. Titled 'PM Narendra Modi', the film features Vivek Oberoi in the titular role. According to makers, the film will capture Modi's journey from his early days to his historic win at the 2014 general elections. On Monday, trade analyst Taran Adarsh revealed 9 different looks that Oberoi will be sporting the film. "Vivek Anand Oberoi's different looks in the biopic #PMNarendraModi... Directed by Omung Kumar... Produced by Sandip Ssingh, Suresh Oberoi and Anand Pandit... 12 April 2019 release," Adarsh wrote. Vivek Anand Oberoi's different looks in the biopic #PMNarendraModi... Directed by Omung Kumar... Produced by Sandip Ssingh, Suresh Oberoi and Anand Pandit... 12 April 2019 release. pic.twitter.com/lkIMrbBhJT — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 18, 2019 × The new posters were to be unveiled by BJP president Amit Shah and Oberoi in Delhi on Monday but the event was eventually cancelled due to the news of Goa CM Manohar Parikar's death on Sunday night. Directed by Omung Kumar, 'PM Narendra Modi' is scheduled to release on 12th April.

'PM Narendra Modi': Presenting Vivek Oberoi in 9 different looks from the film

A Surat-based student has successfully completed his PhD thesis on Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and Prime Minister of India.&nbsp;

The name of the doctorate student is Mehul Choksi! It is interesting to note that the student bears the same name as Mehul Choksi, the fugitive businessman wanted in India in loan default cases.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, the Surat student who has a masters in political science took up higher studies at the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University here and submitted his research thesis on the topic "Leadership under Government - Case Study of Narendra Modi."

For his research, Choksi said he formulated a survey and interviewed 450 people including government officials, farmers, students and political leaders posing a set of questions to them regarding the leadership quality of Prime Minister Modi.

While speaking to ANI, Choksi said: "The questionnaire had a total of 32 questions. After tabulating the answers given by 450 people it was found that 25 per cent believed that Modi`s speeches are most appealing while 48 per cent were of the view that Modi`s political marketing is the best."

Choksi, who is also a lawyer, completed his PhD under the guidance of Nilesh Joshi of Arts Department, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University.

Choksi started his PhD when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat in 2010. In the initial phase, questions related to Modi's successful leadership were asked and he said he received positive feedback from 51 per cent and negative response from 34.25 per cent. 46.75 per cent of people said to gain popularity, a leader should take decisions that benefit the public.

"81 per cent people think that positive leadership is important to be the prime minister of the country, 31 per cent believe authenticity is necessary and 34 per cent believes that transparency is a must," Choksi said.

Dr Nilesh Joshi said "We found the topic of the case study very interesting. We faced some challenges as it is difficult to write about the person who holds a higher position and that too without any biases," he said.&nbsp;

Reaching out to people and seeking their response was also one of the challenging parts of the study, the professor said.

A Surat-based student has successfully completed his PhD thesis on Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and Prime Minister of India. The name of the doctorate student is Mehul Choksi!

A Surat-based student has successfully completed his PhD thesis on Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and Prime Minister of India. The name of the doctorate student is Mehul Choksi! It is interesting to note that the student bears the same name as Mehul Choksi, the fugitive businessman wanted in India in loan default cases. Meanwhile, the Surat student who has a masters in political science took up higher studies at the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University here and submitted his research thesis on the topic "Leadership under Government - Case Study of Narendra Modi." For his research, Choksi said he formulated a survey and interviewed 450 people including government officials, farmers, students and political leaders posing a set of questions to them regarding the leadership quality of Prime Minister Modi. While speaking to ANI, Choksi said: "The questionnaire had a total of 32 questions. After tabulating the answers given by 450 people it was found that 25 per cent believed that Modi`s speeches are most appealing while 48 per cent were of the view that Modi`s political marketing is the best." Choksi, who is also a lawyer, completed his PhD under the guidance of Nilesh Joshi of Arts Department, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University. Choksi started his PhD when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat in 2010. In the initial phase, questions related to Modi's successful leadership were asked and he said he received positive feedback from 51 per cent and negative response from 34.25 per cent. 46.75 per cent of people said to gain popularity, a leader should take decisions that benefit the public. "81 per cent people think that positive leadership is important to be the prime minister of the country, 31 per cent believe authenticity is necessary and 34 per cent believes that transparency is a must," Choksi said. Dr Nilesh Joshi said "We found the topic of the case study very interesting. We faced some challenges as it is difficult to write about the person who holds a higher position and that too without any biases," he said. Reaching out to people and seeking their response was also one of the challenging parts of the study, the professor said.

Surat student Mehul Choksi submits PhD thesis on PM Narendra Modi

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shooting-at-several-locations-in-hollands-utrecht-city-counter-terrorism-agency-204108">Shooting at several locations in Holland's Utrecht city: Counter-terrorism agency</a>

Head of Dutch counter-terrorism agency said that shooting was taking place at "several" locations at Utrecht city in Holland, Reuters reported after a gunman opened fire at a tram on Monday morning.

Police quickly moved in to cordon off the area even as a government spokesman said one person was killed in the attack.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/regional-tensions-to-be-discussed-during-talks-with-pakistan-foreign-minister-qureshi-china-204052">Regional tensions to be discussed during talks with Pakistan foreign minister Qureshi: China</a>

China said on Monday that tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terrorist attack would figure in the first strategic dialogue between foreign minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-summons-australian-foreign-minister-over-senators-remark-204048">Indonesia summons Australian foreign minister over Senator's remark</a>

Indonesia summoned Canberra's ambassador Monday after an Australian senator blamed last week's mosque attacks by a white supremacist in New Zealand on immigration.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-pays-tribute-to-manohar-parrikar-in-goa-204051">PM Modi pays tribute to Manohar Parrikar in Goa</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute to Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday.

After arriving in the coastal state, Modi reached the Kala Academy in Panaji where he paid his last respect to the 63-year-old senior leader. He met Parrikar's family members and offered his condolences to them.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/acid-attack-uncivilised-heartless-crime-does-not-deserve-any-clemency-supreme-court-204079">Acid attack 'uncivilised &amp; heartless crime', does not deserve any clemency: Supreme Court</a>

The Supreme Court has said that acid attack is an "uncivilised and heartless crime" which does not deserve any clemency.

The apex court observed this while asking two convicts, who have already undergone five-year jail for throwing acid on a 19-year-old girl in 2004, to pay Rs 1.5 lakh each as additional compensation to the victim.

Shooting at several locations in Holland's Utrecht city: Counter-terrorism agency Head of Dutch counter-terrorism agency said that shooting was taking place at "several" locations at Utrecht city in Holland, Reuters reported after a gunman opened fire at a tram on Monday morning.

Shooting at several locations in Holland's Utrecht city: Counter-terrorism agency Head of Dutch counter-terrorism agency said that shooting was taking place at "several" locations at Utrecht city in Holland, Reuters reported after a gunman opened fire at a tram on Monday morning. Police quickly moved in to cordon off the area even as a government spokesman said one person was killed in the attack. Regional tensions to be discussed during talks with Pakistan foreign minister Qureshi: China China said on Monday that tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama terrorist attack would figure in the first strategic dialogue between foreign minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Tuesday. Indonesia summons Australian foreign minister over Senator's remark Indonesia summoned Canberra's ambassador Monday after an Australian senator blamed last week's mosque attacks by a white supremacist in New Zealand on immigration. PM Modi pays tribute to Manohar Parrikar in Goa Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute to Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who died of pancreatic cancer on Sunday. After arriving in the coastal state, Modi reached the Kala Academy in Panaji where he paid his last respect to the 63-year-old senior leader. He met Parrikar's family members and offered his condolences to them. Acid attack 'uncivilised & heartless crime', does not deserve any clemency: Supreme Court The Supreme Court has said that acid attack is an "uncivilised and heartless crime" which does not deserve any clemency. The apex court observed this while asking two convicts, who have already undergone five-year jail for throwing acid on a 19-year-old girl in 2004, to pay Rs 1.5 lakh each as additional compensation to the victim.

India bids farewell to Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar

United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s envoy to India, Ahmed Albanna on Monday said that his country did not mediate in India-Pakistan tensions that happened in February but did played an important role in reducing tension between the two countries.

In response to a question Albanna said, "We did not mediate. When we talk about mediation, it has to be requested from both parties and then after that. We tried to decrease the tension by that special relationship."

"We have played an important role in reducing tension. On the day of a big escalation, our Crown Prince spoke to PM Modi and PM Imran Khan. Our role was to give word of wisdom and trying to sort out difference in a peaceful manner. UAE played an important role," Albanna added.

PM Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan spoke two times in the last three weeks.

On the issue of cross border terror emanating from Pakistan, the envoy said, "Without mentioning any specific person, name or country UAE has a long-standing in preventing, fighting act of terrorism and those radicalise, radical organisation, so we work with all partners, with many different countries, with all the countries in the region to make our region peaceful that we can live together and coexist".

Albanna also welcomed India's presence at Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Foreign Ministers meet in Abu Dhabi saying New Delhi was invited because of special relationship shared by both the countries.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj represented India during the two-day OIC FMs meet in the country in early March. This is the first time India was invited as the guest of honour at the meet.

On oil import, one of the key commodities India imports from West Asia, Albanna said, UAE and Saudi Arabia covered the shortage of oil for India after Iran Sanction.

India and UAE ties have been on an upward trajectory with number of high levels visits between the two countries in the last few years with PM Modi visiting the country twice.

United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s envoy to India, Ahmed Albanna on Monday said that his country did not mediate in India-Pakistan tensions that happened in February but did played an important role in reducing tension between the two countries.

United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s envoy to India, Ahmed Albanna on Monday said that his country did not mediate in India-Pakistan tensions that happened in February but did played an important role in reducing tension between the two countries. In response to a question Albanna said, "We did not mediate. When we talk about mediation, it has to be requested from both parties and then after that. We tried to decrease the tension by that special relationship." "We have played an important role in reducing tension. On the day of a big escalation, our Crown Prince spoke to PM Modi and PM Imran Khan. Our role was to give word of wisdom and trying to sort out difference in a peaceful manner. UAE played an important role," Albanna added. PM Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan spoke two times in the last three weeks. On the issue of cross border terror emanating from Pakistan, the envoy said, "Without mentioning any specific person, name or country UAE has a long-standing in preventing, fighting act of terrorism and those radicalise, radical organisation, so we work with all partners, with many different countries, with all the countries in the region to make our region peaceful that we can live together and coexist". Albanna also welcomed India's presence at Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Foreign Ministers meet in Abu Dhabi saying New Delhi was invited because of special relationship shared by both the countries. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj represented India during the two-day OIC FMs meet in the country in early March. This is the first time India was invited as the guest of honour at the meet. On oil import, one of the key commodities India imports from West Asia, Albanna said, UAE and Saudi Arabia covered the shortage of oil for India after Iran Sanction. India and UAE ties have been on an upward trajectory with number of high levels visits between the two countries in the last few years with PM Modi visiting the country twice.

We played important role in reducing India-Pak tensions: UAE envoy Ahmed Albanna

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