It is an alliance that took shape in just a few hours of discussion and the former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi wants it to continue till the 2019 general elections by projecting his ally and BSP supremo Mayawati as the prime ministerial candidate.

"Mayawatiji deserves to be the country's prime minister. She is appropriate for the post and she has the potential," Jogi said.

Describing the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief as a natural leader, the bureaucrat-turned-politician told PTI in an interview, "There are various things that work in her favour. She is a woman, a Dalit and also has an experience of serving as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh four times."

Jogi, 72, is the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance. He had earlier served as Chhattisgarh's first chief minister as a Congress leader between 2000 and 2003 after the tribal-dominated state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh.

However, the Congress could not return to power after Jogi's tenure ended and the BJP leader Raman Singh has served as its chief minister for nearly 15 years since then. One reason many cite for Congress' failure to come back to power in the state is infighting among various state leaders. Jogi left the Congress in 2016.

While Chhattisgarh has always seen a two-way fight between the arch rivals BJP and Congress, Jogi-Mayawati alliance has become a keenly-watched third force this time. Even Chief Minister Singh, a BJP stalwart in the state where elections for 90 assembly seats would be held in two phases on November 12 and November 20, has acknowledged that Jogi would impact the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the Congress.

The BSP has one MLA in the outgoing assembly, while its vote share fell to 4.27 per cent in 2013. However, combining of forces between Jogi and Mayawati is being seen as having a multiplier effect, especially in terms of caste equations.

Out of 90 total seats, 29 are reserved for tribals and 10 for Scheduled Castes. In the non-reserved seats, the population of SCs is more than 10 per cent in 40 assemblies. Besides, the other backward classes constitute about 48 per cent of the state's population.

While Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party is known to attract Dalit voters, Jogi himself is said to have a stronghold among voters from his caste base of Mahars and Satnamis.

Pitching Mayawati's name for the prime minister, Jogi said the BSP supremo deserves the country's top post and she is an appropriate candidate for it.

"The alliance between these two parties is a natural alliance and it will last beyond 2019 general elections," Jogi said.

When asked how the alliance was formed between the two parties, Jogi said it took just a few hours to forge the partnership as both parties are almost on the same page ideologically.

"I met Mayawatiji and we discussed for few hours and then decided to contest the election together for the state assembly and I will be the chief ministerial candidate," Jogi said.

Talking about the two-phase polls, Jogi said the real contest would be between the JCC-BSP alliance and the ruling BJP, while he termed the Congress a "spent force".

The Congress has no organisation, no workers in the state and above all it is without any leader, he said.

Jogi's daughter-in-law Richa Jogi is contesting on BSP ticket from Akaltara constituency in Janjgir-Champa district.&nbsp;

Till recently, the four-member Jogi family was representing three different political parties.

While Jogi and his son are in the JCC, Jogi's wife -- Renu Jogi -- was with the Congress before being denied ticket and has now switched sides to his husband's party.&nbsp;

Many poll pundits feel Jogi could also play the role of a kingmaker in Chhattisgarh in case of a hung verdict, while his alignment with Mayawati could give him a noticeable say for the Lok Sabha elections next year, especially during of alignment of non-BJP forces to take on the saffron party.

Jogi is known to have some influence in Madhya Pradesh as well, besides Chhattisgarh and the two states together account for 40 Lok Sabha seats, including 15 reserved for SC/ST candidates.

In UP, where Mayawati is a strong force, there are total 80 Lok Sabha seats, including 17 reserved for SC.

Mayawati's party also has some presence in several other states and union territories, including Delhi, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Bihar, besides Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The 62-year Dalit leader served as chief minister for three brief periods, first being in 1995, before she had a full five-year tenure during 2007-2012. However, her last tenure was also marked with allegations of corruption.

Besides, she has had three terms each in Lok Sabha and in Rajya Sabha.

In the last Lok Sabha polls in 2014, the BSP did not get a single seat but it was the third largest party in terms of vote share (over 4 per cent with nearly 2.3 crore voters).

The party candidates came second on as many as 34 seats, while its vote share in Uttar Pradesh was nearly 20 per cent.

The BSP had won 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2009 elections. In the Uttar Pradesh assembly, the BSP had got 206 out of 403 assembly seats in 2007, but the tally took a deep plunge to 80 in 2012 and even deeper to just 19 in the 2017 state elections.

Jogi's alliance with Mayawati is seen as significant as the Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh was also being wooed by the Congress and other opposition parties for a broader non-BJP alliance ahead of the 2019 general elections to give a united fight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It is an alliance that took shape in just a few hours of discussion and the former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi wants it to continue till the 2019 general elections by projecting his ally and BSP supremo Mayawati as the prime ministerial candidate.

It is an alliance that took shape in just a few hours of discussion and the former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi wants it to continue till the 2019 general elections by projecting his ally and BSP supremo Mayawati as the prime ministerial candidate. "Mayawatiji deserves to be the country's prime minister. She is appropriate for the post and she has the potential," Jogi said. Describing the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief as a natural leader, the bureaucrat-turned-politician told PTI in an interview, "There are various things that work in her favour. She is a woman, a Dalit and also has an experience of serving as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh four times." Jogi, 72, is the chief ministerial candidate of the alliance. He had earlier served as Chhattisgarh's first chief minister as a Congress leader between 2000 and 2003 after the tribal-dominated state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh. However, the Congress could not return to power after Jogi's tenure ended and the BJP leader Raman Singh has served as its chief minister for nearly 15 years since then. One reason many cite for Congress' failure to come back to power in the state is infighting among various state leaders. Jogi left the Congress in 2016. While Chhattisgarh has always seen a two-way fight between the arch rivals BJP and Congress, Jogi-Mayawati alliance has become a keenly-watched third force this time. Even Chief Minister Singh, a BJP stalwart in the state where elections for 90 assembly seats would be held in two phases on November 12 and November 20, has acknowledged that Jogi would impact the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the Congress. The BSP has one MLA in the outgoing assembly, while its vote share fell to 4.27 per cent in 2013. However, combining of forces between Jogi and Mayawati is being seen as having a multiplier effect, especially in terms of caste equations. Out of 90 total seats, 29 are reserved for tribals and 10 for Scheduled Castes. In the non-reserved seats, the population of SCs is more than 10 per cent in 40 assemblies. Besides, the other backward classes constitute about 48 per cent of the state's population. While Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party is known to attract Dalit voters, Jogi himself is said to have a stronghold among voters from his caste base of Mahars and Satnamis. Pitching Mayawati's name for the prime minister, Jogi said the BSP supremo deserves the country's top post and she is an appropriate candidate for it. "The alliance between these two parties is a natural alliance and it will last beyond 2019 general elections," Jogi said. When asked how the alliance was formed between the two parties, Jogi said it took just a few hours to forge the partnership as both parties are almost on the same page ideologically. "I met Mayawatiji and we discussed for few hours and then decided to contest the election together for the state assembly and I will be the chief ministerial candidate," Jogi said. Talking about the two-phase polls, Jogi said the real contest would be between the JCC-BSP alliance and the ruling BJP, while he termed the Congress a "spent force". The Congress has no organisation, no workers in the state and above all it is without any leader, he said. Jogi's daughter-in-law Richa Jogi is contesting on BSP ticket from Akaltara constituency in Janjgir-Champa district. Till recently, the four-member Jogi family was representing three different political parties. While Jogi and his son are in the JCC, Jogi's wife -- Renu Jogi -- was with the Congress before being denied ticket and has now switched sides to his husband's party. Many poll pundits feel Jogi could also play the role of a kingmaker in Chhattisgarh in case of a hung verdict, while his alignment with Mayawati could give him a noticeable say for the Lok Sabha elections next year, especially during of alignment of non-BJP forces to take on the saffron party. Jogi is known to have some influence in Madhya Pradesh as well, besides Chhattisgarh and the two states together account for 40 Lok Sabha seats, including 15 reserved for SC/ST candidates. In UP, where Mayawati is a strong force, there are total 80 Lok Sabha seats, including 17 reserved for SC. Mayawati's party also has some presence in several other states and union territories, including Delhi, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Bihar, besides Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The 62-year Dalit leader served as chief minister for three brief periods, first being in 1995, before she had a full five-year tenure during 2007-2012. However, her last tenure was also marked with allegations of corruption. Besides, she has had three terms each in Lok Sabha and in Rajya Sabha. In the last Lok Sabha polls in 2014, the BSP did not get a single seat but it was the third largest party in terms of vote share (over 4 per cent with nearly 2.3 crore voters). The party candidates came second on as many as 34 seats, while its vote share in Uttar Pradesh was nearly 20 per cent. The BSP had won 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2009 elections. In the Uttar Pradesh assembly, the BSP had got 206 out of 403 assembly seats in 2007, but the tally took a deep plunge to 80 in 2012 and even deeper to just 19 in the 2017 state elections. Jogi's alliance with Mayawati is seen as significant as the Dalit leader from Uttar Pradesh was also being wooed by the Congress and other opposition parties for a broader non-BJP alliance ahead of the 2019 general elections to give a united fight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Took just few hours to forge alliance with Mayawati, will project her as PM candidate: Ajit Jogi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to spend the festival of Diwali in Kedarnath, sources said on Monday. Prime Minister Modi, after assuming office in 2014, has primarily spent the festival every year with soldiers and security personnel at different parts of the country.

Last year, Prime Minister Modi celebrated Diwali with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel posted in Gurez at Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district and a day later he visited Kedarnath to inaugurate various development projects.

In 2016, Prime Minister Modi met jawans of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITPB), the Indian Army and Dogra Scouts in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh on the day of Diwali. In 2015, he visited the Dograi War Memorial in Khasa, Amritsar to celebrate Diwali with the troops.

Months after becoming Prime Minister in 2014, he had paid a surprise visit to the Siachen Base Camp to celebrate Diwali with the soldiers deployed at the World's highest battlefield.

The festival of lights, Diwali, will be celebrated on November 7 this year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to spend the festival of Diwali in Kedarnath, sources said on Monday. Prime Minister Modi, after assuming office in 2014, has primarily spent the festival every year with soldiers and security personnel at different parts of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to spend the festival of Diwali in Kedarnath, sources said on Monday. Prime Minister Modi, after assuming office in 2014, has primarily spent the festival every year with soldiers and security personnel at different parts of the country. Last year, Prime Minister Modi celebrated Diwali with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel posted in Gurez at Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district and a day later he visited Kedarnath to inaugurate various development projects. In 2016, Prime Minister Modi met jawans of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITPB), the Indian Army and Dogra Scouts in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh on the day of Diwali. In 2015, he visited the Dograi War Memorial in Khasa, Amritsar to celebrate Diwali with the troops. Months after becoming Prime Minister in 2014, he had paid a surprise visit to the Siachen Base Camp to celebrate Diwali with the soldiers deployed at the World's highest battlefield. The festival of lights, Diwali, will be celebrated on November 7 this year.

PM Narendra Modi likely to celebrate Diwali at Kedarnath

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a "hero on a white stallion with an upraised sword in his hand".

Tharoor had waded into a controversy at the Bangalore Literature Festival Sunday last by claiming that an unnamed RSS leader had compared Modi to "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-a-scorpion-on-shivling-cant-remove-with-hand-or-hit-with-chappal-shashi-tharoor-173998">a scorpion sitting on a Shivling</a>" and "you cannot remove him with your hand and you cannot hit it with a chappal either".

A criminal defamation complaint had been filed against him in a Delhi court earlier in the day for his "scorpion" remark.

Tharoor again took a swipe at the prime minister, calling him "a hero on a white stallion with an upraised sword in his hand saying I know all the answers".

"Modi is a one-man government and everybody is dancing to what he says," he said at an event organised by an industry body, adding India now has the "most centralised PMO" in history.

"Every decision is taken by the PMO (prime minister's office). Every file has to be sent to the PMO for approval," he claimed.&nbsp;

On the next parliamentary election, Tharoor said that there will be both pre-poll and post-poll alliances between the Congress and other opposition parties, but Congress president Rahul Gandhi "may not be" the prime ministerial face.

The coming Lok Sabha election is important in that it will deny the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a second term in power, the Congress MP said.

He said the decision on the prime ministerial face of the Congress alliance would be a collective one and "it may not be him (Gandhi). The Congress has a broader notion of a leader unlike the BJP. We had people like Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and others having tremendous track record".

Gandhi is the unquestionable choice of Congress workers as their leader. "If free and fair elections are held among the Congress workers, Rahul Gandhi wins hands down," the Congress MP said.

Continuing his criticism of the Modi government, Tharoor said, "We are having a top-down, over-centralised and inefficient government running the country and there is nothing positive in the Indian economy."

"Demonetisation was a bad idea implemented badly and GST was a good idea implemented badly," Tharoor said.

He said that the Indian stock is down across the globe. "The rupee was heading towards the 'Margdarshak Mandal' (a reference to a BJP panel comprising its elderly leaders)," he quipped and later clarified that the BJP panel had leaders above the age of 75.

He said that communalism, cow vigilantism and mob lynching have been so extreme that India had never seen such "bizarre politics in the past".

"There are damning statistics to prove that," he added.

Tharoor, who was the minister of state for external affairs in the UPA government and is currently chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, said there was "total collapse of relations between India with other countries".

"Nobody knows what is the coherent foreign relations policy with Pakistan, similarly with Nepal and Sri Lanka," he said.

Tharoor regretted that Gandhi is being dubbed a 'Pappu' by some in the social media. "This is not fair and it is unjustified. Congress workers are really stitched to the Gandhi family and want their leader to be from there," he said.

Regarding the Sabarimala temple controversy, Tharoor said, "These issues are being whipped up to distract attention from the real problems like oil price rise, Rafale deal, etc."

Speaking at another programme, he alleged that the trend of erecting statues and raising the issue of Ram temple in Ayodhya were attempts to distract the masses from "failures" of the BJP government at the Centre.

He said the trend of erecting statues reminded him of the Roman empire when people where distracted from the oppression they faced through 'bread and circuses' (distribution of free food and staging of huge spectacles).

"The issues of Statue of Unity, Ram temple, Ram statue at Ayodhya are distractions. I would urge the public of India to move away from these distractions and focus on the realities and lives of the Indians," the Congress MP said.

"The reality is the Indian Aam Aadmi (common man) has been suffering for the last four and half years... This suits the agenda of the government that has failed to perform," he said.

Tharoor's comment comes in the backdrop of plans to install a statue of Lord Ram on the banks of the Sarayu river in Ayodhya.

Joining the chorus for the construction of Ram temple in the Uttar Pradesh pilgrim town of Ayodhya, Union minister Vijay Goel had Friday said it should be done at the earliest through any means -- constitutional, legislative, judicial or community dialogue.

The VHP and the RSS have demanded an ordinance to acquire land for constructing the temple in Ayodhya.&nbsp;

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a "hero on a white stallion with an upraised sword in his hand". Tharoor had waded into a controversy at the Bangalore Literature Festival Sunday last by claiming that an unnamed RSS leader had compared Modi to "a scorpion sitting on a Shivling" and "you cannot remove him with your hand and you cannot hit it with a chappal either".

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a "hero on a white stallion with an upraised sword in his hand". Tharoor had waded into a controversy at the Bangalore Literature Festival Sunday last by claiming that an unnamed RSS leader had compared Modi to "a scorpion sitting on a Shivling" and "you cannot remove him with your hand and you cannot hit it with a chappal either". A criminal defamation complaint had been filed against him in a Delhi court earlier in the day for his "scorpion" remark. Tharoor again took a swipe at the prime minister, calling him "a hero on a white stallion with an upraised sword in his hand saying I know all the answers". "Modi is a one-man government and everybody is dancing to what he says," he said at an event organised by an industry body, adding India now has the "most centralised PMO" in history. "Every decision is taken by the PMO (prime minister's office). Every file has to be sent to the PMO for approval," he claimed. On the next parliamentary election, Tharoor said that there will be both pre-poll and post-poll alliances between the Congress and other opposition parties, but Congress president Rahul Gandhi "may not be" the prime ministerial face. The coming Lok Sabha election is important in that it will deny the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a second term in power, the Congress MP said. He said the decision on the prime ministerial face of the Congress alliance would be a collective one and "it may not be him (Gandhi). The Congress has a broader notion of a leader unlike the BJP. We had people like Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and others having tremendous track record". Gandhi is the unquestionable choice of Congress workers as their leader. "If free and fair elections are held among the Congress workers, Rahul Gandhi wins hands down," the Congress MP said. Continuing his criticism of the Modi government, Tharoor said, "We are having a top-down, over-centralised and inefficient government running the country and there is nothing positive in the Indian economy." "Demonetisation was a bad idea implemented badly and GST was a good idea implemented badly," Tharoor said. He said that the Indian stock is down across the globe. "The rupee was heading towards the 'Margdarshak Mandal' (a reference to a BJP panel comprising its elderly leaders)," he quipped and later clarified that the BJP panel had leaders above the age of 75. He said that communalism, cow vigilantism and mob lynching have been so extreme that India had never seen such "bizarre politics in the past". "There are damning statistics to prove that," he added. Tharoor, who was the minister of state for external affairs in the UPA government and is currently chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, said there was "total collapse of relations between India with other countries". "Nobody knows what is the coherent foreign relations policy with Pakistan, similarly with Nepal and Sri Lanka," he said. Tharoor regretted that Gandhi is being dubbed a 'Pappu' by some in the social media. "This is not fair and it is unjustified. Congress workers are really stitched to the Gandhi family and want their leader to be from there," he said. Regarding the Sabarimala temple controversy, Tharoor said, "These issues are being whipped up to distract attention from the real problems like oil price rise, Rafale deal, etc." Speaking at another programme, he alleged that the trend of erecting statues and raising the issue of Ram temple in Ayodhya were attempts to distract the masses from "failures" of the BJP government at the Centre. He said the trend of erecting statues reminded him of the Roman empire when people where distracted from the oppression they faced through 'bread and circuses' (distribution of free food and staging of huge spectacles). "The issues of Statue of Unity, Ram temple, Ram statue at Ayodhya are distractions. I would urge the public of India to move away from these distractions and focus on the realities and lives of the Indians," the Congress MP said. "The reality is the Indian Aam Aadmi (common man) has been suffering for the last four and half years... This suits the agenda of the government that has failed to perform," he said. Tharoor's comment comes in the backdrop of plans to install a statue of Lord Ram on the banks of the Sarayu river in Ayodhya. Joining the chorus for the construction of Ram temple in the Uttar Pradesh pilgrim town of Ayodhya, Union minister Vijay Goel had Friday said it should be done at the earliest through any means -- constitutional, legislative, judicial or community dialogue. The VHP and the RSS have demanded an ordinance to acquire land for constructing the temple in Ayodhya.

Modi a hero on a white stallion with upraised sword: Shashi Tharoor

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying that it lacks leadership, strategy and principle.

While addressing a public rally days before the first phase of the Assembly election in the state Shah said, "On one side, there is Congress with no leader, no strategy and no principle and on the other hand, there is the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Raman Singh. The Congress always opposed the Chhattisgarh and it was only after Atal Bihari Vajpayee became prime minister that the state was formed."

He also drew a comparison between former Congress government at the Centre and the incumbent BJP government at the Centre.

"Five years back, when there was the Congress government; it gave Chhattisgarh Rs 48,000 crore during the 13th Finance Commission. When the BJP government came in the 14th pay commission, Rs 1, 37,947 crores was given to Chhattisgarh. So, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government increased the amount by as much as Rs 90,000 crore," Shah said.

Outlining the people-oriented policies of the central and state government, Shah further talked about Ujjawala Yojana among other schemes and urged people to vote for the BJP candidates.

"Under the Ujjawala Scheme, 36 lakh poor women of the state were provided with gas cylinder and stove. Under Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana, over 2.5 lakh poor people have been provided with a house. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh government was the first one to start giving rice to poor at the rate of Rs 2/kg," Shah said.

He urged the people of Chhattisgarh to re-elect Raman Singh in 2018 before once again electing Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2019.

He also emphasised that both the state and central governments through their combined effort wish to make Chhattisgarh as the most developed state in India in the next five years.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying that it lacks leadership, strategy and principle. While addressing a public rally days before the first phase of the Assembly election in the state Shah said, "On one side, there is Congress with no leader, no strategy and no principle and on the other hand, there is the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Raman Singh.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying that it lacks leadership, strategy and principle. While addressing a public rally days before the first phase of the Assembly election in the state Shah said, "On one side, there is Congress with no leader, no strategy and no principle and on the other hand, there is the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Raman Singh. The Congress always opposed the Chhattisgarh and it was only after Atal Bihari Vajpayee became prime minister that the state was formed." He also drew a comparison between former Congress government at the Centre and the incumbent BJP government at the Centre. "Five years back, when there was the Congress government; it gave Chhattisgarh Rs 48,000 crore during the 13th Finance Commission. When the BJP government came in the 14th pay commission, Rs 1, 37,947 crores was given to Chhattisgarh. So, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government increased the amount by as much as Rs 90,000 crore," Shah said. Outlining the people-oriented policies of the central and state government, Shah further talked about Ujjawala Yojana among other schemes and urged people to vote for the BJP candidates. "Under the Ujjawala Scheme, 36 lakh poor women of the state were provided with gas cylinder and stove. Under Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana, over 2.5 lakh poor people have been provided with a house. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh government was the first one to start giving rice to poor at the rate of Rs 2/kg," Shah said. He urged the people of Chhattisgarh to re-elect Raman Singh in 2018 before once again electing Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2019. He also emphasised that both the state and central governments through their combined effort wish to make Chhattisgarh as the most developed state in India in the next five years.

Congress lacks leadership, strategy and principle: Amit Shah in Chhattisgarh rally

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has issued a show-cause notice to RBI Governor Urjit Patel for "dishonouring" a Supreme Court judgment on disclosure of the wilful defaulters' list.

The CIC has also asked the Prime Minister's Office, the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to make public the letter of former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan on bad loans.

Irked over the denial of information on disclosure of names of wilful defaulters who have taken bank loans of Rs 50 crore and above by the RBI in spite of a Supreme Court order, the CIC has asked Patel to explain why a maximum penalty should not be imposed on him for "dishonouring" the court verdict, which had upheld a decision taken by then information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, calling for disclosure of names of wilful defaulters.

Patel, speaking at the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on September 20, had said the guidelines on vigilance, issued by the CVC, were aimed at achieving greater transparency, promoting a culture of honesty and probity in public life and improving the overall vigilance administration in the organisations within its purview, the CIC pointed out.

"The commission feels that there is no match between what RBI governor and deputy governor say and their website regarding their RTI policy, and a great secrecy of vigilance reports and inspection reports is being maintained with impunity, in spite of the Supreme Court confirming the orders of the CIC in the Jayantilal case," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said.

He concluded that it would not serve any purpose to punish the CPIO for this defiance, because he acted under the instructions of the top authorities.

"The commission considers the governor as the deemed PIO responsible for non-disclosure and defiance of Supreme Court orders and CIC orders and directs him to show cause why a maximum penalty should not be imposed on him for these reasons, before November 16," Acharyulu said.

He rejected the arguments of Santosh Kumar Panigrahy of the RBI that section 22 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act would not override various laws he quoted, prohibiting disclosure of names and details of wilful defaulters and hence, the RBI should be discharged from the obligations of disclosure.&nbsp;

"His contention that unless the above-referred enactments are repealed, the RBI cannot disclose the details of defaulters is also absurd," Acharyulu said.

He added that another contention of Panigrahy that the pendency of a PIL before the Supreme Court on the issue would prevent him from disclosure was also baseless as he did not present any interim order passed by the Supreme Court preventing the disclosure of names of wilful defaulters or against the proceedings before the CIC.

"These submissions of the RBI show that its legal wing did not bring to the notice of the CPIO that in the RBI vs Jayantilal N Mistry case, a Supreme Court bench consisting of M Y Eqbat and C Nagappan JJ, on December 16, 2015 [Transferred Cases (Civil) Nos. 91 to 101 of 2015], gave a landmark decision, upholding the direction of the CIC to disclose the inspection reports of the RBI and the names of wilful defaulters in many cases, rejecting all the above-referred contentions of the RBI," Acharyulu said.

The information commissioner said in that case, the counsel for the RBI had raised the same contentions, referring to the same cases referred by Panigrahy, and those were straightaway rejected by the Supreme Court.

"The commission finds no merit in hiding the names of, details and action against wilful defaulters of big bad loans worth hundreds of crores of rupees.

"The RBI shall disclose the bad debt details of defaulters worth more than Rs 1,000 crore at the beginning, of Rs 500 crore or less at a later stage within five days and collect such information from the banks in due course to update their voluntary disclosures from time to time as a practice under section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act," he said.

Acharyulu asked the RBI governor to remember, at least once, one of the three lakh farmers who died in the field as he failed to sustain his crop or sell his produce for an appropriate price and hence, could not pay of the debt before defying the transparency law and directions, and discontinue the non-disclosure policy which will seriously harm the economy of the nation.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has issued a show-cause notice to RBI Governor Urjit Patel for "dishonouring" a Supreme Court judgment on disclosure of the wilful defaulters' list.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has issued a show-cause notice to RBI Governor Urjit Patel for "dishonouring" a Supreme Court judgment on disclosure of the wilful defaulters' list. The CIC has also asked the Prime Minister's Office, the Finance Ministry and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to make public the letter of former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan on bad loans. Irked over the denial of information on disclosure of names of wilful defaulters who have taken bank loans of Rs 50 crore and above by the RBI in spite of a Supreme Court order, the CIC has asked Patel to explain why a maximum penalty should not be imposed on him for "dishonouring" the court verdict, which had upheld a decision taken by then information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, calling for disclosure of names of wilful defaulters. Patel, speaking at the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on September 20, had said the guidelines on vigilance, issued by the CVC, were aimed at achieving greater transparency, promoting a culture of honesty and probity in public life and improving the overall vigilance administration in the organisations within its purview, the CIC pointed out. "The commission feels that there is no match between what RBI governor and deputy governor say and their website regarding their RTI policy, and a great secrecy of vigilance reports and inspection reports is being maintained with impunity, in spite of the Supreme Court confirming the orders of the CIC in the Jayantilal case," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said. He concluded that it would not serve any purpose to punish the CPIO for this defiance, because he acted under the instructions of the top authorities. "The commission considers the governor as the deemed PIO responsible for non-disclosure and defiance of Supreme Court orders and CIC orders and directs him to show cause why a maximum penalty should not be imposed on him for these reasons, before November 16," Acharyulu said. He rejected the arguments of Santosh Kumar Panigrahy of the RBI that section 22 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act would not override various laws he quoted, prohibiting disclosure of names and details of wilful defaulters and hence, the RBI should be discharged from the obligations of disclosure. "His contention that unless the above-referred enactments are repealed, the RBI cannot disclose the details of defaulters is also absurd," Acharyulu said. He added that another contention of Panigrahy that the pendency of a PIL before the Supreme Court on the issue would prevent him from disclosure was also baseless as he did not present any interim order passed by the Supreme Court preventing the disclosure of names of wilful defaulters or against the proceedings before the CIC. "These submissions of the RBI show that its legal wing did not bring to the notice of the CPIO that in the RBI vs Jayantilal N Mistry case, a Supreme Court bench consisting of M Y Eqbat and C Nagappan JJ, on December 16, 2015 [Transferred Cases (Civil) Nos. 91 to 101 of 2015], gave a landmark decision, upholding the direction of the CIC to disclose the inspection reports of the RBI and the names of wilful defaulters in many cases, rejecting all the above-referred contentions of the RBI," Acharyulu said. The information commissioner said in that case, the counsel for the RBI had raised the same contentions, referring to the same cases referred by Panigrahy, and those were straightaway rejected by the Supreme Court. "The commission finds no merit in hiding the names of, details and action against wilful defaulters of big bad loans worth hundreds of crores of rupees. "The RBI shall disclose the bad debt details of defaulters worth more than Rs 1,000 crore at the beginning, of Rs 500 crore or less at a later stage within five days and collect such information from the banks in due course to update their voluntary disclosures from time to time as a practice under section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act," he said. Acharyulu asked the RBI governor to remember, at least once, one of the three lakh farmers who died in the field as he failed to sustain his crop or sell his produce for an appropriate price and hence, could not pay of the debt before defying the transparency law and directions, and discontinue the non-disclosure policy which will seriously harm the economy of the nation.

RBI chief gets show-cause notice for 'dishonouring' SC judgment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to do to India what dictator Adolf Hitler did to Germany, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday said.

The Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka was speaking at a "Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad" organised in Bandra here by the Mumbai Congress.

He said the country was deteriorating under BJP rule but added that the Congress would never let the RSS, BJP and PM Modi succeed in destroying the Constitution the way other institutions were being destroyed.

"The Constitution does not belong to the people of a particular caste, religion or community but belongs to every Indian equally. Which right to freedom has been respected in parliamentary democracy by the BJP government?" he questioned.

"The BJP hasn't been able to walk 4 steps in the right direction in the past 4 years. They don't have any right to point a finger at the Congress and ask us what has been done in the past 70 years," Kharge, Congress general secretary in charge of Maharashtra said.

Kharge claimed that since the BJP came to power, it had destroyed freedom of speech and expression was constantly curbing the press.

"The BJP is trying to bring dictatorship in the country. PM Modi wants to do to India what Adolf Hitler did to Germany. The Constitution is in danger and we need to fight the BJP's attempts to destroy it," he claimed.

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, speaking at the function, said there had been repeated attacks on the principles which formed the foundation of the country.

"Constitution of India is the soul of the country which is being killed today. Since the past 4 years, the BJP has launched a new rule according to its own will which is not in sync with the law and order of the country," he said.

Nirupam said the Congress will ensure that the message of the Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad reaches masses effectively.

Congress MP Hussain Dalwai said the country will be safe only if its Constitution is protected, and urged people to fight and protect it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to do to India what dictator Adolf Hitler did to Germany, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday said. The Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka was speaking at a "Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad" organised in Bandra here by the Mumbai Congress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to do to India what dictator Adolf Hitler did to Germany, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday said. The Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka was speaking at a "Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad" organised in Bandra here by the Mumbai Congress. He said the country was deteriorating under BJP rule but added that the Congress would never let the RSS, BJP and PM Modi succeed in destroying the Constitution the way other institutions were being destroyed. "The Constitution does not belong to the people of a particular caste, religion or community but belongs to every Indian equally. Which right to freedom has been respected in parliamentary democracy by the BJP government?" he questioned. "The BJP hasn't been able to walk 4 steps in the right direction in the past 4 years. They don't have any right to point a finger at the Congress and ask us what has been done in the past 70 years," Kharge, Congress general secretary in charge of Maharashtra said. Kharge claimed that since the BJP came to power, it had destroyed freedom of speech and expression was constantly curbing the press. "The BJP is trying to bring dictatorship in the country. PM Modi wants to do to India what Adolf Hitler did to Germany. The Constitution is in danger and we need to fight the BJP's attempts to destroy it," he claimed. Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam, speaking at the function, said there had been repeated attacks on the principles which formed the foundation of the country. "Constitution of India is the soul of the country which is being killed today. Since the past 4 years, the BJP has launched a new rule according to its own will which is not in sync with the law and order of the country," he said. Nirupam said the Congress will ensure that the message of the Samvidhaan Bachao Parishad reaches masses effectively. Congress MP Hussain Dalwai said the country will be safe only if its Constitution is protected, and urged people to fight and protect it.

PM Modi wants to do to India what Hitler did to Germany: Mallikarjun Kharge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that while the opposition parties were joining hands to protect their ruling dynasties, the BJP was working to change the country's destiny. He dubbed some opposition leaders as "lying machines who fire off lies like AK-47".

PM Modi asked the BJP workers not to be concerned with the "alliance" of opposition parties, saying people do not accept them and even "hate" them for their negative works, refusal to recognise the country's good works and "abuses and insults" of the Army.

Though the prime minister did not name any rival, the BJP has been taking on Congress president <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-confidence-motion-rahul-reminds-modi-of-jobs-promise-again-compares-indias-job-creation-to-chinas-153188">Rahul Gandhi for his alleged lies</a> to describe the Rafale deal as a scam. The party has also often accused Mr Gandhi of insulting the country and the Army.

PM Modi's comments targeting the alliance of opposition parties came after a BJP worker sought his response during a video interaction on the coming together of "anti-national" forces like the communists and Congress whenever he takes a step to "protect" Indian values.

Responding to another question in the interaction with party workers of five Lok Sabha constituencies, he accused the opposition of telling lies against his government and said people now had many means to find correct information.

"Some leaders are like lying machines. Whenever they open their mouths, they fire off lies like AK 47," he said, asking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to unmask their lies by taking correct information to the masses.

PM Modi made a reference to a WhatsApp post in which, he said, media persons found that people attending a recent opposition's protests had little idea about the reasons for which they were raising slogans against him. They became a laughing stock, he said.

Some opposition leaders give many different figures in a day, PM Modi said in an apparent reference to different figures cited by Mr Gandhi on the Rafale issue.

However, he said, people know the truth and if a party worker speaks to 100 persons his confidence will grow many times.

In a reference to his and the BJP-led state governments, PM Modi said while they were working to change the country's destiny, the opposition was concerned about its ruling dynasties.

Opposition parties are coming together as their leaders wanted to leave behind something for their sons, he said. "They fear what will happen to 200-500 dynasties if the BJP remains in power for five to 10 more years," PM Modi said, adding that these families have had a tight hold over the country since its independence.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that while the opposition parties were joining hands to protect their ruling dynasties, the BJP was working to change the country's destiny.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that while the opposition parties were joining hands to protect their ruling dynasties, the BJP was working to change the country's destiny. He dubbed some opposition leaders as "lying machines who fire off lies like AK-47". PM Modi asked the BJP workers not to be concerned with the "alliance" of opposition parties, saying people do not accept them and even "hate" them for their negative works, refusal to recognise the country's good works and "abuses and insults" of the Army. Though the prime minister did not name any rival, the BJP has been taking on Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his alleged lies to describe the Rafale deal as a scam. The party has also often accused Mr Gandhi of insulting the country and the Army. PM Modi's comments targeting the alliance of opposition parties came after a BJP worker sought his response during a video interaction on the coming together of "anti-national" forces like the communists and Congress whenever he takes a step to "protect" Indian values. Responding to another question in the interaction with party workers of five Lok Sabha constituencies, he accused the opposition of telling lies against his government and said people now had many means to find correct information. "Some leaders are like lying machines. Whenever they open their mouths, they fire off lies like AK 47," he said, asking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers to unmask their lies by taking correct information to the masses. PM Modi made a reference to a WhatsApp post in which, he said, media persons found that people attending a recent opposition's protests had little idea about the reasons for which they were raising slogans against him. They became a laughing stock, he said. Some opposition leaders give many different figures in a day, PM Modi said in an apparent reference to different figures cited by Mr Gandhi on the Rafale issue. However, he said, people know the truth and if a party worker speaks to 100 persons his confidence will grow many times. In a reference to his and the BJP-led state governments, PM Modi said while they were working to change the country's destiny, the opposition was concerned about its ruling dynasties. Opposition parties are coming together as their leaders wanted to leave behind something for their sons, he said. "They fear what will happen to 200-500 dynasties if the BJP remains in power for five to 10 more years," PM Modi said, adding that these families have had a tight hold over the country since its independence.

Lying machines who fire off lies like AK-47: Modi on 'some opposition leaders'

A day after BJP general secretary Ram Madhav attacked Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu and said Naidu should first save his seat in state before thinking about saving the country, Andhra Pradesh finance minister Yanamala Rama Krishnudu hit back and said that there was no bigger anaconda than Modi who swallowed all the institutions including the CBI.&nbsp;

''Who can be a bigger anaconda than Narendra Modi? Modi is the anaconda that has swallowed all the institutions. He is swallowing up institutions like CBI, RBI etcetera,'' Krishnudu was quoted as saying on Sunday.&nbsp;

Krishnudu said TDP was not established to oppose any single party. The party was founded against the system, he said.&nbsp;

''Every Tom, Dick and Harry is speaking of past politics. Past can't be present or future. But present and future will become past. The critics of TDP should understand this. TDP was not established against any single party. It was founded against the system,'' &nbsp;Krishnudu further said.&nbsp;

Ram Madhav on Saturday attacked TDP and said Andhra Pradesh government is unpopular and corrupt.&nbsp;

The TDP will surely lose upcoming 2019 elections," he reportedly told ANI.

Naidu quit the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance in March after a prolonged dispute over government`s refusal to grant "special category" status to Andhra Pradesh.

A day after BJP general secretary Ram Madhav attacked Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu and said Naidu should first save his seat in state before thinking about saving the country, Andhra Pradesh finance minister Yanamala Rama Krishnudu hit back and said that there was no bigger anaconda than Modi who swallowed all the institutions including the CBI.

A day after BJP general secretary Ram Madhav attacked Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu and said Naidu should first save his seat in state before thinking about saving the country, Andhra Pradesh finance minister Yanamala Rama Krishnudu hit back and said that there was no bigger anaconda than Modi who swallowed all the institutions including the CBI. ''Who can be a bigger anaconda than Narendra Modi? Modi is the anaconda that has swallowed all the institutions. He is swallowing up institutions like CBI, RBI etcetera,'' Krishnudu was quoted as saying on Sunday. Krishnudu said TDP was not established to oppose any single party. The party was founded against the system, he said. ''Every Tom, Dick and Harry is speaking of past politics. Past can't be present or future. But present and future will become past. The critics of TDP should understand this. TDP was not established against any single party. It was founded against the system,'' Krishnudu further said. Ram Madhav on Saturday attacked TDP and said Andhra Pradesh government is unpopular and corrupt. The TDP will surely lose upcoming 2019 elections," he reportedly told ANI. Naidu quit the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance in March after a prolonged dispute over government`s refusal to grant "special category" status to Andhra Pradesh.

No bigger anaconda than Modi: Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister

Law and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday reiterated that Aadhaar data cannot be breached, as it is stored in a safe and secure encrypted manner.

"Biometric data on Aadhaar is kept in safe and secure conditions in an encrypted form, and so strong that even for the billionth of a second it cannot be breached. The unique initiative of Aadhaar is that we do three crore authentications every three seconds. Aadhar Data is kept in secure conditions duly backed by a parliamentary law, so strong that if anyone tries to disclose the biometric details, he can be prosecuted and it can only happen in the case of compelling national security that too after the affirmation of a committee headed by the cabinet secretary," he said while speaking at a financial inclusion conference here.

Talking about the Centre's vision of complete digitisation, Prasad acknowledged that while financial inclusion is the goal, digitalisation is the medium."We created ecosystems, relaxed the laws, created incentives, removed the barriers for development. The philosophy of the Narendra Modi government is to create the enabling atmosphere so that people can do their business and pay taxes and with that our government would help the poor. Banking the unbanked, funding the unfunded and securing the unsecured is yet another philosophy of our government. India has opened 55 per cent global bank accounts since the Narendra Modi government came to power," he added.

Talking about the Centre's vision in the field of artificial intelligence, Prasad opined that India should become the centre of data analytics.

"According to a London-based think tank, India is among the top 20 global leaders in the digitalisation and e-governance sector. India should become the centre of the data analysis. Data analytics is the future." Prasad added.

Speaking about the digitalisation of the judiciary and courts, Prasad said that around 17,000 district courts and all the high courts have become digital. "Our data, IT and digital profile and services will become a benchmark on how IT can be used for transformation in a democracy," he added.

Prasad also said that through the Digital India programme, the Centre aims to empower ordinary citizens with the power of technology, a technology that is low-cost, developmental and inclusive.&nbsp;

Law and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday reiterated that Aadhaar data cannot be breached, as it is stored in a safe and secure encrypted manner.

Law and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday reiterated that Aadhaar data cannot be breached, as it is stored in a safe and secure encrypted manner. "Biometric data on Aadhaar is kept in safe and secure conditions in an encrypted form, and so strong that even for the billionth of a second it cannot be breached. The unique initiative of Aadhaar is that we do three crore authentications every three seconds. Aadhar Data is kept in secure conditions duly backed by a parliamentary law, so strong that if anyone tries to disclose the biometric details, he can be prosecuted and it can only happen in the case of compelling national security that too after the affirmation of a committee headed by the cabinet secretary," he said while speaking at a financial inclusion conference here. Talking about the Centre's vision of complete digitisation, Prasad acknowledged that while financial inclusion is the goal, digitalisation is the medium."We created ecosystems, relaxed the laws, created incentives, removed the barriers for development. The philosophy of the Narendra Modi government is to create the enabling atmosphere so that people can do their business and pay taxes and with that our government would help the poor. Banking the unbanked, funding the unfunded and securing the unsecured is yet another philosophy of our government. India has opened 55 per cent global bank accounts since the Narendra Modi government came to power," he added. Talking about the Centre's vision in the field of artificial intelligence, Prasad opined that India should become the centre of data analytics. "According to a London-based think tank, India is among the top 20 global leaders in the digitalisation and e-governance sector. India should become the centre of the data analysis. Data analytics is the future." Prasad added. Speaking about the digitalisation of the judiciary and courts, Prasad said that around 17,000 district courts and all the high courts have become digital. "Our data, IT and digital profile and services will become a benchmark on how IT can be used for transformation in a democracy," he added. Prasad also said that through the Digital India programme, the Centre aims to empower ordinary citizens with the power of technology, a technology that is low-cost, developmental and inclusive.

Aadhaar data cannot be breached, reiterates Ravi Shankar Prasad

India and other leading oil buyers will benefit from the waiver the United States has granted them from Iran sanctions, oil minister, Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday.

The United States said on Friday it will temporarily allow eight importers to keep buying Iranian oil when it re-imposes sanctions on Monday to try to force Iran to curb its nuclear, missile and regional activities. It did not name the countries which would benefit.

Pradhan said it won the waiver largely due to a forceful campaign by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India had been vocal at international forums about rising oil prices and its impact on the economy.

"In the current geopolitically challenging scenario, India has managed to convince international leaders," Pradhan told reporters in New Delhi.

Having abandoned the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is trying to cripple Iran's oil-dependent economy and force Tehran to quash not only its nuclear ambitions and its ballistic missile programme but its support for militant proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East.

China, India, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and Japan have been top importers of Iran's oil, while Taiwan occasionally buys cargoes of Iranian crude but is not a major buyer.

Further details of the United States' decision on Iran sanctions will be released on Monday.

India and other leading oil buyers will benefit from the waiver the United States has granted them from Iran sanctions, oil minister, Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday.

India and other leading oil buyers will benefit from the waiver the United States has granted them from Iran sanctions, oil minister, Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday. The United States said on Friday it will temporarily allow eight importers to keep buying Iranian oil when it re-imposes sanctions on Monday to try to force Iran to curb its nuclear, missile and regional activities. It did not name the countries which would benefit. Pradhan said it won the waiver largely due to a forceful campaign by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India had been vocal at international forums about rising oil prices and its impact on the economy. "In the current geopolitically challenging scenario, India has managed to convince international leaders," Pradhan told reporters in New Delhi. Having abandoned the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, US President Donald Trump is trying to cripple Iran's oil-dependent economy and force Tehran to quash not only its nuclear ambitions and its ballistic missile programme but its support for militant proxies in Syria, Yemen, Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East. China, India, South Korea, Turkey, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and Japan have been top importers of Iran's oil, while Taiwan occasionally buys cargoes of Iranian crude but is not a major buyer. Further details of the United States' decision on Iran sanctions will be released on Monday.

India, other nations to benefit from US waiver on Iran oil buys: Dharmendra Pradhan

Electioneering is yet to pick up and touch the feverish pitch in Madhya Pradesh, especially as the two principal rivals – ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress - have remained caught in the grip of the ticket distribution exercise with claimants and their supporters flocking to camps identified with state party leaders.

The stakes are too high in these elections with Congress trying to dislodge the BJP, which has continuously remained in power for 15-years in Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

During the week that was, there has been no dearth of those trying to play their cards to the best of their ability. It’s been so starkly visible, how most ticket seekers have cultivated the acumen and were busy demonstrating their strength by brazenly flaunting their SUVs, crisp anti-crease attire, robust gait and money power.&nbsp;

All this, obviously, gets the extra push by the pack of perpetual seekers who hang around the petty leaders in the hope that once their “boss” gets into the Assembly, they would be rewarded amply with the perks of power and fruits of electoral politics. Of course, the crony capitalists are also there acting as punters as they know that the returns on the investment would be in geometric proportion. Obviously, therefore, day-to-day business activity has become less of a priority these days.

To maintain a safe distance from the endless tangle of ticket seekers, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP President Rakesh Singh air-dashed to Delhi to finalise the list of candidates on Monday. The BJP ticket seekers, who have been elbowed out in Chhattisgarh, have demonstrated their ire in a big way. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP president will be directly addressing the ticket seekers to control dissent and reduce the number of rebel candidates in the poll fray.

While the BJP is desperately trying to plug the possibility of a backlash from a large number of rebel candidates, the warring camps in the Congress party are making it difficult for the party mandarins to finalise the tickets, especially for constituencies in big cities.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has predicted BJP’s defeat and a swing in favour of Congress in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, has adopted the no-holds-barred strategy. Speaking at election rallies in Jhabua and Ujjain this week, Gandhi went for a frontal attack against Madhya Pradesh chief minister by raising the issue of Vyapam (the massive scam linked with admissions in medical colleges and government recruitments) and the Simhastha scam. At an election rally at Ujjain, Gandhi said that the Kshipra river remains dirty even after the Madhya Pradesh BJP government had spent Rs 400 crore for this purpose. They talk of “dharma” but do not spare even the Mahakumbh, he added. Chouhan has retorted to this by threatening legal action.

During his current round of electioneering, Gandhi did not spare even Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Putting him in the dock on the Rafale deal, he said that the government knew that if there was a thorough probe into this deal by the CBI, the truth would get uncovered. He cited the present CBI controversy (revolving around the Director and his second in command, who have been removed from the scene) as a case in point. Gandhi has also hammered the charge that the Modi government was bent upon undermining the autonomous institutions.

Tailpiece: BJP, also called the saffron party, has been cornered by the Sadhus (Hindu religious saints), who have revolted and given a call to throw out the BJP. At a congregation of a couple of thousand Sadhus at Koteshwar temple in Gwalior on Tuesday, the BJP was slammed for failing to protect the cows and neglecting the Ganges River.

In the coming days, what will be watched closely is the role to be played by Devkinandan Thakur, the world-renowned Katha Vachak, in Madhya Pradesh Assembly election. Devkinandan has a huge following. He strongly opposes reservation on caste lines and the Atrocities Act. The news went viral after he was detained and released by the Police on Monday when he went to offer prayers at Pitambara Peeth at Datia.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Electioneering is yet to pick up and touch the feverish pitch in Madhya Pradesh, especially as the two principal rivals – ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress - have remained caught in the grip of the ticket distribution exercise with claimants and their supporters flocking to camps identified with state party leaders.

Electioneering is yet to pick up and touch the feverish pitch in Madhya Pradesh, especially as the two principal rivals – ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress - have remained caught in the grip of the ticket distribution exercise with claimants and their supporters flocking to camps identified with state party leaders. The stakes are too high in these elections with Congress trying to dislodge the BJP, which has continuously remained in power for 15-years in Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring Chhattisgarh. During the week that was, there has been no dearth of those trying to play their cards to the best of their ability. It’s been so starkly visible, how most ticket seekers have cultivated the acumen and were busy demonstrating their strength by brazenly flaunting their SUVs, crisp anti-crease attire, robust gait and money power. All this, obviously, gets the extra push by the pack of perpetual seekers who hang around the petty leaders in the hope that once their “boss” gets into the Assembly, they would be rewarded amply with the perks of power and fruits of electoral politics. Of course, the crony capitalists are also there acting as punters as they know that the returns on the investment would be in geometric proportion. Obviously, therefore, day-to-day business activity has become less of a priority these days. To maintain a safe distance from the endless tangle of ticket seekers, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP President Rakesh Singh air-dashed to Delhi to finalise the list of candidates on Monday. The BJP ticket seekers, who have been elbowed out in Chhattisgarh, have demonstrated their ire in a big way. In Madhya Pradesh, BJP president will be directly addressing the ticket seekers to control dissent and reduce the number of rebel candidates in the poll fray. While the BJP is desperately trying to plug the possibility of a backlash from a large number of rebel candidates, the warring camps in the Congress party are making it difficult for the party mandarins to finalise the tickets, especially for constituencies in big cities. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who has predicted BJP’s defeat and a swing in favour of Congress in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, has adopted the no-holds-barred strategy. Speaking at election rallies in Jhabua and Ujjain this week, Gandhi went for a frontal attack against Madhya Pradesh chief minister by raising the issue of Vyapam (the massive scam linked with admissions in medical colleges and government recruitments) and the Simhastha scam. At an election rally at Ujjain, Gandhi said that the Kshipra river remains dirty even after the Madhya Pradesh BJP government had spent Rs 400 crore for this purpose. They talk of “dharma” but do not spare even the Mahakumbh, he added. Chouhan has retorted to this by threatening legal action. During his current round of electioneering, Gandhi did not spare even Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Putting him in the dock on the Rafale deal, he said that the government knew that if there was a thorough probe into this deal by the CBI, the truth would get uncovered. He cited the present CBI controversy (revolving around the Director and his second in command, who have been removed from the scene) as a case in point. Gandhi has also hammered the charge that the Modi government was bent upon undermining the autonomous institutions. Tailpiece: BJP, also called the saffron party, has been cornered by the Sadhus (Hindu religious saints), who have revolted and given a call to throw out the BJP. At a congregation of a couple of thousand Sadhus at Koteshwar temple in Gwalior on Tuesday, the BJP was slammed for failing to protect the cows and neglecting the Ganges River. In the coming days, what will be watched closely is the role to be played by Devkinandan Thakur, the world-renowned Katha Vachak, in Madhya Pradesh Assembly election. Devkinandan has a huge following. He strongly opposes reservation on caste lines and the Atrocities Act. The news went viral after he was detained and released by the Police on Monday when he went to offer prayers at Pitambara Peeth at Datia. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

BJP, Congress caught in quagmire of ticket distribution ahead of Assembly polls

Mastercard told the United States government in June that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using nationalism to promote the use of a domestic payments network RuPay, and New Delhi's protectionist policies were hurting foreign payment companies, a document seen by Reuters showed.

In recent years, Modi has backed India's homegrown payments network RuPay, whose rise has broken the dominance of US payment giants such as Mastercard and Visa. More than half of India's 1 billion debit and credit cards now go through the RuPay payment system, and that means companies such as Mastercard face an uphill task to expand rapidly in one of the world's biggest payments growth markets.

Modi has publicly endorsed the indigenous card payment network, saying using RuPay was like serving the country as its transaction fee stays within India and could help build roads, schools and hospitals.

In a written reference to Modi's stance, Mastercard told the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on June 21 that the prime minister "associated the use of RuPay cards with nationalism, claiming it serves as 'kind of national service'."

The note, which was sent by a Mastercard Vice President for Global Public Policy, Sahra English, said that, while Modi's digital payments push was "commendable", the Indian government had adopted "a series of protectionist measures" to the detriment of global companies.

US companies in India have been increasingly battling Modi's policies they perceive to be protectionist. This year, US technology companies have protested against an Indian law that would require them to store more data locally, raising their costs.

The previously unreported note, which was seen by Reuters, shows the extent to which Modi's support for RuPay frustrated the Purchase, New York-based company, which is the world's second-largest payments processor.

"Increasing rhetoric from the prime minister and government mandates on promotion and preference for RuPay ... continues to create market access issues for US payments technology companies," Mastercard said in the note.

"The Indian government's preferential treatment of RuPay coupled with fallacies on pricing must be discontinued," the company asked the US government to propose.

In response to Reuters queries, Mastercard said in a statement it "fully supports" the Indian government's initiatives and is "deeply invested" in the country. The company did not comment on its USTR note and its executive Sahra English did not respond to questions.

The USTR did not respond to a request for comment and it was not clear whether the US agency raised Mastercard's concerns with New Delhi. Visa did not respond to Reuters queries.

There was no response to requests for comment from Modi's office.

Mastercard, whose president and chief executive is India-born Ajay Banga, has a planned investment outlay of $1 billion in its key Indian market for 2014-2019. With 2,000 people, India accounts for 14 per cent of the global Mastercard workforce, the largest outside the United States.

The company recruited a Bollywood actor this year for a campaign aimed at encouraging consumers in smaller cities to use debit cards more regularly as it seeks to grow in India.

DIGITAL BOOST

In November 2016, Modi started promoting the use of digital payments after replacing high-value currency notes in an attempt to crack down on the black economy.

That increased card usage: Indians in August clocked transactions worth $51 billion on debit and credit cards, nearly double the amount recorded in November 2016, according to data from the central bank, which does not provide separate usage statistics comparing Indian and foreign payment networks.

Foreign card companies have also had to contend with a growing use of mobile wallets and state-backed digital money transfer services, some of which Modi promoted.

RuPay received a major boost due to Modi's so-called financial inclusion programme launched in 2014, which meant that all Indians opening a bank account for the first time were offered a RuPay card, not a Mastercard or Visa.

The Indian card network was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a group largely owned by state banks but which also counts private and foreign banks among its shareholders. It also oversees the payments services in India.

In its note to the USTR, Mastercard said the government had mandated banks to support the NPCI directly and indirectly, making it the "sole beneficiary" of Modi's financial inclusion programme.

The NPCI acted both as "a quasi-regulator and a competing payment network", Mastercard said, adding that this was "compounded by the government's open preference for RuPay with misleading statements and inaccurate information on pricing, despite Mastercard being priced lower than RuPay".

Pricing refers to the fee paid by banks to payment processors such as Mastercard for card transactions. The company did not detail which specific statements it was referring to.

The chief executive of the NPCI, Dilip Asbe, did not respond to a request for comment.

At one point, RuPay levied a transaction fee which was half of that charged by Mastercard and Visa, one industry source said, but the US card companies reduced charges in recent months. The pricing and charges are not publicly available.

Modi in June said foreign card companies take their transaction fees abroad and as "everyone cannot go to the border to protect the country, we can use RuPay card to serve the nation".

A month later, Mastercard issued a press statement which said the company gets only 15-20 per cent of debit card transaction fees, while the rest stays "within the Indian economy". It did not name RuPay.

Mastercard told the United States government in June that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using nationalism to promote the use of a domestic payments network RuPay, and New Delhi's protectionist policies were hurting foreign payment companies, a document seen by Reuters showed.

Mastercard told the United States government in June that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was using nationalism to promote the use of a domestic payments network RuPay, and New Delhi's protectionist policies were hurting foreign payment companies, a document seen by Reuters showed. In recent years, Modi has backed India's homegrown payments network RuPay, whose rise has broken the dominance of US payment giants such as Mastercard and Visa. More than half of India's 1 billion debit and credit cards now go through the RuPay payment system, and that means companies such as Mastercard face an uphill task to expand rapidly in one of the world's biggest payments growth markets. Modi has publicly endorsed the indigenous card payment network, saying using RuPay was like serving the country as its transaction fee stays within India and could help build roads, schools and hospitals. In a written reference to Modi's stance, Mastercard told the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on June 21 that the prime minister "associated the use of RuPay cards with nationalism, claiming it serves as 'kind of national service'." The note, which was sent by a Mastercard Vice President for Global Public Policy, Sahra English, said that, while Modi's digital payments push was "commendable", the Indian government had adopted "a series of protectionist measures" to the detriment of global companies. US companies in India have been increasingly battling Modi's policies they perceive to be protectionist. This year, US technology companies have protested against an Indian law that would require them to store more data locally, raising their costs. The previously unreported note, which was seen by Reuters, shows the extent to which Modi's support for RuPay frustrated the Purchase, New York-based company, which is the world's second-largest payments processor. "Increasing rhetoric from the prime minister and government mandates on promotion and preference for RuPay ... continues to create market access issues for US payments technology companies," Mastercard said in the note. "The Indian government's preferential treatment of RuPay coupled with fallacies on pricing must be discontinued," the company asked the US government to propose. In response to Reuters queries, Mastercard said in a statement it "fully supports" the Indian government's initiatives and is "deeply invested" in the country. The company did not comment on its USTR note and its executive Sahra English did not respond to questions. The USTR did not respond to a request for comment and it was not clear whether the US agency raised Mastercard's concerns with New Delhi. Visa did not respond to Reuters queries. There was no response to requests for comment from Modi's office. Mastercard, whose president and chief executive is India-born Ajay Banga, has a planned investment outlay of $1 billion in its key Indian market for 2014-2019. With 2,000 people, India accounts for 14 per cent of the global Mastercard workforce, the largest outside the United States. The company recruited a Bollywood actor this year for a campaign aimed at encouraging consumers in smaller cities to use debit cards more regularly as it seeks to grow in India. DIGITAL BOOST In November 2016, Modi started promoting the use of digital payments after replacing high-value currency notes in an attempt to crack down on the black economy. That increased card usage: Indians in August clocked transactions worth $51 billion on debit and credit cards, nearly double the amount recorded in November 2016, according to data from the central bank, which does not provide separate usage statistics comparing Indian and foreign payment networks. Foreign card companies have also had to contend with a growing use of mobile wallets and state-backed digital money transfer services, some of which Modi promoted. RuPay received a major boost due to Modi's so-called financial inclusion programme launched in 2014, which meant that all Indians opening a bank account for the first time were offered a RuPay card, not a Mastercard or Visa. The Indian card network was developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), a group largely owned by state banks but which also counts private and foreign banks among its shareholders. It also oversees the payments services in India. In its note to the USTR, Mastercard said the government had mandated banks to support the NPCI directly and indirectly, making it the "sole beneficiary" of Modi's financial inclusion programme. The NPCI acted both as "a quasi-regulator and a competing payment network", Mastercard said, adding that this was "compounded by the government's open preference for RuPay with misleading statements and inaccurate information on pricing, despite Mastercard being priced lower than RuPay". Pricing refers to the fee paid by banks to payment processors such as Mastercard for card transactions. The company did not detail which specific statements it was referring to. The chief executive of the NPCI, Dilip Asbe, did not respond to a request for comment. At one point, RuPay levied a transaction fee which was half of that charged by Mastercard and Visa, one industry source said, but the US card companies reduced charges in recent months. The pricing and charges are not publicly available. Modi in June said foreign card companies take their transaction fees abroad and as "everyone cannot go to the border to protect the country, we can use RuPay card to serve the nation". A month later, Mastercard issued a press statement which said the company gets only 15-20 per cent of debit card transaction fees, while the rest stays "within the Indian economy". It did not name RuPay.

Mastercard lodged protest with US govt over Modi's promotion of Indian RuPay card

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the Central governments 'Support and Outreach' initiative for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) &nbsp;during an event at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

Speaking at the event, PM Modi said the government has taken 12 historic decisions which will boost small and medium enterprises. The initiative will help generate employment in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.&nbsp;

GST-registered small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can now avail of a loan of up to Rs 1 crore in just 59 minutes, he said announcing the measures.

Also, GST-registered MSMEs will get 2 per cent interest subvention or rebate on the incremental loan of up to Rs 1 crore, he said.&nbsp;

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union Minister of State of MSME Giriraj Singh were also present at the event.

<blockquote>
Highlights of PM Modi's speech:

The government has taken 12 big decisions in the MSME sector. These decisions show that when silos are broken and collective initiatives, collective decisions are taken then it has a much wider impact.

I dedicate 59 minute loan approval portal to you &amp; it has started benefiting the MSMEs businessmen already: PM Modi at the launch event of the Union Government’s Support and Outreach Initiative for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
After agriculture, MSME is the biggest job provider sector. If agriculture is the backbone of India's economy then MSME is taking the economy to newer heights.
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
India has improved its ranking in Ease of Doing Business Index. No one could have imagined four years ago. The improved position has helped the MSME sector the most.
</blockquote>

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It is now mandatory that all the companies with turnover of more than Rs 500 crore will have to be join TReDS platform, that is Trade Receivables e- Discounting System. So that MSMEs doesn't face trouble in cash flow: PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/ogakKMLOwL">pic.twitter.com/ogakKMLOwL</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1058327564874330113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It's a matter of pride for us that India has taken a high jump of 23 ranks in "Ease of Doing Business" ranking this time. 4 yrs ago,when this govt wasn't in power, we were at 142th position. Today we are at 77th rank &amp; I believe that "top 50" isn't too far from our reach: PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/ARAbCtq2wi">pic.twitter.com/ARAbCtq2wi</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1058324669609267200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Besides Delhi, similar launch programmes were held at 100 locations across the country, where Union Ministers and Ministers from State governments are present.&nbsp;

The Centre has accorded high priority to the MSME sector in recent years. This outreach and support programme, which will run for the next 100 days, covering the entire country, is expected to provide even greater synergy to the efforts being made for this sector.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the Central governments 'Support and Outreach' initiative for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during an event at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the Central governments 'Support and Outreach' initiative for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during an event at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. Speaking at the event, PM Modi said the government has taken 12 historic decisions which will boost small and medium enterprises. The initiative will help generate employment in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector. GST-registered small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can now avail of a loan of up to Rs 1 crore in just 59 minutes, he said announcing the measures. Also, GST-registered MSMEs will get 2 per cent interest subvention or rebate on the incremental loan of up to Rs 1 crore, he said. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union Minister of State of MSME Giriraj Singh were also present at the event. Highlights of PM Modi's speech: The government has taken 12 big decisions in the MSME sector. These decisions show that when silos are broken and collective initiatives, collective decisions are taken then it has a much wider impact. I dedicate 59 minute loan approval portal to you & it has started benefiting the MSMEs businessmen already: PM Modi at the launch event of the Union Government’s Support and Outreach Initiative for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). After agriculture, MSME is the biggest job provider sector. If agriculture is the backbone of India's economy then MSME is taking the economy to newer heights. India has improved its ranking in Ease of Doing Business Index. No one could have imagined four years ago. The improved position has helped the MSME sector the most. It is now mandatory that all the companies with turnover of more than Rs 500 crore will have to be join TReDS platform, that is Trade Receivables e- Discounting System. So that MSMEs doesn't face trouble in cash flow: PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/ogakKMLOwL — ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2018 × It's a matter of pride for us that India has taken a high jump of 23 ranks in "Ease of Doing Business" ranking this time. 4 yrs ago,when this govt wasn't in power, we were at 142th position. Today we are at 77th rank & I believe that "top 50" isn't too far from our reach: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/ARAbCtq2wi — ANI (@ANI) November 2, 2018 × Besides Delhi, similar launch programmes were held at 100 locations across the country, where Union Ministers and Ministers from State governments are present. The Centre has accorded high priority to the MSME sector in recent years. This outreach and support programme, which will run for the next 100 days, covering the entire country, is expected to provide even greater synergy to the efforts being made for this sector.

PM Narendra Modi announces 12 steps for revival of small and medium industries

Congress' social media head Divya Spandana tweeted a controversial comment along with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing next to Sardar Patel's 'Statue of Unity', evoking a sharp reaction from the BJP which slammed it as the "language of arrogance".

Spandana tweeted a picture of Modi standing next to Sardar Patel's 182-metre-tall statue in Gujarat, which was unveiled on Wednesday, with the comment: "Is that bird dropping?"

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Is that bird dropping? <a href="https://t.co/63xPuvfvW3">pic.twitter.com/63xPuvfvW3</a>
— Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) <a href="https://twitter.com/divyaspandana/status/1057842482975817728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Asked about the tweet, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit out at the opposition party, alleging that "this is the real culture" of the Congress party. They miss no opportunity to abuse the prime minister of India, he said.

"It is the same party which called the prime minister 'neech'. Shashi Tharoor called him a scorpion and now Divya Spandana says that he is a bird's dropping," Patra said.

"This is nothing but language of arrogance from the Congress party for the normal Indian who with his sheer hardwork become the prime minister of the country," he said.

A normal Indian appears bird's dropping to them, while a dynast is power centre for them, Patra said.

"This is arrogance of dynasty which is abusing the democracy of India," he alleged.

Despite criticism from the ruling party and Twitterati, Spandana remained defiant. "When you're done huffing &amp; puffing take a breath &amp; hold a mirror to yourselves. My views are mine. I don't give two hoots about yours. I'm not going to clarify what I meant and what I didn't cos you don't deserve one," she tweeted.

Congress' social media head Divya Spandana tweeted a controversial comment along with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing next to Sardar Patel's 'Statue of Unity', evoking a sharp reaction from the BJP which slammed it as the "language of arrogance".

Congress' social media head Divya Spandana tweeted a controversial comment along with a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi standing next to Sardar Patel's 'Statue of Unity', evoking a sharp reaction from the BJP which slammed it as the "language of arrogance". Spandana tweeted a picture of Modi standing next to Sardar Patel's 182-metre-tall statue in Gujarat, which was unveiled on Wednesday, with the comment: "Is that bird dropping?" Is that bird dropping? pic.twitter.com/63xPuvfvW3 — Divya Spandana/Ramya (@divyaspandana) November 1, 2018 × Asked about the tweet, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit out at the opposition party, alleging that "this is the real culture" of the Congress party. They miss no opportunity to abuse the prime minister of India, he said. "It is the same party which called the prime minister 'neech'. Shashi Tharoor called him a scorpion and now Divya Spandana says that he is a bird's dropping," Patra said. "This is nothing but language of arrogance from the Congress party for the normal Indian who with his sheer hardwork become the prime minister of the country," he said. A normal Indian appears bird's dropping to them, while a dynast is power centre for them, Patra said. "This is arrogance of dynasty which is abusing the democracy of India," he alleged. Despite criticism from the ruling party and Twitterati, Spandana remained defiant. "When you're done huffing & puffing take a breath & hold a mirror to yourselves. My views are mine. I don't give two hoots about yours. I'm not going to clarify what I meant and what I didn't cos you don't deserve one," she tweeted.

Divya Spandana posts controversial comment with PM pic, BJP slams it as 'arrogance'

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday said people should not "forgive" Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "uproot" his government in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

He was addressing a farmers' gathering at Vanthali in Gujarat's Junagadh district, around 300 km from here.

"This government has failed on all fronts. Everyone is suffering, be it farmers, youth, women or Dalits. Only new slogans are being given. The only solution is to uproot this government in the next (Lok Sabha) polls," Sinha said.

"I want to apologise because I was also part of the BJP when promises were made ahead of 2014 (general) elections. But I do not want you to forgive him (Modi) in the next polls," he said.

The former finance minister has been a vocal critic of the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and resigned from the party in April this year.

Sinha was invited by Patidar leader Hardik Patel to address the farmers.

Commenting on the unveiling of a 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Narmada district earlier on Wednesday, Sinha said Modi should have announced a pro-farmer scheme on the occasion.

"He did not announce any scheme for farmers because he has forgotten them," he said.

Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha was also present at the gathering.

The actor-turned-politician said he will not complain if the BJP sacked him. 
"I did not come into politics for any personal gain. I will not complain if my party sacks me tomorrow. I love the people of this country more than my party," he said.&nbsp;

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday said people should not "forgive" Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "uproot" his government in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Wednesday said people should not "forgive" Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "uproot" his government in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. He was addressing a farmers' gathering at Vanthali in Gujarat's Junagadh district, around 300 km from here. "This government has failed on all fronts. Everyone is suffering, be it farmers, youth, women or Dalits. Only new slogans are being given. The only solution is to uproot this government in the next (Lok Sabha) polls," Sinha said. "I want to apologise because I was also part of the BJP when promises were made ahead of 2014 (general) elections. But I do not want you to forgive him (Modi) in the next polls," he said. The former finance minister has been a vocal critic of the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and resigned from the party in April this year. Sinha was invited by Patidar leader Hardik Patel to address the farmers. Commenting on the unveiling of a 182-metre statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Narmada district earlier on Wednesday, Sinha said Modi should have announced a pro-farmer scheme on the occasion. "He did not announce any scheme for farmers because he has forgotten them," he said. Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha was also present at the gathering. The actor-turned-politician said he will not complain if the BJP sacked him. "I did not come into politics for any personal gain. I will not complain if my party sacks me tomorrow. I love the people of this country more than my party," he said.

Don't 'forgive' Modi in 2019 LS polls: Yashwant Sinha to farmers

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-invokes-never-used-before-powers-to-issue-directions-to-rbi-report-174517">Government invokes never-used-before powers to issue directions to RBI governor: Report</a>

The Indian government has invoked never-used-before powers under the RBI Act allowing it to issue directions to the central bank governor on matters of public interest, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday.

Separate letters have been sent to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor in recent weeks, exercising powers under the section on issues ranging from liquidity for non-banking financial companies, capital requirement for weak banks and lending to small and medium enterprises, the report said.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-governor-urjit-patel-may-consider-resigning-after-rift-with-government-report-174513">RBI Governor Urjit Patel may consider resigning after </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-governor-urjit-patel-may-consider-resigning-after-rift-with-government-report-174513">rift</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rbi-governor-urjit-patel-may-consider-resigning-after-rift-with-government-report-174513"> with government: Report</a>

The rift between India's central bank and the government has widened and could lead to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor considering resignation, CNBC TV18 reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

There has been an irreversible breakdown between the RBI Governor Urjit Patel and the government, the media said, adding that all options were on the table.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-modi-to-unveil-statue-of-unity-today-on-sardar-patels-143rd-birth-anniversary-174516">Live updates: Modi to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-modi-to-unveil-statue-of-unity-today-on-sardar-patels-143rd-birth-anniversary-174516">unveil</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-modi-to-unveil-statue-of-unity-today-on-sardar-patels-143rd-birth-anniversary-174516"> Statue of Unity today on Sardar Patel's 143rd birth anniversary</a>

The Statue of Unity, a 182-metre giant structure built in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, will be dedicated to the nation on Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The imposing monument, touted as the world's tallest statue, is twice the height of Statue of Liberty and is built on an islet, Sadhu Bet, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district.&nbsp;

After Modi unveils the statue, three IAF planes would fly past and create the tricolour in the sky by emitting saffron, white and green colours, said an official release Tuesday.&nbsp;

Get all your updates on the story, live, from us.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-visits-pittsburgh-protesters-say-hes-responsible-for-synagogue-shooting-174508">Trump visits Pittsburgh, protesters say he's responsible for synagogue shooting that killed 11</a>

Around 1,500 people took to the streets of Pittsburgh Tuesday to demonstrate peacefully in song against a visit by US President Donald Trump and to mourn 11 Jewish worshipers killed in a synagogue.

The crowd of all ages and faiths, including many young families, children and the elderly, marched for six blocks holding signs that read "President Hate, Leave Our State!" and "Trump's Lies Kill."

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kanye-west-distances-himself-from-politics-says-hes-been-used-174510">Kanye West says he's been 'used', distances himself from politics</a>

Three weeks after a bizarre White House meeting with US President Donald Trump, rapper Kanye West said on Tuesday he was distancing himself from politics.

West, Trump's biggest celebrity supporter, also sought to distance himself from a new campaign that encourages black Americans to quit the Democratic Party.

"My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative!!!" West tweeted, without mentioning Trump, who is a Republican, or any other names.

Government invokes never-used-before powers to issue directions to RBI governor: Report The Indian government has invoked never-used-before powers under the RBI Act allowing it to issue directions to the central bank governor on matters of public interest, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday.

Government invokes never-used-before powers to issue directions to RBI governor: Report The Indian government has invoked never-used-before powers under the RBI Act allowing it to issue directions to the central bank governor on matters of public interest, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday. Separate letters have been sent to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor in recent weeks, exercising powers under the section on issues ranging from liquidity for non-banking financial companies, capital requirement for weak banks and lending to small and medium enterprises, the report said. RBI Governor Urjit Patel may consider resigning after rift with government: Report The rift between India's central bank and the government has widened and could lead to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor considering resignation, CNBC TV18 reported on Wednesday, citing sources. There has been an irreversible breakdown between the RBI Governor Urjit Patel and the government, the media said, adding that all options were on the table. Live updates: Modi to unveil Statue of Unity today on Sardar Patel's 143rd birth anniversary The Statue of Unity, a 182-metre giant structure built in honour of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, will be dedicated to the nation on Wednesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The imposing monument, touted as the world's tallest statue, is twice the height of Statue of Liberty and is built on an islet, Sadhu Bet, near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Narmada district. After Modi unveils the statue, three IAF planes would fly past and create the tricolour in the sky by emitting saffron, white and green colours, said an official release Tuesday. Get all your updates on the story, live, from us. Trump visits Pittsburgh, protesters say he's responsible for synagogue shooting that killed 11 Around 1,500 people took to the streets of Pittsburgh Tuesday to demonstrate peacefully in song against a visit by US President Donald Trump and to mourn 11 Jewish worshipers killed in a synagogue. The crowd of all ages and faiths, including many young families, children and the elderly, marched for six blocks holding signs that read "President Hate, Leave Our State!" and "Trump's Lies Kill." Kanye West says he's been 'used', distances himself from politics Three weeks after a bizarre White House meeting with US President Donald Trump, rapper Kanye West said on Tuesday he was distancing himself from politics. West, Trump's biggest celebrity supporter, also sought to distance himself from a new campaign that encourages black Americans to quit the Democratic Party. "My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative!!!" West tweeted, without mentioning Trump, who is a Republican, or any other names.

News brief: Big stories of the day

If you are an optimist like I am, you would see a silver lining in the royal mess we are witnessing in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has lately been rechristened as the Central Bureau of Infighting after its No. 1 and No. 2 accused each other of irregularities and started investigating each other instead of the welter of corruption cases plaguing India.

But we ought to have known better. Ever since the Modi government came to power, fighting corruption has been its chosen plank. The problem, however, is the "Gujarat model" of picking favourite officers to fight politically promised battles is not an easy one. Simply put, we are witnessing a case of Chanakya-era style of a Hindu king using handpicked loyalists in his durbar-style governance being superimposed on a Westminster system of administration inherited from British rule under which the civil servants are largely independent.

In the Westminster system, you usually trust the bureaucracy, of which the CBI is a part, and do not violate its procedures. When officers don't play ball, you transfer them gently to nondescript departments. The civil servant is not really a servant, as we learned in the hilarious episodes of the BBC comedy, Yes, Minister. However, the Modi government has bitten off more than it can chew -- or at least wants to. Last week, former BJP minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leading critic now, Arun Shourie, joked that in Gujarat, civil servants were "civil...(pause)...servants".

Whether it is in surprising the country with a demonetisation of high-value currency notes or in the running of the country's premier investigation agency, the Modi government has relied on its chosen people rather than traditional processes, and has substantially bypassed the bureaucracy than enlist its help. This brings in risks of the kind the government has been facing already.

It is, of course, a huge challenge when corruption is endemic in the system and you use the bureaucracy to tackle corruption. While we may shed a tear or two for the ostensibly noble intent of the Modi government, we may add that it is not advisable to rush in where angels fear to tread. What seems to have happened in the CBI case is that the No.1, Alok Verma, felt sidelined.

Experience tells me that army officers, police officers and bureaucrats take their hierarchical prestige very seriously, and being sidelined in favour of a junior can trigger sparks of vengeance. So we can see a comic Yes, Minister episode assuming the dark colours of a Netflix-run Sacred Games with its thriller skulduggery. With very un-sacred consequences, as we witnessed last week, when the government moved like Pakistan's coup-loving army one dark night to remove the two warring super cops from office. With the matter now placed firmly under the Supreme Court's supervision, a new chapter has begun.

For too long, we have had a public discourse in which the CBI (technically under the Home Ministry) being described as a "caged parrot" on the one hand, even as it claims to be an autonomous sleuthing body. It is therefore natural that CBI director Alok Verma could take his removal to the Supreme Court and gain public sympathy and opposition support. A Catch-22 situation arises for the Modi government because if you interfere in the CBI, you are proving allegations of a caged parrot and if you don't you are seen doing nothing to fight corruption.

The Central Vigilance Commission is looking into allegations against Alok Verma. Not for nothing, the CVC is described as a postman who forwards corruption complaints. It is officially not an investigating agency and usually works with the CBI as a partner. More important, the government has to approve the CVC taking up any investigation into corruption cases. There are also questions on how senior officials could be appointed to the CBI with CVC clearance in the first place when there were allegations pending against them.

Now, consider the irony of the fact that a government accused of corruption is approving a probe into the affairs of a man who is heading the very agency that gives teeth to the largely toothless CVC!

I can almost hear you say: "Where is the Lok Pal when you need her?"&nbsp;

Though a law was passed in 2013 to set up a Lok Pal, for technical reasons the law that enables the appointment of a constitutional ombudsman to probe allegations of serious corruption has been a non-starter.&nbsp;

In the light of all this, I do believe there is a silver lining when the CBI's state of affairs lands up in the Supreme Court. There is something fundamentally wrong in the system when the CVC is toothless, the Lok Pal is absent, the CBI is a caged parrot in perception or reality and there are widespread allegations of political corruption. The highest court of the land should treat the CBI mess as an opportunity to get a clean-up done. Not just in the current standoff. It should hopefully do something in the long-term interest of fighting corruption and maladministration.

It is not yet clear if the Supreme Court will overstep its brief as far as the current case is concerned, but, given the court's far-reaching pronouncements on issues ranging from privacy to gay rights, one hopes those pleading in the larger public interest will goad it to do something more. I for one would prefer the Supreme Court to have a permanent interest in the functioning of the CBI pending the appointment of a Lok Pal. India's premier investigating agency could do with some judicial muscle. 
 
(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/this-mess-is-an-opportunity-for-supreme-court-to-give-cbi-some-muscle-2152231.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

If you are an optimist like I am, you would see a silver lining in the royal mess we are witnessing in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has lately been rechristened as the Central Bureau of Infighting after its No.

If you are an optimist like I am, you would see a silver lining in the royal mess we are witnessing in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which has lately been rechristened as the Central Bureau of Infighting after its No. 1 and No. 2 accused each other of irregularities and started investigating each other instead of the welter of corruption cases plaguing India. But we ought to have known better. Ever since the Modi government came to power, fighting corruption has been its chosen plank. The problem, however, is the "Gujarat model" of picking favourite officers to fight politically promised battles is not an easy one. Simply put, we are witnessing a case of Chanakya-era style of a Hindu king using handpicked loyalists in his durbar-style governance being superimposed on a Westminster system of administration inherited from British rule under which the civil servants are largely independent. In the Westminster system, you usually trust the bureaucracy, of which the CBI is a part, and do not violate its procedures. When officers don't play ball, you transfer them gently to nondescript departments. The civil servant is not really a servant, as we learned in the hilarious episodes of the BBC comedy, Yes, Minister. However, the Modi government has bitten off more than it can chew -- or at least wants to. Last week, former BJP minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leading critic now, Arun Shourie, joked that in Gujarat, civil servants were "civil...(pause)...servants". Whether it is in surprising the country with a demonetisation of high-value currency notes or in the running of the country's premier investigation agency, the Modi government has relied on its chosen people rather than traditional processes, and has substantially bypassed the bureaucracy than enlist its help. This brings in risks of the kind the government has been facing already. It is, of course, a huge challenge when corruption is endemic in the system and you use the bureaucracy to tackle corruption. While we may shed a tear or two for the ostensibly noble intent of the Modi government, we may add that it is not advisable to rush in where angels fear to tread. What seems to have happened in the CBI case is that the No.1, Alok Verma, felt sidelined. Experience tells me that army officers, police officers and bureaucrats take their hierarchical prestige very seriously, and being sidelined in favour of a junior can trigger sparks of vengeance. So we can see a comic Yes, Minister episode assuming the dark colours of a Netflix-run Sacred Games with its thriller skulduggery. With very un-sacred consequences, as we witnessed last week, when the government moved like Pakistan's coup-loving army one dark night to remove the two warring super cops from office. With the matter now placed firmly under the Supreme Court's supervision, a new chapter has begun. For too long, we have had a public discourse in which the CBI (technically under the Home Ministry) being described as a "caged parrot" on the one hand, even as it claims to be an autonomous sleuthing body. It is therefore natural that CBI director Alok Verma could take his removal to the Supreme Court and gain public sympathy and opposition support. A Catch-22 situation arises for the Modi government because if you interfere in the CBI, you are proving allegations of a caged parrot and if you don't you are seen doing nothing to fight corruption. The Central Vigilance Commission is looking into allegations against Alok Verma. Not for nothing, the CVC is described as a postman who forwards corruption complaints. It is officially not an investigating agency and usually works with the CBI as a partner. More important, the government has to approve the CVC taking up any investigation into corruption cases. There are also questions on how senior officials could be appointed to the CBI with CVC clearance in the first place when there were allegations pending against them. Now, consider the irony of the fact that a government accused of corruption is approving a probe into the affairs of a man who is heading the very agency that gives teeth to the largely toothless CVC! I can almost hear you say: "Where is the Lok Pal when you need her?" Though a law was passed in 2013 to set up a Lok Pal, for technical reasons the law that enables the appointment of a constitutional ombudsman to probe allegations of serious corruption has been a non-starter. In the light of all this, I do believe there is a silver lining when the CBI's state of affairs lands up in the Supreme Court. There is something fundamentally wrong in the system when the CVC is toothless, the Lok Pal is absent, the CBI is a caged parrot in perception or reality and there are widespread allegations of political corruption. The highest court of the land should treat the CBI mess as an opportunity to get a clean-up done. Not just in the current standoff. It should hopefully do something in the long-term interest of fighting corruption and maladministration. It is not yet clear if the Supreme Court will overstep its brief as far as the current case is concerned, but, given the court's far-reaching pronouncements on issues ranging from privacy to gay rights, one hopes those pleading in the larger public interest will goad it to do something more. I for one would prefer the Supreme Court to have a permanent interest in the functioning of the CBI pending the appointment of a Lok Pal. India's premier investigating agency could do with some judicial muscle. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

This mess is an opportunity for Supreme Court to give CBI some muscle

The semifinals for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are well and truly on. Five states are going to elect their new Vidhan Sabhas in next month or so, and three of these states belong to the critical Hindi heartland. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are crucial heartland states that enabled BJP's stellar performance in 2014. According to the Cvoter opinion poll, Congress seems to be in the poll position in all 3 states. In Rajasthan, Congress leads by a strong margin whereas in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the fight is close. In fact, the election in the latter two might well be decided quite late in the day, dependent upon factors such as campaign strategy, ticket allocation and infighting among others.

Highly critical will be the choice of chief ministerial candidates as leadership question is a point of concern for Congress. Particularly in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the respective BJP Chief Ministers viz Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Raman Singh continue to be very popular. In fact, the major anti-incumbency sentiment seems to be against the incumbent MLAs who have not managed their constituencies well. Perhaps denial of tickets to such non-performing MLAs might help the BJP to blunt the anti-incumbency sentiment, especially considering the less than 1 per cent vote share trail in opinion poll vis a vis Congress.&nbsp;

In Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, there is a dead heat between Congress and BJP. This is not the case in Rajasthan, the incumbent Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is less popular than the main challenger from Congress Sachin Pilot. In MP, Jyotiraditya Scindia of Congress is less popular than Shivraj Singh Chauhan and in Chattisgarh, the main challenger to chief minister Raman Singh is Ajit Jogi who does not even belong to the Congress. That leaves Rajasthan as the only state where Congress has a leadership rating advantage.&nbsp;

<img alt="Table 1" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f2e65833-5dfb-4106-aa25-045212c57d01" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Table-1%20Final.jpg" />

Over and above that, Cvoter survey also dwelled upon the question of a bipolar contest to check the infighting sentiment. That is, when the candidates' field is narrowed down to two main challengers in the fray, there is always a churning among the party supporters who favour one party candidate over the other. In Madhya Pradesh, if the choice between Scindia and Chauhan was presented, Chauhan proved to more popular than Scindia. What is important to underline here is the fact that almost 50 per cent supporters of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh are not staying loyal to party line for the candidature of Jyotiraditya Scindia in bipolar setup against Shivraj Singh Chauhan.

Almost 25 per cent of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh supporters shift allegiance to BJP CM Candidate and the rest are assuming a neutral position. This clearly opens up the internal fault-lines of Congress leadership in Madhya Pradesh.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="Table 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a602dcd4-4f77-4a5d-b061-bde21cae24a2" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Table2.jpg" />

In Chhattisgarh, a direct contest between Raman Singh and Ajit Jogi may precipitate 1/3rd of Congress supporters to shift support to BJP chief minister candidate and another 1/3rd may move to Jogi's camp, the rest are assuming a position of neutrality. This argues rather poorly for a party which is leading over BJP by less than a point at the moment. Jogi becomes a choice by default for many anti-BJP voters just because Congress is unable to give a name for the chief minister post. If the Congress leadership is well defined, it will not take much of a time for the anti-BJP voters getting polarized in a clear-cut manner. 
 
<img alt="Table 3" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4efd1661-e4e2-4945-9f78-52efab452a77" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Table%203.jpg" />

The state of Rajasthan is in complete contrast to MP and Chhattisgarh. In Rajasthan, a bipolar contest of Sachin Pilot and Vasundhara Raje is clearly producing results in favour of Congress candidate. Almost two-third supporters of other Congress candidates, like Ashok Gehlot and CP Joshi, are continuing to support the candidature of Sachin Pilot in a bipolar rating. Unlike other states, the young voters and first-time voters of Rajasthan are rallying for a clean image of the rather young Sachin Pilot. His face is clearly instrumental in swinging the undecided young voters, who otherwise get neutralized by the corruption-tagged image of old Congress leadership in the state.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="Table 4" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fa9d3d44-451e-4755-98ef-1c484d525d41" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Table4.jpg" />

Clearly, Congress is facing infighting and factionalism in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh while it comes across as a much-united house in Rajasthan. This point becomes salient in the light of less than 1 per cent projected vote share lead according to the Cvoter opinion poll in the states of MP and Chhattisgarh.

The overwhelming popularity of PM Narendra Modi has been the key electoral weapon for BJP in the past 3-4 years. Election after election in last four years has shown that there is a distinct surge of 3-4 per cent vote share that gets imparted by PM Narendra Modi in closing stages of the campaign. In MP and Chhattisgarh, such a vote surge can easily topple the Congress lead. In the case of Rajasthan, the projected lead of Congress seems to be clear of any potential late surge by BJP. The masses flocking to PM's rallies in Rajasthan may listen to him and vote for him in Lok Sabha elections but for Vidhan Sabha polls the mood seems to be made up.&nbsp;

Finally, Congress is making a mistake by not announcing official candidates in the three states. For examples, in MP an official announcement in favour of Scindia may polarize young voters in favour of Congress, the same may happen in Rajasthan and an official affirmation of Sachin Pilot could produce an electoral dividend thus confirming the Congress victory that is increasingly likely. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress may announce an official candidate such as TS Singh Dev or Bhupesh Baghel to blunt the edge of Ajit Jogi. In fact, currently, Jogi is being favoured only because of non-announcement of a Congress candidate.&nbsp;

Therefore, Congress has all to gain by the announcement of official Chief Ministerial candidates. It may gain that crucial edge over the BJP in MP and Chhattisgarh and further solidify its robust lead in Rajasthan. In case this does not happen then a late BJP surge induced by PM Modi's campaign may end up being crucial, however, it is tough to estimate its impact quantitatively as of now.&nbsp;

There is a huge rating deficit that Congress faces when the national Leadership ratings are compared. The gap in approval ratings of NaMo and RaGa is a big electoral liability at the moment for the Congress at large. The only way it can counter that liability is by projecting the much popular young faces at the state level against the state BJP leadership. If done properly, then faces of Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Bhupesh Baghel can do the needful to counter the mega rallies of Narendra Modi in concluding weeks of the campaign. If they continue the blunder in positioning this round as contest of national leaderships, then we all know what kind of punch Mr Modi is capable of delivering.&nbsp;

I don't think Congress wants to take the battle in that direction. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/will-congress-blunder-again-by-making-assembly-elections-a-raga-vs-namo-battle-2151613.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The semifinals for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are well and truly on. Five states are going to elect their new Vidhan Sabhas in next month or so, and three of these states belong to the critical Hindi heartland.

The semifinals for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are well and truly on. Five states are going to elect their new Vidhan Sabhas in next month or so, and three of these states belong to the critical Hindi heartland. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are crucial heartland states that enabled BJP's stellar performance in 2014. According to the Cvoter opinion poll, Congress seems to be in the poll position in all 3 states. In Rajasthan, Congress leads by a strong margin whereas in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the fight is close. In fact, the election in the latter two might well be decided quite late in the day, dependent upon factors such as campaign strategy, ticket allocation and infighting among others. Highly critical will be the choice of chief ministerial candidates as leadership question is a point of concern for Congress. Particularly in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the respective BJP Chief Ministers viz Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Raman Singh continue to be very popular. In fact, the major anti-incumbency sentiment seems to be against the incumbent MLAs who have not managed their constituencies well. Perhaps denial of tickets to such non-performing MLAs might help the BJP to blunt the anti-incumbency sentiment, especially considering the less than 1 per cent vote share trail in opinion poll vis a vis Congress. In Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, there is a dead heat between Congress and BJP. This is not the case in Rajasthan, the incumbent Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is less popular than the main challenger from Congress Sachin Pilot. In MP, Jyotiraditya Scindia of Congress is less popular than Shivraj Singh Chauhan and in Chattisgarh, the main challenger to chief minister Raman Singh is Ajit Jogi who does not even belong to the Congress. That leaves Rajasthan as the only state where Congress has a leadership rating advantage. Over and above that, Cvoter survey also dwelled upon the question of a bipolar contest to check the infighting sentiment. That is, when the candidates' field is narrowed down to two main challengers in the fray, there is always a churning among the party supporters who favour one party candidate over the other. In Madhya Pradesh, if the choice between Scindia and Chauhan was presented, Chauhan proved to more popular than Scindia. What is important to underline here is the fact that almost 50 per cent supporters of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh are not staying loyal to party line for the candidature of Jyotiraditya Scindia in bipolar setup against Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Almost 25 per cent of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh supporters shift allegiance to BJP CM Candidate and the rest are assuming a neutral position. This clearly opens up the internal fault-lines of Congress leadership in Madhya Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh, a direct contest between Raman Singh and Ajit Jogi may precipitate 1/3rd of Congress supporters to shift support to BJP chief minister candidate and another 1/3rd may move to Jogi's camp, the rest are assuming a position of neutrality. This argues rather poorly for a party which is leading over BJP by less than a point at the moment. Jogi becomes a choice by default for many anti-BJP voters just because Congress is unable to give a name for the chief minister post. If the Congress leadership is well defined, it will not take much of a time for the anti-BJP voters getting polarized in a clear-cut manner. The state of Rajasthan is in complete contrast to MP and Chhattisgarh. In Rajasthan, a bipolar contest of Sachin Pilot and Vasundhara Raje is clearly producing results in favour of Congress candidate. Almost two-third supporters of other Congress candidates, like Ashok Gehlot and CP Joshi, are continuing to support the candidature of Sachin Pilot in a bipolar rating. Unlike other states, the young voters and first-time voters of Rajasthan are rallying for a clean image of the rather young Sachin Pilot. His face is clearly instrumental in swinging the undecided young voters, who otherwise get neutralized by the corruption-tagged image of old Congress leadership in the state. Clearly, Congress is facing infighting and factionalism in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh while it comes across as a much-united house in Rajasthan. This point becomes salient in the light of less than 1 per cent projected vote share lead according to the Cvoter opinion poll in the states of MP and Chhattisgarh. The overwhelming popularity of PM Narendra Modi has been the key electoral weapon for BJP in the past 3-4 years. Election after election in last four years has shown that there is a distinct surge of 3-4 per cent vote share that gets imparted by PM Narendra Modi in closing stages of the campaign. In MP and Chhattisgarh, such a vote surge can easily topple the Congress lead. In the case of Rajasthan, the projected lead of Congress seems to be clear of any potential late surge by BJP. The masses flocking to PM's rallies in Rajasthan may listen to him and vote for him in Lok Sabha elections but for Vidhan Sabha polls the mood seems to be made up. Finally, Congress is making a mistake by not announcing official candidates in the three states. For examples, in MP an official announcement in favour of Scindia may polarize young voters in favour of Congress, the same may happen in Rajasthan and an official affirmation of Sachin Pilot could produce an electoral dividend thus confirming the Congress victory that is increasingly likely. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress may announce an official candidate such as TS Singh Dev or Bhupesh Baghel to blunt the edge of Ajit Jogi. In fact, currently, Jogi is being favoured only because of non-announcement of a Congress candidate. Therefore, Congress has all to gain by the announcement of official Chief Ministerial candidates. It may gain that crucial edge over the BJP in MP and Chhattisgarh and further solidify its robust lead in Rajasthan. In case this does not happen then a late BJP surge induced by PM Modi's campaign may end up being crucial, however, it is tough to estimate its impact quantitatively as of now. There is a huge rating deficit that Congress faces when the national Leadership ratings are compared. The gap in approval ratings of NaMo and RaGa is a big electoral liability at the moment for the Congress at large. The only way it can counter that liability is by projecting the much popular young faces at the state level against the state BJP leadership. If done properly, then faces of Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Bhupesh Baghel can do the needful to counter the mega rallies of Narendra Modi in concluding weeks of the campaign. If they continue the blunder in positioning this round as contest of national leaderships, then we all know what kind of punch Mr Modi is capable of delivering. I don't think Congress wants to take the battle in that direction. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Will Congress blunder again by making Assembly elections a Rahul vs Modi battle?

India has made technology a medium to attain social justice, empowerment, inclusion and transparency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

He said the government was using technology to ensure effective 'last mile delivery of services' and it was also being made an effective medium to bring in 'Ease of Living'.

Modi was addressing DST-CII India Italy Technology Summit, along with his Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte.

"India has made technology a medium for attaining social justice, empowerment, inclusion and transparency. The government is using technology to ensure effective last mile delivery of services," he said.

Highlighting the achievements of the Indian space programme, he said it was an example of innovation with quality.

The prime minister said India was now able to send satellites of many countries, including Italy, into space and this showcased the nation's capability of creating innovative solutions at a low cost.

In his address, Conte said he had a "fruitful discussion" with Modi and the two sides explored the possible contribution of Italy to 'Make in India' in various sectors.

Conte said he and the prime minister explored the potential for a new partnership in the area of railway and re-launching of cooperation in the development of renewable energy.

"India and Italy have a lot of similarities and complementarities that make us natural allies in offering effective solutions to the challenges in the 21st century," Conte said.

Innovation, he said, could be a catalyst for achieving inclusive growth and instrument to growth of global development.

Increasing cooperation in the area of heritage was also one of the important aspects, the Italian prime minister said.

"I'm pleased that cultural heritage has been included in the focus area of this technology summit. As Italy has the highest number of UNESCO sites, we have used innovation technology for conservation of monuments. We are pleased to share with India the unique expertise we have gathered in this area," he said.

Modi said to strengthen economic ties, the countries have agreed to set up the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) under which a CEO forum would also be established.

He said the two sides have agreed to establish a fast track mechanism to increase two-way investment and remove hurdles in trade.

"The common goal of our two governments is to become the most strategic partners in innovations to provide a very concrete and more effective answer to the global challenges that we face.

India has made technology a medium to attain social justice, empowerment, inclusion and transparency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. He said the government was using technology to ensure effective 'last mile delivery of services' and it was also being made an effective medium to bring in 'Ease of Living'.

India has made technology a medium to attain social justice, empowerment, inclusion and transparency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. He said the government was using technology to ensure effective 'last mile delivery of services' and it was also being made an effective medium to bring in 'Ease of Living'. Modi was addressing DST-CII India Italy Technology Summit, along with his Italian counterpart Giuseppe Conte. "India has made technology a medium for attaining social justice, empowerment, inclusion and transparency. The government is using technology to ensure effective last mile delivery of services," he said. Highlighting the achievements of the Indian space programme, he said it was an example of innovation with quality. The prime minister said India was now able to send satellites of many countries, including Italy, into space and this showcased the nation's capability of creating innovative solutions at a low cost. In his address, Conte said he had a "fruitful discussion" with Modi and the two sides explored the possible contribution of Italy to 'Make in India' in various sectors. Conte said he and the prime minister explored the potential for a new partnership in the area of railway and re-launching of cooperation in the development of renewable energy. "India and Italy have a lot of similarities and complementarities that make us natural allies in offering effective solutions to the challenges in the 21st century," Conte said. Innovation, he said, could be a catalyst for achieving inclusive growth and instrument to growth of global development. Increasing cooperation in the area of heritage was also one of the important aspects, the Italian prime minister said. "I'm pleased that cultural heritage has been included in the focus area of this technology summit. As Italy has the highest number of UNESCO sites, we have used innovation technology for conservation of monuments. We are pleased to share with India the unique expertise we have gathered in this area," he said. Modi said to strengthen economic ties, the countries have agreed to set up the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation (JCEC) under which a CEO forum would also be established. He said the two sides have agreed to establish a fast track mechanism to increase two-way investment and remove hurdles in trade. "The common goal of our two governments is to become the most strategic partners in innovations to provide a very concrete and more effective answer to the global challenges that we face.

India has made technology medium to attain social justice and inclusion: Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Indian community in Tokyo, Japan on Monday. Modi is <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-to-meet-japanese-counterpart-shinzo-abe-to-discuss-regional-global-issues-173927">in Japan on a two-day visit</a> to attend the India-Japan summit.&nbsp;

In his talk to the Indian community, Modi said "India is going through a massive transformative phase today".&nbsp;

He added that the "world is appreciating India for its efforts towards services towards humanity".&nbsp;

Modi said India is making "tremendous progress" on its digital infrastructure and that 1 GB of data today is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink.&nbsp;

"Broadband connectivity is reaching villages, over 100 crore mobile phones are active in India, 1 GB is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink," Modi said, adding that "this data is becoming the tool for service delivery".&nbsp;

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Japan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Hiroshige Seko, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, in Tokyo <a href="https://t.co/IsfszQTIAS">pic.twitter.com/IsfszQTIAS</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056730165408157701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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India is going through a massive transformative phase today. The world is appreciating India for its efforts towards services towards humanity. The policies being made in India, the work being done towards public welfare, for these the nation is being felicitated today: PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/DJx1umWYYN">pic.twitter.com/DJx1umWYYN</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056713285737893894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Make in India emerged as global brand today.We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for world.India is becoming a global hub, especially in field of electronics&amp;automobile manufacturing.We're rapidly moving towards being no.1 in mobile phones manufacturing: PM <a href="https://t.co/sGXXC6ocGU">pic.twitter.com/sGXXC6ocGU</a>
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Japanese venture capitalists met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo, Japan today. <a href="https://t.co/rc0fBzOIc3">pic.twitter.com/rc0fBzOIc3</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1056721872686063618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Modi added that India is making quality products not only for India but also the world. And that India is "rapidly moving towards being no. 1 in mobile phones manufacturing".&nbsp;

"Make in India emerged as global brand today.We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for world.India is becoming a global hub, especially in field of electronics and automobile manufacturing. We're rapidly moving towards being no. 1 in mobile phones manufacturing."

And he repeated his August 15 promise to send an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/from-space-mission-to-women-empowerment-excerpts-from-pm-narendra-modis-fifth-independence-day-speech-159254?amp">Indian into space by 2022</a>.&nbsp;

"Last year our scientists created record by launching over 100 satellites into space simultaneously. We sent Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan at very low expense. India is preparing to send Gaganyaan into space by 2022. &nbsp;It'll be Indian in all ways and one travelling in it will also be an Indian."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Indian community in Tokyo, Japan on Monday. Modi is in Japan on a two-day visit to attend the India-Japan summit. In his talk to the Indian community, Modi said "India is going through a massive transformative phase today".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Indian community in Tokyo, Japan on Monday. Modi is in Japan on a two-day visit to attend the India-Japan summit. In his talk to the Indian community, Modi said "India is going through a massive transformative phase today". He added that the "world is appreciating India for its efforts towards services towards humanity". Modi said India is making "tremendous progress" on its digital infrastructure and that 1 GB of data today is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink. "Broadband connectivity is reaching villages, over 100 crore mobile phones are active in India, 1 GB is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink," Modi said, adding that "this data is becoming the tool for service delivery". Japan: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Hiroshige Seko, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, in Tokyo pic.twitter.com/IsfszQTIAS — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2018 × India is going through a massive transformative phase today. The world is appreciating India for its efforts towards services towards humanity. The policies being made in India, the work being done towards public welfare, for these the nation is being felicitated today: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/DJx1umWYYN — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2018 × Make in India emerged as global brand today.We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for world.India is becoming a global hub, especially in field of electronics&automobile manufacturing.We're rapidly moving towards being no.1 in mobile phones manufacturing: PM pic.twitter.com/sGXXC6ocGU — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2018 × Japanese venture capitalists met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tokyo, Japan today. pic.twitter.com/rc0fBzOIc3 — ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2018 × Modi added that India is making quality products not only for India but also the world. And that India is "rapidly moving towards being no. 1 in mobile phones manufacturing". "Make in India emerged as global brand today.We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for world.India is becoming a global hub, especially in field of electronics and automobile manufacturing. We're rapidly moving towards being no. 1 in mobile phones manufacturing." And he repeated his August 15 promise to send an Indian into space by 2022. "Last year our scientists created record by launching over 100 satellites into space simultaneously. We sent Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan at very low expense. India is preparing to send Gaganyaan into space by 2022. It'll be Indian in all ways and one travelling in it will also be an Indian."

India going through massive transformative phase today: Modi in Japan

Senior Congress leader and MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Monday questioned the TMC leadership for keeping mum on the Rafale deal and said there is no difference in the functioning of CBI and the CID in West Bengal under BJP and TMC regimes respectively. Chowdhury, who is the former West Bengal PCC president, questioned TMC’s silence on the Rafale deal even as several opposition parties have spoken out against it.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi stepping up offensive against the government for forcing the CBI director to go on leave had dubbed the action as “illegal” and a “panic reaction” to cover up Rafale deal evidence “The functioning of CBI under the BJP regime at the Centre and the CID in the state under the TMC have no difference. Both the agencies are being used by the ruling parties respectively to serve their own political purposes,” Chowdhury said.&nbsp;

He said, “When opposition parties have spoken out against the Rafale scam, TMC has maintained a silence on this issue. Why are they (TMC) not speaking out against the scam? Why isn’t TMC and its supremo Mamata Banerjee attacking BJP and CBI in the same language as other opposition parties and the Congress? What is stopping them from doing so? Is it the fear of Narada and Saradha scam investigation ?”

Banerjee last week had alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has become the BJP’s policing agency. “CBI has now become so-called BBI (BJP Bureau of Investigation) – very unfortunate!” Banerjee had tweeted. Her remarks came amid the ongoing spat between two top officers of the agency. Asked about Banerjee’s comment on CBI, Chowdhury said “Just one-liners won’t do, they (TMC) have to clear their stand. The TMC leadership declined to give much importance to his comment and said the party “does not need any lessons from others”.

Senior Congress leader and MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Monday questioned the TMC leadership for keeping mum on the Rafale deal and said there is no difference in the functioning of CBI and the CID in West Bengal under BJP and TMC regimes respectively.

Senior Congress leader and MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Monday questioned the TMC leadership for keeping mum on the Rafale deal and said there is no difference in the functioning of CBI and the CID in West Bengal under BJP and TMC regimes respectively. Chowdhury, who is the former West Bengal PCC president, questioned TMC’s silence on the Rafale deal even as several opposition parties have spoken out against it. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi stepping up offensive against the government for forcing the CBI director to go on leave had dubbed the action as “illegal” and a “panic reaction” to cover up Rafale deal evidence “The functioning of CBI under the BJP regime at the Centre and the CID in the state under the TMC have no difference. Both the agencies are being used by the ruling parties respectively to serve their own political purposes,” Chowdhury said. He said, “When opposition parties have spoken out against the Rafale scam, TMC has maintained a silence on this issue. Why are they (TMC) not speaking out against the scam? Why isn’t TMC and its supremo Mamata Banerjee attacking BJP and CBI in the same language as other opposition parties and the Congress? What is stopping them from doing so? Is it the fear of Narada and Saradha scam investigation ?” Banerjee last week had alleged that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has become the BJP’s policing agency. “CBI has now become so-called BBI (BJP Bureau of Investigation) – very unfortunate!” Banerjee had tweeted. Her remarks came amid the ongoing spat between two top officers of the agency. Asked about Banerjee’s comment on CBI, Chowdhury said “Just one-liners won’t do, they (TMC) have to clear their stand. The TMC leadership declined to give much importance to his comment and said the party “does not need any lessons from others”.

PM Narendra Modi’s CBI and Mamata Banerjee’s CID have no difference, says Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-joint-statement-india-japan-pledge-partnership-in-maritime-security-space-exploration-digital-growth-174217">In </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-joint-statement-india-japan-pledge-partnership-in-maritime-security-space-exploration-digital-growth-174217">joint</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/in-joint-statement-india-japan-pledge-partnership-in-maritime-security-space-exploration-digital-growth-174217"> statement, India, Japan pledge partnership in maritime security, space exploration &amp; digital growth</a>

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and PM Modi today released a joint statement emphasising trade, maritime security and space exploration as the driving force between the two countries.

High-speed railway will be promoted, the Japanese PM said during the joint statement, adding that digital partnership will be improved.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-east-asia/lion-air-plane-crash-body-parts-found-as-rescue-agency-says-likely-all-189-aboard-crashed-jet-dead-174197">Lion Air plane crash: Body parts found as rescue agency says ‘likely’ all 189 aboard crashed jet dead</a>

All 189 passenger and crew aboard a crashed Indonesian jet were “likely” killed in the accident, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said Monday, as it announced it had found human remains.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/mahinda-rajapaksa-assumes-charge-as-sri-lankas-new-prime-minister-174191">Mahinda Rajapaksa assumes charge as Sri Lanka's new prime minister</a>

Former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday assumed charge as Sri Lanka's new prime minister after the surprise sacking of his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe by President Maithripala Sirisena which plunged the island nation into an unprecedented political crisis.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/german-chancellor-merkel-will-not-seek-re-election-as-party-chairman-source-174185">German Chancellor Merkel will not seek re-election as party chairman: Source</a>

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told leaders of her Christian Democrats (CDU) that she will not seek re-election as party chairwoman at a conference in early December, a senior party source said on Monday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sri-lanka-police-arrest-ex-oil-minister-ranatunga-over-shooting-174228">Sri Lanka police arrest ex-oil minister Ranatunga over shooting</a>

Sri Lankan police on Monday arrested deposed oil minister Arjuna Ranatunga over a shooting that killed one person on the weekend, police spokesman said.

In joint statement, India, Japan pledge partnership in maritime security, space exploration & digital growth Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and PM Modi today released a joint statement emphasising trade, maritime security and space exploration as the driving force between the two countries.

In joint statement, India, Japan pledge partnership in maritime security, space exploration & digital growth Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and PM Modi today released a joint statement emphasising trade, maritime security and space exploration as the driving force between the two countries. High-speed railway will be promoted, the Japanese PM said during the joint statement, adding that digital partnership will be improved. Lion Air plane crash: Body parts found as rescue agency says ‘likely’ all 189 aboard crashed jet dead All 189 passenger and crew aboard a crashed Indonesian jet were “likely” killed in the accident, Indonesia’s search and rescue agency said Monday, as it announced it had found human remains. Mahinda Rajapaksa assumes charge as Sri Lanka's new prime minister Former Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday assumed charge as Sri Lanka's new prime minister after the surprise sacking of his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe by President Maithripala Sirisena which plunged the island nation into an unprecedented political crisis. German Chancellor Merkel will not seek re-election as party chairman: Source German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told leaders of her Christian Democrats (CDU) that she will not seek re-election as party chairwoman at a conference in early December, a senior party source said on Monday. Sri Lanka police arrest ex-oil minister Ranatunga over shooting Sri Lankan police on Monday arrested deposed oil minister Arjuna Ranatunga over a shooting that killed one person on the weekend, police spokesman said.

India, Japan sign key agreements; focus on economic cooperation, bilateral ceremony

India-Japan Summit: PM Modi meets business leaders in Tokyo

India-Japan Summit: Welcome ceremony of Narendra Modi at Shinzo Abe's office

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation with India.

Calling PM Modi his most "dependable" friend, Shinzo Abe said that together with the Indian prime minister, he would like to strengthen bilateral cooperation to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Indian media reports cited Abe as saying India was driving the region and the world's prosperity as a global power.

He also called PM Modi an "outstanding leader of his great country" and added that he had always believed and stated that the relationship between Japan and India is blessed with the largest potential in the world.

"We share a big win-win potential in all areas and Japan remains committed to supporting India's economic growth and Prime Minister Modi's Make in India initiative through high-speed rail, subways and other infrastructure, mobilising Japan's world-leading technologies," he said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
PM Abe: I heartily welcome Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> of India as he visits 🇯🇵. I lost no time taking him to the lakeside at Lake Yamanaka, where the autumn leaves are in their glory. After this, I will invite him to my summer house, where only the two of us will dine together. <a href="https://t.co/go4BoMTwz5">pic.twitter.com/go4BoMTwz5</a>
— PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/JPN_PMO/status/1056457855446867968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2018</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>

"Prime Minister Modi, who is currently visiting Japan since yesterday, is one of my most dependable and valuable friends. On behalf of the entire Japanese government, I have the pleasure of extending him the warmest hospitality," the Japanese leader's message read.

"Together with Prime Minister Modi, I would like to further strengthen Japan-India cooperation to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific," Abe said.&nbsp;

The Japanese prime minister also said that the friendship between Japan and India will enhance further after&nbsp;Japanese Shinkansen bullet train&nbsp;starts running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

(With inputs from agencies)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation with India. Calling PM Modi his most "dependable" friend, Shinzo Abe said that together with the Indian prime minister, he would like to strengthen bilateral cooperation to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday expressed his desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation with India. Calling PM Modi his most "dependable" friend, Shinzo Abe said that together with the Indian prime minister, he would like to strengthen bilateral cooperation to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific. Indian media reports cited Abe as saying India was driving the region and the world's prosperity as a global power. He also called PM Modi an "outstanding leader of his great country" and added that he had always believed and stated that the relationship between Japan and India is blessed with the largest potential in the world. "We share a big win-win potential in all areas and Japan remains committed to supporting India's economic growth and Prime Minister Modi's Make in India initiative through high-speed rail, subways and other infrastructure, mobilising Japan's world-leading technologies," he said. PM Abe: I heartily welcome Prime Minister @narendramodi of India as he visits 🇯🇵. I lost no time taking him to the lakeside at Lake Yamanaka, where the autumn leaves are in their glory. After this, I will invite him to my summer house, where only the two of us will dine together. pic.twitter.com/go4BoMTwz5 — PM's Office of Japan (@JPN_PMO) October 28, 2018 × "Prime Minister Modi, who is currently visiting Japan since yesterday, is one of my most dependable and valuable friends. On behalf of the entire Japanese government, I have the pleasure of extending him the warmest hospitality," the Japanese leader's message read. "Together with Prime Minister Modi, I would like to further strengthen Japan-India cooperation to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific," Abe said. The Japanese prime minister also said that the friendship between Japan and India will enhance further after Japanese Shinkansen bullet train starts running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. (With inputs from agencies)

PM Modi my most 'dependable' friend: Japan's Shinzo Abe

Narendra Modi is the "favourite" prime ministerial candidate of Muslims for next year's Lok Sabha polls as he has dispelled the "fear" that several parties instilled in the community using his name, senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said Sunday.

He said the faith in Modi among Muslims had increased, especially among the women.

"The favourite prime ministerial candidate for Muslims in the 2019 polls is Narendra Modi, because he sees all 132 crore people of the country just as Indians. Other parties have seen them as a vote bank," Hussain said.

Muslims account for around 14 per cent of India's 130 crore population and the community plays a key role in the electoral outcome in a sizeable number of Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir.

Hussain blamed the Congress for the poverty and backwardness of the Muslims in the country, saying the party had done injustice to the community and Modi had given them justice.

"Some people in 2014 used to scare others using Narendra Modi's name. Today, a large number of people from the Muslim community also feel that he is a man who works day and night. Narendra Modi treats all 132 crore Indians alike," he said.

Other parties used to take votes from Muslims by spreading the "fear" of Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the prime minister had taken out that fear, Hussain said.

Now they see that Modi is in power but there is no problem, the BJP leader added. 
Not a single statement was made by Modi against Muslims, he said, adding that the prime minister's "shamshan-kabristan" statement in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh&nbsp; 
Assembly polls last year was "wrongly interpreted" as he had advocated taking care of both.

"In our party, some people may be making (certain) statements, but Muslims have full faith on the statements made by BJP chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the former Union minister said.

"Our party president and our prime minister have never given any statement that would hurt Muslims," he claimed, asserting that the community would back the saffron party big time in the 2019 general election.

Hussain also said Allahabad's name was changed to Prayagraj as?"injustice" was done in the past" and now, "justice" had been restored.

"The earlier name was Prayagraj that was changed. To correct that mistake, is it wrong?

"Earlier also, Bangalore's name was changed to Bengaluru, Madras was changed to Chennai. So, how does history come into this," he said, rebutting the Congress's charge that the Modi government was trying to rewrite history.

On the Ram temple issue, Hussain said for the BJP, it was a matter of faith and not a poll plank.

"From October 29, there will be day-to-day hearing (in the Supreme Court). We are hopeful that this issue will be resolved soon and it will be acceptable to all the people in the country.

"Some people are also demanding that a law be made (for the construction of the temple). Everybody has a right to demand, how can anybody stop that? The government has the right to decide and it has not taken any decision in this regard," he said.

Talking about the upcoming Assembly elections in five states, the BJP spokesperson exuded confidence that his party would win in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

"In Mizoram, the government will not be formed without our support and in Telangana, we will emerge as a big party," he claimed.

Hussain also asserted that the BJP, the Janata Dal (United), the Lok Janshakti Party and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party will fight the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar together. 
He said the alliance with the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had boosted the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) prospects in Bihar and the coalition was focused on "Mission 40" -- to win all the Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Asked if anti-incumbency would be a factor in Bihar, Hussain said, "I had lost from Bhagalpur by 8,000 votes and Nitish Kumarji's candidate was third, getting 1,60,000 votes. Now those votes will be added to the BJP's kitty...We will fight together and this time, it is Mission 40 -- that we win all the 40 seats."

He also claimed that issues such as rising petrol and diesel prices will not hamper the BJP's poll prospects, saying the people were aware that the fuel problem was a global one.

The Modi government will come to power with a bigger mandate in 2019, Hussain asserted.&nbsp;

Narendra Modi is the "favourite" prime ministerial candidate of Muslims for next year's Lok Sabha polls as he has dispelled the "fear" that several parties instilled in the community using his name, senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said Sunday.

Narendra Modi is the "favourite" prime ministerial candidate of Muslims for next year's Lok Sabha polls as he has dispelled the "fear" that several parties instilled in the community using his name, senior BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain said Sunday. He said the faith in Modi among Muslims had increased, especially among the women. "The favourite prime ministerial candidate for Muslims in the 2019 polls is Narendra Modi, because he sees all 132 crore people of the country just as Indians. Other parties have seen them as a vote bank," Hussain said. Muslims account for around 14 per cent of India's 130 crore population and the community plays a key role in the electoral outcome in a sizeable number of Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir. Hussain blamed the Congress for the poverty and backwardness of the Muslims in the country, saying the party had done injustice to the community and Modi had given them justice. "Some people in 2014 used to scare others using Narendra Modi's name. Today, a large number of people from the Muslim community also feel that he is a man who works day and night. Narendra Modi treats all 132 crore Indians alike," he said. Other parties used to take votes from Muslims by spreading the "fear" of Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the prime minister had taken out that fear, Hussain said. Now they see that Modi is in power but there is no problem, the BJP leader added. Not a single statement was made by Modi against Muslims, he said, adding that the prime minister's "shamshan-kabristan" statement in the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls last year was "wrongly interpreted" as he had advocated taking care of both. "In our party, some people may be making (certain) statements, but Muslims have full faith on the statements made by BJP chief Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the former Union minister said. "Our party president and our prime minister have never given any statement that would hurt Muslims," he claimed, asserting that the community would back the saffron party big time in the 2019 general election. Hussain also said Allahabad's name was changed to Prayagraj as?"injustice" was done in the past" and now, "justice" had been restored. "The earlier name was Prayagraj that was changed. To correct that mistake, is it wrong? "Earlier also, Bangalore's name was changed to Bengaluru, Madras was changed to Chennai. So, how does history come into this," he said, rebutting the Congress's charge that the Modi government was trying to rewrite history. On the Ram temple issue, Hussain said for the BJP, it was a matter of faith and not a poll plank. "From October 29, there will be day-to-day hearing (in the Supreme Court). We are hopeful that this issue will be resolved soon and it will be acceptable to all the people in the country. "Some people are also demanding that a law be made (for the construction of the temple). Everybody has a right to demand, how can anybody stop that? The government has the right to decide and it has not taken any decision in this regard," he said. Talking about the upcoming Assembly elections in five states, the BJP spokesperson exuded confidence that his party would win in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. "In Mizoram, the government will not be formed without our support and in Telangana, we will emerge as a big party," he claimed. Hussain also asserted that the BJP, the Janata Dal (United), the Lok Janshakti Party and the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party will fight the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar together. He said the alliance with the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had boosted the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) prospects in Bihar and the coalition was focused on "Mission 40" -- to win all the Lok Sabha seats in the state. Asked if anti-incumbency would be a factor in Bihar, Hussain said, "I had lost from Bhagalpur by 8,000 votes and Nitish Kumarji's candidate was third, getting 1,60,000 votes. Now those votes will be added to the BJP's kitty...We will fight together and this time, it is Mission 40 -- that we win all the 40 seats." He also claimed that issues such as rising petrol and diesel prices will not hamper the BJP's poll prospects, saying the people were aware that the fuel problem was a global one. The Modi government will come to power with a bigger mandate in 2019, Hussain asserted.

Modi is favourite PM candidate of Muslims for 2019: Senior BJP leader

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