Political obituaries are easy to write but political events are far more difficult to predict.&nbsp;

Political parties rebound from losses and state elections are not the key to understanding the prevalent mood in the country. The BJP misunderstood the verdict of the assembly elections and called early national elections, only to lose them to the UPA in 2004. Similarly,&nbsp; the AAP misunderstood its resurgence and failed terribly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

But that does not mean that verdicts have no meaning at all.&nbsp;

Byelections indicate a trend and if capitalised on, can turn into tsunamis. Whether it was the re-election of Indira Gandhi from Medak in 1980 or of VP Singh from Allahabad in 1987, those byelections demonstrated the mood of the nation and the complacency of a party in a particular area.

In one case, it foretold the return of Indira and in the other, showcased the unity of the Opposition and the undoing of the Congress. The former ended Indira&rsquo;s political isolation while the latter led to Rajiv Gandhi&rsquo;s isolation the numbers being with him.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-bypolls-up-shocker-sp-wins-both-yogi-bastion-of-gorakhpur-and-phulpur-seat-35824" target="_blank">Gorakhpur byelection</a> points in this direction.

The incumbent government is getting politically isolated. Political isolation is often a prelude to intense electoral Opposition directed against an individual.

The first time such phenomena was witnessed in India was while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister.

Already rattled by the call of total revolution and an adverse court judgement, Indira imposed the Emergency. It united the Opposition and from Congress vs the rest, the battle turned into Indira vs the rest. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi too faced an onslaught from his former colleagues on the charge of corruption and the entire Opposition fell in line, turning that tussle into Rajiv Gandhi vs the rest.&nbsp;

The same phenomenon is being witnessed today.

In both cases, before the loss at the hustings, Indira and Rajiv were politically isolated and bereft of any sympathy or support outside their own parties. Both times, senior leaders of the Congress jumped ship and joined the Opposition. Despite having the numbers and their achievements, those governments became lame-duck ones. And Indira and Rajiv became the target&nbsp;of ridicule and caustic campaigns which eroded their gravitas in public life. The results&nbsp;were mandates which ousted them from power.

The incumbent government also faces the spectre of political isolation from not only the Opposition but also its own allies.

The problem stems from its strength and not its weakness. Its allies are worried the BJP has not participated in the&nbsp;give-and-take that is part of a coalition government. For the Opposition meanwhile, it is matter of survival. And in all of this, Prime Minister Modi stands alone.

The general election is still a year away and the ideological contradictions of regional parties that band together may repel the electorate. The electorate may even stay with the BJP because of the lack of an Opposition prime ministerial candidate matching Modi&rsquo;s stature but that does not belie the fact that the BJP stands alone today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The BJP stands alone today, isolated not only from the Opposition but also its own allies

Political obituaries are easy to write but political events are far more difficult to predict. Political parties rebound from losses and state elections are not the key to understanding the prevalent mood in the country. The BJP misunderstood the verdict of the assembly elections and called early national elections, only to lose them to the UPA in 2004. Similarly, the AAP misunderstood its resurgence and failed terribly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But that does not mean that verdicts have no meaning at all. Byelections indicate a trend and if capitalised on, can turn into tsunamis. Whether it was the re-election of Indira Gandhi from Medak in 1980 or of VP Singh from Allahabad in 1987, those byelections demonstrated the mood of the nation and the complacency of a party in a particular area. In one case, it foretold the return of Indira and in the other, showcased the unity of the Opposition and the undoing of the Congress. The former ended Indira’s political isolation while the latter led to Rajiv Gandhi’s isolation the numbers being with him. The Gorakhpur byelection points in this direction. The incumbent government is getting politically isolated. Political isolation is often a prelude to intense electoral Opposition directed against an individual. The first time such phenomena was witnessed in India was while Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister. Already rattled by the call of total revolution and an adverse court judgement, Indira imposed the Emergency. It united the Opposition and from Congress vs the rest, the battle turned into Indira vs the rest. Similarly, Rajiv Gandhi too faced an onslaught from his former colleagues on the charge of corruption and the entire Opposition fell in line, turning that tussle into Rajiv Gandhi vs the rest. The same phenomenon is being witnessed today. In both cases, before the loss at the hustings, Indira and Rajiv were politically isolated and bereft of any sympathy or support outside their own parties. Both times, senior leaders of the Congress jumped ship and joined the Opposition. Despite having the numbers and their achievements, those governments became lame-duck ones. And Indira and Rajiv became the target of ridicule and caustic campaigns which eroded their gravitas in public life. The results were mandates which ousted them from power. The incumbent government also faces the spectre of political isolation from not only the Opposition but also its own allies. The problem stems from its strength and not its weakness. Its allies are worried the BJP has not participated in the give-and-take that is part of a coalition government. For the Opposition meanwhile, it is matter of survival. And in all of this, Prime Minister Modi stands alone. The general election is still a year away and the ideological contradictions of regional parties that band together may repel the electorate. The electorate may even stay with the BJP because of the lack of an Opposition prime ministerial candidate matching Modi’s stature but that does not belie the fact that the BJP stands alone today.

Will Modi be able to beat what seems like impending political isolation?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day and said that consumer plays an important role in the economy.&nbsp;

Prime Minister took to Twitter and wrote, &quot;Greetings on World Consumer Rights Day. The consumer plays an important role in the economy. The government of India is not only focussing on consumer protection but also consumer prosperity.&quot;

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Greetings on World Consumer Rights Day. The consumer plays an important role in the economy. 
 
Government of India is not only focussing on consumer protection but also consumer prosperity. <a href="https://t.co/avsAEhtowZ">pic.twitter.com/avsAEhtowZ</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/974112267292655616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=&lt;blockquote class=twitter-tweet data-lang=en&gt;&lt;p lang=en dir=ltr&gt;Greetings on World Consumer Rights Day. The consumer plays an important role in the economy. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Government of India is not only focussing on consumer protection but also consumer prosperity. &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://t.co/avsAEhtowZ href=https://t.co/avsAEhtowZ&gt;pic.twitter.com/avsAEhtowZ&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) &lt;a data-cke-saved-href=https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/974112267292655616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw href=https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/974112267292655616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&gt;March 15, 2018&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
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&nbsp;

World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on March 15 every year.&nbsp;

The consumer movement marks March 15 with World Consumer Rights Day every year, as a means of raising global awareness about consumer rights.&nbsp;

The day is an opportunity to promote basic rights of all consumers, demanding that those rights are respected and protected and gives consumers a chance to protest against the market abuses and social injustices.

The theme for this year is `Making Digital Marketplaces Fairer`. Several functions are being organised across the country to mark the occasion and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan will also preside over a function in New Delhi.&nbsp;

On March 15, 1962, President John F Kennedy was the first world leader, who formally addressed the issue of consumer rights in US Congress.&nbsp;

The first World Consumer Rights Day was observed in 1983 and has since become an important occasion for mobilising citizen action.&nbsp;

In India, besides the World Consumer Rights Day, we observe the National Consumer Day on December 24 every year.&nbsp;

PM Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day and said that consumer plays an important role in the economy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of World Consumer Rights Day and said that consumer plays an important role in the economy. Prime Minister took to Twitter and wrote, "Greetings on World Consumer Rights Day. The consumer plays an important role in the economy. The government of India is not only focussing on consumer protection but also consumer prosperity." Greetings on World Consumer Rights Day. The consumer plays an important role in the economy. Government of India is not only focussing on consumer protection but also consumer prosperity. pic.twitter.com/avsAEhtowZ — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 15, 2018 × World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated on March 15 every year. The consumer movement marks March 15 with World Consumer Rights Day every year, as a means of raising global awareness about consumer rights. The day is an opportunity to promote basic rights of all consumers, demanding that those rights are respected and protected and gives consumers a chance to protest against the market abuses and social injustices. The theme for this year is `Making Digital Marketplaces Fairer`. Several functions are being organised across the country to mark the occasion and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan will also preside over a function in New Delhi. On March 15, 1962, President John F Kennedy was the first world leader, who formally addressed the issue of consumer rights in US Congress. The first World Consumer Rights Day was observed in 1983 and has since become an important occasion for mobilising citizen action. In India, besides the World Consumer Rights Day, we observe the National Consumer Day on December 24 every year.

Consumer plays an important role in economy, says PM Modi

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held meetings with top State Department officials and discussed various bilateral issues, including a shared interest in the Indo-Pacific region and America&#39;s support for New Delhi&#39;s emergence as a leading power.

Gokhale, on his maiden visit to the US as India&#39;s top diplomat, met the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department yesterday.

&quot;They discussed US-India strategic cooperation, shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region, and US support for India&#39;s emergence as a leading power and security provider,&quot; a State Department Spokesperson told PTI.

Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, and Alice Wells, who is currently State Department&#39;s point person for South and Central Asia, were also present during the meeting.

No other details of the meeting were immediately available.

Gokhale&#39;s meetings in the tour were scheduled well in advance and were mainly meant to prepare for the first-ever two-plus-two dialogue between the two countries.

Officials from either side have not yet announced any dates of such a dialogue, but it was previously scheduled for some time in mid-April.

The launch of the two-plus-two dialogue was announced last summer when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a successful meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The dialogue involves External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and their American counterparts.

Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and nominated CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him. Pompeo needs to be confirmed by the Senate before he can occupy the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held meetings with top State Department officials and discussed various bilateral issues

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held meetings with top State Department officials and discussed various bilateral issues, including a shared interest in the Indo-Pacific region and America's support for New Delhi's emergence as a leading power. Gokhale, on his maiden visit to the US as India's top diplomat, met the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department yesterday. "They discussed US-India strategic cooperation, shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region, and US support for India's emergence as a leading power and security provider," a State Department Spokesperson told PTI. Indian Ambassador to the US, Navtej Sarna, and Alice Wells, who is currently State Department's point person for South and Central Asia, were also present during the meeting. No other details of the meeting were immediately available. Gokhale's meetings in the tour were scheduled well in advance and were mainly meant to prepare for the first-ever two-plus-two dialogue between the two countries. Officials from either side have not yet announced any dates of such a dialogue, but it was previously scheduled for some time in mid-April. The launch of the two-plus-two dialogue was announced last summer when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a successful meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. The dialogue involves External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and their American counterparts. Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and nominated CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace him. Pompeo needs to be confirmed by the Senate before he can occupy the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale holds talks with US officials

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Thursday that his party the TDP would support a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre.&nbsp;

Naidu was speaking in the Andhra state assembly.&nbsp;

&quot;If necessary, we will support the no-confidence motion against Centre, whoever may place it,&quot; Naidu said.&nbsp;

Naidu had recently ordered the two TDP ministers &mdash; Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary &mdash; in the Union Cabinet to put in their papers over the Andhra &quot;special status&quot; row.

Andhra had been asking for the status which would allow it to get funding from the Centre in a 90:10 ratio with the central government paying the larger share.&nbsp;

The Centre however had said it would Andhra the monetary equivalent of the status but not the status itself since the category no longer existed.&nbsp;

Andhra in turn thought it was being done out of promises made to it when Telangana was carved out of the state in June 2014.&nbsp;

Naidu has been under tremendous pressure before the Andhra assembly and general elections next year, with opposition parties in the state saying he has been unable to extract any concessions from the Narendra Modi-led government despite being a partner at the centre.&nbsp;

It was the YSR Congress which gave notice today for the moving of a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA government, in the backdrop of the Centre&#39;s refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The party&#39;s MP Y V Subba Reddy gave the notice to the Lok Sabha secretariat for including the motion in tomorrow&#39;s list of business, his office said.

The motion can be accepted only if it has the support of at least 50 members in the House. The YSR Congress has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha.

If accepted, it will be the first no-confidence motion moved against the Modi-government.&nbsp;

While Naidu had ordered his ministers to quit the Union Cabinet, he had left the TDP-BJP alliance intact. At least for the moment.&nbsp;

He had however also said that he would take his next steps, as and when needed.&nbsp;

Should the no-confidence motion now be accepted and Naidu follow through on his promise, that will mean his TDP will have quit the NDA.&nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

It was the YSR Congress which gave notice today for the moving of a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA government

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said Thursday that his party the TDP would support a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre. Naidu was speaking in the Andhra state assembly. "If necessary, we will support the no-confidence motion against Centre, whoever may place it," Naidu said. Naidu had recently ordered the two TDP ministers — Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary — in the Union Cabinet to put in their papers over the Andhra "special status" row. Andhra had been asking for the status which would allow it to get funding from the Centre in a 90:10 ratio with the central government paying the larger share. The Centre however had said it would Andhra the monetary equivalent of the status but not the status itself since the category no longer existed. Andhra in turn thought it was being done out of promises made to it when Telangana was carved out of the state in June 2014. Naidu has been under tremendous pressure before the Andhra assembly and general elections next year, with opposition parties in the state saying he has been unable to extract any concessions from the Narendra Modi-led government despite being a partner at the centre. It was the YSR Congress which gave notice today for the moving of a no-confidence motion against the BJP-led NDA government, in the backdrop of the Centre's refusal to grant special category status to Andhra Pradesh. The party's MP Y V Subba Reddy gave the notice to the Lok Sabha secretariat for including the motion in tomorrow's list of business, his office said. The motion can be accepted only if it has the support of at least 50 members in the House. The YSR Congress has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. If accepted, it will be the first no-confidence motion moved against the Modi-government. While Naidu had ordered his ministers to quit the Union Cabinet, he had left the TDP-BJP alliance intact. At least for the moment. He had however also said that he would take his next steps, as and when needed. Should the no-confidence motion now be accepted and Naidu follow through on his promise, that will mean his TDP will have quit the NDA. (With inputs from PTI)

Will support no-confidence motion against Centre: Chandrababu Naidu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will visit Manipur to open the Indian Science Congress (ISC).

He is also scheduled to inaugurate several projects and address a public reception function.

The Prime Minister will deliver the inaugural address at the 105th session of the ISC at Manipur University.

After inaugurating the event, he would lay the foundation stone of the National Sports University, a thousand Anganwadi centers and 19 residential complexes for teachers, doctors, and nurses, an official statement said here.

Imphal will become the second city to host this event in the North-East.

At Luwangshangbam, the Prime Minister would inaugurate Luwangpokpa Multi-Sports Complex, ST Girls Hostel (Liberal College) and Rani Gaidinliu Park (Mantripukhri). He would also lay foundation stones for several projects.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Agencies)

The Prime Minister will deliver the inaugural address at the 105th session of the ISC at Manipur University

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will visit Manipur to open the Indian Science Congress (ISC). He is also scheduled to inaugurate several projects and address a public reception function. The Prime Minister will deliver the inaugural address at the 105th session of the ISC at Manipur University. After inaugurating the event, he would lay the foundation stone of the National Sports University, a thousand Anganwadi centers and 19 residential complexes for teachers, doctors, and nurses, an official statement said here. Imphal will become the second city to host this event in the North-East. At Luwangshangbam, the Prime Minister would inaugurate Luwangpokpa Multi-Sports Complex, ST Girls Hostel (Liberal College) and Rani Gaidinliu Park (Mantripukhri). He would also lay foundation stones for several projects. (With inputs from Agencies)

PM Narendra Modi to open Indian Science Congress in Imphal on March 16

Legendary scientist and physicist Stephen Hawking <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/british-scientist-stephen-hawking-passes-away-35749">passed away earlier today at the age of 76</a>. Hawking was diagnosed with a degenerative ailment that damages the body&#39;s motor system.&nbsp;

The demise of the century&#39;s greatest genius has saddened people across the world with condolences pouring in from all across.&nbsp;

President Ram Nath Kovind described Hawking as a &quot;brilliant mind&quot; and dedicated a tweet in his memory.

&quot;Sad to hear of the passing of scientist Stephen Hawking. His brilliant mind made our world and our universe a less mysterious place. And his courage and resilience will remain an inspiration for generations,&quot; the President tweeted.&nbsp;

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Sad to hear of the passing of scientist Stephen Hawking. His brilliant mind made our world and our universe a less mysterious place. And his courage and resilience will remain an inspiration for generations <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentKovind?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PresidentKovind</a>
&mdash; President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) <a href="https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/973777063600680961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s tweet followed where he noted that Hawking&#39;s &quot;grit and tenacity inspired people all over the world&quot;.

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Professor Stephen Hawking was an outstanding scientist and academic. His grit and tenacity inspired people all over the world. His demise is anguishing. Professor Hawking&rsquo;s pioneering work made our world a better place. May his soul rest in peace.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/973785753607122946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Born on 8th January 1942 in Oxford, United Kingdom, Professor Stephen William Hawking was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1976. He was also announced as one of the winners of the Fundamental Physics Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of science.

Hawking will always be remembered for his mammoth contribution in the understanding of the universe, Black Holes among others.&nbsp;

President Ram Nath Kovind also tweeted describing Hawking as a 'brilliant mind'

Legendary scientist and physicist Stephen Hawking passed away earlier today at the age of 76. Hawking was diagnosed with a degenerative ailment that damages the body's motor system. The demise of the century's greatest genius has saddened people across the world with condolences pouring in from all across. President Ram Nath Kovind described Hawking as a "brilliant mind" and dedicated a tweet in his memory. "Sad to hear of the passing of scientist Stephen Hawking. His brilliant mind made our world and our universe a less mysterious place. And his courage and resilience will remain an inspiration for generations," the President tweeted. Sad to hear of the passing of scientist Stephen Hawking. His brilliant mind made our world and our universe a less mysterious place. And his courage and resilience will remain an inspiration for generations #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) March 14, 2018 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi's tweet followed where he noted that Hawking's "grit and tenacity inspired people all over the world". Professor Stephen Hawking was an outstanding scientist and academic. His grit and tenacity inspired people all over the world. His demise is anguishing. Professor Hawking’s pioneering work made our world a better place. May his soul rest in peace. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 14, 2018 × Born on 8th January 1942 in Oxford, United Kingdom, Professor Stephen William Hawking was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1976. He was also announced as one of the winners of the Fundamental Physics Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in the field of science. Hawking will always be remembered for his mammoth contribution in the understanding of the universe, Black Holes among others.

Hawking's grit and tenacity inspired people all over the world: PM Modi

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will host a dinner tomorrow which is likely to be attended by leaders of 17 opposition parties, amid talk of forging a broader front against the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2019 general elections.

According to Congress sources, leaders of Andhra Pradesh&#39;s ruling Telugu Desam Party, which recently pulled out its ministers in the Modi government but continues to be a constituent of the NDA, BJD, and the TRS have not been invited. The BJD and TRS rule Odisha and Telangana respectively.

They said former chief ministers of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and Hemant Soren (JMM) will attend the dinner, along with former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, who recently quit the NDA and joined forces with Lalu Prasad&#39;s RJD, which is an ally of the Congress.

Lalu&#39;s son and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav is also likely to attend, but there was no immediate confirmation.

Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, DMK&#39;s Kanimozhi and Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party are likely to be present, and so would be leaders of left parties - CPI-M&#39;s Sitaram Yechury and CPI&#39;s D Raja. Leaders of other parties like JD-S and Kerala Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, Revolutionary Socialist Party and RLD are also likely to attend.

Sources said while BSP has been invited, its leader Mayawati may not send a representative as her party has aligned with JD-S for the Karnataka polls likely in April/March this year.

The dinner being hosted at the 10, Janpath residence of Sonia Gandhi, is expected to set the tone for opposition unity in the run up to the next general elections.

Sonia Gandhi has called for opposition unity and said parties should set aside their minor differences to get together in the larger interest of keeping the BJP out of power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

Congress sources said former CMs of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and Hemant Soren (JMM) will attend the dinner, along with former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will host a dinner tomorrow which is likely to be attended by leaders of 17 opposition parties, amid talk of forging a broader front against the BJP-led NDA ahead of the 2019 general elections. According to Congress sources, leaders of Andhra Pradesh's ruling Telugu Desam Party, which recently pulled out its ministers in the Modi government but continues to be a constituent of the NDA, BJD, and the TRS have not been invited. The BJD and TRS rule Odisha and Telangana respectively. They said former chief ministers of Jharkhand Babulal Marandi of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and Hemant Soren (JMM) will attend the dinner, along with former Bihar chief minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, who recently quit the NDA and joined forces with Lalu Prasad's RJD, which is an ally of the Congress. Lalu's son and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav is also likely to attend, but there was no immediate confirmation. Trinamool Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, DMK's Kanimozhi and Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party are likely to be present, and so would be leaders of left parties - CPI-M's Sitaram Yechury and CPI's D Raja. Leaders of other parties like JD-S and Kerala Congress, Indian Union Muslim League, Revolutionary Socialist Party and RLD are also likely to attend. Sources said while BSP has been invited, its leader Mayawati may not send a representative as her party has aligned with JD-S for the Karnataka polls likely in April/March this year. The dinner being hosted at the 10, Janpath residence of Sonia Gandhi, is expected to set the tone for opposition unity in the run up to the next general elections. Sonia Gandhi has called for opposition unity and said parties should set aside their minor differences to get together in the larger interest of keeping the BJP out of power in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

17 opposition leaders to attend Sonia's dinner amid talk of broad front against BJP in 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced his plan of making India tuberculosis-free by 2025. The Prime Minister was speaking while inaugurating the Delhi End TB Summit at Vigyan Bhawan.&nbsp;

PM Modi noted that the pace at which the previous plans to eradicate TB in the nation were moving forward, it would have taken another 40 years to achieve the goals.&nbsp;

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The pace with which the program to eradicate TB in the nation was moving forward earlier, it would have taken us another 40 years to achieve it. Today I&#39;m confident that in the duration of 1 year we&#39;ll be able to achieve 90% immunisation: PM Modi at &#39;End TB Summit&#39; in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/8p3j6SOPiz">pic.twitter.com/8p3j6SOPiz</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/973444644515336192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Today I&#39;m confident that in the duration of one year we&#39;ll be able to achieve 90% immunisation,&quot; he shared.&nbsp;

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I would like to announce that we have set the aim to eradicate TB from India by 2025: PM Narendra Modi at &#39;End TB Summit&#39; in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/Zb80zMrQ4U">pic.twitter.com/Zb80zMrQ4U</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/973441242607611904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Prime Minister admitted that the country has not been successful in &quot;curbing tuberculosis&quot; and that the policymakers will need to change the approach.&nbsp;

&quot;We have not been successful in curbing tuberculosis yet. I believe that if something doesn&#39;t yield result even after 10-15 years then we need to change our approach. The situation needs to be analysed,&quot; he further added.&nbsp;

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We have not been successful in curbing Tuberculosis yet. I believe that if something doesn&#39;t yield result even after 10-15 years then we need to change our approach. The situation needs to be analysed: PM Narendra Modi at &#39;End TB Summit&#39; in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/2EIArWJXq9">pic.twitter.com/2EIArWJXq9</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/973440295445688321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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According to reports, India loses over 220,000 people every year to tuberculosis. India is the highest TB burden country according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2011 data.&nbsp;

According to reports, India loses over 220,000 people every year to tuberculosis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced his plan of making India tuberculosis-free by 2025. The Prime Minister was speaking while inaugurating the Delhi End TB Summit at Vigyan Bhawan. PM Modi noted that the pace at which the previous plans to eradicate TB in the nation were moving forward, it would have taken another 40 years to achieve the goals. The pace with which the program to eradicate TB in the nation was moving forward earlier, it would have taken us another 40 years to achieve it. Today I'm confident that in the duration of 1 year we'll be able to achieve 90% immunisation: PM Modi at 'End TB Summit' in Delhi pic.twitter.com/8p3j6SOPiz — ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2018 × "Today I'm confident that in the duration of one year we'll be able to achieve 90% immunisation," he shared. I would like to announce that we have set the aim to eradicate TB from India by 2025: PM Narendra Modi at 'End TB Summit' in Delhi pic.twitter.com/Zb80zMrQ4U — ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2018 × The Prime Minister admitted that the country has not been successful in "curbing tuberculosis" and that the policymakers will need to change the approach. "We have not been successful in curbing tuberculosis yet. I believe that if something doesn't yield result even after 10-15 years then we need to change our approach. The situation needs to be analysed," he further added. We have not been successful in curbing Tuberculosis yet. I believe that if something doesn't yield result even after 10-15 years then we need to change our approach. The situation needs to be analysed: PM Narendra Modi at 'End TB Summit' in Delhi pic.twitter.com/2EIArWJXq9 — ANI (@ANI) March 13, 2018 × According to reports, India loses over 220,000 people every year to tuberculosis. India is the highest TB burden country according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2011 data.

We aim to make India tuberculosis free by 2025: PM Modi at End TB Summit

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hailed the &#39;historic relationship&#39; between India and France.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Macron, who is currently on four-day India tour from March 9 to March 12, was given a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Saturday morning as he met president Ram Nath Kovind.

&#39;&#39;I think we have very good chemistry, our two great democracies have a historic relationship&#39;&#39; said Macron after the reception.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold delegation-level talks in the Delhi on Sunday.

Besides reviewing progress in bilateral relations, both the leaders will hold a discussion on topics related to enhancement and cooperation in defence, maritime, security and energy-related sectors.

Several agreements are also expected to be signed on areas related to terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation.

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I think we have very good chemistry, our two great democracies have a historic relationship: French President <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmmanuelMacron?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EmmanuelMacron</a> <a href="https://t.co/YWQNid1clm">pic.twitter.com/YWQNid1clm</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/972318959923007489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Macron also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Rajghat along with his wife Brigitte Macron.

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Delhi: French President <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmmanuelMacron?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EmmanuelMacron</a> and wife Brigitte Macron pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat <a href="https://t.co/GQhc1CEG6z">pic.twitter.com/GQhc1CEG6z</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/972324767545155584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The India-France CEO&#39;s Forum will also take place during the visit.

Macron and Modi will also co-chair the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on Sunday.

He is also expected to visit Taj Mahal before heading for Varanasi accompanied by Modi on Monday.

Macron last visited India in 2016 when he was invited to be the chief guest of Republic Day celebrations.

He also met Indian External Affairs Minister&nbsp;Sushma Swaraj earlier today.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold delegation level talks in the Delhi on Sunday

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday hailed the 'historic relationship' between India and France. Macron, who is currently on four-day India tour from March 9 to March 12, was given a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Saturday morning as he met president Ram Nath Kovind. ''I think we have very good chemistry, our two great democracies have a historic relationship'' said Macron after the reception. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold delegation-level talks in the Delhi on Sunday. Besides reviewing progress in bilateral relations, both the leaders will hold a discussion on topics related to enhancement and cooperation in defence, maritime, security and energy-related sectors. Several agreements are also expected to be signed on areas related to terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation. I think we have very good chemistry, our two great democracies have a historic relationship: French President #EmmanuelMacron pic.twitter.com/YWQNid1clm — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2018 × Macron also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi in Rajghat along with his wife Brigitte Macron. Delhi: French President #EmmanuelMacron and wife Brigitte Macron pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat pic.twitter.com/GQhc1CEG6z — ANI (@ANI) March 10, 2018 × The India-France CEO's Forum will also take place during the visit. Macron and Modi will also co-chair the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on Sunday. He is also expected to visit Taj Mahal before heading for Varanasi accompanied by Modi on Monday. Macron last visited India in 2016 when he was invited to be the chief guest of Republic Day celebrations. He also met Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earlier today.

Emmanuel Macron hails 'historic relationship' between India and France

Launching a scathing attack on Modi and BJP, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said that Aadhaar is being turned into an intrusive instrument of control while the judiciary is in turmoil.&nbsp;

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Sonia said RTI was brought to bring transparency, but today that law is in &#39;&#39;cold storage&#39;&#39;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Sonia noted that Congress was out-marketed and added that the party has to develop a new style of connecting with people.

&#39;&#39;We were out-marketed. We have to really develop a new style of connecting with people. We have to look how we project our programs and policies,&#39;&#39; said the Congress leader.&nbsp;

&quot;Was India really a giant black hole before May 16, 2014?&quot; a combative Sonia Gandhi asked, adding, &quot;Is this claim not an insult to the intelligence of our people?&quot;

That claim refers to Modi&#39;s - and the BJP&#39;s - frequent attacks on the Congress, blaming the party for doing nothing in the past 60-70 years that it has been in power.

She also alleged that BJP has managed to persuade people that Congress is a Muslim party.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;We have always been to temples. When I travelled with Rajiv Gandhi, wherever we used to go, there was always a major temple that we used to visit. But we never made a show of it,&#39;&#39; she noted.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sonia noted that Congress was out-marketed and added that the party has to develop a new style of connecting with people.

Launching a scathing attack on Modi and BJP, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday said that Aadhaar is being turned into an intrusive instrument of control while the judiciary is in turmoil. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Sonia said RTI was brought to bring transparency, but today that law is in ''cold storage''. Sonia noted that Congress was out-marketed and added that the party has to develop a new style of connecting with people. ''We were out-marketed. We have to really develop a new style of connecting with people. We have to look how we project our programs and policies,'' said the Congress leader. "Was India really a giant black hole before May 16, 2014?" a combative Sonia Gandhi asked, adding, "Is this claim not an insult to the intelligence of our people?" That claim refers to Modi's - and the BJP's - frequent attacks on the Congress, blaming the party for doing nothing in the past 60-70 years that it has been in power. She also alleged that BJP has managed to persuade people that Congress is a Muslim party. ''We have always been to temples. When I travelled with Rajiv Gandhi, wherever we used to go, there was always a major temple that we used to visit. But we never made a show of it,'' she noted.

Sonia tears into Modi, says Aadhaar being 'turned into intrusive instrument of control'

Biplab Kumar Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura on Friday, officially ushering the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Left bastion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states have been invited.

&quot;The swearing-in ceremony will be on March 9 at 10.30 am. We have sent an invitation to the Prime Minister and all the chief ministers of the BJP government. I hope Prime Minister accepts the invitation,&quot; said Deb, while addressing the media on Thursday.

Former chief minister Manik Sarkar was personally invited by Deb and BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav.

Yesterday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced Deb as the chief minister while Jishnu Kumar Deb was named as deputy chief minister.

The announcement was made at the state guesthouse in Agartala.

Earlier in the month, the BJP and its ally Indigenous People&#39;s Front of Tripura (IPFT) scripted history in the assembly election by ending the 25-year reign of the Left Front-led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), with a two-thirds majority in the Tripura legislative assembly elections.

The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the CPI(M) which won only in 17 assembly constituencies.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states have been invited

Biplab Kumar Deb will be sworn in as the chief minister of Tripura on Friday, officially ushering the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Left bastion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states have been invited. "The swearing-in ceremony will be on March 9 at 10.30 am. We have sent an invitation to the Prime Minister and all the chief ministers of the BJP government. I hope Prime Minister accepts the invitation," said Deb, while addressing the media on Thursday. Former chief minister Manik Sarkar was personally invited by Deb and BJP National General Secretary Ram Madhav. Yesterday, Union minister Nitin Gadkari announced Deb as the chief minister while Jishnu Kumar Deb was named as deputy chief minister. The announcement was made at the state guesthouse in Agartala. Earlier in the month, the BJP and its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) scripted history in the assembly election by ending the 25-year reign of the Left Front-led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), with a two-thirds majority in the Tripura legislative assembly elections. The BJP won 35 of the 59 seats that went to polls in Tripura, ousting the CPI(M) which won only in 17 assembly constituencies.

Biplab Deb to be sworn in as Tripura chief minister on Friday

French President France Emmanuel Macron to&nbsp;arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/macron-heads-to-india-seeking-to-avoid-trudeau-errors-35033">Macron heads to India, seeking to avoid Trudeau errors</a>

Travelling with his wife Brigitte and delegation of businessmen and ministry officials, Macron will tour India from March 9 to March 12

Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that &quot;the visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement&quot;.

Macron will also hold bilateral talks with Narendra Modi on Saturday in order to enhance and cooperate defence. maritime, security and energy-related sectors.

The&nbsp;issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation will take centre stage during the discussions.

Macron will also chair the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on Sunday.

Macron is also expected to make a visit to Taj Mahal and on Monday he will be heading to Varanasi with Narendra Modi.

Macron last visited India in 2016 when he was invited to be the chief guest of Republic Day celebrations. 
&nbsp;

Travelling with his wife Brigitte and delegation of businessmen and ministry officials, Macron will stay in India from March 9 to March 12

French President France Emmanuel Macron to arrive in New Delhi on Friday on a four-day state visit. Also read: Macron heads to India, seeking to avoid Trudeau errors Travelling with his wife Brigitte and delegation of businessmen and ministry officials, Macron will tour India from March 9 to March 12 Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that "the visit of President Macron is aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic, political and strategic dimension of our engagement". Macron will also hold bilateral talks with Narendra Modi on Saturday in order to enhance and cooperate defence. maritime, security and energy-related sectors. The issues like terrorism, climate change, sustainable growth and development, infrastructure, smart urbanization, science and technology cooperation will take centre stage during the discussions. Macron will also chair the International Solar Alliance (ISA) summit on Sunday. Macron is also expected to make a visit to Taj Mahal and on Monday he will be heading to Varanasi with Narendra Modi. Macron last visited India in 2016 when he was invited to be the chief guest of Republic Day celebrations.

French President Emmanuel Macron to arrive in Delhi today on four-day visit

On International Women&#39;s Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered 106-year-old Kunwar Bai who had inspired him. The Prime Minister interacted with Bai on his visits to Chhattisgarh.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SheInspiresMe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SheInspiresMe</a>- Kunwar Bai, who died earlier this year at the age of 106. Hailing from Chhattisgarh, she sold her goats in order to build toilets. Her contribution towards a Swachh Bharat can never be forgotten. I am deeply inspired by her noble gesture. <a href="https://t.co/eANQz01ZYE">pic.twitter.com/eANQz01ZYE</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/971558745074384896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Bai died at 106 earlier this year and is believed to have left behind stories of her undying commitment toward a cleaner environment.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KXBGQ21zYnY" width="560"></iframe>

&quot;Hailing from Chhattisgarh, she sold her goats in order to build toilets. Her contribution towards a Swachh Bharat can never be forgotten. I am deeply inspired by her noble gesture,&quot; read PM Modi&#39;s tweet.&nbsp;

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I will always cherish the time when I had the opportunity to seek Kunwar Bai&rsquo;s blessings during one of my visits to Chhattisgarh. Kunwar Bai lives on in the hearts and minds of all those who are passionate towards fulfilling Bapu&rsquo;s dream of a clean India. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SheInspiresMe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SheInspiresMe</a> <a href="https://t.co/Gdt5STszgr">pic.twitter.com/Gdt5STszgr</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/971559804597612545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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PM Modi further noted that Bai&#39;s deeds live on and that she continues to inspire him and the entire nation. &nbsp;

&quot;I will always cherish the time when I had the opportunity to seek Kunwar Bai&rsquo;s blessings during one of my visits to Chhattisgarh. Kunwar Bai lives on in the hearts and minds of all those who are passionate towards fulfilling Bapu&rsquo;s dream of a clean India,&quot; PM Modi tweeted.&nbsp;

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Through their exemplary deeds, several women have left an indelible mark in the history of humankind. They continue to inspire generations. I urge you to write about some women who inspire you. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SheInspiresMe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SheInspiresMe</a>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/971557928397193216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Prime Minister also urged others to share and write about women who inspire them. 
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PM Modi further noted that Bai's deeds live on and that she continues to inspire him and the entire nation

On International Women's Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered 106-year-old Kunwar Bai who had inspired him. The Prime Minister interacted with Bai on his visits to Chhattisgarh. #SheInspiresMe- Kunwar Bai, who died earlier this year at the age of 106. Hailing from Chhattisgarh, she sold her goats in order to build toilets. Her contribution towards a Swachh Bharat can never be forgotten. I am deeply inspired by her noble gesture. pic.twitter.com/eANQz01ZYE — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2018 × Bai died at 106 earlier this year and is believed to have left behind stories of her undying commitment toward a cleaner environment. "Hailing from Chhattisgarh, she sold her goats in order to build toilets. Her contribution towards a Swachh Bharat can never be forgotten. I am deeply inspired by her noble gesture," read PM Modi's tweet. I will always cherish the time when I had the opportunity to seek Kunwar Bai’s blessings during one of my visits to Chhattisgarh. Kunwar Bai lives on in the hearts and minds of all those who are passionate towards fulfilling Bapu’s dream of a clean India. #SheInspiresMe pic.twitter.com/Gdt5STszgr — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2018 × PM Modi further noted that Bai's deeds live on and that she continues to inspire him and the entire nation. "I will always cherish the time when I had the opportunity to seek Kunwar Bai’s blessings during one of my visits to Chhattisgarh. Kunwar Bai lives on in the hearts and minds of all those who are passionate towards fulfilling Bapu’s dream of a clean India," PM Modi tweeted. Through their exemplary deeds, several women have left an indelible mark in the history of humankind. They continue to inspire generations. I urge you to write about some women who inspire you. #SheInspiresMe — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2018 × The Prime Minister also urged others to share and write about women who inspire them.

On International Women's Day, PM Modi remembers 106-year-old Kunwar Bai from Chhattisgarh

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The TDP on Wednesday night decided to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre and asked two of its ministers in the Modi government to tender their resignation tomorrow, but kept the door for ties with the BJP ajar.

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The Russian former double-agent who collapsed in a British town alongside his daughter was targeted with a nerve agent, while a responding policeman has also been hospitalised, police said Wednesday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pornstar-stormy-daniels-lawyer-confirms-her-affair-with-donald-trump-35037">Pornstar Stormy Daniels&#39; lawyer confirms her affair with Donald Trump</a>

Pornstar Stormy Daniels&#39; lawyer admitted that she had a sexual relationship with US President Donald Trump. In a television interview, Michael Avenatti confirmed the same also stating that he was not aware of the $130,000 payoff to buy her silence.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/grenade-blast-kills-one-in-sri-lanka-communal-violence-social-media-blocked-35029">Grenade blast kills one in Sri Lanka communal violence, social media blocked</a>

A grenade blast killed one person in further violence between majority Buddhist Sinhalese and minority Muslims in Sri Lanka on Wednesday as the government moved to block social messaging networks in an effort to halt the bloodshed.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-urges-us-north-korea-to-hold-talks-sooner-than-later-35044">China urges </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-urges-us-north-korea-to-hold-talks-sooner-than-later-35044">US</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-urges-us-north-korea-to-hold-talks-sooner-than-later-35044">, North Korea to hold talks &#39;sooner than later&#39;</a>

China&#39;s foreign minister urged the United States and North Korea Thursday to start talks as soon as possible, stressing that &quot;the sincerity&quot; of all parties to solve the nuclear crisis would be tested.

TDP to pull out of NDA government, keeps door for alliance with BJP ajar The TDP on Wednesday night decided to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre and asked two of its ministers in the Modi government to tender their resignation tomorrow, but kept the door for ties with the BJP ajar. UK police confirm Russian ex-spy, daughter hit by nerve agent The Russian former double-agent who collapsed in a British town alongside his daughter was targeted with a nerve agent, while a responding policeman has also been hospitalised, police said Wednesday. Pornstar Stormy Daniels' lawyer confirms her affair with Donald Trump Pornstar Stormy Daniels' lawyer admitted that she had a sexual relationship with US President Donald Trump. In a television interview, Michael Avenatti confirmed the same also stating that he was not aware of the $130,000 payoff to buy her silence. Grenade blast kills one in Sri Lanka communal violence, social media blocked A grenade blast killed one person in further violence between majority Buddhist Sinhalese and minority Muslims in Sri Lanka on Wednesday as the government moved to block social messaging networks in an effort to halt the bloodshed. China urges US, North Korea to hold talks 'sooner than later' China's foreign minister urged the United States and North Korea Thursday to start talks as soon as possible, stressing that "the sincerity" of all parties to solve the nuclear crisis would be tested.

WION Morning News Brief, March 8, 2018

The two TDP ministers who resigned Thursday from Prime Minister Modi&#39;s cabinet said today that they would continue to be part of the NDA but that they would not take up any ministerial positions. &nbsp;

The two ministers &mdash; Ashok Gajapathi Raju who was civil aviation minister, and YS Chowdary who was minister of state for science and technology &mdash; addressed a press conference after meeting with the prime minister. The two had been ordered yesterday by TDP chief and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu to resign from the union cabinet.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It&#39;s for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed,&quot; said Chowdary.&nbsp;

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I don&#39;t think it&#39;s fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It&#39;s for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed: YS Choudhary,TDP <a href="https://t.co/tAt0Tu4iBs">pic.twitter.com/tAt0Tu4iBs</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/971735645415763969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Chowdary was also asked whether the BJP might now tie up with the YSR Congress Party.&nbsp;

&quot;That is between those two parties, we have nothing to say on that, you can ask them,&quot; said Chowdary.&nbsp;

The two union ministers were Ashok Gajapathi Raju who was civil aviation minister, and YS Chowdary who was minister of state for science and technology

The two TDP ministers who resigned Thursday from Prime Minister Modi's cabinet said today that they would continue to be part of the NDA but that they would not take up any ministerial positions. The two ministers — Ashok Gajapathi Raju who was civil aviation minister, and YS Chowdary who was minister of state for science and technology — addressed a press conference after meeting with the prime minister. The two had been ordered yesterday by TDP chief and Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu to resign from the union cabinet. "I don't think it's fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It's for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed," said Chowdary. I don't think it's fair on our part to expect PM to deal with these issues. It's for the concerned ministries to take up, already considerable amount of time has lapsed: YS Choudhary,TDP pic.twitter.com/tAt0Tu4iBs — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × Chowdary was also asked whether the BJP might now tie up with the YSR Congress Party. "That is between those two parties, we have nothing to say on that, you can ask them," said Chowdary.

Not fair to expect PM to deal with these issues: TDP ministers who resigned from Modi's cabinet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu Thursday evening.&nbsp;

The two TDP ministers in Modi&#39;s cabinet &mdash; Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary &mdash; later met with the prime minister and tendered their resignations to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/andhra-special-status-row-naidu-orders-2-tdp-ministers-to-quit-union-cabinet-35018" target="_blank">to quit</a> Modi&#39;s cabinet.&nbsp;

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Aviation Minister and TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Raju&#39;s resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/DXFbagSzWs">pic.twitter.com/DXFbagSzWs</a>
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ANI reported TDP sources as saying Naidu explained to the prime minister why he had asked the two ministers to quit and why the TDP was withdrawing from the union government.&nbsp;

The row between the TDP and the BJP can be traced back to the TDP&#39;s demand for special status. The status would give Andhra central funding in a 90:10 ratio, with the centre paying the larger share.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said Wednesday that the government was willing to Andhra the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/andhra-special-status-row-naidu-orders-2-tdp-ministers-to-quit-union-cabinet-35018" target="_blank">monetary equivalent</a> of the special status, but not the status itself since the category no longer existed.&nbsp;

The TDP on the other hand believes the promises made to it when the state of Telangana was carved out of it in June 2014 have not been kept. The TDP is also under tremendous pressure before the state and general elections next year, with opposition parties in the state saying it has not been able to get a good deal from the union government despite being a partner at the centre.&nbsp;

For the moment, the alliance between the TDP and the BJP continues to stand although news reports quoted&nbsp;TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu as saying tyhe next &quot;logical step&quot; would be to exit the NDA.&nbsp;

Naidu had yesterday said this (the ordering of the resignation of the two ministers) was the &quot;first step&quot;&nbsp; and that what followed next would depend on the centre&#39;s reactions.&nbsp;

He had also said that he had been trying, as a &quot;responsible senior politician&quot;, to speak with the prime minister but that Modi had been &quot;unavailable&quot;. And, he added, that Jaitley&#39;s remarks yesterday had been the last straw.&nbsp;

Jaitley had said sentiment cannot decide quantum of funding.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi meanwhile had said Wednesday that the Congress, if elected to power in 2019, would be willing to give Andhra the special status it was asking for.&nbsp;

Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers to quit Modi's cabinet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu Thursday evening. The two TDP ministers in Modi's cabinet — Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary — later met with the prime minister and tendered their resignations to him. Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers to quit Modi's cabinet. Aviation Minister and TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Raju's resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/DXFbagSzWs — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × Union Minister and TDP MP YS Choudhary's resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/qDeS2yHOfA — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × ANI reported TDP sources as saying Naidu explained to the prime minister why he had asked the two ministers to quit and why the TDP was withdrawing from the union government. The row between the TDP and the BJP can be traced back to the TDP's demand for special status. The status would give Andhra central funding in a 90:10 ratio, with the centre paying the larger share. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said Wednesday that the government was willing to Andhra the monetary equivalent of the special status, but not the status itself since the category no longer existed. The TDP on the other hand believes the promises made to it when the state of Telangana was carved out of it in June 2014 have not been kept. The TDP is also under tremendous pressure before the state and general elections next year, with opposition parties in the state saying it has not been able to get a good deal from the union government despite being a partner at the centre. For the moment, the alliance between the TDP and the BJP continues to stand although news reports quoted TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu as saying tyhe next "logical step" would be to exit the NDA. Naidu had yesterday said this (the ordering of the resignation of the two ministers) was the "first step" and that what followed next would depend on the centre's reactions. He had also said that he had been trying, as a "responsible senior politician", to speak with the prime minister but that Modi had been "unavailable". And, he added, that Jaitley's remarks yesterday had been the last straw. Jaitley had said sentiment cannot decide quantum of funding. Rahul Gandhi meanwhile had said Wednesday that the Congress, if elected to power in 2019, would be willing to give Andhra the special status it was asking for.

Modi speaks to Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu, 2 TDP ministers quit Union Cabinet

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday night directed TDP ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary to resign as Union Ministers over the Andhra Pradesh &quot;special status&quot; row.

&quot;This is the first step. We will go ahead with other actions later,&quot;&nbsp;Naidu said in Amravati. The alliance between the TDP and the BJP however still remains intact.&nbsp;

The TDP has been asking the Centre for special status. Earlier on Wednesday, Jaitley said the Centre was willing to give Andhra the monetary equivalent of special status but not the status itself since the category no longer exists. The TDP in turn believes the promises made to Andhra when the state of Telangana was carved out of it (in June 2014) have not been kept.&nbsp;

&quot;We have been raising the matter since the day of Budget. But they (central government) did not respond,&quot; said Naidu.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;We have shown patience for 4 years. I tried to convince the centre by all means,&quot; said Naidu. &quot;As a courtesy and being a responsible senior politician, I tried reaching out to Prime Minister to inform about our decision. He was unavailable.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;The centre is not in a mood to listen. I don&#39;t know what mistake I have done. Why are they speaking such things?&quot; said Naidu, adding that &quot;Arun Jaitley&#39;s statement was the last straw. They are apparently predetermined. They don&#39;t appear to help the state.&quot;&nbsp;

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Earlier on Wednesay, Jaitley had said:&nbsp;&quot;What is the implication of special status? The special status used to be originally granted to states in the Northeast because they have their own resources that were inadequate. One of the promises was that Andhra Pradesh should be given special status. Provision for revenue deficit in case of Andhra Pradesh as per Finance Commission already made. In most of the schemes of special status, 60% is funded by Centre and 40% by the state. Special category status means that you get a 90-10 advantage, not 60-40. There has to be to a basis to calculate financial deficit.&quot;

Jaitley was addressing the media.&nbsp;&quot;Andhra Pradesh was unwilling and Telangana wanted the division. Andhra was suffering in terms of resources. Therefore some help had to be given to AP. So one of the promises was AP should be given special category status. At that time, special category state concept did exist. But, according to 14th Finance Commission, there is no special category status now to be given,&quot; Jaitley had said.&nbsp;

&quot;I know Andhra has suffered because of bifurcation. Whatever is monetary equivalent of special status will be given to Andhra by the Centre. Whatever is mentioned in the act, the Centre is willing to fullfill. We are willing to satisfy every condition. The only variation is that after Finance Commission report instead of formally calling it a special category state, we are calling it a special package, which gives same monetary benefits that a special category state gives you. Sentiment does not decide the quantum of funds. Centre has repeatedly said that we are ready to give it,&quot; Jaitley added.&nbsp;

The TDP faces extreme pressure in the state ahead of assembly elections and the national election next year, with opposition parties accusing Naidu of failing Andhra Pradesh by not ensuring special status for it as a partner at the Centre.&nbsp;

The Congress&#39; Rahul Gandhi meanwhile has said the Congress would be willing to give the Andhra the special status it is asking for if it is elected to power in 2019.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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'This is the first step. We will go ahead with other actions later,' Naidu said

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday night directed TDP ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary to resign as Union Ministers over the Andhra Pradesh "special status" row. "This is the first step. We will go ahead with other actions later," Naidu said in Amravati. The alliance between the TDP and the BJP however still remains intact. The TDP has been asking the Centre for special status. Earlier on Wednesday, Jaitley said the Centre was willing to give Andhra the monetary equivalent of special status but not the status itself since the category no longer exists. The TDP in turn believes the promises made to Andhra when the state of Telangana was carved out of it (in June 2014) have not been kept. "We have been raising the matter since the day of Budget. But they (central government) did not respond," said Naidu. "We have shown patience for 4 years. I tried to convince the centre by all means," said Naidu. "As a courtesy and being a responsible senior politician, I tried reaching out to Prime Minister to inform about our decision. He was unavailable." "The centre is not in a mood to listen. I don't know what mistake I have done. Why are they speaking such things?" said Naidu, adding that "Arun Jaitley's statement was the last straw. They are apparently predetermined. They don't appear to help the state." #WATCH Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu briefs the media in Amaravati https://t.co/0XlA0CPi4b — ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2018 × Earlier on Wednesay, Jaitley had said: "What is the implication of special status? The special status used to be originally granted to states in the Northeast because they have their own resources that were inadequate. One of the promises was that Andhra Pradesh should be given special status. Provision for revenue deficit in case of Andhra Pradesh as per Finance Commission already made. In most of the schemes of special status, 60% is funded by Centre and 40% by the state. Special category status means that you get a 90-10 advantage, not 60-40. There has to be to a basis to calculate financial deficit." Jaitley was addressing the media. "Andhra Pradesh was unwilling and Telangana wanted the division. Andhra was suffering in terms of resources. Therefore some help had to be given to AP. So one of the promises was AP should be given special category status. At that time, special category state concept did exist. But, according to 14th Finance Commission, there is no special category status now to be given," Jaitley had said. "I know Andhra has suffered because of bifurcation. Whatever is monetary equivalent of special status will be given to Andhra by the Centre. Whatever is mentioned in the act, the Centre is willing to fullfill. We are willing to satisfy every condition. The only variation is that after Finance Commission report instead of formally calling it a special category state, we are calling it a special package, which gives same monetary benefits that a special category state gives you. Sentiment does not decide the quantum of funds. Centre has repeatedly said that we are ready to give it," Jaitley added. The TDP faces extreme pressure in the state ahead of assembly elections and the national election next year, with opposition parties accusing Naidu of failing Andhra Pradesh by not ensuring special status for it as a partner at the Centre. The Congress' Rahul Gandhi meanwhile has said the Congress would be willing to give the Andhra the special status it is asking for if it is elected to power in 2019.

Andhra special status row: Naidu orders 2 TDP ministers to quit Union Cabinet

The BJP has projected <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/biplab-kumar-deb-elected-tripura-bjp-chief-may-become-chief-minister-34861">Biplab Kumar Deb</a> as its chief ministerial face in Tripura, where it ended the Left&#39;s 25-year rule and won 35 of 60 assembly seats in the recently-concluded election. Deb will be Tripura&#39;s 10th chief minister, succeeding Manik Sarkar.

Deb is the president of the BJP&#39;s Tripura unit and has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The 48-year-old completed his graduation from Tripura University in 1999 and moved to Delhi to join the RSS as volunteer. He also reportedly spent time at RSS headquarters in Nagpur. He returned to Tripura in 2016 to take charge of the BJP in the state.

Deb replaced Sudhindra Dasgupta as the BJP&#39;s Tripura unit chief - a decision which received thumbs up from PM Modi and party chief Amit Shah. He and is considered instrumental in turning around the BJP&#39;s fortunes in the Left citadel. With a door-to-door campaign and &quot;Chollo Paltai&quot; (let&#39;s make a change) slogan, Deb ensured the party&#39;s turnaround; he himself defeated CPI-M&#39;s Amal Chakraborty in the Banamalipur constituency by a margin of 9,549 votes.

Deb was born in Tripura&#39;s Udaipur on November 25, 1971. He is fond of gardening and listening to music.

Deb was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature party in Tripura on Tuesday. name was proposed by party MLA Sudip Roy Burman in the meeting,, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said.

Elections were held for 59 seats of the 60-member assembly on February 18.

Deb was born in Tripura's Udaipur on November 25, 1971. He is fond of gardening and listening to music.

The BJP has projected Biplab Kumar Deb as its chief ministerial face in Tripura, where it ended the Left's 25-year rule and won 35 of 60 assembly seats in the recently-concluded election. Deb will be Tripura's 10th chief minister, succeeding Manik Sarkar. Deb is the president of the BJP's Tripura unit and has been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The 48-year-old completed his graduation from Tripura University in 1999 and moved to Delhi to join the RSS as volunteer. He also reportedly spent time at RSS headquarters in Nagpur. He returned to Tripura in 2016 to take charge of the BJP in the state. Deb replaced Sudhindra Dasgupta as the BJP's Tripura unit chief - a decision which received thumbs up from PM Modi and party chief Amit Shah. He and is considered instrumental in turning around the BJP's fortunes in the Left citadel. With a door-to-door campaign and "Chollo Paltai" (let's make a change) slogan, Deb ensured the party's turnaround; he himself defeated CPI-M's Amal Chakraborty in the Banamalipur constituency by a margin of 9,549 votes. Deb was born in Tripura's Udaipur on November 25, 1971. He is fond of gardening and listening to music. Deb was unanimously elected leader of the BJP legislature party in Tripura on Tuesday. name was proposed by party MLA Sudip Roy Burman in the meeting,, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said. Elections were held for 59 seats of the 60-member assembly on February 18.

Biplab Kumar Deb: The man who turned around BJP's fortune in Tripura

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it was imperative that people are made aware of the importance of their duties as asserting one&#39;s own rights without rendering duties is against the fundamental value of the democracy.

Speaking at the inauguration of the new building premises of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here, he also said that it has been noticed that some people misuse rights of people for vested interests.

He said that the system has to bear the burden of such attempts.

Modi said people need to be made aware of their duties along with their rights.

&quot;Only talking about rights and forgetting duties, forgetting aspirations of the Constitution, is against the fundamental spirit of the democracy,&quot; he said.

He said just like the RTI (Right to Information), the concept of &#39;Act Rightly&#39; should be discussed and the citizens should be informed about their duties along with their rights.

He urged the CIC, which has a large public interaction, to take up the task of making aware the citizens about &#39;Act Rightly&#39;.

&quot;When there is transparency in the arrangements, increasing responsibility towards the people, a sense of responsibility, both the work of the governments and the impact of the schemes change,&quot; he said.

At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel.

&quot;I agree&quot;, he said, &quot;that an empowered citizen is the strongest pillar of our democracy&quot;.

&quot;In the last four years you have seen how the central government has attempted to inform and empower the people of the country through different means,&quot; he said.

According to Modi, there have been many examples in history when information is treated like a one-way channel and hence there were many serious consequences thereof.

&quot;So our government, instead of one dimensional approach, works on the principle of modern information highway,&quot; he said.

An empowered citizen is the most important pillar of our democracy, he said.

He said his government has been working on five pillars of modern information highway -- ask, listen, interact, act and inform.

&quot;India is fast becoming a digitally-empowered society; information technology is being used to ease processes and ensure transparency and quality of service,&quot; he said.

He said since the enactment of the RTI Act about 12 years ago, the CIC has been operating in rented accommodation and his government, in 2014, accorded a sanction of Rs 60 crore for constructing an independent building for the transparency body.

The prime minister said democratic and participative governance requires transparency and accountability.

He said CIC plays a key role in this regard and work as catalysts for trust-based governance.

The prime minister said that over the last four years, the central government has been informing and empowering people through various means.

Underlining achievements of his government in ensuring transparency in work culture, Modi said information commonly asked for is being uploaded on web portals of the departments and ministries concerned, digital technology is being used to improve transparency and quality of citizen services.

&quot;In a meeting of PRAGATI last week, the progress of reconstruction works at Kedarnath was monitored through a drone camera... PRAGATI meetings have helped speed up projects worth over 9 lakh crore rupees,&quot; he said.

The prime minister said recently Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals, which employed 1,100 personnel, has been closed down to ensure transparent procurement process which will allow anyone in the country to become the supplier for the government.

He said these employees are now being transferred to other departments.

He said that public procurement is now being done through the Government e Market, or GeM platform which is helping to end corruption and bring transparency in government procurement.

He also spoke of minimising human interface in government-people interactions.&nbsp;

At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said it was imperative that people are made aware of the importance of their duties as asserting one's own rights without rendering duties is against the fundamental value of the democracy. Speaking at the inauguration of the new building premises of the Central Information Commission (CIC) here, he also said that it has been noticed that some people misuse rights of people for vested interests. He said that the system has to bear the burden of such attempts. Modi said people need to be made aware of their duties along with their rights. "Only talking about rights and forgetting duties, forgetting aspirations of the Constitution, is against the fundamental spirit of the democracy," he said. He said just like the RTI (Right to Information), the concept of 'Act Rightly' should be discussed and the citizens should be informed about their duties along with their rights. He urged the CIC, which has a large public interaction, to take up the task of making aware the citizens about 'Act Rightly'. "When there is transparency in the arrangements, increasing responsibility towards the people, a sense of responsibility, both the work of the governments and the impact of the schemes change," he said. At the event, Modi also launched a mobile application of the CIC for tracking and filing appeals and complaints at the transparency panel. "I agree", he said, "that an empowered citizen is the strongest pillar of our democracy". "In the last four years you have seen how the central government has attempted to inform and empower the people of the country through different means," he said. According to Modi, there have been many examples in history when information is treated like a one-way channel and hence there were many serious consequences thereof. "So our government, instead of one dimensional approach, works on the principle of modern information highway," he said. An empowered citizen is the most important pillar of our democracy, he said. He said his government has been working on five pillars of modern information highway -- ask, listen, interact, act and inform. "India is fast becoming a digitally-empowered society; information technology is being used to ease processes and ensure transparency and quality of service," he said. He said since the enactment of the RTI Act about 12 years ago, the CIC has been operating in rented accommodation and his government, in 2014, accorded a sanction of Rs 60 crore for constructing an independent building for the transparency body. The prime minister said democratic and participative governance requires transparency and accountability. He said CIC plays a key role in this regard and work as catalysts for trust-based governance. The prime minister said that over the last four years, the central government has been informing and empowering people through various means. Underlining achievements of his government in ensuring transparency in work culture, Modi said information commonly asked for is being uploaded on web portals of the departments and ministries concerned, digital technology is being used to improve transparency and quality of citizen services. "In a meeting of PRAGATI last week, the progress of reconstruction works at Kedarnath was monitored through a drone camera... PRAGATI meetings have helped speed up projects worth over 9 lakh crore rupees," he said. The prime minister said recently Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals, which employed 1,100 personnel, has been closed down to ensure transparent procurement process which will allow anyone in the country to become the supplier for the government. He said these employees are now being transferred to other departments. He said that public procurement is now being done through the Government e Market, or GeM platform which is helping to end corruption and bring transparency in government procurement. He also spoke of minimising human interface in government-people interactions.

Claiming rights without duties is against democratic values: PM

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O&#39;Brien on Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not remain Prime Minister when the time came for him to deliver his Independence Day speech at the Red Fort in 2019.

The Trinamool leader challenged PM Modi and said that if the BJP was aiming at coming to power in Bengal, then the BJP&#39;s target was the Red Fort, the place from where PM Modi delivers his Independence Day speech.

&quot;First tackle 2019 and then imagine about Bengal. This is our clear message to the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). If their target is Bengal, then our target is Lal Qila (Red Fort). I make it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not deliver his address from Lal Qila on the Independence Day in 2019,&quot; O&#39;Brien said while addressing the media on Sunday.

Derek O&#39;Brien&#39;s remarks came a day after the BJP sweeped Tripura, and for the first time won more than 10 seats in Nagaland.

Challenging the prime minister, Derek O&#39;Brien asked all the opposition parties to come together.

The TMC leader also highlighted the party&#39;s poor show in the Rajasthan Lok Sabha bypolls.

&quot;The results of the bypolls in Rajasthan came out only 15 days ago. It included Alwar seat where the BJP won by a margin of 2.80 lakh votes in 2014. But this time the BJP&#39;s margin of 2.80 lakh votes has gone down to minus 1.50 lakh,&quot; said the TMC leader.

On Saturday, the BJP ended the CPI(M)&#39;s 25-year-long rule in Tripura and registered their first win in the northeastern state by winning 35 seats out of 60. The left party won only 16 seats.

 
&nbsp;

The Trinamool leader challenged PM Modi and said that if the BJP was aiming at coming to power in Bengal, then the BJP's target was the Red Fort, the place from where PM Modi delivers his Independence Day speech.

All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien on Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not remain Prime Minister when the time came for him to deliver his Independence Day speech at the Red Fort in 2019. The Trinamool leader challenged PM Modi and said that if the BJP was aiming at coming to power in Bengal, then the BJP's target was the Red Fort, the place from where PM Modi delivers his Independence Day speech. "First tackle 2019 and then imagine about Bengal. This is our clear message to the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). If their target is Bengal, then our target is Lal Qila (Red Fort). I make it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not deliver his address from Lal Qila on the Independence Day in 2019," O'Brien said while addressing the media on Sunday. Derek O'Brien's remarks came a day after the BJP sweeped Tripura, and for the first time won more than 10 seats in Nagaland. Challenging the prime minister, Derek O'Brien asked all the opposition parties to come together. The TMC leader also highlighted the party's poor show in the Rajasthan Lok Sabha bypolls. "The results of the bypolls in Rajasthan came out only 15 days ago. It included Alwar seat where the BJP won by a margin of 2.80 lakh votes in 2014. But this time the BJP's margin of 2.80 lakh votes has gone down to minus 1.50 lakh," said the TMC leader. On Saturday, the BJP ended the CPI(M)'s 25-year-long rule in Tripura and registered their first win in the northeastern state by winning 35 seats out of 60. The left party won only 16 seats.

Narendra Modi won't remain PM in 2019, claims TMC leader

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Central Information Commission (CIC) building in New Delhi on Tuesday, nearly 12 years after the transparency panel came into being.

The Prime Minister will be inaugurating a brand new building of the CIC on Tuesday, March 6, in Munirka, in New Delhi.

The commission, which has been operating from two separate buildings -- August Kranti Bhavan and the old JNU building, faced major space crunch because of rising numbers of cases and petitioners visiting the top appellate authority for RTI matters in the country to get their cases adjudicated.

The new building in Munirka will enable the commission to function from a single location, according to an official statement today.

&quot;The new CIC building is a state of the art-green building constructed by National Building Construction Corporation ahead of its completion date,&quot; it said.

The five-storey structure houses hearing rooms of the Central Information Commission fitted with information technology and video-conferencing systems, it said.

(With inputs from PTI)

The new building in Munirka will enable the commission to function from a single location, according to an official statement today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Central Information Commission (CIC) building in New Delhi on Tuesday, nearly 12 years after the transparency panel came into being. The Prime Minister will be inaugurating a brand new building of the CIC on Tuesday, March 6, in Munirka, in New Delhi. The commission, which has been operating from two separate buildings -- August Kranti Bhavan and the old JNU building, faced major space crunch because of rising numbers of cases and petitioners visiting the top appellate authority for RTI matters in the country to get their cases adjudicated. The new building in Munirka will enable the commission to function from a single location, according to an official statement today. "The new CIC building is a state of the art-green building constructed by National Building Construction Corporation ahead of its completion date," it said. The five-storey structure houses hearing rooms of the Central Information Commission fitted with information technology and video-conferencing systems, it said. (With inputs from PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate new CIC building on Tuesday

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today credited the BJP&#39;s &quot;historic&quot; performance in northeastern states to &quot;development-oriented&quot; policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and &quot;organisational skills&quot; of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

He also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-says-will-form-next-government-in-meghalaya-34613">BJP says will form next government in Meghalaya</a>

&quot;After Rahul Gandhi donned the mantle of Congress chief, this is the fifth defeat for his party and the pace of this record will gather speed in the near future,&quot; he said.

The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here after the party&#39;s good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">bid</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569"> to form </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sends-top-guns-to-meghalaya-in-bid-to-form-government-34569">government</a>

He said that during the run up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi was coronated as Congress President and that time itself he had said that the development would make the BJP&#39;s job easier.

&quot;Under Rahul Gandhi&#39;s presidentship, the Congress has lost five states and when he was the party vice president, the Congress frittered away ten states,&quot; Adityanath said, noting that it was a matter of &quot;happiness&quot; for the saffron party.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tripura-nagaland-victories-endorsement-of-modis-leadership-says-amit-shah-34557">Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi&#39;s leadership, says Amit Shah</a>

&quot;The BJP&#39;s sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people,&quot; he said.

Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development. The

UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his party&#39;s &quot;sterling performance&quot;.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552">BJP breaches &#39;Red Fort&#39; in Tripura, set to end </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552">25-year</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-breaches-red-fort-in-tripura-set-to-end-25-year-left-rule-34552"> Left rule</a>

He said the &#39;lotus&#39; will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah.

&quot;That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari,&quot; he said.

After the outcome of assembly elections in the three northeastern states, the BJP is set to lead or be a partner in 21 of India&#39;s 31 state governments, underlining a saffron dominance of the national political map like no other time.

Adityanath also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh.

He took potshots at arch rivals SP and BSP on reports that they might join hands to take on the BJP in the next week&#39;s Lok Sabha bye-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;Who doesn&#39;t know the guest house episode? Can one forget who had threatened to damage statues (of Dalit icons),&quot; he said without elaborating.

His reference was to an attack allegedly engineered by SP supporters on then chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati in the Meerabai Road state guest house in the state capital over two decades back.

On the possibility of SP-BSP coming together in the parliamentary bypolls, he described the two parties as &quot;ker-ber&quot; (banana and Indian plum) and asked as to whether the two different fruits could gel.

Asked for which parties he used the expression &quot;ker&quot; and &quot;ber&quot;, Adityanath smilingly said, &quot;It&#39;s for you to judge.&quot;

Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. 
The main opposition Congress is in power in only four states - its lowest-ever tally - and that include Mizoram and Puducherry.

Yogi Adityanath also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today credited the BJP's "historic" performance in northeastern states to "development-oriented" policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "organisational skills" of Amit Shah and said the day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. He also took the opportunity to slam the Congress, saying after Rahul Gandhi became its president, this is the fifth defeat for his party. Also read: BJP says will form next government in Meghalaya "After Rahul Gandhi donned the mantle of Congress chief, this is the fifth defeat for his party and the pace of this record will gather speed in the near future," he said. The chief minister was addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here after the party's good show in assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya. Also read: Congress sends top guns to Meghalaya in bid to form government He said that during the run up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, Rahul Gandhi was coronated as Congress President and that time itself he had said that the development would make the BJP's job easier. "Under Rahul Gandhi's presidentship, the Congress has lost five states and when he was the party vice president, the Congress frittered away ten states," Adityanath said, noting that it was a matter of "happiness" for the saffron party. Also read: Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi's leadership, says Amit Shah "The BJP's sterling performance in northeast will go a long way in fulfilling development aspirations of people," he said. Adityanath said for the first time after Independence, these northeastern states will get chance to join the national mainstream and enjoy fruits of development. The UP chief minister, who had campaigned for the saffron party in these assembly elections, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's development oriented policies and organisational skills of BJP President Amit Shah led to his party's "sterling performance". Also read: BJP breaches 'Red Fort' in Tripura, set to end 25-year Left rule He said the 'lotus' will now bloom in Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal and Odisha, thanks to the development-oriented policies of the prime minister and his good governance, and the guidance of the party chief Amit Shah. "That day is not far when one party will be in power right from Kashmir down to Kanyakumari," he said. After the outcome of assembly elections in the three northeastern states, the BJP is set to lead or be a partner in 21 of India's 31 state governments, underlining a saffron dominance of the national political map like no other time. Adityanath also exuded confidence that the BJP will win Lok Sabha by-elections next week in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies in Uttar Pradesh. He took potshots at arch rivals SP and BSP on reports that they might join hands to take on the BJP in the next week's Lok Sabha bye-elections in Phulpur and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. "Who doesn't know the guest house episode? Can one forget who had threatened to damage statues (of Dalit icons)," he said without elaborating. His reference was to an attack allegedly engineered by SP supporters on then chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati in the Meerabai Road state guest house in the state capital over two decades back. On the possibility of SP-BSP coming together in the parliamentary bypolls, he described the two parties as "ker-ber" (banana and Indian plum) and asked as to whether the two different fruits could gel. Asked for which parties he used the expression "ker" and "ber", Adityanath smilingly said, "It's for you to judge." Continuing its winning streak, the BJP wrested Tripura, and received invitation to be part of the government in Nagaland, while Meghalaya elected a hung Assembly. The main opposition Congress is in power in only four states - its lowest-ever tally - and that include Mizoram and Puducherry.

'Lotus will bloom in Karnataka, Kerala; Rahul's Congress on path of defeat'

&nbsp;

After an impressive win in Tripura and Nagaland Assembly polls, prime minister Narendra Modi thanked people for reposing faith in the positive and development-oriented agenda of the NDA and added that people do not have time or respect for negative, disruptive and disconnected politics of any kind.

&nbsp;

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People of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura have spoken! 
 
I thank the people of these states for supporting the good governance agenda and &lsquo;Act East Policy&rsquo; of <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4India</a> &amp; our valued allies. We remain committed to working towards fulfilling the dreams &amp; aspirations of the people.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/969878792754774016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;In a series of tweets on the outcome of assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, he said the victory of the BJP in Tripura is not an ordinary electoral victory. 
&quot;This journey from Shunya&nbsp;to Shikhar&nbsp;(zero to top) has been made possible due to a solid development agenda and the strength of our organisation. I bow to every BJP karyakarta for working assiduously on the ground for years,&quot; the prime minister said.

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Thank you Nagaland for supporting <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Nagaland?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4Nagaland</a> and our valued ally. I assure my sisters and brothers of Nagaland that we will continue to work for the progress and prosperity of Nagaland. I applaud the tireless work of the local BJP unit.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/969880265869807616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&#39;&#39;The victory in Tripura is as much an ideological one,&quot; he said and added &quot;It is a win for democracy over brute force and intimidation. Today peace and non-violence has&nbsp;prevailed over fear.&quot;

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The historic victory in Tripura is as much an ideological one. It is a win for democracy over brute force and intimidation. Today peace and non-violence has prevailed over fear. We will provide Tripura the good government that the state deserves.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/969879780542722048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He also said ,&nbsp;&quot;2018 Tripura election will be remembered as an epoch-making one! What my sisters and brothers of Tripura have done is extraordinary. No words will be enough to thank them for the phenomenal support towards @BJP4Tripura. We will leave no stone unturned in transforming Tripura.&#39;&#39;

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2018 Tripura election will be remembered as an epoch-making one! What my sisters and brothers of Tripura have done is extraordinary. No words will be enough to thank them for the phenomenal support towards <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Tripura?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4Tripura</a>. We will leave no stone unturned in transforming Tripura.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/969879055007797248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He thanked the people of Nagaland for supporting BJP and its allies.&nbsp;&quot;I assure my sisters and brothers of Nagaland that we will continue to work for the progress and prosperity of Nagaland. I applaud the tireless work of the local BJP unit,&quot; he said.

He said the welfare of Meghalaya is of utmost importance for his government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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The victory of <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Tripura?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4Tripura</a> is not an ordinary electoral victory. This journey from &lsquo;Shunya&rsquo; to &lsquo;Shikhar&rsquo; has been made possible due to a solid development agenda and the strength of our organisation. I bow to every BJP Karyakarta for working assiduously on the ground for years.
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/969879384772395008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats with lead&nbsp;in seven seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly, while its ally Indigenous People&#39;s Front of Tripura has won seven seats and is ahead in one other.

BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats while leading in seven seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly

After an impressive win in Tripura and Nagaland Assembly polls, prime minister Narendra Modi thanked people for reposing faith in the positive and development-oriented agenda of the NDA and added that people do not have time or respect for negative, disruptive and disconnected politics of any kind. People of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura have spoken! I thank the people of these states for supporting the good governance agenda and ‘Act East Policy’ of @BJP4India & our valued allies. We remain committed to working towards fulfilling the dreams & aspirations of the people. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2018 × In a series of tweets on the outcome of assembly polls in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, he said the victory of the BJP in Tripura is not an ordinary electoral victory. "This journey from Shunya to Shikhar (zero to top) has been made possible due to a solid development agenda and the strength of our organisation. I bow to every BJP karyakarta for working assiduously on the ground for years," the prime minister said. Thank you Nagaland for supporting @BJP4Nagaland and our valued ally. I assure my sisters and brothers of Nagaland that we will continue to work for the progress and prosperity of Nagaland. I applaud the tireless work of the local BJP unit. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2018 × ''The victory in Tripura is as much an ideological one," he said and added "It is a win for democracy over brute force and intimidation. Today peace and non-violence has prevailed over fear." The historic victory in Tripura is as much an ideological one. It is a win for democracy over brute force and intimidation. Today peace and non-violence has prevailed over fear. We will provide Tripura the good government that the state deserves. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2018 × He also said , "2018 Tripura election will be remembered as an epoch-making one! What my sisters and brothers of Tripura have done is extraordinary. No words will be enough to thank them for the phenomenal support towards @BJP4Tripura. We will leave no stone unturned in transforming Tripura.'' 2018 Tripura election will be remembered as an epoch-making one! What my sisters and brothers of Tripura have done is extraordinary. No words will be enough to thank them for the phenomenal support towards @BJP4Tripura. We will leave no stone unturned in transforming Tripura. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2018 × He thanked the people of Nagaland for supporting BJP and its allies. "I assure my sisters and brothers of Nagaland that we will continue to work for the progress and prosperity of Nagaland. I applaud the tireless work of the local BJP unit," he said. He said the welfare of Meghalaya is of utmost importance for his government. The victory of @BJP4Tripura is not an ordinary electoral victory. This journey from ‘Shunya’ to ‘Shikhar’ has been made possible due to a solid development agenda and the strength of our organisation. I bow to every BJP Karyakarta for working assiduously on the ground for years. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2018 × BJP made a historic win in Tripura as they won twenty-eight seats with lead in seven seats in the 60-member Tripura Assembly, while its ally Indigenous People's Front of Tripura has won seven seats and is ahead in one other.

Assembly polls: 'It is a win for democracy over brute force and intimidation,' says Modi

With the BJP on the cusp of ending the Left Front&#39;s 25-year-rule in Tripura, state party chief Biplab Kumar Deb today said he was ready to take on the mantle of a chief minister, but a decision on it would be taken by the party&#39;s highest decision-making body, the Parliamentary Board.

Deb, a gym instructor-turned-politician, thanked the people of Tripura for their overwhelming support and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah with the party&#39;s showing.

&quot;I am ready to take the responsibility. I will not run away from taking any responsibility,&quot; he told reporters here when asked if he would accept the task of chief ministership.

However, the BJP leader said a final decision on the next chief minister of Tripura would be taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board, which would meet in New Delhi in the evening.

&quot;I have already been given a bigger responsibility, the party&#39;s state presidentship, which I have been fulfilling to the best of my ability,&quot; he said.

The BJP has so far won four seats and is leading in 34 in the 60-member Tripura Assembly, while its ally Indigenous People&#39;s Front Of Tripura has won four seats and is ahead in four others.

The CPI-M has won four seats and is leading in 13.

Deb said the people of Tripura favourably responded to the BJP&#39;s call to root out the CPI-M government, which has been ruling the state for more than two decades.

&quot;People responded favourably to our call call &#39;Chalo Paltai&#39; (Let&#39;s Change),&quot; he said.

Deb said the next government&#39;s priority would be all- round development of Tripura and people voted for the BJP as there had been total backwardness in the state under the Manik Sarkar government.

&quot;The word development does not exist in the dictionary of the CPI-M. Our government will provide good governance and time-bound implementation of all developmental works,&quot; he said.

Sarkar has been chief minister since 1998. He is a politburo member of the CPI-M and has been ruling the state for the fourth consecutive time.

Elections in 59 seats, out of the total 60, were held on February 18. The poll in one seat was countermanded due to the death of the CPI-M candidate.

Deb, a gym instructor-turned-politician, thanked the people of Tripura for their overwhelming support and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah with the party's showing

With the BJP on the cusp of ending the Left Front's 25-year-rule in Tripura, state party chief Biplab Kumar Deb today said he was ready to take on the mantle of a chief minister, but a decision on it would be taken by the party's highest decision-making body, the Parliamentary Board. Deb, a gym instructor-turned-politician, thanked the people of Tripura for their overwhelming support and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah with the party's showing. "I am ready to take the responsibility. I will not run away from taking any responsibility," he told reporters here when asked if he would accept the task of chief ministership. However, the BJP leader said a final decision on the next chief minister of Tripura would be taken by the BJP Parliamentary Board, which would meet in New Delhi in the evening. "I have already been given a bigger responsibility, the party's state presidentship, which I have been fulfilling to the best of my ability," he said. The BJP has so far won four seats and is leading in 34 in the 60-member Tripura Assembly, while its ally Indigenous People's Front Of Tripura has won four seats and is ahead in four others. The CPI-M has won four seats and is leading in 13. Deb said the people of Tripura favourably responded to the BJP's call to root out the CPI-M government, which has been ruling the state for more than two decades. "People responded favourably to our call call 'Chalo Paltai' (Let's Change)," he said. Deb said the next government's priority would be all- round development of Tripura and people voted for the BJP as there had been total backwardness in the state under the Manik Sarkar government. "The word development does not exist in the dictionary of the CPI-M. Our government will provide good governance and time-bound implementation of all developmental works," he said. Sarkar has been chief minister since 1998. He is a politburo member of the CPI-M and has been ruling the state for the fourth consecutive time. Elections in 59 seats, out of the total 60, were held on February 18. The poll in one seat was countermanded due to the death of the CPI-M candidate.

Ready to be CM, but BJP Parliamentary Board will take final call: Biplab Deb

A plan for India to build a military base on an outlying Seychelles island has won favour among the archipelago nation&rsquo;s politicians, but some hostility from its people.

Late last month, India and the Seychelles&nbsp;signed a revised agreement&nbsp;granting India permission to construct a military base on the Seychelles&#39;&nbsp;Assumption Island, roughly 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles) east of mainland East Africa.

The base on Assumption Island is to be funded by India and shared by the two countries&rsquo; militaries.

The deal was struck in principle in 2015 during a visit to the Seychelles by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but progress since has been slow.&nbsp;The deal&nbsp;will provide India with a crucial military staging point in what is fast becoming a critically strategic region.

The government of the Seychelles, based in Victoria on Mahe Island 1,135 kilometres (705 miles) northeast of Assumption, says the base will help coastguards to patrol its 1.3 million square kilometre (500,000 square mile) exclusive economic zone for illegal fishing, drug trafficking and piracy.

India plans to invest $550 million dollars in building the base to help it ensure the safety of its vessels in the southern Indian Ocean. It also says the base will be a resource for other shipping nations.

&ldquo;Assumption is very close to the Mozambique Channel where much of the international trade is transiting, and not just for India but for other countries as well, and our interest is that our trading vessels are safe,&rdquo; said India&rsquo;s ambassador in Victoria, Ausaf Sayeed.

India has had a military cooperation agreement with the Seychelles since 2003 and the deal would give it use of the Assumption base for up to 30 years. Indian soldiers would be deployed on the island and help train Seychelles&rsquo; troops.

&ldquo;What we did in relation to the first agreement is to clarify some points that could give rise to litigation,&rdquo; said Frank Ally, the Seychelles&rsquo; attorney general.

He said these included a prohibition on any nuclear uses of the island or weapons storage. India is also not allowed to use Assumption in war.

Seeking to allay fears the government has made available to the public some details of the classified defence agreement. Nevertheless, the project remains controversial with small weekly demonstrations in the capital.

Indian presence in the Seychelles is a sensitive matter. Some fear an influx of Indian workers who, they say, might come to dominate the economy, while others consider a foreign power building a military base an affront to sovereignty and national pride.

&ldquo;The Seychelles can make its own military base, I am against any foreign military presence!&rdquo; said Guilmert Corgat, a businessman in Victoria who attended a town hall meeting on the plan in late February.

&ldquo;If this deal is so good for the Seychelles, why don&rsquo;t we hold a referendum?&rdquo; asked Alexia Amesbury, a lawyer.

During the discussions, foreign minister Barry Faure was forced to insist the government was not giving the island away, &ldquo;because Assumption belongs to the Seychelles&rdquo;.

Opponents of the plan also cite Assumption&rsquo;s relative proximity to Aldabra atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to the world&rsquo;s largest population of giant tortoises.

Environmentalists worry about the possible impact of a large military presence so close to an ecosystem that has survived precisely because of the absence of people.

Despite the dissenting voices, Sayeed remains positive that parliament will ratify the new agreement when it reopens this month.

With the opposition, like the government, broadly in favour of the base, though against too many concessions to India, the diplomat&rsquo;s optimism may be well-founded.

&ldquo;I think politicians and people who see the positive side of this cooperation will be in favour, and I am convinced that it will pass,&rdquo; he said.

(with inputs from AFP)

The deal was struck in principle in 2015 during a visit to the Seychelles by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but progress since has been slow.

A plan for India to build a military base on an outlying Seychelles island has won favour among the archipelago nation’s politicians, but some hostility from its people. Late last month, India and the Seychelles signed a revised agreement granting India permission to construct a military base on the Seychelles' Assumption Island, roughly 1,650 kilometers (1,025 miles) east of mainland East Africa. The base on Assumption Island is to be funded by India and shared by the two countries’ militaries. The deal was struck in principle in 2015 during a visit to the Seychelles by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but progress since has been slow. The deal will provide India with a crucial military staging point in what is fast becoming a critically strategic region. The government of the Seychelles, based in Victoria on Mahe Island 1,135 kilometres (705 miles) northeast of Assumption, says the base will help coastguards to patrol its 1.3 million square kilometre (500,000 square mile) exclusive economic zone for illegal fishing, drug trafficking and piracy. India plans to invest $550 million dollars in building the base to help it ensure the safety of its vessels in the southern Indian Ocean. It also says the base will be a resource for other shipping nations. “Assumption is very close to the Mozambique Channel where much of the international trade is transiting, and not just for India but for other countries as well, and our interest is that our trading vessels are safe,” said India’s ambassador in Victoria, Ausaf Sayeed. India has had a military cooperation agreement with the Seychelles since 2003 and the deal would give it use of the Assumption base for up to 30 years. Indian soldiers would be deployed on the island and help train Seychelles’ troops. “What we did in relation to the first agreement is to clarify some points that could give rise to litigation,” said Frank Ally, the Seychelles’ attorney general. He said these included a prohibition on any nuclear uses of the island or weapons storage. India is also not allowed to use Assumption in war. Seeking to allay fears the government has made available to the public some details of the classified defence agreement. Nevertheless, the project remains controversial with small weekly demonstrations in the capital. Indian presence in the Seychelles is a sensitive matter. Some fear an influx of Indian workers who, they say, might come to dominate the economy, while others consider a foreign power building a military base an affront to sovereignty and national pride. “The Seychelles can make its own military base, I am against any foreign military presence!” said Guilmert Corgat, a businessman in Victoria who attended a town hall meeting on the plan in late February. “If this deal is so good for the Seychelles, why don’t we hold a referendum?” asked Alexia Amesbury, a lawyer. During the discussions, foreign minister Barry Faure was forced to insist the government was not giving the island away, “because Assumption belongs to the Seychelles”. Opponents of the plan also cite Assumption’s relative proximity to Aldabra atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to the world’s largest population of giant tortoises. Environmentalists worry about the possible impact of a large military presence so close to an ecosystem that has survived precisely because of the absence of people. Despite the dissenting voices, Sayeed remains positive that parliament will ratify the new agreement when it reopens this month. With the opposition, like the government, broadly in favour of the base, though against too many concessions to India, the diplomat’s optimism may be well-founded. “I think politicians and people who see the positive side of this cooperation will be in favour, and I am convinced that it will pass,” he said. (with inputs from AFP)

India plans military base in Seychelles, fosters controversy

BJP chief Amit Shah said today his party&#39;s victories in the Left&#39;s citadel Tripura and Nagaland were an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s leadership by the people of the Northeast.

A jubilant Shah said the BJP&#39;s golden era would be when its wrests West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka from rival parties.

&quot;It is a day of joy for me and crores of BJP workers. The victory of the BJP is important in many ways....It is an endorsement of the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the people of the Northeast,&quot; he told a press conference.

The BJP and its ally IPFT were close to securing a majority in Tripura having together won 28 seats in the 60-member House. They were leading in 15 more. Elections were held in the state for 59 seats due to the death of a CPI-M candidate.

In Nagaland, the BJP and its ally NDPP have won 13 seats and are leading in 14. The ruling Naga People&#39;s Front, with which the BJP parted ways just before the elections, has won 13 seats and was leading in 12 others in the 60-member Assembly. In Nagaland too, elections were held for only 59 seats as NDPP leaders Neiphiu Rio was declared elected unopposed.

Meghalaya appeared set to have a hung Assembly.

Shah ruled out the possibility of the BJP, whose NDA partner National People&#39;s Party has won 19 seats, engaging in horse-trading in Meghalaya. The two NDA allies had, however, contested the elections separately. BJP has won two seats in the state where the Congress has won 19 seats so far and was ahead in two.

&quot;Where is the question of &#39;tod-phod&#39; (horse-trading). The Congress does not have a majority there,&quot; he said.

Amit Shah said the BJP's golden era would be when its wrests West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka from rival parties

BJP chief Amit Shah said today his party's victories in the Left's citadel Tripura and Nagaland were an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership by the people of the Northeast. A jubilant Shah said the BJP's golden era would be when its wrests West Bengal, Odisha and Karnataka from rival parties. "It is a day of joy for me and crores of BJP workers. The victory of the BJP is important in many ways....It is an endorsement of the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the people of the Northeast," he told a press conference. The BJP and its ally IPFT were close to securing a majority in Tripura having together won 28 seats in the 60-member House. They were leading in 15 more. Elections were held in the state for 59 seats due to the death of a CPI-M candidate. In Nagaland, the BJP and its ally NDPP have won 13 seats and are leading in 14. The ruling Naga People's Front, with which the BJP parted ways just before the elections, has won 13 seats and was leading in 12 others in the 60-member Assembly. In Nagaland too, elections were held for only 59 seats as NDPP leaders Neiphiu Rio was declared elected unopposed. Meghalaya appeared set to have a hung Assembly. Shah ruled out the possibility of the BJP, whose NDA partner National People's Party has won 19 seats, engaging in horse-trading in Meghalaya. The two NDA allies had, however, contested the elections separately. BJP has won two seats in the state where the Congress has won 19 seats so far and was ahead in two. "Where is the question of 'tod-phod' (horse-trading). The Congress does not have a majority there," he said.

Tripura, Nagaland victories endorsement of Modi's leadership, says Amit Shah

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called the BJP&#39;s impressive performance in Tripura Assembly polls people&#39;s answer to &quot;fear, lies and confusion&quot; being spread against his government, and targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now.

In an address to party workers at the BJP&#39;s newly constructed headquarters following the announcement of the polls results in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Modi also took an apparent dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying some people grow in designation but shrink in stature.

In contrast, he said, BJP chief Amit Shah was marching ahead by leading the party to victories in many states.

The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party&#39;s victories.

In remarks laced with sarcasm, Modi said he had recently told Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy that the Congress leader was lucky as he would soon become a &quot;specimen of a Congress chief minister&quot; after the party loses Karnataka, which goes to polls in April-May.

&quot;I told him you are a most lucky person in the Congress. I told him that after June you will be a specimen for the Congress to highlight what it used to be. That it also used to have chief ministers and was in power. You will be such a specimen that they will carry you on their shoulders and dance saying it also has a chief minister,&quot; Modi said amid laughter.

Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who heads the Congress government in the state, he said neither he nor they (Congress) consider each other their own. &quot;He is a &#39;swatantra fauji&#39; (independent soldier),&quot; Modi said of Singh.

The prime minister said the people of the northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it.

Central ministers have spent more nights in one of these states to deal with their problems in the last four years than they did all the years earlier, he said.

&quot;Fear, lies and confusion were being spread,&quot; he said, an apparent reference to the opposition&#39;s criticism of his government over a host of issues, and added now people have answered it through their votes.

When his government takes some actions, it is dubbed as vendetta, he said, apparently referring to criminal cases against some opposition leaders and their kin in corruption and other matters. But it is in fact &quot;mandetta&quot; as the people have given the mandate to act, he said.

In &#39;vastu shastra&#39;, Modi said, it is believed that the northeast corner is the most important part of a land and with his party now in power in most of this region, these states are leading the country on the path to development.

The prime minister charted his party&#39;s phenomenal rise in different parts of the country as from &quot;no one to won&quot;.

With the Left accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power in its bastion of Tripura, Modi said opposition parties often did not concede defeats in a sportsman&#39;s spirit.

Amid a &quot;disinformation&quot; campaign, stories about the BJP&#39;s and its government&#39;s good works had reached far corners, he claimed and asked its leaders to work with a 360-degree approach for all-round development.

He also attributed the party&#39;s performance to its organisational work and local leaders, who, he said, are not highlighted in the media as they are not known much.

Modi took a brief pause when there was a call for prayers from a nearby mosque, and also paid respect along with the audience to deceased party workers, allegedly victims of political violence, by keeping silence for a while.

He said the BJP&#39;s win in Tripura was no ordinary victory and it was a journey from &quot;shoonya to shikhara&quot; (zero to peak).

The people of the Northeast supported his government&#39;s &quot;Act East policy&quot; and &quot;politics of performance&quot;, he said.

He said BJP workers were victims of political violence in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and now in Odisha too.

He was felicitated by senior party functionaries, including members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, headed by Shah.

The board also took stock of the party&#39;s performance in three states.

Shah has said that the board will meet soon to take a call on chief ministership of Tripura. Its state chief Biplab Kumar Deb is being seen as a front-runner for the job.

The CPI(M) lost in the polls in Tripura, where it was in power for the last 25 years.&nbsp;

The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party's victories.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called the BJP's impressive performance in Tripura Assembly polls people's answer to "fear, lies and confusion" being spread against his government, and targeted the Congress, saying it was never so diminished as a party as it is now. In an address to party workers at the BJP's newly constructed headquarters following the announcement of the polls results in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, Modi also took an apparent dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying some people grow in designation but shrink in stature. In contrast, he said, BJP chief Amit Shah was marching ahead by leading the party to victories in many states. The prime minister described Shah as the architect of the party's victories. In remarks laced with sarcasm, Modi said he had recently told Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy that the Congress leader was lucky as he would soon become a "specimen of a Congress chief minister" after the party loses Karnataka, which goes to polls in April-May. "I told him you are a most lucky person in the Congress. I told him that after June you will be a specimen for the Congress to highlight what it used to be. That it also used to have chief ministers and was in power. You will be such a specimen that they will carry you on their shoulders and dance saying it also has a chief minister," Modi said amid laughter. Referring to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who heads the Congress government in the state, he said neither he nor they (Congress) consider each other their own. "He is a 'swatantra fauji' (independent soldier)," Modi said of Singh. The prime minister said the people of the northeast had a sense of alienation but his government worked overtime to remove it. Central ministers have spent more nights in one of these states to deal with their problems in the last four years than they did all the years earlier, he said. "Fear, lies and confusion were being spread," he said, an apparent reference to the opposition's criticism of his government over a host of issues, and added now people have answered it through their votes. When his government takes some actions, it is dubbed as vendetta, he said, apparently referring to criminal cases against some opposition leaders and their kin in corruption and other matters. But it is in fact "mandetta" as the people have given the mandate to act, he said. In 'vastu shastra', Modi said, it is believed that the northeast corner is the most important part of a land and with his party now in power in most of this region, these states are leading the country on the path to development. The prime minister charted his party's phenomenal rise in different parts of the country as from "no one to won". With the Left accusing the BJP of using money and muscle power in its bastion of Tripura, Modi said opposition parties often did not concede defeats in a sportsman's spirit. Amid a "disinformation" campaign, stories about the BJP's and its government's good works had reached far corners, he claimed and asked its leaders to work with a 360-degree approach for all-round development. He also attributed the party's performance to its organisational work and local leaders, who, he said, are not highlighted in the media as they are not known much. Modi took a brief pause when there was a call for prayers from a nearby mosque, and also paid respect along with the audience to deceased party workers, allegedly victims of political violence, by keeping silence for a while. He said the BJP's win in Tripura was no ordinary victory and it was a journey from "shoonya to shikhara" (zero to peak). The people of the Northeast supported his government's "Act East policy" and "politics of performance", he said. He said BJP workers were victims of political violence in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and now in Odisha too. He was felicitated by senior party functionaries, including members of the BJP Parliamentary Board, headed by Shah. The board also took stock of the party's performance in three states. Shah has said that the board will meet soon to take a call on chief ministership of Tripura. Its state chief Biplab Kumar Deb is being seen as a front-runner for the job. The CPI(M) lost in the polls in Tripura, where it was in power for the last 25 years.

Congress never so diminished as it is now: Narendra Modi

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has hinted at leading a &#39;&#39;third front&#39;&#39; as he feels that there is a need for &#39;&#39;qualitative changes&#39;&#39; in National Politics.

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I haven&#39;t abused anyone. I&#39;m PM Modi&#39;s best friend. I sought an appointment with him in Delhi, that itself shows I have nothing against him,but he couldn&#39;t accommodate the request for appointment: Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao on allegations of using abusive words for PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/UULLAz4MMq">pic.twitter.com/UULLAz4MMq</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/969954091597115392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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News agency ANI quoting the Telangana CM stated that people want change in 2019 polls.

&#39;&#39;Sitaram Yechury of CPM is a good friend of mine. I met him in Delhi recently. People want change in India for 2019 polls. There is a need for qualitative changes in National Politics. I am talking to like-minded people. If required I will lead the movement,&#39;&#39; KCR told ANI.&nbsp;

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Sitaram Yechury of CPM is a good friend of mine. I met him in Delhi recently. People want change in India for 2019 polls. There is a need of qualitative changes in National Politics. I am talking to like minded people. If required I will lead the movement: KC Rao (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/PU8oPkps1U">pic.twitter.com/PU8oPkps1U</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/969954096378650624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On the allegations that he abused prime minister Modi, he said that he hasn&#39;t abused anyone.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;I haven&#39;t abused anyone. I&#39;m PM Modi&#39;s best friend. I sought an appointment with him in Delhi, that itself shows I have nothing against him, but he couldn&#39;t accommodate the request for an appointment,&#39;&#39; Rao clarified on allegations him using abusive words for PM Modi.&nbsp;

On the allegations that he abused prime minister Modi, he said that he hasn't abused anyone.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has hinted at leading a ''third front'' as he feels that there is a need for ''qualitative changes'' in National Politics. I haven't abused anyone. I'm PM Modi's best friend. I sought an appointment with him in Delhi, that itself shows I have nothing against him,but he couldn't accommodate the request for appointment: Telangana CM K Chandrashekhar Rao on allegations of using abusive words for PM Modi pic.twitter.com/UULLAz4MMq — ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2018 × News agency ANI quoting the Telangana CM stated that people want change in 2019 polls. ''Sitaram Yechury of CPM is a good friend of mine. I met him in Delhi recently. People want change in India for 2019 polls. There is a need for qualitative changes in National Politics. I am talking to like-minded people. If required I will lead the movement,'' KCR told ANI. Sitaram Yechury of CPM is a good friend of mine. I met him in Delhi recently. People want change in India for 2019 polls. There is a need of qualitative changes in National Politics. I am talking to like minded people. If required I will lead the movement: KC Rao (file pic) pic.twitter.com/PU8oPkps1U — ANI (@ANI) March 3, 2018 × On the allegations that he abused prime minister Modi, he said that he hasn't abused anyone. ''I haven't abused anyone. I'm PM Modi's best friend. I sought an appointment with him in Delhi, that itself shows I have nothing against him, but he couldn't accommodate the request for an appointment,'' Rao clarified on allegations him using abusive words for PM Modi.

Telangana CM KCR hints at leading 'third front' in 2019

It&rsquo;s about propping up &ldquo;besieged majorities&rdquo; in multiethnic countries.

Washington and New Delhi are having a mutual lovefest these days. Donald Trump is popular in India &mdash; where only 17% of the population considers the president &ldquo;intolerant,&rdquo; compared to a global average of 65% &mdash; and he has warmly welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House. Both leaders are eager to bump up bilateral security cooperation to the next level.

Even Donald Trump Jr. is getting in on the act. He&rsquo;s visiting India this week as part of the Trump organization&rsquo;s myriad economic connections to the subcontinent. Indians, treating the president&rsquo;s son as a representative of the White House, are paying a lot of rupees to gain access to his ear.

Who can blame them? It&rsquo;s virtually impossible to disaggregate the different components of the Trump megaplex.

The US-India love connection, which predates Trump, is based on mutual economic interest and similar concerns about Pakistan and China. But Trump and Modi bring something else to the equation. Both leaders share a personalistic, business-friendly governing style best captured by Modi&rsquo;s phrase &ldquo;minimum government, maximum governance.&rdquo;

But there&rsquo;s another, underlying similarity. Trump is borrowing a page from Modi&rsquo;s book on how to advance majoritarian politics in a multiethnic country.

&ldquo;Majoritarianism insists on different tiers of citizenship,&rdquo; writes Mukul Kesavan in The New York Review of Books. &ldquo;Members of the majority faith and culture are viewed as the nation&rsquo;s true citizens. The rest are courtesy citizens, guests of the majority, expected to behave well and deferentially.&rdquo;

This kind of majoritarianism is most prominently on display these days in Myanmar &mdash; where the government considers the Rohingya minority to be foreigners, not citizens at all, and thus has no problem expelling them (or, in some cases, killing them). Majoritarianism has also been a major feature of political life in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

In India, meanwhile, Modi heads a right-wing nationalist party that believes the country is essentially Hindu with no particular obligation to guarantee minority rights. Indeed, several disturbing examples of mob rule have taken place during Modi&rsquo;s tenure, and the government has both explicitly and through various dog whistles appealed to Hindus over (and against) Muslims.

As Kesavan points out, majoritarianism is not simply Islamophobia &mdash; in India or Myanmar or anywhere else:

&ldquo;Majoritarian politics results from the patiently constructed self-image of an aggrieved, besieged majority that believes itself to be long-suffering and refuses to suffer in silence anymore. The cultivation of this sense of injury is the necessary precondition for the lynchings, pogroms, and ethnic cleansing that invariably follow.&rdquo;

The besieged majority: What better way of capturing the appeal of Trumpism in the United States? In the looking-glass world of 2018, Donald Trump, too, has a dream: to make white people, regardless of the contents of their character, once again supreme.

Of course, majoritarianism looks a little different in the United States than in South Asia. But this malign philosophy helps explain not only some political dynamics in America, but also the pattern of friendships that Trump has developed around the world.&nbsp;

Deplorables vs. Dreamers? 

The underlying message of &ldquo;Make America Great Again&rdquo; is to return the country to an age of majoritarian politics, when white people controlled everything on behalf of white people and when everyone else was accorded second-class citizenship.&nbsp;

After the victories of the civil rights movement and other social movements, some white people have acquired the mentality of a besieged majority: They fear that they will lose their remaining privileges, like members of an elite frequent flyer program forced to sit back in economy class. Perhaps only a minority of white people &mdash; mostly white men &mdash; feel like a besieged majority. But for the next decade or so, before demographics decisively downgrade white status, this group will continue to flex its political muscle.

Trump&rsquo;s appeals to this group follow in a sordid American tradition of racist and anti-immigrant movements such as the Know-Nothings and the Ku Klux Klan. The conflicts that swept through the United States in the 19th and early 20th century resembled, avant la lettre, the communal strife that accompanied the consolidation of modern nations in South Asia. America narrowly avoided partition in the 1860s, but not the &ldquo;lynchings, pogroms, and ethnic cleansing&rdquo; of majoritarian politics that followed. Even the mass population transfers that took place between India and Pakistan could be detected in the Great Migration of African Americans to the North beginning in the Jim Crow period.

Today, Trump has cleverly given the &ldquo;besieged majority&rdquo; a platform on immigration, economic policy and the &ldquo;history&rdquo; question. On the economy, Trump promised to revive sunset industries that have traditionally been white bastions, such as coal in Appalachia and manufacturing in the Midwest. On history, Trump has argued that by removing the statues of Confederate heroes, &ldquo;they&rsquo;re trying to take away our culture.&rdquo; The &ldquo;our&rdquo; is a telling touch, since it could refer equally to the US or to white people.

The immigration question in particular continues to bedevil the administration and Congress. To get a deal that would allow the Dreamers &mdash; young people brought to the United States as children who remain undocumented &mdash; liberals have even been willing to approve funding for Trump&rsquo;s famous wall along the border with Mexico. Basically, the Democratic Party was poised to pay a ransom of almost $14,000 a head to save the Dreamers (that&rsquo;s $25 billion for the wall in exchange for 1.8 million Dreamers staying in the United States).

Trump, however, said no, despite all sorts of assurances that he cares very deeply about the Dreamers. You&rsquo;d think that the president would be concerned about the public opinion polls that show a large majority of Americans &mdash; around 70% &mdash; in favor of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

But that&rsquo;s the problem with a president who has such low favorability ratings. He doesn&rsquo;t need to compromise to maintain his base of support because that base is so narrow in the first place. Only 18% of Americans support Trump unconditionally, according to a recent CBS poll, and another 23% do so only when he delivers what they want.

Here, then, is the most dangerous consequence of a president embracing majoritarian views held by only a minority of the majority. Trump sees no reason to reach beyond his base. As The Washington Post put it:

&ldquo;The president, along with Mr. McConnell, is intent on a blame game, not a solution. He suggested no compromises and engaged in no negotiations, preferring to stick with maximalist demands. Despite barely mentioning it as a candidate, Mr. Trump has not budged from insisting on a plan to reduce annual legal immigrants to the United States by hundreds of thousands, to the lowest level in decades.&rdquo;

The last line contains the kicker: the population transfer that Trump yearns to orchestrate. In addition to deporting the Dreamers, the undocumented, and those with temporary protected status like Salvadorans and Haitians, Trump wants to keep out as many folks from &ldquo;shithole&rdquo; countries as he can. If he gets his way, the administration is looking to &ldquo;transfer&rdquo; several million people out of the country, nearly comparable to the population transfer out of India at the time of partition in 1947. Going the other way in Trump&rsquo;s dream world would be a trickle of Norwegians and other racially acceptable immigrants.&nbsp;

Majoritarians of a feather 

Trump and Modi are only two of the new global leaders who have come to the forefront championing the interests of the &ldquo;besieged majority.&rdquo;

Vladimir Putin came to power in Russia by going after the Chechens, whom he blamed for a series of suspicious apartment building bombings. Putin has since taken aim at all manner of minorities, from the LGBTQ community to the liberals that oppose his concentration of power. He&rsquo;s emphasized that traditional values serve as a bulwark against what he&rsquo;s called &ldquo;aggressive minorities.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Benjamin Netanyahu has driven Israel into a corner by rejecting Palestinian (and international) demands for a two-state solution. The Jewish majority is fast on its way to becoming a minority within Israel. Once constituting 87 percent of the population in 1950, Jews are now close to parity with Arabs if you count everyone in the Occupied Territories and Gaza (6.1 million Jews and 5.8 million Arabs). Yet Netanyahu continues to advocate on behalf of the &ldquo;besieged majority&rdquo; by supporting illegal settlements, rejoicing in the Trump administration&rsquo;s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and kowtowing to the country&rsquo;s religious right.

Saudi Arabia, a Sunni-majority country, is also home to a large Shia minority of about 10% of the population. Riyadh has systematically discriminated against this minority &mdash; in part because of fears of its links to Iran. The Saudi government has imprisoned and executed leading members of the community and has even effectively waged war against Shias in the city of Awamiya.

I&rsquo;ve chosen these three countries because Donald Trump has formed strong bonds with Putin, Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But there&rsquo;s no shortage of other leaders that fall into this category: Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, Viktor Orban in Hungary, Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey. They all aspire to follow the South Asian example.

Majoritarianism has morphed into one of the 21st century&rsquo;s greatest threats. The &ldquo;tyranny of the majority&rdquo; that America&rsquo;s founding fathers warned about has become a reality thanks to the failure of left liberalism to sell multiculturalism more effectively.

Majoritarianism has evolved into a knee-jerk response to what globalization offers, for better or worse &mdash; from increased trade and greater flows of immigrants and refugees to the freer exchange of information behind both rapid technological transformation and the demands of transnational human rights movements. Nationalism, a disguise that the majority dons to make their demands somehow more palatable, is a bunker that a country can crawl into to survive the high winds of change.

The institutions that stand against the majoritarians are old and in need of some serious overhaul.

The United Nations was formed in the aftermath of World War II. The European Union and other regional organizations were in part responses to the Cold War. The international financial institutions were likewise forged in a different era. Meanwhile, the institutions that form the nervous system of our brave new world, like Facebook and Twitter and Google and Amazon, view multiculturalism as a way to maximize profit, like those old &ldquo;United Colors of Benetton&rdquo; ads that featured a multicultural array of models that made the clothes seem chic and edgy. At least Benetton was willing to ruffle some feathers with its campaign.

Combating majoritarianism requires a new campaign and new institutions. That&rsquo;s my dream: a world that recognizes that multiculturalism isn&rsquo;t just cool but essential to democratic politics, strong economies and healthy societies that don&rsquo;t tear themselves apart from the inside.

Where, oh where has this internationalism gone?&nbsp;

This<a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/north_america/donald-trump-narendra-modi-latest-news-headlines-today-32320/" rel="nofollow" target="blank"> article</a> was originally published by <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">Fair Observer</a>.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Trump and Modi are only two of the new global leaders who have come to the forefront championing the interests of the “besieged majority.”

It’s about propping up “besieged majorities” in multiethnic countries. Washington and New Delhi are having a mutual lovefest these days. Donald Trump is popular in India — where only 17% of the population considers the president “intolerant,” compared to a global average of 65% — and he has warmly welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House. Both leaders are eager to bump up bilateral security cooperation to the next level. Even Donald Trump Jr. is getting in on the act. He’s visiting India this week as part of the Trump organization’s myriad economic connections to the subcontinent. Indians, treating the president’s son as a representative of the White House, are paying a lot of rupees to gain access to his ear. Who can blame them? It’s virtually impossible to disaggregate the different components of the Trump megaplex. The US-India love connection, which predates Trump, is based on mutual economic interest and similar concerns about Pakistan and China. But Trump and Modi bring something else to the equation. Both leaders share a personalistic, business-friendly governing style best captured by Modi’s phrase “minimum government, maximum governance.” But there’s another, underlying similarity. Trump is borrowing a page from Modi’s book on how to advance majoritarian politics in a multiethnic country. “Majoritarianism insists on different tiers of citizenship,” writes Mukul Kesavan in The New York Review of Books. “Members of the majority faith and culture are viewed as the nation’s true citizens. The rest are courtesy citizens, guests of the majority, expected to behave well and deferentially.” This kind of majoritarianism is most prominently on display these days in Myanmar — where the government considers the Rohingya minority to be foreigners, not citizens at all, and thus has no problem expelling them (or, in some cases, killing them). Majoritarianism has also been a major feature of political life in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. In India, meanwhile, Modi heads a right-wing nationalist party that believes the country is essentially Hindu with no particular obligation to guarantee minority rights. Indeed, several disturbing examples of mob rule have taken place during Modi’s tenure, and the government has both explicitly and through various dog whistles appealed to Hindus over (and against) Muslims. As Kesavan points out, majoritarianism is not simply Islamophobia — in India or Myanmar or anywhere else: “Majoritarian politics results from the patiently constructed self-image of an aggrieved, besieged majority that believes itself to be long-suffering and refuses to suffer in silence anymore. The cultivation of this sense of injury is the necessary precondition for the lynchings, pogroms, and ethnic cleansing that invariably follow.” The besieged majority: What better way of capturing the appeal of Trumpism in the United States? In the looking-glass world of 2018, Donald Trump, too, has a dream: to make white people, regardless of the contents of their character, once again supreme. Of course, majoritarianism looks a little different in the United States than in South Asia. But this malign philosophy helps explain not only some political dynamics in America, but also the pattern of friendships that Trump has developed around the world. Deplorables vs. Dreamers? The underlying message of “Make America Great Again” is to return the country to an age of majoritarian politics, when white people controlled everything on behalf of white people and when everyone else was accorded second-class citizenship. After the victories of the civil rights movement and other social movements, some white people have acquired the mentality of a besieged majority: They fear that they will lose their remaining privileges, like members of an elite frequent flyer program forced to sit back in economy class. Perhaps only a minority of white people — mostly white men — feel like a besieged majority. But for the next decade or so, before demographics decisively downgrade white status, this group will continue to flex its political muscle. Trump’s appeals to this group follow in a sordid American tradition of racist and anti-immigrant movements such as the Know-Nothings and the Ku Klux Klan. The conflicts that swept through the United States in the 19th and early 20th century resembled, avant la lettre, the communal strife that accompanied the consolidation of modern nations in South Asia. America narrowly avoided partition in the 1860s, but not the “lynchings, pogroms, and ethnic cleansing” of majoritarian politics that followed. Even the mass population transfers that took place between India and Pakistan could be detected in the Great Migration of African Americans to the North beginning in the Jim Crow period. Today, Trump has cleverly given the “besieged majority” a platform on immigration, economic policy and the “history” question. On the economy, Trump promised to revive sunset industries that have traditionally been white bastions, such as coal in Appalachia and manufacturing in the Midwest. On history, Trump has argued that by removing the statues of Confederate heroes, “they’re trying to take away our culture.” The “our” is a telling touch, since it could refer equally to the US or to white people. The immigration question in particular continues to bedevil the administration and Congress. To get a deal that would allow the Dreamers — young people brought to the United States as children who remain undocumented — liberals have even been willing to approve funding for Trump’s famous wall along the border with Mexico. Basically, the Democratic Party was poised to pay a ransom of almost $14,000 a head to save the Dreamers (that’s $25 billion for the wall in exchange for 1.8 million Dreamers staying in the United States). Trump, however, said no, despite all sorts of assurances that he cares very deeply about the Dreamers. You’d think that the president would be concerned about the public opinion polls that show a large majority of Americans — around 70% — in favor of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. But that’s the problem with a president who has such low favorability ratings. He doesn’t need to compromise to maintain his base of support because that base is so narrow in the first place. Only 18% of Americans support Trump unconditionally, according to a recent CBS poll, and another 23% do so only when he delivers what they want. Here, then, is the most dangerous consequence of a president embracing majoritarian views held by only a minority of the majority. Trump sees no reason to reach beyond his base. As The Washington Post put it: “The president, along with Mr. McConnell, is intent on a blame game, not a solution. He suggested no compromises and engaged in no negotiations, preferring to stick with maximalist demands. Despite barely mentioning it as a candidate, Mr. Trump has not budged from insisting on a plan to reduce annual legal immigrants to the United States by hundreds of thousands, to the lowest level in decades.” The last line contains the kicker: the population transfer that Trump yearns to orchestrate. In addition to deporting the Dreamers, the undocumented, and those with temporary protected status like Salvadorans and Haitians, Trump wants to keep out as many folks from “shithole” countries as he can. If he gets his way, the administration is looking to “transfer” several million people out of the country, nearly comparable to the population transfer out of India at the time of partition in 1947. Going the other way in Trump’s dream world would be a trickle of Norwegians and other racially acceptable immigrants. Majoritarians of a feather Trump and Modi are only two of the new global leaders who have come to the forefront championing the interests of the “besieged majority.” Vladimir Putin came to power in Russia by going after the Chechens, whom he blamed for a series of suspicious apartment building bombings. Putin has since taken aim at all manner of minorities, from the LGBTQ community to the liberals that oppose his concentration of power. He’s emphasized that traditional values serve as a bulwark against what he’s called “aggressive minorities.” Benjamin Netanyahu has driven Israel into a corner by rejecting Palestinian (and international) demands for a two-state solution. The Jewish majority is fast on its way to becoming a minority within Israel. Once constituting 87 percent of the population in 1950, Jews are now close to parity with Arabs if you count everyone in the Occupied Territories and Gaza (6.1 million Jews and 5.8 million Arabs). Yet Netanyahu continues to advocate on behalf of the “besieged majority” by supporting illegal settlements, rejoicing in the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and kowtowing to the country’s religious right. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni-majority country, is also home to a large Shia minority of about 10% of the population. Riyadh has systematically discriminated against this minority — in part because of fears of its links to Iran. The Saudi government has imprisoned and executed leading members of the community and has even effectively waged war against Shias in the city of Awamiya. I’ve chosen these three countries because Donald Trump has formed strong bonds with Putin, Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. But there’s no shortage of other leaders that fall into this category: Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, Viktor Orban in Hungary, Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey. They all aspire to follow the South Asian example. Majoritarianism has morphed into one of the 21st century’s greatest threats. The “tyranny of the majority” that America’s founding fathers warned about has become a reality thanks to the failure of left liberalism to sell multiculturalism more effectively. Majoritarianism has evolved into a knee-jerk response to what globalization offers, for better or worse — from increased trade and greater flows of immigrants and refugees to the freer exchange of information behind both rapid technological transformation and the demands of transnational human rights movements. Nationalism, a disguise that the majority dons to make their demands somehow more palatable, is a bunker that a country can crawl into to survive the high winds of change. The institutions that stand against the majoritarians are old and in need of some serious overhaul. The United Nations was formed in the aftermath of World War II. The European Union and other regional organizations were in part responses to the Cold War. The international financial institutions were likewise forged in a different era. Meanwhile, the institutions that form the nervous system of our brave new world, like Facebook and Twitter and Google and Amazon, view multiculturalism as a way to maximize profit, like those old “United Colors of Benetton” ads that featured a multicultural array of models that made the clothes seem chic and edgy. At least Benetton was willing to ruffle some feathers with its campaign. Combating majoritarianism requires a new campaign and new institutions. That’s my dream: a world that recognizes that multiculturalism isn’t just cool but essential to democratic politics, strong economies and healthy societies that don’t tear themselves apart from the inside. Where, oh where has this internationalism gone? This article was originally published by Fair Observer. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: The Modi-Trump love connection explained

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the fight against terrorism and radicalisation was not against any religion, but against a mindset that misguides the young.

Every religion promotes human values, the prime minister said in his address at a conference on &#39;Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding &amp; Moderation&#39;, where Jordan&#39;s King Abdullah II was also present.

India, the prime minister added, had been a &quot;cradle of all major religions in the world&quot;.

Indian democracy is a celebration of age-old pluralism, Modi said. According to him, all faiths promote human values. &quot;... Therefore, our youth should associate themselves with the humanitarian aspects of Islam and should also able to use modern technology&quot;, he said.

Sharing his views on religion, Abdullah II said faith should hold humanity together.

Faith allows us to prosper and thrive, he said while emphasising that people should reject voices which spread hatred.

&quot;Our strongest defence against turmoil is inclusion,&quot; he said.

Every religion promotes human values, the prime minister said in his address

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the fight against terrorism and radicalisation was not against any religion, but against a mindset that misguides the young. Every religion promotes human values, the prime minister said in his address at a conference on 'Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding & Moderation', where Jordan's King Abdullah II was also present. India, the prime minister added, had been a "cradle of all major religions in the world". Indian democracy is a celebration of age-old pluralism, Modi said. According to him, all faiths promote human values. "... Therefore, our youth should associate themselves with the humanitarian aspects of Islam and should also able to use modern technology", he said. Sharing his views on religion, Abdullah II said faith should hold humanity together. Faith allows us to prosper and thrive, he said while emphasising that people should reject voices which spread hatred. "Our strongest defence against turmoil is inclusion," he said.

Fight against terrorism not against any religion: PM Narendra Modi

The core of a religion cannot be inhumane. Every religion, every sect, every tradition promotes human values. Thus, it is important that today our youth should connect with humane Islam while being able to utilise modern science and technology at the same time, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.&nbsp;

Modi was taking part in an Islamic conference in New Delhi along with Jordan King Abdullah II, who is on a state visit to India.&nbsp;

The conference, themed &lsquo;Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding and Moderation&rsquo;, has brought together scholars of the Islamic studies from across the world.&nbsp;

In India, we have one mission - to take along everyone on the path to development, Modi said and added &#39;&#39;Our heritage and values, the message of our religions and our morals are the basis on which we challenge violent and terror elements. Those who commit crimes against humanity do not understand that their actions also hurt people of that religion, which they claim to be protecting,&#39;&#39; he said.

It is the power which allows ever Indian to respect our glorious past, believe in our present and have faith in our future, &nbsp;Modis said.

India has hosted religions from across the world. In India&#39;s atmosphere, they have thrived. Be it Lord Budhha 2500 years ago or Mahatma Gandhi a century ago - India has always spread the message of peace and love to the world, PM said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Jordan and India are etched in the religious text. Jordan is located on a holy land, from where the message of God is spreading through His messengers across the globe, Modi said.

PM Modi and Jordanian King will hold bilateral talks on India-Jordan relations after the conference.&nbsp;

Modi was taking part in an Islamic conference in New Delhi along with Jordan King Abdullah II, who is on a state visit to India.

The core of a religion cannot be inhumane. Every religion, every sect, every tradition promotes human values. Thus, it is important that today our youth should connect with humane Islam while being able to utilise modern science and technology at the same time, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Modi was taking part in an Islamic conference in New Delhi along with Jordan King Abdullah II, who is on a state visit to India. The conference, themed ‘Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding and Moderation’, has brought together scholars of the Islamic studies from across the world. In India, we have one mission - to take along everyone on the path to development, Modi said and added ''Our heritage and values, the message of our religions and our morals are the basis on which we challenge violent and terror elements. Those who commit crimes against humanity do not understand that their actions also hurt people of that religion, which they claim to be protecting,'' he said. It is the power which allows ever Indian to respect our glorious past, believe in our present and have faith in our future, Modis said. India has hosted religions from across the world. In India's atmosphere, they have thrived. Be it Lord Budhha 2500 years ago or Mahatma Gandhi a century ago - India has always spread the message of peace and love to the world, PM said. Jordan and India are etched in the religious text. Jordan is located on a holy land, from where the message of God is spreading through His messengers across the globe, Modi said. PM Modi and Jordanian King will hold bilateral talks on India-Jordan relations after the conference.

Core of religion cannot be inhumane: PM Narendra Modi

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