<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his three-nation tour of Portugal, the United States and the Netherlands and left for home.</p>

<p>Earlier, PM Modi concluded his last leg of the visit by addressing members of the Indian community in the Netherlands.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PM Modi&#39;s&nbsp;speech, filled with light-hearted banter, was met with huge applause from the audience.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: Members of the Indian community chant &#39;Modi Modi&#39; as the Prime Minister greets diaspora after his address in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Netherlands?src=hash">#Netherlands</a> <a href="https://t.co/VQJWJsLbph">pic.twitter.com/VQJWJsLbph</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/879752647720353792">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>He began by saying &quot;Kaa haal baa&quot;, the Bhojpuri phrase for &quot;How are you&quot;. A large part of the Indian diaspora in Netherlands comprises of Indians from the Bhojpuri community.</p>

<p>&quot;The passport of the people who live here may be of any colour. Colours of passports may change but blood ties don&#39;t,&quot; the Indian PM said in his address at the Hague&#39;s Sportcampus Zuiderpark.</p>

<p>Reaching out to the Indian community, the prime minister called them &quot;representatives of the people&quot;.</p>

<p>&quot;The government has embassies and bureaucrats to represent it, they are called envoys. But all those over here are representatives of the government,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>&quot;Netherlands is the country which has second largest Indian diaspora,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>The Indian prime minister expressed surprise that despite the presence of a large Indian diaspora, only 10% of the people had an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card. He said said his government was thinking of giving Dutch citizens a five-year business visa in the coming days.</p>

<p>In his address, the Indian PM also stressed on the importance of science and the synergy between development and good governance.</p>

<p>&quot;Alone development or good governance cannot fulfill aspirations, a combination of both is required,&quot;&nbsp;PM Modi said.</p>

<p>&quot;The India of the 21st century cannot stay behind when it comes to technology and infrastructure. Everything we have must be world class,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Indian PM spoke about the importance of women empowerment and women-led development&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The role of women in the agriculture sector, co-operatives is very important. India&#39;s Nari Shakti (women empowerment) is contributing to India&#39;s progress,&quot; PM Modi said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alone development or good governance cannot fulfill aspirations, a combination of both is required: PM Modi <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ModiInNetherlands?src=hash">#ModiInNetherlands</a> <a href="https://t.co/F2eNXvHNvd">pic.twitter.com/F2eNXvHNvd</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/879742605340286977">June 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p><br />
Earlier in the day, PM Modi met Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, followed by a meeting with Dutch CEOs where he spoke about the reforms undertaken by his government over the last three years.</p>

<p>The Indian PM called upon CEOs to invest in India, calling it a &quot;land of opportunities&quot;.</p>

<p>Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte lauded India for its commitment to renewable energy and the Paris Climate Agreement.&quot;I commend India for its commitment to renewable energy and to the Paris Climate Agreement,&quot; he said in a joint statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Catshuis.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


PM Modi began his speech on a lighter note, saying 'Kaa haal baa', the Bhojpuri phrase for 'How are you'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his three-nation tour of Portugal, the United States and the Netherlands and left for home. Earlier, PM Modi concluded his last leg of the visit by addressing members of the Indian community in the Netherlands. PM Modi's speech, filled with light-hearted banter, was met with huge applause from the audience. #WATCH: Members of the Indian community chant 'Modi Modi' as the Prime Minister greets diaspora after his address in #Netherlands pic.twitter.com/VQJWJsLbph — ANI (@ANI_news) June 27, 2017 × He began by saying "Kaa haal baa", the Bhojpuri phrase for "How are you". A large part of the Indian diaspora in Netherlands comprises of Indians from the Bhojpuri community. "The passport of the people who live here may be of any colour. Colours of passports may change but blood ties don't," the Indian PM said in his address at the Hague's Sportcampus Zuiderpark. Reaching out to the Indian community, the prime minister called them "representatives of the people". "The government has embassies and bureaucrats to represent it, they are called envoys. But all those over here are representatives of the government," PM Modi said. "Netherlands is the country which has second largest Indian diaspora," PM Modi said. The Indian prime minister expressed surprise that despite the presence of a large Indian diaspora, only 10% of the people had an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card. He said said his government was thinking of giving Dutch citizens a five-year business visa in the coming days. In his address, the Indian PM also stressed on the importance of science and the synergy between development and good governance. "Alone development or good governance cannot fulfill aspirations, a combination of both is required," PM Modi said. "The India of the 21st century cannot stay behind when it comes to technology and infrastructure. Everything we have must be world class," PM Modi said. The Indian PM spoke about the importance of women empowerment and women-led development "The role of women in the agriculture sector, co-operatives is very important. India's Nari Shakti (women empowerment) is contributing to India's progress," PM Modi said. Alone development or good governance cannot fulfill aspirations, a combination of both is required: PM Modi #ModiInNetherlands pic.twitter.com/F2eNXvHNvd — ANI (@ANI_news) June 27, 2017 × Earlier in the day, PM Modi met Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, followed by a meeting with Dutch CEOs where he spoke about the reforms undertaken by his government over the last three years. The Indian PM called upon CEOs to invest in India, calling it a "land of opportunities". Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte lauded India for its commitment to renewable energy and the Paris Climate Agreement."I commend India for its commitment to renewable energy and to the Paris Climate Agreement," he said in a joint statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Catshuis.

PM Modi concludes 3-nation tour with speech to Indian community in Netherlands

<p>The Goods and Services Tax, to come into effect&nbsp;on&nbsp;July 1, is bound to create a burdensome increase in legal proceedings, some of India&#39;s top lawyers can foresee, <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/lawyers-are-smiling-as-gst-set-to-fuel-litigation-wave/articleshow/59331775.cms" target="_blank">Blooomberg </a>reports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The GST bill divides all goods and services into four brackets which will varyingly levy&nbsp;either 5, 12, 18, or 28 per cent taxes. It combines more than a dozen taxes levied on various products and facilities in the market, although most staples and fresh vegetables are spared.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many lawyers believe that this move will have multiple (if not all) industries knocking on the doors of the courts to try and get their goods or services into a lower tax bracket.</p>

<p>&quot;I absolutely expect more litigation, so we are increasing our team,&quot; Bloomberg reported Sandeep Chilana, a partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas &amp; Co, as saying. &quot;The most impacted industry by GST is my industry. And we are obviously impacted positively.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;When there are different tax rates, there is always a possibility that someone will want to be in the lower slab,&quot; Chilana added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An example of such a case, Bloomberg reported, was McDonald&#39;s 12-year conflict with the Indian tax authorities.</p>

<p>McDonald&#39;s was trying to get its soft-serve ice cream cones&nbsp;exempted from taxes, with the corporation saying the cones were a dairy product and hence should not be charged the 16 per cent duty they were being. The case went up to the Supreme Court,&nbsp;which ruled in favour of the tax authorities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The prediction, if&nbsp;true, suggests&nbsp;a great deal of pressure will fall on India&#39;s judicial services, which was already choking with over 100,000 indirect tax appeals at end&nbsp;of March, 2015. The cases had locked away $23 billion in potential government revenue, according&nbsp;to a government report, Bloomberg reported.&nbsp;</p>


GST will probably result in companies filing more legal suits, wanting their goods and services placed under a lower tax bracket

The Goods and Services Tax, to come into effect on July 1, is bound to create a burdensome increase in legal proceedings, some of India's top lawyers can foresee, Blooomberg reports. The GST bill divides all goods and services into four brackets which will varyingly levy either 5, 12, 18, or 28 per cent taxes. It combines more than a dozen taxes levied on various products and facilities in the market, although most staples and fresh vegetables are spared. Many lawyers believe that this move will have multiple (if not all) industries knocking on the doors of the courts to try and get their goods or services into a lower tax bracket. "I absolutely expect more litigation, so we are increasing our team," Bloomberg reported Sandeep Chilana, a partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, as saying. "The most impacted industry by GST is my industry. And we are obviously impacted positively." "When there are different tax rates, there is always a possibility that someone will want to be in the lower slab," Chilana added. An example of such a case, Bloomberg reported, was McDonald's 12-year conflict with the Indian tax authorities. McDonald's was trying to get its soft-serve ice cream cones exempted from taxes, with the corporation saying the cones were a dairy product and hence should not be charged the 16 per cent duty they were being. The case went up to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favour of the tax authorities. The prediction, if true, suggests a great deal of pressure will fall on India's judicial services, which was already choking with over 100,000 indirect tax appeals at end of March, 2015. The cases had locked away $23 billion in potential government revenue, according to a government report, Bloomberg reported.

GST good for lawyers, will increase legal proceedings

<p>The US has cleared the sale of predator Guardian drones to India, PTI reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p>At their joint statement, delivered from the White House on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi had pledged to deepen defence and security cooperation.</p>

<p>The US and India look forward to working together on advanced defence equipment and technology at a level commensurate with that of America&#39;s closest allies and partners, said a statement issued after the India US Summit at the White House.</p>

<p>&quot;President Trump and Prime Minister Modi pledged to deepen defence and security cooperation, building on the United States&#39; recognition of India as a Major Defence Partner,&quot; the statement added.</p>

<p>The drone deal -- India will reportedly buy 22 drones for between $2 to 3 billion -- was being seen as a key test of the India-US relationship.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India&#39;s defence partnership with the US had flourished under former US President Barack Obama, but was seen to be flagging under President Trump.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to General Atomics, PTI reported, the Predator Guardian UAV, a variant of the Predator B, can be used for wide-area, long- endurance maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.</p>

<p>PTI added that the drone It can stay in the air for up to 27 hours and can fly at maximum altitude of 50,000 feet.</p>

<p>The Indian Navy had asked for the drone last year.</p>

<p>The drone is said to have cutting-edge technologies that do not currently exist in the Indian Navy&#39;s arsenal.&nbsp;</p>


The US has cleared the sale of predator Guardian drones to India, PTI reported. At their joint statement, delivered from the White House on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Modi had pledged to deepen defence and security cooperation. The US and India look forward to working together on advanced defence equipment and technology at a level commensurate with that of America's closest allies and partners, said a statement issued after the India US Summit at the White House. "President Trump and Prime Minister Modi pledged to deepen defence and security cooperation, building on the United States' recognition of India as a Major Defence Partner," the statement added. The drone deal -- India will reportedly buy 22 drones for between $2 to 3 billion -- was being seen as a key test of the India-US relationship. India's defence partnership with the US had flourished under former US President Barack Obama, but was seen to be flagging under President Trump. According to General Atomics, PTI reported, the Predator Guardian UAV, a variant of the Predator B, can be used for wide-area, long- endurance maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. PTI added that the drone It can stay in the air for up to 27 hours and can fly at maximum altitude of 50,000 feet. The Indian Navy had asked for the drone last year. The drone is said to have cutting-edge technologies that do not currently exist in the Indian Navy's arsenal.

US clears sale of Guardian drones to India, purchase to cost as much as $3 bn

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{140}" paraid="1387342789">&quot;We will destroy radical Islamic terrorism,&quot; US President Donald Trump made his agenda clear while delivering the joint press statement&nbsp;at the&nbsp;White House&nbsp;in Washington DC&nbsp;today with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp;Both the leaders affirmed their commitment to fighting terror in their societies.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{152}" paraid="456223200">PM Narendra Modi&nbsp;told the gathered media that&nbsp;terrorism and extremism&nbsp;were&nbsp;on top of the agenda&nbsp;for&nbsp;the meeting between him and&nbsp;US President&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;and the two administrations.&nbsp;The two leaders made the statement in the Rose Garden on a sunny day with US First Lady Melania Trump present dressed in a yellow ensemble.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{156}" paraid="60804993">&quot;Fighting terror and destroying terror safe havens is our common goal. We will increase intelligence sharing on terror,&quot; PM Modi said in his address.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{164}" paraid="1557069042">&quot;The protection of our&nbsp;societies&nbsp;is the topmost priority for me and President Trump. The common empowerment of the two biggest democracies in the world is our focus,&quot; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{168}" paraid="1443934304">On his part, President Trump&nbsp;stressed the common link of democracy between the American and Indian people.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{176}" paraid="1888145745">&quot;Both the Indian and American Constitution&nbsp;begin with&nbsp;three&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;words -&nbsp;&quot;We the people&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{180}" paraid="2048869949">Regional crises also figured between the two leaders with the instability in Afghanistan and Indo-Pacific region being the prominent points of concern.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{188}" paraid="1781731677">President Trump also lauded the tax overhaul to be&nbsp;undertaken&nbsp;by&nbsp;the Indian government&nbsp;and the&nbsp;economic&nbsp;growth rate of India.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{196}" paraid="1348818368">&quot;In two weeks, you are going to begin one of the largest tax&nbsp;overhaul&nbsp;in&nbsp;your country&#39;s history. We are also doing this by the way,&quot; Trump said&nbsp;to Modi as a part of his address.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{196}" paraid="1348818368">On the trade between the two countries, Trump said that it is important that the barriers be removed for the export of US goods to India.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{196}" paraid="1348818368">&quot;It is important that barriers be removed to the export of U.S. goods into your markets and that we reduce our trade deficit with your country,&quot; he said.</p>

<p paraeid="{f24ac4f7-645d-4f01-b57f-e468e8200369}{212}" paraid="2046653804">President Trump also highlighted India&#39;s contribution to the&nbsp;American economy&nbsp;by mentioning an Indian&nbsp;Airlines&nbsp;order for&nbsp;100&nbsp;aircraft that he said will generate &quot;many American jobs&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>President Trump further welcomed further India&#39;s contribution to promoting democracy and security in Afghanistan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Both leaders committed to continue close consultations and cooperation in support of Afghanistan&rsquo;s future.</p>

<p>Trump brought a touch of&nbsp;humour&nbsp;and informality&nbsp;to the normally dry official proceeding with several off-the-cuff remarks. &quot;PM Modi and I are world leaders in social media,&quot; Trump said to laughter, even as he explained&nbsp;that this gave &quot;citizens of our countries the opportunity&nbsp;to hear directly from the elected officials&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{72acc357-dc32-491b-b7d1-f8d7623872c7}{160}" paraid="562057788" >President Trump also informed the media that PM Modi had invited his daughter Ivanka Trump to lead the American delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit to be held in India. &quot;And I believe she has accepted,&quot; he&nbsp;added.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{72acc357-dc32-491b-b7d1-f8d7623872c7}{160}" paraid="562057788" ><em>The full text of their speeches, published by the White House, is reproduced below:&nbsp;</em></p>

<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP: &nbsp;Thank you very much. &nbsp;Prime Minister Modi, thank you for being here with us today. &nbsp;It&rsquo;s a great honor to welcome the leader of the world&rsquo;s largest democracy to the White House.</p>

<p>I have always had a deep admiration for your country and for its people, and a profound appreciation for your rich culture, heritage and traditions. &nbsp;This summer, India will celebrate the 70th anniversary of its independence, and on behalf of the United States, I want to congratulate the Indian people on this magnificent milestone in the life of your very, very incredible nation.</p>

<p>During my campaign, I pledged that if elected, India would have a true friend in the White House. &nbsp;And that is now exactly what you have -- a true friend. &nbsp;The friendship between the United States and India is built on shared values, including our shared commitment to democracy. &nbsp;Not many people know it, but both American and the Indian constitutions begin with the same three very beautiful words: &nbsp;We the people.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister and I both understand the crucial importance of those words, which helps to form the foundation of cooperation between our two countries. &nbsp;Relations between countries are strongest when they are devoted to the interests of the people we serve. &nbsp;And after our meetings today, I will say that the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better.</p>

<p>I&rsquo;m proud to announce to the media, to the American people, and to the Indian people, that Prime Minister Modi and I are world leaders in social media -- (laughter) -- we&rsquo;re believers -- giving the citizens of our countries the opportunity to hear directly from their elected officials, and for us to hear directly from them. &nbsp;I guess it&rsquo;s worked very well in both cases.</p>

<p>I am thrilled to salute you, Prime Minister Modi, and the Indian people for all that you are accomplishing together. &nbsp;Your accomplishments have been vast. &nbsp;India has the fastest growing economy in the world. &nbsp;We hope we&rsquo;re going to be catching you very soon in terms of percentage increase, I have to tell you that. &nbsp;We&rsquo;re working on it. &nbsp;</p>

<p>In just two weeks, you will begin to implement the largest tax overhaul in your country&rsquo;s history -- we&rsquo;re doing that also, by the way -- creating great new opportunities for your citizens. &nbsp;You have a big vision for improving infrastructure, and you are fighting government corruption, which is always a grave threat to democracy.</p>

<p>Together, our countries can help chart an optimistic path into the future, one that unleashes the power of new technology, new infrastructure, and the enthusiasm and excitement of very hardworking and very dynamic people.</p>

<p>I look forward to working with you, Mr. Prime Minister, to create jobs in our countries, to grow our economies, and to create a trading relationship that is fair and reciprocal. &nbsp;It is important that barriers be removed to the export of U.S. goods into your markets, and that we reduce our trade deficit with your country. &nbsp;</p>

<p>I was pleased to learn about an Indian Airlines recent order of 100 new American planes, one of the largest orders of its kind, which will support thousands and thousands of American jobs. &nbsp;We&rsquo;re also looking forward to exporting more American energy to India as your economy grows, including major long-term contracts to purchase American natural gas, which are right now being negotiated, and we will sign them. &nbsp;Trying to get the price up a little bit.</p>

<p>To further our economic partnership, I&rsquo;m excited to report that the Prime Minister has invited my daughter, Ivanka, to lead the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India this fall. &nbsp;And I believe she has accepted. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Finally, the security partnership between the United States and India is incredibly important. &nbsp;Both our nations have been struck by the evils of terrorism, and we are both determined to destroy terrorist organizations and the radical ideology that drives them. &nbsp;We will destroy radical Islamic terrorism. &nbsp;Our militaries are working every day to enhance cooperation between our military forces. &nbsp;And next month, they will join together with the Japanese navy to take place in the largest maritime exercise ever conducted in the vast Indian Ocean.</p>

<p>I also thank the Indian people for their contributions to the effort in Afghanistan, and for joining us in applying new sanctions against the North Korean regime. &nbsp;The North Korean regime is causing tremendous problems and is something that has to be dealt with, and probably dealt with rapidly.</p>

<p>Working together, I truly believe our two countries can set an example for many other nations, make great strides in defeating common threats, and make great progress in unleashing amazing prosperity and growth.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi, thank you again for joining me today, and for visiting our country and our wonderful White House and Oval Office. &nbsp;I enjoyed our very productive conversation this afternoon, and look forward to its continuation tonight at dinner. &nbsp;The future of our partnership has never looked brighter. &nbsp;India and the United States will always be tied together in friendship and respect.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi, thank you very much. &nbsp;Thank you. &nbsp;Thank you. &nbsp;(Applause.) &nbsp;</p>

<p>PRIME MINISTER MODI: &nbsp;(As interpreted.) &nbsp;President Donald Trump and First Lady, Vice President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen of the media: &nbsp;Right from the opening tweet to the end of our talks, President Trump&#39;s welcome, which was filled with friendliness, his warm welcome to the White House by himself and the First Lady, I would like to thank both of you from the bottom of my heart for this warm welcome.</p>

<p>I would also like to give a special thanks to you, President Trump, for having spent so much time with me, for having spoken such kind words about me and my country. &nbsp;And I would like to tell you that I&#39;m eager to welcome your daughter to India for the Entrepreneurship Summit. &nbsp;</p>

<p>President Trump, I&#39;d once again like to thank you for the time that you have spent with me. &nbsp;I&#39;d like to give you special thanks for that.</p>

<p>My visit and our talks today will mark a very important page in the history of the collaboration and cooperation between our two nations. &nbsp;The talks between his Excellency, President Trump, and myself today have been extremely important from all points of view, for several reasons: &nbsp;Because they were based on mutual trust; because of the convergence and similarities they revealed in our values, and our priorities, and in our concerns and interests; because they focused on the highest levels of achievement in our cooperation, and mutual support, and partnership; because our two countries are global engines of growth; because the all-around or comprehensive economic growth and joint progress of both countries and both societies is the main objective for both the President and myself, and will remain so; because the top priority for both President Trump and myself is to protect our society from global challenges like terrorism; and because our aim is the strengthening of India and the USA -- two great democracies in the world -- friends.</p>

<p>Our robust strategic partnership is such that it touches upon almost all areas of human endeavor. &nbsp;In our conversation today, President Trump and I have discussed all dimensions of India-U.S. relations at length. &nbsp;Both nations are committed to a bilateral architecture that will take our strategic partnership to new heights.</p>

<p>In this relationship, in both countries, increased productivity, growth, job creation, and breakthrough technologies -- an engagement towards all these are, and will remain, strong drivers of our cooperation, and will give further momentum to our relationship.</p>

<p>We consider the USA as our primary partner for India&#39;s social and economic transformation in all our flagship programs and schemes. &nbsp;I am sure that the convergence between my vision for a &quot;new India and President Trump&#39;s vision for &quot;making America great again&quot; will add new dimensions to our cooperation.</p>

<p>I am very clear about the fact that India&#39;s interests lie in a strong, and prosperous, and successful America. &nbsp;In the same way, India&#39;s development and its growing role at the international level are in the USA&#39;s interest. &nbsp;</p>

<p>One of our common priorities will be the development of trade, commerce, and investment links. &nbsp;And in this regard, in the technology, innovation, and knowledge-economy sectors, the expansion and deepening of cooperation is also among our priorities. &nbsp;Towards this end, we shall take steps to further strengthen our successful digital partnership. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Friends, we are not just partners by chance. &nbsp;We are also partners in dealing with current and future challenges that we may be faced with. &nbsp;Today, during our meeting, we discussed the serious challenges of terrorism, extremism, and radicalization, which are the major challenges facing the world today. &nbsp;And we have agreed to enhance our cooperation in fighting against these scourges. Fighting terrorism and doing away with the safe shelters, sanctuaries, and safe havens will be an important part of our cooperation.</p>

<p>With respect to our common concerns on terrorism, we will also enhance our sharing of intelligence, and exchange information to deepen and expand our policy coordination as far as possible. &nbsp;</p>

<p>We also spoke at length on regional issues. &nbsp;The increasing instability, due to terrorism, in Afghanistan is one of our common concerns. &nbsp;Both India and America have played an important role in rebuilding Afghanistan and ensuring its security. &nbsp;In order to attain our objectives for peace and stability in Afghanistan, we will maintain close consultation and communication with the U.S. to enhance coordination between our two nations.</p>

<p>In the Indo-Pacific region, in order to maintain peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, this is also another objective of our strategic cooperation in this area. &nbsp;The increasing possibilities for enhancing cooperation in order to protect our strategic interests will continue to determine the dimensions of our partnership. &nbsp;We will continue to work with the USA in this region.</p>

<p>With regard to security-related challenges, our enhanced and growing defense and security cooperation is extremely important. &nbsp;We have spoken at length on this subject as well. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The strengthening of India&rsquo;s defense capabilities, with the help of USA, is something that we truly appreciate. &nbsp;We have also decided to enhance maritime security cooperation between the two nations. &nbsp;President Trump and I have also spoken about strengthening bilateral defense technology and our trade and manufacturing partnership, which we believe will be mutually beneficial to us.</p>

<p>We also discussed international issues and our common strategic interests. &nbsp;In this context, we are extremely grateful for the continued support of the United States for India&rsquo;s membership of international institutions and regimes. &nbsp;We truly appreciate the support, because this is also in the interest of both our nations.</p>

<p>President Trump, I thank you for your feelings of friendship towards India and myself. &nbsp;I deeply appreciate your strong commitment to the enhancement of our bilateral relations. &nbsp;I am sure that under your leadership, our mutually beneficial strategic partnership will gain new strength, new positivity, and will reach new heights, and that your vast and successful experience in the business world will lend an aggressive and forward-looking agenda to our relations. &nbsp;</p>

<p>In this journey of India-America relations, I think I would like to thank you for providing great leadership. &nbsp;Be assured that in this joint journey of our two nations towards development, growth and prosperity, I will remain a driven, determined, and decisive partner.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Excellency, my visit today and the extensive talks I have held with you have been very successful, very fruitful. &nbsp;And before leaving this mic, I would like to invite you to India, along with your family. And I hope that you will give me the opportunity to welcome you and host you in India. &nbsp;</p>

<p>And at the end, once again, I&rsquo;d like to thank you for the warm welcome extended by you and the First Lady to myself and my delegation, from the bottom of my heart. &nbsp;Thank you. &nbsp;(Applause.) &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>PRESIDENT TRUMP: &nbsp;Thank you very much, everybody. &nbsp;I appreciate it. &nbsp;Thank you.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>


Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also asserted that fighting terror was a priority for both India and US

"We will destroy radical Islamic terrorism," US President Donald Trump made his agenda clear while delivering the joint press statement at the White House in Washington DC today with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both the leaders affirmed their commitment to fighting terror in their societies. PM Narendra Modi told the gathered media that terrorism and extremism were on top of the agenda for the meeting between him and US President Trump and the two administrations. The two leaders made the statement in the Rose Garden on a sunny day with US First Lady Melania Trump present dressed in a yellow ensemble. "Fighting terror and destroying terror safe havens is our common goal. We will increase intelligence sharing on terror," PM Modi said in his address. "The protection of our societies is the topmost priority for me and President Trump. The common empowerment of the two biggest democracies in the world is our focus," he added. On his part, President Trump stressed the common link of democracy between the American and Indian people. "Both the Indian and American Constitution begin with three beautiful words - "We the people". Regional crises also figured between the two leaders with the instability in Afghanistan and Indo-Pacific region being the prominent points of concern. President Trump also lauded the tax overhaul to be undertaken by the Indian government and the economic growth rate of India. "In two weeks, you are going to begin one of the largest tax overhaul in your country's history. We are also doing this by the way," Trump said to Modi as a part of his address. On the trade between the two countries, Trump said that it is important that the barriers be removed for the export of US goods to India. "It is important that barriers be removed to the export of U.S. goods into your markets and that we reduce our trade deficit with your country," he said. President Trump also highlighted India's contribution to the American economy by mentioning an Indian Airlines order for 100 aircraft that he said will generate "many American jobs". President Trump further welcomed further India's contribution to promoting democracy and security in Afghanistan. Both leaders committed to continue close consultations and cooperation in support of Afghanistan’s future. Trump brought a touch of humour and informality to the normally dry official proceeding with several off-the-cuff remarks. "PM Modi and I are world leaders in social media," Trump said to laughter, even as he explained that this gave "citizens of our countries the opportunity to hear directly from the elected officials". President Trump also informed the media that PM Modi had invited his daughter Ivanka Trump to lead the American delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit to be held in India. "And I believe she has accepted," he added. The full text of their speeches, published by the White House, is reproduced below: PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much. Prime Minister Modi, thank you for being here with us today. It’s a great honor to welcome the leader of the world’s largest democracy to the White House. I have always had a deep admiration for your country and for its people, and a profound appreciation for your rich culture, heritage and traditions. This summer, India will celebrate the 70th anniversary of its independence, and on behalf of the United States, I want to congratulate the Indian people on this magnificent milestone in the life of your very, very incredible nation. During my campaign, I pledged that if elected, India would have a true friend in the White House. And that is now exactly what you have -- a true friend. The friendship between the United States and India is built on shared values, including our shared commitment to democracy. Not many people know it, but both American and the Indian constitutions begin with the same three very beautiful words: We the people. The Prime Minister and I both understand the crucial importance of those words, which helps to form the foundation of cooperation between our two countries. Relations between countries are strongest when they are devoted to the interests of the people we serve. And after our meetings today, I will say that the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better. I’m proud to announce to the media, to the American people, and to the Indian people, that Prime Minister Modi and I are world leaders in social media -- (laughter) -- we’re believers -- giving the citizens of our countries the opportunity to hear directly from their elected officials, and for us to hear directly from them. I guess it’s worked very well in both cases. I am thrilled to salute you, Prime Minister Modi, and the Indian people for all that you are accomplishing together. Your accomplishments have been vast. India has the fastest growing economy in the world. We hope we’re going to be catching you very soon in terms of percentage increase, I have to tell you that. We’re working on it. In just two weeks, you will begin to implement the largest tax overhaul in your country’s history -- we’re doing that also, by the way -- creating great new opportunities for your citizens. You have a big vision for improving infrastructure, and you are fighting government corruption, which is always a grave threat to democracy. Together, our countries can help chart an optimistic path into the future, one that unleashes the power of new technology, new infrastructure, and the enthusiasm and excitement of very hardworking and very dynamic people. I look forward to working with you, Mr. Prime Minister, to create jobs in our countries, to grow our economies, and to create a trading relationship that is fair and reciprocal. It is important that barriers be removed to the export of U.S. goods into your markets, and that we reduce our trade deficit with your country. I was pleased to learn about an Indian Airlines recent order of 100 new American planes, one of the largest orders of its kind, which will support thousands and thousands of American jobs. We’re also looking forward to exporting more American energy to India as your economy grows, including major long-term contracts to purchase American natural gas, which are right now being negotiated, and we will sign them. Trying to get the price up a little bit. To further our economic partnership, I’m excited to report that the Prime Minister has invited my daughter, Ivanka, to lead the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India this fall. And I believe she has accepted. Finally, the security partnership between the United States and India is incredibly important. Both our nations have been struck by the evils of terrorism, and we are both determined to destroy terrorist organizations and the radical ideology that drives them. We will destroy radical Islamic terrorism. Our militaries are working every day to enhance cooperation between our military forces. And next month, they will join together with the Japanese navy to take place in the largest maritime exercise ever conducted in the vast Indian Ocean. I also thank the Indian people for their contributions to the effort in Afghanistan, and for joining us in applying new sanctions against the North Korean regime. The North Korean regime is causing tremendous problems and is something that has to be dealt with, and probably dealt with rapidly. Working together, I truly believe our two countries can set an example for many other nations, make great strides in defeating common threats, and make great progress in unleashing amazing prosperity and growth. Prime Minister Modi, thank you again for joining me today, and for visiting our country and our wonderful White House and Oval Office. I enjoyed our very productive conversation this afternoon, and look forward to its continuation tonight at dinner. The future of our partnership has never looked brighter. India and the United States will always be tied together in friendship and respect. Prime Minister Modi, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.) PRIME MINISTER MODI: (As interpreted.) President Donald Trump and First Lady, Vice President, ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen of the media: Right from the opening tweet to the end of our talks, President Trump's welcome, which was filled with friendliness, his warm welcome to the White House by himself and the First Lady, I would like to thank both of you from the bottom of my heart for this warm welcome. I would also like to give a special thanks to you, President Trump, for having spent so much time with me, for having spoken such kind words about me and my country. And I would like to tell you that I'm eager to welcome your daughter to India for the Entrepreneurship Summit. President Trump, I'd once again like to thank you for the time that you have spent with me. I'd like to give you special thanks for that. My visit and our talks today will mark a very important page in the history of the collaboration and cooperation between our two nations. The talks between his Excellency, President Trump, and myself today have been extremely important from all points of view, for several reasons: Because they were based on mutual trust; because of the convergence and similarities they revealed in our values, and our priorities, and in our concerns and interests; because they focused on the highest levels of achievement in our cooperation, and mutual support, and partnership; because our two countries are global engines of growth; because the all-around or comprehensive economic growth and joint progress of both countries and both societies is the main objective for both the President and myself, and will remain so; because the top priority for both President Trump and myself is to protect our society from global challenges like terrorism; and because our aim is the strengthening of India and the USA -- two great democracies in the world -- friends. Our robust strategic partnership is such that it touches upon almost all areas of human endeavor. In our conversation today, President Trump and I have discussed all dimensions of India-U.S. relations at length. Both nations are committed to a bilateral architecture that will take our strategic partnership to new heights. In this relationship, in both countries, increased productivity, growth, job creation, and breakthrough technologies -- an engagement towards all these are, and will remain, strong drivers of our cooperation, and will give further momentum to our relationship. We consider the USA as our primary partner for India's social and economic transformation in all our flagship programs and schemes. I am sure that the convergence between my vision for a "new India and President Trump's vision for "making America great again" will add new dimensions to our cooperation. I am very clear about the fact that India's interests lie in a strong, and prosperous, and successful America. In the same way, India's development and its growing role at the international level are in the USA's interest. One of our common priorities will be the development of trade, commerce, and investment links. And in this regard, in the technology, innovation, and knowledge-economy sectors, the expansion and deepening of cooperation is also among our priorities. Towards this end, we shall take steps to further strengthen our successful digital partnership. Friends, we are not just partners by chance. We are also partners in dealing with current and future challenges that we may be faced with. Today, during our meeting, we discussed the serious challenges of terrorism, extremism, and radicalization, which are the major challenges facing the world today. And we have agreed to enhance our cooperation in fighting against these scourges. Fighting terrorism and doing away with the safe shelters, sanctuaries, and safe havens will be an important part of our cooperation. With respect to our common concerns on terrorism, we will also enhance our sharing of intelligence, and exchange information to deepen and expand our policy coordination as far as possible. We also spoke at length on regional issues. The increasing instability, due to terrorism, in Afghanistan is one of our common concerns. Both India and America have played an important role in rebuilding Afghanistan and ensuring its security. In order to attain our objectives for peace and stability in Afghanistan, we will maintain close consultation and communication with the U.S. to enhance coordination between our two nations. In the Indo-Pacific region, in order to maintain peace, stability, and prosperity in the region, this is also another objective of our strategic cooperation in this area. The increasing possibilities for enhancing cooperation in order to protect our strategic interests will continue to determine the dimensions of our partnership. We will continue to work with the USA in this region. With regard to security-related challenges, our enhanced and growing defense and security cooperation is extremely important. We have spoken at length on this subject as well. The strengthening of India’s defense capabilities, with the help of USA, is something that we truly appreciate. We have also decided to enhance maritime security cooperation between the two nations. President Trump and I have also spoken about strengthening bilateral defense technology and our trade and manufacturing partnership, which we believe will be mutually beneficial to us. We also discussed international issues and our common strategic interests. In this context, we are extremely grateful for the continued support of the United States for India’s membership of international institutions and regimes. We truly appreciate the support, because this is also in the interest of both our nations. President Trump, I thank you for your feelings of friendship towards India and myself. I deeply appreciate your strong commitment to the enhancement of our bilateral relations. I am sure that under your leadership, our mutually beneficial strategic partnership will gain new strength, new positivity, and will reach new heights, and that your vast and successful experience in the business world will lend an aggressive and forward-looking agenda to our relations. In this journey of India-America relations, I think I would like to thank you for providing great leadership. Be assured that in this joint journey of our two nations towards development, growth and prosperity, I will remain a driven, determined, and decisive partner. Excellency, my visit today and the extensive talks I have held with you have been very successful, very fruitful. And before leaving this mic, I would like to invite you to India, along with your family. And I hope that you will give me the opportunity to welcome you and host you in India. And at the end, once again, I’d like to thank you for the warm welcome extended by you and the First Lady to myself and my delegation, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you. (Applause.) PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you very much, everybody. I appreciate it. Thank you.

India-US joint statement: 'We will destroy radical Islamic terrorism,' says US President Trump

<p>India and the US have called on Pakistan to stop its soil from being used as a terror launchpad, Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar said at a Ministry of External Affairs media briefing after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Donald Trump.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaishankar said India and the US, in a joint statement, have called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice perpatrators of terror attacks like 26/11, Pathankot, and other cross-border attacks perpetrated by Pakistan-based terror groups.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaishankar added that the designation of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a &quot;global terrorist&quot; before the Modi-Trump meeting was &quot;a strong signal from the administration&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>Watch video of the media briefing below:&nbsp;</em></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/do2MWlq1dmk" width="560"></iframe></p>

<p>Jaishankar added that terrorism was identified as a key challenge in the Trump-Modi meeting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>And that discussions were also held on the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the United Nations Security Council.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The meeting between the two leaders, said Jaishankar, was cordial, focused and open.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There was a great degree of ease, he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Both leaders emphasised the importance of free and fair trade, Jaishankar added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jaishankar also added that President Trump had accepted Prime Minister Modi&#39;s invitation to visit India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But he said he had no further details about the possible visit at the moment.&nbsp;</p>


Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar said India and the US, in a joint statement, have called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice perpatrators of terror attacks like 26/11 & Pathankot

India and the US have called on Pakistan to stop its soil from being used as a terror launchpad, Indian foreign secretary S Jaishankar said at a Ministry of External Affairs media briefing after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President Donald Trump. Jaishankar said India and the US, in a joint statement, have called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice perpatrators of terror attacks like 26/11, Pathankot, and other cross-border attacks perpetrated by Pakistan-based terror groups. Jaishankar added that the designation of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin as a "global terrorist" before the Modi-Trump meeting was "a strong signal from the administration". Watch video of the media briefing below: Jaishankar added that terrorism was identified as a key challenge in the Trump-Modi meeting. And that discussions were also held on the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the United Nations Security Council. The meeting between the two leaders, said Jaishankar, was cordial, focused and open. There was a great degree of ease, he said. Both leaders emphasised the importance of free and fair trade, Jaishankar added. Jaishankar also added that President Trump had accepted Prime Minister Modi's invitation to visit India. But he said he had no further details about the possible visit at the moment.

India & US have called on Pakistan to stop its soil from being used as terror launchpad: MEA

<p>Indian media has substantial coverage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s trip to Washington. In contrast, US media has barely a mention of the trip. This reflects the difference in expectations: India hopes this trip will impact the country&#39;s destiny, whereas America, outside the Indian diaspora, doesn&#39;t really know who Modi is. The fate of America&nbsp;does not depend on&nbsp;its links to India.</p>

<p>In the lead up to their meeting, the Washington Post didn&#39;t carry any articles about Modi, but did have one about the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/06/24/how-can-they-hate-us-so-much-asks-father-of-muslim-teen-brutally-killed-in-attack-on-train-in-india/?utm_term=.31682ec6312f" target="_blank">Muslim </a>16-year-old thrashed to death on a train by a Hindu mob who were under the impression the kid was a &quot;beef-eater, an anti-national, a Pakistani&quot;.&nbsp;Indians here may feel this coverage is typical of the West, which instinctively&nbsp;and eagerly portrays the country in an&nbsp;unmodern&nbsp;light, rather than take up the narrative it is the world&#39;s new up and coming economy in the region.</p>

<p>Except the West is not uniformly under the impression that India is the new place to do business, despite savvy middle class&nbsp;India&#39;s opinion&nbsp;of itself. In the lead up to the meeting, a&nbsp;widely-shared <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21723830-he-more-nationalist-firebrand-indias-prime-minister-not-much-reformer" target="_blank">Economist </a>article called Modi &quot;not much of a reformer&quot; in the headline, and the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/06/24/technology/24reuters-usa-india-trade.html" target="_blank"> New York Times</a> carried an article saying US congressman are calling on Trump to urge Modi&nbsp;to &quot;remove barriers to US trade and investment&quot;, something which Modi supporters feel has already happened. Indians&nbsp;who have endured&nbsp;the shock of demonetisation, and who have heard about India&#39;s new cashless economy and all the BJP&#39;s economic reforms,&nbsp;may be surprised to learn that&nbsp;the World Bank ranked&nbsp;India 130th out of 190 countries for ease of doing business.</p>

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<h5>Trump&#39;s&nbsp;mob links are real and numerous and go back for decades. He&nbsp;has structured his White House administration on the mafia pattern, literally surrounding himself with&nbsp;family members&nbsp;whose only qualification for office&nbsp;is family loyalty.</h5>
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<p>That NYT article was published June 24th, and&nbsp;the website had no mention of the Indian Prime Minister when he landed in Washington.</p>

<p>It&#39;s true that before the&nbsp;meeting the US pledged to supply&nbsp;22 armed predator Guardian drones to the Indian Navy. This is said to boost the Navy&#39;s intelligence gathering, and is a deal worth $2-3 billion. Perhaps this was an offering to India, to help open things up along the terms Big Business wants, or perhaps it&#39;s a run of the mill military exchange between countries. Coherence from this&nbsp;US administration is non-existent;&nbsp;Trump called Qatar a state sponsor of terrorism, then days later the US agreed to supply&nbsp;them with $12 billion worth in jets.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi met the head&nbsp;of&nbsp;Wal Mart, who&nbsp;called their meeting &quot;fruitful&quot;. Who knows what this means for relations between the two countries?&nbsp;In the days to come&nbsp;there will be more symbolic statements and photo ops, but&nbsp;what they symbolize is anybody&#39;s guess.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It&#39;s hard to read because President&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;is a&nbsp;sociopathic kleptocrat. He is fundamentally untrustworthy,&nbsp;guided solely by what benefits his private wealth and hold on power. Trump&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.salon.com/2017/05/16/watch-dutch-documentary-investigates-trumps-links-to-russian-mob/" target="_blank">mob </a>links are real and numerous and go back for decades. He&nbsp;has structured his White House administration on the mafia pattern, literally surrounding himself with&nbsp;family members&nbsp;whose only qualification for office&nbsp;is family loyalty.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Boding well for India is the fact that he has Trump Hotels&nbsp;in Mumbai and&nbsp;Pune. This probably means more than his vocal criticism of India for only participating in the Paris climate accord, where he&nbsp;<a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/dismissing-donald-trumps-snarl-india-vows-to-stay-on-the-green-path/articleshow/58969162.cms" target="_blank">said</a>, &quot;India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Before taking any statement from Trump&#39;s mouth seriously, recall the &quot;bizarre and reckless&quot; phone call he had, just after being&nbsp;named the winner of the US election,&nbsp;with&nbsp;Pakistan Prime Minister&nbsp;Nawaz Sharif: &quot;You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every&nbsp;way.&quot;&nbsp;Yet Indian media is convinced that Trump is a partner in the fight against Pakistan terror. Maybe he will be. It&#39;s impossible to know. Trump&nbsp;speaks from three sides of his mouth.</p>

<p>Indians who are under the mistaken belief&nbsp;that the US President is a stable&nbsp;adult who operates within democratic or even economic norms&nbsp;may try to read for clues to speculate about India&#39;s&nbsp;future with Washington. Trump is&nbsp;only loyal to his ego, money and power. Everything else will be determined in time.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Trump cares about Trump, not India, or for that matter even America. Predicting the future of India-US ties without understanding this is hopeless

Indian media has substantial coverage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to Washington. In contrast, US media has barely a mention of the trip. This reflects the difference in expectations: India hopes this trip will impact the country's destiny, whereas America, outside the Indian diaspora, doesn't really know who Modi is. The fate of America does not depend on its links to India. In the lead up to their meeting, the Washington Post didn't carry any articles about Modi, but did have one about the Muslim 16-year-old thrashed to death on a train by a Hindu mob who were under the impression the kid was a "beef-eater, an anti-national, a Pakistani". Indians here may feel this coverage is typical of the West, which instinctively and eagerly portrays the country in an unmodern light, rather than take up the narrative it is the world's new up and coming economy in the region. Except the West is not uniformly under the impression that India is the new place to do business, despite savvy middle class India's opinion of itself. In the lead up to the meeting, a widely-shared Economist article called Modi "not much of a reformer" in the headline, and the New York Times carried an article saying US congressman are calling on Trump to urge Modi to "remove barriers to US trade and investment", something which Modi supporters feel has already happened. Indians who have endured the shock of demonetisation, and who have heard about India's new cashless economy and all the BJP's economic reforms, may be surprised to learn that the World Bank ranked India 130th out of 190 countries for ease of doing business. Trump's mob links are real and numerous and go back for decades. He has structured his White House administration on the mafia pattern, literally surrounding himself with family members whose only qualification for office is family loyalty. × That NYT article was published June 24th, and the website had no mention of the Indian Prime Minister when he landed in Washington. It's true that before the meeting the US pledged to supply 22 armed predator Guardian drones to the Indian Navy. This is said to boost the Navy's intelligence gathering, and is a deal worth $2-3 billion. Perhaps this was an offering to India, to help open things up along the terms Big Business wants, or perhaps it's a run of the mill military exchange between countries. Coherence from this US administration is non-existent; Trump called Qatar a state sponsor of terrorism, then days later the US agreed to supply them with $12 billion worth in jets. Modi met the head of Wal Mart, who called their meeting "fruitful". Who knows what this means for relations between the two countries? In the days to come there will be more symbolic statements and photo ops, but what they symbolize is anybody's guess. It's hard to read because President Trump is a sociopathic kleptocrat. He is fundamentally untrustworthy, guided solely by what benefits his private wealth and hold on power. Trump's mob links are real and numerous and go back for decades. He has structured his White House administration on the mafia pattern, literally surrounding himself with family members whose only qualification for office is family loyalty. Boding well for India is the fact that he has Trump Hotels in Mumbai and Pune. This probably means more than his vocal criticism of India for only participating in the Paris climate accord, where he said, "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries." Before taking any statement from Trump's mouth seriously, recall the "bizarre and reckless" phone call he had, just after being named the winner of the US election, with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif: "You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way." Yet Indian media is convinced that Trump is a partner in the fight against Pakistan terror. Maybe he will be. It's impossible to know. Trump speaks from three sides of his mouth. Indians who are under the mistaken belief that the US President is a stable adult who operates within democratic or even economic norms may try to read for clues to speculate about India's future with Washington. Trump is only loyal to his ego, money and power. Everything else will be determined in time. (WION)

Opinion: Indian PM Modi meets mob-linked president on his home turf

<p>Indian&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington&nbsp;earlier today on the second leg of his three-nation tour for his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump.</p>

<p>Soon after his arrival, he met people from the Indian community at the Joint Base Andrews in Washington&nbsp;DC.</p>

<p>Earlier, Modi met his Portuguese&nbsp;counterpart&nbsp;Antonio Costa and&nbsp;signed new agreements in taxation, science, youth affairs and sport.</p>

<p>The Portuguese Prime Minister deviated from protocol and went to the airport to see the Indian Prime Minister off.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Concluding a historic visit to Portugal. Deviating from Protocol, PM <a href="https://twitter.com/antoniocostapm">@antoniocostapm</a> see off PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi">@narendramodi</a> , a warm goodbye <a href="https://t.co/BwH9vTp2H5">pic.twitter.com/BwH9vTp2H5</a></p>
&mdash; Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/878670763246538752">June 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Modi is scheduled to meet&nbsp;Trump on Monday at the White House.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US President, Donald Trump, in a tweet, said that he is looking forward to welcoming&nbsp;the Indian Prime Minister to White House and there are important strategic issues that have to be discussed with Modi whom he called a &quot;true friend&quot;.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Look forward to welcoming India&#39;s PM Modi to <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse">@WhiteHouse</a> on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!</p>
&mdash; President Trump (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/878695978601254913">June 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The visit has already gained strategic depth with the US approving the sale of 22 Predator Guardian drones to India, a deal worth close to $2 billion.</p>

<p>The two leaders are expected to strengthen the partnership between the two countries further.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi had said that the visit was aimed at building a forward-looking vision for the Indo-US bilateral partnership.</p>

<p>&quot;My USA visit is aimed at deepening ties between our nations. Strong India-USA ties benefit our nations &amp; the world,&quot; he tweeted.</p>

<p>Trump and Modi have spoken twice over the phone after the former assumed office in January 2017. This will be their first personal meeting.</p>

<p>The Indian Prime Minister will also meet prominent American CEOs and interact with the Indian diaspora in US.</p>

<p>US President Donald Trump would host him for a dinner at the White House on Monday.&nbsp;</p>


About his US visit, Prime Minister Modi had said that the visit was aimed at building a forward looking vision for the Indo-US bilateral partnership

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington earlier today on the second leg of his three-nation tour for his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump. Soon after his arrival, he met people from the Indian community at the Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC. Earlier, Modi met his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa and signed new agreements in taxation, science, youth affairs and sport. The Portuguese Prime Minister deviated from protocol and went to the airport to see the Indian Prime Minister off. Concluding a historic visit to Portugal. Deviating from Protocol, PM @antoniocostapm see off PM @narendramodi , a warm goodbye pic.twitter.com/BwH9vTp2H5 — Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) June 24, 2017 × Modi is scheduled to meet Trump on Monday at the White House. The US President, Donald Trump, in a tweet, said that he is looking forward to welcoming the Indian Prime Minister to White House and there are important strategic issues that have to be discussed with Modi whom he called a "true friend". Look forward to welcoming India's PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend! — President Trump (@POTUS) June 24, 2017 × The visit has already gained strategic depth with the US approving the sale of 22 Predator Guardian drones to India, a deal worth close to $2 billion. The two leaders are expected to strengthen the partnership between the two countries further. Prime Minister Modi had said that the visit was aimed at building a forward-looking vision for the Indo-US bilateral partnership. "My USA visit is aimed at deepening ties between our nations. Strong India-USA ties benefit our nations & the world," he tweeted. Trump and Modi have spoken twice over the phone after the former assumed office in January 2017. This will be their first personal meeting. The Indian Prime Minister will also meet prominent American CEOs and interact with the Indian diaspora in US. US President Donald Trump would host him for a dinner at the White House on Monday.

PM Narendra Modi arrives in Washington ahead of meeting with Trump

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Portugal on Saturday morning and will reach the United States the next day (June25).</p>

<p>He will meet US President Donald Trump on June 26.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two leaders will meet on Monday at around 3:30 pm EST (1 am IST) for the first time. The meeting will last for about 5 hours. The two leaders will end their meeting with a White House dinner, the first by the Trump administration for a visiting foreign leader.</p>

<p>Modi will then visit the Netherlands on June 27.</p>

<p>Speaking before his departure, Modi said that the aim of the US visit is to &quot;build a forward looking vision&quot; for the Indo-US bilateral partnership and consolidate the strong relationship between the two countries.</p>

<p>&quot;My USA visit is aimed at deepening ties between our nations. Strong India-USA ties benefit our nations &amp; the world,&quot; he tweeted.</p>

<p>India and the United States came closer during the regime of President Barack Obama owing to a warm relationship shared between the two leaders.</p>

<p>The visit will aim to capitalise on that relationship to further strengthen the ties.</p>

<p>Already on the agenda is the big-ticket defence deal which will see US supplying 22 Predator drones to India. Sources close to the deal have signalled that the entire US administration is positive about the deal.</p>

<p>India is one of United States&#39; biggest defence markets.</p>

<p>On the issue of H-1B visas, the White House said there were no specific plans to raise the issue during Modi&rsquo;s visit as it was under review.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
&quot;On the (H-1B) visas issue, there&#39;s no plans for that to come up specifically,&quot; a senior administration official told reporters ahead of Modi-Trump meeting at the White House on Monday.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
&quot;But if it&#39;s raised, I would just note that the administration has signed some executive orders related to work and immigration, and President Trump&#39;s executive order on H1-B visas, of course, directs the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security to propose potential reforms to the H1B visa program,&quot; the official said.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The official added that there have been no immediate changes in the existing visa policy.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
&quot;However there have been no immediate changes to visa application or issuance procedures, so we&#39;re not in a position to kind of prejudge what the outcome of the review might be.<br />
So there&#39;s really been no changes as such at this point, and no specific changes that target any specific country or sector as of yet.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Trump and Modi have spoken twice over the phone after the former assumed office in January 2017. This will be their first personal meeting.</p>

<p>The Indian Prime Minister will also meet prominent American CEOs and interact with the Indian diaspora in US.</p>

<p><strong>White House dinner</strong></p>

<p>US President Donald Trump would host him for a dinner at the White House on Monday.</p>

<p>&quot;The White House is very interested in making this a special visit. We&#39;re really seeking to roll out the red carpet. In fact, the two (leaders) will have dinner, a working dinner at the White House. This will be the first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under this administration. So, we think that&#39;s very significant,&quot; a senior administration official told reporters.</p>

<p>Modi will travel to Portugal on Saturday where he will meet the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.</p>

<p>&quot;Building on our recent discussions, we will review the progress of various joint initiatives and decisions,&quot; Prime Minister Modi said about his upcoming meeting with Costa.</p>

<p>&quot;We will also discuss ways to further enhance the bilateral engagement, especially in the areas of economic cooperation, science &amp; technology, space collaboration and people to people ties,&quot; the Prime Minister added.</p>

<p>In the last leg of his visit, Modi will visit the Netherlands on June 27 where he will meet the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and call on King Willem- Alexander and meet Queen Maxima.</p>

<p>India and the Netherlands share a strong economic partnership. The Netherlands is India&#39;s 6th largest trading partner in the EU and 5th largest investment partner globally</p>

<p>&quot;The Dutch expertise in areas such as water and waste management, agriculture and food processing, renewable energy and ports and shipping, matches with our development needs,&quot; the prime minister said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach the US on June 25 and will meet President Donald Trump the next day for five hours

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Portugal on Saturday morning and will reach the United States the next day (June25). He will meet US President Donald Trump on June 26. The two leaders will meet on Monday at around 3:30 pm EST (1 am IST) for the first time. The meeting will last for about 5 hours. The two leaders will end their meeting with a White House dinner, the first by the Trump administration for a visiting foreign leader. Modi will then visit the Netherlands on June 27. Speaking before his departure, Modi said that the aim of the US visit is to "build a forward looking vision" for the Indo-US bilateral partnership and consolidate the strong relationship between the two countries. "My USA visit is aimed at deepening ties between our nations. Strong India-USA ties benefit our nations & the world," he tweeted. India and the United States came closer during the regime of President Barack Obama owing to a warm relationship shared between the two leaders. The visit will aim to capitalise on that relationship to further strengthen the ties. Already on the agenda is the big-ticket defence deal which will see US supplying 22 Predator drones to India. Sources close to the deal have signalled that the entire US administration is positive about the deal. India is one of United States' biggest defence markets. On the issue of H-1B visas, the White House said there were no specific plans to raise the issue during Modi’s visit as it was under review. "On the (H-1B) visas issue, there's no plans for that to come up specifically," a senior administration official told reporters ahead of Modi-Trump meeting at the White House on Monday. "But if it's raised, I would just note that the administration has signed some executive orders related to work and immigration, and President Trump's executive order on H1-B visas, of course, directs the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security to propose potential reforms to the H1B visa program," the official said. The official added that there have been no immediate changes in the existing visa policy. "However there have been no immediate changes to visa application or issuance procedures, so we're not in a position to kind of prejudge what the outcome of the review might be. So there's really been no changes as such at this point, and no specific changes that target any specific country or sector as of yet.” Trump and Modi have spoken twice over the phone after the former assumed office in January 2017. This will be their first personal meeting. The Indian Prime Minister will also meet prominent American CEOs and interact with the Indian diaspora in US. White House dinner US President Donald Trump would host him for a dinner at the White House on Monday. "The White House is very interested in making this a special visit. We're really seeking to roll out the red carpet. In fact, the two (leaders) will have dinner, a working dinner at the White House. This will be the first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under this administration. So, we think that's very significant," a senior administration official told reporters. Modi will travel to Portugal on Saturday where he will meet the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. "Building on our recent discussions, we will review the progress of various joint initiatives and decisions," Prime Minister Modi said about his upcoming meeting with Costa. "We will also discuss ways to further enhance the bilateral engagement, especially in the areas of economic cooperation, science & technology, space collaboration and people to people ties," the Prime Minister added. In the last leg of his visit, Modi will visit the Netherlands on June 27 where he will meet the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and call on King Willem- Alexander and meet Queen Maxima. India and the Netherlands share a strong economic partnership. The Netherlands is India's 6th largest trading partner in the EU and 5th largest investment partner globally "The Dutch expertise in areas such as water and waste management, agriculture and food processing, renewable energy and ports and shipping, matches with our development needs," the prime minister said.

Indian PM Modi leaves for three-nation tour to 'deepen bilateral ties'

<p>Ram Nath Kovind has filed his nomination papers for the Presidential polls.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He did so in the presence of Prime Minister Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, and a phalanx of other leaders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I am thankful to all those who have supported me, will try to maintain the dignity of the post,&quot; Kovind said after filing his nomination papers.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="et"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>:Visuals of NDA&#39;s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, PM Modi,Venkaiah Naidu,LK Advani,Amit Shah,Murli Manohar Joshi at Parliament <a href="https://t.co/W7gMuNnTq3">pic.twitter.com/W7gMuNnTq3</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/878144034304163840">June 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentialPoll?src=hash">#PresidentialPoll</a> polls: NDA&#39;s presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind files his nomination papers in presence of PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/GdVigAEHdk">pic.twitter.com/GdVigAEHdk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/878143128099725312">June 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Media reports said the prime minister was first proposer on Mr Kovind&#39;s nomination and union&nbsp;home minister Rajnath Singh second. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has broken ranks with the Opposition, pledging support to Mr Kovind.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The picking of Mr Kovind as NDA candidate had stunned the Opposition, with a number of them saying it would be difficult to oppose a Dali. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress and Opposition have picked former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, who is also a Dalit, to contest against Mr Kovind.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I am happy that I was unanimously selected as Opposition&#39;s Presidential nominee by 17 political parties: Meira Kumar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PresidentialPolls?src=hash">#PresidentialPolls</a> <a href="https://t.co/euOjuXENuG">pic.twitter.com/euOjuXENuG</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/878147414787358720">June 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>This then becomes a Dalit vs Dalit battle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But the National Democratic Alliance now has over 60 per cent of the vote and Mr Kovind is expected to sail through.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ms Kumar is expected to file her nomination papers in a few days.&nbsp;</p>


Reports said the prime minister was first proposer on Mr Kovind's nomination and home minister Rajnath Singh second

Ram Nath Kovind has filed his nomination papers for the Presidential polls. He did so in the presence of Prime Minister Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, and a phalanx of other leaders. "I am thankful to all those who have supported me, will try to maintain the dignity of the post," Kovind said after filing his nomination papers. #WATCH:Visuals of NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, PM Modi,Venkaiah Naidu,LK Advani,Amit Shah,Murli Manohar Joshi at Parliament pic.twitter.com/W7gMuNnTq3 — ANI (@ANI_news) June 23, 2017 × #PresidentialPoll polls: NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind files his nomination papers in presence of PM Modi pic.twitter.com/GdVigAEHdk — ANI (@ANI_news) June 23, 2017 × Media reports said the prime minister was first proposer on Mr Kovind's nomination and union home minister Rajnath Singh second. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has broken ranks with the Opposition, pledging support to Mr Kovind. The picking of Mr Kovind as NDA candidate had stunned the Opposition, with a number of them saying it would be difficult to oppose a Dali. The Congress and Opposition have picked former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, who is also a Dalit, to contest against Mr Kovind. I am happy that I was unanimously selected as Opposition's Presidential nominee by 17 political parties: Meira Kumar #PresidentialPolls pic.twitter.com/euOjuXENuG — ANI (@ANI_news) June 23, 2017 × This then becomes a Dalit vs Dalit battle. But the National Democratic Alliance now has over 60 per cent of the vote and Mr Kovind is expected to sail through. Ms Kumar is expected to file her nomination papers in a few days.

Presidential polls: Ram Nath Kovind files nomination papers, in presence of PM

<p>The United States is on track to announce plans to supply India with 22 Guardian drones in a deal worth more than $2 billion, a source familiar with the deal said on Thursday.</p>

<p>The approval of the sale of the naval variant of the Predator drone comes ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States as he tries to revitalise relations with Washington. The deal would still require approval by Congress.</p>

<p>Securing agreement on the purchase of 22 unarmed drones is seen in New Delhi as a key test of defence ties that flourished under former President Barack Obama but have drifted under President Donald Trump, who has courted Asian rival China as he seeks Beijing&#39;s help to contain North Korea&#39;s nuclear programme.</p>

<p>Modi&#39;s two-day visit to Washington begins on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>


The deal is seen as important for Indo-US defence ties

The United States is on track to announce plans to supply India with 22 Guardian drones in a deal worth more than $2 billion, a source familiar with the deal said on Thursday. The approval of the sale of the naval variant of the Predator drone comes ahead of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States as he tries to revitalise relations with Washington. The deal would still require approval by Congress. Securing agreement on the purchase of 22 unarmed drones is seen in New Delhi as a key test of defence ties that flourished under former President Barack Obama but have drifted under President Donald Trump, who has courted Asian rival China as he seeks Beijing's help to contain North Korea's nuclear programme. Modi's two-day visit to Washington begins on Sunday.

US set to supply India with 22 Guardian drones: Source

<p>Nine people from the Bhawandi town of Maharashtra have been booked for &#39;cheating&#39; when they misused funds granted to them for building toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Bhawandi division police said Wednesday.</p>

<p>The nine accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), said Sukhada Narkar, the thana police PRO.</p>

<p>Quoting a complaint by a Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation official, police said that the nine had applied for benefits under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan subsidy to build toilets in 2015, but the toilets were never constructed and the money was misappropriated.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Each of them was supposed to get INR 17,000 as subsidy, of which 6,000 had been granted as first installment.</p>

<p>The Swachh&nbsp;Bharat Abhiyan grants subsidy of at least INR15,000 (with each state government adding an&nbsp;amount as they deem right) to every registered household provided it falls under the below poverty line (BPL), SC/ST households above poverty line or differently abled and women headed households, and recognised by a committee comprising of Block Development Officer and the village panchayat President.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan grants subsidy for BPL and SC/ST families to build toilets in their homes

Nine people from the Bhawandi town of Maharashtra have been booked for 'cheating' when they misused funds granted to them for building toilets under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Bhawandi division police said Wednesday. The nine accused have been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust) and 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), said Sukhada Narkar, the thana police PRO. Quoting a complaint by a Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation official, police said that the nine had applied for benefits under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan subsidy to build toilets in 2015, but the toilets were never constructed and the money was misappropriated. Each of them was supposed to get INR 17,000 as subsidy, of which 6,000 had been granted as first installment. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan grants subsidy of at least INR15,000 (with each state government adding an amount as they deem right) to every registered household provided it falls under the below poverty line (BPL), SC/ST households above poverty line or differently abled and women headed households, and recognised by a committee comprising of Block Development Officer and the village panchayat President.

Maharashtra: Nine booked under IPC 406, 420 for misusing Swachh Bharat funds

<p>The Dalit outreach of BJP has become evident with its choice of elevating Governor of Bihar Ram Nath Kovind as the next president of India. There is no doubt that Mr. Kovind on his own is a qualified lawyer and was nominated to Rajya Sabha twice by the party. He not only served on important parliamentary panels but also worked for the organisation. But for good or bad, his Dalit identity would remain the prism through which his election to the high office would be observed because Mr. Kovind belongs to the Kori community within Dalit umbrella. They belong to a less privileged section within Dalits which, in general parlance, are described as non-Jatavs. Post-independence, the Jatavs continue to dominate leadership position within Dalits but Mr. Kovind&rsquo;s candidature might change the game in favour of the non-Jatavs.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
It is well-known that BJP over the past three years has been the target of stringent criticism from the Congress and other Opposition parties on the larger Dalit issue. Despite getting a good portion of the non-Jatav vote in various assembly elections, various episodes were placing the ruling party in discomfiture. For instance, the BJP had come under considerable attack from the Congress after Rohith Vemula episode. Then came the elections in Bihar and much-contested statement of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservations. BJP tried its best during assembly election to damage control but the statement had cost BJP the Bihar elections.</p>

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<h5>Post-independence, the Jatavs continue to dominate leadership position within Dalits but Mr. Kovind&rsquo;s candidature might change the game in favour of the non-Jatavs</h5>
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<p>BJP&rsquo;s problem further got complicated because of the rise of cow vigilantes and violence they perpetrated. Social media has been flooded with the so-called cow rakshaks mercilessly beating up Dalits who have a considerable presence in the skinning business. Many academicians also argued that by depriving beef to Dalits, the ruling class has ended up depriving cheap source of protein to the most oppressed section of the Indian state. This recurrent theme got married to the issues Congress picked up related to the farming sector through first three years.</p>

<p>On the surface, BJP remained dismissive about the criticism but the party leadership did understand that the debate over the Dalit cause held the potential to paint BJP as anti-Dalit and pro-industrialists in front of the electorate.</p>

<p>By selecting Kovind, BJP wants to rest the debate on Dalit issue. The aim is not to create a consensus on the name but to push a candidate who can send a strong signal to the Dalit community that this choice was made with a purpose.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The message being that BJP remains committed to the Dalit cause. This is the reason why that BJP President Amit Shah continues to break bread with Dalits all through the expansion programme of BJP in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress may accuse BJP of symbolism but it also took the credit for making KR Narayanan as the first Dalit President of the Indian Republic. It is also not without reason that Mallikarjun Kharge is the leader of the Congress Party in Lok Sabha and Gulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha. Former is a senior politician from Karnataka and a Dalit and latter hails from Jammu and a Muslim. The Gandhi-Nehru family members position themselves as Pandits from Kashmir, and through every important appointment, they try to recreate the triad of Muslim, Dalit and Brahmin. This community alliance building is something which former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi excelled at through her career.</p>

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<h5>The Gandhi-Nehru family members position themselves as Pandits from Kashmir, and through every important appointment, they try to recreate the triad of Muslim, Dalit and Brahmin</h5>
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<p>Another reason for this decision is that today BJP might have strong upper caste and OBC faces through India but doesn&rsquo;t have a pan-Indian Dalit leader in its stable. For that matter, even Congress doesn&rsquo;t have a Dalit leader to use as a poster boy but the party, at least, have a history of Dalit leadership, starting from non-other than the Father of the Indian Constitution Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Other Dalit leaders belonging to non-Congress fold like Mayawati remain rooted to state politics.</p>

<p>By elevating Mr. Kovind through a non-electoral and non- organisational process, BJP is making the benchmark for Dalit politics tougher for the UPA. The Opposition will need to be creative in fielding a candidate against Ram Nath Kovind. It will need to portray a face which either outshines the imagination around Mr. Kovind or be able to replace the very discourse on which his selection has taken place.</p>

<p>Through the first three years, the Opposition had the upper hand on the narrative on Dalit politics. This is BJP&rsquo;s fitting answer to it. However, one will have to wait to see whether this act, in the long run, alter the electoral arithmetic for BJP or just dies after creating a noise on the mainstream and social media.</p>


With Kovind as the presidential candidate, BJP sends out the message of its commitment to the Dalit cause, particularly to the non-Jatavs

The Dalit outreach of BJP has become evident with its choice of elevating Governor of Bihar Ram Nath Kovind as the next president of India. There is no doubt that Mr. Kovind on his own is a qualified lawyer and was nominated to Rajya Sabha twice by the party. He not only served on important parliamentary panels but also worked for the organisation. But for good or bad, his Dalit identity would remain the prism through which his election to the high office would be observed because Mr. Kovind belongs to the Kori community within Dalit umbrella. They belong to a less privileged section within Dalits which, in general parlance, are described as non-Jatavs. Post-independence, the Jatavs continue to dominate leadership position within Dalits but Mr. Kovind’s candidature might change the game in favour of the non-Jatavs. It is well-known that BJP over the past three years has been the target of stringent criticism from the Congress and other Opposition parties on the larger Dalit issue. Despite getting a good portion of the non-Jatav vote in various assembly elections, various episodes were placing the ruling party in discomfiture. For instance, the BJP had come under considerable attack from the Congress after Rohith Vemula episode. Then came the elections in Bihar and much-contested statement of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservations. BJP tried its best during assembly election to damage control but the statement had cost BJP the Bihar elections. Post-independence, the Jatavs continue to dominate leadership position within Dalits but Mr. Kovind’s candidature might change the game in favour of the non-Jatavs × BJP’s problem further got complicated because of the rise of cow vigilantes and violence they perpetrated. Social media has been flooded with the so-called cow rakshaks mercilessly beating up Dalits who have a considerable presence in the skinning business. Many academicians also argued that by depriving beef to Dalits, the ruling class has ended up depriving cheap source of protein to the most oppressed section of the Indian state. This recurrent theme got married to the issues Congress picked up related to the farming sector through first three years. On the surface, BJP remained dismissive about the criticism but the party leadership did understand that the debate over the Dalit cause held the potential to paint BJP as anti-Dalit and pro-industrialists in front of the electorate. By selecting Kovind, BJP wants to rest the debate on Dalit issue. The aim is not to create a consensus on the name but to push a candidate who can send a strong signal to the Dalit community that this choice was made with a purpose. The message being that BJP remains committed to the Dalit cause. This is the reason why that BJP President Amit Shah continues to break bread with Dalits all through the expansion programme of BJP in India. Congress may accuse BJP of symbolism but it also took the credit for making KR Narayanan as the first Dalit President of the Indian Republic. It is also not without reason that Mallikarjun Kharge is the leader of the Congress Party in Lok Sabha and Gulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha. Former is a senior politician from Karnataka and a Dalit and latter hails from Jammu and a Muslim. The Gandhi-Nehru family members position themselves as Pandits from Kashmir, and through every important appointment, they try to recreate the triad of Muslim, Dalit and Brahmin. This community alliance building is something which former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi excelled at through her career. The Gandhi-Nehru family members position themselves as Pandits from Kashmir, and through every important appointment, they try to recreate the triad of Muslim, Dalit and Brahmin × Another reason for this decision is that today BJP might have strong upper caste and OBC faces through India but doesn’t have a pan-Indian Dalit leader in its stable. For that matter, even Congress doesn’t have a Dalit leader to use as a poster boy but the party, at least, have a history of Dalit leadership, starting from non-other than the Father of the Indian Constitution Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Other Dalit leaders belonging to non-Congress fold like Mayawati remain rooted to state politics. By elevating Mr. Kovind through a non-electoral and non- organisational process, BJP is making the benchmark for Dalit politics tougher for the UPA. The Opposition will need to be creative in fielding a candidate against Ram Nath Kovind. It will need to portray a face which either outshines the imagination around Mr. Kovind or be able to replace the very discourse on which his selection has taken place. Through the first three years, the Opposition had the upper hand on the narrative on Dalit politics. This is BJP’s fitting answer to it. However, one will have to wait to see whether this act, in the long run, alter the electoral arithmetic for BJP or just dies after creating a noise on the mainstream and social media.

Ram Nath Kovind and BJP's grant Dalit outreach

<p>BJP is in the striking distance of getting a president elected who will hail completely from a non-Congress stock. For the first time in post-independent India, BJP will be electing a president without any help from parties who are ideologically opposed to it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So, it brings us to the question as what the presidential candidate would look like? The history proves that largely, presidential candidates bore the will of the prime minister or the one who controlled the lever of power, which in the case of the UPA government in both its phases was Congress President Sonia Gandhi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The early years of the republic saw the office of the president being occupied by those who led India&#39;s freedom struggle; they were held in high esteem by the Congress party.</p>

<p>The list of the &lsquo;firsts&rsquo; includes Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Dr. Zakir Hussain. Dr. Prasad was a volunteer with Gandhi during Champaran movement in 1916. Despite differences of opinion between Nehru and Rajendra Babu, representing the Left and Right ideas respectively, the two leaders co-existed. Their mutual respect was born out of their shared struggle. Each acknowledged the significance and contribution of the other.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Radhakrishnan who went on to become the president in 1962 was an educationist and a politician in shadows. He became vice president of the country in 1952 but wasn&rsquo;t overtly part of the freedom struggle or the Congress Party. He was an educationist whose birthday is celebrated as Teacher&rsquo;s day in India. Dr. Zakir Hussain too was an educationist and co-founder of the Jamia Millia Islamia University. He served as the second vice president of India. Their election, more than anything else, reflects a Congress party increasingly being dominated by Nehru in the post-1950s.</p>

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<h5>Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad shamed the country by signing the proclamation of the emergency, demonstrating his commitment towards an individual rather than the Indian republic.</h5>
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<p>Rajendra Prasad, Radhakrishnan, &nbsp;Zakir Hussain constituted the compatriots, achievers, authors and visionaries of the new Indian republic. They were first amongst the equals.</p>

<p>Post-1969 all the presidents, including KR Narayanan came from active Congress stable. Most of them had the opportunity to interact with MK Gandhi, and subsequently, make a smooth transition to various spheres of government at the centre and states after 1952.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All of them were minted in the Congress tradition and were aware of the rise of Indira Gandhi in the political ecosystem. Also, they were insiders who served as the Members of Parliament, ministers and chief ministers under Nehru, Shastri and Indira Gandhi when they were the prime minister. But for the selection to high office, loyalty became an important parameter.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
VV Giri became the president, defeating the official candidate of the Congress, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy when Indira Gandhi called for a conscience vote opposed to the &quot;syndicate&quot; in the party.&nbsp;</p>

<p>All the former presidents, including Shankar Dayal Sharma were dyed-in-the-wool Congressmen. Even KR Narayanan, a Foreign Service officer got his break from India&rsquo;s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on Harold Laski&rsquo;s letter. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad shamed the country by signing the proclamation of the emergency, demonstrating his commitment towards an individual rather than the Indian republic. Zail Singh openly sang peons for Indira Gandhi, though Singh eventually fell out with her son Rajiv Gandhi. Both of them, however, professed loyalty towards Indira Gandhi.</p>

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<h5>Vipakash kee Sarkar mein bhi Congress ka hee raj hota hai.</h5>
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<p>Congressmen became the Union president even when the power in the center happened to be in the hands of non-Congress parties.<br />
For instance, when Janata Party came to power in 1977, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected unopposed as the president. Morarji Desai was the prime minister and, ironically, both were ex-Congressmen. &nbsp;It led to the famous saying: &quot;Vipakash kee Sarkar mein bhi Congress ka hee raj hota hai.&rdquo;</p>

<p>It didn&rsquo;t matter much in 1977 but did become an issue in 2002 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was interested in getting a prominent Congress man Krishan Kant elected as the president but couldn&rsquo;t owing to the opposition from hardliners in his party.</p>

<p>It is in this backdrop Prime Minister Narendra Modi will nominate BJP&rsquo;s candidate who will truly belong to his ecosystem. An emaciated Congress in 1991 was able to elect Shankar Dayal Sharma as the president who Sonia Gandhi wanted to become the prime minister after Rajiv Gandhi&rsquo;s assassination. He declined, and PV Narasimha Rao got the opportunity to become one. A year later Sharma went on to become the president.</p>

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<h5>Pratibha Patil was a result of a larger alliance built by Congress to push a non-controversial Congress candidate on the basis of loyalty and gender.</h5>
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<p>Lastly, APJ Kalam went on to become the president though BJP did not have the number in the electoral college but succeeded because of the Congress support. The Congress High Command supported Kalam because it didn&rsquo;t want to go with the Left-supported candidature of Captain Lakshmi Sehgal. On the other hand, Pratibha Patil was a result of a larger alliance built by Congress to push a non-controversial Congress candidate on the basis of loyalty and gender. It would be noteworthy that even Left had its say in the election of the vice president when Hamid Ansari occupied the office.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The last of them is current president Dr Pranab Mukherji who became the president out of his will and his ability to influence players across the political spectrum.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This brings us back again to the question on the type of person Narendra Modi would like to ascend to Raisina Hill? To put it simply, he will be a person of complete non-Congress stock. He or she would have either worked with or through the ranks of the RSS. The person&rsquo;s ideological loyalty to the RSS-BJP will be unquestioned. Such a president would showcase the autonomy of the government in electing their own man.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite short of numbers, the Congress lately was able to elect presidents of its choosing because it dominated the ideological ecosystem of the country. The only compromise that the Congress party made was that for the position of the vice president because it required the support of the Left to survive in 2007.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The issue is whether BJP would fall into the trap of sectional representation like South, tribal, gender or Dalit categories? Though the Congress never overtly acknowledged but partook the claim to have nominated the first Dalit as the President in KR Narayanan. Sonia Gandhi got lackluster Pratibha Patel as the president for the reason she is a woman. Vajpayee had to make do with Kalam because Congress couldn&rsquo;t say no to a candidate of minority dispensation. His name was suggested by Mulayam Singh Yadav and brokered by V. Naidu.</p>

<p>In 2017, none of the above-mentioned constraints exist for BJP. Once the party is done deliberating with other political parties, it is expected to announce one of their own as the presidential candidate. The BJP-nominated candidate would share the party&#39;s cultural and ideological ecosystem in complete opposition to the Left-Congress imagination of the Indian landscape. Whether it comes in the shape of Sushma Swaraj, Sumitra Mahajan, Draupadi Murmu, the person will owe his nomination to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will bear Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s signature who in Vajpayee&rsquo;s absence has become the &lsquo;pratham purush&rsquo; or the first man of the government, party and ideology.&nbsp;</p>

<p>So, let&rsquo;s wait for the name.</p>


BJP's presidential candidate will bear Prime Minister Modi's ideological signature.

BJP is in the striking distance of getting a president elected who will hail completely from a non-Congress stock. For the first time in post-independent India, BJP will be electing a president without any help from parties who are ideologically opposed to it. So, it brings us to the question as what the presidential candidate would look like? The history proves that largely, presidential candidates bore the will of the prime minister or the one who controlled the lever of power, which in the case of the UPA government in both its phases was Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The early years of the republic saw the office of the president being occupied by those who led India's freedom struggle; they were held in high esteem by the Congress party. The list of the ‘firsts’ includes Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Dr. Zakir Hussain. Dr. Prasad was a volunteer with Gandhi during Champaran movement in 1916. Despite differences of opinion between Nehru and Rajendra Babu, representing the Left and Right ideas respectively, the two leaders co-existed. Their mutual respect was born out of their shared struggle. Each acknowledged the significance and contribution of the other. Radhakrishnan who went on to become the president in 1962 was an educationist and a politician in shadows. He became vice president of the country in 1952 but wasn’t overtly part of the freedom struggle or the Congress Party. He was an educationist whose birthday is celebrated as Teacher’s day in India. Dr. Zakir Hussain too was an educationist and co-founder of the Jamia Millia Islamia University. He served as the second vice president of India. Their election, more than anything else, reflects a Congress party increasingly being dominated by Nehru in the post-1950s. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad shamed the country by signing the proclamation of the emergency, demonstrating his commitment towards an individual rather than the Indian republic. × Rajendra Prasad, Radhakrishnan, Zakir Hussain constituted the compatriots, achievers, authors and visionaries of the new Indian republic. They were first amongst the equals. Post-1969 all the presidents, including KR Narayanan came from active Congress stable. Most of them had the opportunity to interact with MK Gandhi, and subsequently, make a smooth transition to various spheres of government at the centre and states after 1952. All of them were minted in the Congress tradition and were aware of the rise of Indira Gandhi in the political ecosystem. Also, they were insiders who served as the Members of Parliament, ministers and chief ministers under Nehru, Shastri and Indira Gandhi when they were the prime minister. But for the selection to high office, loyalty became an important parameter. VV Giri became the president, defeating the official candidate of the Congress, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy when Indira Gandhi called for a conscience vote opposed to the "syndicate" in the party. All the former presidents, including Shankar Dayal Sharma were dyed-in-the-wool Congressmen. Even KR Narayanan, a Foreign Service officer got his break from India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on Harold Laski’s letter. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad shamed the country by signing the proclamation of the emergency, demonstrating his commitment towards an individual rather than the Indian republic. Zail Singh openly sang peons for Indira Gandhi, though Singh eventually fell out with her son Rajiv Gandhi. Both of them, however, professed loyalty towards Indira Gandhi. Vipakash kee Sarkar mein bhi Congress ka hee raj hota hai. × Congressmen became the Union president even when the power in the center happened to be in the hands of non-Congress parties. For instance, when Janata Party came to power in 1977, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected unopposed as the president. Morarji Desai was the prime minister and, ironically, both were ex-Congressmen. It led to the famous saying: "Vipakash kee Sarkar mein bhi Congress ka hee raj hota hai.” It didn’t matter much in 1977 but did become an issue in 2002 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was interested in getting a prominent Congress man Krishan Kant elected as the president but couldn’t owing to the opposition from hardliners in his party. It is in this backdrop Prime Minister Narendra Modi will nominate BJP’s candidate who will truly belong to his ecosystem. An emaciated Congress in 1991 was able to elect Shankar Dayal Sharma as the president who Sonia Gandhi wanted to become the prime minister after Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. He declined, and PV Narasimha Rao got the opportunity to become one. A year later Sharma went on to become the president. Pratibha Patil was a result of a larger alliance built by Congress to push a non-controversial Congress candidate on the basis of loyalty and gender. × Lastly, APJ Kalam went on to become the president though BJP did not have the number in the electoral college but succeeded because of the Congress support. The Congress High Command supported Kalam because it didn’t want to go with the Left-supported candidature of Captain Lakshmi Sehgal. On the other hand, Pratibha Patil was a result of a larger alliance built by Congress to push a non-controversial Congress candidate on the basis of loyalty and gender. It would be noteworthy that even Left had its say in the election of the vice president when Hamid Ansari occupied the office. The last of them is current president Dr Pranab Mukherji who became the president out of his will and his ability to influence players across the political spectrum. This brings us back again to the question on the type of person Narendra Modi would like to ascend to Raisina Hill? To put it simply, he will be a person of complete non-Congress stock. He or she would have either worked with or through the ranks of the RSS. The person’s ideological loyalty to the RSS-BJP will be unquestioned. Such a president would showcase the autonomy of the government in electing their own man. Despite short of numbers, the Congress lately was able to elect presidents of its choosing because it dominated the ideological ecosystem of the country. The only compromise that the Congress party made was that for the position of the vice president because it required the support of the Left to survive in 2007. The issue is whether BJP would fall into the trap of sectional representation like South, tribal, gender or Dalit categories? Though the Congress never overtly acknowledged but partook the claim to have nominated the first Dalit as the President in KR Narayanan. Sonia Gandhi got lackluster Pratibha Patel as the president for the reason she is a woman. Vajpayee had to make do with Kalam because Congress couldn’t say no to a candidate of minority dispensation. His name was suggested by Mulayam Singh Yadav and brokered by V. Naidu. In 2017, none of the above-mentioned constraints exist for BJP. Once the party is done deliberating with other political parties, it is expected to announce one of their own as the presidential candidate. The BJP-nominated candidate would share the party's cultural and ideological ecosystem in complete opposition to the Left-Congress imagination of the Indian landscape. Whether it comes in the shape of Sushma Swaraj, Sumitra Mahajan, Draupadi Murmu, the person will owe his nomination to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will bear Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s signature who in Vajpayee’s absence has become the ‘pratham purush’ or the first man of the government, party and ideology. So, let’s wait for the name.

Who will be India's new president?

<p>In the fourteen Presidential elections India has seen so far, only once has a candidate been elected unopposed. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected unopposed as the first citizen of the country in 1977.</p>

<p>That, however, is unlikely to happen as India readies to elect its&nbsp;15th President in a few weeks from now with both the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Opposition camp looking set to make a fight out of it.</p>

<p>While it will almost be a matter of prestige for the ruling BJP to get its candidate elected as the next President of India, the Opposition is sensing an opportunity here to embarrass the Narendra Modi government by getting its candidate to be the next occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan.&nbsp;That probably explains why both the camps are treading cautiously on naming their respective candidates. Despite the likelihood of its candidate sailing through, the BJP still&nbsp;wants to create a broader consensus for its candidate to sail through comfortably.</p>

<p>Wooing Opposition parties also makes sense for the BJP as political parties cannot issue any whip to their legislators for voting in Presidential Elections. Simply put, this means that even Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies belonging to the Opposition camp defy party loyalties and can vote for the candidate fielded by the ruling party.</p>

<p>While the names of senior BJP leaders like Lal Krishna&nbsp;Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were circulating up to a few weeks back, the restoration of conspiracy charges against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case appears to have thwarted their chances for now. India&#39;s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj could emerge as the dark horse from the NDA stable, sources indicate.</p>

<p>But given Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s ability to spring surprises (remember Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister?), a surprise candidate may well be fielded by the BJP.</p>

<p>The Opposition parties, led by Congress, are reportedly mulling fielding the likes of former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar for the top job.</p>

<p>With the countdown to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee&#39;s exit from Rashtrapati Bhavan beginning formally today after the Election Commission of India issued&nbsp;the formal notification for the next presidential elections, the Narendra Modi government now has its task cut out. And that is getting a candidate of its choice elected as the President of India with minimum fuss.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


The countdown for presidential elections begins today with Election Commission's notification

In the fourteen Presidential elections India has seen so far, only once has a candidate been elected unopposed. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected unopposed as the first citizen of the country in 1977. That, however, is unlikely to happen as India readies to elect its 15th President in a few weeks from now with both the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Opposition camp looking set to make a fight out of it. While it will almost be a matter of prestige for the ruling BJP to get its candidate elected as the next President of India, the Opposition is sensing an opportunity here to embarrass the Narendra Modi government by getting its candidate to be the next occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan. That probably explains why both the camps are treading cautiously on naming their respective candidates. Despite the likelihood of its candidate sailing through, the BJP still wants to create a broader consensus for its candidate to sail through comfortably. Wooing Opposition parties also makes sense for the BJP as political parties cannot issue any whip to their legislators for voting in Presidential Elections. Simply put, this means that even Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies belonging to the Opposition camp defy party loyalties and can vote for the candidate fielded by the ruling party. While the names of senior BJP leaders like Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were circulating up to a few weeks back, the restoration of conspiracy charges against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case appears to have thwarted their chances for now. India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj could emerge as the dark horse from the NDA stable, sources indicate. But given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ability to spring surprises (remember Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister?), a surprise candidate may well be fielded by the BJP. The Opposition parties, led by Congress, are reportedly mulling fielding the likes of former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar for the top job. With the countdown to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's exit from Rashtrapati Bhavan beginning formally today after the Election Commission of India issued the formal notification for the next presidential elections, the Narendra Modi government now has its task cut out. And that is getting a candidate of its choice elected as the President of India with minimum fuss. (WION)

Next Indian President: Opposition wants to spoil BJP's gameplan

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana on Friday.</p>

<p>The meeting between Modi and Xi comes amid a sharp downturn in the ties between the nuclear-armed Asian giants.</p>

<p>New Delhi is smarting over China&#39;s refusal to allow it entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a global cartel that controls nuclear trade, and over Beijing blocking a request at the UN to sanction a Pakistan-based militant blamed for attacks on India.</p>

<p>India chose to skip Belt and Road Forum (BRF) - China&#39;s biggest summit of the year - held in April. New Delhi is incensed that one of the key Belt and Road projects passes through Kashmir and Pakistan - over which the neighbours have fought two of their three wars.</p>

<p>On the other hand, Beijing is angry at India&#39;s increasingly public engagement of the Dalai Lama, including hosting the Tibetan spiritual leader in a territory controlled by India but claimed by China in April.</p>

<p>Modi arrived in Kazakhstan capital on Thursday to attend the SCO summit where India will be formally admitted as a full-time member of the security bloc.</p>

<p>India had been an observer country at the SCO - a Eurasian political, economic and military bloc - since 2005 and had applied for a full membership in 2014 and the SCO foreign ministers gave a positive recommendation when they met in June 2015.</p>

<p>China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the SCO in 2001 to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighbouring Afghanistan.</p>

<p>(Reuters)</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets China's Xi Jinping ahead of 17th SCO summit at Astana amid sharp downturn in Indo-China relationship

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Astana on Friday. The meeting between Modi and Xi comes amid a sharp downturn in the ties between the nuclear-armed Asian giants. New Delhi is smarting over China's refusal to allow it entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a global cartel that controls nuclear trade, and over Beijing blocking a request at the UN to sanction a Pakistan-based militant blamed for attacks on India. India chose to skip Belt and Road Forum (BRF) - China's biggest summit of the year - held in April. New Delhi is incensed that one of the key Belt and Road projects passes through Kashmir and Pakistan - over which the neighbours have fought two of their three wars. On the other hand, Beijing is angry at India's increasingly public engagement of the Dalai Lama, including hosting the Tibetan spiritual leader in a territory controlled by India but claimed by China in April. Modi arrived in Kazakhstan capital on Thursday to attend the SCO summit where India will be formally admitted as a full-time member of the security bloc. India had been an observer country at the SCO - a Eurasian political, economic and military bloc - since 2005 and had applied for a full membership in 2014 and the SCO foreign ministers gave a positive recommendation when they met in June 2015. China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan formed the SCO in 2001 to fight threats posed by radical Islam and drug trafficking from neighbouring Afghanistan. (Reuters)

PM Modi meets China's Xi Jinping at SCO summit in Astana

<p>India is set to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) even as its arch-rival Pakistan will be gaining entry into the security grouping as well.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ties between India and Pakistan have been in a free fall since the Pathankot air base attack in January 2016.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are speculations that the two prime ministers might hold an informal interaction during the two-day summit but there is no official word on it.</p>

<p>&quot;There was neither any request from their side nor any such proposal from our side,&quot; MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on the possibility of the two prime ministers meeting at Astana during the two-day summit, reported Economic Times.</p>

<p>The process to make both the countries a full member of the inter-governmental bloc was started last year when they signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Briefing media in Delhi last evening, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, &quot;India will be benefited in trade and economic activity after it becomes a full member. He said that trade, connectivity, energy, banking and fight against terrorism are the main areas of cooperation.&quot;</p>

<p>Joint Secretary, Eurasia, G V Srinivas said, &quot;India is joining SCO with an open mind for peace and stability in the region. Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness, promoting cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research, technology and culture and other areas are the main goals of SCO.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;So that process has been completed from our side - essentially entailing to a couple of agreements as per the calendar drawn by the memorandum of obligations - something which we have relayed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation secretariat in Beijing. They have also confirmed that India has completed this process,&quot; Srinivas said.</p>

<p>&quot;The indications are that the last leg of the entire membership process that is the confirmation by the heads of state of existing members of the SCO, is going to happen in Astana,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>Narendra Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with a number of SCO member countries including China&#39;s President Xi Jinping.</p>

<p>He will also meet Kazakhstan&#39;s President Nursultan Nazarbayev to promote ties in the fields of trade and commerce, education, tourism and other sectors, ANI reported.</p>

<p>Kazakhstan is India&#39;s largest trading partner in Central Asia and the total trade volume between the two countries rose from 120 million US dollars to around 900 million dollars in recent years, according to ANI.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from agencies)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The two-day summit will start at Astana Thursday

India is set to become a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) even as its arch-rival Pakistan will be gaining entry into the security grouping as well. The ties between India and Pakistan have been in a free fall since the Pathankot air base attack in January 2016. There are speculations that the two prime ministers might hold an informal interaction during the two-day summit but there is no official word on it. "There was neither any request from their side nor any such proposal from our side," MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay said on the possibility of the two prime ministers meeting at Astana during the two-day summit, reported Economic Times. The process to make both the countries a full member of the inter-governmental bloc was started last year when they signed the memorandum of obligations on 24 June 2016 at Tashkent. Briefing media in Delhi last evening, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Gopal Baglay said, "India will be benefited in trade and economic activity after it becomes a full member. He said that trade, connectivity, energy, banking and fight against terrorism are the main areas of cooperation." Joint Secretary, Eurasia, G V Srinivas said, "India is joining SCO with an open mind for peace and stability in the region. Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness, promoting cooperation in politics, trade, economy, research, technology and culture and other areas are the main goals of SCO." "So that process has been completed from our side - essentially entailing to a couple of agreements as per the calendar drawn by the memorandum of obligations - something which we have relayed to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation secretariat in Beijing. They have also confirmed that India has completed this process," Srinivas said. "The indications are that the last leg of the entire membership process that is the confirmation by the heads of state of existing members of the SCO, is going to happen in Astana," he added. Narendra Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with a number of SCO member countries including China's President Xi Jinping. He will also meet Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev to promote ties in the fields of trade and commerce, education, tourism and other sectors, ANI reported. Kazakhstan is India's largest trading partner in Central Asia and the total trade volume between the two countries rose from 120 million US dollars to around 900 million dollars in recent years, according to ANI. (WION with inputs from agencies)

SCO summit 2017 to begin today, India and Pakistan set to become full members

<p>Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed yoga with yoga guru Baba Ramdev today at the Raj Bhavan in the state capital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The practice session was conducted just before the upcoming &#39;Yoga Diwas&#39; or International Day of Yoga which is to be held on June 21.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="in">Lucknow (UP): CM Yogi Adityanath, Governor Ram Naik and Baba Ramdev perform Yoga. <a href="https://t.co/twcFQajQrg">pic.twitter.com/twcFQajQrg</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/872276489219096576">June 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath are expected to participate in the International Yoga Day event to be held in Lucknow on June 21 along with 50,000 other yoga practitioners.</p>

<p>In his &quot;Mann ki Baat&quot; address last month, the Prime Minister had stressed the importance of yoga to lead a healthy and stress-free life. He had also asserted that yoga has the potential of connecting the entire world.</p>

<p>&quot;June 21 has become one of the known dates across the world. The entire world celebrates International Day of Yoga. In a very short span of time, the message of yoga has spread to every corner of the world. Yoga is integrating the world today. Through yoga, India as a whole has successfully started connecting the world,&quot; the Prime Minister said in his 32nd &#39; Mann Ki Baat&#39; address on May 28.</p>

<p>The world will celebrate the third International Day of Yoga on June 21.</p>

<p>It has been celebrated annually since its inception in 2015. An International Day for Yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 11, 2014.</p>

<p>(ANI)</p>


The practice session was conducted just before the upcoming 'Yoga Diwas' or International Day of Yoga which is to be held on June 21

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed yoga with yoga guru Baba Ramdev today at the Raj Bhavan in the state capital. The practice session was conducted just before the upcoming 'Yoga Diwas' or International Day of Yoga which is to be held on June 21. Lucknow (UP): CM Yogi Adityanath, Governor Ram Naik and Baba Ramdev perform Yoga. pic.twitter.com/twcFQajQrg — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 7, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath are expected to participate in the International Yoga Day event to be held in Lucknow on June 21 along with 50,000 other yoga practitioners. In his "Mann ki Baat" address last month, the Prime Minister had stressed the importance of yoga to lead a healthy and stress-free life. He had also asserted that yoga has the potential of connecting the entire world. "June 21 has become one of the known dates across the world. The entire world celebrates International Day of Yoga. In a very short span of time, the message of yoga has spread to every corner of the world. Yoga is integrating the world today. Through yoga, India as a whole has successfully started connecting the world," the Prime Minister said in his 32nd ' Mann Ki Baat' address on May 28. The world will celebrate the third International Day of Yoga on June 21. It has been celebrated annually since its inception in 2015. An International Day for Yoga was declared unanimously by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on December 11, 2014. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, CM Adityanath perform yogic 'asana' with Ramdev

<p>China today welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s remarks in Russia that not a single bullet has been fired at Sino-India border in the last 40 years despite the simmering boundary dispute between the two neighbours.</p>

<p>&quot;We have noted positive remarks made by Prime Minister Modi. We welcome that,&quot; Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing here when asked about Modi&#39;s comments made during his visit to Russia last week.</p>

<p>Modi said the world has increasingly become interconnected and inter-dependent, a transformation that has made it necessary for India and China to cooperate on trade and investments despite a simmering border dispute.</p>

<p>&quot;It is true that we have a border dispute with China. But in the last 40 years, not a single bullet has been fired because of the border dispute,&quot; Modi said speaking at a panel discussion at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.</p>

<p>Reacting to his remarks, Hua said, &quot;we have been stressing that as two major countries China and India maintaining sound, steady and in-depth growth of the bilateral relationship is of great significance.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Actually, leaders of the two countries pay great attention to the boundary question. Each time they meet they exchange views on this issue. Both sides have agreed that an early question of boundary question serves the interests of the both sides. It is also a strategic goal both sides are striving to achieve,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>Referring to the 19 rounds of boundary talks held by the special representatives of both sides, Hua said both sides have &quot;taken serious measures to maintain peace and tranquillity of the border areas.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;The two sides will stick to the overall relationship of the bilateral relationship and deepen cooperation in relevant field so as to realise common development and bring more benefits for the people of both sides,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>&quot;We believe that the sound and steady growth of the bilateral relationship will also bring more benefits to the whole region and the world at large,&quot; she added.</p>

<p>Modi&#39;s remarks, as well as China&#39;s reaction, comes in the backdrop of growing discord between the two countries over a host of issues including the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Beijing blocking India&#39;s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as the listing of JeM leader Masood Azhar a terrorist by UN.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


China welcomed Modi's remarks in Russia that not a single bullet has been fired at Sino-India border in the last 40 years despite the border dispute

China today welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in Russia that not a single bullet has been fired at Sino-India border in the last 40 years despite the simmering boundary dispute between the two neighbours. "We have noted positive remarks made by Prime Minister Modi. We welcome that," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing here when asked about Modi's comments made during his visit to Russia last week. Modi said the world has increasingly become interconnected and inter-dependent, a transformation that has made it necessary for India and China to cooperate on trade and investments despite a simmering border dispute. "It is true that we have a border dispute with China. But in the last 40 years, not a single bullet has been fired because of the border dispute," Modi said speaking at a panel discussion at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. Reacting to his remarks, Hua said, "we have been stressing that as two major countries China and India maintaining sound, steady and in-depth growth of the bilateral relationship is of great significance." "Actually, leaders of the two countries pay great attention to the boundary question. Each time they meet they exchange views on this issue. Both sides have agreed that an early question of boundary question serves the interests of the both sides. It is also a strategic goal both sides are striving to achieve," she said. Referring to the 19 rounds of boundary talks held by the special representatives of both sides, Hua said both sides have "taken serious measures to maintain peace and tranquillity of the border areas." "The two sides will stick to the overall relationship of the bilateral relationship and deepen cooperation in relevant field so as to realise common development and bring more benefits for the people of both sides," she said. "We believe that the sound and steady growth of the bilateral relationship will also bring more benefits to the whole region and the world at large," she added. Modi's remarks, as well as China's reaction, comes in the backdrop of growing discord between the two countries over a host of issues including the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Beijing blocking India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as the listing of JeM leader Masood Azhar a terrorist by UN. (PTI)

China welcomes Modi's 'not a single bullet fired along Sino-India border' remark

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on the last leg of his six-day four-nation tour of Europe.</p>

<p>He met the newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace, his official residence, in Paris.</p>

<p>&quot;A meeting to mark a new warmth and friendship. PM @narendramodi meets new French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris,&quot; Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted.</p>

<p>Addressing a joint press conference, Prime Minister Modi said that terrorism and climate are two big challenges in front of humanity.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Climate and terrorism are two big threats in front of humanity: PM Modi at Elysee Palace in Paris <a href="https://t.co/fJygEPloFY">pic.twitter.com/fJygEPloFY</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/870984395674365953">June 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The two leaders also discussed ways to combat terrorism.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Talking about the Paris Climate Accord, which has been under fire from the Trump administration, the Prime Minister said that it is a shared legacy of the world and India will&nbsp;&#39;go above and beyond&#39; to protect climate.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister, after holding wide-ranging talks with the French President, said that Paris Agreement reflects &quot;our duty towards protecting the Earth and our natural resources. For us, this is an article of faith&quot;.</p>

<p>On Friday, Modi attended the&nbsp;St Petersburg International Economic Forum, the first by an Indian Prime Minister, where he invited the Russian business fraternity to come and explore opportunities in areas of&nbsp;defence, services sector and manufacturing healthcare equipments in India.</p>

<p>&quot;The eyes of the world are on Asia and there is renewed interest in India. In the last three years there have been substantial reforms guided by the principle of `Minimum Government, Maximum Governance&#39;. India is one of the fastest growing economies and is undertaking reforms at a rapid pace,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI and ANI)</p>

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<p>Both the leaders held bilateral talks over a range of issues. Tackling the issue of terrorism and climate change was the key takeaway in the meeting between the two leaders (WION)</p>
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Prime Minister Modi said that the Paris Climate Accord is a shared legacy of the world and India will 'go above and beyond' to protect it

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on the last leg of his six-day four-nation tour of Europe. He met the newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace, his official residence, in Paris. "A meeting to mark a new warmth and friendship. PM @narendramodi meets new French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Gopal Baglay tweeted. Addressing a joint press conference, Prime Minister Modi said that terrorism and climate are two big challenges in front of humanity. Climate and terrorism are two big threats in front of humanity: PM Modi at Elysee Palace in Paris pic.twitter.com/fJygEPloFY — ANI (@ANI_news) June 3, 2017 × The two leaders also discussed ways to combat terrorism. Talking about the Paris Climate Accord, which has been under fire from the Trump administration, the Prime Minister said that it is a shared legacy of the world and India will 'go above and beyond' to protect climate. The Prime Minister, after holding wide-ranging talks with the French President, said that Paris Agreement reflects "our duty towards protecting the Earth and our natural resources. For us, this is an article of faith". On Friday, Modi attended the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, the first by an Indian Prime Minister, where he invited the Russian business fraternity to come and explore opportunities in areas of defence, services sector and manufacturing healthcare equipments in India. "The eyes of the world are on Asia and there is renewed interest in India. In the last three years there have been substantial reforms guided by the principle of `Minimum Government, Maximum Governance'. India is one of the fastest growing economies and is undertaking reforms at a rapid pace," he said. (WION with inputs from PTI and ANI) Both the leaders held bilateral talks over a range of issues. Tackling the issue of terrorism and climate change was the key takeaway in the meeting between the two leaders (WION) ×

Climate and terrorism two big threats for humanity: PM Modi in France

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday categorically said that New Delhi remains committed to the Paris Climate Accord, adding it is relying heavily on traditional energy sources so that the future generations are able to breathe fresh and live a harmonious life.</p>

<p>&quot;We cannot exploit the nature. When I was in Germany I had said that Paris or no Paris. We have this conviction. We should leave earth for our future generation so that they can live a harmonious life and be able to breathe fresh air,&quot; Prime Minster Modi said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.</p>

<p>When his comments were sought on the US decision to withdraw from the climate deal, where President Donald Trump alleged that the agreement gave better deal to the world&#39;s highly polluting countries like India, Prime Minister Modi said, &quot;Don`t think I will take sides on this subject, but would rather take side of our future generation.&quot;</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi further said that India is a responsible nation and seriously considers climate change a threat. He said large investments are being made in traditional energy sources.</p>

<p>&quot;The exploitation of nature is a crime. Instead of relying on traditional energy sources, we are increasingly relying on renewable energy. We have set 175 GW target,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Earlier, Trump accused India of extracting &quot;billions and billions and billions&quot; of dollars in foreign aid from the developed world to sign up for the climate accord and pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord.</p>

<p>&quot;India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Trump said, according to the Paris Climate deal terms, China will be allowed many coal plants, and India will be allowed to double its coal production by 2020, but not the US.</p>

<p>&quot;As of today, the US will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord, and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country,&quot; he said in an address in the White House Rose Garden.</p>

<p>He said the US will begin negotiations to re-enter the Paris Agreement on terms that are fair to the United States.</p>

<p>&quot;We will be environmentally friendly, but we`re not going to put our businesses out of work... We`re going to grow rapidly,&quot; Trump said.</p>

<p>(ANI)</p>


Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Modi said that India is increasingly relying on the use of renewable energy sources

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday categorically said that New Delhi remains committed to the Paris Climate Accord, adding it is relying heavily on traditional energy sources so that the future generations are able to breathe fresh and live a harmonious life. "We cannot exploit the nature. When I was in Germany I had said that Paris or no Paris. We have this conviction. We should leave earth for our future generation so that they can live a harmonious life and be able to breathe fresh air," Prime Minster Modi said at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. When his comments were sought on the US decision to withdraw from the climate deal, where President Donald Trump alleged that the agreement gave better deal to the world's highly polluting countries like India, Prime Minister Modi said, "Don`t think I will take sides on this subject, but would rather take side of our future generation." Prime Minister Modi further said that India is a responsible nation and seriously considers climate change a threat. He said large investments are being made in traditional energy sources. "The exploitation of nature is a crime. Instead of relying on traditional energy sources, we are increasingly relying on renewable energy. We have set 175 GW target," he said. Earlier, Trump accused India of extracting "billions and billions and billions" of dollars in foreign aid from the developed world to sign up for the climate accord and pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord. "India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid," he said. Trump said, according to the Paris Climate deal terms, China will be allowed many coal plants, and India will be allowed to double its coal production by 2020, but not the US. "As of today, the US will cease all implementation of the non-binding Paris accord, and the draconian financial and economic burdens the agreement imposes on our country," he said in an address in the White House Rose Garden. He said the US will begin negotiations to re-enter the Paris Agreement on terms that are fair to the United States. "We will be environmentally friendly, but we`re not going to put our businesses out of work... We`re going to grow rapidly," Trump said. (ANI)

Prime Minister Modi says India committed to Paris Climate Accord

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited global businesses to invest in India, saying its market of 120 crore people provides vast opportunities from agriculture to defence, while being protected by political stability and a vibrant judicial system.</p>

<p>&quot;The sky is the limit in India. You can venture here in any area you want (to do business),&quot; Modi told a global audience in his plenary address at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) here.</p>

<p>This is the first time that an Indian prime minister is attending the SPIEF forum, which is held annually in St Petersburg, Russia&#39;s second largest city and President Vladimir Putin&#39;s hometown.</p>

<p>Putin, who addressed the session before Modi, also spoke of Russia&#39;s attractiveness for investors, pointing out the technological advancements of its youth.</p>

<p>Modi said that his government&#39;s journey towards developing India is built on investments in infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and services.</p>

<p>&quot;Fifty cities need metros, 500 cities need solid waste management and drinking water. Besides, India has the world&#39;s second largest railway network. It needs to be expanded, upgraded technologically to make it safer and reliable. The clean India movement has embarked on a program to clean the 2,500 kilometer long Ganga,&quot; Modi said.</p>

<p>All this provides immense opportunities for investment, he said.</p>

<p>In agriculture, he said his emphasis is on seed to market and increasing yield through technological intervention, organic farming and value addition through food processing.</p>

<p>The market is open even for defence manufacturing, tourism, hospitality and medical devices.</p>

<p>&quot;I invite you all. A nation of 1.2 billion people invites the world. The world&#39;s oldest civilization invites you all,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


This is the first time that an Indian prime minister is attending the SPIEF forum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited global businesses to invest in India, saying its market of 120 crore people provides vast opportunities from agriculture to defence, while being protected by political stability and a vibrant judicial system. "The sky is the limit in India. You can venture here in any area you want (to do business)," Modi told a global audience in his plenary address at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) here. This is the first time that an Indian prime minister is attending the SPIEF forum, which is held annually in St Petersburg, Russia's second largest city and President Vladimir Putin's hometown. Putin, who addressed the session before Modi, also spoke of Russia's attractiveness for investors, pointing out the technological advancements of its youth. Modi said that his government's journey towards developing India is built on investments in infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and services. "Fifty cities need metros, 500 cities need solid waste management and drinking water. Besides, India has the world's second largest railway network. It needs to be expanded, upgraded technologically to make it safer and reliable. The clean India movement has embarked on a program to clean the 2,500 kilometer long Ganga," Modi said. All this provides immense opportunities for investment, he said. In agriculture, he said his emphasis is on seed to market and increasing yield through technological intervention, organic farming and value addition through food processing. The market is open even for defence manufacturing, tourism, hospitality and medical devices. "I invite you all. A nation of 1.2 billion people invites the world. The world's oldest civilization invites you all," he said. (PTI)

Russia: Prime Minister Modi invites investors as he attends economic forum

<p>Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held wide-ranging talks with Germany&#39;s Chancellor Angela Merkel in a move to further strengthen the bilateral partnership between the two countries.</p>

<p>Both the leaders held the fourth&nbsp;India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) to set a roadmap for the bilateral strategic ties, PTI said.</p>

<p>&quot;We are looking at outcome oriented momentum in India- Germany ties and a quantum jump specially in economic ties. We had wide ranging discussions today. India-Germany partnership will help our nations and also help the world,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Merkel and Modi also discussed a number of issues like&nbsp;trade, skill development, cyber security and terrorism.</p>

<p>Modi said that Germany will always find India as powerful, prepared and a capable partner.</p>

<p>&quot;Pace of development of our relations is fast, direction positive and destination clear. Germany will always find India as powerful, prepared and capable partner,&quot; Modi said at a joint press interaction after holding talks with Merkel, PTI reported.</p>

<p>The German Chancellor said that Berlin wants to develop ties with New Delhi but not at the cost of its trans-Atlantic relationship, Reuters reported.</p>

<p>&quot;That&#39;s of huge importance and in no way directed against any other relationships and certainly not against the trans-Atlantic ties, which have historically been very important for us and will remain so in future.&quot;</p>

<p>On Monday, Merkel underlined her doubts about the reliability of the United States as an ally but said she was a &quot;convinced trans-Atlanticist&quot;, fine-tuning her message after surprising Washington with her frankness a day earlier.</p>

<p>(WION with inputs from PTI and Reuters)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Merkel said she could develop ties with India and keep up its relationship with the US

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held wide-ranging talks with Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel in a move to further strengthen the bilateral partnership between the two countries. Both the leaders held the fourth India-Germany Intergovernmental Consultations (IGC) to set a roadmap for the bilateral strategic ties, PTI said. "We are looking at outcome oriented momentum in India- Germany ties and a quantum jump specially in economic ties. We had wide ranging discussions today. India-Germany partnership will help our nations and also help the world," he said. Merkel and Modi also discussed a number of issues like trade, skill development, cyber security and terrorism. Modi said that Germany will always find India as powerful, prepared and a capable partner. "Pace of development of our relations is fast, direction positive and destination clear. Germany will always find India as powerful, prepared and capable partner," Modi said at a joint press interaction after holding talks with Merkel, PTI reported. The German Chancellor said that Berlin wants to develop ties with New Delhi but not at the cost of its trans-Atlantic relationship, Reuters reported. "That's of huge importance and in no way directed against any other relationships and certainly not against the trans-Atlantic ties, which have historically been very important for us and will remain so in future." On Monday, Merkel underlined her doubts about the reliability of the United States as an ally but said she was a "convinced trans-Atlanticist", fine-tuning her message after surprising Washington with her frankness a day earlier. (WION with inputs from PTI and Reuters)

Modi calls Berlin a 'reliable partner' after meeting Merkel

<p>On the third anniversary of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said these years have seen concrete steps that have &quot;transformed&quot; the lives of the people.</p>

<p>He put out the statistics related to various sectors to show comparisons between 2014 and now.</p>

<p>He also invited the public to participate in a survey on his NarendraModi App about the performance of his government.</p>

<p>&quot;Sath hai, vishwas hai, ho raha vikas hai&quot; (There is cooperation, there is confidence and progress is being made),&nbsp;the prime minister tweeted.</p>

<p>&quot;Last 3 years have seen concrete steps that have transformed people&#39;s lives,&quot;&nbsp;said in another tweet.</p>

<p>Along with the tweets, he posted graphics related to various sectors like agriculture, mobile banking, tele- density, women empowerment, &quot;Make-in-India&quot;, tourism, electrification, solar energy and distribution of LED bulbs.</p>

<p>Referring to &quot;Make-in-India&quot;, the graphic said that there has been a &quot;giant boost&quot;&nbsp;to investments in electronic manufacturing.</p>

<p>According to the graphic, the investments in this sector have jumped to Rs 1,43,000 crore from Rs 11,198 crore in 2013 -14.</p>

<p>Under the title &quot;Digital India for Developed India&quot;, the graphic says that optical fibre broadband network has increased to 2,05,404 kilometres&nbsp;from 358 kilometres&nbsp;in 2013-14.</p>

<p>In the tourism sector, the graphic says India has seen &quot;rapid strides&quot;. According to the graphic, the WEF&#39;s travel and tourism ranking of India has moved from 65th position in 2014 to 40.</p>

<p>In the field of solar power, it said India has taken a giant leap in generation. The solar power installed capacity now stands at 12277 mw against 2621 mw in March 2014.</p>

<p>Inviting the public to participate in a survey, Modi put two questions -- &quot;What do you feel about the Govt? Where have we done well &amp; where can we do even better?&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>(PTI)&nbsp;</p>


On the third anniversary of his government, Indian PM Modi takes stock of the country

On the third anniversary of his government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said these years have seen concrete steps that have "transformed" the lives of the people. He put out the statistics related to various sectors to show comparisons between 2014 and now. He also invited the public to participate in a survey on his NarendraModi App about the performance of his government. "Sath hai, vishwas hai, ho raha vikas hai" (There is cooperation, there is confidence and progress is being made), the prime minister tweeted. "Last 3 years have seen concrete steps that have transformed people's lives," said in another tweet. Along with the tweets, he posted graphics related to various sectors like agriculture, mobile banking, tele- density, women empowerment, "Make-in-India", tourism, electrification, solar energy and distribution of LED bulbs. Referring to "Make-in-India", the graphic said that there has been a "giant boost" to investments in electronic manufacturing. According to the graphic, the investments in this sector have jumped to Rs 1,43,000 crore from Rs 11,198 crore in 2013 -14. Under the title "Digital India for Developed India", the graphic says that optical fibre broadband network has increased to 2,05,404 kilometres from 358 kilometres in 2013-14. In the tourism sector, the graphic says India has seen "rapid strides". According to the graphic, the WEF's travel and tourism ranking of India has moved from 65th position in 2014 to 40. In the field of solar power, it said India has taken a giant leap in generation. The solar power installed capacity now stands at 12277 mw against 2621 mw in March 2014. Inviting the public to participate in a survey, Modi put two questions -- "What do you feel about the Govt? Where have we done well & where can we do even better?" (PTI)

Narendra Modi: Concrete steps have transformed lives of people

<p>Amidst the ongoing unrest in India&#39;s Kashmir, a senior Indian minister said today that the Narendra Modi administration would find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue.<br />
<br />
Addressing a public reception in Northeast Indian state of Sikkim, India&#39;s internal affairs minister Rajnath Singh blamed Pakistan for fomenting trouble in Kashmir.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But Singh said the attacks wouldn&#39;t derail the government&#39;s efforts to find a &quot;permanent solution to the Kashmir issue&quot;.</p>

<p>has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over the mountainous region.</p>

<p>The senior minister&#39;s statement comes at a time the Valley has been witnessing widespread unrest since April 9 when the bypoll to the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat was held.<br />
<br />
Eight people were killed in firing by security forces on the day. The turnout was a mere 7.14 per cent.<br />
<br />
The April 12 bypoll to the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat had to be postponed by the Election Commission in view of the &quot;scary&quot; situation in Kashmir.<br />
<br />
Students in large numbers have hit the streets, staging protests against alleged atrocities by the security forces.<br />
<br />
Last year, around 80 people lost their lives in the unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani.<br />
<br />
&quot;Kashmir is ours, Kashmiris are ours and Kashmiriyat is also ours. We will find a permanent solution to Kashmir,&quot; Singh said.<br />
<br />
Referring to the 2014 swearing-in ceremony of the Modi government, the home minister said leaders of all neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, were invited to show that the new government wanted to have friendly relations with all countries.<br />
<br />
However, he said, there had been no change in Pakistan&#39;s attitude towards India and it wanted to destabilise India.<br />
<br />
&quot;We hope that Pakistan will change. If it does not change, we have to change them. After globalisation, one country can&#39;t destabilise another country as the international community will not forget it,&quot; he said.<br />
<br />
The home minister is on a three-day visit to Sikkim during which he attended a conference of Himalayan states to review the security situation and development activities along the Sino-Indian border.<br />
<br />
He had also visited the Nathu La border post, besides visiting a few posts of Indo-Tibetan Border Police and SSB along the Sino-Indian and Indo-Nepal border respectively.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


India;s internal affairs minister Rajnath Singh blamed Pakistan for trying to create unrest in India's Kashmir

Amidst the ongoing unrest in India's Kashmir, a senior Indian minister said today that the Narendra Modi administration would find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue. Addressing a public reception in Northeast Indian state of Sikkim, India's internal affairs minister Rajnath Singh blamed Pakistan for fomenting trouble in Kashmir. But Singh said the attacks wouldn't derail the government's efforts to find a "permanent solution to the Kashmir issue". has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in full and have fought two wars over the mountainous region. The senior minister's statement comes at a time the Valley has been witnessing widespread unrest since April 9 when the bypoll to the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat was held. Eight people were killed in firing by security forces on the day. The turnout was a mere 7.14 per cent. The April 12 bypoll to the Anantnag Lok Sabha seat had to be postponed by the Election Commission in view of the "scary" situation in Kashmir. Students in large numbers have hit the streets, staging protests against alleged atrocities by the security forces. Last year, around 80 people lost their lives in the unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant commander Burhan Wani. "Kashmir is ours, Kashmiris are ours and Kashmiriyat is also ours. We will find a permanent solution to Kashmir," Singh said. Referring to the 2014 swearing-in ceremony of the Modi government, the home minister said leaders of all neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, were invited to show that the new government wanted to have friendly relations with all countries. However, he said, there had been no change in Pakistan's attitude towards India and it wanted to destabilise India. "We hope that Pakistan will change. If it does not change, we have to change them. After globalisation, one country can't destabilise another country as the international community will not forget it," he said. The home minister is on a three-day visit to Sikkim during which he attended a conference of Himalayan states to review the security situation and development activities along the Sino-Indian border. He had also visited the Nathu La border post, besides visiting a few posts of Indo-Tibetan Border Police and SSB along the Sino-Indian and Indo-Nepal border respectively. (PTI)

Indian PM Modi will find 'permanent solution to Kashmir issue'

<p>President of India Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the celebrations marking 90 years&nbsp;of Essel Group on Sunday,&nbsp;</p>

<p>The event will be held at New Delhi&#39;s Indira Gandhi Stadium.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tomorrow I look forward to joining the 90 year celebrations of the Essel Group. Congratulations to Essel Group on this momentous occasion.</p>
&mdash; Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/863384865927909377">May 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Speaking on the Group&#39;s journey, Dr Subhash Chandra, chairman, Essel Group said, &quot;This journey of 90 years has been filled with remarkable successes as well as challenges and obstacles. It has been a journey of creating history, venturing into unknown territories, only to emerge as leaders, capitalising on our pioneering vision and sheer entrepreneurial spirit. Today, Essel Group is a multi-billion dollar diversified business conglomerate, enriching billions of lives across the world. As we look to the future, I am confident that we will carry forward the legacy of the Group with complete passion, dedication and above all, the spirit of #YoungAt90!&quot;</p>

<p>The Essel Group, which was founded in 1926,&nbsp;has grown &nbsp;to become a multi-billion dollar business conglomerate having diverse business presence across media, entertainment, packaging, infrastructure, education, precious metals, finance and technology.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>

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The Group which was founded in 1926?has grown to become a multi-billion dollar business conglomerate having diverse business presence across media, entertainment, packaging, infrastructure, education, precious metals, finance and technology.

President of India Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the celebrations marking 90 years of Essel Group on Sunday, The event will be held at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Stadium. Tomorrow I look forward to joining the 90 year celebrations of the Essel Group. Congratulations to Essel Group on this momentous occasion. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2017 × Speaking on the Group's journey, Dr Subhash Chandra, chairman, Essel Group said, "This journey of 90 years has been filled with remarkable successes as well as challenges and obstacles. It has been a journey of creating history, venturing into unknown territories, only to emerge as leaders, capitalising on our pioneering vision and sheer entrepreneurial spirit. Today, Essel Group is a multi-billion dollar diversified business conglomerate, enriching billions of lives across the world. As we look to the future, I am confident that we will carry forward the legacy of the Group with complete passion, dedication and above all, the spirit of #YoungAt90!" The Essel Group, which was founded in 1926, has grown to become a multi-billion dollar business conglomerate having diverse business presence across media, entertainment, packaging, infrastructure, education, precious metals, finance and technology. (WION)

India: President, PM to attend Essel Group's 90th year celebrations

<p>India today skipped the opening ceremony of China&#39;s Belt and Road Forum following sovereignty concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).</p>

<p>No Indian delegation was seen at the opening ceremony addressed by Chinese President, Xi Jinping.</p>

<p>When inquired, Indian diplomats here pointed to the statement issued by MEA spokesperson Gopal Bagley last night.</p>

<p>&quot;...No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Few Indian scholars attended the meeting. Media was not permitted into the conference hall, where the opening ceremony took place.</p>

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<p>Indian scholars who took part in the meeting said no Indian delegation was spotted.</p>

<p>The meeting called the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) is being attended by 29 heads of state and governments including Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickrmasinghe, besides official delegations from other South Asian countries.</p>

<p>Leaders and officials from various countries including Russia, US, Japan, UK, Germany and France are attending the meeting.</p>

<p>In a strongly-worded statement issued last night, India had said that the connectivity initiative must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity.</p>

<p>&quot;Guided by our principled position in the matter, we have been urging China to engage in a meaningful dialogue on its connectivity initiative, &#39;One Belt, One Road&#39; which was later renamed as &#39;Belt and</p>

<p>Road Initiative&#39;. We are awaiting a positive response from the Chinese side,&quot; External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said in a statement.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


The 'One Belt, One Road' initiative will try and revive the ancient Silk Route

India today skipped the opening ceremony of China's Belt and Road Forum following sovereignty concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). No Indian delegation was seen at the opening ceremony addressed by Chinese President, Xi Jinping. When inquired, Indian diplomats here pointed to the statement issued by MEA spokesperson Gopal Bagley last night. "...No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. Few Indian scholars attended the meeting. Media was not permitted into the conference hall, where the opening ceremony took place. The meeting called the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) is being attended by 29 heads of state and governments including Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickrmasinghe × Indian scholars who took part in the meeting said no Indian delegation was spotted. The meeting called the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) is being attended by 29 heads of state and governments including Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and his Sri Lankan counterpart Ranil Wickrmasinghe, besides official delegations from other South Asian countries. Leaders and officials from various countries including Russia, US, Japan, UK, Germany and France are attending the meeting. In a strongly-worded statement issued last night, India had said that the connectivity initiative must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity. "Guided by our principled position in the matter, we have been urging China to engage in a meaningful dialogue on its connectivity initiative, 'One Belt, One Road' which was later renamed as 'Belt and Road Initiative'. We are awaiting a positive response from the Chinese side," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said in a statement. (PTI)

India skips China's 'OBOR' summit over sovereignty concerns

<p>The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today attended the International Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo.</p>

<p>While speaking on the occasion, Modi said that he brings with him the greetings of 1.25 billion people from the land of Samyaksambuddha, the perfectly self-awakened one.</p>

<p>Dwelling on the issue of peace, Modi said that the biggest challenge for sustainable world peace is from mindsets rooted in hate and violence. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking on the menace of terrorism in the region, the PM said that it is a manifestation of the destructive emotion. &nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Menace of terrorism in our region is a clear manifestation of this destructive emotion: PM Modi in Sri Lanka <a href="https://t.co/HSeLfxtU7S">pic.twitter.com/HSeLfxtU7S</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/862907147356487682">May 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Modi also announced a direct Air India flight between Varanasi, which is his Lok Sabha constituency, to Colombo.</p>

<p>He said that the region is blessed to give the world teachings of Lord Buddha.</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>

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Narendra Modi, who is in Colombo to attend the International Vesak Day celebrations, said that the region is proud to give the world the invaluable gift of Buddha and his teachings

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi today attended the International Vesak Day celebrations in Colombo. While speaking on the occasion, Modi said that he brings with him the greetings of 1.25 billion people from the land of Samyaksambuddha, the perfectly self-awakened one. Dwelling on the issue of peace, Modi said that the biggest challenge for sustainable world peace is from mindsets rooted in hate and violence. Speaking on the menace of terrorism in the region, the PM said that it is a manifestation of the destructive emotion. Menace of terrorism in our region is a clear manifestation of this destructive emotion: PM Modi in Sri Lanka pic.twitter.com/HSeLfxtU7S — ANI (@ANI_news) May 12, 2017 × Modi also announced a direct Air India flight between Varanasi, which is his Lok Sabha constituency, to Colombo. He said that the region is blessed to give the world teachings of Lord Buddha. (PTI)

PM Modi on International Vesak Day: Challenge to world peace from mindsets rooted in hate and violence

<p>Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP&#39;s landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh and for the completion of longest tunnel of South Asia, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that he supported her and her government during troubled times. She was referring to the violence that gripped the Valley after militant Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces last year.<br />
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&quot;We are thankful to our Prime Minister. The tunnel inaugurated will bridge distances, be it in travel or between people.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congratulations to the Prime Minister for the mandate in Uttar Pradesh. Last year, during very troubled times you supported me and my government,&quot; Mehbooba Mufti said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Asserting that the tunnel inaugurated will bridge distances, be it in travel or between people, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said that a lot has improved and a lot more needs to be done in Jammu and Kashmir.&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;Mufti s<em>ahab </em>had faith in the people and in <em>Jamhuriyat</em>,&quot; she added.</p>

<p>Prime Minister Modi on his part thanked the chief minister. He said that the Centre announced package for the state, adding the work has begun in this regard.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister earlier in the day inaugurated India`s longest tunnel Chenani-Nashri, on the Jammu-Srinagar highway amid high security.</p>

<p>The tunnel is expected to give sigh of relief to travellers on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, as it will reduce the travel time on National Highway 44 between Jammu and Srinagar by about 2 hours by shortening the distance between the cities by 31 km.&nbsp;<br />
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(ANI)<br />
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The Jammu and Kashmir CM was referring to the violence which gripped the Valley after the death of militant Burhan Wani last year

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BJP's landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh and for the completion of longest tunnel of South Asia, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said that he supported her and her government during troubled times. She was referring to the violence that gripped the Valley after militant Burhan Wani was shot dead by security forces last year. "We are thankful to our Prime Minister. The tunnel inaugurated will bridge distances, be it in travel or between people. Congratulations to the Prime Minister for the mandate in Uttar Pradesh. Last year, during very troubled times you supported me and my government," Mehbooba Mufti said. Asserting that the tunnel inaugurated will bridge distances, be it in travel or between people, the Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said that a lot has improved and a lot more needs to be done in Jammu and Kashmir." "Mufti sahab had faith in the people and in Jamhuriyat," she added. Prime Minister Modi on his part thanked the chief minister. He said that the Centre announced package for the state, adding the work has begun in this regard. The Prime Minister earlier in the day inaugurated India`s longest tunnel Chenani-Nashri, on the Jammu-Srinagar highway amid high security. The tunnel is expected to give sigh of relief to travellers on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, as it will reduce the travel time on National Highway 44 between Jammu and Srinagar by about 2 hours by shortening the distance between the cities by 31 km. (ANI)

Chief minister Mehbooba Mufti thanks PM Modi for supporting J&K govt during 'troubled times'

<p paraeid="{55c68eef-3e9a-457d-9b1b-dda18de69d94}{141}" paraid="461947449">India will assist Nepal in conducting its first local bodies poll in 20 years. India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said all possible assistance will be extended to its Himalayan&nbsp;neighbour&nbsp;after his Nepalese counterpart, Pushpa Kamal&nbsp;Dahal&nbsp;&#39;Prachanda&#39;, called him on Tuesday.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal &lsquo;Prachanda&rsquo; talks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/856844017476218880">April 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p paraeid="{55c68eef-3e9a-457d-9b1b-dda18de69d94}{141}" paraid="461947449">Prachanda&nbsp;requested for India&#39;s assistance while speaking about Nepal holding the local elections, following which Modi gave the assurance of help, a statement from the Indian Prime Minister&#39;s Office said.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{55c68eef-3e9a-457d-9b1b-dda18de69d94}{166}" paraid="1459765992">The two Prime Ministers reiterated their commitment to advance cooperative ties between India and Nepal on multiple levels for the benefit of the two countries, the statement said.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{55c68eef-3e9a-457d-9b1b-dda18de69d94}{173}" paraid="326481546">Modi and&nbsp;Prachanda&nbsp;discussed recent developments in India-Nepal relations, including the recent &quot;highly successful&quot; state visit of Nepal President&nbsp;Bidya&nbsp;Devi Bhandari to India, it said.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{55c68eef-3e9a-457d-9b1b-dda18de69d94}{176}" paraid="332164370">The Nepal Prime Minister spoke about the ongoing efforts of his government to take all stakeholders on board in implementing the constitution, the statement said.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{55c68eef-3e9a-457d-9b1b-dda18de69d94}{181}" paraid="1158161644">Modi &quot;conveyed the good wishes of the people and the Government of India to the friendly people of Nepal in their national efforts to achieve peace, stability and socio- economic transformation, and assured PM&nbsp;Prachanda&nbsp;that India will extend all possible assistance for local elections.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{4496c451-9347-497f-821c-a65f7167f7f9}{40}" paraid="1985544231" >However, China has already offered help to&nbsp;organise&nbsp;the Nepal local polls more than a week ago. China had&nbsp;also announced nine million Yuan as monetary support for Nepal during&nbsp;Prachanda&#39;s&nbsp;recent visit. Apart from monetary help, China has already supplied the landlocked nation election material&nbsp;like&nbsp;pens, stamp pads, rubber stamps, calculators, scales, punching machines and table watches, during a function in Kathmandu,&nbsp;an&nbsp;Indian&nbsp;media&nbsp;outlet&nbsp;reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{4496c451-9347-497f-821c-a65f7167f7f9}{42}" paraid="763460712" >The Election Commission of Nepal&nbsp;was quoted as saying that 30,000 ballot boxes&nbsp;were expected to arrive from China ahead of the local poll.&nbsp;</p>

<p paraeid="{55c68eef-3e9a-457d-9b1b-dda18de69d94}{184}" paraid="413157398">(WION with input from agencies)&nbsp;</p>


Modi has assured Nepal of complete assistance in holding the poll. This is the first time in 20 years the poll will be held

India will assist Nepal in conducting its first local bodies poll in 20 years. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi said all possible assistance will be extended to its Himalayan neighbour after his Nepalese counterpart, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', called him on Tuesday. Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ talks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the phone — ANI (@ANI_news) April 25, 2017 × Prachanda requested for India's assistance while speaking about Nepal holding the local elections, following which Modi gave the assurance of help, a statement from the Indian Prime Minister's Office said. The two Prime Ministers reiterated their commitment to advance cooperative ties between India and Nepal on multiple levels for the benefit of the two countries, the statement said. Modi and Prachanda discussed recent developments in India-Nepal relations, including the recent "highly successful" state visit of Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari to India, it said. The Nepal Prime Minister spoke about the ongoing efforts of his government to take all stakeholders on board in implementing the constitution, the statement said. Modi "conveyed the good wishes of the people and the Government of India to the friendly people of Nepal in their national efforts to achieve peace, stability and socio- economic transformation, and assured PM Prachanda that India will extend all possible assistance for local elections." However, China has already offered help to organise the Nepal local polls more than a week ago. China had also announced nine million Yuan as monetary support for Nepal during Prachanda's recent visit. Apart from monetary help, China has already supplied the landlocked nation election material like pens, stamp pads, rubber stamps, calculators, scales, punching machines and table watches, during a function in Kathmandu, an Indian media outlet reported. The Election Commission of Nepal was quoted as saying that 30,000 ballot boxes were expected to arrive from China ahead of the local poll. (WION with input from agencies)

Nepal PM calls Modi, seeks help for conducting local bodies' poll

<p>Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to discuss the situation in her strife-riven state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Even as they spoke, television news reported clashes between stundents and police in Kashmir where schools and colleges have opened today after a week.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Speaking to reporters after her meeting with the prime minister, she said they would have to start from where former president Atal Behari Vajpayee left off or there would be no chance of improving the situation in the state.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="et">J&amp;K CM Mehbooba Mufti speaks to media after meeting PM Modi <a href="https://t.co/mTXADyzUaD">https://t.co/mTXADyzUaD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/856383092499468288">April 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>She added that in Vajpayee&#39;s time many talks had taken place. That the Hurriyat was talked to -- something that has not happened this time around -- and that &quot;others&quot; -- possibly a reference to militants -- were spoken to too.&nbsp;</p>

<p>She added that Modi has repeated said he will follow in the footsteps of Vajpayee, whose policy was one of reconciliation and not confrontation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Jahan par Vajpayee ji chhor gaye the, wahin se issko aage le jaana padega nahin toh J&amp;K ki haalat sudharne ka koi chance nahin hai,&quot; Mufti told reporters after her meeting with the prime minister.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Pehle humein situation ko sambhaalne dijiye, kyunki pattharbaazi aur goli ke mahaul mein baat nahin ho sakti,&quot; she added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;There are some youths who are disillusioned, others are being incited. Will work out something in Unified command meet tomorrow,&#39; she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;I pressed that J&amp;K doesn&#39;t have control over water resources, and how losses caused by Indus Waters Treaty can be compensated,&quot; she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;J&amp;K mein pehle Vajpayee sahab ke time mei baat hui hai. LK Advani deputy PM thhe. Hurriyat ke saath baat hui hai, doosron se baat hui hai,&quot; she added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Modi ji has repeatedly said that he would follow Vajpayee ji&#39;s footsteps, whose policy is of reconciliation not confrontation,&quot; she added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Mufti also met with home minister Rajnath Singh.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="et">Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti meets Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi. <a href="https://t.co/699EGZbOTI">pic.twitter.com/699EGZbOTI</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/856388918769582080">April 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>(WION)</p>


Says they will have to start from where Vajpayee left off of there will be no chance of improving the situation in Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to discuss the situation in her strife-riven state. Even as they spoke, television news reported clashes between stundents and police in Kashmir where schools and colleges have opened today after a week. Speaking to reporters after her meeting with the prime minister, she said they would have to start from where former president Atal Behari Vajpayee left off or there would be no chance of improving the situation in the state. J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti speaks to media after meeting PM Modi https://t.co/mTXADyzUaD — ANI (@ANI_news) April 24, 2017 × She added that in Vajpayee's time many talks had taken place. That the Hurriyat was talked to -- something that has not happened this time around -- and that "others" -- possibly a reference to militants -- were spoken to too. She added that Modi has repeated said he will follow in the footsteps of Vajpayee, whose policy was one of reconciliation and not confrontation. "Jahan par Vajpayee ji chhor gaye the, wahin se issko aage le jaana padega nahin toh J&K ki haalat sudharne ka koi chance nahin hai," Mufti told reporters after her meeting with the prime minister. "Pehle humein situation ko sambhaalne dijiye, kyunki pattharbaazi aur goli ke mahaul mein baat nahin ho sakti," she added. "There are some youths who are disillusioned, others are being incited. Will work out something in Unified command meet tomorrow,' she said. "I pressed that J&K doesn't have control over water resources, and how losses caused by Indus Waters Treaty can be compensated," she said. "J&K mein pehle Vajpayee sahab ke time mei baat hui hai. LK Advani deputy PM thhe. Hurriyat ke saath baat hui hai, doosron se baat hui hai," she added. "Modi ji has repeatedly said that he would follow Vajpayee ji's footsteps, whose policy is of reconciliation not confrontation," she added. Mufti also met with home minister Rajnath Singh. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti meets Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/699EGZbOTI — ANI (@ANI_news) April 24, 2017 × (WION)

Jammu and Kashmir unrest: Mehbooba Mufti meets PM Modi

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