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Karnataka: Congress-JDS government to revive controversial ‘Steel flyover’ project in Bangalore

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Congress-JDS government to revive controversial ‘Steel flyover’ project in Bangalore

The steel flyover is set to be back to haunt the citizens of Bangalore once again as the Congress-JDS government in Karnataka is planning to revive the controversial steel flyover project which was scrapped by previous Congress government after facing severe protests, reported Bangalore Mirror.

On Tuesday, Deputy Chief Minister and Bangalore Development Minister G Parameshwara had announced the revival of steel flyover project and said that his department was re-considering this Rs 1,800-crore project.

“During Siddaramaiah’s regime, the steel bridge was dropped due to several reasons. I have decided to take up the project again and have a relook into this. I will release it to the public domain,” he said.

Dy CM Parameshwar said the project had been earlier scrapped for various political reasons but the Congress-JDS has now decided to revive the project as a matter of public interest. He further added that the government will place all the details in the public domain and invite the opinions and suggestions of the public. He said the government will take the decision only after taking all the opinion and suggestions into consideration.

However, Congress strongman DK Shivakumar has taken a tougher stance on the issue, saying, “The government will not budge to blackmailers coming in the way of development projects. The steel bridge is needed to de-congest the traffic in North Bengaluru. We are reconsidering the project after the request from members of the public.

The Congress-JDS government’s decision to revive the project once again has received severe opposition from various sections of society. Sridhar Pabbisetty, Chief Executive Officer, Namma Bengaluru Foundation has said that the steel flyover will not be a solution to the traffic woes on the Airport Road. He advised the government to focus on three-four junctions on the route to ease the traffic on the Airport road.

Srinivas Alavalli, who spearheaded the ‘Steel Flyover Beda’ movement said that this project will not serve the purpose of traffic congestion and will also be a disaster for trees. “Do they think people have short memories? We have fought a battle not only on the streets but legally as well. They are playing with the children of tomorrow. They do not have the vision to solve the mobility issues of the city,” said Srinivas Alavilli, co-founder of Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB).

Former Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yeddyurappa slammed Congress-JDS government saying that this kind of unilateral decision is unacceptable, especially when the project is controversial and also facing severe protests against the public.

The 6.9-km project will connect the Chalukya circle to the Esteem Mall in Hebbal on the airport road at Devanahalli and National Highway 4 towards Hyderabad. In 2017, the Siddaramaiah government had brought this proposal to build a steel flyover but had to stop the project after facing severe protest from citizens and green activists.

Did Narendra Modi say he will overturn court’s verdict if not in favour of Ram Temple? Pretty much!

Nupur J Sharma
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Did Narendra Modi say he will overturn court’s verdict if not in favour of Ram Temple? Pretty much!

Construction of a temple at Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya is a long-held promise by the ruling BJP, and its critics, as well as supporters, often remind the leaders of its promise. For a long time, the party had to put the Ram Mandir issue on the backburner because the allies in NDA were not comfortable supporting the demand unconditionally.

In the run-up to 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP has promised to “explore all possibilities within the constitutional framework to facilitate construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya” in its election manifesto. Although the theme of the campaign was broadly around good governance and development and the pre-poll rallies didn’t see invoking the temple issue on a large scale, the issue was never forgotten by people, especially by a core section of supporters.

The demand for a temple of Lord Ram at Ayodhya is gaining steam again and a question regarding the same was put by ANI Editor Smita Prakash to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today. Prakash asked whether BJP was planning to bring in an ordinance in the Ram Temple case just like it did in the Triple Talaq case. The answer by Prime Minister Modi was very interesting.

He said that the ordinance on Triple Talaq was brought in after the Supreme Court judgement on the matter was delivered. Not before the judgement was delivered. He said that even in the BJP manifesto they have mentioned that within the constitutional bounds, BJP will find a solution to the (Ayodhya) issue. He also said that it is undeniable that the parties in power after independence have tried their best to derail this issue. Today, the issue is almost reaching its conclusion. He then said that Congress, through its lawyers should stop delaying this issue and creating obstacles. He then said that Congress should let the process of the law take its course and once the legal process is over, the government “is willing to do what is needed”.

While his “willing to do what is needed” can be taken as a promise, a careful reading of his statement reveals that it’s more than just a promise. Prime Minister Modi has said something that should make the ‘liberal’ and ‘Lutyens’ crowd go howling in unison.

Prime Minister essentially said that his government will wait for the court order, and by inference he hopes that the court order will be favourable, paving way for construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya.

He talks about ordinance or possible lawmaking “after” the legal process is complete. This can easily be inferred that he essentially said that if the court order is unfavourable, an ordinance can be “then” brought in to pave way for construction of the Ram Temple.

Essentially, the court’s order will be overturned.

Legal experts believe that the Prime Minister’s statement can be interpreted this way. Supreme Court Lawyer Sai Deepak said that an ordinance can indeed be brought to neutralise any unfavourable verdict by the court. He also said that the Prime Minister is being prudent by not taking the ordinance route while the matter is pending in the apex court of the county.

“The Ramjanmabhoomi case is essentially a civil suit wherein two parties are asserting title over a piece of immovable property. This is the legal nature of the dispute notwithstanding the religious sentiments involved. The proceeding before the Supreme Court is in the nature of a civil appeal from the verdict of the three-judge bench of the Allahabad High Court which ruled in favour of the party which established that there existed a Ram Temple that was demolished to make way for the disputed structure called the Masjid-e-Janmsthan. During the pendency of the proceeding before the Supreme Court, it would be improper to bring in an ordinance. This is perhaps why the Prime Minister spoke of considering that option after the pronouncement of the verdict by the Apex court. There is a precedent to support this, such as The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, which was brought in by the Rajiv Gandhi Government to dilute the Supreme Court’s verdict in the Shah Bano case,” Advocate J Sai Deepak said.

Therefore, Prime Minister has essentially promised that if his government is there while Supreme Court comes up with the verdict on Ayodhya, no matter what the verdict is, Ram Temple will be built at the site.

Here are the highlights of Prime Minister Modi’s interview to ANI

OpIndia Staff
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Here are the highlights of Prime Minister Modi’s interview to ANI

Prime Minister Modi, in his interview to news agency ANI today touched upon various topics and cleared the air on a lot of controversies surrounding the decisions of the BJP government.

Answering a question on bringing in an ordinance for construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Modi said that the decision on the same can be taken once the judicial procedure is over. He even urged the Congress to not create obstacles and hurdles in the speedy delivery of the verdict which will begin from 4th January.

Criticising the election-time ‘lollipop’ offered to farmers in form of farm loan waiver, Prime Minister Modi said that it does not benefit the farmers. He added that his government is trying to create an environment where farmers need not even take loans. He explained that time and again, Congress has used loan waivers as an election time trick while actually doing nothing for farmers.

Expressing his anxiety about the safety of soldiers during the surgical strike, PM Modi said he had instructed that the operation should be over before sunrise. That it was not a suicide mission and that whether the soldiers succeed or fail, they must all come back alive. Modi said that he didn’t want any harm to befall the commandos as they were “willing to sacrifice their lives on our word.” He also revealed a moment in time when he became “anxious” when the flow of information stopped for about an hour in the morning.

Clearing the air on his government’s apparent contradictory position on Triple Talaq and Sabarimala issue, Prime Minister Modi said that while Triple Talaq is about gender equality, Sabarimala was about faith. “Many Islamic countries of the world have banned the Triple Talaq, hence it is not a matter of faith for the religion. Had it been a matter of faith, Triple Talaq would have been practised in these countries. Even Pakistan has banned Triple Talaq. This shows it is a matter of gender equality. It is a matter of social justice,” PM Modi said.

Expressing his worries on Congress worker representing AgustaWestland’s alleged middleman Christian Michel as a lawyer Prime Minister Modi said, “People should be proud a ‘razdaar’ has come, now there will be legal inquiry and the truth will come out. Instead of that, you are sending lawyers from your party to support Michel.”

Speaking on the developmental work his government has undertaken, PM Modi said that he has been working diligently towards a cleaner Ganga. He added that the villages on the banks of river Ganga are ODF, which itself is a big achievement. He said he is working on the Make In India initiative which is hurting the Opposition which does not want to see India self-sufficient. Inflation is low, more educational institutes like the IIT and IIM are being set up, there is a scheme for affordable and quality healthcare and air travel has become affordable. He added that the GST has to be simple and consumer-friendly and work is constantly going on in this direction.

On India’s relations with the neighbouring countries, which has constantly been under a scanner, PM Modi said, “Pakistan will never improve on the basis of one war. That nation will still take some time to improve. All PMs of India, across all parties never opposed dialogue with Pakistan. But, can we hear anything in the midst of bombs? Today, terror-supporting Pakistan is isolated.” Regarding Doklam stand-off despite India’s attempt to better relations with China, PM Modi said, “India should be judged on the basis of its response in Doklam. And nothing has happened with India that can be considered as deceit, but our principled position has been that we want friendly relations with neighbours.”

With regards to the upcoming general elections and the alliances with other parties, PM Modi said, “In 2014, we got full majority, but we adhered to the coalition dharma. Took everyone together. Even today when we run the government, there is a consensus in decision-making. Our allies wish to grow & we too want them to grow. We do not want that we should grow at cost of allies.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lists steps taken by his government to help the middle-class

OpIndia Staff
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi lists steps taken by his government to help the middle-class

During his interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi has attempted to dispel the narrative that his government has not taken care of the welfare of the middle class.


Prime Minister Modi appreciated the contributions made by the middle class towards the nation. He said, “For the middle class, we’ll have to change our thinking. Middle class never lives on someone’s mercy. They live with dignity and make an immense contribution towards running the country.” Narendra Modi called the middle class the backbone of Indian society.

Elaborating on the steps that the NDA government has undertaken to better the lives of the middle class, Narendra Modi mentioned the inflation which has come down drastically under his government. He said, “When inflation comes down, it is the middle class which is benefited the most.”

He further said that the development agenda pursued by the NDA government is benefiting the middle class greatly by providing them with employment opportunities and better facilities. “The seats in educational institutions which we have increased, who does it benefit the most? We have addressed the aspirations of the middle class. The Civil Aviation Policy that we have brought, it has helped the middle to fly at cheap rates. More people have travelled in flights than in the AC compartments of trains. Who are these people? It’s the middle class.”

Narendra Modi also said that Ayushman Bharat, a scheme that provides treatment to economically weaker sections of the population free of cost, will benefit the middle class also. “Due to Ayushman Bharat, there will be a huge number of hospitals built in the country. These hospitals will need to employ a huge number of people. They will all be from the middle class,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi also mentioned the Mudra Yojana and the benefits it has provided to the middle class. “15 crore loans have been sanctioned under the Mudra Yojana. If anyone has benefited from it the most, it is the middle class.”

Narendra Modi also said that the boost to start-ups that his government has provided has benefited the middle class the most. He said among the smaller things, the push given to LED bulbs by his government has helped reduce electric bills for the middle class. He added that his development schemes had greatly benefited the middle class.


Prime Minister Modi also asserted that the middle class contributes a lot to the Indian economy. Therefore, it is his responsibility to heed their concerns.

Sohrabuddin Encounter case a political conspiracy by Congress against Amit Shah: Smriti Irani

OpIndia Staff
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Sohrabuddin Encounter case a political conspiracy by Congress against Amit Shah: Smriti Irani

Union Minister Smriti Irani has launched an attack on the Congress party over the Sohrabuddin Encounter case. She has called it a clear instance of ‘political conspiracy’ by the Congress party.


Irani also mentioned the observations the Court had made while granting Amit Shah bail in October 2010. Quoting the Court, she said, “Suggesting involvement of the accused is not made out for the purpose of deciding the complicity of the accused in light of character of evidence.” She said that the Court had observed that there was no evidence against Amit Shah and yet the Congress continued to attack him over it. She stated the Special Court of the CBI had confirmed the words of the Judge who had granted bail to Amit Shah in 2010.

Smriti Irani further said, “This is an example of how Congress party pursues political opponents. Create evidence, ensure that a person is arrested for no other purpose just so that they want that person behind bars.” She added, “This was not alone the challenge faced by Amit Bhai Shah. It was a struggle endured by his family and this is what we want to highlight to the nation. That the Congress party will spare nobody that comes in their pursuit of power.” She also said that the Congress party does not want the power to serve people but to serve a single family.

Answering a question, Irani also said that it was perhaps the first time that a terrorist was being supported openly by the Congress party and an elected office bearer in a government was put in jail through a political conspiracy.

Smriti Irani’s statement comes after the CBI Court had observed that the CBI (under the then Congress government) had a “premeditated theory and script” to implicate political leaders rather than trying to find the truth.

The Court had further stated, “In my entire discussion, I have said that the witnesses have turned hostile when I say that the witnesses have turned hostile it merely means that they didn’t depose as per their respective statements recorded by the CBI during its investigation. However, I had the occasion of seeing the deposition of the witnesses while they were in the witness box in this court which clearly reflected that they were speaking the truth before this court. Clearly indicating that their statements were wrongly recorded under CrPc 161 by CBI during the investigation.”

A Special CBI Court had acquitted all 22 accused in the “fake” encounter of gangster Sohrabuddin Sheikh, his associate Tulsiram Prajapati and the murder of his wife, Kauser Bi last month. These cases have long been used to target Amit Shah and Narendra Modi by Congress and the media.

Irani also commented on the Gujarat government’s circular which made it mandatory for students to respond with “Jai Hind” or “Jai Bharat” during roll call. She attacked the Congress party and said that the party has exposed its mentality by ridiculing the move.

She said, “Speaking as an MP from Gujarat if you are saying that Opposition’s contention is that by saying ‘Jai Hind’ you are being regressive then I rather embrace my nation & celebrate its prominence & say ‘Jai Hind’.” She added, “The fact that the Opposition finds it ridiculous to hail your country just shows their mentality and not that of the Gujarat government.”

PM Modi proves yet again that he will change the narrative on his own terms, in his own time

Nupur J Sharma
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PM Modi proves yet again that he will change the narrative on his own terms, in his own time

For anyone who has followed the politics of Narendra Modi knows one thing for a fact, at least the ones who bother to be honest about it – nobody can ever predict what Modi is going to do or say next. Perhaps it is the element of surprise that makes the Prime Minister a master strategist. But what helps him beat the motivated narrative against him since the early 2000s, is that he refuses to play the game by the rules set by others, something he proved yet again with his latest interview to ANI.

Since PM Modi has been elected unequivocally, in 2014, the cacophony surrounding the leader reminds one of the narratives when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. The shrillness only amplified and the lies, only compounded.

One recalls Congress’ malicious propaganda against the Modi-Shah due during his Gujarat days. Whether it was about the 2002 riots, or about the encounters of gangsters Sohrabuddin and Prajapati. A carefully crafted web to implicate the two was cast. There is a famous story that is whispered in hushed corridors. It is said that when Amit Shah was jailed, his blood sugar shot up. When a leader from Congress who has been close to Sonia Gandhi and now, is close to Rahul Gandhi and one being named in AgustaWestland scam was approached for mercy by some other BJP leaders. His response was interesting. It is alleged that this Congress leader said that Amit Shah can be released from jail if he names Modi, if not, he will die in jail. Shah had then responded with the quintessential ‘you better hope I die in jail, else, the consequences won’t be pleasant if I get out alive’. Of course, these stories are in the realm of gossip and none of this can ever be confirmed.

But the sheer focus on hounding the duo has been evident ever since. Even then, Modi and Shah spoke when they had to. When the iron was hot. When the time was nigh.

Now too, with the riveting interview to ANI, PM Modi has done the same. Smita Prakash asked the toughest questions, from Rafale to AgustaWestland, Demonetisation, GST, to the recent Assembly Election loss. Most issues were a rallying point for Congress for the longest times. Rahul Gandhi constantly accused the PM of personal corruption. From ‘chowkidaar chor hai’ to ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’. Barring the few public speeches, these issues were largely unaddressed in the sparse interviews that Modi granted.

In this interview, the Prime Minister has decisively changed the narrative when he made the 2019 battle between the people of the country and the mahagathbandhan with his ‘Janta vs Mahagathbandhan’ comment. While he started the interview with a glimpse into what India was pre-2014 and what India is now, talking on a range of subjects from the electrification of 18,000 villages to India going from an environmental pariah to the leader of the earth, with each passing comment, he connected with the people who wanted to hear him speak on various issues.

The core BJP voter had a running grouse with the Prime Minister. That he didn’t speak on core issues that ring true with his support base. Whether that was the Ram temple issue or the Sabarimala issue. Today, he assuaged those feelings by clearly saying that Sabarimala was an issue of faith while Triple Talaq was that of law. He made his intent on the Ram Mandir clear by saying that he would think about an ordinance after the process of the law is complete. The timeline aside, his intent was solidified.

While the opposition would have wanted him to respond to their narrative, the Prime Minister refused to indulge. Whether the questions were about Rafale or ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’, Prime Minister chose to set the narrative. When he said that Congress is weakening the country’s defence capability with their narrative on Rafale even after the Supreme Court had given the deal a clean chit, he took the power of narrative away from Congress and placed it squarely with the understanding of the people. A simple equation would be created in the mind of the listener: Casting aspersions on Rafale = playing with India’s security. A narrative which would be very difficult for Congress to counter and a perception that would be impossible to fight. Especially, when coupled with Modi saying he was hurt when ‘some politicians’ doubted the Surgical Strike while he sat worried about our soldiers. None of this is untrue. All of this is what people expected him to say long back. But, the Prime Minister had his own timeline.

One wonders then, why did the Prime Minister not say anything for so long? When the barbs flew and Rahul Gandhi rolled up his sleeves to insult him over and over again, why did he not open up about issues like he did today?

The answer lies in Modi’s political methods. The Prime Minister had managed to bypass the media narrative completely, time and again, solely because his politics is not that of perception created through the ever whining Lutyens, but that of connecting with the voters directly. In that endeavour, he uses media as a tool to communicate with the people and not to keep the narrative-pushers happy. This is exactly what he did today. In a calm interview that asked the toughest questions about every conceivable issue, Modi changed the narrative when he deemed fit.

Congress and Rahul Gandhi were allowed to rabble-rouse because 2019 is a game that has just begun. They were allowed to peak in their narrative. Rahul said too much, too soon. Rahul said too much that didn’t stick. Now, a mere 4 or 5 months before the general elections, one has to wonder what other cards would Rahul and his motley Congress coterie pulls up? They have accused the Prime Minister of being corrupt, they have trashed every scheme of his, the lies have permeated every issue – from national security to his personal barbs against his estranged wife. They have tried playing the Hindu card, the Muslim card, the caste card, the violence card, the intolerance card, the corruption card, the farmer card, the middle-class card and the suit boot ki sarkar card. One wonders what else is left for the Congress to say in the crucial months that lead up to 2019.

To my mind, the answer is none. After peaking too soon, Congress and their clown prince would repeat the same lies over and over again, while BJP and Prime Minister Modi have a treasure trove of issues to rake up.

Elections, much like the local trains of Mumbai, is a matter of timing. With this interview to ANI, Prime Minister Modi has proven yet again that he will set the narrative in his own time and his own terms.

The Modi-Shah duo stopped playing the game by the rules set by his detractors a long time ago. It is time, now, to wait and see what their game is. If history bears testament, the gloves have just come off.

Triple Talaq is about gender equality, Sabarimala is about tradition: PM Modi in his interview to ANI

OpIndia Staff
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Triple Talaq is about gender equality, Sabarimala is about tradition: PM Modi in his interview to ANI

Prime Minister Modi in his interview to the news agency ANI clarifying BJP’s separate stands Triple Talaq and Sabarimala issues said that the two are different issues.

Clearing the air on BJP’s contradictory stand on the controversial Triple Talaq ordinance and the ban of women’s entry between the age group of 10-50 years of age, PM Modi said, “Many Islamic countries of the world have banned the Triple Talaq, hence it is not a matter of faith for the religion. Had it been a matter of faith, Triple Talaq would have been practised in these countries. Even Pakistan has banned Triple Talaq. This shows it is a matter of gender equality. It is a matter of social justice.”

“Secondly, India believes everyone should get equal rights. Some temples in India have their own customs and traditions. Some temples have banned the entry of men and men do not visit them. In this, Sabarimala, a woman judge in the Supreme Court has made certain observations. It needs to be read minutely. There is no need to attribute those to any political party. As a woman, she has made some suggestions. There should be a debate on that as well sometimes,” PM Modi said.

Election time ‘lollipop’ of loan waiver promises never benefit farmers, we are working towards their empowerment: PM Modi

OpIndia Staff
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Election time ‘lollipop’ of loan waiver promises never benefit farmers, we are working towards their empowerment: PM Modi

In an exclusive interview to ANI today, PM Modi spoke about farmer issues and his government’s stand on loan waivers.

ANI editor asked the PM that Rahul Gandhi and his party has often alleged that the NDA government has allowed economic offenders to flee the country while farmers in the country are suffering, PM stated that Congress often resorts to slandering while ignoring its own failure to provide relief to farmers.

PM Modi asserted that as he has stated before, Congress’ promise of farm loan waivers is just a lollipop to cheat people. He explained that time and again, Congress has used loan waivers as an election time trick while actually doing nothing for farmers.


Over the allegations by the opposition that billionaire economic offenders like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi had fled while farmers in the country are suffering, the PM stated that waiving off farmers’ loan is never the solution, had it been the solution, why are there still farmers in distress while multiple governments have promised loan waivers over the years.

PM Modi asserted that the solution to tackle agrarian distress is to empower the farmers. Highlighting his slogan of ‘Beej se le kar bazar tak’ PM stated that his government is attempting to offer farmers long-term solutions via Irrigation projects, value addition, minimalising wastage, logistical solutions to stop distribution issues and providing facilities like storage, marketing and technological assistance. He also added that his government has spent thousands of crores in irrigation projects that will directly benefit countless farmers, but irrigation projects are not an election gimmick, so media never focuses on it.

PM stated that his government is trying to create an environment in the country that farmers do not even need to take loans. He also highlighted the fact that the Swaminathan report had come in 2007, yet, the UPA government never implemented it. He added that had the UPA government had implemented the recommendations of the report instead of the false promise of waiving off the farm loans to win the 2009 elections, the agrarian scenario in the country now would have been drastically different.

He then stated that by raising the MSP of 22 chief crops, his government has ensured that farmers earn more. PM Modi also asserted that instead of falling for the bait of Congress over the loan waiver gimmick, media in the country should behave more responsibly and attempt to find out how many farmers have actually benefitted from the loan waiver schemes that have been announced before every election.

PM Modi also added that state governments are free to implement farm loan waivers and his government has never objected to it. He insisted that farmers of the country will actually benefit when governments start offering holistic, practical solutions and not election time ‘lollipops’.

PM Modi had expressed his criticism over the election time gimmick of farm loan waivers at a rally in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh recently. The PM had stated that loan waivers are not a solution to agrarian issues and they do not solve the problems the farmers are facing,

Hinting at a comprehensive plan by the central government, the PM had stated that the Congress had cheated the farmers in several states by promising the ‘lollipop’ of big promises and then have failed the farmers in every state.

In Karnataka, despite announcements by the government that they have allocated funds of Rs 44,000 crores, only 800 farmers have reportedly benefitted from the loan waiver scheme. In recent weeks, many farmers have received recovery notices from banks, facing arrest and many have also committed suicide.

in Madhya Pradesh too, the Congress had created hype over signing loan waivers within a day of Kamal Nath assuming office but the waiver scheme came with a number of terms and conditions which made very few farmers eligible for the waiver scheme.

PM Modi has always maintained that his government is committed to double the farmers’ income by 2022. The NDA government has taken a number of steps including raising the MSP, digitalising benefit transfer schemes, minimising wastage and direct marketing to consumers through eNAM to achieve this goal. The year 2017-18 saw India’s highest production of foodgrains so far.

‘Come back before sunrise’, PM Narendra Modi was anxious about safety of soldiers during Surgical Strikes

OpIndia Staff
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‘Come back before sunrise’, PM Narendra Modi was anxious about safety of soldiers during Surgical Strikes

In an interview to ANI, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has opened up about the Surgical Strikes in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir perhaps for the first time. Modi revealed that the date of the strikes on terror camps was changed twice due to safety and security issues.

The Surgical Strike was planned in response to the terror attack at Uri which resulted in the deaths of 20 soldiers. Modi said that there was a “rage” building within him, similar sentiments also prevailed in the Army as there were soldiers who were burnt alive in the attack at Uri. Hence, the strikes were planned.

The Prime Minister said, “That incident made me restless and there was rage within me. I had gone to Kerala and made a mention of this. Because I could not stop myself.”

The Prime Minister also revealed that he issued clear instructions that the operation should be over by sunrise. He also mentioned that he was up all night receiving live information as he was extremely worried about the safety of the soldiers. He said, “I gave clear orders that whether you get success or failure, don’t think about that but come back before sunrise. Don’t fall for the lure and prolong it.”

Modi said that he didn’t want any harm to befall the commandos as they were “willing to sacrifice their lives on our word.” He also revealed a moment in time when he became “anxious”. It was when the flow of information stopped for about an hour in the morning.

“In the morning, information flow stopped, for an hour. My anxiety increased. Even one hour after sunrise. That time was extremely difficult for me… then came the information that they have not reached back yet but two-three units have reached the safe-zone, so don’t worry. But I said I won’t be safe till the last man returns.”

Answering a question on the politicization of the Surgical Strikes, Prime Minister Modi said that it was started by the Opposition who started peddling the Pakistani narrative. Modi said, “It was necessary for Pakistan to speak like this (denial), to keep their morale intact. But what Pakistan was saying, was being said here too. To lend weight to their views, they were citing the Pakistani version. Politicization started from that point.”

As we had reported earlier, Arvind Kejriwal’s demand for providing video proof of surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army had found backers across the border when Pakistanis had come out in support of Kejriwal.

Pakistan had been vehemently denying the occurrence of surgical strikes on its soil by Indian armed forces in 2016, in which approximately 40 Terrorists were killed when Indian Army personnel ambushed 4 terror launchpads and subsequently destroyed them. Indian Armed forces have already put out videos corroborating their claim of conducting a successful Surgical Strike deep inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The Prime Minister also asserted that it would be “big mistake” to think that Pakistan will mend its ways after a single surgical strike. It would take a long time for them to start behaving themselves, he said. He also said that the Army was given a “free hand” to plan and execute the surgical strikes and all necessary equipment was provided.

The Surgical Strikes have also provided the inspiration for a Bollywood movie set to release on the 11th of January: Uri.

‘Congress should not create obstacles,’ PM Modi on Ram Temple issue in an interview to ANI

OpIndia Staff
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‘Congress should not create obstacles,’ PM Modi on Ram Temple issue in an interview to ANI

Prime Minister Modi in an interview to the news agency ANI said that the decision on an ordinance on the Ram temple will only be brought after the judicial procedure is concluded. He added that the judicial procedure for the temple is being stalled in the Supreme Court since Congress lawyers are ‘slowing down the process’.

He asserted that the BJP in its manifesto had also mentioned that the solution to the Ram temple issue would be brought under the ambit of the Constitution. The BJP in its manifesto had promised a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. Recently, in December 2018, the RSS and VHP had pitched for the Ram Temple in the ‘Dharam Sansad’ rally held in Delhi.

The sister organisations have expressed displeasure over the delay in the matter and there have been demands to bring in an ordinance, similar to Triple Talaq, to facilitate the construction of the temple. When asked whether the government is considering bringing in an ordinance on the Ram temple, Modi pointed out that the matter is before the Supreme Court and possibly in the final stages as it is slated to be heard before the Apex Court on 4th January. He said that once the judicial process is over, the government will make all necessary efforts in this matter.

When questioned why the government has not brought in an ordinance in Ram Temple issue like it did in Triple Talaq case, PM Modi said that that the Triple Talaq ordinance was brought in after the Supreme Court verdict in 2017 which banned instant triple talaq among the Muslims.

Blaming the Congress for delaying the construction of Ram Temple, PM Modi said, “Nobody can deny that those sitting in the governments in the last 70 years have tried their best to stall a solution to this Ayodhya issue.” He further added that the Congress should “not create obstacles” and let the judicial process take its own course. “For the sake of national peace and amity, they (Congress) should stop its lawyers from stalling this (Ayodhya issue) in the court,” PM Modi added.

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