PM Modi holds talks with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
Doha (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held talks with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani with a focus on shoring up bilateral ties, days after Qatar freed eight former Indian Navy personnel who were sentenced to death after being arrested in August 2022.
Modi arrived in this Qatari capital city last night after concluding a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates.
Shortly after his arrival, Modi met Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Abdulrahman is Qatar's foreign minister as well.
"The two leaders exchanged views on expanding bilateral cooperation in sectors such as trade, investment, energy, finance, and technology," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
"They also discussed recent regional developments in West Asia and emphasized the importance of upholding peace and stability in the region and beyond," it said.
Following the meeting, the Qatari prime minister hosted a dinner for Modi.
The Indian prime minister's second visit to Qatar came days after Qatar released the Indians.
The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation on December 28 commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations.
In December, Prime Minister Modi met the Qatari Amir on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai and discussed the "well-being of the Indian community" in Qatar.
The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public.
The trade and energy ties between India and Qatar are on an upswing.
Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG to India, accounting for over 48 per cent of India's global LNG imports.
India's Petronet has renewed a contract to buy 7.5 million tonnes of LNG from Qatar annually from 2029 for 20 years and it is being billed as the largest-ever extension of super-chilled fuel in the world.
The original 25-year deal was signed in 1999 and supplies started in 2004.
India-Qatar cooperation has been steadily growing in diverse sectors over the last few years.
PM Modi paid his first visit to Doha in June, 2016.
The visit provided an opportunity to both sides to engage at the highest level and impart fresh momentum to the bilateral ties. It was the highest-level visit from India to Qatar since the visit of then prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2008.
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BJP MP rebuts Mysuru commissioner, says there’s ‘significant evidence’ of Princess Road in history
Bengaluru, Jan 2: BJP MP from Mysuru, Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar on Thursday posted ‘significant documentary evidence’ from the annals of history that prove the existence of Princess Road on his social media accounts.
The proposal to rename the road after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has evoked strong "objections".
Wadiyar was reacting to a comment by Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner Ashaad-ur-Rahman, who said on December 31, that the civic body authorities had examined records from 1999 to 2024, but had not come across any evidence of the stretch being named Princess Road.
The Commissioner also said MCC is still in the process of examining its records.
Based on a suggestion by Chamaraja Congress MLA Harish Gowda, MCC took the decision at its meeting on November 22 to name Princess Road after Karnataka CM.
The matter was first placed before the Mysuru deputy commissioner before being tabled in the council meeting. The MCC then issued a newspaper notice inviting views from the public on the proposal within 30 days on December 13, the sources said.
The proposal has evoked strong objections from the opposition as well as a section of the local populace.
On Thursday, Wadiyar put out some of the documents referring to ‘Princess Road’ on various social media platforms.
“A distant relative of Sri Mirza Ismail, the esteemed Diwan of Mysore, resided on what was known as Princess Road. Letters sent from this address clearly reference the name ‘Princess Road’,” he said in a post accompanying the documents.
Wadiyar had also put out a copy of the Mysore Tour Map/Guide published by the Government of India’s Survey and Mapping Department, saying that it explicitly marks and names the road as “Princess Road”.
“Records from 1921 confirm that the Mysore Urban Development Trust Board formally named this road as ‘Princess Road’,” explained Wadiyar further, who is also the scion of the erstwhile Mysuru royal family.
He also said instead of creating unnecessary confusion by proposing a renaming, it is vital to acknowledge the road’s historical and cultural significance.
Wadiyar also met MCC Commissioner Rahman and submitted the documents.
Earlier, on December 26, he had posted on X: “Princess Road, popularly known as KRS Road, is more than just a name; it carries immense historical and cultural significance for Mysuru.”
According to him, the road is named after two distinguished princesses: Princess Krishnajammanni and Princess Cheluvajammanni.
“… both daughters of Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar and Maharani Kempananjammanni of Vanivilasa Sannidhana,” he added.
He said Princess Krishnajammanni Sanatorium (PKTB Hospital), established in the name of Princess Krishnajammanni, is also situated on Princess Road.
After the princess and three daughters succumbed to tuberculosis between 1904 and 1913, her family donated 100 acres of land to establish PKTB Hospital.
“Opened in 1921, the hospital served as a dedicated tuberculosis treatment centre. It has since expanded to house multiple facilities, including the Jayadeva Heart Hospital, Trauma Care Centre and Super-Speciality Hospital,” said Wadiyar.
According to him, the road reminds future generations of the importance of preserving historical landmarks tied to Mysuru’s cultural identity.
“While respecting modern leaders and their contributions, the renaming of Princess Road diminishes the historical narrative and legacy of Mysuru,” he added.
Meanwhile, RTI activist Snehamayi Krishna, on whose complaint a case was registered in the MUDA site allotment scam, speaking to reporters here on Thursday said, he along with others have submitted some documents to the corporation officials along with objections to naming the road after Siddaramaiah. He said if the officials decide unilaterally beyond their jurisdictional powers, he will seek intervention from the court.
“The Commissioner has said it (Princess Road) has not been found yet in the Corporation’s records, so we have submitted some documents. He (commissioner) said a decision will be made in the next meeting (of the corporation) considering all documents and objections submitted,” said Krishna.
He also clarified that he was not opposed to naming a street after Siddaramaiah, but only objects to naming a historic road after him.
Historian P V Nanjaraj Urs also said various documents and voters list naming the road as Princess Road has been submitted to MCC.
He said he has spoken to district in-charge Minister H C Mahadevappa and will also meet the Chief Minister in this regard.
“I’m confident that he (CM) himself will say not to name the road after him,” added Urs.
ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಕೆಆರ್'ಎಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗೆ ಮರುನಾಮಕರಣ ಮಾಡುವ ಪ್ರಸ್ತಾಪದ ಕುರಿತು "ಕೆಆರ್ಎಸ್ ರಸ್ತೆಗೆ ಅಧಿಕೃತ ಹೆಸರು ನೀಡಿರುವ ಉಲ್ಲೇಖಗಳಿಲ್ಲ" ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿಕೆ ನೀಡಿರುವ ಮೈಸೂರು ಮಹಾನಗರ ಪಾಲಿಕೆಯ ಆಯುಕ್ತರನ್ನು ಇಂದು ಭೇಟಿಯಾಗಿˌ ಇತಿಹಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ರಸ್ತೆಗಿರುವ ಪ್ರಾಮುಖ್ಯತೆˌ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ನಕ್ಷೆಗಳ ದಾಖಲಾತಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ಮರುನಾಮಕರಣ ಬೇಡ ಎಂದು… pic.twitter.com/igOslDfOiq
— Yaduveer Wadiyar (@yaduveerwadiyar) January 2, 2025
The Commissioner of Mysuru City Corporation has stated, "There are no references to an official name for KRS Road." However, the above documents provide significant evidence worth reviewing:
— Yaduveer Wadiyar (@yaduveerwadiyar) January 2, 2025
A distant relative of Sri Mirza Ismail, the esteemed Diwan of Mysore, resided on what… pic.twitter.com/bHOCZPhho5
