20 injured as canopy collapses during Modi's Bengal rally
Midnapore (West Bengal), July 16 : At least 20 persons were injured on Monday when a part of the canopy collapsed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in West Bengal's Midnapore town, a BJP leader said.
The injured were rushed to the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital in ambulances in the Prime Minister's convoy and even motorcycles.
According to informed sources, the canopy structure had weakened due to incessant rain since the morning. It collapsed as a section of the enthusiastic audience tried to climb up to have a glimpse of the Prime Minister who had by then begun to speak.
Modi stopped for a few minutes when the structure collapsed to urge the audience to be careful, get off the stage and move to a safer area.
"Those who have climbed up, please get down, all of you... please, climb down. Those standing up there, please get down. Don't run," he said.
The Prime Minister was also seen instructing officials present on the stage to ensure speedy and proper treatment for the injured. Towards the end of his speech, Modi hailed the audience and said he will remember this incident throughout his life.
"The people of Bengal today showed me what courage means. In spite of constant rain, they gathered here in lakhs and even after a part of the structure collapsed, they showed such discipline to take the injured to the hospital while letting the rally continue. I can't thank you people enough for such positivity," Modi said.
"I come from Gujarat. But I can't think of such courage and discipline. I will never forget this rally in my whole life." After the rally, Modi visited the injured in the hospital and talked to the doctors treating them.
"Modi ji was at the hospital for five-six minutes. He talked to some of the injured and the doctors and then left for Delhi by a helicopter," a BJP leader said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "We pray for the speedy recovery of those injured at the Midnapore rally. The government is giving all help for their medical treatment."
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
