New Delhi, April 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday advised BJP leaders not to give "masala" to the media by getting into every issue as soon as they saw camerapersons, saying such "mistakes" affect the country, party and the individual's image.
"Often, our workers say that the media is doing this, the media is doing that. Sometimes, they also claim that certain news is given more air time. But have we ever thought that it is our mistakes that sometimes provide them 'masala' (fodder)," the Prime Minister said during an interaction with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs and MLAs through the Narendra Modi mobile app.
He also suggested to the party leaders not to blame the media for reporting their statements as due to their own mistakes the real issue gets diverted.
"We rush to do an analysis of any big topic as soon as we see the cameras. It is not the media's fault -- we have to control ourselves. Only those who have a responsibility to speak should speak to the media. If everyone starts speaking, then the issue gets diverted and it affects the country, the party and our individual image," said Modi.
The Prime Minister said that the ruling party leaders should only speak about the issues they are expected to and they should not get into every issue.
Recalling some controversial statements made by some party MPs during the early years of his government, he said: "Initially, when we formed the government, there were a few MPs -- around 8-10 -- they would speak a lot. I spoke to them and I have seen in the last three years, they have stopped giving statements."
He said that only those given the responsibility should talk and issue/give statements but "we should not get into all things. We should not stand in front of the camera to guide the country".
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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.
