Modi leaves for Indonesia
New Delhi, May 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi left on Tuesday for Indonesia on a five-day three-nation tour of Southeast Asia that will take him to Malaysia and Singapore.
"PM @narendramodi emplanes for Jakarta. He will be visiting Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore in the next few days," the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted.
"During these visits, he will be attending a wide range of programmes including talks with world leaders, interactions with students and top CEOs," it said.
In a pre-departure statement here on Monday Modi said he was "confident that my visit to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore will provide a further boost to our Act East Policy and enhance our relations and engagements with all the three countries".
Modi will hold a bilateral summit with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on May 30. He will also address members of the Indian community in Indonesia.
On May 31, Modi will make a brief stopover in Malaysia on his way from Indonesia to Singapore to meet newly elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
Mahathir, who governed for more than two decades became, at the age of 92, the world's oldest elected leader earlier this month.
On June 1, Modi will call on Singapore President Halimah Yacob and then hold a summit with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Later in the evening, he will deliver the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to do so in the Track I annual inter-governmental security forum.
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BJP leader Ashoka slams Siddaramaiah for asking people to support son in Varuna segment
Bengaluru (PTI): Taking a dig at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for calling on the people of his Varuna assembly segment to support and nurture his son Yathindra, just as they did to him, senior BJP leader R Ashoka on Saturday asked whether this was a monarchy to announce a successor.
The Leader of the Opposition also termed it a "bad" development in state politics.
"Siddaramaiah gives speeches claiming that he is a socialist and not a casteist or a nepotist. Yesterday, he asked people to nurture his son politically. All these years, they nurtured him, now his son, and next he will come in six months with a similar request for his grandson. Is this monarchy to announce a successor," Ashoka asked.
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Speaking to reporters here, he said Siddaramaiah seems to have abandoned Ambedkar's principles.
"One has to win through ballots in politics....such appeals in politics will be an offence to the principles with which Ambedkar drafted our Constitution. It is surprising that Siddaramaiah has made such a statement. This is not good for state politics," he added.
Addressing a gathering at his Varuna constituency in Mysuru on Friday, Siddaramaiah said he will remain in politics till his "last breath" and will continue to serve the people as much as he can. He also called on the people of the segment to support and nurture his son and Congress MLC Yathindra politically, just as they supported him.
The opposition leader also took a dig at "dinner parties" within the Congress amid the ongoing power struggle between Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar's camps and speculation about a leadership change, stating that "this is a dinner party government."
"They are not worried about the difficulties faced by the state's people. They are only concerned with who will hold the chief minister post and maintain power. This is betrayal to the people of the state," he added.
Reacting to Ramanagara Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain criticising the state budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah last week, Ashoka claimed that a number of other ruling party legislators are also unhappy with the Budget, as it did not meet their expectations.
"Hussain has only expressed the opinion of other Congress MLAs. He has spoken the truth. I compliment him," he added.
Responding to a question, Ashoka urged the state government to take action against those indulging in hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders amid supply constraints caused by the West Asia conflict.
Pointing out that the supply issues have arisen due to conflict, he said, "Those trying to blame the Centre for the gas crisis should understand this. They should suggest alternatives to address the supply issue caused by the war."
Appealing to the people of the state to cooperate in the current situation, Ashoka hit out at CM Siddaramaiah for doing politics on the issue that has arisen due to the war in the Middle East.
