People calling Congress 'bail gadi': Modi
Jaipur, July 7: Attacking the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said people are calling the party "bail gadi" because many of its senior leaders are out on bail in various cases.
"The work which is being done now (by the BJP in the state and at the Centre) could have been done earlier also. You are aware of the intention of the previous governments. It is because of their intentions, the people are now calling the Congress a 'bail gadi'.
"Many senior Congress leaders and former ministers were out on bail," Modi said while addressing a public meeting here.
With "bail gadi" sounds like the Hindi word for "bullock cart", Modi emphasised that by "bail" he was referring to the relief given by courts to senior Congress leaders, who are facing legal battles.
Before addressing the meeting Modi laid the foundation stone for several infrastructure projects, with a total outlay of over Rs 2,100 crore, including elevated road project for Ajmer, water supply and sewerage projects in Ajmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Sikar and Mount Abu.
He also said that the central government and the state government were working together for the progress of Rajasthan. The state would face assembly polls later in 2018.
"Never forget the tough circumstances in which Vasundhara Raje took oath in 2013. When she took oath, systems were not working properly. She has changed the work culture in the state.
"The previous government only indulged in laying the foundation stone of the projects and not completing them.
"We are working on ground level not on papers. Our projects are neither delayed nor abandoned. Development is our only agenda," Modi added.
He also said that farmers, women and Dalits are at the core of the Bharatiya Janata Party's government schemes.
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Nigeria confirms at least 27 people died, more than 100 missing after boat capsized
Abuja (AP): At least 27 people died and more than 100, mostly women, were missing on Friday, after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized along the River Niger in northern Nigeria, authorities said.
About 200 passengers were on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to neighbouring state of Niger when it capsized, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu told The Associated Press.
Rescuers managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others, according to Sandra Musa, spokeswoman for the Kogi state emergency services.
No survivor was found about 12 hours after the incident occurred, she added.
Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking but local media suggested the boat may have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria where the lack of good roads leaves many with no alternative routes.
According to Justin Uwazuruonye, who is in charge of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, rescuers had trouble finding the location of the capsizing for hours after Friday's tragedy struck.
Such deadly incidents are increasingly becoming a source of concern in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transportation.
Most of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance of the boats, often built locally to accommodate as many passengers as possible in defiance of safety measures.
Also, authorities have not been able to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips, often because of lack of availability or cost.
