People of West Bengal will not forgive TMC for grave insult to President Murmu: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stepped up his attack on the TMC government in West Bengal over the treatment meted out to President Droupadi Murmu, saying the "enlightened people" of the state will never forgive the party for "insulting" a woman tribal leader and the President of the country.
"Today, as the nation celebrates International Women's Day, it is deeply concerning that just yesterday, the TMC government in West Bengal demonstrated a grave insult towards the honourable President of India, Draupadi Murmu," the prime minister said in the national capital after inaugurating two new Delhi Metro corridors and other projects.
Modi's remarks came after President Murmu expressed displeasure over the change of venue of a conference of the tribal Santal community in West Bengal on Saturday and the absence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her ministers during her visit.
Soon after, Banerjee had accused the President of speaking "on the advice of the BJP" and had questioned her silence on alleged atrocities against tribals in states LIKE Manipur and Chhattisgarh. The BJP lashed out at the TMC government for "insulting" the President, while PM Modi termed it "shameful and unprecedented" and accused the TMC of crossing all limits.
The controversy has led to a further rise in the political temperature of the poll-bound state, where the BJP hopes to end Banerjee's 15-year rule.
On Sunday, PM Modi said the TMC government's actions not only resulted in the mismanagement of the tribal community event but also constituted an affront to the President, the Constitution and the noble tradition of democracy in the country.
"President Murmu ji visited Bengal to attend a significant celebration honouring the Santal tribal tradition. However, the TMC chose to boycott this sacred and important event, which holds great meaning for both the President and the tribal community," he said.
He said the President herself is from a tribal background and has shown deep concern for the Santal community.
Modi said the "enlightened" people of West Bengal will never forgive TMC "for insulting a woman, for insulting a tribal, and for insulting the honourable President of the country".
"The country will not forgive either, the tribal society of the country will never forgive either, and the women's power of the country will never forgive either," he said.
The prime minister inaugurated two new Delhi Metro corridors and laid the foundation stone for three more metro lines, providing direct connectivity to several important locations in the capital.
The prime minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth Rs 15,200 crore under the central government's General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) redevelopment plan.
The total cost of all projects is around Rs 33,500 crore.
On the occasion of International Women's Day, Modi announced that more than 3 crore women have now achieved the milestone of becoming "Lakhpati Didi".
He said a few years ago, his government made a commitment to empower 3 crore women to become "Lakhpati Didi", whose annual household income is more than Rs 1 lakh.
"At the time, many doubted our resolve and dismissed it as a political move. However, I am proud to announce that we have fulfilled our promise -- more than 3 crore women have now achieved the milestone of becoming Lakhpati Didi," he said.
Terming the previous Aam Aadmi Party dispensation in Delhi as "AAPda (disaster) government", Modi alleged it had halted all development work in the national capitali for the past 10 years.
"Now, our government is operating in mission mode to address the challenges facing Delhi. With the construction of the Peripheral Expressway, lakhs of vehicles no longer need to enter the city. Our government is also undertaking large-scale initiatives to clean the Yamuna River," he said.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
