Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad calls Hafiz Saeed as 'Hafiz ji': Cong hits back with video
New Delhi, Mar 12: Under attack by the opposition over his 'Hafiz ji' comment, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Tuesday said his one-year-old statement was kind of a pun and it should be seen in its full context of the video, where he had slammed terrorists.
A day after the BJP targeted Congress president Rahul Gandhi for referring to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar as 'Masood Azhar ji', the Congress put out a video of Prasad referring Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed as 'Hafiz ji'.
Speaking at a Times Network event here, Prasad said, "You have to show that one-year-old video of mine in its entirety. The day we exposed Hafiz Saeed in our press conference... and showed video of that terrorist and killer. I said it in 'vyang' (satire). I say they are murderers and killers and terrorist and we will continue to expose them...It was kind of pun".
When asked about his statement being described as a pun while the remark by Gandhi becoming a subject of BJP's attack, Prasad said that his remark should be seen in the totality.
"I would earnestly request... please show my entire press conference of that day, then you will see how belligerent and blistering I was against the terrorists," Prasad, who is in charge of IT and Law ministries, said.
"Show that video... Our commitment to India, and commitment to fight against terrorism is complete. We don't make a political bargain of it. It is our commitment that India should become a global power in the fight against terrorism and also in the field of economic, digital and other sectors," he said.
On Monday, Prasad criticised Gandhi for calling Masood Azhar "ji".
"Come on Rahul Gandhi Ji! Earlier it were the likes of Digvijay Ji who called Osama Ji and Hafiz Saeed Sahab. Now you are saying Masood Azhar Ji. What is happening to Congress Party?," Prasad had tweeted.
On Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi shared a video of the minister referring to terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed as "Hafiz ji".
At the event Tuesday, Prasad continued his attack on Gandhi and the Congress party.
"When evidence is being sought on whether the Balakot attack has happened or not... You are seeking to disbelieve the narrative of India and, wittingly or unwittingly, you are seeking to weaken the morale of forces of India. Surely, those questions will be asked," he said.
Asked about Priyanka Gandhi's statement that BJP was raising useless issue like Balakot when the real issues are unemployment and demonetisation, Prasad said, "This is a question that country should understand. If she says Pulwama is a useless issue, is terrorist attack really a useless issue? That 40 CRPF jawans were killed is that 'fizool' (useless)?".
"Distinction under Modi government is that we have given a clear message to terrorists that if you commit terrorism against India you have to pay the price... After 1971, for the first time our forces crossed border inside Pakistan. That is the message. If Priyanka ji considers that useless what can I say," the minister said.
He said the Indian economy is attracting the biggest FDI in the world and had transformed into the biggest electronics manufacturing hub. "Is it fizool to her?," he quipped.
Prasad said India is rising and emerging as a world power on the back of transformative reforms like GST.
On the issue of demonetisation, he said, "I want to say when such (black money holders) people are caught Congress has a problem".
To a question on the BJP website being down after being hacked, Prasad said the information was wrong and the website was hacked for a few minutes.
Asked when the website will be back, he said: "We are operational".
"There are certain rogue element in the world. It also happened in America for sometime, also in China. There are certain people in Pakistan. We keep fighting that.
"On a national highway there are accidents. Should we stop making national or information highways then? You must fasten your seat belts tight. You must maintain speed limit. Same kind of caution, we have always advised (for digital world)... have proper auditors, routine check ups," he added.
Hope this finds pride of place in BJP‘s revamped website,as& when it returns. BJP‘s admiration of Hafeez Saeed&his ilk. Also reminds us how they sent their special emissary to Pak,Ved P Vaidik, to have a dialogue with him&hug him. Hugplomacy began from there. #BJPLovesTerrorists pic.twitter.com/A75LHFg1eG
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) March 12, 2019
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
