Uniting secular parties: Congress has no credibility, says H D Kumaraswamy
Chamarajanagara/Hassan, Apr 20: Amid calls for unity among secular parties against the ruling BJP, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said the Congress has lost its credibility, as it has lost ground across the country, and will lose in Karnataka too during the 2023 Assembly polls here.
The former Chief Minister asserted that his party would contest independently in the Assembly and has set a target of winning at least 123 seats in the 225-member Assembly.
"....they (Congress) are saying that all secular forces should unite and send out a message, who will listen to Congress's stand. Congress has lost across the country, they are slightly breathing here (Karnataka). In 2023, they will lose here too completely," Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters, he questioned how the Congress party, which has been rejected by people across the country, could fight communalism.
Reiterating that JD(S) would not have alliance with any party during the 2023 poll, Kumaraswamy said the party is on a mission to win 123 seats and is seeking the support of the people to form the government independently.
He hit out at the Congress party and its leader Siddaramaiah for repeatedly calling JD(S) the "B-team" of the BJP.
"...look at yourself (Congress), you are in a coma stage. You could not make your stand clear on the 'hijab' issue. I know your hidden agenda, which is soft Hindutva," he added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
