PM Modi receives red carpet welcome as he begins 2-day visit to Israel
Jerusalem (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday to a red-carpet welcome with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and wife Sara receiving the Indian leader at the Ben Gurion airport.
It is PM Modi's second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during his first visit to that country in July 2017.
Netanyahu greeted the Indian prime minister with a warm hug, following which Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport, located 20 kilometres southeast of Tel Aviv.
The Indian prime minister will address Israel's parliament later in the day and will have a tete-a-tete with Netanyahu. The two leaders will hold wide-ranging talks on Thursday.
In his pre-departure statement, Modi said he was confident that the visit will further consolidate the enduring bonds between India and Israel and set new goals for the strategic partnership.
"India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism in recent years," Modi said.
"I look forward to my discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu aimed at further strengthening our cooperation across various domains, including science and technology, innovation, agriculture, water management, defence and security, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people ties," he said.
Modi said he and Netanyahu will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
"I am confident that my State Visit will further consolidate the enduring bonds between the two countries, set new goals for the strategic partnership, and advance our shared vision for a resilient, innovative and prosperous future," Modi said.
The prime minister's visit assumed greater significance as it is taking place amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, including deteriorating ties between the US and Iran.
There has been an upswing in India-Israel ties in the last few years, including in the areas of defence, scientific research, cybersecurity and innovation.
The defence cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of the partnership between the two sides, with Israel supplying a plethora of military platforms and weapon systems to India.
In November last, during the visit of India's defence secretary to Israel, an important agreement on defence cooperation was signed.
As India is looking at developing an indigenous air defence shield called "Sudarshan Chakra", it is learnt that New Delhi would like to explore the possibility of incorporating certain elements from Israel's Iron Dome all-weather air defence system that can intercept and destroy missiles and artillery shells.
The trade and investment ties between the two sides are also witnessing steady progress.
During the visit to Israel of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in November, the term of reference (ToR) for the launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and Israel was signed.
In September, the two sides had inked a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) to expand economic cooperation.
The people-to-people ties between the two countries are also an important aspect of the overall relations, with over 41,000-strong Indian diaspora playing a key role in the two-way engagement.
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.
Will take action against parents of AJP's Kunki Chowdhury for beef consumption: Himanta
Jorhat (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said he will take action against the parents of AJP candidate Kunki Chowdhury for allegedly consuming beef and uploading a picture of it on social media.
Chowdhury (27), who is making her electoral debut from the Guwahati Central Assembly constituency, has repeatedly denied the allegations, terming it as fake news being spread by Sarma.
"After the election, I will take action against her parents as per the Cattle Prevention Act. I will accept everything, but not eating beef," the CM told reporters when asked about the ongoing controversy.
Consumption of beef is not illegal in the state, but the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, bans cattle slaughter and sale of beef in areas where Hindus, Jains and Sikhs are in majority, and in places within a five-km radius of a temple or satra (Vaishnavite monastery).
On Thursday, Sarma had claimed that her mother, academician Sujata Gurung Chowdhury, had shared posts related to beef consumption, made remarks offensive to certain sections and supported Pakistan, thereby hurting the sentiments of 'Sanatani' people.
"Forget whether Kunki wins or loses... Let her say that her parents eat beef, she is a Sanatani Hindu and she has disowned them. If she says she is not with her parents, then I am with her," Sarma said.
"Will you vote for people eating beef? Which ‘Satradhikar’ will vote for her?" he said.
Chowdhury, among the youngest candidates in the fray, is pitted against senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Gupta.
Polling for the 126-member Assam assembly will be held on April 9, while the results will be declared on May 4.
Continuing his salvo at Chowdhury, Sarma said: "They are talking about Gen Z, does Gen Z eat beef? My head spins hearing about eating beef... Lurinjyoti Gogoi (AJP chief) should apologise for insulting Hindus. Everytime, they say I am targeting the girl. I will target the whole world if someone eats beef.
"What kind of courage is this? Are we Hindus dead? Will we eat beef in front of the Kamakhya, Majuli and Batadrava?"
He claimed that even people of the Miya community have abandoned consuming beef, accepting his request, and now they eat buffalo meat instead.
"When I have stopped the Miyas from having beef, will I allow Kunki Chowdhury to eat it? No parents will be spared.... I had issued shoot-at-sight orders for bringing beef during Eid at Dhubri," Sarma asserted.
‘Miya’ is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam, and the non-Bengali-speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants. In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting the term as a gesture of defiance.
He also said that those who are supporting eating beef, on social media, should stop doing it, and "not insult Sankardeva, Batadrava, Majuli".
"If you want to fight with Himanta Biswa Sarma, I am ready for a fight. But, uploading beef eating picture on social media will not be tolerated, as there is an Act. Who is this Chowdhury to insult Hindus?" the CM said.
Sarma also alleged that her father has encroached land.
"His (Chowdhury's father) university is in my constituency. Nobody should support her without knowing the background...," he said.
Chowdhury had on Saturday filed a police complaint for alleged deep fake defamatory videos on social media about her family, following Sarma's claims on her mother's food habits.
She had also posted a sarcastic video on social media on Thursday in which she thanked Sarma for making her a household name in the country.
"A big thanks to the honourable chief minister. I learnt that during a media interaction, he made some allegations against my mother, which are completely untrue," she had said.
Chowdhury maintained that the allegations prove "the BJP has accepted defeat in the Guwahati Central seat".
"It has been just 15 days since I joined politics, and within this short span of time, the love that people of Guwahati Central and Assam have given me has worried them. With him (Sarma) uttering my name, the entire country will now know who is Kunki Chowdhury. I thank him again," she added.
