US President Biden, First Lady host PM Modi for intimate dinner at White House
Washington (PTI): US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India.
Modi was received in the South Portico of the White House by Presiden Biden and the first lady. The two exchanged pleasantries and posed for photos. Before entering the White House, the prime minister, the president and the first lady had a short conversation.
"I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects," Modi tweeted.
"When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
According to the White House, the president, the first lady and the prime minister also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a local Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance.
They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, it said.
Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday presented US President Joe Biden with a special sandalwood box, handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur. The box contains the idol of Lord Ganesha and a Diya (oil lamp), handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata.
He also gifted a 7.5-carat lab-grown diamond to First Lady Jill, which reflects earth-mined diamonds' chemical and optical properties, along with a Papier mache box, known as kar-e-kalamdani - in which the Green diamond is placed.
Earlier in the day, Jill hosted Modi at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where they participated in an event to highlight shared priorities of India and the US around education and workforce.
On Thursday, President Biden and the first lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi's visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress.
US President Biden and First Lady Jill presented a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century as the official gift to Prime Minister Modi.
They also reportedly gifted a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, a hardcover book on American wildlife photography, and a signed, first edition copy of 'Collected Poems of Robert Frost'.
Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities.
He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady.
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BJP accuses CM Siddaramaiah of 'misleading' public on govt job figures
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Wednesday lashed out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him of "misleading" the public on government recruitment figures and "failing" to address the concerns of unemployed youth in the state.
In a detailed post on his X handle, Vijayendra alleged that the Congress-led government was attempting to deflect accountability by blaming the previous BJP administration instead of initiating concrete steps to fill vacant posts.
“Chief Minister, please refrain from misleading the people. Do not attempt to shift the blame for all your shortcomings onto the BJP and evade responsibility. Your administration has earned a reputation for arrogance, corruption and mismanagement,” Vijayendra said, adding that students and youth were not naïve enough to be swayed by what he termed as "exaggerated claims".
Vijayendra's response came following Siddaramaiah's statement on Tuesday blaming BJP for the huge backlog of government job vacancies.
The CM had said that when Congress assumed office in 2023, over 2.64 lakh government posts were vacant.
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The backlog resulted from prolonged inaction under the previous BJP government, which failed to initiate timely recruitment or create a structured roadmap, he said.
As thousands of government job aspirants staged a massive protests in Dharwad on Tuesday demanding filling the vacant posts immediately, Siddaramaiah accused BJP leaders of "misleading students for political gains" and said recruitment irregularities and alleged corruption between 2019 and 2023 had eroded trust in the system, leading to the current crisis.
Questioning the government’s public statements on employment generation, Vijayendra referred to figures tabled in the Legislative Assembly.
“According to the official figures presented by your own government in the Legislative Assembly, only 8,157 government recruitments have been completed during your three years in office. Yet publicly claiming that 40,000 posts have been filled raises serious concerns. Does this not amount to misleading the unemployed youth of the state?” the Shikaripura MLA asked.
The BJP leader also raised the issue of large-scale vacancies in government departments, claiming that lakhs of posts remained unfilled even after the Congress came to power.
According to him, the state was struggling financially and questioned the delay in initiating fresh recruitment drives despite what he described as legal clarity on proceeding under the existing reservation framework.
Vijayendra further criticised the government for prioritising the accommodation of party workers and disgruntled MLAs in state-run corporations with ministerial rank and perks, while unemployed youth continued to wait for job opportunities.
“At the very least, please stop making claims that do not align with facts. Youth unrest in the state is mounting. Before matters escalate further, act with sincerity — or consider stepping down and seeking the people’s forgiveness,” the BJP state chief said.
Noting that frustration among students and job aspirants was intensifying, Vijayendra urged the CM to immediately expedite pending recruitment processes and ensure transparency in appointments.
He warned that the government would be held accountable for any fallout arising out of growing youth discontent.
