Barely a year to go for LS polls, Modi tightens up Ministers
New Delhi, June 13: As the NDA government enters its final year before the next Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday convened a meeting of his Council of Ministers wherein he is said to have tightened up the Ministers, according to informed sources.
Convened after a gap of more than three months, it was notably the first meeting of the Council of Ministers after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a series of electoral defeats in various by-polls including on some key Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh such as Gorakhpur, Phulpur and Kairana.
In the recently held 11 by-elections (four Lok Sabha and seven assembly seats), the BJP suffered losses on eight seats including two Lok Sabha seats of Kairana in Uttar Pradesh and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra.
According to sources, the meeting assessed the work done in the past four years by the NDA government vis-a-vis implementation of various government schemes on the ground, and also discussed the roadmap to the 2019 elections and the Ministers have been asked to "work according to a calendar in an organised way".
The schemes whose implementation and effectiveness was reviewed included Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Mudra Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana, and Ayushman Bharat among others.
The Prime Minister is said to have told his colleagues to be proactive with "taking the message of various government schemes and achievements in the last four years to the public".
They have also been asked to plug the loopholes, if any, in the working of their Ministries and departments.
In the last two years, the BJP has lost six Lok Sabha seats in bypolls and currently its tally stands at 273, just one above the halfway mark.
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Reports claiming Qatar has withdrawn its mediation for ceasefire are inaccurate: Qatar
Doha: Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, clarified that media reports suggesting Qatar’s withdrawal from mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel are inaccurate. He stated that Qatar notified both parties ten days ago, during recent mediation efforts, that it would pause its mediation if an agreement could not be reached in that round. Qatar will resume efforts once both sides demonstrate a genuine willingness to end the ongoing conflict and address the severe humanitarian crisis affecting civilians in Gaza. Qatar remains committed to taking an active role to bring an end to the violence and facilitate the return of hostages and prisoners when conditions allow.
Dr. Al Ansari emphasised that “Qatar will not allow its mediation efforts to be exploited,” pointing out that there has been manipulation, particularly after the collapse of the initial ceasefire and hostage exchange involving women and children. Qatar observed that some parties retreated from previously agreed commitments and used prolonged negotiations to justify ongoing hostilities for narrow political gains.
He reiterated Qatar’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, highlighting Qatar’s commitment to a sovereign Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Addressing recent media speculation, he clarified that reports regarding a Hamas office in Doha are incorrect. He stated that the office functions as a communication channel between relevant parties, which has previously helped facilitate ceasefires and contributed to the release of hostages and detainees in past negotiations.
Dr. Al Ansari urged the public to rely on information from official sources to avoid misinformation.
