'Bhrasht Janata Party': Rahul slams BJP's double engine govts in various states
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday dubbed the BJP 'Bhrast Janata Party' and claimed that its double-engine governments in various states have ruined the lives of the people through corruption, abuse of power and the poison of arrogance.
Gandhi cited the murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand, the Unnao rape case in Uttar Pradesh, deaths from drinking contaminated water in Indore, among others, to attack the BJP.
“Across the country, the ‘Bhrasht’ Janata Party's double-engine governments have ruined the lives of the people. Corruption, abuse of power, and the poison of arrogance have spread throughout the BJP's politics, from top to bottom,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in a post in Hindi.
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In their system, the lives of the poor, the helpless, labourers, and the middle class are merely statistics, and a system of extortion is operating in the name of "development", Gandhi alleged.
"The brutal murder of Ankita Bhandari in Uttarakhand shook the entire nation but the question remains: which BJP VIP is being protected by those in power? When will the law be equal for all?" he said.
In the Unnao case in Uttar Pradesh, the entire country witnessed how criminals were protected due to the arrogance of power, and how much the victim had to pay for justice, Gandhi said.
Whether it's deaths from drinking contaminated water in Indore or complaints of contaminated water and polluted supply from Gujarat, Haryana, and Delhi - the fear of disease is everywhere, he claimed.
"From the Aravalli range in Rajasthan to other natural resources - wherever the greed and self-interest of billionaires have reached, rules have been trampled upon. Mountains are being cut down, forests are being destroyed and the public is getting in return: dust, pollution, and disaster," Gandhi said.
Deaths of children from cough syrup, rats killing newborns in government hospitals, collapsing roofs of government schools - this is not "negligence," but a direct consequence of corruption, he further alleged.
"Bridges collapse, roads cave in, families are wiped out in train accidents, and the BJP government does the same thing every time: photo opportunities, tweets, and the formality of compensation," Gandhi said.
"Modi ji's 'double engine' is running' but only for the billionaires. For the common Indian, this double-engine government of corruption is not a speed of development, but a speed of destruction - crushing someone's life every single day," the former Congress chief charged, using the hashtag ''Bhrasht Janata Party'.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
