Double-engine govt in UP 'running dangerously low' on fuel: Congress
New Delhi (PTI): Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Saturday claimed that the double-engine government in Uttar Pradesh is running "dangerously low" on fuel and that the PM must answer key issues of the state before the engine comes to a "sputtering halt on June 4".
Ahead of the prime minister's rally in Saharanpur, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed three questions to the PM including one on Saharanpur's wood-carving industry.
"Today, PM Modi visits Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, a state where the double-engine sarkar is running dangerously low on fuel. Before the engine comes to a sputtering halt on June 4th, we hope the PM can answer these three questions on why the machinery is breaking down," Ramesh said on X.
Noting that Saharanpur is globally acclaimed for its wood-carving industry and is popularly known as the Wooden City, Ramesh said the industry is more than 200 years old and is crucial to the economic health of the city as it employs more than 7 lakh people.
"Unfortunately, the wood-carving industry has been hit hard by successive blunders of the Modi government. First, demonetisation, then GST, and finally, the unplanned pandemic lockdowns have decimated the industry, which has been struggling to recover ever since," he said.
At its peak, it was exporting more than 1,500 crores worth of goods but today, this number has reduced by almost 90 per cent, he claimed.
"The 'double-engine' sarkar has been found triply guilty in Saharanpur. What does PM Modi have to say to the lakhs of artisans who are suffering because of his blunders? What have the BJP governments at the state and Centre done to support this age-old industry?" he said.
Noting that Uttar Pradesh is the largest sugarcane producer in the country, Ramesh said farmers in Western UP have been demanding a hike in the fixed price (SAP) of sugarcane citing increased costs of fertilisers and pesticides.
"Yet, the BJP government has raised the price to just Rs.360/quintal, which is grossly inadequate according to UP's farmers. This latest price hike lags far behind inflation and is much lower than Punjab's Rs.386/quintal and Haryana's Rs.391/quintal," he said.
"As Sudhir Panwar, a former member of UP Planning Commission, remarked, '[I]n UP, the SAP, which was earlier determined by input cost, is now dictated by election schedule', said. Can the PM tell us why the BJP government has been so unwilling to fairly compensate farmers for their work?" Ramesh said.
Despite repeated promises of action, the UP government has failed to address the growing stray cattle menace, he claimed.
The lack of adequate animal shelters has led cattle rearers to avoid caring for them by simply releasing their animals, he said.
"These cattle have now become a nightmare for farmers - routinely destroying crops, and given their affinity for higher-value crops, even blocking efforts at crop diversification. Farmers now have to keep vigil around the clock, and some have even died from bull attacks," he said.
"Instead of diverting public discourse, can the Prime Minister address the issues that are actually concerning the local people: what is his vision to solve this problem?" Ramesh said and asked the prime minister to break his "silence" on these issues.
The seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will begin starting April 19 and results will be declared on June 4.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
