Four Gujaratis made significant contribution to modern history of India: Amit Shah
New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said four Gujaratis Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Morarji Desai and Narendra Modi have made significant contribution in the modern history of India.
Addressing a function organised on the occasion of completion of 125 years of Shri Delhi Gujarati Samaj as the chief guest here, Shah also said India's fame is spreading across the globe because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Morarji Desai and Narendra Modi, these four Gujaratis, have made significant contribution in the modern history of India," he said.
According to an official release, the home minister said the country got independence due to the efforts of Gandhiji, the country became united due to Sardar Patel, the country's democracy was revived due to Morarji Desai and India is being celebrated across the world due to Narendra Modi.
These four Gujaratis have achieved great things and they are the pride of the entire nation, he said in his speech delivered in Gujarati.
Shah said the Gujarati community is present across the country and the world, and has always mixed well in any society, while also serving it.
He said along with keeping the Gujaratis living in Delhi connected with their culture and civilisation, this organisation has done the work of motivating them towards the service of the country and the society.
The home minister congratulated all the people associated with this organisation for completing 125 years.
He said the Gujarati community has gained acceptance for itself and despite residing in Delhi, the Gujarati community has maintained the essence of Gujarat, promoted, and preserved its culture and taken it forward.
He said people of every community live in Delhi and the Gujarati community has also been living in the city in a well ordered manner.
Referring to the nine-year tenure of Prime Minister Modi, Shah said the country has accomplished many achievements during this period.
He said when Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014, India's economy was at 11th place in the world, and today after nine years, Indian economy is 5th largest in the world.
The home minister said now many agencies, including the IMF, see India's economy as a bright spot.
He said under the decisive leadership of Modi, by conducting surgical and air strikes, India gave a message to the world that no one can tamper with India's borders.
Shah said in a vast country like India, with 130 crore people, the Covid vaccination drive was completed in a smooth manner.
He said under the leadership of PM Modi, India has become the world's largest mobile producer, India is third in the field of startups and fourth in terms of renewable energy production.
He said the Prime Minister did the work of abolishing Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir without any reports of violence, made a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism, as a result of which, there has not been any single major terrorist incident in nine years.
Shah said Modi has made several efforts to strengthen the internal security and security of borders of the country.
He said "Modi belongs to everyone and everyone belongs to him and this is a matter of pride for everyone".
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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.
