Mayawati targets parties planning to attend opposition meet in Patna
Lucknow, Jun 22: Ahead of the opposition show of unity in Patna, BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday termed the meeting organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as more about shaking hands than joining hearts.
Mayawati has not been invited for the opposition meeting on Friday, with JDU chief spokesperson K C Tyagi saying, "We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024."
"The BSP says it will not become a part of the alliance, then why should we waste our invitation," he told PTI.
Targeting the parties slated to participate in the meeting, Mayawati said it does not seem from their attitude that they are serious about their objective in Uttar Pradesh.
"The 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP are said to be the key to electoral success, but it does not seem from the attitude of the opposition parties that they are serious and truly concerned about their objective here. Without the right priorities, will the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections here really bring about the necessary change?" she said.
In a series of tweets in Hindi, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "It is clear from the condition of Bahujans in the country that parties like the BJP and Congress are not capable of implementing the humanistic, egalitarian Constitution framed by B R Ambedkar."
In such a scenario, she said, the Patna meeting of opposition leaders by Nitish Kumar on June 23 is more about shaking hands than joining hearts - "Dil miley na miley, haath milatey rahiye".
Keeping in mind the preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections, it would have been better if these parties had tried to instil general confidence in the people with clear intentions.
"How long will 'Muh me Ram bagal me chhuri' last?" she added, using the Hindi phrase that suggests back stabbing.
Top leaders of Opposition parties will brainstorm at a meeting in Patna on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting.
It is being hosted by the Bihar chief minister and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav.
From Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will be attending the meet.
On reports that Mayawati will be skipping the meeting, Tyagi said, "When we have not invited them (BSP), then why are they saying they are not coming to attend the meeting".
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
