Modi inaugurated Ayodhya temple 3 months before Ram Navami eyeing polls: Abhishek
Kolkata (PTI): Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Ayodhya temple three months before Ram Navami, eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, amid West Bengal BJP's criticism of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for throwing open Durga Puja pandals before the auspicious 'Devi Paksha'.
Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress national general secretary, while speaking to reporters at his Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, also accused the Modi government of having perfected the "art of double speak, taking no accountability for abrupt declaration of demonetisation leading to deaths of many people, and taking away financial dues of the state against the spirit of the federal setup".
Asked about the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari's criticism of the CM for inaugurating the pandals before Devi Paksha, which marks the start of Durga Puja festivities, he said, "Well, she just inaugurated the pandals a day before the start of Devi Paksha, and did not inaugurate the idols."
"What about the PM inaugurating the Ram temple and the idol of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya in January 2024, three months before Ram Navami? Has any BJP leader commented on that act which was done eyeing the Lok Sabha elections?" he asked.
Accusing the BJP of lacking transparency, he demanded to know how much money had been given to West Bengal and how much taken from the state through direct and indirect taxes.
"The BJP unilaterally imposed GST on a wide range of essential commodities. They had thought they could run the country at their will. Now, they have lowered it, and I think it will be lessened further," he said.
Accusing the BJP of blocking funds to West Bengal for projects like MGNREGA, he accused the Modi government of not "honouring the Calcutta High Court order on the issue".
"When Narendra Modi talks about the poor, he must explain why 69 lakh job card holders are yet to get money from the Centre... the state mopped up resources from its limited corpus to help them," he said.
Referring to demonetisation announced by the Modi government in 2016, he said, "The BJP is yet to reply who was responsible for pushing to death so many people in the wake of the sudden and drastic announcement of the PM. It owes an explanation to the kin of those who died waiting in queues for hours."
Banerjee accused the BJP of using the two "previously independent agencies" -- ED and CBI -- to "torture its political opponents".
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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.
