Ours 'friendly contest and not battle between rivals', says Tharoor after Digvijaya Singh meets him
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who is likely to file his nomination for the Congress president's post on Friday, met Shashi Tharoor, who said they agreed that theirs is "not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest" among colleagues.
Singh met the party MP from Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday after collecting nomination papers for the polls.
"Received a visit from Digvijaya Singh this afternoon. I welcome his candidacy for the Presidency of our Party," Tharoor said in a tweet.
"We both agreed that ours is not a battle between rivals but a friendly contest among colleagues. All we both want is that whoever prevails, @incIndia will win!" he said.
Tharoor has already declared that he will file his nomination for the post of Congress president on Friday, the last day of the nomination process.
Polling for the post will take place on October 17 while the result will be announced on October 19.
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Delhi government flags air emergency asks PM Modi to authorize artificial rain
New Delhi: Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and authorize artificial rain to combat the severe air pollution engulfing the national capital. Calling it a "medical emergency," Rai stressed that artificial rain is the only immediate solution to address the worsening smog.
"Smog has blanketed North India, and artificial rain is necessary to clear the air. PM Modi should take responsibility and act immediately," Rai said during a press conference on Tuesday.
The air quality in Delhi has deteriorated to dangerous levels, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting a staggering 494 in the 'severe plus' category. Some air monitoring stations have even recorded readings of 500, the maximum measurable level. Despite the strict enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV, which imposes the toughest anti-pollution measures, the city's air remains hazardous.
Rai criticized Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav for not addressing the issue adequately, alleging that the latter had ignored multiple letters regarding artificial rain. "I have written to the Environment Minister in August, September, October, and today, but there has been no action. If the Central government cannot take steps, the Minister should resign," he said.
Rai called on PM Modi to instruct Yadav to convene a meeting on artificial rain, demanding either a concrete solution or approval for implementing the measure.
The Delhi government has already taken several steps to mitigate pollution. These include:
- Banning BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in the city.
- Prohibiting trucks and diesel buses from entering Delhi.
- Closing schools for certain grades.
- Staggering office timings to reduce peak traffic congestion.
Rai also stated that the government is considering implementing the odd-even vehicle scheme again and is evaluating the feasibility of a work-from-home policy for offices.
"We are doing everything within our capacity, but reducing vehicles on the roads will only be effective after the smog clears," he explained.
Rai’s appeal follows the Supreme Court's directive on Monday, which instructed authorities in Delhi-NCR not to lift GRAP Stage 4 pollution curbs even if AQI levels fall below 450. The court emphasized the need for continued measures until the air quality improves significantly.
