PM Modi targets opposition, says 'corrupt and dynasts' have changed their jamaat's name
Rajkot, Jul 27: In an apparent jibe at the new opposition bloc 'INDIA', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said though "corrupt and dynast" people have changed the name of their jamaat (community), their behaviour and goals remain the same, and added they are angry as dreams of common people are being fulfilled under his government.
The PM, on a two-day Gujarat visit, launched the fresh attack on the 26-party opposition alliance while addressing a huge gathering at the Race Course Ground in Rajkot after inaugurating an international airport and various other development projects for the city.
"It is natural for some people to get upset when the country is making progress. Those who kept people deprived (of development) and never had any concerns for the needs and aspirations of our citizens are now angry because dreams of common people are now being fulfilled," Modi said.
The PM accused the opposition of practicing double standards while raising issues related to citizens.
"Though these dynasts and corrupt people have changed the name of their jamaat (community), their face, behaviour and intentions are the same old. When the middle-class gets something cheaper, they claim farmers are not getting proper price (for their products). When farmers get good prices, they claim inflation is soaring. This double standards is the hallmark of their politics" said Modi without taking any names.
Last week, 26 opposition parties came together and formed a new grouping, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), at a meeting in Bengaluru to take on the BJP-led NDA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The previous anti-BJP alliance was called the UPA, which was headed by the Congress.
In his address, the PM stated that his government came to office in 2014 with a "guarantee" of delivering good governance and the same has been fulfilled during the nine-year tenure of the BJP-led NDA dispensation at the Centre.
Praising his administration for keeping inflation under control, Modi said the price of one litre of milk would have cost Rs 300 if the past government (of Congress and its allies) had continued in office.
"Just see their track record in terms of inflation. When they were in power, the rate of inflation was 10 per cent. Prices would have been touching the sky today if we had not controlled the inflation. Had they been in power at present, one litre of milk would have cost Rs 300 while one kg of dal would have been sold for Rs 500," he said.
The PM maintained the BJP-led government managed to contain the price rise despite the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.
"The rate of inflation in our neighbouring countries is 25 to 30 per cent. But, that is not the case in India. We have been trying to control inflation and will continue to do so," he added.
Modi said thanks to the efforts of his government, nearly 13.5 crore people came out of poverty during the last five years alone.
According to the PM, mobile phone users would have been paying nearly Rs 6,000 as their monthly bill if the previous government had stayed in office today.
"Every citizen today uses 20 GB of mobile data per month. In 2014 (when BJP came to power at Centre), the cost of 1GB data was Rs 300. Had they (Congress and its allies) been in power at present, people would have been paying Rs 6,000 as their monthly bill. But, for 20GB, the bill you pay at present is just Rs 300 to Rs 400. You are saving nearly Rs 5,000 per month," he said.
From the stage, the PM inaugurated various development projects, including packages 8 and 9 of the Saurashtra Narmada Avtaran Irrigation (SAUNI) Yojana.
The recently completed packages of the SAUNI scheme will provide water to 52,398 acres of irrigable land in 95 villages and potable water to around 98,000 people in Gujarat's Saurashtra region.
Other projects include a multi-level flyover, a water treatment plant and a library with over 33,000 books.
Prior to addressing the gathering, Modi inaugurated an international airport near Rajkot city in the afternoon. He had performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the international airport at Hirasar village near Rajkot city in October 2017.
After inaugurating the aerodrome, the first greenfield international airport of Gujarat, he went inside the premises and interacted with officials on technical and other aspects of the project.
The greenfield airport has been built at a cost of Rs 1,405 crore and is located approximately 30 km from Rajkot city, said an official release.
The airport premises is spread over an area of 1,025.50 hectares (2,534 acres) out of which the Airports Authority of India has constructed the airport in an area of 1,500 acres. It has a 3,040 meter long and 45-meter-wide runway which can park 14 planes at any given point, said the release. Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel and members of his cabinet were present at the function.
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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.
