Will fight BJP one on one, like a family: Mamata Banerjee ahead of oppn meet in Patna
Patna, Jun 22: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed confidence that opposition parties will fight like a family and take on the BJP "one to one".
The TMC chief, however, parried questions on her reservations about the Congress's alliance with the Left in her state and the Aam Aadmi Party threatening a "walkout" if support was not forthcoming on the ordinance of control of services in Delhi.
"I cannot say what will happen at tomorrow's meeting. But I am certain we are all here to fight the BJP together, like a family, one to one," she told reporters.
She was speaking outside the residence of Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, where she met his father and RJD president Lalu Prasad and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi.
"I have great respect for Lalu-ji. The poor man was sent to jail and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital," said Banerjee.
She also surprised all by sharing a humorous anecdote involving the RJD chief.
"Once, when both Lalu ji and I were MPs, he was stating on the floor of Parliament that prices of all vegetables, potatoes, onions, were rising. I got up and asked what about the price of rabri (a sweet)," said Banerjee, her pun on the veteran leader's wife's name evoking peals of laughter.
"Lalu-ji replied, rabri is the most precious," she recalled with admiration for the RJD supremo's legendary wit writ large on her face.
Banerjee said she was happy to meet Prasad.
"He looks strong enough to take on the BJP," said the West Bengal CM who drove straight to meet the RJD leaders upon setting foot in Patna.
She was accompanied by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, an MP, and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim.
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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.
