Sullia BJP to press for ministerial berth for MLA Angara
Mangaluru, Aug 26: Dakshina Kannada district leadership of the BJP has decided to take a delegation of MLAs and local leaders in Sullia to Bengaluru to request Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to accommodate S Angara, a six-time MLA from Sullia, in the state Cabinet.
The discontent in the party over denying Cabinet berth to Angara has resulted in the resignation of 300 representatives of BJP from gram sabhas, co-operatives and other bodies in Sullia.
The party's district president Sanjeeva Matandoor, along with former MLCs Monappa Bhandary and Ganesh Karnik, had met the local leaders of Sullia on Saturday.
Later in a statement, Matandoor, also Puttur MLA, said the party workers had expected ministerial berth for Angara.
The Chief Minister would be requested to accommodate him in the Cabinet in the next expansion.
The appointment of Dakshina district MP Nalin Kumar Kateel as state BJP president has not satisfied the party leaders and workers in Sullia.
Party’s Sullia assembly constituency president Venkat Valalambe said Kateels nomination would not deter workers from demanding ministers post for Angara.
Matandoor, who visited Angara at his residence, said the latter has agreed to take part in the party function in Bengaluru on Tuesday in which Nalin Kumar Kateel would take charge as state president.
Sullia is a stronghold of BJP in the district and it had elected Angara even when Congress swept all seats in the district except Sullia in the previous elections.
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India & Israel elevate ties to special strategic partnership, vow to soon conclude free trade deal
Jerusalem (PTI): India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to soon firm up a "mutually beneficial" free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
Following talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two sides inked a plethora of agreements to expand cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payment.
India and Israel also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
In his media statement, Modi said India's security interest is linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supports the Gaza Peace Initiative.
"India's stance is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza Peace Plan. India has fully supported these efforts," he said.
"In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries," he said.
PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit. It is his second visit to Israel in nine years.
In his remarks, the prime minister said India and Israel have a united view that there is no place for terrorism in the world and both sides stand shoulder-to-shoulder in countering terrorism and its supporters.
"Our relationship is founded on the strong bedrock of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human sensitivities. Our bond has stood the test of every trial of time," he said.
"Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the status of a 'Special Strategic Partnership'," he said.
The prime minister also announced the establishment of an India-Israel critical and emerging technologies partnership to impart a new momentum for cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals. "I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI in Israel," he said.
The prime minister, referring to the threat of terrorism, said India and Israel will continue to confront the menace unitedly.
"India and Israel are completely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. In any form, in any expression, terrorism cannot be accepted," he said.
"We have stood shoulder-to-shoulder in opposing terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so," he added.
India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
