Congress is enemy of peace and development: PM in frontal attack on party in Karnataka
Mulki (K'taka) (PTI): In a frontal attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the entire politics of the party was based on "divide and rule" policy, and charged it with going across the world defaming the country, when India's democracy and development was being "appreciated and respected globally".
Calling Congress the "enemy of peace and development", the Prime Minister also accused the party of insulting and abusing India's defence forces.
"Congress is an enemy of peace and development. When Congress is there, investors will flee. Congress protects 'aakas' (boss) of terror, they encourage appeasement," Modi said.
Addressing a public meeting here in Dakshina Kannada district of coastal Karnataka, which is a BJP stronghold, he said the Congress's only identity was "appeasement politics". "Will you (people) allow such a Congress to come to power, will you allow Karnataka to get ruined?"
He continued, "Across the country whichever state wants peace and development, the first thing people there do is to oust Congress from there. If there is peace in society and the country is progressing, Congress cannot sit peacefully or will not be able to digest it. Congress's entire politics is based on divide and rule policy."
Alleging that the Congress tried to save those who were arrested for conspiring to spread terror, Modi claimed that it not only withdrew cases against such anti-social elements, but also released them.
The "reverse-gear" Congress also takes electoral help from anti-national forces, the Prime Minister further alleged.
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Noting that the whole country respected and honoured the defence forces, Modi claimed that the Congress insulted and abused the military brass and soldiers.
"The whole world appreciates and respects India's democracy and development," he said, "but the Congress is going across the world defaming the country."
"America, Australia, Japan, UK...in every corner of the world India is being appreciated or not? Why?... It is not because of Modi, it is happening because of your (people's) votes. It's the strength of your votes, which formed a strong and stable government in Delhi," he added.
Talking about developement, the Prime Minister said: "We want Karnataka to become number one in industrial and agriculture development, fisheries and port. We are working on it."
He claimed that the Congress wanted to make Karnataka the "number one ATM" for its 'shahi parivar' (royal family) sitting in Delhi.
Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel and Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje among other BJP leaders were present at the rally.
Modi also cautioned that the Congress that "takes 85 per cent commission in every programme or scheme" would take Karnataka back by decades and "bury it in a pit".
"People of Karnataka have to be very cautious about Congress, JD(S) are also similar kinds of people," he said.
The Prime Minister urged people to bring in BJP with a "full majority and strong and stable government in Karnataka", for it to be "praised and respected across the country and the globe".
Speaking in this coastal town, Modi also highlighted the various programmes of BJP governments at the state and centre for the welfare of fishermen and the fisheries sector, including inland fisheries.
Stating that India had the world's third largest startup ecosystem today, Modi said the country had about one lakh startups and nearly a hundred unicorns.
"The BJP government is giving policy support to the startup ecosystem. We are working on preparing lakhs of young innovators for the future," he said.
Pointing out that India had reached the fifth position among major global economies under the BJP govt, surpassing the UK that had colonised us, the Prime Minister said, "This is the Modi government which put England behind and came to the fifth position... I want your support to now reach the third position among global economies. I need Karnataka's support in this effort."
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Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu sends Mossad director to Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar
Nahariya (Israel), Jan 11: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved sending the director of the Mossad foreign intelligence agency to ceasefire negotiations in Qatar in a sign of progress in talks on the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu's office announced the decision Saturday. It was not immediately clear when David Barnea would travel to Qatar's capital, Doha, site of the latest round of indirect talks between Israel and the Hamas group. His presence means high-level Israeli officials who would need to sign off on any agreement are now involved.
Just one brief ceasefire has been achieved in 15 months of war, and that occurred in the earliest weeks of fighting. The talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have repeatedly stalled since then.
Netanyahu has insisted on destroying Hamas' ability to fight in Gaza. Hamas has insisted on a full Israeli troop withdrawal from the largely devastated territory. On Thursday, Gaza's Health Ministry said over 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war.
Also being sent to Qatar are the head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency and military and political advisers. Netanyahu's office said the decision followed a meeting with his defence minister, security chiefs and negotiators “on behalf of the outgoing and incoming US administrations.”
The office also released a photo showing Netanyahu with President-elect Donald Trump's incoming special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who was in Qatar this week.
Families of the roughly 100 hostages still held in Gaza after being seized in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war are pressing Netanyahu to reach a deal to bring their loved ones home.
The recovery of two hostages' bodies in the past week renewed fears that time is running out. Hamas has said that after months of heavy fighting, it isn't sure who is alive or dead.
Israel and Hamas are under pressure from outgoing US President Joe Biden and Trump to reach a deal before the January 20 inauguration.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week a deal is “very close” and he hoped to complete it before handing over diplomacy to the incoming Trump administration. But US officials have expressed similar optimism on several occasions over the past year.
Issues in the talks have included which hostages would be released in the first part of a phased ceasefire deal, which Palestinian prisoners would be released and the extent of any Israeli troop withdrawal from population centres in Gaza.
Hamas and other groups killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages into Gaza in the attack that started the war. A truce in November 2023 freed more than 100 hostages, while others have been rescued or their remains have been recovered over the past year.
