Rafale deal is Rs 40k Cr worth scandal: Siddaramaiah
Talented students feted at Mysuru working journalists association
Mysuru, August 26: Former chief minister Siddaramaiah said that "the Congress has been educating the people about the Rafale deal scandal happened in the Defense Ministry. AICC president Rahul Gandhi has raised the issue in the Parliament. The Rafale deal is a scandal worth Rs 40,000 crore".
Felicitating the talented students at a felicitation programme organised by the district working journalists association here on Sunday, he said that the Congress would come to the streets and educate the people about the BJP 's mask in the scam. But it has no political motive. This is not a small scandal. It is one of the biggest ever scandals in the Defense Ministry, he said.
The Congress has fielded 63 candidates in the Mysuru city corporation election. The Congress believed in decentralisation. The Congress had brought in reservation in local bodies during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhi due to which women, faults and backwards classes have got opportunity. It was because of Congress that the women have got 50% reservation. But the BJP had opposed it. In fact, Rama Joyis had moved the Supreme Court against the issue. The BJP has been opposing the reservation in government and local bodies. But the Congress has been advocating social justice and equality , he said.
Both JDS and BJP could not come to power independently in Mysuru city corporation. His government has given Rs 2,530 crore for the development of Mysuru city. The development works that happened in the city was evidence for that. The city did not see any Development when the JDS and BJP were in power in the corporation. Because of Congress, the city was in number one in development. Considering the development, people should vote Congress candidates, he said.
Because of the false propaganda of the BJP, the Congress has lost the earlier election. Now people have understood the BJP and the Congress would certainly win the election, he exuded confidence.
The coalition government has decided to waive off the loans taken from private money lenders and it was in the common minimum program list of the government. He has said that he would become the chief minister again as the Congress would get the majority in the next election. Regarding reservation in promotion, the government has enacted a law and the Supreme Court would see to it, he said.
Regarding Defense Minister visit to Kodagu, he said that the minister came and went. No relief was announced. Is it right? Is not it the duty of the central government? The centre should immediately announce Rs 1000 crore compensation to Kodagu,. He would thank the people who stood with the Kodagu people who in distress. The centre should have announced the relief instead of waiting for the letter from the state government. The attitude of the Defense Minister was too much. She hasn't behaved as the Union Minister. The way the Union Minister behaved with the state Minister was Not acceptable. Nirmala Sitharaman who was elected to rajya sabha from Karnataka should not have acted like that, Siddaramaiah said.
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Indian heritage Anita Anand is Canada's new foreign minister; Sidhu given International Trade
Ottawa (PTI): Indo-Canadians Anita Anand and Maninder Sidhu have landed important portfolios in the new cabinet announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney after reshuffle.
While Anand was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sidhu is the new Minister for International Trade in the new cabinet announced on Tuesday.
Carney announced the reshuffle almost two weeks after his Liberal Party won the federal elections in Canada. He had replaced Justin Trudeau months ahead of the elections.
Anand, 58, was the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry before the polls and in the past has served in the roles including of defence minister. She replaced Melanie Joly, who is now the Minister of Industry.
“I am honoured to be named Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Mark Carney and our team to build a safer, fairer world and deliver for Canadians,” Anand, an MP from Oakville East, posted on X soon after taking oath.
Sidhu, 41, also took to X after swearing-in and said, it is an “honour of a lifetime” to be appointed as Canada’s International Trade Minister.
“I’m grateful to Prime Minister @MarkJCarney for the confidence he’s placed in me to diversify trade, support Canadian businesses in reaching new global markets, and help create good-paying jobs across Canada,” he said.
“I’m proud to stand alongside my colleagues as we work together to build the fastest-growing economy in the G7,” he added in the post on X.
Sidhu's appointment as the Minister for International Trade comes at a time when Canada is battling the Trump administration's aggression towards Canada on tariffs.
Anand, who was a front-runner in the race to be the next prime minister to replace Trudeau, had in January declared that she is backing out from the race and also that she would not be seeking re-election. However, she had reversed the decision on March 1 saying, “Canada is facing a crucial moment in our nation’s history.”
Born and raised in rural Nova Scotia, Anand moved to Ontario in 1985.
The Prime Minister of Canada's website mentions that Anand was first elected as a Member of Parliament for Oakville in 2019 and previously served as President of the Treasury Board, as Minister of National Defence, and as Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
“Anand has worked as a scholar, lawyer, and researcher. She has been a legal academic, including as a Professor of Law at the University of Toronto, where she held the J R Kimber Chair in Investor Protection and Corporate Governance,” it said and listed her other academic achievements too.
According to Sidhu's website, the entrepreneur has been an MP from Brampton East since 2019 and for over four years, he has also been a Parliamentary Secretary at Global Affairs Canada “helping to strengthen diplomatic relations, promoting international trade, and supporting international development.”
The Canadian prime minister's new cabinet has 28 ministers and they would be supported by 10 secretaries of State who will provide “dedicated leadership on key issues and priorities within their minister’s portfolio,” a statement said Tuesday.
Among the secretaries – basically junior ministers – is Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development). He is a member of parliament from Surrey Centre.
“Canada, meet your new Cabinet. This is a team that is empowered and expected to lead. Together, we will create a new economic and security relationship with the United States and build a stronger economy — the strongest economy in the G7,” Carney said in a post on X as he shared a small video of the team together.
Soon after, Carney shared another post on X where he shared a photo of the new cabinet team members standing behind him as he addressed the media and said: “Canada has a new government. No matter how you voted, we are in your service. Together, we will build a stronger, more united Canada.”
