'Come join my party': Israeli PM Naftali Bennett tells PM Modi, calls him 'most popular person'
Glasgow, Nov 3: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett on Tuesday shared a light moment during their maiden formal meeting here when the latter informed the Indian leader about his popularity in Israel and invited him to join his party.
Prime Minister Modi met Bennett on the sidelines of the COP26 climate summit here on Tuesday during which they reviewed the bilateral ties besides exchanging views about expanding cooperation in areas of high-technology and innovation.
Modi and Bennett's maiden formal meeting came after their brief interaction on Monday during the climate conference.
According to a video shared on social media, Bennett told Prime Minister Modi, "you are the most popular person in Israel."
Replying to the comment, Modi said, "thank you, thank you."
Bennett further asked Modi to join his Yamina Party.
"Come and join my party," Bennett said, as the two leaders laughed and shook hands.
Earlier, recalling their brief meeting on Monday, Prime Minister Modi said that the people of India deeply value the friendship with Israel.
"Enhancing friendship with Israel. Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @naftalibennett had a fruitful meeting in Glasgow. Both leaders discussed deepening various avenues of cooperation for the benefit of our citizens, the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
The meeting between Modi and Bennett comes after Jaishankar, during his visit to Israel last month, extended an invitation to the Israeli premier on behalf of Modi to visit India.
According to Israeli media reports, Bennett, who became prime minister in June this year, is likely to visit India next year.
India and Israel elevated their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership during the historic visit of Prime Minister Modi to Israel in July 2017.
Since then, the relationship between the two countries has focused on expanding knowledge-based partnership, which includes collaboration in innovation and research, including boosting the 'Make in India' initiative.
Excellent meeting with @NarendraModi at @COP26.
— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) November 2, 2021
Narendra, I want to thank you for your historic role in shaping the ties between our countries.
Together, we can bring India-Israel relations to a whole new level and build a better & brighter future for our nations.
🇮🇱🤝🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/sfRk7cNA7d
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Will fight those who installed 'fake' Parashurama statue: Karkala Congress leader
Karkala: Town Municipality member and Congress spokesperson Shubhada Rao has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of duping citizens by installing a fibre glass statue of warrior-sage Parashurama at the new theme park in Karkala despite claiming that a bronze statue would be installed there.
Addressing a meeting held at the Bailuru Marigudi Hall on Saturday by the Karkala Parashurama Theme Park Welfare Committee demanding the installation of a bronze statue of the sage at the new park on the Umikal hills at Bailuru town, Rao clarified that the Congress had never opposed the development of the theme park or the installation of a statue of Parashurama at the park, but had expressed dissatisfaction at the BJP replacing the bronze statue meant to be used at the park with a fibre glass statue. He added that Congress aimed to unveil the truth regarding the statue.
Calling Karkala MLA Sunil Kumar's claims about the support of 65 legislators to him whom he could bring to the Parashurama hill as a bluff, Rao said that he would meet the legislator in Bengaluru itself with documentary proof to show that the statue was 'fake'. He also challenged Sunil Kumar to face the truth about the theme park.
A video containing information on the theme park, the statue, the correspondence between the government and the district administration as well as the gram panchayat, in addition to the court order was presented at the meeting.
