Modi-Xi 'no baggage' talks hailed by Chinese media
Wuhan (China), April 28: The "heart-to-heart" communication between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their two-day informal summit here reflected their deepened mutual history and charted the course of long-term bilateral development, according to a leading Chinese newspaper.
The China Daily in an opinion piece said: "The beauty of the informal summit between Xi and Modi is that it comes with no baggage, only expectations. It is free of the usual diplomatic frills, somewhat beyond the global media limelight.
"As expected, the 'heart-to-heart' communication between the two leaders reflected their deepened mutual chemistry. Which, in turn, will be conducive to improving mutual trust between the neighbours and charting the course of long-term bilateral development."
India and China share a tense relationship owing to their 1962 war. Their ties touched a new low last year when their militaries were locked in a face-off near their disputed boundary. The crisis was resolved in August.
The daily said that "mutual suspicion was keeping the two countries from deepening cooperation and working together on regional and international issues".
"The border incident last summer was just one example of what mutual suspicion could lead to, reminding both sides of the disruptive potential of distrust. Yet neither Beijing nor New Delhi calls the other an enemy, which means both expect bilateral ties to improve," it said.
The daily called China and India "natural partners" and said that "both realize they carry the hopes of the other developing countries to improve international relations, in order to make the world order more equitable".
"The Xi-Modi meetings reflect the two neighbours' common aspiration to not only stabilize their troubled relationship but also caution disruptive powers it is difficult to drive a wedge between them," it said.
The Global Times said that the informal summit ushered in a new chapter in the Sino-Indian relations. "Conflicts between China and India have kept accumulating, which exposed the fragility of Sino-Indian relations and prompted both sides to recognize that confrontation between China and India does not fit their interests. Disputes must be controlled".
China's People's Daily quoted Xi as saying that "the consensus reached by the two sides provided positive signals of China-India friendship and reflected the strong will of two big emerging economies to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation".
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UP: BJP MLA falls on rail track while flagging off Vande Bharat train
Etawah (UP), Sep 16: BJP's Etawah MLA Sarita Bhadauriya fell onto the railway tracks while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express here on Monday.
Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media.
The incident occurred amidst a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 pm. The 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker was among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform, the video showed.
Following the virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by the Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra.
When contacted by PTI, BJP's Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, "The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event."
"Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed," Bhadauriya said.
The train made stops at Tundla before arriving at Etawah station. Upon its arrival, a commotion ensued on the platform as various political figures, including Samajwadi Party MP Jitendra Douwhare, former BJP MP Ram Shankar, and current MLA Sarita Bhadauriya, gathered to participate in the flag-off, the videos showed.
As the train's horn signalled its departure, the platform became chaotic with supporters jostling for position. In the ensuing melee, the MLA was pushed off the platform and she fell onto the railway tracks in front of the train, it showed.
The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.
Talking about the operation date for the Vande Bharat Express, PRO Prashasti Srivastava from the Agra division of the railways said that the date will be announced soon.
The train will cover the distance between Agra and Varanasi in approximately seven hours. The return train will operate as number 20176 from Varanasi to Agra, while the Agra-Varanasi service will be number 20175.
Etawah, UP: The flag-off ceremony for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express faced chaos due to heavy rush, and BJP's Etawah Sadar MLA, Sarita Bhadoria, fell in front of the train pic.twitter.com/p10CfbDIF0
— IANS (@ians_india) September 16, 2024
