PM Modi heads home after winding up his two-day visit to Bhutan
Thimphu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday left for home after concluding his two-day state visit to Bhutan during which he held talks with the country's leaders to further deepen the bilateral ties.
"Thank you Bhutan! It was a memorable visit. The affection I have received from the people of this wonderful nation can never be forgotten. There were many programmes which I had the honour of taking part in. The outcomes of the visit will enhance bilateral ties," Modi said just before his departure from Bhutan.
Modi arrived in Bhutan on Saturday. This was his second visit to the country and the first since his re-election in May this year.
During his stay in Thimphu, Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering on Saturday and they discussed steps to further expand the bilateral partnership across several sectors.
The two countries inked 10 MoUs in the fields of space research, aviation, IT, power and education to infuse new energy in their ties.
Prime Minister Modi also called on Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Saturday and exchanged views on taking the "exemplary" India-Bhutan partnership forward.
Later, he met the fourth King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk and expressed appreciation for his continued guidance on strengthening the unique India-Bhutan relationship.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister addressed students of the prestigious Royal University of Bhutan and asked them to work hard and take the Himalayan nation to great heights.
He said no two countries in the world understood each other so well or share so much as India and Bhutan that are "natural partners" in bringing prosperity to their peoples.
Prime Minister Modi met with Bhutan's Leader of Opposition Pema Gyamtsho on Sunday and the two leaders discussed the issues of bilateral interests.
He also paid his respects at the National Memorial Chorten, a revered monument honouring the late Third Druk Gyalpo. The visit concluded with a lunch hosted the King of Bhutan in honour of prime minister Modi.
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Tax money pays for free ration scheme but BJP trying to take credit, says Mayawati
Lucknow (PTI): Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati hit out at "BJP and company" on Thursday, saying they want to take credit for providing free rations to the country's poor.
"Far from freeing the people of the country from rising inflation, poverty, unemployment and backwardness, people of BJP and company are bent on extracting electoral gains for giving the poor a little bit of ration. This is not right as this is not kindness," she wrote in Hindi on the social media platform 'X'.
"The free ration to the poor is not a favour by the BJP or the government, it comes from the tax money paid by the people. Therefore, it is inappropriate to make fun of the poor by asking them for votes in return...," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added in another post.
BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, list the government's free ration scheme in every political rally. The party has even mentioned in its manifesto that it will continue the scheme till 2029 after coming to power.
The Congress claims that it brought the law to ensure food security to the poor. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge said at a joint press conference with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday that on coming to power, they will not just improve the quality of the ration but also double its quantity.
