PM Modi greets Rahul Gandhi on birthday, wishes for his long and healthy life

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Congress MP from Punjab on Thursday hit out at BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), labelling them as “anti-farmer” and “B-teams” working against the interests of the farming community.

Randhawa also dismissed the letter written by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi as an “election stunt” ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls.

In the letter, Chouhan expressed concerns over the condition of farmers in Delhi, accusing the AAP government of neglecting their welfare and failing to implement central agricultural schemes, thereby depriving farmers of essential benefits. Chouhan emphasised that political rivalries should not obstruct farmers welfare.

Reacting sharply to his letter, Randhawa told IANS, “Instead of writing to the Delhi Chief Minister, he should have written to the Punjab Chief Minister and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, where farmers are struggling. Since Rakesh Tikait is also part of the farmers’ protest, Chouhan should have addressed his letter to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.”

Terming Chouhan’s move an election gimmick, Randhawa said, “Writing to the Delhi Chief Minister seems like a mere election stunt.”

Randhawa also shifted attention to the deteriorating health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on a hunger strike since November 26 at Khanauri, the border point between Punjab and Haryana.

Farmers have been protesting at Delhi borders, demanding long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP), loan waivers, and agricultural sector reforms.

Randhawa criticised both the Punjab and Delhi governments for their lack of action.

“Delhi Chief Minister should send the same letter to the Punjab Chief Minister about the bad situation there. Dallewal Sahab has been fasting at Khanauri border, but neither Atishi nor Kejriwal has visited him. They should visit him along with the Punjab CM and urge him to give up fasting,” he said.

Accusing the BJP and AAP of colluding against farmers, the Congress MP said, “Both of them are B-teams of each other. They meet each other in the evening and set narratives by morning. Both are anti-farmer and ignore the demands of the farming community,” he alleged.

He urged both parties to come forward and address farmers’ issues.

“The governments in Punjab and Delhi should work towards fulfilling the farmers’ demands instead of engaging in political blame games,” he added.

–IANS

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New Delhi, June 7 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday thanked the government of the United Kingdom for standing shoulder to shoulder with India in its fight against terrorism to bring the perpetrators of heinous April 22 Pahalgam terror attack to justice.

“At the outset, let me thank the Government of the United Kingdom for the strong condemnation of the barbaric terrorist attack in Pahalgam in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and for your solidarity and support to India in the fight against terrorism. We practice a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it, and we will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims,” EAM Jaishankar said in his opening remarks during the delegation-level talks with David Lammy, Foreign Secretary of the UK at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

Lammy arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday morning for a crucial two-day official visit aimed at reviewing and advancing the UK-India economic and migration partnership. He called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi before engaging in bilateral discussions with the External Affairs Minister.

“David, very pleased to welcome you back to India. You have just had a very good meeting with Prime Minister Modi, and I think your visit at this time gives us an occasion to assess our comprehensive strategic partnership, which I believe has strengthened across all sectors in recent times. We have had very regular high level political and official interactions,” said the EAM.

Lammy’s day-long India visit follows the recent historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between the two countries on May 6 which, along with the Double Contribution Convention, said Jaishankar, is truly a milestone which will not only propel the two-way trade and investment but will have also have a positive effect on other strategic aspects of India-UK bilateral ties besides also contributing to the strengthening of supply and value chains.

“Since your last visit to India, there have been significant initiatives which both of us have taken and those initiatives have progressed well. I would single out the Technology Security Initiative (TSI) which will enable deeper collaboration in strategic technology sectors of AI, Semiconductors, Telecom, Quantum, HealthTech/ Bio-Tech, Critical Minerals and Advanced Materials,” the EAM stated.

“We have also launched the Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue, the first meeting of which was held, I believe, this week. This will enhance among others the TSI’s effectiveness in promoting trade in critical and emerging technologies, including the resolution of relevant licensing or regulatory issues,” he added.

The UK Foreign Secretary’s visit is seen as an important step in preparing the ground for a potential visit to India by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the near future.

EAM Jaishankar said that the UK-India infrastructure financial bridge can unlock quality long term capital flows from the United Kingdom to India, and that would also surely contribute to infrastructure development.

As per UK government projections, the new trade deal will increase bilateral trade by over £25 billion annually, raise UK’s GDP by £4.8 billion, and enhance wages by £2.2 billion each year, resulting in tangible economic benefits for working-class citizens.

“There is very good collaboration in the education sector with many more universities, I believe, planning to establish their campuses in India, and on the people – to – people ties front, we had the privilege – I myself had the honour – to open two new consulates in Manchester and Belfast. So, there is so much more that we can talk about and that is indeed why we are meeting,” he remarked.

After meeting PM Modi and holding talks with EAM Jaishankar, Lammy is scheduled to engage with key figures in the Indian industry to explore ways to increase Indian investment in the UK and unlock new opportunities in both markets.

In addition to meetings with the top Indian officials, he will also hold discussions with Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, later in the day.

Ahead of his visit, the UK Foreign Office said that Lammy is also expected to address the recent escalation in tensions following the Pahalgam terrorist attack and how the welcomed sustained period of peace can be best supported in the interests of stability in the region.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Feb 27 (IANS) Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took a swipe at the Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde saying that ‘no matter how many dips you take, the mark of betrayal will remain forever’.

He was commenting on the visit by Shinde and his party ministers on Monday to take a holy dip in the Ganga during the Kumbh Mela. He was speaking at the function organised on the occasion of Marathi Bhasha Divas.

In a stinging taunt to Shinde, the Shiv Sena UBT chief said: “I came from bath in Ganga and took 50 khoke and then took a holy dip there. What is the use of such dip? Commit a treachery against Maharashtra and go there to take a dip. No matter how many dips you take, the mark of betrayal will remain forever.”

Thackeray’s swipe at Shinde came hours after the latter questioned his absence from the Maha Kumbh Mela despite calling himself Hindu.

He stepped up attacks against Shinde saying that people who go to Dubai to watch the cricket match between India and Pakistan after their return are telling about Balasaheb Thackeray’s thoughts.

“Mumbai is the capital of Maharashtra. The Marathi theatre in this capital has made a big contribution. The plays that were necessary at that time were brought and the society was taught what should be done. People who go to Dubai and watch cricket matches are telling us about Balasaheb’s thoughts. No matter where the India-Pakistan match is, they will go and watch the match,” he remarked.

“Why don’t you go to your village and sit there because you didn’t get a ministerial post?” he asked.

He warned Shinde that they will not allow the outsiders to enter the state.

Thackeray recalled that when he was the chief minister he made Marathi language compulsory in the state.

“We will speak Marathi in Maharashtra. I made this law that Marathi boards should be displayed in shops. But how could someone go to a court against the government’s decision? We are Hindus but we are also Marathi. I am not against the Gujarati community. But they (the central government) want to destroy Marathi and Maharashtra. They want to destroy Mumbai. They want to take out industries,” he claimed.

“There is no deficiency in our language. How much effort was put into giving it the status of a classical language to Marathi. Who are you (the central government) to give the status of a classical language? The language of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was Marathi. If it were not for him, you would not have seen Delhi,” he taunted.

–IANS

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