Narendra Modi: Power is my government's first priority

Nagpur: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that power ranks at the top of his government’s priority list.

Addressing a public meeting in Nagpur, Modi reminded the audience that his government has focused on improvising power supply in the country right from the day one.

“You must have noticed that since the day my government came to power, my first priority has been electricity. Be it in Jammu and Kashmir or any other state, we need to fully utilize the potential to generate power,” said Modi.

Emphasizing the need to save power, Modi said, “it’s the government’s responsibility to harness electricity. But as citizens, it is our responsibility to save energy. We need to save our pockets from high electricity bill. The amount of money we save on saving electricity is more than the amount we spend on harnessing electricity.”
Modi also touched the issue of corruption in his speech and promised to get rid of this menace with the help of the people.

“Corruption has plagued the country. I am with you to eradicate it forever. When I talk about corruption, some people are perturbed. But those people must realize that people of India have woken up and want a corruption free nation. With your blessing we will be successful in rooting out this disease,” said Narendra Modi. 

Modi also recalled the famous lines of the legendary freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak  - Swaraj mera janmsiddha adhikar hai (Self-rule is my birthright) -  and said that people of Maharashtra firmly believe  in this philosophy. 

He is in Nagpur today to lay the foundation stone of Nagpur Metro station. He will also inaugurate the Mouda Super Thermal Power Project Phase 1 and a flyover on National Highway 6 in Nagpur.

Here are live updates of Modi's public meeting in Nagpur: 

05: 44 pm: Modi concludes his speech with chants of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai". 

05:41 pm: Modi: Corruption has plagued the country. I am with you to eradicate it forever. When I talk about corruption some people are perturbed. But those people must realize that people of India have woken up and want a corruption free nation. With your blessing we will be successful in rooting out this disease. Bal Gandadhar Tilak had said– Swaraj mera janmsiddha adhikar hai (Self-rule is my birthright). Maharahstra is a state that firmly believes in this. 

05:39 pm:Modi: So many of you have come here. NTPC must have organized events like this before too. But this time, people have turned up in such large numbers because the people of this country have chosen the path of development. Whenever you choose this path, you will have many others supporting you. 

05:38 pm: Modi: A potter makes pots with mud. But if he has access to electricity, he can make hundreds of pots with less effort and more efficiency. 

05:37 pm: Modi: If a farmer has three kids, he will send two to the city to earn a living and will keep one son for agriculture. The farmer understands that his income through farm will not suffice. 

05:36 pm: Modi: If you want a comfortable life then work towards development. 

05:35 pm: Modi: I want you all to discuss this at home. I expect children to discuss this at school and also make your family members take the vow to save energy.  

05:31 pm: Modi: Almost all of us have mobile phones. It’s the government’s responsibility to harness electricity. But as citizens, it is our responsibility to save energy. We need to save our pockets from high electricity bill. The amount of money we save on saving electricity is more than the amount we spend on harnessing electricity. 

05:29 pm: Modi: Our farmers can make gold out of mud, if they have sufficient supply of water. But currently our farmers are totally depended on the monsoons. But the central government in Delhi is working for your development. I have also spoken often about digitization.

05:26 pm: Modi: In our country we worship sun god. He is always depicted with horses. For us sun god’s horses present themselves in the form of various sources of energy  through which we can generate energy.  

05: 22 pm: Modi: Previously when I had come to Maharashtra, many farmers had committed suicide because, despite having water, they cannot use it. What could be more shameful for a nation than farmers dying because they don’t have electricity. It has become crucial for development. Be it wind mill energy, solar energy, energy from waste products, we need to utilize it all for development. At one point of time, solar energy was expensive but times have changed. We can now easily avail it. We need to promote solar energy so that we can do away with electricity and move towards producing clean energy. 

05:19 pm: Unfortunately those places too that are connected with electric grid cannot make use of it. You must have noticed that since the day my government came to power, my first priority has been electricity. Be it in Jammu and Kashmir or any other state, we need to fully utilize the potential to generate power.

05:17 pm: Modi: Today farmers use electricity to use their tools. To improve rural lives too, we need electricity. If villages have electricity, then he will want to stay in the village, he will gradually come to love his home. It is our priority to ensure that electricity reaches every household. 

05:16 pm: Modi: For any country to develop, it must have good infrastructure. And for that too excellent network of electricity is a must. 

05:14 pm: Modi: First of all, I would like to apologize for coming late. Incessant rains delayed me at Nagpur Airport. But after all ,God heard your prayers and stopped the rain.

05:13 pm: PM Modi begins his speech (crowd cheers)

04:50 pm: Modi has reached the venue

04:30 pm: Modi is detained at the airport because of inclement weather. Excessive rains have put halt on his helicopter 

04:27 pm: PM Modi arrives at Nagpur airport from Ranchi

Maharashtra CM Chavan skipped the event as he feared BJP supporters will jeer him the way they did at Solapur last time. 

Chavan was booed at a public meeting in Solapaur a few days back where Prime Minister Narendra Modi had arrived to inaugurate a power transmission line. 

Even Haryana Chief Minister B S Hooda had to face a hostile crowd when Modi was in Haryana to lay the foundation stone for a project.  

Hooda was booed by the crowd who had ears only for their Prime Minister. While Hooda spoke from the dais at a stone- laying ceremony of a highway project at Kaithal on Tuesday, the crowd chanted Modi’s name and jeered the Chief Minister.  

To avoid a repeat of similar embarrassment, Chavan decided to  boycott the event all together. 

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Governor K Sankaranarayanan and Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal. 

Narender Modi (PM of India): Humble Beginnings: The Early YearsNarendra Mod...

Narender Modi (PM of India):
Humble Beginnings: The Early Years


Narendra Mod...: Humble Beginnings: The Early Years Narendra Modi’s journey began in the by-lanes of Vadnagar, a small and nondescript town in N...

Humble Beginnings: The Early Years

Narendra Modi’s journey began in the by-lanes of Vadnagar, a small and nondescript town in North Gujarat’s Mehsana district. Born on 17th September 1950, 3 years after India attained freedom and within months of India becoming a Republic, Narendra Modi was the third of the sixth children of Damodardas Modi and Hiraba Modi.Vadnagar is a town that is steeped in history. Archeological excavations suggest this was a vibrant centre of learning and spirituality. The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited Vadnagar. Vadnagar also has a rich Buddhist history with as many as 10,000 Buddhist monks inhabiting the town centuries ago.

Vadnagar station, where Narendra Modi’s father owned a tea stall and where Narendra Modi also sold tea

Narendra Modi’s early years were far from what a fairy tale upbringing is like. The family belonged to the marginalized sections of society and had to struggle to make ends meet. The entire family lived in a small single storey house (approximately 40 feet by 12 feet). His father sold tea at the tea stall he set up in the local railway station. In his early years, Narendra Modi too lent a hand to his father at the tea stall.

These formative years left a strong imprint on Narendra Modi. As a child, Narendra Modi balanced his studies, non-academic life and his contribution at the family tea stall. His schoolmates recall Narendra as a diligent student with a penchant for debating and reading. He would spend hours and hours reading in the school library. Among the sports, he was very fond of swimming. Narendra Modi had a wide range of friends from all the communities. As a child he often celebrated both Hindu and Muslim festivals considering the large number of Muslim friends he had in the neighbourhood.

As a child Narendra Modi dreamt of serving in the Army but destiny had other plans…

Yet, his thoughts, and dreams went way beyond a conventional life that began in the classroom and ended in the environs of an office. He wanted to go out there and make a difference to society…to wipe tears and suffering among people. At a young age he developed an inclination towards renunciation and asceticism. He gave up eating salt, chilies, oil and jaggery. Reading the works of Swami Vivekananda cover to cover took Narendra Modi to a journey of spiritualism and laid the foundation for his own mission to fulfill Swami Vivekananda’s dream of a Jagad Guru Bharat.

If there is one word that characterized Narendra Modi’s childhood and stayed with him for the rest of his life, it is service. When floods wrecked havoc in the Tapi River, 9 year old he and his friends started a food stall and donated the proceeds for relief work. When the war with Pakistan was at its peak he set out on the railway station and served tea to the Jawans who were going and coming from the border. This was a small step but it displayed his firm resolve to answer the call of Mother India, even at a remarkably young age.

As a child Narendra Modi had one dream- to serve in the Indian Army. For many youngsters of his time, the Army was seen as the ultimate means of serving Mother India. As luck would have it, his family was dead opposed to the idea. Narendra Modi was very keen to study in Sainik School located in nearby Jamnagar but when the time came to pay the fees, there was no money at home. Surely, Narendra was disappointed. But, fate had different plans for this young boy who was disappointed on not being able to wear the uniform of a Jawan. Over the years he embarked on a unique path that took him across India in pursuit of the larger mission to serve humanity.

                                               Seeking the blessings of his Mother

Change Your Speech Time, Not School Hours: Congress on PM's Teacher's Day Plans

MUMBAI:For school students across the country, September 5 or Teacher's Day this year is set to be an all out Modi affair. In a first of its kind move, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not just address the students but also interact with them from the Manekshaw Stadium in Delhi. 

 

All government and private schools in the country have not only been asked to participate in the programme that will webcast live, but also to give attendance reports. 

However, to hear the Prime Minister's pep talk at 3 pm, the students will have to stay back after school hours, a move that has already garnered criticism from the opposition.
 
"If PM wants to subject hapless school kids to his" pearls of wisdom" why doesn't he alter his speech time than coerce change in school hrs (sic)," Congress leader Manish Tewari tweeted. 

Vinod Tawde, Opposition leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, however welcomed the move, saying, "If the PM is speaking to students of the country where is the PR in it? He is not speaking as a party member. He is speaking as a PM. This should be welcomed. How much does it cost to set up a TV? This should be welcomed and no one should play politics on it."
 
Meanwhile, following the Centre's directive, sources in the Maharashtra government say, it has sent circulars to schools to make arrangements for the mega exercise. It has also advised borrowing television sets from the principal or the management committee members of the school since there is no clarity on who will pay the rental expense.
 
Sources in the Maharashtra education department say the Centre has been following up on logistics and preparations.

Prime Minister Condoles Historian Bipan Chandra's Death

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed grief over the death of noted historian Bipan Chandra and extended his condolences to the deceased's family, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said today.

Bipin Chandra, 86, died at his Gurgaon residence after prolonged illness.

A Padma Bhushan awardee, he had donned multiple roles including that of chairperson of the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Member of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Chairman of the National Book Trust (NBT).

Considered a specialist in economic and political history of India, Mr Chandra had authored several books including 'The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism', 'In the Name of Democracy: The JP Movement and the Emergency', 'Nationalism and Colonialism in Modern India' and 'The Making of Modern India: From Marx to Gandhi', among others. 

PM Narendra Modi’s 100 days: The beginning of a long journey

Just when people accustomed to the high voltage 24X7 blitzkrieg election campaign felt the Narendra Modi persona was beginning to lose steam, he came back with a bang on August 15. Confident, personal and completely out-of-the-box, the Prime Minister’s path breaking Independence Day address showed who the quintessential Modi is.

He is different. And we found that out on Day Zero – May 26, 2014 when he was sworn in as the 15th Prime Minister of India in an aesthetic setting and in the presence of SAARC leaders, besides other dignitaries and renowned faces of India. It was his first ‘first’ among many others which followed.

The invitation to regional heads was meant to be the single stone that would kill two birds. Essentially a man who has been in the public space all his life, he has his finger on the pulse of the nation. People were craving for change and a hugely distinct swearing-in ceremony sent out a clear message that things would be refreshingly different from now on. Second, the diplomatic outreach showed his own thirst to be counted as first among global statesman; clearly for Modi, India was not enough on his platter.

It was the same insight and stimulating freshness that came across a fortnight or so back on Independence Day, when Modi appeared once again to be a man in a hurry to speed by milestones. Dressed in a traditional attire and flowing headgear, Modi breached security cordon to meet children and did not use bullet proof glass enclosure as he spoke extempore from the ramparts of Red Fort in an oration, which my hunch tells me was possibly amongst his best, if not the best.

His words sounded simple and practical as he touched topics like female foeticide, departmental and ministerial infighting, poverty, cleanliness, providing toilets, promoting ‘Made in India’ brand and the need to change mindsets so as to arrogate responsibility on the male gender for ensuring women’s safety. The art of politics is to woo, and woo he did in style as his words seem to touch the hearts of the common man, whether they were actually as sincerely meant as they sounded cannot be said. For nothing can ever be said with certainty about Modi, who is more and more of an enigma with each passing day.

Governance and National Issues: A fresh Start

Modi has publically proclaimed that his mantra of governance would revolve around the pledge of “minimum government, maximum governance” – his Cabinet includes 23 senior ministers and 22 Ministers of State.

The first visible signs of shake up came within five days of his assuming office - on May 31, he scrapped all existing Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoMs) and GoMs. By next week, he had met and heard out secretaries of all government departments, told them that they could use a direct line with him whenever they needed and, importantly, they would not be shunted out on the whim of a minister. Following the meeting a note was sent out giving 11 directions to improve work culture, timings and hygiene. A further 19-point guideline for bureaucrats mandated them to maintain political neutrality and take decisions solely in public interest.

Modi further scrapped four Standing Committees of the Cabinet besides reconstituting several others. Parliamentarians were given strict instructions on attendance, speaking in the House and, in a bid to end sycophancy, asked to “stop touching feet”!

Never have ministers been put so much on their toes, because Modi has made it clear that a berth in the Cabinet in not a cosy cot of privileges, but a lot of hard work to resolve problems and help oil the wheels of development. All Ministers were asked to prepare a 100-day agenda, as well as give presentations of what they would achieve at the end of the period. Clipping their wings, the diktat is that ministers would not have a say in making senior appointments including for their own personal secretaries!

At the national level, BJP government under Modi appeared pro-active and systematic when the first crisis of evacuating Indians from Iraq confronted it.

The government brought in the Judicial Appointments Bill which seeks to reform the process of appointing SC judges by discontinuing the collegium system and rather setting up a six-member body.

And even as a major landslide in Nepal threatened Bihar, the PM despatched a team of experts to the neighbouring country as well as evacuated four districts of the state. He is believed to be monitoring the flood situation personally.

On the environment front, Modi has picked up the Ganga clean-up project, a mission he has pledged, in his constituency Varanasi, to accomplish. The Ganga Action Plan, the government, has assured will be ready by end of this year. Crores of money have already been spent over the decades to clean the sacred rivers Ganga and Yamuna, but without much success. If Modi is able to pull off this feat, he will earn the blessing of millions of Hindus and environmentalists alike.

International Affairs: Making his presence felt

Modi made his inaugural international splash in Brazil at the BRICS summit, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Dilma Rousseff of the host country. Besides warming up to international diplomacy in Rio, he hammered a good deal in getting the presidency of the proposed USD 100 billion BRICS bank at a time when China had claimed the right to its headquarters in Shanghai.

His official debut had actually taken place in Bhutan earlier, but that was more of a symbolic gesture. He was well received there though he did fumble in their parliament calling Bhutan “Nepal” by mistake, twice in his speech. Normally, he is holding international parleys in Hindi rather than English, which is a wise decision considering his ease with the national language.

The other neighbour on Narendra Modi’s radar was Nepal, a country where China is making fast diplomatic inroads. His USD 1 billion line of credit and proposed 'HIT' (Highway-Iways- Transways) formula turned out be a true hit with the Nepalese, while his holding prayers in Pashupatinath Temple, tugged at the people’s Hindu heart strings.

The Prime Minister’s next visit will be to Japan, a country with which he had developed a special relationship during his days in Ahmedabad. The trip will also be his longest abroad, and in the tow will be a high-powered business delegation, which is expected to ink several significant bilateral deals.

The biggest vindication that Modi has got though is from the United States – Barack Obama has invited him to the White House next month. The invitation is of pertinence considering that he was denied even a tourist visa earlier owing to his perceived role in the 2002 Gujarat riots. Obviously, the US is keen to make amends and Secretary of State John Kerry was heard praising Modi's poll slogan of 'Sab Ka Saath, Sab Ka Vikas’ (everyone together, everyone’s progress).

Modi has also achieved a personal feat of surpassing the White House in terms of the number of followers that he has on Twitter, which must feel like sweet revenge.

Business & Technology: Waiting to Exhale

The Sensex has been on a bull run ever since polls predicted Bharatiya Janta Party(BJP) was coming to power, and the economy is likely to remain a priority area for Narendra Modi considering that it was his business friendly approach and infrastructure record that he had tom-tommed as Gujarat Chief Minister, but his finance minister Arun Jaitley’s 'sanjeevani' Union Budget failed to impress especially on the concern area of ways to narrow the fiscal deficit.

Even on price rise, common man has got little reprieve and an agency hired by the government is predicting higher inflation on food products like onions in coming days. Trying to ease things for sugarcane sector, the government raised import duty from 15% to 40%, but this may actually help traders more than the poor farmers.

The government had pre-empted opposition by announcing a hike in fares on trains before the rail budget, and though it should have been a part of the budget, the tariff hike was genuinely long due.

It is the fundamental changes which Modi government is planning to make that will genuinely boost the economy and bring accolades – things like single-window system to clear projects, building coastal expressways, labour reforms, nod to higher FDI in insurance and arming SEBI with more powers.

An investigation ordered into foreign funded NGOs and how those could be working against national interest and negatively impacting development might be both interesting and useful.

Another watershed could be the dissolution of the Planning Commission and its replacement with a new 8-member panel of experts. The Planning Commission was first set up before Independence and then formalised in 1950 in a closed economy scenario and could have passed its use by date.

Modi’s aspiration of transforming “Scam India” to “Skill India” will also find resonance in a country that is starved of vocational training and over-skewed towards academic grades.

He minced no words when he warned Defence Research and Development Organisation team that time would not wait for them; while Modi’s 'Ye Dil Maange More'(this heart yearns for more) speech at Indian Space Research Organisation, confirmed his vision of putting technology to good use to remove poverty and improve defence systems.

Besides, his dream of e-health, and Digital India where every Indian will have a smartphone by 2019 could be a real game changer, as the device would put into the hands of each citizen unlimited access to information.

Controversies & More…

The Prime Minister has visited Jammu and Ladakh, but border skirmishes and ceasefire violations on Line of Control from the Pakistan side are continuing, a matter of concern that is yet to be tackled to satisfaction. On the Kashmir issue, the Indo-Pak foreign secretary level talks were cancelled under strained circumstances after Hurriyat separatists met the Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit despite India requesting him to refrain from inviting them.

Whether the talks should have been called off at all and whether Hurriyat leaders meeting should have been the issue over which this drastic step was taken is a matter of debate, but the bonhomie that had been created with Modi-Sharif meeting in New Delhi followed by the ‘sari-shawl’ diplomacy has certainly evaporated.

But talks with Pakistan is not the only controversy Modi has courted. He began his tenure by contentiously bringing an ordinance which allowed his choice, Nripendra Mishra, to take over as his Principal Secretary. He then went ahead with a clean sweep of Governors who were UPA appointees and, particularly, his bête noire Kamla Beniwal was sacked just two months before her tenure was due to end despite her accepting a transfer to Manipur.

A storm was also created by the nearly orchestrated booing of non-BJP/NDA chief ministers at events that they have jointly attended with the Prime Minister. The first incident took place in Kolhapur where Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan was heckled. One could have dismissed it to be a spontaneous outburst of people against a very unpopular leader, but when there was a repeat performance against Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Haryana’s Kaithal, things started looking fishy. An anxious Hemant Soren wrote to the PMO asking for an assurance that such an unsavoury incident should be prevented when he meets Modi at Ranchi, but the Jharkhand CM was also not spared.

It is difficult to believe that hooting can take place thrice over in similar circumstance impulsively, but the incident at least is in the contradiction to the promise “Pradhan Sevak” Modi had made on Independence Day when he had put faith in taking everyone along and governing by “Sahmati” (consensus) and not “Bahumati” (majority).

Possibly the issue causing maximum vexation in the opposition ranks is the government’s determined bid to not grant the Leader of Opposition (LOP) post to the Congress. Having done miserably at the hustings, Congress could not garner a meagre 10% of the total Lok Sabha seats which is a requirement to get the LOP position. However, the Speaker’s decision not to concede on the point that Congress is still the largest opposition party is being construed by many as pettiness, including by the Supreme Court, which has rapped the government for keeping the issue hanging.

The most recent controversy though relates with the tiger’s own den – Home Minister Rajnath Singh is in the eye of a storm related with alleged misdoings and a possible corruption case related with his son Pankaj Singh. Though both the PMO and Rajnath have strongly denied the “rumours”, it is clear that Modi will have to deal with the hazards of being in power and vulnerable to the transgressions of others.

Overall, it has just been 100 days and it is still Narendra Modi’s honeymoon period. Signs are that it is a job well begun. The Prime Minister has proven that he is a man of foresight and ideas; that he has courage, we all know, for he has overcome insurmountable difficulties, challenges and blemishes on his road from Gujarat to New Delhi.

In him there is the grain that has made a majority of Indians feel that he can deliver. The vote for him was unprecedented and the mandate given to him could not have been more reassuring, and thus, equally, the responsibility will be most for him to bear.

Whether he would be able to translate the blueprint of his dreams into a reality that could put India on the springboard of the next phase of epochal change remains his biggest test.

This is a chance for him to prove that he can match his imagination with execution, a chance that could put him in the league of the tallest leaders the country has ever produced, a chance that India is waiting for him to seize with bated breath. 

PM Modi gifts books on Swami Vivekananda, copy of Bhagavad Gita to Abe

Kyoto: Prime Minister Narendra Modi carried alongwith him special gifts for Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe as he arrived here on Saturday on a five-day visit with an aim of raising the ties to a new level.

Modi presented to Abe a special commemorative edition of 'Swami Vivekananda and Japan- excerpts from the life and works of Swami Vivekanand and 'Vivekananda in Japan' by Swami Medhasananda' and a copy of the Bhagavad Gita.

In addition to the Sanskrit version, a Japanese version of the Bhagavad Gita was also presented to Abe.

Modi, who has been "excited" about the visit, gifted books to Abe who made a special gesture of travelling here specially to meet the Indian Prime Minister in this historic city before their formal Summit meeting in Tokyo on Monday.

Abe, who has said "India has special place in my heart", received Modi at the guest house soon after the Indian Prime Minister reached here after landing at airport in neighbouring Osaka and driving down a journey of about two hours.

The two leaders also jointly participated in a Japanese ritual called 'feeding the fish', which is considered to be auspicious beginning. They went to a pond and gave the feed to the fish in it.

Abe then hosted a dinner for Modi.

Japanese Prime Minister will also treat Modi to special 'Chai' (tea) on Monday in Tokyo.

Ahead of the visit, the two Prime Ministers took to Twitter two days back to reach out to each other and the respective countries.

While Modi tweeted in Japanese language to strike a chord with the Japanese people, Abe responded hours later by saying "India has a special place in my heart".

Modi had earlier said he was eagerly looking forward to meeting Abe whose leadership he "deeply respects".

The Prime Minister will tomorrow visit the famous Toji temple.

With PTI Inputs

BJP on back foot, does not want elections in Delhi: Tariq Anwar

Nagpur: Nationalist Congress Party ( NCP) leader Tariq Anwar on Saturday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not want elections to take place in Delhi as they have now realised that the coming days are not good for them.

Reaction to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas's claims that a BJP leader offered him the Delhi Chief Minister's post immediately after the Lok Sabha elections, Anwar said the saffron party is indulging in horse-trading to form the government in Delhi.

"It is the matter between him and the BJP. But I would definitely like to say that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not want elections in Delhi because they have now realized seeing the verdict of the by-polls that the coming days are not good for them," he told ANI here.
Earlier in the day, Vishwas confirmed reports that he had been approached by a newly-elected BJP Member of Parliament to join the saffron party soon after the general election results were declared.

"I got a call from a newspaper yesterday; they wanted to confirm about this proposal for me from the BJP. I thought I should not lie, and if I have been contacted by them, I must divulge that news," Vishwas said.


"I have confirmed about the proposal which came to me from a newly-elected BJP MP, who I have been friends with for the past ten to fifteen years, to the newspaper. I was approached by the newly-elected MP, who is also an old friend of mine," he added.

Vishwas, who unsuccessfully contested the general elections against Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi parliamentary constituency, said the BJP MP described him as the 'CM material' and said that the other AAP MLAs would follow suit if he joined the saffron party.
"That newly-elected BJP MP also insisted that I work for building our nation, but I told them that you should work for nation building as you have the mandate. Our best wishes are with you," he said.

The AAP leader further said that a long time had passed since this conversation and he did not want to encourage speculation by divulging whether the MP was elected once or twice. He also added that a conversation with a friend should be kept out of the political ambit.
The BJP, however, countered Vishwas's claims and alleged that it was a script that had been written by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal"It seems that Kejriwalji has written a new script for Kumar Vishwas . He must reveal the name of the BJP MP.....and how much did he offer him for joining the BJP," Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said

PM clears major decisions, ministers enjoy decentralisation: Jaitley

New Delhi: Important decisions concerning the government were cleared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi but there was a great deal of decentralisation enjoyed by the ministers, said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday.

Answering queries from mediapersons here over centralisation of authority by Modi, Jaitley said that he had been asked questions on the issue over the past two days and the debate was not about over-centralisation.

"I look after different departments in the government and the extent of decentralisation we enjoy is very large. All the decisions we are taking in the defence ministry or what we are doing in the finance ministry are decisions taken in the ministry itself. Of course, important decisions are are cleared by the prime minister or the PMO," Jaitley said.

"But certainly if you have a very active prime minister along with the decentralised authority which has been given to us, then there will be an element of accountability," he added. 

Petrol prices cut by Rs 1.82 a litre, diesel hiked by 50 paise

New Delhi: The government on Saturday cut the petrol price by Rs 1.82 per litre. Meanwhile it is also learnt that the retail diesel price has been hiked by Re 0.50 a litre. The new prices of the fuels will come into effect from today midnight.

The decision by the government comes at a time when the global crude oil prices are cooling. The prices of petrol were deregulated during the erstwhile Congress led UPA-2 regime whereas the prices of diesel remains partially decontrolled as of today.

It is assumed that the big cut in petrol prices may also cool off inflation in the Indian economy upto some extent. On the other hand, the diesel price hike may leave a positive impact on the petrol car market. 

PM Modi, Abe witness signing of MoU to turn Varanasi into a 'Smart City'

New Delhi/Kyoto: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived on Saturday at Osaka International airport in Japan on his maiden bilateral visit outside the Indian subcontinent, which is expected to open new vistas in the bilateral ties and take the Strategic and Global Partnership to a higher level.

Clad in a black princecoat, the prime minister met the Japanese delegates present at the airport to receive him. 

India and Japan signed the cultural agreement of Varanasi-Kyoto which focuses on how to preserve heritage while building smart cities. The agreement was signed between Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa and India`s Ambassador to Japan Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.

Akbaruddin tweeted, "Partners in heritage. Kyoto-Varnasi partnership agreement signed in presence of @PMOIndia and PM @abeshinzo in State Guest House. (SIC)

BJP slams Congress for politicising administrative reshuffle

New Delhi: Slamming the Congress for accusing BJP of trying to 'saffronise' bureaucracy in Delhi, the saffaron party on Saturday said that it should not politicise administrative reshuffles.

"Only two days ago, they (Congress) had welcomed the appointment of DM Sapolia as the chief secretary of Delhi saying that he was their choice. But when he started administrative reshuffling, the Congressmen termed it as saffronization. What happened within two days that they are not happy with the person of their choice?," Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said in a statement.

A delegation of Congress leaders had yesterday met Chief Election Commissioner and drew his attention to BJP's attempt to "saffronise" the bureaucracy in the national Capital after 20 IPS officers were transfered in Delhi Police.

"Due to directions of Election Commission and the President rule, regular transfers were not ordered during the previous one year and there were about 25 police stations in which the SHOs were not transferred for 3 to 4 years.

"In such conditions, it was not possible to stop the transfers and it is also a fact that matter of transfers in Delhi Police is not under the jurisdiction of Delhi Government.

Hence, by giving political color to these transfers, the Congress is expressing its frustration only," Upadhyay said.

He said a few months back, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had also said that the Lt. Governor has been 'Modified'.

"I advise both AAP and Congress not to indulge in politics of misleading the people and should not make political comments on the issue of administrative officers," Upadhyay added.  

RN Ravi new interlocutor for Naga talks, Narendra Modi overrules Home Minister Rajnath Singh once again 

NEW DELHI: The Centre has appointed the Intelligence Bureau's special director and recently-appointed chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) RN Ravi as the new interlocutor for talks with Naga insurgent group NSCN (IM), with Prime Minister Narendra Modi apparently once again overruling home minister Rajnath Singh, who had recommended the name of Ravi's predecessor at JIC, Ajit Lal.

In his recommendation on file to the Prime Minister's Office last month, Singh had named Lal, at least two officials familiar with the matter said. ET was the first to report on July 28 that the Home Minister had approved Lal's name in the third week of July and the file had been sent to the PMO.

Home ministry officials said the decision to appoint Ravi "was taken by the PM in consultation with Singh", explaining that when Lal's name was sent to the PMO in July, it was not known that an extension would be granted to him to work as the Naga interlocutor since he was retirin as the JIC chairman on July 30. Hence, Ravi's name was later sent to the PMO, these officials said on the condition of anonymity. Ravi was appointed as the interlocutor last week.

Lal, also a former IB special director, may have been perceived as being close to the previous government since he was appointed as the JIC head during the UPA rule, a government official said, pointing to Modi's policy of shunting out UPA appointees. "Ravi is also seen as one with a more hard-nosed approach regarding talks with the Naga insurgent groups. The Prime Minister wants a quick conclusion to the peace talks, preferably within a year, and Ravi was perhaps seen as a better candidate," a a ministry official said.

The Home Minister's role in government appointments is said to be rather diminished though he is the only member of Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) besides the Prime Minister. Files carrying the decision of appointments by the PM only come for post-facto endoendo the Home Minister and he does not see the file on its way up, Home Ministry officials conceded. However, this is not the case as far as Home Ministry appointments are concerned as Singh only forwards the recommendations in these cases to the Prime Minister, like the appointment of the interlocutor for Naga talks.

Earlier, Singh was denied his choice of a personal secretary in IPS officer Alok Singh after Modi ruled that ministers cannot keep officials in their personal staff who have earlier served in the same capacity with the UPA ministers. Speaking in Parliament earlier this month, Singh had however denied that there was any change in the ACC appointment process and said he was consulted in all ACC matter.