Bihar polls: INDIA bloc leaders to meet in Delhi next week, says Farooq Abdullah
Gandhi claimed on Friday that his party has an "atom bomb" of an evidence to prove "vote chori" by the Election Commission for the BJP and said that when it explodes the poll panel will have no place to hide anywhere in the country. The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir reached here this afternoon to express condolences to party's provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta on the death of his wife and the family of an acquaintance, who died last month. When asked why his party is not supporting the Congress, which has announced chain hunger strike from August 9 to 21 for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the National Conference is already fighting for public cause. "We are fighting for it (restoration of statehood). When did we stop talking? Whenever (chief minister) Omar Abdullah met the prime minister (Narendra Modi), he raised this issue with him," said Abdullah. "We have faith in the one who is the master of all. We will get our rights," he added. Asked about his demand from Prime Minister Modi since Parliament is in session, the National Conference president said that people, who could not fill four seats of the Rajya Sabha and two vacant assembly seats -- Nagrota in Jammu and Budgam in Kashmir -- since the formation of the Jammu and Kashmir government than what is expected of them. On the BJP's claim about massive development post abrogation of Article 370, Abdullah said, "I will not say anything. Whatever the BJP says, it keeps on saying." "(US President Donald) Trump also keeps on shouting that I got peace done. Today they have imposed 25 per cent tariff on us and and have also imposed a penalty. The material for our destruction is being prepared. All our industrialists are running away. They will work from Dubai. Our people are already jobless and we will have more unemployment," he added. Highlighting that some countries supported Trump for a Nobel Prize, the National Conference president said, "We do not know the name of some of these (nations). What would have happened if we had also supported him? He is the master of the world." "Believe it or not, it is destruction for us, while the countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia are going to be benefitted. They will be happy because India is the major supplier and it will have to sit outside," he added. Abdullah refused to give a direct reply on former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur's claim that there was lot of pressure on her to name Prime Minister Modi in the Malegaon blast case. "Don't ask me such questions. We are already in lot of trouble. If we get out of this trouble, then we will see," he said.
Nearly 17 years after the Malegaon blast claimed six lives, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, noting that there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
14 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Corrupt, ineffective: Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP over flood situation in UP
Yadav listed several problems allegedly faced by the flood-affected people in the state, demanding a response from the Yogi Adityanath-led government ANI Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday sad that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was "corrupt and ineffective" alleging that it failed to provide relief to the people affected by the flood situation in the State. Yadav listed several problems allegedly faced by the flood-affected people in the state, demanding a response from the Yogi Adityanath-led government. Sharing an X post, the SP chief wrote, "If the BJP government in UP can organise grand 'super VVIP' rallies or gatherings, why is it not carrying out relief and rescue operations during the floods? The BJP government has proven to be corrupt and ineffective." Further, he alleged a shortage of food and drinking water, and a lack of sanitation and healthcare facilities. "Not only in Prayagraj but across UP, the situation is dire due to floods. There is an acute shortage of food and drinking water. Due to the lack of toilets, people are forced to live in indecent and inhumane conditions. Sick children, pregnant women, and the elderly are unable to access medicines or treatment. Healthcare services are completely stalled," he said. Listing the problems, he added that the belongings have been inundated and people have no clothes to wear, while the flood-affected people are living in fear of venomous creatures and electrocution. "The fear of rats and venomous creatures is preventing people from sleeping. Power outages and the fear of electrocution are additional concerns. People forced to live on upper floors are also afraid of their homes collapsing. People's household belongings have been submerged. People have no clothes to wear. The ones they have are soaked. People are unable to charge their mobile phones, leading to a breakdown in communication," the X post read. He wrote, "People are gripped by the fear of flood-related diseases. It is said that floods leave behind not just mud, garbage, debris, and stench but also diseases and epidemics. Those who depend on daily wages are unable to go to work. The poor and labourers are on the brink of starvation. Farmers' fields and lands have been inundated. Shops have suffered losses worth billions of rupees." He highlighted that people have lost their identity cards and essential documents. "People's identity cards, ration cards, land and property documents, bank passbooks, educational certificates, medical prescriptions, and other essential documents have either been destroyed by water or washed away. People's vehicles have been submerged," Akhilesh added. The Samajwadi Party MP alleged that the BJP is not listening to the plight of the people whose livelihood depends on the river. He wrote, "For communities living "by the river, with the help of boats," there is a severe crisis of livelihood, but no one from the BJP government or its allied parties is there to listen or understand their plight. Children's education is being disrupted. The last rites of those who have passed away cannot be performed." He accused BJP leaders of being absent amid the crisis in the state and demanded accountability over the problems mentioned by him. He said, "In these circumstances, the public is extremely angry because the administration is absent, and the government is busy taking photos in a race for self-promotion. In such a situation, our major demand from the BJP government is that it publishes detailed responses regarding the above points. How long will the public be forced to live in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty? Amid claims of development and smart cities, the images of destruction are heart-wrenching. There will be peace only when the BJP is gone! The flood-affected say today, we don't want the BJP!" Uttar Pradesh is grappling with floods amid heavy rainfall in the state. Earlier today, in view of the prevailing inclement weather and consistent rainfall in several districts, District Magistrate Visakh G. Iyer announced that all government and private schools from Classes 1 to 12 will remain shut today in Lucknow. In Ayodhya's Jalwanpura locality, residents were seen wading through knee-deep floodwaters after the Saryu river overflowed due to persistent downpours, while several areas in Varanasi city in Uttar Pradesh were flooded following incessant heavy rainfall and a rise in the water level of the River Ganga. The water level of the river has been continuously rising since Saturday. Taking stock of the flood crisis, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed all ministers in charge to immediately visit their assigned districts, inspect relief camps, and directly engage with affected families. He instructed senior officials--including DMs, SPs, and CMOs--to stay on the ground and ensure 24x7 monitoring, said a press release on Saturday. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mint
14 minutes ago
- Mint
Donald Trump defends tariff strategy, seeks ‘fairness, not leverage' after slapping duties on India & others
President Donald Trump emphasised that the United States aims for fairness in tariff negotiations, not leverage. He expressed a desire for reciprocity and noted that the world's biggest economy will benefit financially from these negotiations. Speaking to the reporters in Pennsylvania, Trump was quoted saying, "I'm not looking for leverage, I'm looking for fairness." He added, "We want to see reciprocal wherever we can, and all I can say is this: our country will be taking in hundreds of billions of dollars." Trump's comments came after the US signed several trade agreements, while still engaged in negotiations with multiple countries, including India. On July 30, the US President announced a 25% tariff on India, citing high duties and non-monetary trade barriers. He also criticised India's energy and military purchases from Russia, while imposing an additional penalty. In a post on his Truth Social handle, Trump wrote, 'Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country.' He pointed out that India imports military equipment and oil from Russia, the country responsible for the war in Ukraine, according to Trump. Therefore, he intends to impose a 'penalty' on India. Following the tariff announcement, India has maintained that it is continuing talks with US negotiators over a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump during a meeting in Washington in February. India is considering various options, such as increasing US imports, but has ruled out immediate retaliation against President Donald Trump's tariff threat, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. Over the past few months, India and the US have conducted multiple rounds of trade negotiations. New Delhi chose to lower tariffs on products such as Bourbon whiskey and motorcycles. (With inputs from agencies.)
New Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
‘Failed' UP government focused on events, not flood relief: Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday criticised the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over the worsening flood situation, alleging that the "corrupt and failed" administration is more invested in event management than in public welfare. In a post on X, the former chief minister questioned why a government capable of organising 'super VVIP' rallies was unable to conduct proper relief and rescue operations in flood-affected areas. As of Sunday, official data showed that floods had affected 402 villages across 37 tehsils, impacting 84,392 people. Seventeen districts, including Kanpur Nagar, Lakhimpur Kheri, Agra, Auraiya, Chitrakoot, Ballia, and Varanasi, were reported to be severely affected. 'There is a terrifying situation not just in Prayagraj but across the entire state due to floods,' Yadav said. 'People are facing acute shortages of food and drinking water. Sanitation has collapsed, forcing many to live in inhuman conditions.' He added that children, pregnant women, and the elderly are struggling to access healthcare due to disrupted medical services. 'People are scared of rats, poisonous insects, and the threat of electric shocks. Homes are collapsing, belongings have been washed away, and many are left without even a change of clothes,' Yadav claimed.
