Dog whistling mars PM's I-Day speech

a day ago

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his 12th Independence Day address from the Red Fort, dwelt on a wide range of topics relating to national security. He also spoke about the economy, law and justice, and the needs of the youth, explaining his government's policies and actions. .It is the prime minister's prerogative to speak to the nation about his concerns, hopes and expectations on one of the most important days in the national calendar. He looked back with pride and conviction on the achievements of his government and not so convincingly about the failures of others, and cast a long look on the country's bright and viksit future. .He also flagged some imagined concerns, couching them in political and communal terms, and giving them an urgency and importance they did not deserve. Prime ministers sometimes fail to rise above their politics even when they speak from the national rostrum. .Modi rightly lauded the armed forces for Operation Sindoor and their commitment to the defence of the country, and warned its adversaries against hostile and unfriendly actions. He spoke of the need to make the country self-reliant, and underlined the importance of his Make in India, Vocal for Local and 'aatmanirbharta' policies, particularly in the economy and defence sectors. .The idea has a special resonance in the wake of the May hostilities with Pakistan and the tariff war unleashed by US President Donald Trump. Modi announced a plan to develop an indigenous defence system, called Sudarshan Chakra, expected to be deployed by 2035. He also promised a Rs 1 lakh crore Rozgar Yojana for the young, invoked the symbolism of naari shakti, and cited the achievements of the country in various fields. The promises included next generation GST reforms, to be rolled out by Diwali, to reduce the tax burden and make goods and services cheaper. .The prime minister announced the launch of a high-powered Demography Mission to address what he called a deliberate conspiracy to change the demography of the country. No proof of such a conspiracy was given and the announcement is in line with the politics of communal dog whistling that the Hindutva groups have been pursuing. .It is no surprise that Modi also praised the RSS and its activities. The theme of infiltration has been used in the past electorally and politically and his announcement indicates that it will be pushed to the front in the coming days. The move goes beyond justified concerns over illegal immigration and aims to create a polarising narrative against some sections of society.

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Modi meets key ministers, economists to discuss 100-day reform agenda

Mint

29 minutes ago

Mint

Modi meets key ministers, economists to discuss 100-day reform agenda

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday huddled with senior ministers, top bureaucrats and economists to draw up a 100-day roadmap for 'next-generation reforms' aimed at sustaining India's growth momentum and insulating the economy from fresh US tariffs on exports, three persons familiar with the development said on condition of not being named. The meeting was attended by home minister Amit Shah, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, secretaries of key departments, and select economists. 'Chaired a meeting to discuss the roadmap for next-generation reforms. We are committed to speedy reforms across all sectors, which will boost ease of living, ease of doing business and prosperity,' the Prime Minister said in a social media post. Individual ministries have been urged to come up with tailored measures towards the 100-day agenda to accelerate India's economic growth, one of the persons quoted above said. Another issue that was deliberated was the impact of tariffs that the US has imposed on Indian exports, said the second person. Notably, the 25% reciprocal tariffs on Indian exports that US President Donald Trump imposed came into effect on 7 August. This may double to 50% on 27 August after additional tariffs imposed for New Delhi's oil trade with Russia kick in. Given that such high tariffs could impact Indian exporters' competitiveness in their largest export market, policy makers are keen to step up domestic consumption demand and, thus, capacity utilisation in factories, which will ensure jobs are protected. Modi had highlighted the need for faster economic growth in his Independence Day speech on Friday. 'We want to grow fast,' Modi said in his speech while announcing that a task force will give recommendations in this regard. Current law, practices, procedures, etc, should be aligned to the 21st century and the global environment, and should aid India in becoming a developed country by 2047, Modi had said in his address. The theme of stimulating the economy through reforms was already in motion early this financial year as Sitharaman presented a reform-focused budget in February with big cuts in income tax, welfare targets for inclusive growth, and across-the-board reforms especially in regulatory framework, taxation and the financial sector. Policy makers believe cutting red tape and making it easier to do business can unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of people, which can help to achieve much more than what the government and state-run firms can do directly, the people cited above said. While agriculture and services are performing well, the government wants to increase the share of manufacturing in the economy, which can fetch more and better paid jobs to people. The Centre has also launched several schemes to address the skill gap among the youth that affect their employability. India's GDP is projected by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to grow at 6.5% this financial year. Above normal monsoons, the income tax relief announced in the budget, and a 100-basis points reduction in RBI's repo rate are also expected to support growth this year. On 14 August, Mint reported that the government has asked 37 ministries to submit a detailed report on the key compliance requirements that are creating roadblocks for manufacturers, exporters, investors and small enterprises, and hurting their ability to conduct their businesses smoothly. Subhash Narayan contributed to this story

INDIA bloc considering motion to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The Hindu

33 minutes ago

The Hindu

INDIA bloc considering motion to remove CEC Gyanesh Kumar

The INDIA bloc is considering a motion against Chief Election Commission (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, seeking his removal. The idea was mooted at the meeting of the Opposition's Parliamentary floor leaders on Monday (August 18, 2025). Parliament Monsoon Session: Follow updates on August 18, 2025 According to sources, the Opposition discussed whether it should continue with protests against the Election Commission, especially after the Supreme Court, in an interim order, directed the poll body to publish the details of 65 lakh voters excluded from the draft electoral roll published on August 1, following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar. The leaders concurred that after the CEC's Sunday (August 17, 2025) press conference, in which he accused the Opposition of 'spreading misinformation', the protests had to continue. Congress leaders suggested that the Opposition should step up the pressure by moving a motion against Mr. Kumar for making 'politically charged accusations.' Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal told The Hindu that there was a consensus in the INDIA bloc on the issue. 'He (Mr. Kumar) spoke not like the Chief Election Commissioner but like a BJP politician. In the entire press conference, he did not answer the questions raised by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and the other parties. Instead, he ridiculed the Opposition for raising the questions,' he said. 'Is it the duty of the CEC to indulge in politics?' Mr. Venugopal, who said that the Opposition has enough numbers to move the motion, flagged the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which provides immunity to the CEC and Election Commissioners for all decisions taken by them in present and the past. He said that one should 'read between the lines' why such an immunity was extended. According to the Act, the CEC can be removed in the same manner and grounds as a Supreme Court judge. Parliament can dismiss the CEC by a motion with two-thirds majority in both the Houses. In order for the motion to be accepted, at least 50 members have to sign in its favour. Later in the day, the INDIA bloc leaders held a press conference to 'rebut' Sunday's (August 17, 2025) presser by the CEC. They flagged that the CEC failed to answer questions on why the SIR was being done in 'such a hurry' when the State elections were three months away. Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Ramgopal Yadav said that while the poll body asked Mr. Gandhi to give an affidavit, the SP had submitted affidavits with complaints of around 18,000 voters being removed from the list in 2022. 'In the 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls, when Akhilesh Yadav said names of SP supporters had been removed from the voter list, we gave affidavits. But no action has been taken,' he said. Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra said that if the voter list on which the last General Election was conducted was incorrect, the Lok Sabha should be dissolved. 'Is the list on which the Lok Sabha election was held fraudulent? If that is true, the current and previous Election Commissioners should be prosecuted, and this Lok Sabha should be dissolved immediately,' she said. Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha attacked the CEC and said, 'Yesterday we were looking for our CEC, we found a new BJP spokesperson.'

News18

39 minutes ago

News18

CJI Gavai calls on President Murmu

Agency: PTI Last Updated: New Delhi, Aug 18 (PTI) Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai called on President Droupadi Murmu on Monday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. The President's office shared pictures of the meeting in a post on X. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Loading comments...