MES rakes up Marathi language demand ahead of local polls
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NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
India's US Envoy Meets Tulsi Gabbard To Discuss "Mutual Interests"
Washington DC: Indian Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Sunday met with US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard and held an "engaging conversation" on various issues of mutual interest. "Pleasure to meet DNI Tulsi Gabbard and her husband, Abraham Williams; we had an engaging conversation on various issues of mutual interest," Ambassador Kwatra stated in a post on X, while expressing his pleasure at the meeting. Earlier on Saturday, New Delhi had opened eight more Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) in the US -- Boston, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edison, Orlando, Raleigh, and San Jose --, bringing the total number of centres to 16 in America. A 17th centre is also planned to open in Los Angeles later this month. Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Kwatra expressed his delight over the announcement, noting that at the heart of the India-US partnership lie people-to-people ties. "We are very happy to announce the opening of 8 new Indian Consular Application Centres... We firmly believe that people-to-people ties are the heart of the India-US partnership," said India's Ambassador to the United States. The expansion, announced jointly by the Indian Mission and VFS Global, aims to make essential services more accessible to Indian Americans and other applicants seeking India-related documentation. The centres will handle a comprehensive range of services, including India visa applications, overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) applications, Indian passport services, renunciation of Indian citizenship, police clearance certificates, Global Entry Programme applications and Document attestation services. To improve accessibility, the new centres will operate on Saturdays and include return courier services in standard fees. Additional services such as photographs, photocopies, and form assistance will be provided at no extra charge. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard earlier in July called for a trial of the Obama administration over claims of Russian influence in Trump's US Presidential win in 2016, alleging a "treasonous conspiracy" to undermine the election outcome through politicised intelligence. Gabbard, in a statement, accused former US President Barack Obama and senior officials in his office, including former DNI James Clapper, CIA Director John Brennan, FBI Director James Comey, and others, of manufacturing intelligence to falsely implicate Russia in influencing the 2016 election in favour of Donald Trump. The Office of the DNI (ODNI) released a 114-page document detailing evidence that, prior to the November 2016 election, the Intelligence Community (IC) consistently assessed that Russia was "probably not trying ... to influence the election by using cyber means." It further noted that on December 8, 2016, a draft of the President's Daily Brief (PDB) stated that Russia "did not impact recent US election results" by conducting malicious cyber activities against US election infrastructure.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Opposition to step up protest; BJP says SIR debate off-limits
The Opposition is gearing up to escalate its protest over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, following the release of the draft roll by the Election Commission. It is also planning to press for a discussion on the issue in both Houses of Parliament, which have remained stalled for the past two weeks, barring a 16-hour debate on Operation Sindoor. To coordinate their next moves, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have invited leaders of the INDIA bloc for a dinner meeting on August 7 at Gandhi's official residence in New Delhi. Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Abhishek Banerjee and Tejashwi Yadav are among those who have confirmed participation. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category MBA Healthcare Product Management Degree healthcare Cybersecurity others Project Management MCA Data Science Others Technology Finance Leadership Management Data Science CXO Digital Marketing PGDM Public Policy Data Analytics Design Thinking Artificial Intelligence Operations Management Skills you'll gain: Financial Management Team Leadership & Collaboration Financial Reporting & Analysis Advocacy Strategies for Leadership Duration: 18 Months UMass Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) Starts on May 13, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Analytical Skills Financial Literacy Leadership and Management Skills Strategic Thinking Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT Online MBA Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details The Opposition is also considering a protest at the Election Commission's office in Delhi on August 8, in addition to sustained floor action during the ongoing session. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Undo But the government has pushed back. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju reiterated that a discussion on SIR cannot be allowed under parliamentary rules. "The government is ready to discuss any issue as per rules. But this is a process undertaken by a constitutional authority and it's not the first time it's being done," he said. Citing former Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar, he added, "What is not favoured by rules and convention cannot be discussed." He also asked who in the House would answer on behalf of the EC. Opposition leaders, however, remain firm. Rahul Gandhi, after a meeting with Speaker Om Birla, accused the EC of acting on behalf of the BJP. "Whoever in the Election Commission is involved in this exercise-from top to bottom-we will not spare you. You are working against India. This is no less than treason," he said. Live Events In Rajya Sabha, several opposition MPs have submitted notices under Rule 267 seeking to suspend regular business and hold a discussion on the SIR, as well as issues such as alleged atrocities against Bengali-speaking people in some states. Government sources told ET that Rule 267 notices are rarely accepted and are meant for extraordinary situations. "Currently, members are submitting notices on a range of issues, but there is no consensus among them," a source said. Deputy Chairman Harivansh, addressing members in the Upper House on Thursday, urged them to use Question Hour and Zero Hour more productively. "This session provided opportunities for 120 questions, 120 Zero Hour submissions and 120 Special Mentions. But only 11 questions, three submissions and 17 mentions could be taken up. The House has lost 30 hours and six minutes of members' time-not government business time," he said.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
As Bordikar, Shirsat stoke row, CM jumps to their defence: Ministers sometimes speak jokingly
EVEN as two more state ministers landed in controversy in the last two days, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who last week had warned ministers against making controversial statements, on Sunday defended his cabinet colleagues. As videos of the two ministers — Sanjay Shirsat from Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Meghna Bordikar from BJP — surfaced, Fadnavis jumped to their defence, stating ministers in their speeches sometimes speak jokingly. 'If we make an issue out of everything, it won't be appropriate,' the chief minister said. As for Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, Fadnavis said, 'I don't think what Shirsat said is wrong.' Regarding Bordikar, Fadnavis said, 'I have spoken to her and she told me that the media has not shown her complete statement. I will be discussing her statement with her.' On Saturday, Shirsat found himself in the eye of another storm after making a public statement at an event that people should ask for any amount, he as a minister will sanction it. The money, he said, 'is not going from our father's pockets'. The opposition quickly slammed him, calling his attitude toward public money as a ''cavalier'. Shirsat, however, defended his statement. 'I was trying to encourage people to take funds under various welfare schemes of the government. What I meant to say was that money belonged to the people and it was not anyone's wealth,' he said. Last month, a video surfaced showing Shirsat lying on his bed at his home with an unzipped bag of cash on the floor. On Sunday, Minister of State Meghna Bordikar triggered a row after a video showing her allegedly threatening to slap a gram sevak if he fails to bring beneficiaries of a government scheme to a public function surfaced. Opposition Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar Saturday shared the video, shot during an event at Jintur in the Parbhani district, on social media. In a post on X, written in Marathi, Pawar said, 'A minister has threatened to slap a gram sevak if he failed to bring the beneficiary of a government scheme to the government function. Who has given her the power to threaten the gram sevak?' Taking a jibe at CM Fadnavis, Pawar added, 'What kind of a minister have you succeeded in picking? With such ministers, it is an affront not just your Cabinet but the state of Maharashtra.' Reacting to the video of her speech, Bordikar, the two-time MLA from Jintur, said, 'I expressed my anger at a function yesterday. At the function, zilla parishad officials were present. This particular gram sevak was not taking the welfare schemes being implemented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to the poor people. He was creating impediments.' She said women labourers had informed her that the gram sevak was not giving them government funds and telling them to repeatedly go to the sarpanch's house. 'I lost cool because the women labourers had complained to me about the harassment from the gram sevak,' said Bordikar, who is the Minister of State for Public Health, Water Supply and Sanitation, Energy, Women and Child Development, and Public Works (Public Undertakings). She is also the Guardian Minister of the Parbhani district. Hitting back at Pawar and the Opposition, she said, 'The video was edited and what I said before making the statement and after has not been shown.' The Sena (UBT) said the Chief Minister and his government has become helpless because of the 'alliance dharma'. 'I have never seen a chief minister who is so helpless. No one can seek any answer from anyone in his cabinet,' Uddhav Thackeray said, adding that his party will state state-wide protests against corruption of Fadnavis ministers. Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray in a tweet took a jibe at the Chief Minister said, 'Because of the helplessness of the alliance dharma, Shirsat will soon get the finance ministry. Happy Friendship Day, CMO Maharashtra. When those who play Rummy get sports ministry, then because of the helplessness of alliance dharma, he will get finance ministry.' Earlier, eight ministers, including Shirsat, were in the line of fire and their possible exclusion had become imminent after they landed themselves in controversies. However, they got a reprieve with the Chief Minister warning them to behave properly or face action. Manoj More has been working with the Indian Express since 1992. For the first 16 years, he worked on the desk, edited stories, made pages, wrote special stories and handled The Indian Express edition. In 31 years of his career, he has regularly written stories on a range of topics, primarily on civic issues like state of roads, choked drains, garbage problems, inadequate transport facilities and the like. He has also written aggressively on local gondaism. He has primarily written civic stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Khadki, Maval and some parts of Pune. He has also covered stories from Kolhapur, Satara, Solapur, Sangli, Ahmednagar and Latur. He has had maximum impact stories from Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial city which he has covered extensively for the last three decades. Manoj More has written over 20,000 stories. 10,000 of which are byline stories. Most of the stories pertain to civic issues and political ones. The biggest achievement of his career is getting a nearly two kilometre road done on Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki in 2006. He wrote stories on the state of roads since 1997. In 10 years, nearly 200 two-wheeler riders had died in accidents due to the pathetic state of the road. The local cantonment board could not get the road redone as it lacked funds. The then PMC commissioner Pravin Pardeshi took the initiative, went out of his way and made the Khadki road by spending Rs 23 crore from JNNURM Funds. In the next 10 years after the road was made by the PMC, less than 10 citizens had died, effectively saving more than 100 lives. Manoj More's campaign against tree cutting on Pune-Mumbai highway in 1999 and Pune-Nashik highway in 2004 saved 2000 trees. During Covid, over 50 doctors were asked to pay Rs 30 lakh each for getting a job with PCMC. The PCMC administration alerted Manoj More who did a story on the subject, asking then corporators how much money they story worked as doctors got the job without paying a single paisa. Manoj More has also covered the "Latur drought" situation in 2015 when a "Latur water train" created quite a buzz in Maharashtra. He also covered the Malin tragedy where over 150 villagers had died. Manoj More is on Facebook with 4.9k followers (Manoj More), on twitter manojmore91982 ... Read More
