
Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut takes dig at PM Modi's tours, calls for travel ministry
Speaking to reporters, Raut said, "PM Modi is always on tour, he should have a tour and travel ministry, and should have country tourism ambassadors and should tell in Mann ki Baat what to eat in which country to go..."
Raut also criticised the Modi government over Pakistan's growing influence at international forums. He said, "Ever since PM Modi came, Jaishankar came, Amit Shah came, we could not prove this and today an important post was given to Pakistan in the United Nations. The Army Chief was invited to dinner at the White House."
He questioned the government for ignoring serious domestic issues, including farmers' suicides and recent terror attacks, saying, "Does Modi Ji know that 1000 farmers died by suicide in Maharashtra in three months? Till now, they have been unable to find the killers in the Pahalgam attack. Air India is finished. They are not able to find out what happened to the plane that crashed in Ahmedabad, and Modi Ji is roaming abroad; this is the condition of the country."
Meanwhile, on the relationship between the RSS and BJP, Raut said, "RSS and BJP are brothers. If RSS wants, then it can teach the BJP a lesson. The BJP that is seen today is based on the strength of RSS workers."
He further demanded that Prime Minister Modi question US President Donald Trump over his stance towards India. "Prime Minister Modi should ask Trump what kind of drama you are doing with India. There is no one in the United Nations who can raise our voice. The way President Trump is trying to give power to Pakistan is a danger for India in the near future," he added.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
19 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Congress, BJP aid corporate hospitals by vilifying Kerala's public health sector: CPI(M)
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat has accused the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) of launching a vilification campaign against Kerala's robust public health system to aid the corporate medical-care sector. CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan told a news conference here on Friday that the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had sought to politicise the tragic building collapse at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Kottayam, to paint a dismal picture of State-funded hospitals to help corporate hospitals corral patients. He said the building collapse occurred when the hospital authorities were moving patients to the newly constructed block. Mr. Govindan said global capital had 'gobbled up' most legacy hospitals in the private sector, which had sacrificed medical ethics at the altar of profit-making. He said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had sought to protect the working class from predatory medical practices by adding more super-specialty units, including liver and kidney transplant departments, to State-run hospitals. Affordable care He said the Government Medical College Hospitals had successfully conducted organ transplants at minimal rates. The service was provided at no cost to economically disadvantaged individuals. 'In contrast, private corporate hospitals charged not less than ₹40 lakh for the life-saving procedures,' he said. Mr. Govindan said that an almost 50% increase in patient footfall at State-run hospitals had deprived the private sector of business. The Congress and the BJP had come to the aid of the corporate medical industry by seeking to demonise public health care. Mr. Govindan said the private sector was appalled that the LDF had opened outpatient centres at primary health-care centres and created 2,430 new facilities, adding to the existing clinical services to make health care easily accessible and affordable for the public. The private sector had now found a partner in the Congress and the BJP, who were out to malign State-subsidised health care. 'UDF cut allocation' Mr. Govindan said between 2011 and 2016, the Congress government had systematically slashed public health sector allocation from ₹139 crore to ₹116 crore. 'The UDF had planned to privatise State-funded hospitals,' he added. In contrast, since 2021, the second LDF government had increased public health spending to ₹1,600 crore. Kerala's health sector had won at least 21 national and international recognitions. Mr. Govindan said the BJP government at the Centre punished Kerala for its public health achievements by reducing allocations as part of the Centre's 'vengeful politics.' The LDF balanced the books by raising ₹80,000 crore from the global market to modernise State-funded hospitals, which now offered state-of-the-art treatment on a par with developed nations. It also increased the Gross State Domestic Product to catalyse welfare and development, given the Centre's attempt to financially strangulate Kerala.


Time of India
26 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bellad seeks electric buses under PM's e-Drive scheme to North Karnataka cities
(You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Deputy leader of Opposition in the assembly Arvind Bellad (BJP) has written to Union Heavy Industries Minister HD Kumaraswamy urging him to allocate electric buses under the PM's e-Drive scheme to North Karnataka cities like Hubballi-Dharwad , Belagavi, Kalaburagi, Ballari and Bengaluru has rightly received 4,500 e-buses, other regions also deserve attention. These cities have growing transport needs, existing KSRTC infrastructure, and in some cases BRT systems—making them ready for an efficient e-bus rollout, Bellad, who represents Hubballi-Dharwad West in the assembly, has said in his letter. Such a move will reduce regional disparities, curb emissions, create local jobs, and boost the EV ecosystem in underserved areas. A more balanced approach to green mobility will ensure true inclusive development across Karnataka, the BJP leader has had, in May, announced that Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Surat cities will get 10,900 brand new electric buses under the PM's e-Drive Scheme over the next two PM e-Drive initiative aims to deploy 14,028 electric buses with a total financial outlay of Rs 10,900 crore over a two-year period from April 2024 to March 2026. The scheme represents one of the world's largest national efforts to electrify public transport at scale.


Hans India
34 minutes ago
- Hans India
Shiv Sena-UBT don't support any kind of assault: Anand Dubey slams Nitesh Rane over shopkeeper incident
Mumbai: As political tensions in Maharashtra continue to rise over Hindi language imposition, Shiv Sena-UBT spokesperson Anand Dubey on Friday strongly condemned the remarks made by BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane regarding a recent assault incident. Dubey made it clear that his party does not support any form of violence or assault, and accused the BJP of politicising the issue to provoke communal sentiments. The controversy stems from a recent incident involving a shopkeeper who was reportedly assaulted for refusing to speak Marathi. In reaction, BJP leader Nitesh Rane issued a provocative statement directed at Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), challenging them to confront Muslims who, he claimed, also don't speak Marathi. Rane warned that if Hindus were targeted, the "third eye" of the Mahayuti government would be awakened. Speaking to IANS, Anand Dubey said: "Our party categorically does not support any form of assault or violence. People who speak Hindi, Gujarati, Marwari – they are all our fellow countrymen. They have been living and working in Maharashtra for decades. We believe they should learn Marathi, which is a beautiful language written in the Devanagari script. In fact, the Shiv Sena-UBT is even ready to teach Marathi to those who want to learn it." Dubey emphasised that the recent incident was a personal dispute and should not be blown out of proportion. 'This was not a linguistic issue. BJP is trying to provoke the matter for political mileage. We, in the Shiv Sena-UBT, promote harmony, peace, and unity among all communities,' he added. Dubey further reacted to AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi's recent criticism of the Uttar Pradesh administration for allegedly enabling vigilante groups to harass hotel staff during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra. Owaisi had questioned why such groups are being allowed to operate as a 'parallel government,' citing reports of pilgrims forcing men to remove their pants to 'prove their religion.' Dubey responded by saying: "The Kanwar Yatra is a sacred pilgrimage in Hinduism where devotees offer water to Lord Shiva. While security is important and the police must maintain order, the enforcement should be lawful and respectful. Mixing faith with aggression or coercion is unacceptable. Sentiments must be protected, but not at the cost of dignity. Law enforcement must act with sensitivity and discretion." Addressing Owaisi's announcement that the AIMIM may contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in alliance with the INDIA Bloc, Dubey clarified the Shiv Sena-UBT's stance. "Political alliances are a party's internal matter. The AIMIM is not part of the INDIA bloc, while the RJD is. Bihar's political landscape is based on its own dynamics, and every state has different socio-political realities. Maharashtra's politics cannot be compared with Bihar's,: Dubey said. Dubey also reacted to the ongoing debate surrounding the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls ahead of the Bihar polls. Several opposition parties, including INDIA Bloc members, have raised serious concerns about potential voter disenfranchisement, claiming that the SIR could result in the removal of over two crore voters. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has maintained that the process is fair, inclusive, and transparent. He stated that the goal is to include all eligible voters while removing only those who are ineligible. Despite this reassurance, Dubey expressed scepticism, citing past concerns over the neutrality of the Election Commission. "We expect CEC Gyanesh Kumar to ensure there is no tampering or carelessness in the electoral roll. Every Indian citizen who wants to register to vote must be allowed to do so through a fair and transparent process. The BJP's political manipulations should not be allowed to interfere with democracy," he said. "We have witnessed the golden era of election commissioners like T.N. Seshan, who upheld the integrity of the democratic process. Today, however, it feels as if the Election Commission is increasingly acting under pressure from the Central government. We hope Gyanesh Kumar will take steps to restore public trust, especially with Bihar's elections around the corner."