Latest news with #JanataDal-United
Mint
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
PM Modi to meet all-party global outreach delegations on Operation Sindoor next week
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely meet the members of all the all-party delegations once they return after India's global outreach on Operation Sindoor starting today. The meeting with the Prime Minister could be held on 9 or 10 June, according to reports. The all-party delegations that toured the world to explain Operation Sindoor are on way home. The first delegation led by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Baijayant 'Jay' Panda returns to India today, June 3. Panda's delegation, which left Delhi on 24 May, visited Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Algeria. Before the PM meets all seven delegations, they are scheduled to debrief external affairs minister S Jaishankar beginning June 3. Panda-led delegation's meeting with Jaishankar is scheduled at 2.30 pm today. The second delegation to return to India will be the one headed by Janata Dal - United's Sanjay Jha that will reach Delhi at 9.30 pm today whule the one led by Shiv Sena's Shrikant Shinde will reach India on 4 June. Seven delegations visited several countries to address audiences, policymakers, and elected representatives onIndia's position on Pakistan's decades-long promotion of terrorism and New Delhi's new normal in tackling cross-border terror after Operation Sindoor. The multi-party delegations—comprising 59 lawmakers, in addition to former diplomats — travelled to 33 countries, including the European Union. The delegation included MPs from multiple parties, divided into seven groups consisting of 8-9 members. A leader was assigned for each group, who led the delegation on a global level. The delegations were headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Panda, Janata Dal (United) leader Sanjay Jha, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule, and Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde. As many as 26 people were killed and several others injured in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on 22 April. Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Key Takeaways The all-party delegations visited 33 countries to explain India's position on terrorism. Operation Sindoor was launched in response to a terrorist attack that claimed 26 lives. The delegations included members from multiple political parties, emphasizing a unified national approach.
Mint
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Firm and focused leadership keeps India on course
Chain ki zindagi jio, roti khao; warna meri goli to hai hi." (Live peacefully, eat your bread; else you face my bullets). These words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, broadcast live from the border district Bhuj, went viral globally. His detractors may insist these sound like a punchline from a film, but messages such as this one fill a large section of Indians with pride. Was it a coincidence that it was the day Modi completed 11 years as PM of India? He completes the first year of his third term next week. Also read: This may be the nail in the coffin of Maoist menace On 9 June last year, when Modi assumed office, his opponents felt a golden opportunity was just around the corner to snatch power from the BJP as that party lacked an absolute majority on its own. A year later, that idea seems hollow and distant. Consider the Waqf bill. Despite reluctance from NDA allies, the Janata Dal-United (JD(U)) and Telugu Desam Party, BJP neither backed down nor toned down its aggressive stance. Modi has crafted his communication and administrative style assiduously. In all his years in power since 2001, he has kept using a language that establishes him as a straight-shooting, strong leader among his voters. Traditionalists may frown upon his style, but in a democracy, voters decide what's acceptable or not. What can be a bigger stamp of approval than that Modi hasn't lost a single election to date? But Modi doesn't succeed merely through self-projection. As a Prime Minister, he has convinced citizens that he is committed to their welfare round the clock by initiating landmark moves such as the world's largest food distribution scheme, a phenomenally expanded road and railway network, the indigenization of armament production, Gati Shakti and Ayushman schemes. Also read: The many dangers that democracy confronts today Modi has his own 'theory" to cut slack in governance. While working as an RSS pracharak and later as a BJP functionary, he always felt there was a serious lack of coordination between the organization, government and the bureaucracy. In the wake of the Bhuj earthquake of 26 January 2001, there was widespread destruction and chaos. Realizing that things were getting out of hand, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the then home minister L.K. Advani made Modi, a party veteran with vast experience working in the state, the chief minister of Gujarat. Till then, Modi wasn't even a legislator and had no experience in governance. Yet his priorities and focus were clear. He devoted his energies on rebuilding and rehabilitating the devastated areas. Resources were summoned, the distracted and dissipated energies of the state bureaucracy were channelled, and the victims of the tragedy were taken on board. If you visit Dholavira, 136km from the district headquarters of Bhuj, you will find tarred roads amid white sands of the desert, tanks for water supply, schools and electricity poles. Even in the remote desert areas of Kutch, soldiers are provided with tap water. Once it was considered impossible. He brought the same work culture to the seat of the central government in the South and North Blocks. Before him, the regional leaders would try to mould themselves to the standards of urbanity and etiquette set by the British-influenced Lutyens' Delhi elite. Modi was a stark contrast, presenting himself as a symbol of Indianness and has been steadfast in his approach. Modi's style connects with Indians and creates a unique persona internationally. Here, a question arises: Didn't former prime ministers do any good? They definitely did, but never has the country been enamoured of a leader for so long. The reason? Modi knows it's imperative to show a report card to the citizens periodically to maintain their morale. Many of his promises and initiatives have drawn much criticism. He's accused of many other things, too, but in a democracy, there's no harm if development and debate coexist. Also read: A nation falling for the lure of majoritarianism Recently a news appeared that India became the fourth largest economy in the world, leaving Japan behind; now it has to go past Germany to become the third largest economy. Some experts think that it would take some more time before we go past Japan's economy, but does this nitpicking matter? A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report published later suggests we would remain one of the fastest growing large economies in the world. It's clear that India's development story is on course despite many challenges, and we can't deny Narendra Modi's role in it. Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
All-party delegations meet Japan foreign minister, UAE tolerance minister
Two all-party delegations sent by India to forge a united front in the campaign against terrorism met Japan's foreign minister, Takeshi Iwaya, and UAE tolerance minister Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak on Thursday and briefed them on New Delhi's commitment to fight all forms of terror. The two delegations had left India on Wednesday for Southeast Asia, West Asia, and Africa to inform key interlocutors about India's new approach for combating terrorism sponsored by Pakistan and to explain the rationale behind Operation Sindoor, which was launched in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack last month that killed 26 civilians. The delegation led by Janata Dal-United MP Sanjay Kumar Jha met Iwaya and informed him of India's 'national consensus and resolute commitment to combat terrorism in all forms', according to a social media post by the Indian embassy in Tokyo. Iwaya reiterated 'Japan's support to India's fight against terrorism and expressed appreciation for the restraint shown by the Indian side'. He also 'called for punishing the perpetrators of terror activities', the embassy said. The delegation, which includes Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lal, Hemang Joshi and Pradhan Baruah, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, CPI-M MP John Brittas, Congress leader and former foreign minister Salman Khurshid and former ambassador Mohan Kumar, will also travel to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Japan. External affairs minister S Jaishankar, currently on a visit to Europe, said in a social media post about the delegation visiting Japan: 'Great to see #TeamIndia taking our message of zero tolerance for terrorism to the world.' Foreign secretary Vikram Misri too was in Japan on Thursday for the foreign secretary-vice minister dialogue and met vice minister for foreign affairs Takehiro Funakoshi and delivered 'India's message on zero tolerance for terror', the embassy said. Their discussions also covered advancing the bilateral special strategic and global partnership. Misri also met senior deputy foreign minister Hiroyuki Namazu and discussed bilateral cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and other issues. The all-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde met the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) minister for tolerance, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi and informed him of India's commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the Indian embassy in the Emirates said on social media. This delegation, which will travel to Liberia, Congo, and Sierra Leone, includes BJP MPs Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, and Manan Kumar Mishra, IUML MP Mohammed Basheer, BJD MP Sasmit Patra, former minister and BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, and former ambassador Sujan Chinoy. Meanwhile, another all-party delegation led by DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi left New Delhi on Thursday to visit Russia, Slovenia, Greece, Latvia, and Spain. This delegation includes Samajwadi Party MP Rajeev Rai, National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad, BJP MP Brijesh Chowta, RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta, AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, and former ambassadors Manjeev Puri and Jawed Ashraf. Members of these delegations were briefed ahead of their departure on Tuesday by foreign secretary Misri, who highlighted India's 'new normal' in tackling cross-border terrorism as exemplified by the military strikes under Operation Sindoor on terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan, people familiar with the matter said. Misri also told the delegations that India will no longer allow terrorists to carry out their activities under the cover of Pakistan's 'nuclear blackmail' and that the Pakistani military establishment will have to pay for attacks through its terrorist proxies, the people said on condition of anonymity. The delegations have been asked to raise the world community's lacklustre record in holding the Pakistani military and intelligence to account despite considerable evidence provided by India that linked it to past terror attacks such as the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing, the people said.
