News Analysis India

Tag: Amit Shah

  • Amit Shah, JP Nadda and other senior BJP leaders hold meeting at party headquarters

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Senior BJP leaders, including Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh and party president JP Nadda, held a meeting here on Saturday. The meeting, held at the party headquarters, was attended by several other senior leaders, including those handling organisational charges, sources said.

    The ruling party leaders have been holding deliberations for some time over a number of issues, ranging from the COVID-19 vaccination exercise to various governance and political matters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also attended many meetings, which were held at his residence and attended by several Union ministers besides Nadda.

  • Delimitation, holding of polls in J-K important milestones in restoring statehood: Amit Shah

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the delimitation exercise and holding of peaceful elections in Jammu and Kashmir are important milestones in restoring statehood as promised in Parliament.

    The home minister’s comments came after a three-and-half-hour-long meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 14 political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including four former chief ministers. “We are committed to ensure all round development of J&K. The future of Jammu and Kashmir was discussed and the delimitation exercise and peaceful elections are important milestones in restoring statehood as promised in Parliament,” Shah said in a tweet.

    He said Thursday’s meeting on Jammu and Kashmir was held in a very cordial environment. “Everyone expressed their commitment to democracy and the Constitution. It was stressed to strengthen the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said in another tweet.

    The four former chief ministers of the erstwhile state who participated in the discussions were Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

    Four former deputy chief ministers were in attendance too – Congress’ Tara Chand, People’s Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig and BJP’s Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta.

    CPM leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference, J-K Congress head G A Mir, BJP’s Ravinder Raina and Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh also formed part of the delegation.

    This is the first interaction between the central leadership and mainstream parties since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 and bifurcated it into union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

  • Delimitation, holding of polls in J-K important milestones in restoring statehood: says Shah

    The home minister #39;s comments came after a three-and-half-hour-long meeting held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with 14 political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir.

  • Centre to increase pace of COVID-19 vaccination in July-August: Amit Shah

    By PTI
    AHEMDABAD: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination against COVID-19 in July and August.

    Talking to reporters after visiting a vaccination centre here, Shah said with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to provide free vaccine against COVID-19 to people aged 18 and above, “we will fast achieve the goal of inoculating almost everyone”.

    “The central government has decided to increase the pace of vaccination in July and August,” he added.

    Shah said from Monday morning, an important journey has started in the fight against COVID-19 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    The PM had taken an important decision that the Centre will provide free of cost vaccination to those aged 18 and above, he said.

    In a country having such huge population, providing free vaccination is a big decision, he said.

    On the International Yoga Day on Monday, the drive of free vaccine for all is being launched across the country, Shah said, adding that India was already on top in the vaccination programme.

    “Now we will reach the target to vaccinate almost all very fast,” he said.

    Shah is on a two-day visit to Ahmedabad from Monday.

  • Amit Shah reviews security, development in Jammu & Kashmir

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired a high-level meeting here to review the security situation and the development works being carried out by the Centre in Jammu and Kashmir.Assessing the Covid-19 vaccination drive, Shah congratulated L-G Manoj Sinha and his team for vaccinating 76% population of the Union Territory and completing 100% vaccination in four districts.

    He appreciated the efforts made to extend 90% of the central government schemes to the people of J&K. Sinha, Union home secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, and senior officials of the home ministry and the UT administration were present in the meeting.

    Shah said, “All-round development and welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is the top priority of the Modi government.” The home minister said at least one agro-based industry should be set up in each district and the use of modern techniques in agriculture should be promoted to help increase the income of J&K’s farmers.

    He directed that central government schemes such as the PM Kisan Yojana and Kisan Credit Card should be extended to the farmers of the UT. Efforts should be made to improve the quality of apple farming so that farmers get maximum price, the home minister told the officials.

    Shah also chaired another high-level security review meeting on Kashmir that was attended by Sinha, Bhalla, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Intelligence Bureau chief Arvind Kumar, R&AW chief Samant Kumar Goel, CRPF chief Kuldeip Singh and DGP Dilbagh Singh.

  • PM Meets Amit Shah, BJP Chief Amid Buzz Over Possible Cabinet Expansion

    Narendra Modi is reviewing the performance of select ministries, especially in the second wave of Covid, in a series of meetings beginning Thursday, sources say amid reports of a possible cabinet expansion.

    A meeting on Friday evening between the BJP’s Big Three — PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda – signals big changes ahead based on the assessment of how the ministers performed. Some ministers were also present at today’s meeting.

    There is also talk of a major social scheme to be announced in the next few days as the party preps for important elections next year, including in Uttar Pradesh.

    The Prime Minister held a similar meeting for well over five hours yesterday at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg home with seven ministries and assessed the work done by them during the April-May Covid crisis, when the scale of virus cases and deaths were seen to have caught the government unprepared. Dharmendra Pradhan, Prakash Javadekar and Hardeep Puri were among the Union Ministers he met.

    Sources said it is an annual exercise that usually takes place before the anniversary of the Modi government but was delayed this time due to the pandemic.

    Since it is a performance review, it has fueled speculation of a cabinet expansion, said to be long overdue. There are around half a dozen ministers who hold more than one ministry.

    The Prime Minister can have up to 79 ministers, which means there are more than two dozen vacancies in the Union cabinet.

    The review meeting comes days after the Prime Minister announced that the centre would take back control of vaccination from states and provide vaccines free of charge to all above 18 from June 21.

    Yesterday’s meeting, sources say, began at 5 pm and continued till 10 in the night. Mr Nadda was also present.

    The ministries made brief presentations on various decisions taken by them, sources in the government said.

    Under review were Petroleum Ministry, Steel Ministry, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Heavy Industries and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change.

  • PM Modi meets Amit Shah, JP Nadda amid buzz on Cabinet expansion at Centre too

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The BJP’s attempts to energise its organisation and governments at the Centre and Lucknow gained pace on Friday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding extensive discussions with Union home minister Amit Shah and party chief J P Nadda. 

    They got into a huddle after UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met Modi and Nadda separately, amid indications that the party brass will take full command of the poll preparations in the battleground state. The much delayed Cabinet expansion at the Centre, filling of vacancies in the BJP Parliamentary Board and organisational issues in the specific context of UP, were learnt to be on the meeting agenda.

    The BJP’s attempt to make course corrections by wooing smaller parties that were previously allies but drifted away due to differences with Adityanath, could be reflected in the Cabinet expansions both at the Centre and UP, sources said.

    While the Prime Minister’s Office completed its performance appraisal of the Union ministers early last year, the expected shake-up in the team was put off primarily because of the Covid challenge, said sources. They added that the BJP is now keen to give visibility to NDA allies.

    The list of the Union Cabinet hopefuls has grown, with former Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal joining the likes of Jyotiraditya Scindia and Sushil Kumar Modi, besides NDA ally JD (U). And the Parliamentary Board has four vacancies. 

    A common theme emerging out of consultations between RSS and BJP leaders recently is the need for an image makeover of the government at the Centre with the induction of new faces.

  • Cabinet shuffle buzz on, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath to meet PM Modi today

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Amid hectic parleys within the BJP to control damage in Uttar Pradesh after the second wave of the pandemic left a devastating trail, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday called on Union home minister Amit Shah. Adityanath is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, with indications suggesting the CM may not be able to avoid a state Cabinet reshuffle. 

    Earlier, BJP chief J P Nadda briefed Modi on the inputs collated by party general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh and state in-charge Radha Mohan Singh, who had camped in Lucknow for two days. Modi is reportedly closely monitoring the BJP’s preparations for the state polls next year, with regular exchange of inputs between him and Nadda as well as RSS leaders.

    ALSO READ: MLAs feel CM Yogi Adityanath aloof, relies more on babus

    While the CM had recently termed the buzz of a Cabinet reshuffle as media speculation, sources said he will eventually have to fall in line as the top leadership is keen on a few changes ahead of the February 2022 state polls. A K Sharma, MLC and former official in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), is widely speculated to get a key portfolio in the state Cabinet. 

    While the CM hasn’t been amenable to the idea so far, a top ranking BJP functionary told this newspaper that Sharma would be given an important assignment in the state. Sharma, incidentally, was in the national capital when Adityanath called on Shah. 

    Sources said BJP leaders and top RSS functionaries concur that while Adityanath should lead the party in the polls, a few changes in his ministerial team are needed to dispel the perception that he’s running a highly centralised administration, against which even the MPs and MLAs reportedly nurse grievances. However, the CM is known to enjoy the patronage of the RSS leadership. For the record, Adityanath described his meeting with Shah as a courtesy call, saying he sought guidance.

    Raut lauds modi amid maha pawar point

    Mumbai: Days after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had a one-on-one with the prime minister in Delhi, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut lauded Narendra Modi, saying he is the top leader of the country and the BJP. But tamping down speculation, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said their government will not only complete its term, the allies will contest the LS and the state elections together 

    Stay with amarinder as CM, says panel

    Chandigarh: The report of a Congress panel set up to address the ongoing rift in its Punjab unit, suggested continuing with Amarinder Singh as the CM and making him the face of the state elections. It also recommended accommodating rebel Navjot Singh Sidhu and revamping the state unit. The report was submitted to party president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday 

  • Suvendu Adhikari meets top BJP brass in Delhi as Bengal unit flounders

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: West Bengal’s Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari landed in New Delhi on Tuesday to hold meetings with BJP national president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah amid fears of party imploding in the state. 

    Sources said Adhikari was summoned to Delhi to meet Shah and Nadda and mull ways on keeping the flock together in the wake of the crushing defeat in Bengal election.

    Cracks are developing in the BJP’s West Bengal unit, with at least five prominent TMC imports to BJP snapping communication lines with the leadership as a precursor to quitting. 

    ​On a day Adhikari reached Delhi, more news of widening rift reached the leadership. BJP’s national vice president Mukul Roy skipped an organisational meeting convened by party’s state unit chief Dilip Ghosh. Former TMC minister Rajib Banerjee was among the notable faces missing in the meeting.

    While Roy claimed one had informed him about Tuesday’s organisational meeting, Banerjee said he could not attend the meeting as one of his relatives fell sick. Later, in a social media post, Banerjee, without naming Adhikari, said repeated demands of imposing Article 356 in West Bengal would not go down well in Bengal.

    Responding to Adhikari’s Delhi visit, the state president said he was not aware of his schedule. 

    “The statements given by Ghosh on the issue of Adhikari’s Delhi visit and Roy’s comment on the organisational meeting reflect clear division. Though the rift between Ghosh and Roy emerged before the Assembly election, it was brushed under the carpet. However, after its defeat, it has spilled over to public domain,” a senior BJP leader in Kolkata said.

    The leader said the BJP’s national leadership is not happy with the post-poll developments in Bengal. 

    “Five former TMC MLAs have already quit and five are likely to leave. Also, Adhikari was recently booked in a criminal case. These issues might be discussed,” he said.

  • India made ‘unprecedented achievements’ during 7 years of Modi govt: Amit Shah

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the completion of seven years of his government and said during this period, the country made “unprecedented achievements” in fields of security, public welfare and reforms.

    In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah credited Modi for improving the living standards of the poor, farmers and deprived sections by bringing them into the mainstream with his determined, holistic and welfare policies and making India a powerful nation with his strong leadership.

    “The Modi government has presented a unique example of unparalleled coordination of development, security, public welfare and landmark reforms,” he said.

    For the last seven years, Shah said, the people of the country have consistently expressed their unwavering faith in Modi’s service and dedication, for which he bows to the countrymen.

    “I am confident that under the visionary leadership of Modi ji, we will overcome every challenge and continue India’s developmental journey uninterrupted,” he said.