Tag: NDA government

  • Naqvi’s veiled attack on Congress: Instead of becoming part of solution, some people spreading ‘political pollution’

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Hitting out at the Congress over its criticism of the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday said those trying to use a “national calamity” as a “political opportunity” can never be well-wishers of the country.

    He also said that the government and society are working together on war-footing with sensibility to defeat the pandemic.

    Naqvi was in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday and he visited the district hospital at Rampur to take stock of facilities regarding coronavirus treatment. He also held a review meeting with the commissioner, the district magistrate and other senior officials regarding works being done to tackle the pandemic, according to a statement issued by his office.

    It is unfortunate that some people, instead of becoming a “part of solution”, are spreading “political pollution”, the minority affairs minister was quoted as saying by the statement. They are creating ‘fear and confusion’ among the people, he added.

    The Modi government is working with commitment to ensure good health and well-being of the people from all sections of society, Naqvi said.

    The government’s priority is to make the country free from this unprecedented crisis and “we will get rid of this pandemic soon”, he asserted.

    Hitting out at Congress leaders, Naqvi said that those who were earlier questioning the world’s largest vaccination drive are now creating confusion over the vaccination policy.

    When the coronavirus pandemic had started around January-February last year, there were negligible COVID treatment facilities in India, but now after a year of the pandemic, the government has worked effectively to ensure facilities and resources to tackle the challenges, he said.

    “Be it coronavirus testing labs; testing capacity; coronavirus testing kits; dedicated COVID-19 hospitals, production of N-95 masks, PPE kits, ventilators and medical oxygen, the country has adequate facilities and resources to ensure good health and well-being of the people,” Naqvi said.

    He said that with regard to dedicated COVID hospitals, ICU beds, ventilators, medical oxygen supply, the Modi government at the Centre and the Yogi Adityanath government in UP have worked effectively to tackle the pandemic.

  • COVID-19: Sonia Gandhi questions Centre’s ‘thundering silence’ on requests of Opposition-ruled states, says India caught off guard again

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: With the country witnessing a massive rise in COVID-19 cases, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday accused the Modi government of “gross unpreparedness” and “adhocism” in managing the crisis and suggested reducing the immunization age to 25 years and providing income support to people.

    Chairing the meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), she also called for making all equipment, medicines and instruments required for treating COVID-19 free of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

    The Congress has always believed that fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is a national challenge that should be kept above party politics and it hopes suggestions put forth would be considered in the spirit of true democratic traditions, she said.

    Accusing the Centre of giving preferential treatment to some states, Gandhi said it maintains “thundering silence” on requests of states ruled by the Congress and other opposition parties.

    “Taking on these challenging times as Indians rather than as political opponents will be true Rajadharma,” she said at the meeting.

    Considering that India has one of the highest infection rates, she also asked whether the export of vaccines should be held back and priority be given to protect Indians.

    “How is boasting about our generosity to other countries going to help thousands of our people who are dying,” she said.

    Gandhi said that Congress has extended hands of cooperation since February-March last year.

    “We cannot, however, lose sight of the fact that the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the country with fury. Despite a year to prepare, we have, regrettably, been caught off guard again,” she said.

    ALSO READ | Priyanka Gandhi calls PM Modi the ‘pilot who pressed eject button during emergency’

    Instead of listening to the constructive suggestions of the opposition, Union ministers are pressed into service to attack leaders of opposition for giving those suggestions, Gandhi said.

    “This convoluted ‘me versus you’ debate is childish and totally unnecessary,” she asserted. Gandhi said she recently held discussions with chief ministers of Congress-ruled states and with ministers, where Congress is in alliance government, to take stock of the emergent situation from them.

    “What transpired was, the gross unpreparedness and avoidable adhocism on part of the Narendra Modi government in foreseeing, evaluating and managing the crisis,” the Congress chief said.

    “But there has been thundering silence on the part of the government. On the contrary some other states have received preferential treatment or relief,” she said.

    Making a host of suggestions to the government, Gandhi said the Centre must also reconsider its priority of candidates for vaccination.

    The government should reduce the immunization age to 25 years and above as also all younger persons with at-risk health disorders like asthma, angina, diabetes, kidney and liver diseases and other similar ailments should be included as beneficiaries, she suggested. Currently, Indians only above the age of 45 years are eligible to take vaccines and the government has said that it will slowly make vaccines available to other age groups.

    “In the course of my talks with our chief ministers, the question of GST came up. They felt that as a preliminary measure, all equipment, instruments, medicines and support required to prevent and treat COVID-19 should be made free from GST,” Gandhi said.     

    ALSO READ: ‘What did Opposition do?’: Here are some notable efforts by Congress, Left, other parties to help people during the pandemic

    It is a matter of grave concern that life saving drugs like Remdesivir and medical oxygen as also other basic supplements are subjected to 12 per cent GST, the Congress chief said.

    “As the central and state governments move ahead to control the situation by resorting to partial curfews, travel restrictions, closure and lock downs; we will again be restricting economic activity that will hit the already beleaguered people, especially the poor and the daily wagers,” she said.

    It is, therefore, imperative to provide monthly income support and transfer an amount of Rs 6,000 in every eligible citizen’s account, Gandhi said. She also alleged that after months of denial, the central government has now given emergency use authorization for vaccines developed elsewhere, noting that it is “better late than never”.

    The Congress chief also expressed her profound grief and sorrow to the families who lost their loved ones over the past year to the pandemic.”Their pain and anguish is our pain and anguish,” she said.

    She also reiterated the deep sense of gratitude to and support for health and frontline workers and the medical fraternity who have been rendering their service in the face of severe pressures and risks.

    “We salute their sense of duty and dedication,” Gandhi said.

    The CWC meet was also attended by former party chief Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries, other permanent invitees and state in-charges of the party, who put forth different suggestions for dealing with the pandemic.

  • Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut blames Modi’s leadership for rising COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, Punjab

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday blamed the Centre for the rise in coronavirus positive cases in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Punjab.

    Speaking to reporters, Raut said Maharashtra had followed every instruction issued by the Centre, and the latter must act sensitively and cautiously and stop blaming states.

    Ten states- Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan- have shown a steep rise in daily COVID-19 cases, accounting for 83.02 per cent of the new infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday.

    “If Maharashtra and the other two states (Punjab and Chhattisgarh) has failed, the first failure is that of the Centre since the country is fighting the war against the virus under prime minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,” he said, questioning why only non-BJP ruled states were being singled out as failures.

    ALSO READ | Lockdown leads to loss of jobs, Maharashtra govt not providing people support: Devendra Fadnavis

    “Has the coronavirus disappeared in states which have a BJP chief minister? The Centre should provide vaccines and Remdesivir to Maharashtra. Everyone has seen how Remdesivir is available in BJP offices in Gujarat but it is not (made) available to Maharashtra,” Raut claimed.

    He said Maharashtra BJP leaders must condemn these attempts to “malign the image of the state”, or else they have “no business to do politics in the state”.

  • Inequality rising under NDA govt: Congress during debate on Finance Bill

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday alleged that economic inequality in the society has been increasing under the NDA government, a charge refuted by the BJP, which said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been sincerely working for the welfare of the poor.

    Initiating the debate on the Finance Bill, 2021, Congress member Amar Singh said the economic situation in the country is deteriorating and charged that 73 per cent of the country’s wealth is going to just 1 per cent of the population.

    “Inequality is increasing very fast,” he said.

    Singh said except agriculture, all sectors have been suffering due to “wrong” policies adopted by the central government.

    He said if the central government does a sample survey of the unorganised sector, which contributes 45 to 50 per cent to the economy and provides employment to a similar number of people, it will find that the sector is the worst sufferer.

    Singh charged that the government has given tax relief only to the rich whereas the common people have been suffering because of the price rise of essential commodities and petroleum products.

    The Congress member claimed that allocation to the health and agriculture sectors has reduced which will create problems for the poor.

    He also demanded that the three agricultural laws should be withdrawn as demanded by the agitating farmers.

    BJP member Rajendra Agrawal said the BJP-led government has been working relentlessly for the welfare of the poor, deprived, backward and women.

    “Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed charge in 2014, he has been working for the all round development of the poor and downtrodden without taking any break,” he said.

    Agrawal said the three agricultural acts enacted last year have been been beneficial for farmers and many peasants have already benefitted from them.

    He also blamed the Congress and Left parties for the poor condition of the country’s agriculture and industrial sectors.

    The BJP member charged the Congress cannot go beyond the prism of votes bank politics and when in power, carried out development where it would get votes.

     

  • Shiv Sena slams Centre over privatisation of national assets

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena on Thursday raised questions over the credibility of Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal’s assurance in Lok Sabha that Indian Railways will never be privatised while slamming the Centre for its pro-privatisation policies.

    “Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said in Parliament that Railways is the property of the country. It will not be privatised at all. At the same time, another Union Minister Prakash Javadekar assured that the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) would not be privatised. Is there such an atmosphere in the country today that their assurances given by these two Ministers of the Centre can be believed?” read an editorial in Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana.

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are doing the exact opposite of what Goyal or Javadekar are saying. Not only the country’s major ports and airports but nationalised banks also have started to be privatised. The Modi government’s only policy is to hand over Public sector undertakings to investors,” it added.

    Further criticising the Centre’s pro-privatisation policies, the editorial said that public property was not built with the sweat of investors. But the Modi government was selling these national assets. These assets such as airports, seaports now have boards of industrialists.

    “Therefore, no matter how seriously the Ministers may be saying, the sword of privatization is still hanging on the railways and insurance companies,” the editorial added.

    It further said if the government will not do business, then why should you run the government and why do you present a budget? The Ministries of Industry, Trade, Commerce should be put under lock. 

  • Sharad Pawar meets Left leaders to corner Centre during Budget session

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Opposition leaders on Monday discussed the farmers’ agitation and are expected to meet to devise a joint strategy to corner the government on the issue during the upcoming Budget session of Parliament.

    NCP president Sharad Pawar met CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI general secretary D Raja at his residence in the national capital. The meeting comes a day before the SC is to give an order on a case related to the three farm laws and indicated that it may stay the implementation of the contentious Acts, refusing to grant more time to the Centre to explore the possibility of an amicable solution.

    The leaders discussed the order and that they stand by farmers’ demand for the repeal of the laws. Ahead of its countrywide agitation on January 15 in support of agitating farmers, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also reached out to the Opposition leaders and is likely to reach out to other like-minded parties to plan out a joint strategy to press the demand for the rollback of the legislations. The leaders are expected to meet ahead of the Budget session, starting January-end.

    On Saturday, the Congress had announced that it has decided to organise ‘Kisan Adhikar Divas’ across the country on January 15 and hold protests outside the Raj Bhavans.

    “Now, the Supreme Court has said that the Centre failed to protect the interests of the farmers, let us hope good sense prevails with the government. The government should repeal the laws and the PM should speak to the farmers and offer his apologies,” said Congress general secretary, organisation, KC Venugopal. 

  • Farm laws protest: Rajasthan CM Gehlot questions long breaks between each meeting

    By ANI
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said that the central government should regularly talk to farmers, accept their demands to revoke the new farm laws and not make it a prestige issue.

    “Why is the central government taking four days in between every meeting with the farmers? The farmers have clarified that central government must withdraw new agricultural laws. In this cold weather, the government should talk to farmers daily and must accept their demands,” Gehlot tweeted.

    EDITORIAL | Help farmers build viable cooperatives

    “If a government has to withdraw a law according to public sentiments, it is welcomed in democracy. The central government should not make it a prestige issue. Farmers are our food providers, and it is the moral duty of the government to accept their demands,” he added.

    His statement comes after the eighth round of talks when the Centre could not reach any “solution” as the farmer unions remained “adamant” over repeal of three farm laws, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Monday.

    ALSO READ | Talks fail again on repeal pitch, next meet on Friday

    However, the minister said he is “hopeful” that a conclusion will be found in the next round of talks scheduled on January 8.

    With concerns that farm laws would weaken the MSP and mandi systems and leave the farmers at the mercy of big corporates, farmers have been protesting at different borders of the national capital for over a month against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • Residents of border areas strategic

    Union home minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that people residing in the border areas are the biggest strategic asset for the country.
    The government will build 1,400 new bunkers for individual households in order to provide security to those who face shelling by Pakistani forces. “All those who live on the border areas are not only common citizens, but the biggest strategic asset for the country. To provide them security, we have instructed to construct 1,400 new bunkers and the state government has also assured to get them ready in a few months”, said Rajnath Singh, while addressing reporters on the completion of four years of the NDA government at the Centre.

    Replying to a query on residents being forced to flee their homes along the Line of Control (LoC) due to frequent shelling by Pakistan, Singh said that India wants peace with its neighbours, including Pakistan, and prefers to maintain ceasefire on the border.

    But Pakistan’s unprovoked ceasefire violations have compelled India to give a befitting reply along the border in Jammu and Kashmir region. India also wants Pakistan to control terrorism which doesn’t seem to be working. “Recently, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) from both India and Pakistan held talks over ceasefire violations and decided to stick to the commitment. If India would not have retaliated, how could Pakistan agree for an agreement”, said Singh.

    Pakistan must stop sponsoring terrorism and cooperate with India in dealing with terrorists, Sing said, as he claimed that there has been considerable improvement in the national security situation of India during the four-year rule of the Modi government.