Nitish, Lalu say Modi has insulted Bihar
Stepping up the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rhetoric ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his ally Lalu Prasad Yadav of ruining Bihar during the 25 years during which their parties ruled the state. Addressing a rally at Gaya, Modi said that voting them into power would ensure a “Jungle Raj part two" in Bihar. He promised that if the BJP came to power, Bihar would not longer be a BIMARU state, the derogatory label for slower performing states that Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh also share. Both Kumar and Yadav criticised Modi for calling Bihar a BIMARU state. “His speech is unbecoming of the post he holds,” Kumar said. Yadav added that the BJP was generating fears of a “Jungle Raj part two” as it was afraid of a “Mandal Raj 2” of increased backward caste assertion.
Maldives vows to keep Indian Ocean a ‘demilitarised zone’
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen promised to keep the Indian Ocean a demilitarised zone. The letter came after India voiced its objections to a land law passed by the Maldivian Parliament. The law, which allows for the foreign ownership of land, had raised fears that countries such as China would be able to invest in real estate, presenting a security challenge for India. However, Maldivian officials said that there was “no question of allowing foreign countries” to set up military bases in the archipelago.
Sushma to ask Iran about jailed Indians
Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday that she would ask Iran to release nine Indians jailed in Tehran when the country's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif visits India on August 14. Earlier in the day, the External Affairs Minister met the family of one of the men jailed in Tehran. India Today reported that the Indians were jailed two years ago on charges of smuggling oil. It added that that the men, who were part of a shipping crew, had been asked to pay a fine of Rs 19 crore to secure their release.
Government open to amending GST Bill
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the Central government was open to amending the Goods and Services Tax Bill after its passage through Parliament. Addressing a conference of traders, Singh appealed to opposition parties to support the government in passing the Bill. While the GST Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha, where the NDA’s members are in a majority, the legislation has failed to go through the Rajya Sabha, where opposition parties have greater strength.
Lokpal Bill panel gets two-month extension
The 31-member-strong Parliamentary Panel examining the Lokpal Bill has been given a two-month-long extension to submit its report to the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. The panel was originally slated to submit its report on July 30. Sudarsana Natchiappan, the chairperson of the panel, said that the committee had sought the views of political parties on various clauses in the bill, including the one requiring a government employee’s spouse and dependent children to file the details of their assets in property declarations. Bureaucrats claim that this would a pose a potential security threat to their families.
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Stepping up the Bharatiya Janata Party’s rhetoric ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused state Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his ally Lalu Prasad Yadav of ruining Bihar during the 25 years during which their parties ruled the state. Addressing a rally at Gaya, Modi said that voting them into power would ensure a “Jungle Raj part two" in Bihar. He promised that if the BJP came to power, Bihar would not longer be a BIMARU state, the derogatory label for slower performing states that Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh also share. Both Kumar and Yadav criticised Modi for calling Bihar a BIMARU state. “His speech is unbecoming of the post he holds,” Kumar said. Yadav added that the BJP was generating fears of a “Jungle Raj part two” as it was afraid of a “Mandal Raj 2” of increased backward caste assertion.
Maldives vows to keep Indian Ocean a ‘demilitarised zone’
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen promised to keep the Indian Ocean a demilitarised zone. The letter came after India voiced its objections to a land law passed by the Maldivian Parliament. The law, which allows for the foreign ownership of land, had raised fears that countries such as China would be able to invest in real estate, presenting a security challenge for India. However, Maldivian officials said that there was “no question of allowing foreign countries” to set up military bases in the archipelago.
Sushma to ask Iran about jailed Indians
Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday that she would ask Iran to release nine Indians jailed in Tehran when the country's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif visits India on August 14. Earlier in the day, the External Affairs Minister met the family of one of the men jailed in Tehran. India Today reported that the Indians were jailed two years ago on charges of smuggling oil. It added that that the men, who were part of a shipping crew, had been asked to pay a fine of Rs 19 crore to secure their release.
Government open to amending GST Bill
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that the Central government was open to amending the Goods and Services Tax Bill after its passage through Parliament. Addressing a conference of traders, Singh appealed to opposition parties to support the government in passing the Bill. While the GST Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha, where the NDA’s members are in a majority, the legislation has failed to go through the Rajya Sabha, where opposition parties have greater strength.
Lokpal Bill panel gets two-month extension
The 31-member-strong Parliamentary Panel examining the Lokpal Bill has been given a two-month-long extension to submit its report to the Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. The panel was originally slated to submit its report on July 30. Sudarsana Natchiappan, the chairperson of the panel, said that the committee had sought the views of political parties on various clauses in the bill, including the one requiring a government employee’s spouse and dependent children to file the details of their assets in property declarations. Bureaucrats claim that this would a pose a potential security threat to their families.