This year's Vijaya Dashami 'very special': PM

October 9, 2016

New Delhi, Oct 9: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said this year's Vijaya Dashami is "very special" for the country, an apparent reference to the Army's surgical strikes on terror launch pads across LOC, even as he stressed that a "very capable" armed forces is a must for a strong nation.

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"We will celebrate Vijaya Dashami in the coming days. This year's Vijaya Dashami is very special for the country," he said, evoking a thunderous applause from the audience at a function at Vigyan Bhavan here.

His remarks came in the backdrop of Indian Army's surgical strikes in POK. He also gave his best wishes to the people on the occasion of the festival that marks victory of good over evil.

The Prime Minister released a compendium of 15 books on the life and teachings of former Jana Sangh chief Deendayal Upadhyay whose birth centenary year is being celebrated by BJP.

Modi said Upadhyay's biggest contribution was the concept of organisation-based political party and not a political outfit run by a handful of individuals.

Quoting Upadhyay, the Prime Minister stressed on the need for an exceptionally strong military as a prerequisite for a strong nation and said the country must be a capable one which is a present-day requirement.

"He (Upadhyay) used to say that the country's armed forces should be very very capable, then only the nation can be strong," Modi said.

"In this time of competitiveness, the need is that the nation should be capable and strong," he said.

In a veiled reference to Pakistan, Modi said, "Being strong does not mean being against anyone. If we exercise for our strength, then the neighbour need not worry (thinking) that it is to target him. I am exercising to strengthen myself and for my health."

Referring to Upadhyay, he said even Ram Manohar Lohia spoke about the Jana Sangh leader's efforts that led to the evolution of an alternative to Congress in 1967.

The Prime Minister said as a tribute to Upadhyay, who talked of integral humanism, his government was making the poorest of the poor the focus of schemes evolved by it.

"The biggest contribution of Deendayalji is organisation- based political parties and not just a party run by a handful of individuals. This was the identity of Jana Sangh and BJP," he said.

"In a short span of time, one party completed the journey from 'vipaksh' to 'vikalp' and this was due to foundations laid by Deendayalji," he said, adding that simplicity was the hallmark of the former Jana Sangh leader.

Lauding the ideology of Upadhyay, Modi said he gave impetus to 'karyakarta nirman' (building party workers) and the workers inspired by him were party centric and the party nation centric.

He said at the core of Upadhyay's thoughts were the poor, the villages, the farmers, the Dalits and the marginalised and that is why this government is laying focus on such sections during the centenary year celebration.

"The poor is the central point of Panditji's entire thinking. He used to say that the poor should be the central point of every thing. That is why in this journey towards development, our government is focussing on the poor and to help empower it.

"This government is celebrating Panditji's centenary as 'gareeb kalyan varsh'. Because of that government decisions focus on the poor and poor-centric schemes and policies are evolved. I am confident that there will be no shortcoming in this journey," he said.

BJP President Amit Shah and RSS' second-in-command Suresh Bhayyaji Joshi spoke on the need for strengthening India's security with Joshi saying that India's pursuit for national security was inspired by the need to defend itself rather than to defeat others.

Shah, at the function to release "The Complete Works of Deendayal Upadhyaya", said the former Jana Sangh chief's philosophy is an ideal for those in public life and warnings given by him many years ago are staring at the world today.

"The concept of maintaining a balance between development and nature that he put forth, is before us today in the form of global warming and air and water pollution. If the world would have moved forward on the path of integral humanism, then probably the world would not have faced the present-day problems," he said.

"Earlier it was considered that there is a contradiction between a welfare state and development. This BJP government has proved that despite being poor the country can be empowered.

"This government has made this country secure. Without diverting from the path of peace, the BJP government has ensured the country's safety and security," he said.

Shah lauded Upadhyay as a successful politician who laid the foundation for an alternative to Congress when no option against it was available. He also highlighted his example of evolving alternative politics on basis of ideals, organisation and nationalism.

"He was the first to talk of cultural nationalism and that was his contribution to the country's polity. He had sown the seed of organisation-based political party's thought and BJP has today emerged as a big party and it was imperative upon all workers to follow the path shown by him," he said.

Earlier, RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi said the thoughts of Upadhyay given many years ago are now recognised by the world. He said the late Jana Sangh leader accepted everything that went in the welfare of humanity and had said that if humans are happy the society will be happier.

"India should be safe and secure. It's borders are posing a challenge and everyone has seen that this issue can be resolved too," he said.

"India has a lot to give to the world and that is being recognised now. India's strength is never destructive, but constructive. India's strength has never been used to spread boundaries and be expansionist. We go to win over the world but not defeat anyone...There is need that India should be a country that should lead the world," he also said.

The compendium highlights key events in the life of Upadhyay and the journey of the Jana Sangh and of the country, including watershed events like the 1965 Indo- Pakistan war, the Tashkent Agreement and Goa's liberation.

The collection collated from varied sources contains writings, speeches, intellectual discourses and dialogues of Upadhyay, who pioneered the philosophy of integral humanism.

The volumes are dedicated to 15 personalities including Syama Prasad Mookerjee. The penultimate volume relates to the events leading upto the murder of Upadhyay soon after he became Jana Sangh chief in 1967.

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News Network
March 17,2024

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New Delhi: The Election Commission on Sunday made public fresh data on electoral bonds, which it had submitted in sealed covers to the Supreme Court and was later asked to put it in public domain.

These details are believed to be pertaining to the period before April 12, 2019. Electoral bond details after this date was made public by the poll panel last week.

The BJP encashed electoral bonds totalling Rs 6,986.5 crore; maximum Rs 2,555 crore received in 2019-20, as per the EC data.

The Trinamool Congress received Rs 1,397 crore through electoral bonds, second largest recipient after BJP, as per the EC data.

On the other hand, the Congress redeemed a total of Rs 1,334.35 crore through electoral bonds.

DMK received Rs 656.5 crore through electoral bonds, including Rs 509 crore from lottery king Santiago Martin's Future Gaming.

BJD encashed electoral bonds worth Rs 944.5 crore, YSR Congress Rs 442.8 crore, TDP Rs 181.35 crore.

Political parties had filed data on electoral bonds in sealed cover as directed by the Supreme Court's interim order dated April 12, 2019, the poll panel said in a statement.

"Data so received from political parties was deposited in the Supreme Court without opening sealed covers. In pursuance of the Supreme Court's order dated March 15, 2024, the Registry of the Supreme Court has returned physical copies along with a digitized record of the same in a pen drive in sealed cover. The Election Commission of India has today uploaded the data received in the digitized form from the registry of the Supreme Court on electoral bonds on its website," EC said.

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News Network
March 7,2024

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Thiruvananthapuram: Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of late Congress leader and former Kerala Chief Minister K Karunakaran, is joining the BJP.

Amidst rumours in this regard, Padmaja told a news channel that neglect from Congress leadership and attraction towards Narendra Modi's leadership led her to take the decision to join the BJP.

She is scheduled to formally join the party today itself.

Congress is already facing much embarrassment over many leaders and workers joining the BJP. Senior leader A K Antony's son Anil Antony, who joined the BJP last year, is now contesting as the BJP candidate at Pathanamthitta in Kerala.

Padmaja's elder brother K Muraleedharan, who is Congress MP from Vadakara in Kozhikode, told reporters that his sister ditched the Congress despite the hardships faced by their father in building up the party in Kerala.

Karunakaran, who died in 2010, is still popularly known as 'leader' in Kerala. He served as Chief Minister for four terms and also as a union minister.

Padmaja, who is a member of Congress Political Affairs Committee in Kerala, contested twice in assembly polls and once in Lok Sabha polls, but got defeated in all.

Padmaja alleged that a section in the Congress itself worked for her defeat in 2021 assembly polls in Thrissur. Even as she complained to party leadership in this regard there was no action taken, she said.

Sources said that Padmaja was expecting a Rajya Sabha seat, which was not considered by the Congress. She was also unhappy that the work on the Karunakaran Foundation building in Thiruvananthapuram was getting delayed

CPM has been campaigning that Congress and BJP are two sides of the same coin as many Congress leaders are joining the BJP.

CPM state secretary M V Govindan said that many Congress leaders in Kerala would be joining the BJP in due course and that could be the reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently expressed hopes that BJP will win double digit number of seats in Kerala this time.

Padmaja is based in Thrissur and hence her decision to join the BJP could be a boost to BJP's hopes of winning the Thrissur Lok Sabha seat where actor-turned politician Suresh Gopi is in the fray.

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News Network
March 16,2024

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Budget carrier Air India Express has launched a new fare family, offering travelers the option to save on flight tickets by traveling light, with an increased baggage allowance of up to 40kg or no check-in luggage at all.

The new fare categories, applicable to flights to and from the UAE and other international destinations, are:

•    Xpress Lite
•    Xpress Value
•    Xpress Flex
•    Xpress Biz

Xpress Lite offers cabin baggage-only fares, making it the most economical option for passengers traveling with the airline.

Xpress Value fare includes 15 kg check-in bag fares, while Xpress Flex offers unlimited changes with no change fees. Xpress Biz features business class seats, complimentary meals, and priority services.

A subsidiary of Air India and a part of Tata Group, the airline introduced Xpress Lite on February 20 for UAE passengers who prefer traveling without check-in baggage.

Xpress Biz fares are accessible on all the new Air India Express Boeing 737-8 aircraft. Travelers can benefit from increased baggage allowances of 25kg for domestic flights and 40kg for international flights when booking Xpress Biz fares. This fare offers priority check-in, baggage, and boarding services.

Air India Express is already operating aircraft with Biz seats across 70-plus routes in India.

In a previous interview with a news channel Aloke Singh, managing director of Air India Express, stated that the carrier was looking to increase capacity to the Gulf region, including the UAE, as well as to provide better connectivity to Gulf travelers.
 

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