It is Congress which sows and spews poison, retorts Modi

February 2, 2014

Meerut(UP), Feb 2: Narendra Modi today hit back at Sonia Gandhi over her 'zeher ki kheti' barb saying it is the Congress which spews poison and reaps the harvest out of it with its divisive politics.

"Sonia Gandhi has told Rahul that power is poison. Who has been in power for most of the time during the last 60 years?.. In whose stomach has this poison gone? Who is spewing this poison? Who is harvesting the poison? They (Congress) are the ones who sow the seeds of poison," the BJP prime ministerial candidate said at a rally here.

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He said the country is seeking answers from Congress to its issues but its replies are wayward."People are asking Sonia Gandhi why farmers are committing suicide, her reply is people are sowing seeds of poison."

Modi's counter-attack came a day after Sonia Gandhi at a rally in Karnataka accused Modi and BJP of indulging in divisive politics by "sowing seeds of poison" (zeher ki kheti) and instigating violence in their "hunger" for power.

In his 50-minute speech, Modi attacked the Congress, ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh and the AAP government in Dehi and sought a mandate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections by projecting himself as 'chowkidar' who will guard public funds.

The BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate said that he had made Gujarat free of riots and would make UP also riot-free if his government is voted to power.

Accusing Congress of driving a wedge between states and communities, Modi referred to the Telangana issue and said that the entire Andhra Pradesh is engulfed in the fire started by the manner in which the Congress had handled the issue.

"It is because they are following a police of divide and rule. You keep sowing seeds of poison and destroying the country."

He compared it with the creation of states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government and said that at that time celebrations had taken place.

Referring to the recent incidents in Delhi, Modi said what had happened in the capital of late was not good. "The kind of incidents which are happening, the kind of language being used... India's head has lowered in shame.

"Some days back a woman from Africa was insulted," he said referring to the alleged raid by Delhi's Law Minister Somnath Bharti at her residence. Taking on AAP, which is being seen as a potential spoiler for BJP in Lok Sabha election, Modi said the recent "humiliation" of the African woman by its government in Delhi brought "disgrace" to India globally.

Citing the recent murder of an Arunachal Pradesh student "under the nose of Sonia Gandhi" and the reported beating of a Manipur girl in the capital, Modi said such incidents have dented the image of Delhi and India.

"In Delhi, one son of Arunachal was killed under your nose Sonia ji. It is a serious matter. I want to tell people in Delhi and country that you should be proud of people from Arunachal who have stood up to China... They greet each other saying 'jai hind'.

"We should see Delhi as a global city," he said. Delhi should be seen as a global city, Modi said, adding that big cities should have hostels for students from the northeast states. Modi also used Rahul Gandhi's comments-- that his mother had told him that "power was poison"-- to target the Congress president.

In his speech, Modi also accused Congress of deliberately not doing enough to mark the 150th anniversary of India's first war of Independence-- 1857-- which had been sparked off from Meerut.

He claimed that Congress wanted to propagate a narrative as per which only the party made sacrifices during the freedom struggle and the role of others is ignored.

Taking on Samajwadi Party, whom he called 'Samaj virodhi' (anti-people) party, Modi said law and order had deteriorated during its regime. He said that the graph of crime against women had risen in the last one year. "Women are scared of leaving homes. Mulayam Singh ji, Akhilesh ji leave politics aside and atleast ensure that the women can live with honour," he said.

Modi said that every week there is some riot or another in Meerut. He said around ten years back, Gujarat also experienced a similar situation. "People of the state decided to live in peace and harmony and get rid of vote-bank politics. Because of this Gujarat is riot free and developing," he said and claimed BJP could make UP riot-free.

Modi said that SP should compete with him on development issues like law and order, welfare and farmers instead of comparing in holding rallies. "Mulayam Singh Yadav had said that his government's public welfare budget is more than Gujarat's. Where these funds went?" Modi asked.

Referring to RLD leader Ajit Singh who belongs to Western UP, Modi said despite the fact that he is Civil Aviation minister from the area, it is not getting an Airport.

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News Network
December 6,2025

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With IndiGo flight disruptions impacting thousands of passengers, the airline on Saturday said that it will offer full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests for travel bookings between December 5, 2025 and December 15, 2025.

Earlier in the day, the civil aviation ministry had directed the airline to complete the ticket refund process for the cancelled flights by Sunday evening, as well as ensure baggage separated from the travellers are delivered in the next two days.

In a post on X, titled 'No questions asked', IndiGo wrote, "In response to recent events, all refunds for your cancellations will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment."

"We are deeply sorry for the hardships caused," it further added.

Several passengers, however, complained of not getting full refund as promised by the airline.

Netizens have shared screenchots of getting charged for airline cancellation fee and convenience fee.

"Please tell me why u have did this airline cancellation charges when u say full amount will be refunded (sic)," a user wrote sharing a screenshot of the refund page.

"Well, but you have still debited the convenience charges," wrote another.

Passengers have also raised concerns about the "cancel" option being disabled on the IndiGo app. "First enable the 'Cancel' button on your App & offer full refund on tickets cancelled by customers between the said dates," wrote a user.

A day after the country's largest airline, IndiGo, cancelled more than 1,000 flights and caused disruptions for the fifth day on Saturday, the ministry said that any delay or non-compliance in refund processing will invite immediate regulatory action.

The refund process for all cancelled or disrupted flights must be completed by 8 pm on Sunday, the ministry said in a statement.

"Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations," it said.

On Saturday, more than 400 flights were cancelled at various airports.

IndiGo has also been instructed to set up dedicated passenger support and refund facilitation cells.

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News Network
December 6,2025

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New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with the Prime Minister outlining an eight-point vision covering key areas of cooperation.

Describing the meeting as “productive”, PM Modi said he shared a roadmap focused on trade and economy, fertilisers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical and strategic minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised King Abdullah II’s personal commitment to advancing India–Jordan relations, particularly as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

“Held productive discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II in Amman. His personal commitment towards vibrant India-Jordan relations is noteworthy. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Modi said.

The meeting took place at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation, fertilisers and agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, and heritage.

The MEA said both leaders reaffirmed their united stand against terrorism.

PM Modi arrived in Amman earlier on Monday and was received by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who accorded him a formal welcome. Following the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties.

Jordan is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation tour. From Amman, the Prime Minister will travel to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking his first official visit to the African nation. The tour will conclude with a visit to Oman.

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