Modi, Kejriwal nothing in front of Rahul: Lalu

December 29, 2013

Lalu
Muzaffarnagar, Dec 29: On a visit to relief camps of riot victims here, RJD chief Lalu Prasad today blamed both the BJP and the SP for the communal violence here even as he heaped praise on Rahul Gandhi, saying Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal were nothing in front of the Congress Vice President.

"Kejriwal and Modi are nothing in front of Rahul. Rahul Gandhi is Rahul Gandhi. You guys have put them (Kejriwal, Modi) on the moon. It is you, who give them publicity. What have they done so far," the RJD chief said, adding his party will tie up with the Congress for the Lok Sabha polls.

Lalu, whose visit to the area comes a week after the Congress Vice President's unannounced visit to the camps in Shamli last Sunday, echoed Rahul's views that those living in camps should go back to their villages.

"We have come here to wipe away the tears of the victims. They should go back to their homes. Government should facilitate that," Lalu told reporters.

Slamming Aam Admi Party, he said the party is doing a "drama" by renouncing facilities such as vehicles with read-beacon cars, security etc.

"AAP is talking about corruption, they themselves are corrupt, he alleged.

Training his guns on Modi and his close aide Amit Shah, whom the RJD chief described as the Gujarat Chief Minister’s "General Manager for communalising society", Lalu said, "He (Shah) is spoiling the whole atmosphere. He is ... currently their warhorse here".

"RSS, Modi and Amit Shah, who is working here (in Uttar Pradesh) are well-known for this and see the riots happened. People used to live here together but the riots happened..."Communal violence erupted in UP after Amit Shah was sent to handle the party's poll campaign here. He is spoiling the atmosphere of the state," he alleged.

He said, "The BJP is the country's enemy, we are BJP's enemy."

"The powers, which were once propagating the rumour that Lord Ganesha is consuming milk, are trying to communalise the whole society and promote both external and internal divisions. Youths are the main victims of this," he said.

Lalu is considered a popular leader among the minority community and his party RJD had been in power in Bihar for 15 years largely on the basis of MY (Muslim-Yadav) combination.

The RJD chief said, "Divisive forces and those who want to occupy the seat of Hastinapur (Delhi) have targeted Hindi states.

"I had said at a rally in Patna that people have to decide whether the country will remain united or break in the 2014 contest," he said.

Interacting with riot victims, Lalu, who is out on bail in a fodder scam case, told them that he couldn't come early as he was in jail.

"No attention was paid in the beginning to those living in the relief camps. If they were taken care of initially, the situation today would have been better," he said, adding he will be visiting the Loi camp and then will be able to tell why people are being displaced from there.

"I saw a lot of TV coverage their on the riot victims living in relief camps," he said.

Referring to SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's controversial comments that those living in camps were not riot victims but political activist, Yadav said, "It was too much and very bad...I have also heard people saying that those living in the camps are not victims"

Prasad reminded the SP chief that "minorities had voted with an open heart" for his secular government so much so that even the SP chief had not idea that his party will form a government with such a big a majority.

"Even we had no idea that they (SP) will get such a big majority," he said.

"I am not criticising anybody. But the kind of attention that should have been given in the beginning was perhaps not given to the issue (condition of riot victims) by the administration," the RJD chief said.

Asked about the statement of a senior UP official that people were not dying due to cold in relief camps, Lalu said, "All of them have gone mad. Someone else will have to pay for the kind of statements these officials have made".

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 6,2025

pilot.jpg

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.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
December 16,2025

jordan.jpg

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.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.