PM Modi Celebrates Raksha Bandhan with Children & Women’s.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today followed on Twitter 55 women, including sports and media personalities, to mark Raksha Bandhan.

These women include professional badminton doubles player Ashwini Ponnappa, tennis players Sania Mirza and Karman Kaur Thandi, athlete P T Usha, former Miss India and child rights activist Swaroop, and journalists Romana Isar Khan, Sweta Singh, Padmaja Joshi, Sheela Bhatt and Shalini Singh.

Others followed by the prime minister on the micro-blogging platform include actor Koena Mitra, weightlifter Karnam Malleswari, photo journalist Renuka Puri and some BJP members and state government ministers.

Some of those followed by Modi, thanked him and wished him on Raksha Bandhan.

Sources in the government said the prime minister followed them on Twitter to mark the festival.

The prime minister follows 2,000 people on his personal Twitter handle @narendramodi and is followed by 43.7 million people.

His official Twitter handle @PMOIndia follows 438 people, including world leaders. The official account is followed by 26.9 million people.

Article Source : BS

Modi in London: Khalistani elements tear Indian flag; Pak hits out at PM

The Karnataka Assembly polls also flavoured Modi's interaction at 'Bharat Ki Baat' when the prime minister highlighted the contributions of 12th-century Lingayat philosopher Basaveshwara

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a series of bilateral meetings including discussions with Seychelles President Danny Faure and his Mauritius counterpart Pravind Kumar Jugnauth on the sidelines of the multilateral Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). "Friend in an extended neighbourhood! PM @narendramodi and President of Seychelles, Danny Faure met on the sidelines of #CHOGM18 and discussed cooperation in areas of trade and investment and other bilateral issues," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. The bilateral talks between Faure and Modi assumes significance after Seychelles ordered an inquiry into the leak of a highly classified agreement signed with India to develop infrastructure on Assumption Island, which lies southwest of the mainland of Mahe.

The opposition in Seychelles has decided not to ratify the pact because of Assumption's relative proximity to Aldabra atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is home to the world's largest population of giant tortoises. Cementing close friendship with Mauritius, Prime Minister Modi met his Mauritius counterpart Jugnauth and talked about cooperation in trade and investment, maritime cooperation and people-to-people ties, Kumar said. The "pull-aside meetings" with world leaders included an interaction with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, Gambian President Adama Barrow, Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, St. Lucia Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Rick Houenipwela.

At the end of the retreat, Modi will head back to India after a brief stop for his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Thursday rejected Modi's remarks on the 'surgical strikes' across the Line of Control in 2016 as fake, saying "repeating a lie doesn't turn it into the truth." Speaking at the 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme in London yesterday, Modi had said India waited to inform Pakistan about the operation before disclosing it to the media and the people.

"I said before India gets to know, we should call Pakistan and tell them. We were calling them since 11 AM but they were scared to come on phone, at 12 we spoke to them and then told the Indian media," Modi had said.

Here are the top 10 developments around Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to London, 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme, and his itinerary for today: (more)

Tripura elections 2018: Modi says Cong, CPI-M have secret pact - 10 points

Tripura is set to vote on February 18. The results for the Tripura Assembly elections will be announced on March 3

Tripura, is all set to witness what’s being called its biggest electoral battle of all time on February 18. The Left (CPI-M), which has been in power for 25 years comes face to face with the Right (BJP), which is pulling all the stops to colour this tiny state saffron. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed two rallies in the poll-bound state, in which he attacked the CPI-M led government for neglecting the poor. Modi claimed Congress, Left parties have 'secret pact' for Tripura polls.The results for the Tripura Assembly elections 2018 will be announced on March 3.

Here's a quick look at what PM Modi said in Thursday's rally and how the other parties plan to deal with what is famously called - the 'Modi wave'.

1. Development stalled in Tripura under red flag - Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that development has been stalled in Tripura under the communists, just as the traffic stops at red signal, and the state will progress when the 'reds' are ousted from power

"You have to stop before a red traffic signal. Even if you are in a hurry, you cannot go ahead. Similarly, the red flags of the Left Front have stopped progress in Tripura. Time to change this and usher in good governance," he said, adding "the Left will be difficult to find in Tripura after the results are declared".ALSO READ: Tripura will be the 20th state to be ruled by BJP in India, says Amit Shah

2. Democratic ideals and the Left cannot go together: Modi

Journalists are being killed in Tripura, political murders are occurring. The communist government is silent. On forming the government in Tripura, we will fully investigate political murders and punish the guilty.

3. Modi targets Manik Sarkar government

Poor people had to commit suicide because their hard earned money was looted by chit funds and some state ministers were accused of being involved. Those who are involved in the chit fund scam would not go unpunished.

4. Left sheds crocodile tears

Modi said the communist government sheds crocodile tears for labourers but did not grant them minimum wages.

He said if voted to power, his party would provide minimum wages to the labourers as per central rates, and pay salary to state employees according to the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

5. Congress, Left parties have 'secret pact' for Tripura polls

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress and Left parties of having a "secret understanding" for the February 18 Tripura Assembly polls.

"Congress and Left parties like in Kerala and West Bengal have a secret deal for the Tripura polls. To change the future of Tripura, reject the two parties and vote for BJP".

When our soldiers faced the Chinese, you hugged their envoy: Modi to Rahul

PM Modi says Gujarat poll is a contest between trust on development and dynastic politics

In a stinging attack on the Congress in poll-bound Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the upcoming Assembly election is a fight between trust on development and dynastic politics.

He was addressing a BJP rally in Kutch district's Bhuj town ahead of the first phase of the elections on December 9.

He also alluded to allegations thrown at him during the campaign by Congress leaders, including party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

"This Gujarat son has no stains in his public life. You come to the state and level baseless allegations on the son of the soil... the people of the state will not forgive you," he said.

During his campaign in the state in the last few days, Gandhi had trained his guns at the Modi-led government over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

"The Gujarat election is a contest between trust on development and dynastic politics," the prime minister said at the rally.

Taking another dig at the opposition party, which is making all-out efforts to dislodge the long-ruling BJP in Gujarat, Modi asked, "When our soldiers were standing eye-to-eye in Dokalam for 70 days, why were you hugging the Chinese ambassador."

The Prime Minister will address a series of campaign meetings on Monday and on Wednesday in Saurashtra and South Gujarat, which go to the polls on December 9.

The elections to the 182-member Gujarat Assembly will be held in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be on December 18.

Doklam standoff ends: MEA says troops begin 'disengaging'

A press statement by the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday announced the development

Troops involved in the border standoff between India and China at Doklam have begun disengaging, a press statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.

Shortly after the MEA statement, China’s Foreign Ministry said that Indian troops had withdrawn to the Indian side of the disputed border at Doklam, where the two countries’ soldiers had been locked in a standoff for more than two months, news agency Reuters reported.

Speaking at a daily news briefing, ministry spokes woman Hua Chunying said Chinese troops would continue to patrol the disputed Doklam region, the report added.

New Delhi and Beijing have reached an understanding for disengaging troops involved in the Doklam standoff, the MEA press statement said.

According to the statement, "expeditious disengagement" of border personnel at the face-off site has been agreed to and "is ongoing".

The MEA statement said that during bilateral communications, "we were able to express our views and convey our concerns and interests". It was on the basis of these communications, according to the statement, that the agreement to disengage was reached.

The People's Daily has also tweeted that India has withdrawn its troops.

The decision to disengage troops comes ahead of a crucial BRICS summit being hosted by China in September, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend.

Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a standoff since June at Doklam, located at the Sikkim section of the Bhutan-China border.

This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1987 when they faced a similar situation at Somordong Chu Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. Read more

11-year-old Pakistani girl writes to Modi, asks him to take steps towards peace, friendship

Aqeedat Naveed congratulated Modi on UP poll victory

Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) historic mandate in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections, an eleven year old Pakistani school girl wrote to him saying that he should now focus towards winning more hearts of Indians and Pakistanis alike, by becoming a bridge of peace between the two nations.

In her letter, Aqeedat Naveed highlighted the need for peace between India and Pakistan, and said that Prime Minister Modi can help speed up the process, reports DunyaNews.

"Once my father told me that winning of hearts is a marvelous job. Perhaps you have won the hearts of Indian people, therefore you won the election in UP. But I must tell you if you want to win more Indian and Pakistani hearts, you should take steps towards friendship and peace. Both countries need good relation. Let's make a peace bridge between India and Pakistan. Let's decide that we will not buy bullets, will buy books. We will not buy the guns, will buy the medicine for the poor people," Aqeedat wrote in the two-page letter.

Also Read : Congress debacle in UP raises questions about Rahul Gandhi's elevation to party chief

She further emphasised that the choice between peace and conflict lies open for both the nations, and signed off by congratulating the prime minister for the UP polls victory.

The fifth grader, who hails from Lahore, had earlier written a letter to Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj as well on the matter of peace and has also received several responses from officials in New Delhi. 

PAC may summon PM Modi over cash ban issue if RBI's reply not satisfactory

PAC meeting to discuss issue of demonetisation has been called on January 20

Breaking News : The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament can call Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of demonetisation if it is not satisfied with the answers given by top finance ministry officials and the RBI Governor Urjit Patel, to whom a detailed questionnaire has been sent.

A PAC meeting on this issue has been called on January 20th, in which the RBI Governor Urjit Patel, Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa and Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das will be present.

"We have not yet received answers to the questions we have sent to them. They will reply few days before the January 20th meeting. Their replies will be discussed in detail," PAC Chairman and senior Congress leader K V Thomas told PTI.

Asked if the PAC would call the Prime Minister if replies were not satisfactory, he said: "The committee has all right to call anybody involved in the matter. But that will depend on the outcome of the January 20th meeting. We can call PM on demonetisation issue if members unanimously decide."

In a meeting with the PM after demonetisation announcement made on November 8, Thomas said, "I had met him and he said that the situation will be normal after 50 days by December-end. But it does not looks like."(more)

PM Modi says those killed in Kashmir violence 'part of us', emphasises dialogue

PM Modi says those killed in Kashmir violence 'part of us', emphasises dialogue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed "deep pain" and concern over the prevailing situation in Kashmir Valley and emphasised on the need for dialogue to find a lasting solution within the framework of the Constitution.

He told a delegation of opposition leaders of Jammu and Kashmir that those who lost their lives during the recent disturbances are a "part of us" and it is a matter of "distress" whether the lives lost are of "our youth, security personnel or police," official sources said.

The Prime Minister said his government stands with the state of Jammu and Kashmir and suggested that all political parties should reach out to the people and convey the same.

During the meeting with the delegation led by former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Prime Minister expressed "deep concern and pain" at the prevailing situation in the state and appealed for restoration of normalcy in the Valley which has been witnessing unrest for the last 44 days.(more)