Kicking off Uttar Pradesh poll campaign, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Saturday took a dig at infighting in the Mulayam Singh Yadav family and targeted the ruling Samajwadi Party as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party, saying neither party is bothered about development of the state.
'We should hope and pray that the PM's sentiment is not held ransom by machinations and craftiness of a few junior babus who throw in an imaginary impediment at every welfare measure and snigger and giggle at the sidelines every time a soldier is ill at ease,' says Major Navdeep Singh on the one rank one pension debate.
The finance minister may stagger some of the recommendations.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has asked the Indian Air Force to focus on safety and conservation of available resources as he interacted with top commanders in New Delhi just days after India decided to buy 36 Rafale jets.
The Budget has to provide for capex on roads, railways, defence and other infrastructure sectors.
Home and kitchen appliances, electronic products, apparel and B-segment cars stand to gain.
"Won't you vote out a government which sullied the reputation of the abode of God," the prime minister said.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday said the behaviour of war veterans protesting the notification on OROP scheme is "unlike that of a soldier".
In one of his longest speeches, All India Congress Committee vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday tore into the Bharatiya Janata Party's poll manifesto. The BJP's manifesto was released on April 7 when the first phase polling of Lok Sabha 2014 had already begun. Shahnawaz Akhtar reports
'Jaitley was one of the earliest politicians to sense the changing political scenario in Delhi. He had closely watched the rise of the BJP and declining fortunes of the Congress party during the L K Advani era. But it was between 2009 and 2014 as the Leader of the Opposition that he began to read the tea leaves. 'And thus it was that he introduced Modi-Amit Shah duo to Lutyens Delhi,' says senior journalist R Rajagopalan who had known Jaitley since 1975.
'The travesty of recent Indian strategic thought is it emerges not from our brains, but from whatever part of the anatomy that secretes the prickliest hormones,' says Shekhar Gupta.
The video clips showed some terrorists being killed, besides destruction of bunkers and other military constructions.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to deliver his third Independence Day speech on August 15, he is inviting ideas from citizens on issues he should speak on
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi govt must take measures to prevent widening of fiscal deficit.
The results will be seen as a virtual referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity after his demonetisation decision.
Modi invoked Lord Shiva on Mahashivratri and said people, with their third eye, can see what is good for them and what is bad.
Capex for next year expected to be up 25% to Rs 3 lakh crore
Modi govt faces extra spending burden due to policies like 7th Pay Commission and OROP
In a blistering attack on Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi on Monday dubbed the Gujarat model propagated by Modi as a 'toffee model', saying it has only benefited one industrialist in the state, ignoring the interests of farmers and the poor.
For the second successive year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with troops on Wednesday, saying the world looks at India with respect because of their valour and "character", in comments that come against the backdrop of protests by several veterans over OROP.
"I urge the PM once again: soldiers should not have to struggle to claim what is their due. OROP must be implemented in a meaningful way! My heartfelt condolences to the family of Subedar Ram Kishan Grewal. Extremely sad to learn of his death," the Congress vice president said.
Welcoming the government's decision to implement One Rank One Pension, agitating ex-servicemen on Sunday announced withdrawal of their hunger strike, but decided to continue their protest till all the "sticky" issues are resolved.
The Deadlock over 'One rank, One Pension' persisted on Thursday with agitating ex-servicemen accusing the government of "constantly shifting goalpost" and "wasting time" even as a fresh round of back-channel talks were held.
Thousands of ex-servicemen across the country on Sunday converged at Delhi's Jantar Mantar to protest over the delay in implementation of the 'One Rank, One Pension' scheme.
'An expanding army, rising salaries due to the 7th pay commission, and raised pensions due to OROP are consuming money at the cost of badly needed bulletproof jackets, rifles, artillery, submarines, warships and fighter aircraft,' notes Ajai Shukla.
The opposition, while not directly stalling Parliament, will insist all legislation goes to standing committees, delaying implementation.
'This letter is not a complaint, it's more indignation, because we do not like being used as political tools by people of various parties.'
Most, save Jaitley and Venkaiah Naidu, were silent on Bihar polls; it was business as usual for the PM.
The RSS chief's comment that if war broke out, the military would not be ready for at least six to seven months is correct as it faces a shortfall in training and alertness and an even greater lack of funds for defence preparedness, notes Ajai Shukla.
Stepping in to pacify agitating ex-servicemen over the 'One Rank One Pension' issue, Prime Minister's Office on Tuesday held talks with representatives of the protesters who have agreed not to escalate their agitation for next 10 days.
The markets gained nearly 7 per cent in the 4 trading sessions of March.
The higher salaries and pension outgo will be equivalent to about one per cent of the GDP.
Last week, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said buying 90 less Rafale fighter jets than the 126 planned earlier would save him money to buy more Tejas Light Combat Aircraft for the India Air Force.
On V K Singh branding the deceased as a Congress worker, he said all leaders must be 'sensitive' to the suicide.
The Opposition members charged the Governor with "unconstitutional" conduct after the Gauhati high court put on hold all his decision including move to advance the winter session of the assembly by a month.
'It is the government's most important duty to ensure that when war breaks out, the armed forces are absolutely ready to face the adversary -- well equipped, well trained and in high spirits,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
'We all expected Modi with the majority to tame the bureaucracy, but it is the bureaucracy that tamed him.'
With the One Rank One Pension scheme for military veterans set to be notified soon, officials of central paramilitary forces, too, may be in for good news soon as the government is to take a final decision on granting of "organised services" status to them.
Those who feel the irresistible need to express strong sentiment for our nation and its contents must consider being pro-Indian, whether this Indian be jawan, cobbler, Kashmiri, lesbian, Dalit, protester, pujari, businessman or child.
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