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Wed, 21 June 2023
India raises human rights, hate crime issues in US
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23:46 India raises human rights, hate crime issues in US
India has raised its concerns about human rights and religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States, a senior Biden administration official said on Wednesday, asserting that it's vital for America's national security that the US engages a rising India.
"It is vital for America's national security and economic prosperity that we engage a rising India. At the same time, as a genuine partner and friend of India, we speak honestly and constructively about our areas of difference. India certainly does that with us," the official told a group of reporters in Washington, DC.
"They have raised concerns about human rights and religiously motivated hate crimes here in the United States. We have also raised our human rights and religious freedom concerns regularly with senior government officials (in India). We do this in an atmosphere of mutual respect, the official said.
The official said that India is a true democracy with a vibrant civil society, a free press and an independent judiciary.
"It is equally important as a partner of India that we support all of these pillars of Indian democracy. To that end, we regularly meet with civil society and journalists, including during Secretary Blinken's recent visit to
India in March and over the past several weeks ahead of Prime Minister Modi's visit to Washington," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the visit.
"We have had at every level, including the highest levels, discussions about human rights. Those are frank and constructive discussions," said the official in response to a question.
According to the official, the US is able to have serious discussions with Indians through a whole range of issues including through the global issues forum, which they had last December in Washington.
Responding to a question, the official said: "You will see tomorrow is a real vote of confidence for this relationship and for India's capacity as a defense manufacturer." -- PTI
23:24 Full-page ad in WaPo highlights attacks on press in India
If you think Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first state visit to the US is all about encomiums, testimonials from officials high and low, and gushing public welcome, you have another think coming.
We know that a group of American lawmakers have written to United States President Joe Biden, asking him to raise directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi "areas of concern", like the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organisations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access".
We've also been told that President Biden, mindful of India's importance in America's emerging scheme of things in the Asia-Pacific, will not "lecture' Modi on any of the topics mentioned above.
And now, the Committee to Protect Journalists and partner organisations have joined in, by taking out a full-page advertisement (image alongside) in the Washington Post highlighting the press freedom crisis in India ahead of Prime Minister Modi's official state visit to the US begins.
23:10 Biden to raise rights concerns with Modi, but...: US NSA
President Joe Biden is likely to raise United States concerns about human rights during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi but he will not "lecture" the Indian leader on the issue, a top American official said on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Modi will hold high-level talks with President Biden on Thursday during which the two leaders would discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday indicated that President Biden would raise his concerns on human rights with Modi.
"We do so publicly. We do so privately. We do so in a way where we don't seek to lecture or assert that we don't have challenges ourselves....And that will be the nature of the conversations that take place here over the course of the next couple of days," he was quoted as saying by the US media.
On Wednesday, a senior State Department official said the US has had at every level, including the highest levels, frank and constructive discussions about the human rights issue.
"As a genuine partner and friend in India, we speak (honestly) and constructively about our differences. We have raised our human rights and religious freedom concerns regularly to senior government officials. We do this in an atmosphere of mutual respect. It's important that we support all pillars of Indian democracy - to that end, we regularly meet with civil society and journalists," the official said on condition of anonymity.
On Tuesday, a group of American lawmakers wrote to President Biden, asking him to raise directly with Prime Minister Modi "areas of concern" and discuss with him the full range of issues important to a successful, strong, and long-term relationship between the two countries.
"As longtime supporters of a strong US-India relationship, we also believe that friends can and should discuss their differences in an honest and forthright way," read the letter signed by 75 lawmakers, including Indian-American lawmaker Pramila Jayapal.
"That is why we respectfully request that - in addition to the many areas of shared interests between India and the US - you also raise directly with Prime Minister Modi areas of concern," the letter read.
23:04 Manipur crisis: Shah calls all-party meet on June 24
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur which has witnessed sporadic violence since May 3.
"Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah has convened an all party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur," a home ministry spokesperson tweeted.
The announcement came after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met the home minister here this evening.
Sarma is also the convenor of the NDA's Northeast chapter NEDA (North-East Democratic Alliance).
He had also visited Imphal a fortnight ago and met Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh and a number of political leaders.
Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured.
Amit Shah had also visited the state for four days last last month and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. -- PTI
23:03 Sylvester daCunha, creator of iconic 'Amul girl' campaign, passes away
Advertising industry veteran Sylvester daCunha, the creator of the iconic 'Amul Girl' campaign that started in the 1960s, has died, the Gujarat-based milk cooperative that owns the dairy brand said on Wednesday.
"Very sorry to inform about the sad demise of Shri Sylvester daCunha, chairman of daCunha Communications last night (Tuesday) at Mumbai," said Jayen Mehta, managing director of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).
Sylvester daCunha conceived the 'Utterly Butterly' campaign for Amul, the brand owned by GCMMF, in 1966 which introduced the 'Amul Girl' to the world which continues even today.
Rahul daCunha, Sylvester daCunha's son, is now at the helm of the advertising agency started by his father.
Tributes for Sylvester daCunha poured in with senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh recalling that Amul's iconic leader V Kurien had acknowledged his creative genius.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien termed Sylvester daCunha as an advertising legend in a condolence message shared on the microblogging site Twitter. -- PTI
22:55 Modi arrives in Washington on 2nd leg of US visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington, DC, on Wednesday on the second leg of his maiden state visit to the US during which he will hold bilateral talks with President Joe Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress.
Modi arrived from New York, where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities.
The prime minister, who is visiting the US at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, will join them for the state banquet along with a number of dignitaries on Thursday.
In Washington, Modi will also meet business leaders and interact with the Indian community.
22:06 Ram Mandir may open for devotees on Jan 24 next year
Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is likely to open for devotees on January 24 next year after the consecration of Ram Lalla idol which will be a 10-day ritual starting January 14, chairman of temple construction committee Nripendra Mishra said on Wednesday.
The ground floor work of the three-storey Ram temple has been completed, Mishra said, adding the temple Trust has decided to start the process of the consecration of Ram Lalla on Makar Sankranti (January 14).
"Between January 14 and January 24, a 10-day ritual of Ram Lalla's 'pran pratishtha' (consecration) will be observed," Mishra told reporters here.
The temple Trust has got some auspicious days from astrologers for the consecration process. Sources in the Trust said that the astrologers have given the dates of 21, 22, 24 and 25 January as auspicious days.
The idol of Ram Lalla may be consecrated on January 22, as it is said to be the best date, the sources said.
Authorities of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the consecration ceremony during which the idol of Ram Lalla will be installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Trust general secretary Champat Rai said that a request letter signed by Trust president Mahant Nritya Gopal Das will be sent to the prime minister.
"As no date has been fixed for the consecration of the idol, the PM will be asked to give his permission regarding any favourable date between December 2023 and January 26, 2024,� Rai told reporters.
Mishra said that the main door of the sanctum sanctorum and the 161 feet high peak of the temple will be covered with gold.
According to Trust general secretary Rai, three sculptors are working on three types of stones to carve idols of Ram Lalla and the most attractive idol will be selected for installation at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
Sculptors Ganesh Bhatt and Arun Yogiraj are working on different stones from Karnataka while Satya Narayan Pandey from Rajasthan is working on the best quality Makrana marble.
The three sculptors are working at three different places of Ayodhya under tight security and no outsiders are allowed to enter their workshops, Rai said. -- PTI
21:52 US supports India's rise as great power: Official
The United States supports India's rise as a great power, and this will be central to ensuring American interests in the years ahead, a senior State Department official said on Wednesday, on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-level talks with President Joe Biden at the White House.
Underlining that India and the US see each other as key security partners in the Indo-Pacific and partners of first resort, the official said that the bilateral relationship "is deeper and more expansive than ever."
"The US supports India's rise as a great power, and this will be central to ensuring US interests in the years ahead," said the official on condition of anonymity.
The official said that some "exciting announcements" are expected on space exploration during Prime Minister Modi's visit, besides business, education and travel cooperation.
When asked about some of the industrial packages that might be announced after Modi-Biden talks, the official said, "I don't want to get ahead of the announcements that will be made tomorrow, but some of the technology we're discussing, I hope that you'll see tomorrow, is a real vote of confidence for this relationship and India's capacity as a defence manufacturer. What you will hear tomorrow are announcements about (co-production) of military systems."
On India's reliance on Russian arms, the official said, "In 2008 we had essentially sold nothing to India; but in 2020 that was USD 20 billion, and it's rising exponentially every year. We're not alone - many other partners are working in India, increasingly on the same terms we are - co-production and co-development. At the same time, you see cancellations of major systems from Russia because (we know) Russia cannot provide it."
The official said that India is in the process of diversifying its dependence on any (single) supplier.
When asked about the Ukraine conflict and whether India can play the role of a mediator, the official said that over the last several months there has been some shift on the Indian position on the war in Ukraine.
"India has a long history of relations with Russia. They have interests with Russia that go back many, many decades. I think it's a positive thing that Modi has said that this must be settled through dialogue and diplomacy.
What I think you'll also see is that, while the US and India differ on our exact policies on Russia and Ukraine, we share a belief that this must be settled through diplomacy and must end in a lasting peace according to the UN Charter and its founding principles," the official added.
Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times during which he insisted that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
Answering a question on India's purchase of discounted oil from Russia, the official said that there have been many times in the past that India has bought Russian crude at half the price. "If we as a global community are looking to deprive Russia of resources to fight its war in Ukraine - somebody is going to buy that oil, I'd rather it be someone buying it at very low prices," the official added. -- PTI
21:50 Chhetri hat-trick powers India to 4-0 win over Pakistan
Sunil Chhetri's glittering hat-trick laced India's 4-0 win over Pakistan in their SAFF Championship opener here on Wednesday as the talisman became the second-highest Asian goal-scorer in international football.
Ali Daei of Iran holds the record with 109 goals from 149 matches. Chhetri has 90 goals to his name.
From the beginning of the match itself India brought forth their experience and class into play. Pakistan had pockets of doughty resistance, but they were not a match to India's cohesion and purpose on a rain-drenched night at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium.
Chhetri had shown sparks of his old ebullient self in the Intercontinental Cup final against Lebanon at Odisha on Sunday, and the Indian skipper stepped on the pedal on his 'home turf'.
After getting a quick feel of the surface and their opponents, India started the goal rush as early as in the 10th minute through Chhetri, who netted through a fine field goal.
Six minute later, the talismanic forward doubled the lead through a penalty and at 2-0, the route which the match took was clear.
India pressed for more goals in the first half, but they could not add to the tally as Pakistan defence held their own. India too missed a couple of chances, though not easy, to pile pressure on their rivals.
However, the first-half ended in a rather disappointing note for India despite a handy 2-0 lead. An unnecessary attempt to impede a Pakistan player from taking the throw-in by coach Igor Stimac resulted in him slapped with a red card, and he had to leave the dug out for the night.
But that did not snap India's momentum in the second half. The hosts pressed forward like a giant wave in search of more goals. The big moment came in the 74th minute when India made it 3-0.
Pakistan defenders brought down Chhetri inside the box and referee Prajwal Chhetri allowed a penalty kick for India, and the Indian skipper converted it to complete his hat-trick, also putting the match beyond the grasp of Pakistan.
From that point, it was a case of India's victory margin and Udanta Singh passed more agony on the visitors with a goal in the 81st minute. Fed by a through pass by Sandesh Jhingan, Udanta made a good, speedy run down the pitch to slot the ball past Pakistan goalkeeper.
21:38 World witnessed India's cultural power at UN HQs: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said the world witnessed the power of India's culture as Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the international yoga day celebrations at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
PM Modi described Yoga as "truly universal" and "free from copyrights and patents" as he led the historic event to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by top UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities.
"A landmark day for India. The world witnessed the power of India's culture as PM @narendramodi Ji practised Yoga at the UN HQs on Yoga Day today. Modi Ji not just promoted Yoga on a global platform but reclaimed India's glory by gifting a new worldview of unity," Shah tweeted.
The home minister also said that in a remarkable achievement, yoga enthusiasts from different parts of the world created a Guinness World Record at the UN headquarters for the highest number of nationalities practising yoga together.
"The feat achieved in the presence of PM @narendramodi Ji is a perfect ode to Yoga and the spirit of India's inclusively," he said. -- PTI
21:12 7 killed in lightning strikes in West Bengal's Malda
Seven people, including three children, were killed in lightning strikes in West Bengal's Malda district on Wednesday evening, officials said.
While one person was killed in Old Malda, six people died in the Kaliachak area, they said.
The deceased were identified as Krishno Chowdhury (65), Ummey Kulsum (six), Debosree Mandal (27), Somit Mandal (10), Najrul SK (32), Robizon Bibi (54), and Esa Sarkar (eight), they added.
District Magistrate Nitin Singhania said heavy thunderstorms lashed Malda in the evening, during which seven people died.
Nine cattle were also killed in the lightning strikes, he said.
Necessary assistance was being provided to the families, Singhania said. -- PTI
20:53 Modi leaves for Washington, to meet Bidens
Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs for Washington, DC after leading the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations at the UN headquarters in New York.
In the US capital, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will receive Modi at the White House.
US First Lady Jill Biden and Modi will visit the National Science Foundation.
20:24 Wait for CBI probe: Ashwin on Odisha crash reason
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said people should wait for the CBI's primary investigation to be complete to know the reason for the triple train accident in Odisha's Balasore that left 292 people dead.
Stating that the truth needs to come out, he asked newspersons here not to "go by rumours".
"This is a very very sensitive matter. We should know the actual fact. We should know the technical root cause. Let the CBI's primary investigation to complete. After this, we will decide about future steps," Vaishnaw said.
The CBI was asked to probe into the accident, which is one of the worst crashes in the history of Indian Railways.
The accident occurred when Coromandel Express crashed into a stationary goods train, derailing most of its coaches at 7 pm on June 2. A few of those toppled over the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express which was passing by at the same time. -- PTI
19:49 'Adipurush' dialogues altered after public backlash
The makers of Adipurush, the latest adaptation of epic Ramayana facing public criticism for the poor quality of its dialogues and visual effects, have revised certain lines in the film.
The controversy-ridden film, which registered a bumper opening at the box office only to witness a major drop in collections as negative word of mouth spread on social media, is now screening in theatres with altered dialogues.
Adipurush, which was released across the country in Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Tamil on Friday, stars Prabhas as Raghav (Ram), Kriti Sanon as Janaki (Sita) and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh (Raavan).
Directed by Om Raut and produced by T-Series, big-budget multilingual saga Adipurush has been panned on social media over its poor VFX and colloquial dialogues, with dialogue writer Manoj Muntashir Shukla under fire for Lord Hanuman's dialogues in the 'Lanka Dahan' sequence, among others.
In the scene, the character of Hanuman had lines like: 'Kapada tere baap ka toh jalegi bhi tere baap ki'. It is now changed to, 'Kapda teri Lanka ka toh jalegi bhi teri Lanka'.
Shukla on Sunday announced that the makers were ready to "revise some of the dialogues" and the amended lines will be added to the film by this week.
In a long post, he also defended himself.
"I can give countless arguments in favour of my dialogues, but this will not lessen your pain. Me and the producer-director of the film have decided that we will revise some of the dialogues which are hurting you and they will be added to the film this week," Shukla said in the statement shared on his official Twitter account on Sunday.
In his statement, which he wrote in Hindi, Shukla said it is possible that in a three-hour film he may have written "something different from your imagination for 3 minutes of duration", but viewers shouldn't hurry to label him as a "Sanatan drohi".
"I wrote more than 4,000 lines as dialogues in Adipurush, some sentiments got hurt on five of those lines. In those hundreds of lines, where Shri Ram was glorified, Maa Sita's chastity was described, I was hoping to receive praise for them, which I don't know why I did not get," he added.
T-Series, the studio behind the movie which was mounted on a reported budget of Rs 500 crore, on Wednesday tweeted that the film had earned Rs 395 crore gross in five days.
But a breakdown of these official numbers show that Monday and Tuesday figures are significantly lower than what the film made on its opening weekend: Rs 140 crore on day one, followed by Rs 100 crore each on day two and three.
In contrast, Adipurush earned Rs 35 crore on Monday and Rs 20 crore (gross figures) on Tuesday.
19:19 Yoga Day event at UN creates Guinness world record
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Yoga celebration at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Wednesday created a Guinness World Record for the participation of people of most nationalities.
Modi, who is on the first leg of his maiden state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, led a historic event at the UN Headquarters here to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by top UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities.
The Yoga celebration led by Prime Minister Modi at the UN headquarters created the Guinness World Record for participation of people of most nationalities, officials said.
The prime minister, wearing a customised white yoga T-shirt and trouser, thanked people for coming here from far away to attend the celebration.
19:03 Richard Gere, NYC mayor join Modi on Yoga Day
Famed Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Iyengar yoga exponent Deidra Demens, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and prominent American singer Mary Millben were among the eminent personalities who joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a unique yoga session at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Modi, on an official state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, led a yoga session here to celebrate the 9th International Day of Yoga.
Earlier, in a video message, Modi had said that 180 countries had responded to India's call for celebrating the International Day of Yoga every year.
"When the proposal for Yoga Day came to the United Nations General Assembly in 2014, it was supported by a record number of countries," the prime minister said.
Among the prominent personalities who joined Modi for a yoga session at the UN headquarters were Csaba Korosi, a Hungarian diplomat currently serving as the President of the 77th UN General Assembly, and Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the UN and Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group.
Actor Gere, who attended the event, is also an advocate for human rights in Tibet and a co-founder of the Tibet House, US, and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the International Campaign for Tibet.
Also performing breathing exercises at the event were Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Evangelist at Salesforce; Jay Shetty, award-winning storyteller, podcaster, and former monk; Vikas Khanna, Indian chef and restaurateur; Mike Hayes, Chief Operating Officer of VM Ware, a cloud computing major; and Britt Kelly Slabinski, a highly decorated US Navy SEAL officer who has served in Afghanistan and Iraq and is a currently a consultant at LeadWright Enterprise.
Francisco D'Souza, founder & CEO, Recognize, a private equity; celebrated yoga instructors Colleen Saidman Yee, Rodney Yee, Deidra Demens, and Victoria Gibbs were also present on the lawns of the UN headquarters.
Christopher Tompkins, a scholar of South and Southeast Asian Studies at Berkeley University, California; Jahnavi Harrison, a British musician known for her mantra meditation music (kirtan); Kenneth Lee, community health chaplain at University Hospital, Newark; Travis Mills, a war veteran who lost all four limbs in Afghanistan and promotes yoga, meditation also performed yoga with Modi.
18:35 Modi leads historic yoga session on UN hq lawns
"We've gathered here at the meeting point of entire humanity. I am delighted to see you all and thank you all for coming.
"I am told that almost every nationality is represented here today.
"Yoga means to unite, so you are coming together is an expression of another form of yoga."
With these words, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a unique yoga session at the UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday in a historic celebration to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by top UN officials, envoys from across and the world and prominent individuals.
Modi, who is in New York on the first leg of his maiden state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, began the programme by paying respects to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the North Lawn of the UN headquarters.
he bust was installed in December last year under India's presidency of the UN Security Council.
The prime minister, wearing a especially customised white yoga T-shirts and trouser, led the celebration.
Hundreds of yellow yoga mats were placed on the ground where yoga enthusiasts and practitioners, wearing customised white yoga T-shirts, joined the event.
LED screens playing videos of Indian culture and heritage were set up at the lawn.
The historic yoga session was attended by top UN officials, ambassadors, envoys, delegates from member States as well as prominent members of the global and diaspora community.
18:15 All set for international yoga day at UN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on stage at the UN hq lawns. He will be leading the yoga day event shortly.
18:01 Modi pays tribute to Gandhi ahead of yoga at UN
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has arrived at the UN headquarters in New York to lead the yoga day event, pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
17:58 Modi reaches UN hq to lead Yoga Day event
Just in: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the UN headquarters in New York to lead the the Yoga Day event, reports CNN News 18.
Details soon.
17:36 Richard Gere arrives at UN hq for yoga day
Actor Richard Gere arrives at the UN hq in New York to take part in the yoga day event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"...It is a very nice feeling here today," he says, reports ANI on Twitter.
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17:31 Southwest monsoon may hit Mumbai by June 25
Delayed by ten days due to cyclone Biparjoy, the southwest monsoon is likely to progress further and hit Mumbai between June 23-25, the India meteorological department said on Wednesday.
SG Kamble, head of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Mumbai, said the monsoon reached coastal Ratnagiri on June 11, but it was unable to make any further progress due to cyclone Biparjoy, which made landfall near Jakhau on the Kutch coast of Gujarat last Thursday.
"Now conditions are becoming favourable for its further progress and it is likely to hit Mumbai over the weekend between June 23-25," Kamble said.
The onset date for monsoon over south Konkan is June 10 and for Mumbai is June 11.
Several parts of Maharashtra, especially the Vidarbha region, are reeling under a heatwave where temperatures have crossed over 40 degrees Celsius. -- PTI
Waiting for Modi
17:17 Richard Gere likely to attend Modi's yoga day event at UN hq
Among the dignitaries who are expected to take part in the yoga day event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the UN headquarters lawns in New York are president of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Csaba Korosi; actor Richard Gere; New York City Mayor Eric Adams; digital evangelist Vala Afshar; award-winning storyteller Jay Shetty; Indian chef and restaurateur Vikas Khanna; and Grammy award winner Ricky Kej.
17:12 Cordelia drug bust bribery: CBI questions accused Sanville D'Souza
The Central Bureau of Investigation questioned suspected middleman Sanville Adrian D'Souza for the second day in a case of alleged attempted extortion of Rs 25 crore from actor Shah Rukh Khan for bailing out his son Aryan in NCB's Cordelia drug bust case, officials said on Wednesday.
The CBI may arrest D'Souza if his responses are not found satisfactory or the investigating officer finds him evasive, they said.
D'Souza arrived on Wednesday at the CBI headquarters where he was quizzed about his interactions on the night of October 2-3, 2021, alleged negotiations over payment of Rs 25 crore with the staff of the actor, details of the token amount of Rs 50 lakh allegedly extorted, among other matters, they said.
Aryan Khan was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on October 3, 2021, a day after the NCB raid on the Cordelia cruise ship.
He was granted bail by the Bombay high court on October 28, 2021, after spending 25 days in jail.
The NCB had also dropped charges against him and recommended a probe against the then NCB Mumbai Zone Director Sameer Wankhede.
It is alleged that K P Gosavi, who was taken as an independent witness by the NCB during the raid, was allowed to give the impression as if he was an NCB officer, they said. -- PTI
Yoga mats await Modi at the UN hq
16:59 This is Modi's schedule in NY, Washington today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a series of engagements in New York and Washington on the second day of his state visit to the US.
He will take part in the following events on Wednesday:
He will lead the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations at the UN headquarters.
After that he will depart for Washington, DC.
In the US capital, Modi will attend 'Skilling for Future Event' at the National Science Foundation.
US First Lady Jill Biden and Modi will visit the National Science Foundation.
The prime minister will attend business meetings.
US First Lady Jill Biden to host media preview for state dinner.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will receive Prime Minister Modi at the White House.
Modi will have a private engagement at the White House.
US President Biden and First Lady Jill will host Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House.
16:47 Sensex hits record high today
Indian stock indices, which have been buoyant over the past several sessions, touched their all-time highs during Wednesday's trade.
The rise in domestic stocks is in tune with the global market rally and firm domestic macro fundamentals.
Sensex touched its record high of 63,588 points to later settle at 63,523 points, up 0.31 per cent. Strong fundamentals including a firm GDP outlook, moderate inflation and strong purchases by foreign investors saw the markets trading in the green.
16:12 PM's behaviour on Manipur shocking: Congress
The Congress on Wednesday said it has been 50 days since Manipur is burning and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "totally and completely failed" in his duty by choosing to deliberately ignore the violence-hit state in the time of crisis.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also accused the BJP-led government of "maximum silence, minimum governance" in Manipur.
"Let us remind ourselves amidst all the news of the Prime Minister's visit to the USA that today is the 50th consecutive day of Manipur's pain, distress and agony.
"The Prime Minister who gives 'gyaan' on so many issues has sadly not said a word on the tragedy that has engulfed the state, has not given an appointment to representatives of political parties who sought time from him, and has given no indication whatsoever that he even cares or is concerned," Ramesh wrote on Twitter.
"He has totally and completely failed his duty as the Prime Minister of India by choosing to deliberately ignore Manipur in a time of crisis. His behaviour on Manipur is most shocking and beyond comprehension," he said.
Manipur Congress spokesperson Ningombam Bupenda Meitei also asked, "How long will the ongoing turmoil in Manipur go? For months or years or decades?
"The people of Manipur have a right to be heard by the prime minister, who is constitutionally duty-bound to give answers to the people, instead of maintaining a stoic silence for 50 days," he said.
"Manipur is kept under darkness for almost 2 months continuously as the ban on internet has been extended repeatedly by the BJP govt in the state. The people of Manipur are deeply affected by the internet ban as many professionals have already left the state for internet," Meitei said in a tweet.
Leaders from 10 opposition parties in Manipur, which has been rocked by ethnic clashes, are camping in Delhi and seeking a hearing from the prime minister since June 10, but have failed to meet him so far. They have handed over a memorandum to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "The horrific violence, destruction and displacement in Manipur has now crossed 50 days. The government's silence and inaction are incomprehensible.
"Can anything have been a bigger priority in the country over the last 50 days? Where is the 'maximum governance' we were all promised?" he asked.
India is rightly proud of its tech stack and the use of the internet for so many purposes, from banking to e-governance, the former Union minister noted while asking, "Then why has it shut the Internet down in Manipur for two months, adding to the miseries of the people, with no impact on mob violence?"
"This reflexive resort to Internet shutdowns must stop. We hold a dubious world record, for the largest number and longest duration of Internet shutdowns anywhere on the planet," Tharoor said.
Intermittent firing has been reported from two places in Manipur, officials said on Wednesday. Around 15-20 rounds of automatic weapon fire were heard at 11.45 pm on Tuesday at Thangjing in Manipur East, they said. Sporadic firing was also reported from Geljang and Singda, both falling in the Kangchup area. -- PTI
Representational image
16:01 Vet kills wife, throws kids in well, hangs himself
A 42-year-old veterinary doctor allegedly killed his wife, threw his two children in a well and then died by suicide at a village in Maharashtra's Pune on Tuesday, the police said.
The incident took place in Varwand village of Daund tehsil and the veterinary doctor has been identified as Dr Atul Divekar. According to police, Divekar first strangled his wife to death at his home and then threw his son and daughter, identified as Advait and Vedanti, into a well.
Later, he returned home and died by suicide. He was found hanging at his residence on Tuesday, the police said.
On getting information, a police team reached the spot where the couple's bodies were found hanging.
Police also recovered a suicide note from the spot.
The suicide note, purportedly left behind by Atul stated that his wife's 'torture' was the reason behind his extreme actions, said police. "We are further looking into the case," the police added further.
15:46 Why is Narendra Modi so popular?
"The radio shows, sliced into short clips and blasted through his party's immense social media apparatus, accompanied by text and video, shape a persona wholly disconnected from the stoking of religious divides and the silence on sectarian violence that have marked his years in power. It is a softer Mr Modi, served up for mass consumption, that counters his more partisan rhetoric in rallies and speeches.
"This image, nurtured persistently, has made Mr Modi immensely popular at home and helped rehabilitate him abroad after he temporarily became an international pariah two decades ago, accused of human rights violations over deadly communal riots and barred from entering the United States."
Read the column in the New York Times here.
15:40 Have to follow local laws of country: Elon Musk
Twitter chief Elon Musk on Wednesday said the social media platform has no choice but to follow the local laws in any given country or risk being shut down.
Musk's comments came in response to questions regarding Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's allegations that the Indian government had threatened the social networking platform with raids if it did not take down critical content during the farmers' protests against the three farm laws.
"Twitter doesn't have a choice but to obey local governments. If we don't obey local government laws then we will get shut down," he told reporters after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York.
"The best we can do is to follow the laws in any given country," adding that it is impossible for "us to do more than that". Musk said there were different rules and regulations for different forms of governments, and "we will do our best to provide the freest speech that is possible under the law".
"One cannot just apply America to the earth," Musk said.
In a recent interview, Dorsey, who quit as Twitter CEO in 2021, claimed that during his tenure as CEO, Twitter received requests from the Indian government to block accounts covering the 2020-2021 farmers' protests and those critical of the government.
"It manifested in ways such as: 'We will shut Twitter down in India', which is a very large market for us; 'We will raid the homes of your employees', which they did; and this is India, a democratic country," Dorsey said.
15:04 Guess where rail minister Vaishnaw did yoga today?
Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday returned to Odisha's Balasore, weeks after an accident involving three trains claimed more than 200 lives earlier this month, to take part in yoga day celebrations with 7,000 people, ministry officials said.
On Tuesday, Vaishnaw, who is on a three-day visit to the state, took part in the Rath Yatra and also spent hours thanking the first responders, locals, NGOs, district administration officials and hospital staff in the Bahanaga accident.
Vaishnaw also allocated Rs 2 crore for the development of the village and the hospital. The Vande Bharat train too played a role in the International Day of Yoga celebrations with passengers on the Bhopal-Delhi-Bhopal Vande Bharat Express performing the first "yoga pranam" in tune with the rising sun, the Railways said.
The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practising yoga. Recognising its universal appeal, in December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. Union ministers and chief ministers were among the many who participated in the celebrations on Wednesday.
14:43 White House is ready to welcome Modi
As soon as you enter the White House you get a sense of the frenzied pace of preparation for Prime Minister Modi's visit, Rediff.com US Contributor Abhijit J Masih discovers on a visit to 1600, Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday morning. Read the report here.
14:35 Man who threatened to kill PM, HM, Nitish missing
Delhi Police is on the lookout for a man who rang up the police control room twice on Wednesday and threatened to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, officials said.
According to the police, the caller has been identified as Sudheer Sharma, a carpenter. The accused's son claimed that he is an alcoholic.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer) Harendra Singh said a PCR call was received at 10:46 am on Wednesday and the caller threatened to kill the Bihar chief minister if not given Rs 10 crore. The location of the caller was traced to the Nangloi area, he said.
"The caller rang up again at 10:54 am, this time threatening to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah if not given Rs 2 crore," the DCP said, adding the location was under the Paschim Vihar (East) police station.
The SHO of Paschim Vihar (East) police station and four other personnel were tasked with tracing the accused who was later identified as Sudheer Sharma, a resident of Madipur, Singh said.
The man was not in the house and his son Ankit told the police that his father is a carpenter and an alcoholic. He added that his father was drinking since early morning on Wednesday, police said.
"When Ankit was asked to talk to him over the phone, the accused responded in a very incoherent manner. Our team is trying to trace the person," the DCP said, adding further investigation was underway. PTI
Representational image
14:21 Man stabs woman multiple times, tries to drown her
A 21-year-old woman was grievously injured after her ex-boyfriend allegedly stabbed her multiple times in the city's Survey Park area, police said on Wednesday.
The man has been arrested, and the woman is fighting for life at a hospital, they said. The incident took place on Tuesday afternoon when the accused reportedly met the woman and then stabbed her following an altercation, a police officer said.
Initial probe revealed that they are from the same area, and were in a relationship for quite some time before things fell apart a couple of months back. The man asked her to meet and repeatedly stabbed her before taking the woman to a pond to drown her, the officer said. Hearing her scream, a nearby traffic sergeant came to the rescue, and with the help of locals, managed to apprehend the accused, he said. Further investigation is underway. PTI
14:00 This govt too has popularised yoga: Tharoor
With the Congress remembering India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's contribution in popularising yoga, senior party leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said 'we should also acknowledge all those who revived and popularised yoga, including our government', for internationalising the International Day of Yoga through the United Nations.
In a tweet, the Congress said, 'On International Day of Yoga, we thank Pt Nehru, who was instrumental in popularising yoga and even made it a part of national policy.'
'Let us appreciate the importance of the ancient art and philosophy in our physical and mental wellbeing and take steps to incorporate it in our lives,' the party said.
The Congress also shared a photograph of Nehru performing yoga and doing a headstand.
Tagging the Congress' tweet, Tharoor said, 'Indeed! We should also acknowledge all those who revived and popularised yoga, including our government, @PMOIndia & @MEAIndia, for internationalising International Yoga Day through the @UN.'
'As I have argued for decades, yoga is a vital part of our soft power across the world and it's great to see it recognised,' he said.
The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practising yoga.
Recognising its universal appeal, in December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. -- PTI
13:35 Potholes on Mumbai roads: Shinde blames...
About Rs 3,500 crore could have been saved had the roads of Mumbai been concretised 15 years ago, said Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday amid a call by the Shiv Sena (UBT) to hold a protest against irregularities in the BMC.
Addressing a function in Thane, Shinde said the ruling partners of Shiv Sena and BJP have initiated a programme to make Mumbai roads not only pothole-free but also concretised in two to three years. "This they could have done," he said, without naming his former leader Uddhav Thackeray, who headed the undivided Shiv Sena.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India's richest civic body, was ruled by the Shiv Sena from 1997 to 2022.
The party split last year following a rebellion by Shinde, who then joined hands with the BJP to become the CM. Uddhav Thackeray now leads the other faction -- Shiv Sena (UBT).
"We have taken up work on 450 km of roads in the first phase costing Rs 6,000 crore and another 450 km in the second phase. The same will be replicated in Thane too," said Shinde.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday announced that it will on July 1 organise a morcha outside the BMC to protest irregularities in its functioning. Notably, Shinde on Monday approved setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe "irregularities" worth Rs 12,024 crore in various works of the Mumbai civic body (when MVA was in power) flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
Arvind Kejriwal and his team with Sharad Pawar
13:17 Kejriwal on ordinance: Day not far when PM will...
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written a letter to the opposition parties to discuss the Centre's ordinance that effectively nullifies the Supreme Court order over control of services in Delhi while alleging that similar ordinances could be brought for other states too.
Kejriwal appealed to the leaders of opposition parties to discuss how to defeat the bill related to the Centre's Ordinance in Rajya Sabha in their upcoming meeting scheduled to take place in Bihar's Patna on June 23.
"On June 23, the meeting of opposition parties in Bihar should first discuss how to defeat the ordinance in Parliament," Arvind Kejriwal said in his letter dated June 20. He said, "The ordinance is an experiment, and if it is successful, the Centre will bring similar ordinances in non-BJP states and take away the right of the state government from the subjects of the Concurrent List."
"The day is not far when the Prime Minister will run all state governments through 33 governors/LG," he said in the letter. Kejriwal said that democracy will end in Delhi if the ordinance is implemented and after Delhi, it will also end in other states.
"Once the ordinance is implemented, democracy will end in Delhi, the Center will run the government through LG, and after Delhi, democracy will end in other states too," Kejriwal said in his letter.
12:49 President does yoga
President Droupadi Murmu did yoga at Rashtrapati Bhawan today to mark the 9th International Yoga Day. "Yoga is one of our civilisation's great accomplishments and India's great gift to the rest of the world. Yoga brings together the body and the mind and it is a holistic approach to life. Yoga helps us all to be in a better position to meet the increasing challenges around us. On this day, I urge everyone to adopt yoga in their daily lives and experience its transformative power," says President Droupadi Murmu.
File pic
12:48 Delhi-Gurugram expressway waterlogged, 5-km jam
Several parts of Gurugram witnessed waterlogging following heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning. The rain lashed the city at 6 am.
The waterlogging on the expressway after the rains, causing a traffic jam for up to 5 kilometers. People were highly inconvenienced as massive delays were caused, and public transport was also hindered.
A bus full of passengers was stuck in the waterlogged roads for more than an hour.
Earlier this morning, the Regional Weather Forecasting Centre (RWFC) of Delhi, predicted thunderstorm conditions with light to moderate rain and gusty winds of 30-40 kmph in some of the adjoining areas of Delhi, including Gurugram.
The RWFC provides the weather forecasts for North-West India and the Delhi NCR region.
They tweeted about rain forecasts for Gurugram from the early hours of the morning, to occur until later hours. "21/06/2023: 08:05 IST; Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain would occur over and adjoining areas of isolated places of Delhi ( Palam, IGI Airport), NCR ( Gurugram, Manesar) Farukhnagar, Sohana, Nuh (Haryana) Moradabad, Sambhal, Billari, Chandausi, Jahangirabad, Anupshahar, Bahajoi..," tweeted RWFC.
Other parts of the Delhi NCR region also received varying amounts of rainfall this morning, as they have been for the past few days.
12:08 US senate panel to push for Arunachal as part of...
A powerful senatorial committee on Wednesday is set to consider a bipartisan resolution to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India, pushing back against China's military aggression to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider the resolution for discussion on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in the city on a three-day official US state visit.
The resolution condemns additional Chinese provocations, including Beijing's use of military force to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
It slams China for the construction of villages in contested areas, publication of maps with Mandarin-language names for cities and features in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, and expansion of Beijing's territorial claims in Bhutan. -- PTI
PM with Nobel prize-winning American economist Paul Romer
11:28 US Nobel Prize winner said this after meeting PM...
Nobel prize-winning American economist Paul Romer who met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York on Tuesday (local time) commended India's model of Aadhar-based authentication saying that the country can "really show the world how to do it right."
Prime Minister Modi and the former chief economist of the World Bank discussed India's digital path, including the adoption of Aadhar and cutting-edge solutions such as Digilocker during their meeting.
They also discussed various initiatives being undertaken by India for urban development, according to a statement by the Prime Minister's office.
The Prime Minister said their "extensive conversations" focussed on leveraging technology to improve lives and the discussions involved on how to make cities more sustainable and people- friendly.
Following his meeting with Romer, PM Modi tweeted, "Glad to have met noted economist and Nobel laureate, Professor @paulmromer. We had extensive conversations on leveraging technology to improve lives. We also talked about how to make our cities more sustainable and people-friendly."
The American economist said, "It was a great meeting. We talked about the importance of successful urban development. He understands these issues very well. PM articulated it very well that urbanisation is not a problem. It's an opportunity. I take this as a slogan. India can show the way to the world on the authentication front with programs like Aadhaar."
11:19 Nilekani donates Rs 315 cr to IIT-Bombay
Nandan Nilekani, Co-Founder and Chairman of Infosys Ltd. and Founding Chairman of UIDAI, has donated Rs 315 crore to his alma mater, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. This contribution builds upon his previous grants of Rs 85 crore to IIT. The donation will be instrumental in fostering world-class infrastructure, stimulating research in emerging areas of engineering and technology, and nurturing a deep tech startup ecosystem at IIT Bombay.
TN CM Stalin met Senthil Balaji last week in hospital
11:08 Senthil Balaji undergoes bypass surgery
Arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V Senthil Balaji on Wednesday underwent a bypass surgery and was hemodynamically stable, the private hospital treating him in Chennai said.
The minister, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a cash-for-jobs scam last week, underwent a beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery in the morning, a medical bulletin issued by Kauvery Hospital said.
"He is currently hemodynamically stable and being monitored," it said. Balaji was initially admitted to a government hospital and later shifted to the private facility following a court order. PTI
10:51 Nehru was the first PM to do yoga
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweets this image saying: "This is a picture of the country's first PM doing yoga. 'The Yoga system of Patanjali is essentially a method for the discipline of the body and the mind leading up to psychic and spiritual training', Pandit Nehru in Discovery of India."
Today is International Yoga Day.
10:46 Missing Titanic sub: Plane detects noises
The US Coast Guard says a Canadian aircraft has detected underwater noises during the search for a submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic.
As a result of the noises detected by the Canadian P-3 aircraft, search efforts have been relocated. Those searches had not found anything, but are continuing. Rescuers have been racing against the clock because even under the best of circumstances the vessel could run out of oxygen by Thursday morning.
In addition to an international array of ships and planes, an underwater robot had started searching in the vicinity of the Titanic and there was a push to get salvage equipment to the scene in case the sub is found.
Three C-17 transport planes from the US military have been used to move commercial submersible and support equipment from Buffalo, New York, to St. John's, Newfoundland, to aid in the search, a spokesperson for US Air Mobility Command said. The Canadian military said it provided a patrol aircraft and two surface ships, including one that specializes in dive medicine.
10:14 US senator to push bill to add India to NATO Plus
A powerful American senator has said he plans to introduce a bill to make India part of the NATO Plus grouping that would facilitate the transfer of topmost American technology and defence equipment without much bureaucratic hassle, amid growing challenges from a rising China.
NATO Plus, currently NATO Plus 5, is a security arrangement that brings together NATO and five aligned nations -- Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel and South Korea -- to boost defence and intelligence ties.
"Senator (John) Cornyn and I, my co-chair at the (Senate) Indian Caucus will be introducing this week both as a standalone bill and as an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act, an effort to upgrade India, US defence ties," Senator Mark Warner told reporters at a news conference in Washington on Tuesday.
"What we propose is adding India to the so-called NATO plus five arrangement, where the United States is able to transfer, with this little bureaucratic interference as possible, defence equipment in a very strong way," he said.
Warner from the Democratic Party and Cornyn from the Republican Party are co-chairs of the Senate India Caucus, the only country-specific Congressional Caucus in the Senate. This current relationship is only between the United States and NATO and certain other key allies like South Korea, Australia, New Zealand.
India ending into that category strengthens our incredibly important defence ties, particularly as we both grapple with challenges in particular around China, Warner said. Chairperson of the powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Warner said this is an extraordinarily important week for US-India relations as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden.
10:03 Galaxy of ministers lead yoga day in Delhi
Delhi celebrated the International Day of Yoga on Wednesday with events across the national capital that witnessed the participation of political leaders and officials.
Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandviya and Piyush Gotal and Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena took part in yoga day events in the city.
Union Petroleum Minister Puri said in a tweet, "Yoga for 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'! Joined exponents and practitioners of yoga in a global celebration of the ancient practice of fitness at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi."
He also tweeted a 90-clip of him performing 'asanas'. In another tweet, he shared a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recorded message being screened during the event.
In the national capital, yoga day events were organised at Nehru Park, Lodhi Garden, Talkatora Garden, Kartavya Path, New Moti Bagh-IAS Residences area, Sanjay Jheel, Singapore Park and Central Park-Connaught Place.
The New Delhi Municipal Council installed LED screens at eight locations where events to celebrate the day were organised. This was the first time that yoga day was celebrated at Kartavya Path following its redevelopment and rechristening last year.
Recorded messages from Modi and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar were broadcast on LED screens at all locations. In a video message on the occasion, Modi, who is on an official State Visit to the US, said Indians have welcomed new ideas, conserved them and celebrated the country's rich diversity.
09:30 PM fan flaunts jacket with Modi pic, has 26 more
A member of the Indian diaspora in the United States was seen donning a unique Nehru jacket adorned with an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Indian diaspora gave a rousing welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon his arrival in New York on Tuesday for the first leg of his inaugural state visit to the US.
Among them was Minesh C Patel, who was seen flaunting his jacket.
Speaking to ANI, he said, "This jacket was made in 2015 during Gujarat Day... We have 26 of these (jackets) and out of these 26 (jackets) four of them are in New York today."
PM Modi, who is on a four-day visit to the US, received a rousing welcome on Tuesday from the Indian diaspora at the Hotel Lotte where he will be staying during his trip to New York.
"Bharat Mata ki Jai," slogans reverberated at the hotel as people from the Indian diaspora cheered and waved their flags seeing the Prime Minister. As people from the Indian diaspora cheered and proudly waved their flags upon seeing the Prime Minister. There was a sense of excitement among the crowd, who were eager to catch a glimpse of and interact with PM Modi during his visit. The Prime Minister also held a meeting with the Bora community in the hotel. -- ANI
09:20 While PM is in US remember Manipur...
Congress senior leader Jairam Ramesh tweets: "Let us remind ourselves amidst all the news of the Prime Minister's visit to the USA that today is the 50th consecutive day of Manipur's pain, distress and agony.
"The Prime Minister who gives gyaan on so many issues has sadly not said a word on the tragedy that has engulfed the state, has not given an appointment to representatives of political parties who sought time from him, and has given no indication whatssover that he even cares or is concerned.
"He has totally and completely failed his duty as the Prime Minister of India by choosing to deliberately ignore Manipur in a time of crisis. His behaviour on Manipur is most shocking and beyond comprehension."
09:15 PM meets sector experts in New York
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets CEOs, economists, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs, academicians, health sector experts in New York.
Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. He will celebrate the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters with the UN leadership and members of the international community.
John Kirby. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
09:05 India like US is vibrant democracy: White House
India like the United States is a vibrant democracy and the two nations are going to continue to work on their bilateral relationship, the White House said amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State Visit.
Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, who will host him at a State Dinner on June 22.
The visit also includes an address by the prime minister to the joint session of the US Congress on June 22.
He is currently in New York.
National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told a news conference in Washington, DC on Tuesday that: "Democracy is tough. We know that. We have seen it firsthand here in this country. It is tough, you have got to work at it."
"India has a vibrant democracy, and they, too, work at it. No democracy at any given point in time reaches perfection," he said.
The idea of democracy is that 'you try to become more perfect... So we are going to continue to work on this bilateral relationship between these two vibrant, relevant, strong, and influential democracies in the world to improve the relationship', Kirby said.
That means that in doing so, 'we are also going to have conversations, we can have and we need to have somewhat uncomfortable conversations with our partners and our friends and our allies', he said.
"That is what you can do when you have, when you are partners and friends and allies, is have conversations about uncomfortable issues," Kirby said.
In response to a question, Kirby said President Biden raises concerns over human rights wherever he goes around the world and whatever leaders he is speaking to.
"Human rights are a foundational element of this (Biden) administration's foreign policy, and you can certainly expect that the president will, as he always does and as you can do with friends and partners like Prime Minister Modi in India, raise our concerns about that," he said.
Kirby said the US routinely raises human rights concerns with its friends, allies, partners and even nations that it is not so friendly with.
"We are not bashful about raising those concerns, and we will continue to do that," he said. -- PTI
08:42 Ahead of leading Yoga session at UNHQ, PM says...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India has always nurtured traditions that unite, adopt and embrace, and made a fervent appeal to eliminate contradictions, hurdles and resistances through yoga.
In a video message on the occasion of the International Day of Yoga, Modi said Indians have welcomed new ideas, conserved them and celebrated the country's rich diversity.
Yoga strengthens such feelings, expands the inner vision, and connects us with that consciousness which makes us feel the unity of the living being giving a basis of love for the living being, the prime minister said.
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar led the national celebration of International Day of Yoga in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla joined the celebration on the Parliament House premises while Union ministers performed yoga exercises in different cities.
"We have to eliminate our contradictions, blockages and resistances through yoga. We have to present the spirit of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' as an example to the world," Modi said.
The prime minister is on an official State Visit to the US and will lead the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York on Wednesday.
Modi said the International Day of Yoga was special this year as researchers at India's research stations in the Arctic and Antarctica too were participating in the celebrations.
The prime minister said the idea of the 'Ocean Ring of Yoga' makes Yoga Day even more special as it is based on the mutual relation between the idea of yoga and the expanse of the ocean.
He emphasised that the participation of crores of people from all over the country and the world in this unique celebration in such a spontaneous manner shows the vastness and fame of yoga.
"The coming together of more than 180 countries on India's call is historic and unprecedented," Modi said, referring to the proposal for the International Day of Yoga that was moved in the UN General Assembly in 2014.
"What unites us is yoga," the prime minister said, adding that the propagation of yoga was an extension of the idea that the whole world is included as one family.
"Today, crores of people all over the world are doing yoga together on the theme of 'Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'," he added.
The prime minister emphasised that yoga creates a healthy and powerful society where the collective energy is manifold. -- PTI
06:27 Ganguly meets Bengal governor in Raj Bhavan
Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday paid a visit to West Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose at the Raj Bhavan, an official said.
Ganguly spent around 40 minutes at the governor's official residence, he said.
This was a courtesy meeting, the official said.
The former India cricket captain arrived at the Raj Bhavan around 5 pm, he added.
00:41 Modi to lead unique Yoga session at UNHQ on Wednesday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a unique yoga session on Wednesday in a historic celebration to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga at the UN Headquarters here that will see participation from top UN officials, envoys from across and the world and prominent individuals.
Modi will be in New York on the first leg of his US visit at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
Nine years after Prime Minister Modi first proposed from the United Nations General Assembly podium to mark International Yoga Day as an annual commemoration, the Indian leader will for the first time be at the UN Headquarters to lead the yoga session in a historic commemoration of the day.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj told PTI in an interview that the yoga celebration this year will be a very unique occasion because it was Prime Minister Modi who had given this vision and it was his leadership that ensured that June 21 every year is celebrated as International Yoga Day.
"So about nine years later, the author of that vision comes to the United Nations, she said, adding that now Yoga Day is a UN-mandated occasion. "So the coming together of the two- the visionary leader and the United Nations, I think, is in itself very unique, Kamboj said.
She said that the yoga event is generating a lot of anticipation and excitement and is very heavily subscribed. "The international element is very high. There's a lot of interest, which is in itself, I would say, a sort of attribute to yoga, this ancient Indian practice, the fact that it has transcended all borders and it has become a global phenomenon.
Kamboj added that the fact that there will be children performing yoga onstage is very unique. So altogether I think it is going to be quite a one of its kind event.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his message for Yoga Day, said yoga unites. "It unites body and mind, humanity and nature and millions of people across the globe for whom it is a source of strength, harmony and peace," he said.
"In a dangerous and divided world, the benefits of this ancient practice are particularly precious. Yoga offers a haven of calm, it can reduce anxiety and promote mental well-being. It helps us to develop discipline and patience. It connects us to our planet, which so badly needs our protection," Guterres said.
He added that yoga reveals "our common humanity, helping us to understand that despite our differences, we are one. On this International Day of Yoga, let us embrace the spirit of unity and resolve to build a better, more harmonious world for people, planet and ourselves."
The Yoga session will run from 8 to 9 am on June 21 at the expansive North Lawn in the UN Headquarters, where a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a gift from India to the UN, was installed in December last year during the country's Presidency of the UN Security Council.
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