Mamata didi runs school of brutality, says Modi

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Claiming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had betrayed the people of West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Trinamool Congress chairperson and accused her of brutality towards political opponents.

“Mamata didi runs a school of brutality where tolabaji (extortion), cut money, syndicate and anarchy form syllabus,” Mr. Modi said, while addressing a rally in Kharagpur.

During his speech, the Prime Minister referred to the 2018 panchayat polls in the State and said that the whole world watched how the democratic rights of the people were curtailed by not allowing them to take part in elections.

“This time, Didi will not be allowed to trample on democratic rights. What the Trinamool Congress used to do in the previous election will not be allowed this time,” Mr. Modi said.

He raised slogans such as Bhoy noi, Sudu joi (No fear only victory) and Is Baar BJP Sarkar (This time, it will be a BJP government).

The Prime Minister also showered praise on State BJP president Dilip Ghosh, saying that the party was proud to have a chief like him who withstood several attacks at the hands of the Trinamool.

Mr. Modi also pointed out that about 130 of the BJP’s cadre had been killed by Trinamool workers.

Referring to Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee hailing from the State of West Bengal, the Prime Minister claimed that the BJP was the only party of Bengal in true sense.

“The DNA of the BJP has the DNA of Syama Prasad Mookerjee,” he added.

The remark by the Prime Minister is aimed to counter the campaign of the Trinamool that BJP is an outside party.

Mr. Modi also took a swipe at the Trinamool slogan Khela Hobe (The game will be played).

Didi is saying Khela Hobe. Entire Bengal is saying ‘Khela Sesh Hobe Vikas Hobe (Game over, now there will be development),” he said.

The Prime Minister said that only a double-engine government of the BJP, with the party in power in both Delhi and Bengal, could bring the State out of distress.

Targeting Trinamool leader and Ms. Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee, the Prime Minister said that while in the entire country there were attempts to ease out processes and have a single-window system, in Bengal there was another unique single-window system.

“That single-window system in Bengal is Bhaipho [nephew] window,” he said.

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AIMIM to Field 13 Candidates in Bengal; Cong CEC Meet Today

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Assembly Elections 2021 News LIVE Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing rallies in West Bengal’s Kharagpur in the morning and another rally in Assam in the afternoon on Saturday to campaign for the BJP in the two states.

The prime minister has already addressed multiple rallies in these states ahead of the elections. In Bengal the BJP has also told the Election Commission that central forces need to be present in polling booths in West Bengal and check ID cards of each voter to ensure free and fair elections.

Meanwhile, the TMC has continued to attack the BJP and the leaders who moved to the BJP. On Friday while addressing a rally in East Midnapore’s Tamluk area said, “I blindly supported him. My care towards him was blind. But now I will not tolerate it any more. No place for ‘gaddar’ (traitor). No place for ‘Mir Jafar’. We will not leave an inch to him and to any opposition candidates in any seats in Bengal.”

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Congress will not implement CAA in Assam, says Rahul Gandhi | India News – Times of India

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LAHOWAL: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Friday assured that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will not be implemented in Assam if the party is voted to power in the state in the coming Assembly poll.
It will be ensured in the state assembly that the CAA is not implemented in Assam, Gandhi told students of Lahowal College in Dibrugarh district.
“In the other states, we will stop it (CAA implementation) after we (Congress) come to power at the national level,” he said.
Asked to comment on whether BJP is mixing religion and politics, he said that the saffron party does not use religion but hatred to create divisions among different sections of the society.
“No religion has asked to use hatred. Where is it written in Hinduism that there should be ‘nafrat’ (hatred)? It is BJP that spreads hatred to divide society and wherever they do it Congress goes there to promote love, brotherhood and harmony,” he said.
In an apparent reference to the RSS, the senior Congress leader said that there is a force in Nagpur that is trying to control the entire country. But the youth of today should resist it with love and confidence as they are the future of democracy.
Twenty years ago Assam was hit by violence but after Congress came to power it ensured peace and development.
“BJP ka kaam hain todna, hamaara kaam hain jodna (BJP’s work is to divide but our job is to unite people), he said.
Gandhi said there is a direct relation between hatred and unemployment. “If hatred increases, unemployment will increase and vice versa. Can two sections of the society fighting against each other do business together? For business and employment oppurtunities to thrive, there should be harmony and brotherhood”.
He also accused the saffron party of selling off Assam’s resources to outsiders like the tea companies in the state, the Guwahati airport to the Adanis and the tea companies.
The senior Congress leader said that at present the country has a ‘Hum do, Hamare do ka Sarkar’ (a government of two with two others)- one in Parliament (apparently Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah) and two outside (Adani and Ambani likely).
“Assam’s resources and wealth must go into the pockets of the Assamese. The state must be managed in the interest of the people here”, the Congress leader said.
The erstwhile Congress government, he said, had laid the foundation for the country’s future growth, employment and development by initiating several schemes, including MGNREGA and Food Security.
“Can you name the schemes started by BJP? We had promised in Chattisgarh to waive off farm loans and we did it. We have a record of not making promises in the air. We give guarantees”, he asserted.
In Assam Congress has given ‘5 guarantees’. They are five lakh government jobs to youths in five years, upto 200 units of free electricity per household, Rs 365 daily wage to tea workers and Rs 2000 per month to housewives besides the assurance not to implement the CAA in the state, he said.
Asked by students about rising unemployment and Congress’ plans to tackle it, Gandhi said that the priority of the party if voted to power will be to first fill up vacant posts and focus on sectors like health and education for creating new jobs.
When a student questioned him about privatisation of education, Gandhi said that it is a “big problem” created by BJP. “Education should not be commercialised as it is a fundamental right. We are against the commercialisation of education”.
He said, “There are certain places for privatisation, but not in education and health where public sector has a role. We are fighting against BJP on this”, he said.
The biggest sale is taking place in the agricultural sector and its privatisation is being done through the three farm laws, he claimed.
To another question on why protesting students are being sent to jail, Gandhi said “The rulers are scared of the confidence of the youth. They are scared that if more become confident they cannot control. So the youth are sent to jail”.
When another student pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not visit Assam during floods but only during elections, the Congress leader quipped, “What can you give him during floods? So why will he visit you? But now you can give him votes, so he is visiting you.
“You can ensure that he does not come at all and stays at home by your vote. You have to save India’s democracy as you are the future of democracy. More youths should enter politics and actively participate in fighting against the wrongs”, he added.
Gandhi is on a two-day visit to the poll-bound north eastern state from Friday. He will campaign in upper Assam and will release the party’s manifesto in Guwahati on Saturday, Congress sources said.

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Yogi Adityanath on Completing 4 Years as CM

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As he completed four years at the helm of Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday listed the achievements of his government. The CM said there has been no riot in the state for the past four years. When the government first came to power, all key issues including law and order were in a shambles and corruption was rampant, he said.

Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow, at Lok Bhawan, he said, “This is the same Uttar Pradesh which was not even in the Kisan Yojana of the country four years ago. The erstwhile governments were not interested in the work started in the state in 2017. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Saubhagya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Kisan Samman Yojana…we have performed better in all such schemes.”

The CM said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh has come out of the category of BIMARU (sick) states, emerging as the biggest economy. Today UP is number two in the list of ease of doing business, he said. “We have made a very long leap,” the CM maintained.

The state has secured first place in the country in the implementation of the government’s housing scheme and toilet scheme, said the CM. “The Uttar Pradesh government also worked for the interests of farmers. Farmers became a part of politics only after 2014. The government also worked for sugarcane farmers on a large scale. Earlier no festival was celebrated peacefully in this region…in four years no disturbance has been spread in any festival. Earlier no one wanted to come to the state, but now the state is the first choice of all. The police have also been reformed in a big way in the state,” he said.

The criminals of Uttar Pradesh are hiding in other states to save their lives, asserted Yogi Adityanath. “The Uttar Pradesh government has done the job of ending the land mafia as well. We did a better job in health tourism and police reform areas as well in Uttar Pradesh. We implemented the commissioner system, established women’s helpdesk in all police stations,” he added.

The CM also said that the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme has given a new identity to the state. “1 crore 80 lakh jobs have been created by MSMEs. Under Namami Gange, the work of cleaning the Ganga was done on a large scale. Ganga is also the foundation of our economy. For the first time, the Ganga Yatra was organised in Uttar Pradesh, so that the economy can be strengthened with faith. Earlier the poor were limited to slogans; our government has run many schemes for the poor,” said the chief minister.

A lot of work has been done by his administration in the field of secondary education, Yogi Adityanath said. “The government’s work for ensuring exams without cheating is in front of everyone. We have implemented the NCERT syllabus. New universities were formed in Saharanpur, Aligarh and Azamgarh. 18 lakh students were added to the Abhyudaya free-coaching scheme of the state government,” said the CM.

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Chris Gayle thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sending Covid-19 vaccines to Jamaica | Off the field News – Times of India

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NEW DELHI: West Indies batsman Chris Gayle thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for helping Jamaica by providing COVID-19 vaccines under the Vaccine Maitri initiative.
As part of the Vaccine Maitri initiative aimed to assist countries in their fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the Made-in-India vaccines reached Jamaica last week.
“Honourable Prime Minister Modi, people of India and Government of India, I want to thank you for the donation of vaccine to Jamaica. We appreciate it, thank you so much. India I will be seeing you soon and thanks once again,” Gayle said in a video posted on Friday by the official Twitter handle of India in Jamaica.

Earlier this week, West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell expressed gratitude towards PM Modi for sending coronavirus vaccines to Jamaica.
Jamaica had also thanked India for sending 50,000 doses of coronavirus vaccines. In a tweet, Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness had said, ” I am extremely pleased to report that yesterday afternoon, we received our first shipment of 50,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine donated by the Government of India. We express our deep appreciation to the Government and people of India for this very much-needed support.”

Last week, former West Indies cricketers Vivian Richards, Richie Richardson, Jimmy Adams, and Ramnaresh Sarwan had thanked PM Modi for helping the Caribbean countries by providing Covid-19 vaccines under the Vaccine Maitri initiative.
In March, Antigua and Barbuda received 1,75,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines out of which 40,000 were donated to the country under the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative.



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Morning Digest: Roads to be freed of toll booths in a year, says Nitin Gadkari; EU drug regulator backs AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19 after safety investigation, and more

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India will implement a GPS-based toll collection system and do away with all toll booths within a year, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. He also shared details of the vehicle scrapping policy, first announced in the Union Budget for 2021-22, according to which the automobile industry in India will see a jump in turnover to ₹10 lakh crore from ₹4.5 lakh crore.

Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde agreed with advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday to urgently hear a plea by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms to stay the sale of a new set of electoral bonds on April 1, before Assembly elections in crucial States such as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

Top U.S. and Chinese officials offered sharply different views of the world on March 18 as the two sides met face-to-face for the first time since President Joe Biden took office. In unusually pointed remarks for a staid diplomatic meeting, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi took aim at each other’s policies at the start of two days of talks in Alaska.

The EU’s drug watchdog said on March 18 it is still convinced the benefits of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine outweigh the risks following an investigation into reports of blood disorders that prompted more than a dozen nations to suspend its use.

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Insurance Amendment Bill 2021 that increases the maximum foreign investment allowed in an insurance company from 49% to 74%, amid criticism from the Opposition parties on the clause enabling “control and ownership” by foreign investors.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday forbade judges from making gender stereotypical comments like “’good women are sexually chaste”, women who drink and smoke ‘ask’ for sexual advances or presume that a sexually active woman consented to rape while hearing cases of sexual offence.

Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday that climate activist Disha Ravi’s arrest was based on law and order and it is under judicial process. He added that the House should consider “should some people abuse social media internationally to defame India to promote secessionism.”

Former Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) Arvind Subramanian resigned from Ashoka University on Thursday, days after noted columnist and political commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta’s exit. In his resignation letter, Dr. Subramanian, said he had been “devastated” by “the circumstances involving the ‘resignation’ of Professor Pratap Bhanu Mehta” two days earlier.

In a major embarrassment to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two candidates announced by the party on Thursday for the Assembly polls from Kolkata have refused to contest on the party’s ticket.

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed suo motu proceedings before the Delhi High Court on the administration of COVID-19 vaccine and transferred the case to itself. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde said a similar case concerning the vaccination drive was already pending in the Supreme Court, and the case from the Delhi High Court could be heard along with it.

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to urgently hear a plea to release and protect over 150 Rohingya refugees reportedly “detained” in Jammu. Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde agreed to hear the application filed by a member of the Rohingya community, Mohammad Salimullah, represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl d’Souza, on April 25 (Thursday). Mr. Bhushan made an oral mention before the CJI for an early hearing.

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the supplementary demand for grants (second batch for 2020-21) but not before significant concerns raised by Opposition leaders on the government’s disinvestment and asset monetisation plans, and rising fuel prices.

If Ishan Kishan was unfortunate to be ruled out of the fourth T20I due to a groin strain, lady luck smiled on his replacement Suryakumar Yadav. The Mumbai cricketer, dropped for the previous outing after not having faced a ball on his debut in the second T20I, grabbed his chance and made it count.

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Assam Assembly elections | Modi, Sonowal duped Assam with lies: Surjewala

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Cong. leader says BJP spent five years in taking people for a ride with falsehood, big announcements

Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other BJP leaders had flattered the people of Assam only to deceive.

The BJP leadership spent the five years in taking the people of Assam for a ride with falsehood and big announcements made bigger with vacuum.

“They made massive announcements for the development of Assam. The outcome has been zero,” Mr. Surjewala told journalists in Guwahati.

He said Assam had taken the second spot in the country’s growth index when the Congress ruled the State five years ago, but the BJP-led alliance government pushed the State down to the 20th position.

Claiming that “Assam is now recognised as the most unsafe place for women,” the Congress leader said 80,794 cases of crime against women were registered in the State in the last three years.

“The BJP has made Assam the hub of child trafficking too. Half of such cases in the country happen in Assam,” he said, asking if the Prime Minister would care to address such issues.

Mr. Surjewala also asked the Prime Minister if he planned to implement the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) after the Assam Assembly polls.

“Modiji promised to implement the CAA in West Bengal but said his government will not implement it in Tamil Nadu. Why is he silent about Assam? Why this double standard?” he said.

The Congress general secretary also slammed Mr. Modi and Mr. Sonowal for 20 mega projects worth ₹10,860 crore that had remained in the initial stages for many years after their announcement.

“Modiji had promised to the public of Assam that 59 lakh out of 63.25 lakh rural families will get water under the Jal Jeevan Mission. But 56 lakh are still deprived of water after three years,” Mr. Surjewala reminded, also calling the “BJP bluff” on the health of women and children.

“The National Family Health Survey says 68.4% children aged 6-49 months in Assam suffered from anaemia in 2020, up from the 35% in 2015,” he said.

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Ind vs Eng 4th T20 | Suryakumar, bowlers help India buck ‘chasing’ trend and stay alive

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One-drop’s up-tempo 57 headlines batting effort which also features crucial Shreyas cameo; home side holds its nerve in wet, dewy conditions to defend a target of 186

If Ishan Kishan was unfortunate to be ruled out of the fourth T20I due to a groin strain, lady luck smiled on his replacement Suryakumar Yadav. The Mumbai cricketer, dropped for the previous outing after not having faced a ball on his debut in the second T20I, grabbed his chance and made it count.

Suryakumar’s electric 31-ball 57 was key to India’s eight-run victory, which helped the home side pull level at 2-2 in the five-match series.

The unshakable self-confidence that Suryakumar exuded came to the fore when he rocked back to pull Jofra Archer for a six in the very first ball he faced. It was a dream start to his international batting career.

Astonishing scoop

Two more maximums followed — including an astonishing scoop over fine-leg — before a questionable catch by Dawid Malan forced his dismissal.

Skipper Virat Kohli (1,5b) fell cheaply, rushing down the track to leg-spinner Adil Rashid and missing completely. Rishabh Pant (30, 23b, 4×4) and Shreyas Iyer (37, 18b, 5×4, 1×6) kept the score moving at a healthy rate, taking India to 185 for eight.

Archer finished with four for 33, his best figures in T20Is. Fellow pacer Mark Wood was all fire and bite, even if he only managed to scalp one wicket.

Roy on fire

In reply, England fought hard but paid the price for losing wickets at crucial junctures. Opener Jason Roy looked dangerous during his 27-ball 40, until a flat-batted tennis shot off Hardik Pandya landed in Suryakumar’s hands at deep mid-wicket. His opening partner Jos Buttler (9, 6b), the man-of-the-match in the third T20I, was deceived by a slower ball from Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, drafted in at the expense of Yuzvendra Chahal, showed great control and temperament. He cleaned up Malan, who attempted a reverse-sweep to a ball on leg-stump. Chahar returned to the attack to remove Jonny Bairstow, ending a dangerous 65-run stand between Bairstow and Ben Stokes.

Stokes shines

Stokes, meanwhile, kept the visitors in the hunt. He fancied his chances against spinners Washington Sundar and Chahar, tonking anything full with great power into the stands.

It took a clever spell from Shardul Thakur to turn the tide. Thakur first took out Stokes with a slower ball, slapped straight to Suryakumar at long-on. The very next ball, Eoin Morgan fell to yet another cutter. England needed 46 runs from 22 balls at this stage, leaving Sam Curran and Chris Jordan with a lot on their plate. With 23 needed off the final over, Thakur was given the ball.

A nervous Thakur conceded a six, a four and two wides, but got his act together in the final three deliveries to shut England out of the contest.

Scoreboard

INDIA
Rohit Sharma c&b Archer 12 (12b, 1×4, 1×6), K.L. Rahul c Archer b Stokes 14 (17b, 2×4), Suryakumar Yadav c Malan b Sam Curran 57 (31b, 6×4, 3×6), Virat Kohli st. Buttler b Rashid 1 (5b), Rishabh Pant b Archer 30 (23b, 4×4), Shreyas Iyer c Malan b Archer 37 (18b, 5×4, 1×6), Hardik Pandya c Stokes b Wood 11 (8b, 1×6), Shardul Thakur (not out) 10 (4b, 2×4), Washington Sundar c Rashid b Archer 4 (2b, 1×4), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-5, w-4): 9; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 185.

FALL OF WICKETS
1-21 (Rohit, 3.4 overs), 2-63 (Rahul, 7.4), 3-70 (Kohli, 8.4), 4-110 (Suryakumar, 13.2), 5-144 (Pant, 16.2), 6-170 (Hardik, 18.5), 7-174 (Shreyas, 19.1), 8-179 (Washington, 19.4).

ENGLAND BOWLING
Rashid 4-1-39-1, Archer 4-0-33-4, Wood 4-1-25-1, Jordan 4-0-41-0, Stokes 3-0-26-1, Sam Curran 1-0-16-1.

ENGLAND
Jason Roy c Suryakumar b Hardik 40 (27b, 6×4, 1×6), Jos Buttler c Rahul b Bhuvneshwar 9 (6b, 1×6), Dawid Malan b Rahul Chahar 14 (17b, 1×6), Jonny Bairstow c Washington b Rahul Chahar 25 (19b, 2×4, 1×6), Ben Stokes c Suryakumar b Shardul 46 (23b, 4×4, 3×6), Eoin Morgan c Washington b Shardul 4 (6b), Sam Curran b Hardik 3 (5b), Chris Jordan c Hardik b Shardul 12 (9b, 1×4), Jofra Archer (not out) 18 (8b, 2×4, 1×6), Adil Rashid (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-2, w-4): 6; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 177.

FALL OF WICKETS
1-15 (Buttler, 2.5), 2-60 (Malan, 7.5), 3-66 (Roy, 8.5), 4-131 (Bairstow, 14.5), 5-140 (Stokes, 16.1), 6-140 (Morgan, 16.2), 7-153 (Sam Curran, 17.6), 8-177 (Jordan, 19.5).

INDIA BOWLING
Bhuvneshwar 4-1-30-1, Hardik 4-0-16-2, Shardul 4-0-42-3, Washington 4-0-52-0, Rahul Chahar 4-0-35-2.

Toss: England.

India won by eight runs to level series 2-2.

Fifth and final T20I: March 20, 7 p.m..

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PM Modi Targets Tribal Votes in Jangalmahal Region, Raises Issues of Deforestation, Naxalism

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Purulia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Purulia

BJP will have to add on to the support base they built in the region during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to capture power in the state.

  • Last Updated:March 18, 2021, 18:22 IST
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday raised the issues concerning the Jangalmahal region of West Bengal, a very important BJP bastion where stakes are high for the BJP. He was addressing a rally in Purulia.

The BJP will have to add on to the support base they have built during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to reach the magic figure to capture the power in the State. That is the reason why Prime Minister gave enough time to address the issues concerning this region, right from deforestation to naxalism and tribals.

Apart from attacking Mamata Banerjee on corruption, poor governance and patronising goondaism, the Prime Minister dwelt in detail about how the Atal Bihari Bajpai government introduced for the first time the ministry for tribal welfare and how his government has introduced new schemes for

the betterment of the tribal community. He was talking straight to the tribals of Purulia and adjoining districts, who have already displayed their support for the BJP.

Prime Minister Modi also talked about naxalism, which had been the main concern for this region, known as ‘Jungle Mahal’, alleging how the TMC had been patronising naxalism so that the people of this region were always at the receiving end.

Citing examples of naxal violence, the prime minister had also accommodated family members of the victims near the stage.

As this entire Jangalmahal area region has a sizable forest cover, the Prime Minister did not forget to talk about the minimum support price for forest produce, addressing those families whose livelihood depends on jungles.

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RBI may have to delay liquidity normalisation amid rising virus cases – Times of India

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MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may have to delay the start of monetary policy normalisation by three months amid rising Covid-19 cases, but barring the return of stringent lockdowns there is no significant threat to the economy’s recovery, analysts say.
Having seen a peak of daily cases of nearly 100,000 in late September, infections had been on a steady decline but have now started rising again over the last month.
“Even as the increase in the current caseload points to the risk of a second wave, more localised and less stringent restrictions (on activity) will help contain the economic impact versus the initial wave,” said Radhika Rao, an economist with DBS Bank.
DBS has retained its assumptions for a stronger pick-up in March quarter growth versus the December 2020 quarter, and expects a double-digit rebound in fiscal year 2021-22.
India reported 35,871 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest in more than three months, with the worst-affected state of Maharashtra, which houses the country’s financial capital Mumbai, alone accounting for 65% of that.
The government needs to take quick and decisive steps soon to stop an emerging second “peak” of Covid-19 infections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday.
Though analysts are unlikely to rush to review their long-term growth forecasts, several believe policy normalisation on interest rates and liquidity, may now take a backseat.
“Monetary policy normalisation might be pushed back by a quarter as authorities monitor developments closely, with status quo on the cards on the repo as well as liquidity management plans for H121,” Rao said.
The RBI has repeatedly assured bond markets of ample liquidity being maintained to support the recovery, but in early January said it wanted to start restoring normal liquidity operations in a phased manner.
“Growth concerns due to rising pandemic cases amid a negative output gap could push back market expectations on the timing of policy normalisation in the near term,” Nomura economists Sonal Varma and Aurodeep Nandi wrote in a note.
Though surplus liquidity is a positive from the perspective of ensuring credit flows to productive sectors, economists fear it may add to inflationary pressures if it remains in the system for too long.
“Although inflation has moderated from the high level, the surge in global crude oil price has added to the upside risk,” said Arun Singh, global chief economist at Dun and Bradstreet. “The central bank thus, has a difficult task of managing the inflation target while preventing a rise in borrowing cost to the government.”

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