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India on Friday summoned Pakistan’s deputy high commissioner here and conveyed concerns over the presence of several Khalistani separatists in a committee appointed by Pakistan on the Kartarpur Corridor, sources said.
India also asked Pakistani Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah his country’s stand on on key proposals put forward by New Delhi at the last meeting held in Attari to discuss the modalities of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, they said.
A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement said it has been conveyed to the Paksitani side that the next meeting on the modalities of the corridor can be scheduled at an appropriate time after receiving Pakistan’s response.
The next round of talks were scheduled to be held on April 2 at Wagah border.
In order to take forward the infrastructure development for the corridor in an expeditious manner, India has proposed to hold another meeting of technical experts in mid-April to resolve outstanding issues at the zero point agreed to at the last meeting, the statement said.
The Indian government remains committed to realising the long pending demand of the Indian pilgrims to visit the Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib using the corridor in a safe, secure, smooth and easy manner, it said. India has asked Pakistan to allow pilgrims to travel on foot, if they wish.
It also urged that another 10,000 pilgrims be allowed access on festivals like Baisakhi and Gurupurab. Last November, India and Pakistan agreed to set up the border crossing linking Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, the final resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Gurdaspur district.
Kartarpur Sahib is located in Pakistan’s Narowal district across the river Ravi, about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had on November 26 last year laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor in Gurdaspur district. Two days later, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the corridor in Narowal, 125 km from Lahore.
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Confident over BJP’s electoral prospects in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the NDA will form the government with over 300 seats.
“My political experience says that there will be a lot of increase as compared to the past. Previously people had some doubts over who Modi is but now they know what Modi has done for country’s security for poor and on other issues. Now they know Modi’s vision and work. In these elections, the BJP will win with a complete majority and with more mandate than 2014. This time people will strengthen us in even the areas where our representation was less previously,” he said an exclusive interview to Republic Bharat news channel’s Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami.
“In 2019 there is no contest,” he added.
Sharpening his attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Modi claimed that past governments were mired in corruption over defence deals.
“In our country, defence deals have been like an ATM for previous governments. All previous Congress government have used these ATMs,” said Prime Minister Modi in his first televised interview since the launch of the BJP’s Lok Sabha campaign.
When asked by Republic Bharat’s Editor whether another multinational company with defense interests was being pushed by the opposition, PM Modi replied that opposition party members couldn’t fathom that defence deals could happen transparently. “They can’t even imagine that defence deals can happen with transparency and honesty. And until their own interest was served, they didn’t bother about the interest of the forces,” added Modi.
He also claimed that the ‘mahagathbandhan’ is more scattered today as compared to 2014 and said, “The people of the country have made up their minds, they want a government with an absolute majority. People have seen 30 years of instability and five years of a majority government. People of India now don’t want to take the country towards instability,” he added.
“Dynasty is dangerous for a democracy. 4 generations of the same family have spoken about removing gareebi (poverty). Indira Gandhi also spoke about it, Rajiv Gandhi also spoke about it and now Rahul Gandhi is talking about it,” he said.
He also said that he will take everyone along with his government and said, “As a responsible citizen, as a responsible political Party, as a responsible PM, I will work with everyone together. Be it Congress or Mayawati or Mamata Banerjee.”
Prime Minister Modi also said that there is a focus on him because he has been an active prime minister and has worked amidst people.
“Focus is on me because I’ve been an active Prime Minister and worked amidst the people. People have given me a job, I have no right to live for myself. I will live for the country, for however long they have given me. Because of this one pledge, I continue to go on”, he said.
PM Modi’s re-election campaign blitz began yesterday from Meerut and he is expected to address over 150 rallies across the country by the time the last phase of polling arrives on May 19.
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BJP president Amit Shah said Friday his party will replicate the National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in West Bengal on coming to power at the Centre to “throw out” infiltrators. He, however, made it clear that Hindu refugees will not be touched. “We will also bring in NRC in Bengal and throw out all inflitrators. We will also ensure that the Hindu refugees are not touched. They are very much a part of our country,” Shah said.
The NRC is a document containing names of all genuine Indian citizens in Assam. It, however, became a hugely contentious issue after the complete draft, released last year, omitted the names of lakhs of people who have been residing in the state for several decades.
The BJP president also said the upcoming Lok Sabha polls are all about restoring democracy in the TMC-ruled West Bengal. “The TMC stands for three Ts -Trinamool, toll and tax. Under the TMC government, syndicates (groups of extortionists) are flourishing in Bengal,” he claimed.
Criticising opposition leaders for questioning the government over air strikes in Pakistan’s Balakot to avenge the Pulwama killing of 40 CRPF personnel, Shah said only a strong leadership under Narendra Modi could give a befitting reply to China on Dokalam issue and Pakistan for its terror tactics.
“But the opposition leaders are questioning the government (over the air strike). They want to hold talks with Pakistan. In this election, you have two ways – one leads you to Narendra Modi, the other to Thugbandhan (a gang of thugs) of leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav,” Shah said.
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Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi is set to appear before Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Friday, when his legal team will make a second bail application.
The 48-year-old diamond merchant was denied bail by District Judge Marie Mallon at his first hearing soon after his arrest by Scotland Yard officers from a central London bank branch as he tried to open a new bank account and has been in custody at the HMP Wandsworth prison in south-west London since last Wednesday.
Friday’s hearing is expected to be presided over by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot, the same judge who had ordered the extradition of former Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya last December.
At his first court appearance after his arrest last week, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), arguing on behalf of the Indian authorities, told the court that Modi is wanted for alleged “high value and sophisticated” fraud and money laundering amounting to USD 2 billion.
The CPS will be joined in court by a joint Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that has arrived from India to assist with the extradition case. Describing him as the “opposite of a flight risk” during the first bail application hearing last week, Modi’s defence team had offered 500,000 pounds as security and also submitted to any stringent conditions that may be imposed upon their client.
It remains to be seen how they would further enhance that offer in order to convince the judge to grant bail during the second hearing, following which the case will proceed to a series of case management hearings and setting of a trial date.
Modi was arrested by uniformed Scotland Yard officers from a Metro Bank branch in central London as he attempted to open a new bank account on March 19.
During his first court appearance a day after, it emerged that the diamantaire accused of defrauding India’s state-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) via fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) had been in possession of multiple passports, since revoked by the Indian authorities.
While one passport is now in possession of the Metropolitan Police, a second expired passport is lying with the UK Home Office and a third with the UK’s Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for a driver’s licence.
Besides the passports, Modi also possesses multiple residency cards, some of them expired, but covering countries/regions such as the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong. His defence team tried to establish his very “visible” and “lawful” residence at his luxury Centre Point apartment in London’s West End, paying his local council tax and also using a National Insurance number, allocated to legal UK residents for purposes of work.
The CPS challenged all claims to counter the first bail plea and pointed out that Modi had “deliberately evaded justice” and not returned to India despite a series of criminal summons issued by Indian courts.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government had taken measures to set up a ‘chowkidar’ in space and asked people to vote for a government that can take concrete decisions and not just raise slogans.
Slamming the raising questions by opposition on the Balakot airstrike Modi said, “its been a month, Pakistan is still counting the bodies. When India takes action against terrorists, enters their home and kills them then some here ask for proof.”
Launching his campaign in eastern India with a rally in Jeypore area of Odisha’s Koraput district, the Prime Minister said the NDA government wouldn’t have been able to do any development work in the country without the support of the people.
He sought blessings from his supporters for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and asserted that the NDA government has left no stone unturned to bring about development in the state.
“The NDA government has been working hard to develop road and rail infrastructure in the state. There is no dearth of funds when it comes to development work in the country. In the last five years, the government has been able to build homes for eight lakh families, light up 3,000 houses and provide gas connections to 40 lakh homes,” Modi stated.
Referring to Mission Shakti, when India demonstrated anti-satellite (ASAT) missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, he said the government has taken measures to set up a ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) in space.
He came down heavily on opposition parties who he said “belittled” the space achievement. “Those that are criticising the anti-satellite technology will be given a befitting reply in the elections,” he claimed, urging people to vote for a government that can take concrete decisions, not the one that only raises slogans.
In his twitter post written in Odia language, Modi said the ruling BJD has failed to meet the aspirations of the people while the Congress was unable to emerge as a credible opposition.
“Odisha deserves a good government and the BJP will provide it,” Modi said in the tweet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a brief stopover at Jagdalpur airport in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh on Friday, on his way to Odisha. Modi arrived at Jagdalpur airport around 10.30 am by a special aircraft. He was there for a few minutes before proceeding to neighbouring Odisha, a local BJP leader said.
He is also scheduled to address another election meeting at Kalahandi on April 2. Polling in both Koraput and Kalahandi will be held in the first phase on April 11. Simultaneous polling will be held in Odisha for the 21 Lok Sabha seats and the 147 assembly constituencies in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29.
