Delhi Assembly Proceedings Rubbed Salt On Wounds of 1984 Riot Victims: Shah

Lashing out at the Congress and the AAP, BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday said what happened in the Delhi Assembly over the adoption of a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was like "rubbing salt" on the victims' wounds.

He also accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of supporting illegal migrants.

The Delhi Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn, but the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

Later, Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia clarified that the lines about the former PM were not part of the original resolution placed before the House. He said it was a handwritten amendment proposed by a member, which and it cannot be passed in such a manner.

"What has happened in the Assembly and later was like rubbing salt on the wounds of the anti-Sikh riot victims," Shah said without elaborating.

"It has exposed the double-faced character of the Aam Aadmi Party," he said at a conclave of the BJP's booth level workers here.

The Sikh victims had been denied justice for so many years because "the perpetrators of the riots were also the protectors (of the accused)", the BJP chief said in a veiled reference to the Congress.

Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre in four years of its rule had not only "assured justice" to the victims by formation of a special investigation team but also provided compensation to the affected families.

He also trained his guns at Gandhi over the Rafale deal.

"Despite the Supreme Court's judgement on the Rafale deal, he (Gandhi) is still lying and levelling allegations," Shah said.

Speaking about illegal immigrants, he reiterated that the BJP government will identify and expel the "infiltrators" from the country.

He questioned the Congress' stand over the issue.

"The NRC exercise was started in Assam and as soon as it happened Rahul baba and company started crying hoarse. I want to ask Rahul if he has any concern for the countrymen dying in terrorist blasts," he said.

"Why do you (Rahul Gandhi) worry about them? Are they your cousins (mausere bhai)?" he asked.

Exuding confidence about the BJP returning to power after 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shah said the party's win will mean the victory of nationalism over casteism and nepotism.

He claimed that the BJP will return to power in 2019 with a bigger mandate than 2014.

Targeting the AAP, he said the party's chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who claims to be a common man, is now moving around with security personnel.

"Where are the hospitals, schools, marshals in buses for women's security and CCTV cameras? The condition of Mohalla Clinics is such that filth and dogs have been found in many of them," he said.

The Kejriwal government has "failed" to keep its promises in Delhi, he alleged.

Shah claimed that the Modi government had fulfilled all its promises for Delhi and the BJP will give an account of its work to the voters in 2019 elections.

He added that it was "unfortunate" that the Kejriwal government did not allow implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi fearing Modi will gain popularity.

Shah accused the Congress of "bungling" crores of rupees by using the National Herald building as "private property". He alleged that the party hid Rs 600 crore to save income tax.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2018/top-stories/delhi-assembly-proceedings-rubbed-salt-on-wounds-of-1984-riot-victims--shah.html

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis Resigns Over Policy Differences with Trump

Defence Secretary James Mattis has resigned, telling Donald Trump in a letter that he should choose a person who is more in tune with his world view after the US president decided to withdraw American troops from Syria.

Trump announced the resignation in two tweets on Thursday evening, and said Mattis, will leave at the end of February. Mattis was a great advocate of India-US defence relationship.

According to reports, 68-year-old Mattis went to the White House on Thursday afternoon in a last attempt to convince Trump to keep US troops in Syria. He was rebuffed, and told the president that he was resigning as a result.

In his extraordinary resignation letter, Mattis told Trump he had "the right to have a Secretary of Defence whose views are better aligned with yours".

Mattis' resignation letter, a Pentagon spokeswoman said was hand-delivered to the president.

In the letter, Mattis told Trump it was the "right time" for him to step down.

"The end date for my tenure is February 28, 2019, a date that should allow sufficient time for a successor to be nominated and confirmed as well as to make sure the Department's interests are properly articulated and protected at upcoming events to include Congressional posture hearings and the NATO Defence Ministerial meeting in February," Mattis said.

The Pentagon chief did not mention if he was resigning specifically over the troop withdrawal decision, which has surprised US allies and several lawmakers.

Analysts say the withdrawal of troops will please US enemies by clearing the way for Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime, Russia and Iran. Mattis had warned that removing ground forces from the Middle Eastern country would be a "strategic blunder". Currently, there are about 2,000 US forces in Syria.

After Mattis sent his resignation, Trump said, "General Jim Mattis will be retiring, with distinction, at the end of February, after having served my administration as secretary of defence for the past two years.

"During Jim's tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting...," he said on Twitter.

Mattis and Trump reportedly have had differences on several foreign policy matters, including Syria and Afghanistan. Reports say the president is also considering a drawdown of US troops from the 17-year-long conflict in Afghanistan.

Mattis said in his resignation letter that he believes the US must be resolute in its approach to countries whose strategic interests are increasingly in tension with America's.

"My views on treating allies with respect and also being clear-eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues," he stressed.

"We must do everything possible to advance an international order that is most conducive to our security,

prosperity and values, and we are strengthened in this effort by the solidarity of our alliances," he added.

Mattis is the latest in long-list of senior Trump administration officials to leave or be removed. In March, Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

On Thursday, Trump praised Mattis for his service and for being a "great help" to him in getting allies and other countries "to pay their share of military obligations".

He said a new secretary of defence will be named shortly.

Defending his decision on Thursday to withdraw US troops from Syria, Trump tweeted that the US does not want to be the "policeman" of the Middle East. In his resignation letter, Mattis said, "Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world.

"Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defence, including providing effective leadership to our alliances."

Mattis' celebrated military career spanned four decades. Prior to joining Trump's Cabinet, the four-star general was the head of US Central Command, which directs military operations and oversaw the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was known before and during his White House tenure for his even-keeled demeanour and strategic mind and is broadly held in high esteem among Republicans and Democrats alike.

"I'm shaken by the news because of the patriot that Secretary Mattis is," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2018/top-stories/us-defence-secretary-jim-mattis-resigns-over-policy-differences-with-trump.html

Woke Up CMs of Gujarat and Assam Will Rouse Sleeping PM Too: Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday said his party had managed to wake up the chief ministers of Assam and Gujarat to grant farm loan waivers and will rouse a “sleeping” Prime Minister Narendra Modi too.

Gandhi's comment came a day after he said he would not let Modi sleep till a loan waiver is given to all farmers.

“The Congress party has managed to wake the CMs of Assam & Gujarat from their deep slumber. PM is still asleep. We will wake him up too,” Gandhi said on Twitter.

The Congress president has moved quickly to take credit for any potential farm loan waiver the government may plan ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

There are reports the Modi-led BJP dispensation is mulling major relief for farmers but the contours of such relief are not yet known.

Gandhi has been championing the cause of farm loan waivers though he recently said in a press conference that they were not permanent solutions to the farming crisis and technological advances in agriculture in consultation with farmers were needed.

All Congress governments have been promising farm loan waivers within 10 days of coming to power.

Punjab offered one followed by Karnataka which is yet to ensure the real benefits of waivers reach farmers.

Now, the Chhattisgarh and the Madhya Pradesh governments have also declared waivers.

“We said our governments will waive loans in 10 days. In MP and Chhattisgarh, it has taken less than six hours,” Gandhi said on Tuesday.

He also said if Modi doesn't grant a waiver on farm loans, his party will make the promise in its 2019 Lok Sabha poll manifesto.

On Tuesday, the BJP government in Assam announced the approval of Rs 600 crore farm loan waivers, which it said will benefit around eight lakh farmers of the state.

The same day, the party's government in Gujarat announced a complete waiver of Rs 625 crore in unpaid electricity bills, under its one-time settlement scheme for over six lakh people living in rural parts of the state.

Source : https://www.dailypioneer.com/2018/top-stories/woke-up-cms-of-gujarat-and-assam--will-rouse-sleeping-pm-too--rahul.html