On Thursday (June 22), Narendra Modi became the only Indian Prime Minister to address the joint session of the US Congress twice. He received 15 standing ovations and 79 applauses during his hour-long speech.
The Indian Prime Minister was also greeted with chants of ‘Modi Modi’, ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram.’ Following his speech, US lawmakers were seen lining up to interact with Narendra Modi.
During this time, he signed autographs and clicked selfies with members of the US Congress. PM Modi also autographed the joint session address booklet, presented to him by US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy.
It was a privilege to welcome Prime Minister @narendramodi to the U.S. Capitol, one of the greatest symbols of democracy in the world.
I look forward to increased economic and national security ties between our two great nations. ???? pic.twitter.com/aFyi0YTpnW
During his historic address, Narendra Modi highlighted India’s success story on the economic front. “When I first visited the US as a PM, India was the 10th largest economy in the world. Today, India is the 5th largest economy. India will be the 3rd largest economy soon,” he had said.
The Indian Prime Minister also pointed out how a tribal woman from Odisha went on to become the President of the country. He remarked, “India’s vision is not just of development that benefits women. It is of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress. A woman has risen from a humble tribal background to be our Head of State.”
PM Modi also reiterated his commitment towards climate goals. “We became the only G20 country to meet its Paris commitment…Our mission is pro-planet progress, pro-planet prosperity, pro-planet people,” he pointed out.
Narendra Modi also emphasised India’s unity in diversity. He said, “India is the home to all faiths in the world and we celebrate all of them. In India, diversity is a natural way of life, today the world wants to know more and more about India.”
“We have over 2,500 political parties. About 20 different parties govern various states of India. We have 22 official languages and thousands of dialects, yet we speak in one voice,” he further added.
PM Modi also underline India’s commitment to global cooperation and peace. He stated, “We live by the motto of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’-the world is one family. Our engagement with the world is for everyone’s benefit.”
“The same spirit is also seen in the theme when we chair the G20 Summit, One Earth, One Family, One Future. Last week, all nations joined our proposal at the UN, to build a memorial wall to honour the peacekeepers,” he concluded.
President Joe Biden highlighted the strong trade ties between the United States and India, stating that the economic relationship between the two countries has almost doubled over the past decade.
Issuing a joint press statement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (local time), President Biden pointed to the thriving economic relationship between Washington and New Delhi and said, “Our economic relationship is booming. Trade between our countries has almost doubled over the past decade to more than USD 191 billion supporting tens of thousands of good jobs in both India and the United States.” According to Biden, the purchase of more than 200 American-made Boeing aircraft by Air India earlier this year will support one million American employment spread across 44 states.
He added that with this state visit of PM Modi to the US, Indian firms are announcing more than USD 2 billion in new investments in manufacturing solar in Colorado, steel in Ohio, and optic fibre in South Carolina.
“We are doubling on our cooperation to secure our semiconductor supply chains, and growing our major defence partnership with more joint exercises, more cooperation between our defence industries, and more consultation and coordination across all domains,” Biden added.
He emphasized that this visit of PM Modi exemplifies how the United States and India collaborate to advance global development, Biden said in his joint press statement today.
President Biden also mentioned various areas of cooperation, such as medical research, human spaceflight, clean energy transition, combating climate change, and joint efforts in critical and emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence while ensuring their responsible use.
“From designing new ways to diagnose cancer and diabetes to collaborating on the international pace centre and treat illnesses like cancer and diabetes to collaborating on human spaceflight, including sending an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024 to accelerating the global clean energy transition and tackling the climate crisis we face, to harnessing our shared expertise on critical and emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence to ensuring they are not used as tools of misinformation and oppression,” the US President said.
PM Modi on Wednesday arrived in Washington DC after overseeing a special Yoga session on the lawns of the United Nations headquarters in New York City. United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday (local time) hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House before the high-profile state dinner.
During the dinner, the trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House.
The leaders also exchanged gifts at the White House. PM Modi presented a special sandalwood box to US President Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He also gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond and ‘papier mache’ to US First Lady Jill Biden.
Joe Biden and Jill Biden presented PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. Biden also gifted a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman’s Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. Jill Biden gifted a signed, first-edition copy of “Collected Poems of Robert Frost” to PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his maiden State visit to the US, is only the third Indian leader after former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have this privilege.
PM Modi first visited the US in 2014, on a working visit. This visit was significant as he also delivered his maiden speech at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
He visited the US again in 2016, for the Nuclear Security Summit. During this visit, he also met then-US President Barack Obama at the White House and held bilateral talks.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
US and India on Thursday strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, and the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks, according to US-India joint statement.
US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al-Qaida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb-ul-Mujhahideen. Both countries stood together to counter global terrorism and unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations.
They called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to be brought to justice, read the statement.
Earlier, PM Modi had highlighted the need to fight terrorism and extremism that constitutes a real threat to democracy, the rule of law and the enjoyment of human rights.
Speaking during a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden, PM Modi said, “India and America are walking shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism and extremism. We agree that concerted action is necessary to end cross-border terrorism.”
Notably, his comments come days after China blocked proposals at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba’s Sajid Mir as a “global terrorist.”
Even 15 years after the Mumbai terrorist attacks, its masterminds have not yet been brought to justice.
Both leaders also raised concern over the increasing global use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones and information and communication technologies for terrorist purposes and reaffirmed the importance of working together to combat such misuse, added the joint statement.
They welcomed the cooperation between the two governments on counterterrorism designations and homeland security cooperation, including intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation.
Both leaders called upon the Financial Action Task Force to undertake further work identifying how to improve global implementation of its standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism, added the statement.
President Biden and PM Modi reiterated their strong support for a peaceful, secure, and stable Afghanistan.
They discussed the current humanitarian situation and concurred on the need to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.
The leaders urged the Taliban to abide by UNSC Resolution 2593 which demands that Afghan territory should never be used to threaten or attack any country, shelter or train terrorists, or plan or finance terrorist attacks, added the statement.
Committing to continue close consultations on the situation in Afghanistan, the leaders emphasized the importance of the formation of an inclusive political structure and called on the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to respect freedom of movement.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Thursday, June 22, Indian PM Narendra Modi addressed a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden during his state visit to the United States. During the press conference, a journalist tried to insinuate that rights of Muslims and other minorities are under threat in India and consequently the democratic values. The journalist got a befitting response from PM Modi as he reminded everyone of the history of Indian democracy, which is rooted in valuing human rights and non-discrimination.
Asking the question, the journalist said, “World leaders have made commitments to protecting democracy, what steps are you and your government willing to take to protect the rights of Muslims and other minorities and to uphold free speech?”
In response, PM Modi said, “I am surprised that you are saying that ‘people say’ India is a democracy. It is not about what people say, India is a democracy. And as President Biden said, both India and America have democracy in their DNA. Democracy is our spirit, democracy flows in our veins. We live democracy and our ancestors have put that into words in the shape of the Constitution and our government runs on the basis of the constitution which is based on the basic democratic values.”
#WATCH | "We are a democracy…India & America both have democracy in our DNA. Democracy is in our spirit & we live it and it's written in our Constitution…So no question of discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed or religion arises. That is why, India believes in sabka… pic.twitter.com/orVkCVkLLf
Further, PM Modi added, “We have proven that democracy can deliver and when I talk about deliver, I mean that there is no space for any discrimination based on caste, creed, religion, or gender. When we talk about democracy, if there are no human values or human rights, then it is not a democracy at all. So when you talk about democracy, follow democracy, live and breathe democracy, then there is no question of any discrimination.”
“India believes in fundamental values of sabka Saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas. In India, the government benefits can be accessed by everyone so there is no discrimination in Indian democratic values whether on the basis of religion or caste or even age”, PM Modi added.
Earlier, on Wednesday, PM Modi arrived at the White House in Washington DC on Wednesday for the second leg of his official state visit. In DC, PM Modi met US President Joe Biden at the White House. The two leaders exchanged selected gifts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented various gifts representing India’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage to President Biden.
On Thursday, PM Modi had a meeting with President Biden to discuss various bilateral issues before attending this press conference. PM Modi is also scheduled to address a joint meeting of the US House of Representatives later on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (local time) emphasized the need to combat terrorism and extremism, which pose a genuine threat to democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.
Speaking during a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House, PM Modi said, “India and America are walking shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism and extremism. We agree that concerted action is necessary to end cross-border terrorism.” Notably, these remarks come in the wake of China’s obstruction of UN proposals to designate Sajid Mir of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba as a “global terrorist.”
Even after 15 years since the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the masterminds behind the atrocity have yet to be brought to justice. So the first and most critical gap to combat terrorism is to address avoiding double standards and this self-defeating justification of good terrorists versus bad terrorists.
“The two biggest democracies of the world, India and the US can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity. I’m sure that on the basis of these values, we can fulfil the aspirations of the world,” said PM Modi.
PM Modi further said that both countries have decided that like trusted partners the US and India will prepare a reliable, secure, resilient global supply chain and value chain, amid global uncertainties.
“Today holds a special significance in the history of India-US relations. Today’s discussions and important decisions taken by us open a new chapter in our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Got a new direction and a new energy,” said PM Modi. He said that the US-India partnership in trade and investment is not only important for both countries but also for the global economy. “Today, the US is the biggest trade partner of India. We have decided to give closure to pending issues related to trade and begin a new start,” said PM Modi.
“We both agree that governments, businesses and academic institutions should come together to fulfil our strategic technology partnership,” added PM Modi.
He said that the presence of such a large number of Indians in the White House is testimony to the fact that Indian-Americans are the real strength of our relationship.
“We welcome the decision by the US to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad to further deepen these ties,” added PM Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “We welcome the setting up of consulates in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. Likewise, we will open a new mission in Seattle.
He said that the decision to build engines by General Electrics through technology transfer is a landmark agreement. “This will open new opportunities for jobs in both countries. It will be a new dimension to our defence partnership in the future,” said PM Modi.
The prime minister also spoke on peace and security in the Indo-Pacific, a shared priority of both India and the US.
“We are unanimous that the development and success of this region is important for the whole world,” said PM Modi.
US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House. The president, the first lady and the prime minister gathered for an intimate dinner and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, according to the White House.
Modi arrived in Washington 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.
On June 22 at the White House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted First Lady Jill Biden a 7.5-carat lab-grown green diamond with earth-mined diamonds’ chemical and optical attributes. Reacting to this, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury said, “Modi gifted Green Diamond to Biden’s wife. What gift did he give to his wife?”
Modi gifted Green Diamond to Biden's wife.. What gift did he give to his wife? pic.twitter.com/jNPGFeBaIi
As the Congress leader made these remarks mocking PM Modi over the diamond he gifted to Jill Biden, it becomes necessary to recall how Renuka Chowdhury allegedly received a diamond worth Rs 1.2 crore from a tax evader in the year 2000.
A Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan is an infamous tax evader who was implicated in a multi-crore rupees money laundering case in 2011. He allegedly stashed away billions into Swiss bank accounts with the help of Kolkata-based businessman Kashinath Tapuriah and Delhi-based Pravin Kumar using hawala.
Khan’s one-time business partner Kashinath Tapuriah, a Kolkata-based industrialist had said during the interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate in 2011 that Hasan Ali Khan gifted a diamond worth Rs 1.2 crores to Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury. According to a report by India Today, Kashinath Tapuriah said, “I had taken a diamond from Soir Jewellers in Mumbai, owned by building contractor Abbas Naqvi, to keep with me. It cost around Rs 1.2 crore. Khan took it saying he would give me the money or the diamond within three months. He told me that he wanted to give the diamond to an important person and referred to Renuka Chowdhury. She is a politician. Khan had told me that she was a very close friend. I was never paid for the diamond.”
When these allegations surfaced, Renuka Chowdhury denied these claims and said, “I am upset and I will definitely take legal recourse. He (Tapuriah) needs to prove he knows me or has met me. He is dropping names to wriggle out of the situation and we politicians are left defenseless. We are bashed and left to prove ourselves”
It is notable that the trial in this multi-crore rupees money laundering case has not yet started. Hasan Ali Khan died in Hyderabad on 23 February 2023, at the age of 71. Besides, Renuka Chowdhury, Khan also allegedly had close ties with actress Jaya Prada and other Andhra Pradesh politicians such as former chief minister Vijay Bhaskar Reddy.
While Renuka Chowdhury took a jibe at PM Modi over the green diamond he gifted to Jill Biden, she forgot the allegations against her of receiving a diamond from a tax evader in 2000.
A German court on Wednesday sentenced a female ISIS terrorist to 9 years and 3 months in jail for enslaving and abusing a Yazidi woman. The accused woman, Nadine K., has been charged on multiple counts. A copy of the judgment has been accessed by OpIndia.
The Koblenz Higher Regional Court found Nadine, 37, guilty of crimes against humanity, aiding and abetting genocide, and membership in a foreign terrorist organisation. The victim, Naveen Rasho, was regularly raped by Nadine’s husband.
The judgment, however, is not final, and there is the possibility of an appeal to the Federal Court of Justice.
Naveen Rasho was the primary witness in the case and gave evidence of the dreadful exploitation at the hands of the savages standing face-to-face with her captor. Naveen was represented by Amal Clooney.
What is the case?
In April 2016, two years after ISIS had gained control over a majority of cities in Syria and some in Iraq, Nadine’s husband received Naveen as a “gift” from ISIS.
He took Naveen home in Mosul and introduced her to Nadine as his slave. They both forced Naveen to do household work including cooking, cleaning, looking after animals, and taking care of the terrorists’ daughters.
Naveen was forced to travel with the couple as they kept shifting base from wherever ISIS was losing ground to areas that were still under the terror group’s control. Naveen was enslaved, abused, and raped by Nadine’s husband for 3 years. Nadine was aware of the rape and sexual abuse.
Abducted, traded, raped, and abused for 5 years
In August 2014, Naveen Rasho and her family were abducted by the Islamic State (ISIS) from their home in northern Iraq.
Throughout the 5 years in captivity, Naveen was traded as a domestic and sex slave, was forced to convert to Islam, and was forced to pray daily as per Muslim customs. She was kept in prison cells between Iraq and Syria.
Naveen Rasho (Source: Egypt Today)
In a conversation with a media channel, Naveen narrates her ordeal. “When I was taken to that house (by Nadine K.) my life became worse,” she said.
Naveen was regularly subjected to sexual abuse by Nadine’s husband, a Syrian national who is now behind bars. Nadine K. was aware of the rape and abuse and did nothing to stop it.
Naveen was forced to do house chores till late at night and wake up early in the mornings. She was made to do all kinds of housework including looking after the terrorist’s children to cleaning.
She was constantly under surveillance and was isolated from the other ISIS house helps who were not allowed to lend Naveen a hand. Nadine K. connived to great lengths to prevent Naveen from escaping. She took away Naveen’s abaya, without which no woman was allowed to step outside the house, to ensure that would not leave the house unaccompanied or escape.
Accused Nadine K. and her husband attempted to convert Naveen by forcefully preaching to her the teachings of Prophet Muhammad. “In their minds the more they spoke about Islam the greater the chance I would change my religion, but it didn’t work.”
“God created us as Yazidis so we want to die as Yazidis,” Naveen Rasho said. Naveen’s mother died awaiting her return.
After her release, Naveen found refuge at the al Hol camp in Syria and garnered the courage to narrate her ordeal to a Scottish journalist. She finally returned to her family in 2019.
Who is Nadine K.?
Nadine K., a German citizen, met her future husband at the beginning of 2013 in North Rhine-Westphalia after leaving her studies mid-way. Her husband, a Syrian doctor, and his family were living in Germany under refuge after having fled the Assad regime.
After meeting her future husband, Nadine K. began following Islamic traditions including prayers and wearing hijab. She converted to Islam in July 2013 upon their marriage as per Islamic rites and rituals.
In 2014, the couple decided to return to Syria. While her husband moved first, Nadine followed him in December 2014.
How did Nadine K. become an ISIS fanatic?
Nadine K. and her husband willingly joined ISIS and developed activities to promote its goals. From names to their dressing style, they adhered to radical ISIS rules in all aspects.
The couple initially lived in Syria for a week before moving to Mosul where he worked as a doctor for ISIS and received his wages from them. They took in various ISIS women in their villa for accommodation and care; these were women who, as per ISIS rules, were not allowed to live alone.
The court also pointed out that during her stay in Mosul, Nadine and her husband kept Kalashnikov-type assault rifles and other weapons in the bedroom without the necessary licenses or permits.
Nadine K.’s return to Germany
On 8 March 2019, the Kurdish forces arrested Nadine K. and her family while they were attempting to flee Baghouz. While her husband was imprisoned after the arrest, Nadine K. and her children were shifted from one camp to another until she decided to return to Germany in 2022.
Nadine has been in custody since 31 March 2022. Her husband’s exact whereabouts are unknown.
ISIS and the Yazidi Genocide
The Yazidis are an ethnic and religious minority community in Iraq. They primarily hail from the Sinjar region situated near the Sinjar mountains in northern Iraq. The radical Islamists consider them as “devil-worshippers”.
At least 40,000 Yazidis were displaced, abducted, and abused by ISIS. Following the ISIS takeover of the Sinjar region, at least 10,000 Yazidis escaped to Mount Sinjar for refuge where they were trapped for the longest period. Many died of hunger and deprivation.
Yazidis stranded on Mount Sinjar taking the corridor route created by Syrian Kurdish forces to find shelter. (Source: Free Yezidi Foundation)
Around 7,000 Yazidi women were sold as sex slaves. Those who tried to escape were gang-raped as punishment. Girls as young as nine were traded.
Around 3,500 Yazidis have been rescued, but thousands are still missing and it is feared that many continue to be enslaved. This even after ISIS was defeated in 2019 by a US-led coalition including the Iraqi army, Kurdish forces, and SDF in Syria.
A Yazidi mass grave created by ISIS in Sinjar (Source: Free Yezidi Foundation)
Now, the community is barely surviving out of camps with no home to return to. Listed below are stories of some of the many Yazidi victims:
20 June 2023: 39 bodies returned to the Yazidi homeland
39 dead bodies were returned to the Yazidi homeland in Sinjar from a forensic hospital in Mosul after being kept in Baghdad for two years. These victims were killed and buried in mass graves across Iraq by the jihadi radicals.
3 June 2023: Six Yazidi women rescued after eight years in ISIS captivity
Six Yazidi women were rescued from the clutches of ISIS after 8 years. They were trafficked from Iraq to Syria and were first taken captive in 2014. The women were rescued by Nobel Prize winner Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman who survived the ISIS assault.
7 September 2022: 18-year-old Wafaa Ali Abbas rescued
Another Yazidi woman, Wafaa Ali Abbas (18), was rescued from one of the ISIS-infested camps which were being raided by the Syrian SDF. She was abducted from her village of Kocho, 15 miles south of Sinjar, Iraq, in 2014.
Nadia Murad: The Last Girl
Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad, a Yazidi woman who was abducted by ISIS, was among the few who managed to escape the persecution.
Nadia Murad, Nobel Peace Prize winner (Source: Mirror.co.uk)
The captor had left his house unlocked. She flew to refugee camps, from where she managed to take refuge in Germany. Later that year she launched her campaign against human trafficking and spoke at the UN General Assembly about the atrocities meted out to Yazidis.
In her powerful speech, she talked about the massacre, and about women and captive children still stranded on the mountain
Germany recognises crimes against Yazidis as genocide
In January this year, Germany recognised crimes against the Yazidi community as genocide. With this judgment, Germany has now convicted three ISIS terrorists for crimes against Yazidis.
In November 2021, ISIS terrorist Taha AJ was convicted of genocide. The second conviction was followed in May 2022 of German ISIS-returnee Jalda A. Besides these, five other ISIS terrorists have also been convicted of crimes against humanity.
More than 1000 Germans fled the country to join ISIS when it began spreading its terror. 9 years on, now Germany is cracking down on the ISIS network which continues to exist in the country even as it battles growing jihadi activities.
Noting that the world order is taking a new shape in the post-Covid era, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that India and the US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity.
Speaking at the White House lawns after the ceremonial welcome, PM Modi said the societies and institutions of both India and the US are based on democratic values and the two countries take pride in diversity. “In the post-Covid era, the world order is taking a new shape. In this time period, the friendship between India and US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world. India and the US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity,” PM Modi said.
“The societies and institutions of both India and the US are based on democratic values. The constitutions of both countries begin with the three words ‘We The People’. Both countries take pride in their diversity and believe in the fundamental principle of ‘Sarv Jan Hitay Sarv Jan Sukhay’ (interest of all, welfare of all),” he added.
The Prime Minister talked about the contributions of the Indian-American community.
“After becoming Prime Minister, I came here many times, but today for the first time that the doors of the White House are open for the Indian-American community in such large numbers. The people of the Indian community are enhancing the country’s honour in the US through their talent hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship. Today, I thank President Biden and Dr Jill Biden for the honour you have been given,” he said.
“In a while from now, I and President Biden will hold discussions on India-US relations, and other regional and global issues. I firmly believe that just as always, our talks will be very positive and useful. In the afternoon, I will get the opportunity to address the US Congress for the second time. I am very grateful for that. I and the 1.4 billion Indians hope that India’s Tricolour and US ‘Star and Stripes’, keep on touching newer heights,” he added.
Prime Minister Modi, who is on state visit to the US, arrived at the White House to a ceremonial welcome.
“I would like to express gratitude to President Biden for this grand welcome and far-sighted address. This grand welcome is the pride and honour for 140 crore Indians, this is also an honour for 40 million people of Indian origin living in the US. I express heartfelt gratitude to President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden,” he said.
Upon his arrival at the White House lawns, PM Modi who was dressed in a traditional white kurta pyjama teamed with a powder blue jacket was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
A US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin assembled to greet PM Modi.
The Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu were also present.
National anthems of India and the US played out as thousands of people gathered on the White House South Lawns to greet PM Modi.
Huge crowds of people gathered at the South Lawns of the White House to welcome PM Modi. Visuals showed them waving Indian flags and chanting “Modi, Modi” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” slogans.
Some people were waving a banner that read: “Indian American Diaspora welcomes Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi”.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The state of Bihar on Thursday witnessed a poster war a day before 17 opposition parties are scheduled to meet to discuss the timeline and the roadmap for the approaching 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The controversy arose after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chapter in Delhi displayed a poster calling for unity among the opposition while the chapter in Bihar referred to Nitish Kumar as the BJP’s ‘B team.’
The Mahagathbandhan administration, led by Nitish Kumar, is all set to host the opposition parties in Patna for the Unity conference scheduled on Friday. Notably, this is the first gathering of opposition parties to send a message of cooperation before the general elections of 2024.
Arvind Kejriwal was pictured on the poster, which was displayed throughout Patna’s streets, as a potential candidate for prime minister in the 2024 elections. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s picture was put up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling him an alternate team of BJP. “There is neither expectation, nor trust. The citizens of India should be alert. This is Nitish Kumar, a close aide of PM Modi,” the poster read.
Following this, the BJP mocked the opposition by calling them “Thugs of India” in a new poster. The poster featured images of opposition political leaders, including MK Stalin, Tejashvi Yadav, Rahul Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray, Mamata Banerjee, and Nitish Kumar. The poster had an inscription that said, “The grand meeting of the parties engrossed in dynasty politics and corruption.”
Reportedly, the AAP has also declared that it would walk out of Friday’s meeting of opposition leaders if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre’s ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi.
Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, had expressed optimism that the Congress would clarify its position on the Center’s ordinance regarding the management of administrative services in the national capital during the non-BJP parties’ meeting in Patna on Tuesday.
With all the commotion surrounding the opposition meeting in Patna, former deputy chief minister Sushil Modi attacked Nitish Kumar and declared that they would both fall on their faces since they were together not for the good of the nation but for their selfish interests.
“Three to four Opposition leaders want to become PM and no one cares about India. Nitish Kumar has failed in Bihar and he will fail again to unite the Opposition. Nothing will come out of this meeting as this is ‘Chai Bhoj’ and ‘Litti Chokha’ meet. Let them enjoy Bihar food. Some are deeply fallen in the pits of Parivarvaad and some in pits of corruption,” Sushil Modi was quoted as saying.
As per the reports, posters from the Samajwadi Party that feature the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav call for resolving to “free India from the BJP to end unemployment, violence, and price rise.”
Posters for the state’s ruling coalition include images of MK Stalin, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu, Mamata Banerjee, his equivalent in West Bengal, and Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party.
The BJP meanwhile has displayed posters honouring socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) at the party’s headquarters and significant locations including the Patna airport.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has separately distanced itself from several Nitish Kumar-targeting posters that have appeared in its name. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, is depicted on one side of the posters, and Modi and Nitish Kumar are depicted on the other, with the statement “Beware!!! This is Nitish, Narendra Modi’s friend.”
The posters, according to AAP spokeswoman Bablu Prakash, are an attempt to discredit the party and cause confusion. Later, the Patna Municipal Corporation began taking down these posters.
In a purported act of revenge, a woman named Jaan Bi in Andhra Pradesh killed her ex-lover Sheikh Baji, after the latter murdered her son, one and a half years ago. The horrifying incident took place on the night of Tuesday (June 20) and the woman surrendered to the police on Wednesday (June 21) morning.
The police said that the accused Jaan Bi is a single mother who has been staying with her two sons in the Narasaraopet area of Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district. Her husband Shabbir had died 15 years ago. Since then she had been doing minimal labour jobs along with her children for livelihood.
A few years ago Jaan Bi got into a relationship with local rowdy Sheeter Sheikh Baji (36). When Jaan Bi’s elder son got to know about this, he warned Sheikh Baji against visiting their house. The threat enraged Sheikh Baji so much that he hatched a conspiracy to kill Jaan Bi’s son.
In August 2021, Sheikh Baji with the help of his three aides murdered Jaan Bi’s elder son by slitting his throat.
After learning about the murder of her son, Jaan Bi vowed to eliminate his murderers. In December 2021, Jann Bi along with her brother Hussian and younger son, killed the main accused Kasam at Cinema Hall Junction in Narasaraopet. Sheikh Baji was in an inebriated condition when Jaan Bi and her accomplice killed him.
Jaan Bi then went to the police station and surrendered for the crime she committed. She was, however, granted bail a few months back. As soon as she came out of jail, Jaan Bi, who was still waiting to avenge her son’s murder hatched a plan to kill her ex-lover and the second accused Sheikh Baji.
Baji, on the other, had been living an undercover life for the past 1.5 years since he learned that Jaan Bi had vowed to kill him.
Meanwhile, Jaan Bi with the help of her friends, obtained Baji’s phone number after she came out of jail and started calling him up. She called him up multiple times in a span of four days and convinced him that she had forgiven him and wanted to have a live-in relationship with him as she had been living alone.
Jaan Bi then invited him to her brother’s birthday celebrations on Tuesday night. She hatched a plan to kill Baji with her brother Hussain and his friends.
When Baji got intoxicated at the party, Jaan Bi and her four aides attacked him with knives and killed him. They then tried to burn Baji’s body by pouring petrol. As the body was partially burnt, they dug a pit and buried the body. They went to the police station on Wednesday morning and surrendered after informing them about the murder.
They were taken into police custody. Inspector Bhaktavatsala Reddy and sub-inspector Balanagi Reddy of the Narasaraopet (rural) circle hurried to the scene and recovered Baji’s body. A case has been filed and a probe was initiated.
