On Friday (December 30), ‘Democratic Azad Party’ chief Ghulam Nabi Azad slammed the Congress for planting stories in the media about his ‘comeback’ into the grand-old party. The former Congress leader took to Twitter to express his displeasure about an ANI report which cited sources to allege that a ‘possible reconciliation with the Congress’ was on the cards.
While hitting out at the Congress party, Azad tweeted, “…Unfortunately such stories are being planted by a section of leaders in the congress party right now and are doing this just to demoralise my leaders and supporters. “
I dont have any ill will against congress party and its leadership, however I request them to tell these habitual story planters to refrain from doing so. Once again I would like to insist that this story is completely baseless!
Without mincing any words, Ghulam Nabi Azad made it clear that he has no intention to rejoin Congress despite his previous association of a whopping 52 years.
“I dont have any ill will against congress party and its leadership, however I request them to tell these habitual story planters to refrain from doing so. Once again I would like to insist that this story is completely baseless!” he reiterated.
It must be mentioned that a senior journalist Pallavi Ghosh had earlier alleged that the Congress party had asked its friends in the media to aggressively bash Ghulam Nabi Azad, following his resignation from the party on August 26 this year.
Ghulam Nabi Azad and his estranged relationship with the Congress party
Azad’s discontentment with Congress became evident when he joined the G-23 rebel group in Jammu last year. He had also showered praise upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and hinted at the lack of ‘reality check’ within the Congress.
After being unceremoniously ousted from the disciplinary committee and the party’s list of star campaigners before the 2022 Punjab elections, the resignation was on the cards.
The last nail in the coffin was perhaps his ‘downgrade’ appointment to 2 committees of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress on August 17 this year. In his parting note, Ghulam Nabi Azad did not mince any words in holding the Congress high command accountable for the party’s downfall.
He squarely blamed Congress scion Rahul Gandhi for single-handedly destroying the consultative mechanism within the party. Ghulam Nabi Azad, in his letter, drew attention to the childish, immature and non-serious attitude of Rahul Gandhi towards Congress and national politics.
On December 29, Friday, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its Financial Stability Report (FSR). In September 2022, the gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) fell to a seven-year low of 5%.
According to the FSR report, net non-performing assets (NNPA) fell to a 10-year low of 1.3 percent in September 2022.
“The gross non-performing asset (GNPA) ratio of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) fell to a seven-year low of 5.0 per cent and net non-performing assets (NNPA) have dropped to ten-year low of 1.3 per cent in September 2022.”@RBI in its 26th Financial Stability Report (FSR). pic.twitter.com/d7c3eCdfEu
In terms of sectoral asset quality, the RBI’s Financial Stability Report noted that banks’ gross non-performing assets improved in most of the sectors. The GNPA ratio continued to improve in the industrial sector, but it remained elevated in the gems and jewellery and construction sub-sectors. However, asset quality in the personal loans segment improved in H1FY23, particularly for housing and vehicle loans.
In the 26th issue of FSR, RBI noted that the global economy is confronted with formidable headwinds with recessionary risks looming large. The combination of multiple shocks has clamped financial conditions and raised volatility in financial markets.
RBI’s FSR highlighted that the improvements in asset quality, a return to profitability, and strong capital and liquidity buffers of scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) are contributing to the buoyant demand for bank credit and early indications of a revival in the investment cycle.
In the foreword of the FSR, Shaktikanta Das, RBI Governor highlighted that “the results of the stress tests presented in this issue of the FSR imply that banks would be capable of coping with even severe stress conditions if they materialized. Furthermore, in spite of formidable global headwinds, India’s external accounts remain well-cushioned and viable.”
Macro stress tests for credit risk show that SCBs can meet the minimum capital requirements even under severe stress situations. Under the baseline, medium, and severe stress scenarios, the system-level capital to risk-weighted assets ratio (CRAR) in September 2023 is projected to be 14.9%, 14.0%, and 13.1%, respectively, the FSR stated.
The stress tests for open-ended debt mutual funds revealed no breaches in interest rate, credit, or liquidity risk limits. The consolidated solvency ratio of both life and non-life insurance companies remained above the stipulated minimum level.
Hours after Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant met with an accident on the Delhi-Roorkee highway, it came to light that two good samaritans helped rescue him from the burning vehicle. As per reports, the two men were identified as Sushil Mann and Paramjit Singh. While Mann is a Haryana roadways bus driver, Singh is a bus conductor by occupation.
The duo was returning from Haridwar and saw a damaged vehicle on the road. Sushil Mann immediately stopped his bus and helped Rishabh Pant get out his damaged SUV.
Also special mention to the bus conductor, Paramjit who along with Driver Sushil helped Rishabh. Very grateful to these selfless guys who had great presence of mind and a big heart. Gratitude to them and all who helped. pic.twitter.com/FtNnoLKowg
While speaking about the matter to The Times of India, Sushil Mann informed, “We were returning from Haridwar to Panipat with around 30 passengers in the bus. I saw the damaged vehicle and immediately stopped the bus. I noticed a man stuck in the car. We pushed him out of the SUV.”
He and Paramjit Singh then wrapped the cricketer in a shawl in a bid to keep him warm. Thereafter, they dialled the police and the ambulance. Given that the two men do not watch cricket, they had no idea that the injured man in the damaged SUV was Rishabh Pant.
“After rescuing him, we immediately informed the police and called the ambulance. Until the ambulance reached us, we covered him with a shawl to keep him warm. I didn’t know that he was cricketer Rishabh Pant as I don’t watch cricket. We served our duty as human beings,” Sushil Mann told TOI.
The duo was later felicitated by the General Manager of Panipat Depot, Kuldeep Jhangra, with a memento and an appreciation certificate for saving the life of an injured Rishabh Pant.
It was earlier reported how Pant managed to break the glass of the car and free himself of the burning car on his own, however, with these new revelations, it appears that good samaritans did help me survive the brutal car crash.
Rishabh Pant’s belongings were not stolen after the accident
Contrary to initial media reports about locals stealing money from Rishabh Pant, the Uttarakhand police refuted all such claims and said that all his belongings were collected by people who had rescued him and the same was given to the cricketer’s mother.
Uttarakhand’s Director General of Police Ashok Kumar tweeted, “The information about people stealing cricketer Rishabh Pant Ji’s belongings after the road accident is untrue. Those who are spreading this misleading news, please do not do so. Share the video of SSP Haridwar Ajay Singh with such people.”
सड़क दुर्घटना के बाद क्रिकेटर #RishabhPant जी के सामान को लोगों द्वारा चोरी किये जाने की सूचना असत्य है। जो यह भ्रामक खबरें फैला रहे हैं, कृपया ऐसा न करें।
The DGP also shared a video of SSP Ajay Singh. While talking to Sports Tak, driver Sushil Mann and conductor Paramjit Singh said that they collected the belongings of Rishabh Pant, including a bag from the car, which was handed over to the police.
They collected around Rs 7000 in cash from the accident spot and handed over the same to the police. The duo also said that only 3-4 people came down from the bus to the crash site.
As 2023 is knocking at the door, the next year is going to be politically crucial as several high-stakes political battles are set to take place that are likely to set the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
At least nine states, from the northeast to the west and south to the central part of the country, are due to witness assembly elections in 2023. The coming year also holds significance for the anti-BJP parties who have been vocal about forming a united opposition for some time now. The election-bound states include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram. Further, if all goes well, the government may also hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir next year. In that context, the election-bound 2023 can be considered as the semifinal ahead mega battle of 2024.
Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh are the two states where there is a Congress government. So it is probably not wrong to be said that there is a fight for survival for Congress which got a boost after winning the recently held Himachal polls.
In Rajasthan, Congress wrested power from the BJP in 2018 by winning 100 seats in the 200-member state Assembly. The BJP, which got a thumping majority by winning 163 seats in 2013, could manage to get only 73 seats in 2018.
The state will again see a direct fight between the BJP and Congress in 2023. Since 1990, the power in Rajasthan has been swinging between BJP and Congress. However, the internal rift between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot may prove a headache for Congress.
In Chhattisgarh, Congress won a thumping majority by winning 68 seats in the 90-member assembly uprooting the 15-year rule of the BJP in the last election.
The BJP got only 15 seats. In the recently held Bhanupratappur bypolls, the ruling Congress retained the seat.
Madhya Pradesh witnessed much political drama after the last Assembly elections in 2018 when Kamal Nath became the chief minister ousting the 15-year rule of the BJP. However, Shivraj Singh Chouhan returned to power after two years when 22 sitting Congress MLAs along with party heavyweight Jyotiraditya Scindia resigned from Congress to join the BJP.
Karnataka also turned out to be a political pandemonium, after no party got a majority in the 2018 assembly elections. After the hung assembly, BS Yeddyurappa was sworn in as the chief minister by the governor but resigned due to not being able to muster the majority. Later, the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) stitched an alliance to form a government with HD Kumaraswamy as the chief minister.
However, 14 months later, over a dozen MLAs of the ruling coalition resigned, resulting in the fall of the Kumaraswamy government.
In July 2019, BS Yediyurappa again returned as the chief minister. However, BJP replaced Yeddyurappa with Basavaraj Bommai in July last year. Karnataka holds great importance for the BJP as it is the only state in the south that is ruled by the party.
Since the formation of Telangana, K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has been in power. Now with national ambition, KCR has relaunched his party as Bharat Rashtra Samithi to take on the Modi government at the Centre. On the other side, BJP is trying hard to make inroads in Telangana.
TRS recently logged victory in the high-stakes Munugode bypolls.
Moving to Tripura, BJP swept the 2018 polls by winning 35 seats in the 60-member Assembly. However, the party replaced Biplab Deb with Manik Saha as the chief minister earlier this year as part of a strategy ahead of the polls. But, the next state elections are believed to be not a cakewalk for the BJP with the aggressive emergence of the Trinamool Congress. Abhishek Banerjee, TMC national general secretary and nephew of Mamata Banerjee made several visits to the Northeastern state to strengthen the party organisation.
Pertinent to mention, earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various development projects worth over Rs 4,350 crore in Agartala. He also held a roadshow in the city.
In the 2018 Meghalaya state assembly polls, Congress emerged as the single largest party but failed to secure the majority form a government. BJP which won only two seats formed an alliance with the National People’s Party (NPP) to form the government.
But the fight will be more interesting this time since NPP leader and Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced that his party would contest the 2023 polls alone.
In Nagaland, BJP joined hands with the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) before the 2018 elections and formed the government.
In Mizoram, Mizo National Front is in power led by Chief Minister Zoramthanga. MNF won 26 out of 40 seats in the 2018 assembly elections. Congress managed to get only five. For the first time, BJP also opened its account in the state. Notably, MNF is a member of the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and also an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Uttarakhand police said on 30th December 2022 that cricketer Rishabh Pant’s stuff was not stolen after he met with an accident early in the morning. The police said that some media outlets are spreading misinformation that Rishabh Pant, injured in an accident, was looted when he was waiting for help on the highway. The police have refuted all such claims and said that all his belongings were collected by people who had rescued him and the same was given to the cricketer’s mother.
Uttarakhand’s Director General of Police Ashok Kumar tweeted, “The information about people stealing cricketer Rishabh Pant Ji’s belongings after the road accident is untrue. Those who are spreading this misleading news, please do not do so. Share the video of SSP Haridwar Ajay Singh with such people.” DGP Ashok Kumar also shared a video of SSP Ajay Singh.
In this video, SSP Ajay Singh said, “After primary treatment, Rishabh Pant reached the Max Hospital. According to the primary information received, he has not received any serious injuries. However, he is under doctors’ observation. Also, some media portals and channels are spreading the misinformation that some people had looted the cricketer’s money or chain, or other belongings. This story is totally false. Because the roadways employees called immediately, the police from the nearby checkpost reached the spot within a few minutes. As the car had caught fire, saving him was our top priority. Therefore, he was immediately brought to the hospital.”
सड़क दुर्घटना के बाद क्रिकेटर #RishabhPant जी के सामान को लोगों द्वारा चोरी किये जाने की सूचना असत्य है। जो यह भ्रामक खबरें फैला रहे हैं, कृपया ऐसा न करें।
He added, “The valuables Rishabh Pant was wearing, especially a platinum chain and a gold bracelet, and rupees four thousand in cash that was kept in his clothes, were handed over to his mother. I have confirmed this after talking to his family members. A bag containing some clothes was also recovered from the vehicle. We handed it over to Rishabh Pant’s family members immediately. For analyzing the incident, we had to go through the CCTV footage of the nearby CCTV cameras. In that footage, we did not come across any such incident in which some youths were stealing Rishabh Pant’s belongings as misinformed by some media outlets. So this story is totally false. I am in contact with his family members. Therefore it is clear that the news being spread in this regard is baseless.”
It seems lots of misinformation was spread about the accident of Rishav Pant. Apart from allegations that the cricketer was looted after the accident, it was also said that he had come out of the vehicle himself by smashing the windshield and he had called the ambulance himself. But two persons, the driver and the conductor of a roadways bus that had arrived at the bus moments after the accident, has said that it was them who rescued Pant and called the ambulance.
Talking to Sports Tak, driver Sushil Kumar and conductor Paramjit Nain said that they saw the crashed car, they found Rishav Pant unconscious inside the car with half of the body outside. They pulled him out and laid him on the divider. The cricketer regained consciousness several minutes later and introduced himself. The duo also searched the vehicle to check for any other people, and when asked Pant asked about the same, he said that he was alone. They further said that they immediately called the helpline, and an ambulance came after some time.
Kumar and Nain also said that they collected his belongings, including a bag from the car, which was handed over to the police. They said that they collected around Rs 7000 in cash from the accident spot, and handed over the same to the police. The duo also said that only 3-4 people came down from the bus to the crash site. They also covered Pant with a shawl taken from a passenger and gave him water to drink. Sushil Kumar said that the car was engulfed in fire just 5-6 minutes after they pulled him out of the car.
In another statement issued earlier today, SSP Ajay Singh had said that Rishav Pant was helped by Haryana Roadways bus driver Sushil Kumar and the conductor, and they had called the helpline. Police along with an ambulance reached the spot and took him to a nearby hospital, after that he was shifted to Max Hospital.
The police version of the incident matches with how the driver-conductor duo narrated the incident. Therefore, it is confirmed that Rishav Pant was rescued by two persons who called the ambulance, and Pant neither got out of the car himself nor he called the ambulance.
Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman tweeted thanking the bus driver for rescuing Rishav Pant in time. “Gratitude to Sushil Kumar, a Haryana Roadways driver who took Rishabh Pant away from the burning car, wrapped him with a bedsheet, and called the ambulance. We are very indebted to you for your selfless service, Sushil ji. Real Hero,” he said.
Gratitude to #SushilKumar ,a Haryana Roadways driver who took #RishabhPant away from the burning car, wrapped him with a bedsheet and called the ambulance. We are very indebted to you for your selfless service, Sushil ji ? #RealHeropic.twitter.com/1TBjjuwh8d
Indian ace cricketer Rishabh Pant met with an accident at the Narsan border of Roorkee in Uttarakhand. The incident reportedly took place when he was returning home from the National Capital. The car carrying Pant collided with a divider and then caught fire. Reportedly, the fire was brought under control with great difficulty.
Amit Schandillia, a columnist with Shekhar Gupta’s ThePrint and an author published by Harper Collins Publishers India, dehumanised PM Modi and his ailing mother after he visited the UN Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in Ahmedabad earlier this week.
On Wednesday, PM Modi paid a visit to his ailing mother, who was admitted to the hospital earlier in the day after she suffered health complications.
A day later, Schandillia, a columnist with ThePrint, an online portal infamous for platforming tendentious personalities and carrying out hit jobs against PM Modi and the BJP, posted a tweet dehumanising the Prime Minister and his mother.
“He who can sell his dying mother, can sell anything,” tweeted Schandillia, in an apparent reference to media reports on PM Modi’s visit to his ailing mother.
Source: Twitter
Schandillia’s insinuation reflects the contempt the ‘liberal’ class has for PM Modi and his mother, whose meetings are often used by the Left as accessories to reinforce their anti-Modi agenda. A son’s visit to his unwell mother should not have been a cause of concern, but not for propagandists like the Harper Collins author, who had no qualms in characterising PM Modi’s meet with his ailing mother as a political gimmick, which turned out to be their last meeting.
Unfortunately on Friday morning, Heeraben Modi, PM Modi’s mother, passed away. She was 100 at the time of her death. PM Modi took to social media to pen a heartfelt note to pay tributes to her mother after her death.
Islamists, leftists, and Congress trolls celebrate the death of PM Modi’s mother Heeraben
And soon after her death, a raft of Islamists, leftists, and Congress supporters echoed sentiments reflected in Amit Schandillia’s tweet posted a day earlier. A bunch of depraved social media users rejoiced at the death of PM Modi’s mother, with some of them abusing her for giving birth to the Prime Minister.
If that was not enough, some Congress supporters even brazened out the hate directed at PM Modi and his deceased mother, drawing parallels to the criticism directed at former PMs of the country, namely, Rajiv Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru. But they overlook a basic fact: Heeraben Modi was a private citizen, while the three former PMs were public figures accountable to the public.
While liberals go gaga over Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Sonia Gandhi or the latter’s participation in Congress party’s boondoggle ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, PM Modi and his mother are not only degraded and dehumanised but also deprived of the respect that a pious relationship like the one shared by a mother and her children warrant.
For his detractors, attacking PM Modi and everyone associated with him is fair game—subject to mockery and ridicule regardless of the gravity of the situation. This perverse mentality is what drove Amit Schandillia to deprive Heeraben Modi and her son PM Modi of their mother-son relationship and attack the two over their meeting on Wednesday.
Amit Schandillia uses the language of Pulwama terrorist
As it turns out, Amit Schandillia also does not feel any compunction in using the same language as used by the Pulwama terrorist, who killed 40 CRPF soldiers after ramming an explosive-laden car in the CRPF cavalcade in February 2019.
Source: Twitter
Pulwama terrorist Adil Ahmed Dar referred to Hindus as ‘cow urine drinkers’ while justifying killing Hindus in the video released after the attack. Schandillia, however, feels no hesitancy in using the same language as Dar, remorselessly using ‘gaumutra’ jibes on Twitter, even though Islamists and terrorists routinely cite it to dehumanise Hindus and justify attacks against them.
Heeraben Modi, the mother of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, breathed her last on Friday (December 30) at the U N Mehta Institute of Cardiology & Research Centre in Ahmedabad. She was 100 years old. She was hospitalised on December 28 after her health situation deteriorated, and while she had started to recover yesterday, she passed away at 3.30 AM.
PM Modi rushed to Ahmedabad this morning and performed the last rites of his mother along with his brothers and other family members. Modi was seen carrying the mortal remains of his mother to the crematorium for the last rites. Before that, he paid floral tributes to his mother at her residence.
After performing the last rites, PM Narendra Modi returned to work, and remotely launched several development projects in West Bengal. While he was scheduled to visit Kolkata for the same, he joined the events through video conferencing due to the death of his mother, for which he apologised to the people of West Bengal.
PM Modi paid tributes to his mother on Twitter, saying that he always felt the trinity in his mother, which included the journey of an ascetic, the symbol of a selfless Karmayogi and a life committed to values. ‘A glorious century rests at the feet of God,’ he said.
शानदार शताब्दी का ईश्वर चरणों में विराम… मां में मैंने हमेशा उस त्रिमूर्ति की अनुभूति की है, जिसमें एक तपस्वी की यात्रा, निष्काम कर्मयोगी का प्रतीक और मूल्यों के प्रति प्रतिबद्ध जीवन समाहित रहा है। pic.twitter.com/yE5xwRogJi
Heeraben Modi was born on June 18, 1922, in Visnagar city in the Mehsana district of Gujarat. She was married to a tea vendor named Damodardas Mulchand Modi when she was a teenager, and the couple moved to Vadnagar town a few kilometres away from their village. According to Narendra Modi, his mother’s childhood was ‘extremely difficult’ due to poverty, and the poor financial condition continued after her marriage also.
Narendra Modi is the third child in the family that has a total of 5 brothers and a sister. Sombhai Modi is the eldest son of Heeraben Modi and Damodardas Modi, while Amrit Bhai Modi is the second child. The fourth brother after PM Modi is Prahlad Modi, while the fifth sibling Basntiben Hashmukhlal Modi is the lone sister, and Pankaj Modi is the youngest in the family.
Heeraben Modi lived with her youngest son Pankaj Modi and his family at Raysan village near the Gandhinagar city of Gujarat. Pankaj Modi is a retired government employee.
Heeraben played a pivotal role in the life of young Narendra Modi. This becomes evident from the heartfelt note that the Prime Minister penned on his mother’s centennial birthday.
“Maa…this isn’t a mere word but it captures a range of emotions. Today, 18th June is the day my Mother Heeraba enters her 100th year. On this special day, I have penned a few thoughts expressing joy and gratitude,” PM Modi had tweeted.
Maa…this isn’t a mere word but it captures a range of emotions. Today, 18th June is the day my Mother Heeraba enters her 100th year. On this special day, I have penned a few thoughts expressing joy and gratitude. https://t.co/KnhBmUp2se
The Prime Minister began his note by paying tribute to all mothers. He spoke about the importance of a mother in a child’s life. He wrote that it is a mother’s penance that shapes a good human being. Her love instils human qualities and empathy in a child, opined the Prime Minister.
Talking about the qualities of his mother, PM Modi said that she was hardworking and meticulous in her younger days, and continues to be the same. “In my Mother’s life story, I see the penance, sacrifice, and contribution of India’s matrushakti. Whenever I look at Mother and crores of women like her, I find there is nothing that is unachievable for Indian women. Far beyond every tale of deprivation, is the glorious story of a mother, far above every struggle, is the strong resolve of a mother… I have never been able to muster the courage to write at length publicly about your life until now… I bow at your feet,” the PM had written.
“Mother – is not just any other word in the dictionary. It encompasses a whole range of emotions – love, patience, trust, and a lot more. Across the world, irrespective of country or region, children have a special affection for their mothers. A mother not only gives birth to her children, but also shapes their mind, their personality, and their self-confidence. And while doing so, mothers selflessly sacrifice their own personal needs and aspirations,” wrote the PM.
He wrote that it is a mother’s penance that shapes a good human being. Her love instils human qualities and empathy in a child, opined the Prime Minister, adding, “A mother is not an individual or a personality, motherhood is a quality. It is often said that the Gods are made according to the nature of their devotees. Similarly, we experience our mothers and their motherhood according to our own nature and mindset.”
“In Vadnagar, our family used to stay in a tiny house which did not even have a window, let alone a luxury like a toilet or a bathroom. We used to call this one-room tenement with mud walls and clay tiles for a roof, our home. And all of us – my parents, my siblings and I, stayed in it. My father made a machaan from bamboo sticks and wooden planks to make it easier for Mother to cook food. This structure was our kitchen. Mother used to climb on the machaan to cook, and the entire family would sit on it and eat together,” PM Modi had recalled.
PM Modi then went on to pen down his mother Heeraben’s qualities, stressing how hardworking and meticulous she was in her younger days and continues to be the same. “I can fill many reams of paper recalling anecdotes about Mother’s focus on cleanliness,” wrote the Prime Minister, sharing how her focus on cleanliness.
The PM’s blog also had a special mention of how his mother had a deep respect for those involved in cleaning and sanitation. “I remember, whenever someone would come to clean the drain adjacent to our house in Vadnagar, Mother wouldn’t let them go without giving them tea. Our house became famous amongst safai karamcharis for tea after work.”
Recounting PM Modi’s meetings with his mother
In September 2014, Prime Minister Modi visited his mother’s home in Gandhinagar on the occasion of his 64th birthday. On that day, he also travelled 23 kilometres from Ahmedabad in a single vehicle and forwent security. It was also his first visit to Gujarat’s capital city after becoming the Prime Minister.
When Narendra Modi touched Heeraben’s feet and sought her blessing before leaving, she gave Modi Rs. 5001 as a birthday gift to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for Jammu and Kashmir.
In May 2016, PM Modi was able to spend quality time with his mother, Heeraben at the 7Race Course Road in New Delhi. He was ecstatic to be able to show his mother his home’s gardens and also lent an ear to all her stories about Gujarat.
In January 2017, he skipped his morning yoga session to meet his mother at her Gandhinagar residence.
Skipped Yoga & went to meet mother. Before dawn had breakfast with her. Was great spending time together.
Earlier in May this year, the duo was seen having lunch together. PM Modi also sought blessings from his mother. He had also expressed regret that he could not spend his 72nd birthday with his mother in Gandhinagar this year.
Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his mother Heeraben Modi at her residence, in Gandhinagar pic.twitter.com/4CvlnsPQtm
According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there have only been two occasions when Heeraben Modi accompanied him publicly i.e. once during Ekta Yatra (1991) and another during the oath-taking ceremony as Gujarat CM in 2001.
Only a handful of people know that Heeraben Modi donated ₹25,000 from her savings to the PM Cares Fund (also called Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund or PM-CARES Fund) or that she was the inspiration behind the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
It took many by surprise when she went to the bank herself to exchange the demonetised notes or dispel rumours surrounding Covid-19 vaccination to the elderly. Heeraben Modi lived a simple life, an attribute that became the guiding principle in PM Modi’s life as well.
She was also a fortunate mother, who had the opportunity to witness the progress of his son from a BJP Karyakarta to Gujarat Chief Minister and then to India’s Prime Minister.
Despite renunciation of societal family roles at a young age, PM Modi never lost touch with his mother. When her health deteriorated, he rushed to Ahmedabad to meet her at the hospital.
Within hours of completing the last rites of his mother, the Karmayogi in Narendra Modi did not allow him to take the day off. He virtually inaugurated several developmental projects in West Bengal, totalling ₹7,800 crore. For someone whose ‘work is worship’, the pillar of a strong mother has been lost forever.
In a landmark achievement of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of India, the country has a notable landmark- 1,50,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) have been operationalised before 31st December, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on Friday. With this, the country has achieved the goal of establishing 1.5 lakh AB-HWCs by 31st December 2022, which was set in 2018.
According to the website of AB-HWC, India has now 153,530 functional Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness in the country.
A statement issued by the ministry said that fulfilling the principles of “Antyodaya”- leaving no one behind, 150,000 Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres (AB-HWCs) are transforming the delivery of comprehensive primary health care services which are universally free and cater to all age groups from birth to death, through a continuum of care approach.
Ensuring the reach of healthcare services to the innermost regions of the nation through various initiatives, AB-HWCs have surpassed 8.5 teleconsultations via e-Sanjeevni, where nearly 4 lakh teleconsultations take place on a daily basis, the statement further said. The ministry added that more than 86.90 crore beneficiaries have been cumulatively screened for non-communicable diseases, including 29.95 Crore for Hypertension, 25.56 Crore for Diabetes, 17.44 Crore for Oral cancer, 8.27 Crore for Breast Cancer and 5.66 Crore for Cervical Cancer.
In light of expansion of AB-HWCs, the number of essential medicines has increased to 172 at Primary Health Centres – Health Wellness Centres (PHC-HWC) and 105 at Sub Health Centres – Health Wellness Centres (SHC-HWC). Moreover, essential diagnostics have also expanded to 63 at PHC-HWC and 14 at SHC-HWC. AB-HWCs also encompass wellness sessions on Yoga, Zumba, cyclathons, walkathons, and provide guidelines on diet, physical activity, positive parenting, tobacco, alcohol cessation among other aspects to imbibe a mindset for community well-being, according to the health ministry.
More than 1.60 crore wellness sessions have been conducted at these centres, the statement added. AB-HWCs have also operationalized 2-3 centres in the urban sphere under the umbrella of Urban Primary Health Centre-Health and Wellness Centre (UPHC-HWC), strengthening outpatient care, and covering a population of 15,000 to 20,000.
PM Narendra Modi applauded the efforts of the nation in accomplishing this feat before the set deadline, and said that these centres will serve to provide citizens all across the nation to easily access and avail primary healthcare facilities.
1,50,000 हेल्थ एंड वेलनेस सेंटर!
PM @NarendraModi जी ने दिसम्बर 2022 तक, देश में डेढ़ लाख AB-HWCs शुरू करने का लक्ष्य रखा था। मुझे बताते हुए खुशी है की आज हमने यह लक्ष्य प्राप्त कर लिया है।
Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated the nation on this achievement and expressed his joy stating that India had successfully achieved the goal of setting 1.5 lakh AB-HWCs by 31 December 2022. He informed that PM Modi had set this deadline in 2018 with the goal of ensuring good health facility for the person standing last in the queue.
Ayushman Bharat (AB) is an attempt to move from a selective approach to health care to deliver a comprehensive range of services spanning preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care. It has two components which are complementary to each other.
The first component of the initiative is the Health & Wellness Centres (HWCs), which have been created to deliver Comprehensive Primary Health Care, that is universal and free to users, with a focus on wellness and the delivery of an expanded range of services closer to the community. The second component is the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) which provides health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per year to over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families for seeking secondary and tertiary care.
HWCs are envisaged to deliver expanded range services that go beyond Maternal and child health care services to include care for non-communicable diseases, palliative and rehabilitative care, Oral, Eye and ENT care, mental health and first level care for emergencies and trauma , including free essential drugs and diagnostic services.
On Friday, Ayyappa Swamy devotees protested across the state of Telangana seeking action against Atheist Bairi Naresh, who used disparaging language against Lord Ayyappa Swamy. Bairi Naresh made derogatory statements against Lord Ayyappa Swamy in a public gathering conducted two days earlier in the Kodangal Constituency.
The video of the derogatory comments made by Bairi Naresh went viral over social media attracting massive criticism from the Lord Ayyappa Swami devotees. Police complaints demanding strict action have also been filed against Bairi Naresh for hurting the sentiments of Ayyappa devotees and making obscene remarks against the Hindu God.
One of the complaints was lodged by a woman identified as Karate Kalyani who stated that it has become a vogue to degrade Hindu Gods for publicity and requested harsh punishment against Naresh for hurting Hindu sensibilities. She said that the statements were made with the objective of ‘seriously hurting’ Hindu feelings.
The complaint has been filed under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code Section 153A. (IPC). Naresh who is a Dalit leader and head of ‘Bharata Nasthika Samajam’ allegedly remarked negatively about Lord Ayyappa’s birth and made other disparaging statements during a meeting of different Dalit organizations.
The devotees launched a protest in the city of Hyderabad and others hours after the video of the incident went viral over the internet. Reports mention that some of the devotees reached the Hyderabad Police station and demanded action against Bairi Naresh.
Amid the protest, Naresh was also apparently caught and manhandled by Lord Ayyappa Swami devotees in Hyderabad. He was ultimately rescued by the Police. The video of the incident was shared by the local media.
Meanwhile, Bandi Sanjay, the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, criticized the governing Bharatiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) administration and demanded action in the case. “Anybody can abuse Hindu Gods in Telangana and get exonerated because the state encourages blasphemy without taking any action! KCR claims to be True Hindu & his Hindutva is real BUT so far what action is taken on insults against Gods Vishnu, Shiva & Ayyappa done in Kodangal?” he tweeted demanding strong action against ‘offender’ for hurting religious sentiments of Hindus.
BRS govt gives security to Munawar Faruqui who insults goddess Seethamma & permission to others to hold meetings & make derogatory remarks on Lord Ayyappa Swamy’s birth.@BJP4Telangana demands strong action against offender for hurting sentiments of Hindus.
The protest by the devotees was also held outside the Parigi Police Station in Vikarabad, seeking action against Naresh for disrespecting Hindu Gods and hurting the sensibilities of Ayyappa Swamy devotees. They also urged that the Preventive Detention (PD) Act be used against Naresh. Ayyappa Swamy followers also took to the streets to protest at Ambedkar Chowk in Ichoda, Adilabad district.
They further staged a dharna in front of the Karayankhed Police Station in Sangareddy district, asking that Naresh be charged for his controversial remarks on Ayyappa Swamy.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a practicing Kerala High Court advocate and Popular Front of India (PFI) Martial Arts and Hit Squad Trainer as 14th accused in a case linked to the banned outfit, the agency said on Friday.
The accused identified as Mohammed Mubarak AI, a resident of Ernakulam district in Kerala, was arrested on Thursday subsequent to the searches conducted at 56 locations in Kerala. The case was registered suo-moto by the agency on September 19 this year.
In a statement, the NIA said the arrested accused, Mohammed Mubarak AI is a PFI Martial Arts and Hit Squad Trainer, and that he is a practicing advocate in the Kerala High Court.
The agency said it recovered an assortment of arms, concealed in a badminton racket bag from the house of Mohammed Mubarak AI during the searches conducted on Thursday.
Besides, an axe, swords and sickles were also seized in the raid from the House of the accused, said the NIA.
“Investigations have confirmed that the PFI was raising, training and maintaining Hit Squads in different States and districts to target leaders and members of other communities,” said the NIA.
On Thursday, the NIA conducted searches at 56 locations in Kerala that included residences of the group’s seven State Executive Committee members, seven Zonal Heads and 15 Physical Training Instructors-Trainers.
The anti-terror agency also searched the houses of seven cadres trained in the use of knives, daggers, swords and other types of weapons to carry out murderous violent acts and 20 other suspects in the districts of Trivandrum (3), Kollam (3), Pathanamthitta (3), Kottayam (2), Alappuzha (3), Ernakulam (13), Thrissur (2), Palakkad (1), Malappuram (7), Kozhikode (4), Kannur (9) and Wayanad (6).
The agency said the raids were part of its ongoing case which is related to unlawful and violent activities being carried out by the PFI, its office bearers, cadres, members and affiliates.
The NIA said that the PFI has been found “justifying the use of criminal force and encouraging vulnerable youth to join terrorist organisations”.
Earlier on September 22 this year, NIA had conducted searches at 24 locations in Kerala, including offices of PFI and residences of 13 accused.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
