LIVE! PM playing victim, real victims are people: Sonia at CWC meet

15:31  PM playing victim, real victims are people: Sonia at CWC meet:  UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that he was trying to play victim while compromising on national interest, sources said.

She spoke at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s highest decision-making body, held in Prime Minister Modi’s home state, Gujarat. 

Sources shared that Sonia Gandhi expressed in the meeting that the Prime Minister tries to play victim while the real victims are the people of the country.

Chaired by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the meeting was also attended by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress general secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra among others.

Manmohan Singh stressed in the meeting on publicising the work done by the Congress party, sources said. 

Singh claimed in the meeting that the NDA government is doing fake publicity and the GDP has declined due to bad policies of the central government. — ANI

15:03  No sacrifice too great to defeat RSS-BJP ideology of hatred: Rahul:  Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said no sacrifice was too great to defeat the RSS and BJP ideology of “fascism, hatred, anger and divisiveness”. Speaking at the crucial Congress Working Committee meeting at the Sardar Patel National Memorial in Ahmedabad, he underlined the Congress party’s resolve to fight the forces of hatred. 

“On the anniversary of Gandhiji’s historic Dandi March, the Congress Working Committee in Ahmedabad, resolved to defeat the RSS/ BJP ideology of fascism, hatred, anger & divisiveness. No sacrifice is too great in this endeavour; no effort too little; this battle will be won,” Gandhi tweeted on the occasion. 

Led by president Rahul Gandhi and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the party’s top leadership started discussions on key poll issues at the CWC meeting. 

The party started the day by paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram. The day also marks the anniversary of the historic Dandi March, started by Mahatma Gandhi from Sabarmati Ashram on March 12, 1930. 

It is also the first official meeting of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was appointed as Congress general secretary in-charge of western Uttar Pradesh recently. Sources said the CWC is likely to authorise the party president to finalise alliances in key states with other like-minded parties in order to defeat the BJP ‘unitedly’. 

They said the party was also likely to discuss the issue of national security and pass a resolution condemning terrorism of any kind. The day-long meeting of the Congress Working Committee–the highest decision making body of the party– assumes significance as it comes barely two days after the declaration of the poll schedule. 

The meeting is being held in Gujarat after a gap of 58 years. It was last held in the state at Bhavnagar in 1961. — PTI

14:41  Terror funding: ED begins attaching Kashmiri bizman’s properties :  In a major crackdown against terror funding and Hafiz Saeed, the Enforcement Directorate has begun attaching 25 properties in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of country associated to Srinagar based businessman Zahoor Ahmed Shah Watali.

The probe agency believes a large amount of money that was used to procure these properties came from chief of Pakistan based terror organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Saeed. 

The agency has initiated the process of attaching these properties which include bungalows, palatial houses and farmhouses across the country.

Watali is being investigated by the agency for allegedly handling Hafiz Saeed’s finances in India.

The ED’s investigation is based on a case registered by the National Investigative Agency. 

Watali was arrested by the NIA in August last year for his alleged involvement in terror funding.According to sources, these properties worth crores are part of “proceeds of crime” invested by Watali.

ED has named Hafiz Saeed as an accused in its case. Watali, Hafiz Saeed, Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin and nine others have been accused by the NIA of “conspiring to wage war against the government” and sponsoring terrorism in the Kashmir valley. 

Image: Kashmiri businessman Zahoor AS Watali’s residence. The ED under PMLA has attached his property worth Rs 1.03 cr.  

14:18  The IAF hero who did not return and must never be forgotten:  
Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja was tortured and killed after his MiG-21 was shot down and he ejected across the Line of Control during the Kargil war. Wing Commander C H Bal Reddy (retd) identified his mortal remains and brought the coffin home. He tells Rediff.com’s Archana Masih about the Indian hero we must not forget. Read the story here. 

14:02  Maharashtra Assembly Oppn leader’s son quits Cong to join BJP:  In what is being seen as a setback and embarrassment to the Maharashtra Congress ahead of the national election, which begins on April 11, party leader Sujay Vikhe Patil, has announced that he is joining the BJP today.

Sujay is the son of leader of opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil. He has been upset over not being fielded by the Congress from the Ahmednagar seat that he wants to contest.

Sujay Vikhe Patil said, “I’ve taken this decision against my father’s wishes. I don’t know how much my parents will support this decision, but I’ll try my best to make my family proud by working under the guidance of the BJP. The CM (Devendra Fadnavis) and  other BJP MLAs were supportive and helped me take the decision.”

The Congress has reportedly finalised its seat-sharing arrangement with the NCP for the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra, retaining 26 seats and giving 22 to its electoral ally. The NCP is unwilling to give the seat to Sujay Patil, a practising neurosurgeon.

Last month, Maharashtra Congress Chief Ashok Chavan had said Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil should convince his son. “Sujay should know that his request is under the Congress party’s consideration. I have also suggested his father that he should convince his son (to back down if necessary),” he was quoted as saying by PTI.

The clarification came after 157 people on board a Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines flight (Boeing 737 MAX 8) were killed after the plane crashed on Sunday shortly after taking off from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa.

“Jet Airways is deeply saddened by the unfortunate accident involving a B737 MAX aircraft of Ethiopian Airways. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the bereaved families and friends and all our colleagues from the aviation community impacted by this tragedy.”

“The airline is in contact with the manufacturer and the regulator in context of this development, and remains committed to implementing all directives or advisories that may be published by those authorised,” read the statement issued by the airline.

Jet Airways has placed orders for 225 737 MAX planes with Boeing and some have already been delivered.SpiceJet too has a deal with Boeing for up to 205 aircraft, including at least 155 737 MAX 8 planes.

The fuel-efficient 737 MAX is the fastest-selling plane in Boeing’s history. The plane-maker has accumulated nearly 4,700 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide.

Soon after the crash, Ethiopian Airlines authorities outlined that the pilot had reported technical difficulties after takeoff and asked for clearance to return to Addis Ababa. The CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, added that the pilot had flown more than 8,000 hours and had an “excellent flying record.” The exact cause behind the crash is being investigated. — ANI

13:11  Babri Masjid committee to meet AIMPLB on Ayodhya dispute today :  All India Babri Masjid Action Committee convenor Zafaryab Jilani will meet All India Muslim Personal Law Board and committee members over the Ayodhya issue in Lucknow today. 

The Supreme Court had on Friday referred the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case for court-appointed and monitored mediation and expressed the view that the proceedings should be conducted with “utmost confidentiality’ to ensure its success.

“There is no formal meeting anywhere of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and All India Babri Masjid Action Committee. The telephonic talk held between the parties residing in Faridabad and Ayodhya. If they have to discuss anything and don’t have other engagements then they will come anytime today. We will hear their suggestions on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case,” Jilani told ANI.

After taking note of the submissions made by the parties concerned, the apex court had on Friday constituted a three-member committee which would be chaired by retired top court judge Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla for mediation.

— ANI

Krishnan has been on numerous government committees after retirement and instrumental in creating many laws to bring social justice to the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes.

The Supreme Court on March 11, 2019 said it would hear on March 28 a plea to refer the issue of 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections for upper castes to a Constitution bench. 

Krishnan believes the current 10% quota will not stand in a court of law.”If the case is properly argued, which I think it will be — people are also taking my guidance — I don’t think the Supreme Court can uphold this Constitutional amendment,” he tells Rediff.com’s Shobha Warrier.

12:38  A very inspiring place: Rahul’s message at Sabarmati Ashram:  Congress president Rahul Gandhi writes in the visitors’ book at the Gandhi Ashram, Sabarmati: ‘A very inspiring place, Thank you for keeping the flame of our leader alive’. 

12:31  PM advised us to choose content with message of inclusive India: Ranveer:  PM Narendra Modi told young members of the film industry that they should choose content propagating the idea of “inclusive India and unity” when he met them earlier this year, says actor Ranveer Singh.

Ranveer had met the Prime Minister, along with Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann Khurrana and others, in January this year. 

“I met the Prime Minister recently, we had a very pleasant meeting. We apprised him what we as young members of the film fraternity are doing. 

“He had something to say to us, which was, that if possible, we should choose content that has in it a message of inclusive India and unity,” Ranveer told reporters.

The actor was speaking at the announcement of 64th Vimal Filmfare Awards on Monday. Ranveer said his upcoming “83”, which chronicles India’s first cricket world cup victory, is a film which will make the country proud.

“I was very happy to report to him that my next film ’83’ is one such film where it’s truly team India. You have gentlemen from all across the country coming together to make the nation proud. It’s also an extraordinary underdog story that I’m very happy and proud to be a part of.”

The actor said his purpose in life is to entertain people and he will do his best towards that goal. “I believe my calling in life is to be an entertainer. So the best thing I can do is to fulfil what I believe is my purpose in life, that is to do my best to entertain people. When it comes to being a responsible citizen, I think I am,” Ranveer said. — PTI

Image: Ranveer Singh picture courtesy: @RanveerOfficial

12:06  Congress culture is anti-thesis of Gandhian thought: PM on Dandi March anniv:  On the 89th anniversary of the historic Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday took a jibe at the Congress, saying, “Its culture is the anti-thesis of Gandhian values.”

He quoted the works of Mahatma Gandhi to claim that Congress stands for everything that the Father of the Nation did not like — casteism, corruption, communalism and dynastic politics.

The Prime Minister in his blog titled, “When a handful of salt shook an Empire!” said, “Gandhiji taught us to think of the plight of the poorest person we have seen and think about how our work impacts that person. I am proud to say that in all aspects of our Government’s work, the guiding consideration is to see how it will alleviate poverty and bring prosperity. Sadly, the anti-thesis of Gandhian thought is the Congress culture.”

He also accused Congress of creating caste divisions and practising inequality in the country while in power.

“Bapu said, …through the realisation of freedom of India I hope to realise and carry on the mission of brotherhood of man. In many of his works, Gandhiji said that he does not believe in inequality and caste divisions. Sadly, Congress has never hesitated from dividing society. The worst caste riots and anti-Dalit massacres happened under Congress rule,” Modi said in the blog. — PTI

11:23  Cong kicks off LS poll campaign from PM’s home state:  Top Congress leadership Tuesday paid their respect to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad, ahead of launching the party’s poll campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. Party leaders led by its chief Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former prime minister Manmohan Singh sought to give a symbolic message to the people of the country ahead of the general elections by remembering Mahatma and his ideals of non-violence and tolerance. Other party leaders like A K Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ahmed Patel, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, former chief ministers Siddaramaiah, Tarun Gogoi, Harish Rawat and Oommen Chandy attended a prayer meeting at the Sabarmati Ashram.

Rahul while addressing Congress booth workers in Delhi on Monday had said the upcoming general elections will be a battle between Mahatma Gandhi’s India and Nathuram Godse’s India with love on one side and hate on the other. 

Today also marks the anniversary of the famous ‘Dandi March’ started by Mahatma Gandhi from Sabarmati Ashram on March 12, 1930 with a group of Satyagrahis.

The Congress, at its meeting of the working committee — the highest decision making body, later in the day will give the final shape to its strategy for the general elections.

The Congress Working Committee meeting is being held at Vallabhbhai Patel’s national memorial here, with top party leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and newly-appointed Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in attendance. This will be the first official meeting of Priyanka after assuming an active political role in the Congress party. 

Later, the party will sound the poll bugle from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, with a ‘Jan Sankalp Rally’ here, party leaders said. The day-long meeting of the Congress Working Committee assumes significance as it comes barely two days after the declaration of the poll schedule. — PTI

The scathing attack by the Congress comes a day after the BJP latched on to Rahul Gandhi’s reference to the Jaish-e-Mohammad’s chief as “Masood Azhar ji”. The opposition party had hit back, accusing its rival of deliberately twisting Gandhi’s comments made sarcastically. 

“Modi government’s NSA, Ajit Doval, ‘spills the beans’ and indicts BJP government in release of terrorist, Masood Azhar. Doval said (in the interview), ‘Releasing Masood Azhar was a political decision’,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted.

“Will Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad admit to the anti-national act now,” he said in a series of tweets using the hashtag ‘BJP Loves Terrorists’.

Surjewala also attached a link of Doval’s 2010 interview with the tweets. “Modi government’s NSA, Ajit Doval’s ‘clean chit certificate’ to terrorist, Masood Azhar revealed,” he said. 

“1. Masood doesn’t know how to fabricate an IED.  

2. Masood is not a marksman. 3. After releasing Masood, tourism in J&K has gone up by 200%,” Surjewala quoted Doval as saying in the interview. 

Doval saluted the real “nationalistic policy of Congress-UPA to tacke terror, the Congress spokesperson claimed. “UPA-Cong came with a categorical policy on hijacking. No concession, no talks,” he quoted Doval as saying. Why did the BJP government not show the same guts, Surjewala said.  — PTI

10:25  Gandhis arrive for CWC:  Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi arrive in Ahmedabad for the Congress Working Committee meeting. 

10:18  Modi more popular than Rahul as PM candidate: Poll:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity has soared over the past five months as the country prepares for general elections, an India Today TV survey has found.

10:12  Computer Baba appointed head of river trust in Cong-ruled MP:   The Congress government in Madhya Pradesh has appointed self-styled godman NamdevTyagi, also known as Computer Baba, as chairman of a river trust in the state, an official said on Tuesday. The state spiritual department passed the order of appointing Tyagi as head of the ‘Ma Narmada, Ma Kshipra and Ma Mandakini Rivers Trust’ a few days back, just before the model code of conduct for Lok Sabha polls came into effect, he said. 

Notably, Tyagi was accorded minister of state (MoS) status by the previous BJP-led government last year, but he later resigned, accusing the then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of “not fulfilling” the promise of stopping illegal sand mining in the river Narmada. 

Tyagi told PTI on Tuesday that he would now work to conserve the rivers in the central state and check illegal sand mining. “My priority would be to rejuvenate the three holy rivers, especially the river Narmada. I will ensure that no illegal sand mining takes place in the holy river,” he said. 

Tyagi, a friend-turned-critic of Chouhan, campaigned against the BJP ahead of the last year’s state Assembly polls in which the Congress dethroned the saffron party and came to power after over 15 years. — PTI

10:04  Pre-poll booster shot for Sensex, soars over 300 points:  
The BSE benchmark Sensex Tuesday jumped over 300 points led by gains in metal, oil and gas, banking and energy stocks amid unabated buying by foreign investors and strong global cues. 

Key indices extended the pre-election rally on expectations that the incumbent NDA government will get a second term following the announcement of 2019 general election dates earlier this week, experts said. BSE Sensex was trading 346.60 points, or 0.94 per cent, higher at 37,400.70. Similarly, the 50-share NSE Nifty climbed 86.65 points, or 0.78 per cent, to 11,254.70. The 30-share index ended at 37,054.10, up by 382.67 points, or 1.04 per cent, in its previous session Monday; and the Nifty closed at 11,168.05 points, up 132.65 points, or 1.20 per cent.

Top gainers in early trade include PowerGrid, NTPC, RIL, L&T, ICICI Bank, Tata Motors, HCL Tech and Vedanta, rising over 2.60 per cent. While, Bharti Airtel and IndusInd Bank were trading in the red. — PTI

Image: ICICI Bank is among the top gainers. 

09:26  Priyanka Gandhi’s debut speech likely today at key Congress meet:  

Congress is all set to launch its 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bastion Gujarat today. The principal opposition party has charted out a day long program – which is fully loaded with a “political message” in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar. 

Congress has zeroed in on March 12 – which marks the anniversary of famous Dandi March by Mahatma Gandhi. 

The prayer meet will be followed by a small roadshow where all the prominent leaders of the Congress including party chief Rahul Gandhi will ride in buses to Sardar Patel National Memorial in Ahmedabad to attend the Congress Working Committee meeting. This CWC is also significant as it will be Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s first meeting of the committee as the party’s newly appointed General Secretary. 

The CWC will be followed by a public meeting at Trimandir in Adalaj, Gandhinagar where patidhar leader Hardik Patel will officially join the Congress.

09:05  Ethiopia Airline Crash: Black box recovered:  

The black box of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 which crashed killing all the 157 people on board has been recovered.

According to Fox News, the authorities sifting through the crash site recovered the black box which is a critical discovery in the search for what caused the disaster.

Ethiopian Airlines announced on Twitter, The Digital Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder of ET302 have been Recovered.

Following the crash, several airlines have grounded their Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircrafts. Several people including UN staff, students and humanitarian workers were killed in the ghastly tragedy.

Meanwhile,  the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Monday that it is reviewing safety issues relating to Boeing 737 MAX planes. Four Indians were among those killed. 

This is for the second time in less than five months that a Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane crashed. In October 2018, an aircraft operated by Lion Air crashed killing over 180 people in Indonesia. 

— ANI

08:13  Mediators in Ayodhya land dispute case to meet for first time today:  

The three-member Supreme Court appointed mediation team in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land dispute case is set to meet at ground zero in Ayodhya today. 

To assist them in their task, the district administration on directions of the state government has built a mini secretariat inside the Awadh university campus. From lodging to a negotiation room, all facilities for the three mediators have been set up there. 

Following the Supreme Court order that the process should remain a secret, the government and the local administration have taken steps in this regard. No official communication about the movement of the members or their schedule is being made public.

Sources, however, confirmed that the court-appointed mediators former Supreme Court judge FMI Kalifulla, senior advocate Sriram Panchu and spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will reach Ayodhya by a special flight on Tuesday morning around 11am.

Highly-placed sources reportedly said that the guest house at the engineering department of the university has been earmarked for the meetings and lodging of the panel members. 

As of now, two typists one for Hindi and the other for English have been assigned to work with the mediation panel. Sources say some of the required staff is being directly brought by the negotiators themselves.

In the first leg, the mediation panel is expected to stay in Ayodhya for around three days, following which the further schedule will be worked out depending upon the progress in mediation and dialogue with the litigants in the case.

00:03  Erdogan dials Modi; condoles deaths in recent terror attacks:  

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan telephoned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to condole the deaths in recent terrorist attacks in the country and wish speedy recovery to those injured, a statement said on Monday.

During their conversation, Modi underscored the importance of “immediate, demonstrable, and irreversible action” against terrorism by all countries concerned.

He asserted that terrorism remains one of the gravest threats to global peace and security. 

“President Erdogan expressed condolences for the victims of recent terrorist attacks in India, and wished speedy recovery to those injured in the attacks,” the statement said.

Forty personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force were killed on February 14 when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a paramilitary bus in Kashmir’s Pulwama district . — PTI