- 8th januray 2017 NOTE: kindly give your suggestions in comment bo
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi says people wholeheartedly supported demonetisation despite difficulties; told BJP National Executive that poverty is an opportunity for the party to serve the poor.
- Mr. Modi calls for transparency in political funding, and appeals to all parties to come on board.
- Crucial BJP meet endorses demonetisation and gives a standing ovation to the Prime Minister.
- Budget session of Parliament begins from 31st January.
- Three-day Pravasi Bhartiya Divas begins in Bengaluru.
- Meerut police files case against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for violating election code; BJP distances itself from his comment on population increase.
- Seven agreements signed between India and Portugal on cooperation in various fields including renewable energy and defence.
- 43 people killed in a car bomb blast in rebel-held Syrian town of Azaz.
- Rain and snow lash many parts of North India plummeting temperature and disrupting normal life.
- In Tennis : Sania Mirza lifts season's first title in Brisbane International women's doubles.
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1) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said, people wholeheartedly supported the government’s decision of demonetization despite difficulties. Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day National Executive meeting of BJP in New Delhi, he said, the poor and downtrodden have accepted positively that such an important decision will prove to be an effective tool to eliminate social ills including corruption.
Giving takeaways from the Prime Minister's address, senior party leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Prime Minister described corruption is a big social evil and unregulated flow of currency stimulates it.
The Prime Minister particularly saluted the inner strength of the poor of the country who did realise that particularly historic decision is going to seriously impact the ill of corruption in the country. And responding to his appeal inspite of some difficulty they did voluntarily and very strongly supported this great initiated.
Quoting the Prime Minister, Mr Prasad said, the poor and poverty are not merely a vote winning tools for BJP. He said, poverty is an opportunity for the party to serve the poor. The Prime Minister equated it to serving God. He said with this intention, the government is working for upliftment of the poor. Mr Prasad said Mr Modi also appealed to the party workers to disseminate information regarding all welfare schemes at booth level.
Mr. Modi also referred to Jan Dhan Yojana, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Swachh Bharat campaigns. He said Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao scheme is not aimed at any particular community and the nation can not progress as a whole unless every section of the society is covered under it.
The Prime Minister also spoke about transparency in political funding, and appealed to all parties to come on board to cleanse the system.
The national executive hailed the Prime Minister's initiatives of demonetisation and surgical strikes as bold steps and gave him a standing ovation.
Earlier today, the national executive adopted the economic resolution primarily focusing on demonetization. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had moved the resolution. In his address, Mr Jaitley said, the Opposition's negative agenda against demonetization failed to yield any result. He said, even after 50 days of demonetization, there was not a single protest. Mr Jaitley said, people's support has strengthened the determination of the Government to fight the parallel economy, fake currency and terrorism.
Briefing media Union Minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman said the Finance Minister clearly explained the objectives of the government in demonetising higher value currency notes. Quoting Mr Jaitley, she said the objective of demonetisation was to contain black money which was an election promise of BJP during Lok Sabha elections.
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2.....Budget session of Parliament will start from 31st of this month. President Pranab Mukherjee has summoned the Rajya Sabha to meet on this day. A similar notification is also expected from the Lok Sabha secretariat. The session will conclude on 12th of April.
Meanwhile, Election Commission has sought the Centre's response on the objection of opposition parties to presenting the budget on 1st of next month before the assembly polls in five states. Sources said, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi has written to Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha in this regard. The Cabinet Secretary has been asked to respond by 10th of this month.
Yesterday, the Commission had forwarded a letter of the opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, BSP and SP asking the government to postpone the presentation of the budget till atleast 8th of March, when the last of the votes will be cast for the polls to UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Manipur and Goa.
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3......The 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas convention began in Bengaluru today. On the first day, the Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Divas was addressed by Vice President of Suriname Micheal Ashwin Adhin and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Vijay Goel among others. Speaking on the occasion, Suriname Vice President Adhin said, India has the potential to become the super power.
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4.....In Uttar Pradesh, a case of violation of model code of conduct has been lodged against BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj in Meerut for allegedly making a hate speech yesterday. Speaking about India’s population explosion in the country in a programme yesterday, Sakshi Maharaj had made an indirect jibe towards a minority community which according to administration construed a clear violation of the model code of conduct and the case was registered against him under various sections of IPC and the Representation of People Act. Sakshi Maharaj has defended himself saying that he has not commented on any community. He said that he has been misquoted.
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5.....BJP today distanced itself from party MP Sakshi Maharaj's comment that a particular community is responsible for the population increase in the country. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, party leader and Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, it is neither the view of the BJP nor that of the NDA government.
Congress has filed a complaint with the Election Commission against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his alleged communal statement. The party claimed that his comments are not only in violation of Model Code of Conduct, but are also punishable by law.
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6.....Still with Uttar Pradesh, efforts to unite the rival groups of ruling Samajwadi party are continuing. Several rounds of meetings were held today. Both factions are reportedly refusing to budge from their stand causing the stalemate to continue. Today, State Minister and party leader Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadav met party patriarch Mulayam Singh at his residence.
Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav faction of Samajwadi Party today approached the Election Commission staking claim over cycle symbol. A delegation led by party leader Ramgopal Yadav met the Commission this evening in New Delhi and handed over several documents in support of his group's demand. Talking to reporters after the meeting, he said Akhilesh faction is the real Samajwadi Party, as it has support of 90 percent of party's MPs, MLAs and MLCs.
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7....India and Portugal today signed seven agreements in different fields, including defence cooperation, agriculture, renewable energy and marine research. The MoUs were inked after bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa in New Delhi.
Delivering his press statement, Mr Modi said the MoU on defence cooperation will help harness strengths of both nations. He said expansion and deepening of trade, investment and business partnerships is a shared priority for both the countries.
Mr Modi said, the full range of India-Portugal ties was reviewed during the talks. He expressed his gratitude to Portugal for their continued support for India's permanent membership of UN Security Council.
I thank Prime Minister Costa for Portugal consistent support for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council. We are also grateful for the support extended by Portugal to India's membership of the missile technology control regime and for its continues support for India's membership of Nuclear suppliers group.
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8.......In Syria, at least 43 people have been killed in a car bomb blast in the rebel-held town of Azaz, near the Turkish border. Reports say, the explosion occurred outside a courthouse in the town, some just 7 kilometres from the Turkish frontier. Azaz has recently been targeted by so-called Islamic State. The latest blast comes amid a nationwide ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey.
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9.......In Jammu and Kashmir, the normal life across the Valley was affected for the second day today due to heavy snowfall. Several arterial roads and lanes are covered with snow hampering movement of traffic. The Valley continued to remain cut off from the rest of the world with Srinagar Jammu Highway closed for the second day. Traffic officials told AIR that due to continued inclement weather, the traffic on the Highway would remain suspended tomorrow also.
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10.....In Himachal Pradesh, normal life remained affected in most of the districts due to snow and rainfall. Power and water supply, telecommunication services and road traffic have been badly hit in far-flung areas of the State. Traffic remained disrupted on Shimla-Chandigarh and Shimla-Kinnaur National highways. Hundreds of people are stranded on different roads as vehicular traffic is affected due to slippery roads.
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11.....In Uttarakhand, the higher reaches in Garhwal and Kumaon regions experienced heavy snowfall today. Lower hills and valleys were lashed by intermittent rains since yesterday, taking the hills in the grip of severe cold conditions. The MeT Office has issued a warning of heavy snowfall at isolated places in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts in the next 12 hours.
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12.....Moderate to heavy rain lashed several places in Punjab and Haryana. Chandigarh and its surrounding areas received heavy rain, with some areas in the Union Territory receiving hailstorm. Temperature has dropped and cold wave is prevailing in the region.
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13......The national capital received its first spell of winter rains today bringing down the maximum temperature below normal. The weatherman has predicted a cloudy sky tomorrow with possibility of shallow and moderate fog in few areas.
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14......Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza picked up her first title of the season, combining with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands to lift the Brisbane International women's doubles title. The top-seeded Indo-American duo triumphed 6-2 6-3 against the second-seeded Russian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the final. The trophy, however, ended Sania's 91-week reign as the world No.1 doubles player in the WTA rankings. That position was taken over by her partner Bethanie.
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15....Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said the government will provide an initial venture fund, if someone wants to begin startups in Jammu and Kashmir. He was speaking at Kashmiri students' conference organised by Muslim Rashtriya Manch in New Delhi today. Noting that the youth in Kashmir are going astray due to local elements, Mr Singh called for normalisation of situation in the Valley. He stressed that constructing buildings and creating institutions are two different things.
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16....Independent MLA from Meghalaya, Julius Dorphang was arrested in Guwahati today in connection with a sex-racket case involving a 14-year old girl in Shillong. Later, the Shillong District and Sessions Court sent him in police custody for five days. Superintendent of Police in East Khasi Hills district said, Dorphang was arrested from his hideout in Assam. The arrest came a day after a look-out notice was issued against him and Meghalaya police sought cooperation from their counterparts in neighbouring States.
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