8 Crore Jobs In Last Few Years “Silenced Fake Narratives”: PM Modi

8 Crore Jobs In Last Few Years “Silenced Fake Narratives”: PM Modi



The transformation of railways is benefitting Mumbai and Maharashtra, PM Modi said. (File)

Mumbai:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday emphasised that creation of eight crore new jobs in the last three to four years has “silenced” those spreading fake narratives about unemployment.

Quoting a recent report of Reserve Bank of India on the employment figure, the Prime Minister asserted the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government continues to prioritise stability and growth and added that small and big investors have welcomed the NDA’s third term with enthusiasm.

During the event launching projects costing Rs 29,000 crore in road, railway, and port sectors, PM Modi took a swipe at opposition parties for spreading misinformation on job creation, labelling them as hindrances to progress.

“This figure has silenced those spreading fake narrative on jobs,” PM Modi said in a veiled attack on the opposition that had made unemployment a key issue in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

“Those who spread fake narratives are enemies of investment, infrastructure development and enemies of the country’s growth. Their every policy is about betraying youth and stall employment. Now they are getting exposed as people are rejecting their lies,” the PM said.

PM Modi said skill development and employment are needed in the country and his government is working in this direction.

He said Maharashtra has a glorious history, a capable present and the dream of a prosperous future.

It is the state that has a critical role to play in Viksit Bharat as it has power of industry, agriculture and finance sector.

“My aim is to make Maharashtra the world’s big financial powerhouse and to make Mumbai a global fintech capital,” he said.

“Our aim is to improve everyone’s standard of living and make quality of life the best. This is why efforts are being made to better the connectivity of areas close to Mumbai,” the PM added.

The ground breaking of infrastructure works come months ahead of the state assembly polls.

The upcoming infrastructure projects in and around Mumbai will boost connectivity of the city with nearby areas, which ensures better facilities as well as safety for women, PM Modi pointed out.

The expansion of the metro rail network in the metropolis was going on at a rapid pace, rising from just 8 kilometres ten years ago to 80 kilometres now, while work on 200 kilometres is underway, the PM said.

In Maharashtra, the length of national highways has trebled, adding the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, which will act as a major east-west connector in the northern part of the city, was a fine example of balance between conserving nature and development.

The twin tunnels connecting Thane and Borivali will ensure the distance between the two areas will be covered in minutes, the PM said.

The Coastal Road and Atal Setu are now complete, the PM said, and recalled efforts by some to stall the sea bridge.

But now everyone realises how beneficial it is, the PM said about the Atal Setu, the country’s longest sea bridge connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

Some 20,000 vehicles use it everyday and it is estimated that Rs 20-25 lakh worth of fuel is saved and people take less time to reach Panvel, the PM pointed out.

The transformation of railways is benefitting Mumbai and Maharashtra, he said.

The redevelopment works of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Ajni-Nagpur were happening at a rapid pace.

The new platforms at CSMT and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (two of the main junctions of Central Railway in Mumbai), have been inaugurated and will enable the railways to run 24-coach trains, the PM said.

The Centre has also approved the Rs 76000 crore Vadhavan port in Dahanu in Palghar, which will generate 10 lakh jobs, the PM said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)



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How India's Oil And Gas Exploration Offers A 0 Billion Opportunity By 2030

How India's Oil And Gas Exploration Offers A $100 Billion Opportunity By 2030


Crude oil is converted into fuels like petrol and diesel in refineries. (Representational)

New Delhi:

Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has called for stepping up oil and gas hunt to cut India’s reliance on imports and making available fuel at an affordable and sustainable way.

Speaking at the Urja Varta conference recently, he said the exploration and production (E&P) sector is integral in the journey towards energy self-sufficiency, which is critical for sustained economic growth.

“E&P offers investment opportunities worth USD 100 billion by 2030,” he said.

Stating that India’s exploration and production potential still lies untapped, he said, “I find it strange that India is so heavily reliant on oil imports despite the abundant geological resources available to us.”

The Indian sedimentary basins hold about 651.8 million tonnes of crude oil and 1138.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas, he said.

Mr Puri said only 10 per cent of our sedimentary basin area is under exploration, which will rise to 16 per cent by 2024-end after the current bid ends.

“The focus of our exploratory endeavours must pivot towards discovering ‘Yet to Find’ resources,” he said.

India imports over 85 per cent of its crude oil needs. Crude oil is converted into fuels like petrol and diesel in refineries.

“The government is doing its part to catalyse investments in E&P. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has instituted sweeping reforms, empowering stakeholders to contribute to our nation’s progress,” he said, adding “We intend to increase India’s exploration acreage to 1 million sq. km. by 2030.”

The minister said since its inception in 2015, the Discovered Small Field (DSF) Policy has garnered investments of approximately USD 2 billion and brought in 29 new players in the field.

“The opening up of the erstwhile no-go areas has paved the way for exploration activities in previously restricted zones, fostering investments, notably in regions such as the Andamans,” he said.

Mr Puri announced formation of a Joint Working Group (JWG), comprising representatives from private E&P operators, the National Oil Companies, MoPNG, and DGH to examine issues relating to the ease of doing business in E&P, adequacy of policies and procedures, and the need for their revision.

“It will submit its recommendations within eight weeks,” he added.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)



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Emergency Flashpoint: 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' On June 25, Says Amit Shah

Emergency Flashpoint: 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' On June 25, Says Amit Shah


The Congress has said the BJP is indulding in “yet another headline grabbing exercise”.

New Delhi:

Keeping up its attack on the Congress over the Emergency, the government announced on Friday that June 25 will be observed every year as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’, which loosely translates to ‘the day the Constitution was killed’. 

Making the announcement on X, Home Minister Amit Shah posted a gazette notification and wrote, “On June 25, 1975, the then PM Indira Gandhi, in a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of our democracy by imposing the Emergency on the nation. Lakhs of people were thrown behind bars for no fault of their own, and the voice of the media was silenced.”

“The Government of India has decided to observe the 25th of June every year as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.’ This day will commemorate the massive contributions of all those who endured the inhuman pains of the 1975 Emergency,” he added.

PM Narendra Modi also posted on X and said the day will serve as a reminder of the Constitution being trampled over. 

“To observe 25th June as #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas will serve as a reminder of what happens when the Constitution of India was trampled over. It is also a day to pay homage to each and every person who suffered due to the excesses of the Emergency, a Congress unleashed dark phase of Indian history,” the PM wrote. 

The Congress has hit back and accused the BJP of indulging in “yet another headline grabbing exercise in hypocrisy”.

‘400 Paar’ And Congress Claims

Throughout Narendra Modi’s tenure as Prime Minister, the Congress and other opposition parties have accused the BJP and the Central government of violating the Constitution as well as weakening constitutional institutions, including the election commission and the judiciary.

They got more ammunition when, in the months leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Karnataka BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde and the party’s Meerut candidate Arun Govil, among others, said that the NDA had set itself a target of winning 400 seats because it wanted to amend the Constitution. 

The opposition, which had come together under the INDIA umbrella, seized on the opportunity to claim that the BJP wanted to end reservation and “dismantle” the Constitution. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others also began carrying a copy of the foundational document and stated repeatedly that the INDIA alliance was fighting to protect the Constitution. 

As the INDIA narrative began to gain traction, the BJP and the government went into damage-control mode, claiming that the opposition was spreading lies. The issue did, however, work to the INDIA alliance’s favour in several states and played a role in limiting the BJP to 240 Lok Sabha seats and the NDA to 293. 

Counter Attack

Going on the offensive, the BJP repeatedly brought up the Emergency to claim that it was the Congress that had violated the Constitution.

On June 25 this year, PM Modi led the attack, posting on X, “Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the Emergency. The #DarkDaysOfEmergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India which every Indian respects greatly.”

“Those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution. These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a Bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism and violated every aspect of the Constitution,” he wrote, adding that the mindset which led to the imposition of the Emergency was “very much alive among the same party which imposed it”.

Amit Shah also tweeted that the Congress has a history of murdering democracy.

The Constitution and the Emergency also dominated the special session of Parliament, which began on June 24. Rahul Gandhi carried a copy of the Constitution with him while taking oath as an MP and his Congress colleague, Shashi Tharoor, said ‘Jai Samvidhan’ after he was sworn in. 

The Emergency was a part of President Droupadi Murmu’s address to a joint sitting of Parliament as well. 

“Today is 27th June. The imposition of Emergency on 25th June, 1975, was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution. The entire country felt outraged. But the country emerged victorious over such unconstitutional forces as the traditions of the republic lie at the core of India,” she had said, amid cheers from NDA members and protests by the opposition.





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11 MLC Seats, 12 In Fray: Maharashtra Parties Move MLAs To 5-Star Hotels

11 MLC Seats, 12 In Fray: Maharashtra Parties Move MLAs To 5-Star Hotels


The ruling coalition has put up nine candidates.

Mumbai:

Resort politics has made a comeback in Maharashtra, and so has the possibility of cross-voting and horsetrading, as the state gears up to hold elections for 11 Legislative Council seats on Friday. Riding high after its unexpectedly good performance in the Lok Sabha polls, in which it won 30 of the state’s 48 seats, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has fielded three candidates, one more than it has the numbers to elect, necessitating the election.

The Maharashtra Assembly, which has 288 seats, currently has 274 members, meaning that every MLC candidate needs 23 first-preference votes to get elected. The ruling Mahayuti – part of the larger NDA alliance – which consists of the BJP, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena and the Ajit Pawar wing of the NCP, has fielded nine candidates and has 201 MLAs, including Independents and smaller parties, backing it. 

The Maha Vikas Aghadi, which is under the INDIA umbrella, has the Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) as its key constituents and has put up three candidates despite having the support of only 67 MLAs. Six MLAs, including an independent, are neutral and may end up playing a key role in the elections because 12 candidates are now vying for 11 MLC seats. 

What makes the exercise interesting, apart from the numbers game, is its timing – just after the Lok Sabha elections and months ahead of the Assembly polls in the state – which has led to it being dubbed a semi-final. This is also only the second time that elections will be held in Maharashtra’s unique political environment, where the split of two regional parties has led to two Shiv Senas and two NCPs – under very similar but different names – being pitted against each other. 

The Lok Sabha polls were the first round and parties from both sides are now pulling out all stops to ensure that they come out tops in the second. After Ajit Pawar’s NCP won just one Lok Sabha seat, there has been a strong buzz that MLAs from his party are looking to jump ship and return to the faction of the party led by Sharad Pawar. Their support is what may have given the opposition the confidence to field a third candidate.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who triggered the need for the election by fielding his close aide, Milind Narvekar, had said, “We would not be doing it (fielding a third candidate) if we had not been confident of winning.”

How The Numbers Stack Up – Mahayuti

The BJP, which has 103 MLAs, has fielded five candidates – Pankaja Munde, Yogesh Tilekar, Parinay Phuke, Amit Gorkhe and Sadabhau Khot – which means that it is 12 MLAs short of the number it needs to get them elected.

The Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena has 37 members in the Assembly and has put up two candidates – Krupal Tumane and Bhawana Gawli. It is nine MLAs short.

The faction of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar has 39 MLAs and has two candidates in the fray,  Rajesh Vitekar and Shivajirao Garje, falling seven short of the 46 votes needed to get them elected. 

The ruling coalition is, however, banking on nine MLAs from smaller parties and 13 Independents to see it through. 

How The Numbers Stack Up – Maha Vikas Aghadi

The Congress, with 37 MLAs and one candidate, Pradyna Satav, is the only party with 14 surplus votes. Sharad Pawar’s NCP, with its 13 MLAs, is supporting the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP’s) Jayant Patil. 

Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena has put up Mr Narve as a candidate despite having just 15 MLAs, eight short of the figure it needs. 

The Congress votes may make up for the shortfall faced by Mr Patil and Mr Narve, but the votes of the AIMIM’s two MLAs, the SP’s two, the CPI(M)’s lone MLA and one Independent – all of whom are seen to be neutral – will be key. The Congress has claimed the coalition has the support of at least some of these MLAs

MLAs In Hotels

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, organised a dinner meeting for his party MLAs at a hotel in Mumbai on Thursday night. The Congress has issued a whip to its MLAs asking them to vote for candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Exact instructions, given the surplus votes, will be issued just before voting begins, reported news agency PTI. 

Uddhav Thackeray held a dinner interaction with his MLAs at a five-star hotel in central Mumbai on Wednesday night. All 11 MLAs who attended the meeting stayed back at the hotel, where the four remaining legislators joined them on Thursday, said a party leader. 

Ajit Pawar’s NCP has moved its MLAs to a five-star hotel near the airport in suburban Mumbai while MLAs from Shiv Sena gathered in Vidhan Bhavan complex on Wednesday morning for a meeting and then moved to a five-star hotel in Bandra. 

BJP MLAs are also at a luxury hotel, but the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) has not made any such move. 

Jayant Patil, the Maharashtra president of the NCP, said, “We have full faith in our MLAs and don’t feel the need to keep them in five-star hotels.” 

Voting will take place from 9 am to 4 pm and counting of votes will begin an hour later. 

(With inputs from PTI)



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Netherlands vs England Highlights, Euro 2024 Semifinal: Ollie Watkins Scores Late As England Beat Netherlands To Reach Euro 2024 Final | Football News

Netherlands vs England Highlights, Euro 2024 Semifinal: Ollie Watkins Scores Late As England Beat Netherlands To Reach Euro 2024 Final | Football News


Netherlands vs England Highlights, UEFA Euro 2024 Semifinal© AFP




UEFA Euro 2024 Semifinal, Netherlands vs England Highlights: England will face Spain in the Euro 2024 final after substitute Ollie Watkins snatched the Three Lions a late 2-1 win against the Netherlands in Dortmund. Xavi Simons slammed the Dutch ahead after seven minutes but England captain Harry Kane soon levelled the semi-final from the spot after going down under a Denzel Dumfries challenge. With the match heading for extra time, Watkins struck in the 91st minute with a fine turn and low finish after being played in by Cole Palmer. (MATCH CENTER)

Follow UEFA Euro 2024 Semifinal, Netherlands vs England Highlights here – 

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Mumbai BMW Hit-And-Run: Bulldozer Action At Pub Where Accused Spent Hours

Mumbai BMW Hit-And-Run: Bulldozer Action At Pub Where Accused Spent Hours


The Vice-Global Tapas Bar in Mumbai’s Juhu served an underage Mihir Shah alcohol.

Mumbai:

Sections of the bar in Mumbai’s Juhu that served alcohol to Mihir Shah, 24, were demolished by city officials Wednesday morning, 24 hours after Excise Department officials sealed the property.

The Vice-Global Tapas Bar sold liquor to Shah – who is 25 years old and below the legal age for drinking – late Saturday and early Sunday, hours ahead of a collision in which a BMW driven by him rammed a two-wheeler, killing a 45-year-old woman and injuring her husband.

Apart from serving liquor to underage persons, the bar was also sealed for serving alcohol without a proper licence and for illegal construction on the property. These illegal bits were demolished.

Action was taken under relevant provisions of the Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules.

The son of politician Rajesh Shah – who is part of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena – Mihir Shah went on the run after the horrific incident and was untraceable for over 72 hours.

He was arrested, as were his mother and two sisters, yesterday from an apartment in Virar, which is 65 km from Mumbai. The mother and sisters, whom the police believe helped hide Shah, were arrested from Shahpur. Shah’s father and the family driver, Rajrishi Bidawat, were arrested on Sunday.

After his arrest sources told NDTV Mihir Shah admitted he was driving but said he was not drunk.

The husband of the woman killed has downplayed Shah’s arrest, pointing out the odds are still stacked against him in his and family’s search for justice. “We are poor. Who is there to support us… today, he will be sent to jail. Tomorrow he will be produced in court and then he will get bail,” he said.

READ | In BMW Case, “They Take Votes, Treat Us Like Garbage”: Husband

Rajesh Shah received bail on Monday on payment of Rs 15,000.

He has been removed from his position within the Shiv Sena.

Bidawat remains in jail; apart from helping Rajesh Shah destroy evidence, by tearing off and breaking the BMW’s number plate, he also switched seats with Mihir Shah after the car ran over the woman.

READ | Sena Leader, Dad Of Accused In BMW Hit-And-Run Case, Gets Bail

This was allegedly done by order of Rajesh Shah.

Rajesh Shah, his son, and the driver face multiple charges, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder. However, a specific law for hit-and-run cases – in the set of three new criminal laws passed by the Modi government – has not been applied since the section has been paused.

Under this law the guilty can be jailed for 10 years and face a Rs 7 lakh fine.

BMW Hit-And-Run Case

Mihir Shah was allegedly driving the BMW – after spending Rs 18,730 at the bar, where he partied for hours with four friends – when it rammed into the two-wheeler at 5.30 am on Sunday.

The woman killed has been identified as Kaveri Nakhwa, 45. She was with her husband, Pradip Nakhwa, who escaped with injuries. The two were shopping for fish to cook for a family meal.

Worli BMW Crash: What Happened?

Police sources have revealed a rough sequence of events to NDTV.

According to the cops, on Sunday Mihir Shah left home for a party at the Vice – Global Tapas Bar. At that time he was driving a Mercedes registered to his father. Four friends accompanied him.

The five were at the bar till 11 pm; NDTV has seen a copy of the Rs 18,730 bill.

READ | Hours Before BMW Crash, Sena Leader’s Son Was At A Bar, Bill Emerges

At 1.15 am (on Monday) Mihir Shah drove his friends – in the Mercedes – back home.

READ | CCTV Footage Shows Sena Leader’s Son In Mercedes Before BMW Crash

At 4 am he told Bidawat to take him for a ‘joy ride’ on Marine Drive in the BMW.

At 5 am, after driving up and down Marine Drive, the car was turned home.

Police believe the car reached Kalanagar when Shah swapped seats with Bidawat.

If true, this means Shah was driving the car when it hit the bike at 5.30 am.

Woman Dragged For 1.5 Kilometres

Horrific details have emerged of the crash, including CCTV footage that indicates Ms Nakhwa was dragged for 1.5 km after the collision before the BMW was stopped.

The police said the footage also indicated Shah then exchanged seats with Bidawat, pulled the woman’s body out from under the car, and left it on the road. The car was then driven away.

READ | In Mumbai BMW Case, Woman Dragged For 1.5 Km, Run Over Twice

But, in an even more horrific turn of events, the driver reportedly reversed the car to run over her body one more time before speeding off and out of the CCTV’s field of vision, the police said.

“No One Will Have Immunity”: Chief Minister

Chief Minister Shinde had expressed alarm at the “rise in hit-and-run incidents”.

He said that the powerful and influential attempt to misuse their status to manipulate the system and such abuse of power will not be tolerated by his government “No one, whether rich, influential, or the offspring of bureaucrats or ministers, affiliated with any party, will have immunity as long as I am the Chief Minister of the State. I have zero tolerance for injustice,” Shinde said in a post on X.

Mr Shinde’s office has offered the husband Rs 10 lakh as compensation.

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