TEHRAN, Apr. 05 (MNA) – The people in the Kashmir region turned out to the streets in support of Palestine and condemnation of the Zionist regime’s atrocities in the occupied West Bank and the invaded Gaza Strip.
Congress' 2024 Manifesto Focuses On Unemployment, Promises Caste Census
New Delhi:
The Congress has released its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, with jobs creation, development of infrastructure, and a national caste census among the major highlights.
The manifesto was released in Delhi by party boss Mallikarjun Kharge, who was flanked by senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram – who led the committee that drafted the document – was also present.
“This manifesto will be ‘nyay ka dastavez‘ (a document for justice) in the political history of the country. From the five pillars of the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra’ – yuva (youth), kisan (farmers), naari (women), shramik (workers), and hissedari (equity), 25 guarantees will emerge… ,” Mr Kharge said.
The overall theme of the manifesto is based on ‘work’, ‘wealth’, and ‘welfare’, the party said.
“‘Work’ means you must provide jobs. ‘Wealth’ must be created before it is distributed. ‘Welfare’ means taking care of the poorer sections,” the Congress said.
Congress Manifesto: Caste Census
One of the biggest talking points is the caste census – a political hot topic that has been in the headlines since the Bihar government’s statewide survey was released in November.
In its manifesto the Congress vowed to conduct a nationwide census to identify and enumerate castes, sub-castes and their socio-economic condition, and amend the Constitution to raise the 50 per cent cap on quota for marginalised groups – i.e., scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes.
Congress Manifesto: MSP For Farmers
The party has also promised to implement MSP, or minimum support price, for farmer growing cash crops. The MSP issue has been at the heart of protests by farmers since 2020, when lakhs from across the country went on a months-long agitation against the centre’s (now-scrapped) three farm laws.
The Congress has said it will give a permanent legal guarantee for MSP – a core demand for protesting farmers – based on the formula recommended by the Swaminathan Commission.
“Congress has been the only party that has lent its ear to the distress of the farmers and farm labourers, and we are determined to do everything possible to alleviate their pain and make agriculture a desirable livelihood,” the party said, attacking the BJP’s response to the farmers protest as “callous and brutal”.
Congress Manifesto: Poverty
The party also vowed to eliminate poverty by improving the fortunes of 23 crore people over the next decade. Mr Chidambaram attacked the BJP as a “government of the rich, by the rich, and for the rich”, and said it is “driven by the interests of the top 1 per cent”.
“… but we will look at the bottom 50 per cent. The bottom 50 per cent is as important. It has been estimated 23 crore people are still poor in this country. The UPA lifted 24 crore people out of poverty and we promise, if the Congress-led government comes to power in 2024, we will lift 23 crore in 10 years.”
As part of this promise – and to empower women – the Congress said it would launch a ‘Mahalakshmi’ scheme to provide an unconditional cash transfer of Rs 1 lakh per year to the oldest female member of every poor family. Beneficiaries will be identified as those from the bottom level of the income pyramid.
Inequality of income and opportunity remain India’s ugliest truth. It is the moral and political responsibility of any government to ensure that every family is assured of a basic income every month, the party said.
Congress Manifesto: National Security, China
The Congress said it “recognises that national security is not enhanced by chest-thumping or exaggerated claims, but by quiet attention to borders and resolute defence preparedness”.
The party said it would work to restore status quo on the country’s borders with China and “ensure areas where both armies patrolled in the past are again accessible to our soldiers”.
This has been seen as a direct jab at the BJP over the military stand-off with China in parts of eastern Ladakh following violence in June 2020 that, the opposition has repeatedly claimed, led to New Delhi surrendering territory to Beijing.
On diplomatic tension with Maldives, the Congress said it work to “repair relations”.
Congress Manifesto: Healthcare
Universal free healthcare, including cost of diagnosis, surgery, and medication, will be made available, the party said. This will come with cashless insurance up to Rs 25 lakh, like the model implemented in Rajasthan, when the Congress was in power.
“We promise that healthcare will be universal and free in public health centres, such as hospitals, clinics, PHCs, MHCs, and dispensaries, as well as health camps. Free healthcare will include examination, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation, and palliative care.”
The Congress said it would also establish Assisted Living and Care Centres for disabled people and provide representation for them in local bodies.
Congress Manifesto: Other Major Points
In a move likely to resonate strongly among unemployed youth struggling with massive loan debts, the party said it would “as a one-time measure of relief” write off all student educational loans, including unpaid interest. This amount will be calculated as on March 15.
Banks will be compensated by the government, the Congress said.
The party said it would also introduce a law to “recognise civil unions between couples belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community“.
The Congress said it would amend laws to “combine the efficiency of EVM and transparency of ballot papers“. “Voting will be through the EVM but the voter will be able to hold and deposit the machine-generated voting slip into the voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) unit,” the party said.
2024 Lok Sabha Election
The election will be spread over seven phases beginning April 19.
Votes will be declared June 4.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP – which is yet to release its manifesto – are bidding for a third consecutive term. They face a combined challenge from the opposition, which has united (for the most part) under the INDIA banner led by the Congress.
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Orry describes his style as ‘unbothered and unserious’
Orry, sporting blonde hair, defines his style as “Unbothered, Unserious, and always effortlessly edgy, yet aesthetically depressed,” he told IANS.
Published Date – 5 April 2024, 01:30 PM
Mumbai: B-Town celebs’ bestie and social media sensation Orry, whose real name is Orhan Awatramani, not only makes news for partying with the bigwigs of tinseltown but also his fashion, which he defines as “unbothered, unserious and edgy”.
Defining his own style, Orry, who is currently flaunting blonde hair colour, told IANS: “Unbothered, Unserious and always effortless (but only in appearance) yet edgy and aesthetically depressed.”
He then shared some words of wisdom on fashion trends that Gen-Z set should be followed as “that’s what hip, hot and that’s what’s cool”.
Orry, 24, said: “I learnt at a young age… Only teenagers can decide what is cool and no one else. And so the trends Gen-Z set, are the trends to follow and abide by, that’s what hip that’s what’s hot and that’s what’s cool.”
He loves the “Zoomers” fashion because “it’s young, it stresses on one expressing their own true individuality without burden of who’s watching and commenting, it’s immune to criticism.”
Orry, who is setting up a meet and greet for his “friends, fans, minions and potential minions, on April 15, added: “I also love that Gen-Z fashion emphasises the importance of sustainability always, they know the importance of being eco-friendly and bringing the earth back to what it once was.”
Talking about who are the most stylish Gen-Z stars according to him, Orry replied “Vedang Raina and Tania Shroff”.
Far-right Dutch politician’s journey from banning to promoting Islam
Jaron van Klaveren, former spokesman for the far-right Geert Wilders’s anti-immigration Party for Freedom (PVV), who once pushed to ban Islam from the Netherlands is now working to dismantle the lies he peddled about the religion.
Van Klaveren dramatically converted to Islam in 2018 and is presently serving as a board member of the Islam Experience Center in Rotterdam.
In an extraordinary personal and political transformation, the former senior member of PVV, said it was the party’s anti-Muslim rhetoric which led him to look more deeply into his new religion.
“The things that I helped them develop are still there, they’re still using the tools I gave them,” he said about the anti-Muslim rhetoric of PVV. “I literally hear them say things that I made up.”
“I was in anti-Islam politics for altogether 12 years, so I have to counter this narrative for at least 12 years to make it even, so to speak,” Van Klaveren said.
Asked whether he felt guilt or regret over his actions during his time with the PVV, Van Klaveren said, “Of course I feel ashamed because of what I said. I had plans, but Allah is the best of planners and my life took another direction.”
Van Klaveren, the right-hand man of the PVV leader Wilders, had pleaded for a burka ban, a ban on minarets and for the de-Islamization of the Netherlands.
Van Klaveren was working on an anti-Islamic book before his conversion to Islam. While researching for the book that was supposed to highlight the dangers posed by Muslims, he ended up writing Apostate: From Christianity to Islam in Times of Secular Terror – a book about his conversion to Islam.
Van Klaveren is not the first former member of the party to convert to Islam. In 2013, Arnoud van Doorn chose to leave the party after converting to Islam. Van Klaveren has taken back his statements on Islam, saying his views were “simply wrong.”
Van Klaveren estimates that only about 12 of the 37 seats won by the PVV in the last elections could be attributed to those who are staunchly opposed to Islam. The rest, according to him, were probably a result of voters who had become disillusioned with mainstream parties over their failure to tackle the soaring cost of living.
"Our Boys Are Lazy Bums": Rohit Quips, Ritika's Reaction Cannot Be Missed
Team India captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Shreyas Iyer will made a special appearance at the Great Indian Kapil Sharma Show, which is currently being aired on Netflix. The full episode of Rohit and Iyer’s interaction with host Kapil and the fans will be aired later this week, with Netflix sharing a teaser of the upcoming episode. Rohit’s wife Ritika Sajdeh was also in the audience as she burst out of laughter after the Indian skipper trolled the youngsters in the team with his cheeky remark.
As Kapil asked Rohit whether he has gotted mad at someone on the cricketing field, the Indian skipper floored the fans, Iyer and Ritika with one of his witty one-liners.
“What can I do? Our boys are lasy bums, they just don’t run,” Rohit said in the teaser uploaded by Netflix. The clip has now gone viral on social media.
Cricket and Comedy ka yeh crazy combo hoga too hard to miss
Dekhna na bhoole #TheGreatIndianKapilShow Episode 2 iss Saturday 8pm sirf Netflix par! pic.twitter.com/OtpP9FFXpW— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) April 2, 2024
During India’s last assignment, Rohit led a young side to a 4-1 Test series win over England.
The likes of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami had missed the five-match series due to various reasons.
However, Rohit and co. managed to register a comeback series win.
Rohit is currently playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2024. He was stripped off his captaincy ahead of the season and has been playing under new skipper Hardik Pandya.
Iyer, on the other hand, is leading Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL. Under him, KKR have both of their games so far.
Iyer was in the news recently after losing his BCCI central contract. He has had a rough one month leading up to the IPL but the KKR skipper suggested that he wants to put all those negative thoughts in the back-burner as he focuses on what’s there in store for him.
“I don’t want to think about what the doctor has said, what the injury was because, as I mentioned previously, when you over-think, put your focus on the injury, and in that moment, forget about what you’re doing the best,” Iyer told mediapersons ahead of team’s opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
“So, I want to put all these things aside and focus on what’s there for me on the plate,” the skipper made his priority clear.
(With PTI Inputs)
Topics mentioned in this article
"Smile": Sidhu's Emotional Post On Wife's '3 And Half Hour' Cancer Surgery
Former Indian cricket team batter and cricket commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu provided a huge update on his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu’s cancer operation. She has been suffering from breast cancer and this was her second operation after undergoing chemotherapy. “Operation for rarest of rare Metastasis – lasted three and a half hours …. Affected skin removed and reconstruction done with flaps … her resolve is steadfast , the smile never leaves her face – courage thy name is Noni … Dr Rupinder hoping for a speedy recovery….,” he posted on X (formerly called Twitter).
Operation for rarest of rare Metastasis – lasted three and a half hours …. Affected skin removed and reconstruction done with flaps … her resolve is steadfast , the smile never leaves her face – courage thy name is Noni … Dr Rupinder hoping for a speedy recovery…. pic.twitter.com/qsC6MJW1zE
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) April 5, 2024
Sidhu believes that Rohit Sharma would not have been replaced by Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians captain had the BCCI named him skipper for the T20 World Cup last year itself.
Rohit was declared captain of India’s yet-to-be-named T20 World Cup squad in February this year by BCCI secretary Jay Shah at an event in Ahmedabad, a good two months after he was replaced by Pandya as MI skipper.
“If the BCCI had named Rohit as captain for the T20 World Cup in October, the franchise wouldn’t have chosen Hardik as captain. It’s a matter of the franchise’s respect. So, the actual issue here is timing,” Sidhu said in ‘Star Sports Press Room’.
The wounds have healed but the mental scars of this ordeal will remain. Fifth chemo underway…. finding a good vein went all in vain for sometime and then Dr. Rupinder’s expertise came handy….. She refused to move her arm so spoon fed her….
Keeping in view massive vascular… pic.twitter.com/y4EF9OHWUj
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) August 9, 2023
Pandya has been facing hostility from fans in the ongoing IPL, booed in all three matches so far, including the one at MI’s home turf of Wankhede, besides ending up on the losing side.
Sidhu said the fans’ reaction is quite understandable as Rohit is a much-loved cricketer.
“Nobody can digest the fact that India’s hero, India’s captain, is not the captain of our franchise. ‘What wrong has he done?’ is what fans of the franchise would be thinking. But what does he have to do? “There is nothing that succeeds like success. If he had won these two matches, there wouldn’t have been any noise,” he pointed out.
Talking about other teams in the IPL, Sidhu felt Royal Challengers Bengaluru have become predictable, especially in their spin bowling.
“The biggest thing needed in the winning of a team is that they are not dependent on just one individual to achieve victory. We do talk about Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, but you got to saddle the right horse.
“The chain is as strong as the weakest link, and their weakness lies in the spin department. Their spinners are just not there, so therefore they will have to replenish that area. Like, RCB had (Wanindu) Hasaranga, who was pretty good and even before him, there was Yuzvendra Chahal,” he observed.
“But they let them go and that has created a void in their bowling line-up. RCB haven’t been able to fill that void, which makes them predictable. Now look at (MS) Dhoni – when he comes, no one knows his plan,” he said.
(With PTI inputs)
Topics mentioned in this article
Elon Musk Reverses Course, Gives Away Some Blue Checkmarks For Free
This week, several users noticed that blue checkmarks had reappeared on their profile.
X owner Elon Musk is giving away free premium features – including the once-coveted blue verification checkmarks – to some of the social network’s most popular users.
Musk pledged last week to start handing out the free features to people who had more than 2,500 verified followers. This week, several users noticed that blue checkmarks had reappeared on their profile.
Some users who got the blue checkmarks this week were perplexed as to how they got there, and the company sent some users a notification explaining the change. Typically accounts must pay for X’s premium monthly subscription to receive a blue badge, which was used by Twitter’s old management to distinguish and verify the identities of notable users.
It’s a change of strategy for Musk, who has criticized old Twitter’s decision to hand out the checkmarks to prominent accounts. Musk called that strategy a “lords and peasants” system, and removed all legacy blue checkmarks shortly after taking over the company, requiring people to pay for them instead.
Now, 18 months after officially taking over, he’s taking a page out of the old company’s playbook. A spokesperson declined to comment.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two people caught with unaccounted cash of Rs 40 lakh in Hyderabad
The arrested persons are Devini Muthyalu (42) driver from Nizampet and K.Rajesh (31), a realtor from Tellapur in Sangareddy district.
Published Date – 5 April 2024, 12:48 PM
Hyderabad: The Task Force (Central) team intercepted a SUV car and caught two persons in alleged possession of Rs 40 lakh unaccounted cash at Abid Road on Thursday night.
When enquiring about the source of the cash, they failed to produce relevant documents pertaining to the amount, police said.
The arrested persons are Devini Muthyalu (42) driver from Nizampet and K.Rajesh (31), a realtor from Tellapur in Sangareddy district.
According to the police, the duo who are working for one Wilson Babu of Hafeezpet, on the latter’s instructions came to the parking place at Ramakrishna Theatre and received an amount of Rs 40 lakh from an unknown person.
They concealed the cash bag in the car and proceeded to hand it over to Wilson Babu.
Acting on a tip off, the police intercepted the vehicle and cash and vehicle were seized.
Kangana Ranaut Calls Netaji Bose "India's 1st PM", BRS Leader KTR Scoffs
Kangana Ranaut asked: “When we got independence, where did India’s first PM Netaji Bose go?”
New Delhi:
The Bharat Rashtriya Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao today took a jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee from Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi seat for the Lok Sabha elections, Kangana Ranaut after she called freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose “India’s first Prime Minister”.
In a post on X, KTR said, “One BJP candidate from North says Subhas Chandra Bose was our first PM!! And another BJP leader from South says Mahatma Gandhi was our PM!! Where did all these people graduate from?”
One BJP candidate from North says Subash Chandra Bose was our first PM !!
And another BJP leader from South says Mahatma Gandhi was our PM !!
Where did all these people graduate from? 😁
— KTR (@KTRBRS) April 5, 2024
In a television interview, the actor-cum-politician said, “Tell me one thing, when we got independence, where did India’s first PM Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose go?”
Congress leader Supriya Shrinate also shared Kangana Ranaut’s statement and wrote, “Don’t take her lightly – she will go ahead in the list of BJP leaders”.
Kangana Ranaut was once widely trolled when she claimed that India got real independence after Narendra Modi was elected as the prime minister of the country in 2014.
Kangana Ranaut was named as one of 111 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls by the BJP on 24 March. In an Instagram post, Ms Ranaut – who has been a vocal supporter of the BJP and PM Modi – said she is honoured to join the BJP.
“My beloved Bharat and Bhartiya Janta’s own party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have always had my unconditional support, today the national leadership of BJP has announced me as their Lok Sabha candidate from my birthplace Himachal Pradesh, Mandi (constituency).
Voting in Himachal Pradesh will be held in a single phase on June 1 for four seats.
The Mandi Lok Sabha constituency has mostly remained the battlefield of erstwhile royal families and their scions have won 13 out of the 19 elections including two by-elections held for the seat.
From 2009 to 2021, there have been three general elections and two by-elections on the Mandi seat. Congress has had a significant presence in these elections, winning three times.
In the general elections of 2009, Virbhadra Singh, and in the by-elections of 2013 and 2021, Congress candidate Pratibha Singh was elected as the Member of Parliament from the Mandi seat.
In the parliamentary elections of 2014 and 2019, BJP emerged victorious with Ram Swaroop Sharma being elected as the Member of Parliament on both the times. However, in 2021, Ram Swaroop Sharma tragically passed away by suicide. Subsequently, in the 2021 by-elections, this seat went to Pratibha Singh of the Congress. Currently, out of the four Lok Sabha seats, BJP holds three.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Iran holds funeral procession for IRGC members killed in Israeli strike
Iranian mourners have attended a funeral procession for the seven members of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) who were killed in an Israeli terrorist attack on Iran’s consulate in Syria.
The funeral ceremony took place in the capital Tehran on Friday, coinciding with the International Quds Day commemorations, which is marked annually across the world on the last Friday of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.
During the ceremony, mourners were chanting slogans against Israel and its staunch ally, the US.
The martyrs’ bodies will be transferred to their hometowns where they will be laid to rest.
Israeli warplanes bombed the Iranian consulate, situated next to the embassy building in Damascus’s Mezzeh district, on Monday afternoon.
The bodies of the seven martyrs, including Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force and his deputy General Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, were repatriated on Wednesday night.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei led prayers over the bodies of the seven military members of IRGC during a ceremony attended by top military brass in Tehran on Thursday.
Iran has vowed a firm response to the Israeli crime that violated all international obligations and conventions.
Ayatollah Khamenei on Tuesday said brave Iranian men will “punish” Israel and make the evil regime “regret” its crime of assassinating the country’s military advisors in Syria.
“The evil regime will be punished by our brave men. We will make them regret this crime and other ones, by God’s will,” he said.
The following day, the Leader said the attack would fail to save Israel from its defeat in Gaza where it has been engaged in nearly six months of aggression against the Palestinians.
“The cowardly efforts by the Zionist regime like the one they carried out in Syria will not save them from defeat. They will of course receive a slap in the face for this move,” he said.
Israel waged its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.
Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed 33,037 Palestinians and injured nearly 75,668 others.
