Narendra Modi News

interim government, gave this assurance while addressing the third Voice of Global South Summit which was hosted by India in a virtual format. «You all are aware that Bangladesh witnessed a 'Second Revolution' on 5th August 2024, through a mass uprising spearheaded by our valiant students and joined by the masses,» the 84-year-old Nobel laureate said, referring to the political turmoil in his country, the resignation of prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India on August 5. Noting that the current interim government led by him was sworn in on August 8, Yunus said, «Our government is committed to ensuring a transition to inclusive and pluralistic democracy and creating an environment in which free, fair and participatory elections can be held.»

India to Ukraine, Ravi Shankar presented his letter of credence to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv. The other envoys who also presented their credentials to Zelenskyy were Ambassadors of Mexico, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, and Belgium, who along with Shankar, will begin their diplomatic missions in Ukraine. Sharing a post on X Friday, Zelenskyy wrote, «Today, the newly appointed Ambassadors of Mexico, Italy, Slovakia, the Netherlands, India, and Belgium begin their diplomatic missions in Ukraine.»

Haryana Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led a high-level meeting convened by the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) central leadership in Delhi on Friday. The meeting focused on the party's strategy for the upcoming election in the northern state. BJP National President JP Nadda, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar were present at the meeting.

Election Commission of India (EC) announcing assembly election dates for Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir on Friday, the opposition has raised questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push for «one nation, one election.» The EC's decision to conduct elections only in these two states this year, while excluding Maharashtra, comes just a day after Modi's strong endorsement of the concept during his Independence Day address. The EC announced that Haryana will vote in a single phase on October 1, while Jammu & Kashmir will undergo a three-phase election process on September 19, September 25, and October 1, with counting scheduled for October 4. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar explained the rationale behind the decision, stating that logistical and security concerns influenced the EC's approach. «Last time, Maharashtra and Haryana elections were held together. This time, with four states due for elections and heavy rainfall in Maharashtra, as well as several festivals lined up, we decided to conduct elections in two states together,» Kumar said. He added that the additional factors of security force requirements also played a role in the decision.

Narendra Modi on Friday urged his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu «to de-escalate the situation» in West Asia when the latter dialled him to wish him on India's 78th Independence Day. «Appreciate PM @netanyahu's phone call and warm wishes on India's 78th Independence Day. We discussed the current situation in West Asia. Emphasized on the need to de-escalate the situation. Reiterated our call for immediate release of all hostages, ceasefire and need for continued humanitarian assistance,» Modi said on X. A statement from the Israeli PMO reads: «On behalf of the State of Israel, I extend heartfelt congratulations to Narendra Modi and the people of India on your 78th Independence Day! May our close relations flourish and bring prosperity to both our nations». The phone call comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel following killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. There has been a flurry of diplomatic activity in West Asia this week. France, Germany and the United Kingdom urged Iran and its allies to «refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardise the opportunity to agree (to) a ceasefire and the release of hostages.»

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday approved airport projects at Bagdgora in West Bengal and Bihta in Bihar for an estimate cost of Rs 1549 crore and Rs 1413 crore respectively. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Bagdgora Airport's project also includes construction of an apron capable of accommodating 10 parking bays suitable for A-321-type aircraft while the Bihar project includes the construction of an apron capable of accommodating 10 parking bays suitable for A-321/B-737-800/A-320 type aircraft. The Bagdogra project will feature a new terminal building spanning 70,390 sqm, designed to handle 10 million passengers annually and 3,000 peak hour passengers, as per the government.

Shiv Sena (UBT), through its mouthpiece Saamana, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, calling it «boring». The editorial further stated that he gave a speech that should have been given in an election campaign. «Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people associated with him were never serious about the country's Independence. That is why his speech from the Red Fort on Independence Day was boring. He gave a speech that should have been given in an election campaign rally,» stated Shiv Sena (UBT) through its mouthpiece Saamana.

Modi government on Independence Day by alleging that the ruling establishment was promoting divisive thinking and turning constitutional and institutional offices into «puppets», and said the Opposition was committed to protecting the Constitution. On Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitching for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Congress spokespeople said Modi terming the Hindu Code Bill as a «communal code» was like insulting Ambedkar's Constitution. They, however, skirted Ambedkar's advocacy for a UCC across communities and his pronouncements against the amendments brought in the Constituent Assembly to block application of the UCC in the Muslim community, thus limiting it as the Hindu Code. In his address at AICC's Independence Day function, Kharge also questioned RSS and Sangh Parivar's contribution to the freedom movement. «Instead of walking the path shown by them (freedom fighters), the rulers of today are encouraging divisive thinking. They mark 'Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas' (Partition Horrors Remembrance Day) with the intention of spreading hatred. Those who did not participate in the Independence movement give advice to the Congress party and without any contribution want to get counted among the martyrs,» he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed concern over the unrest that led to a change of government in neighboring Bangladesh and the attacks on Hindus and other minorities there

Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address from the Red Fort was accompanied by an unusual focus on Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Seated in the second last row, Gandhi was positioned next to Olympic hockey forward Gurjant Singh. This seating arrangement, which deviated from traditional protocol, has generated considerable social media discussion. Seating Protocol and Changes Typically, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, whose rank is equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister, is given a seat in the front row during Independence Day celebrations. However, this year’s front rows were allocated to Olympic medallists. Olympic gold medalists Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, as well as members of the bronze-winning hockey team, including captain Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh, occupied these prime seats. According to sources from the Ministry of Defence, which organizes the Independence Day event, Rahul Gandhi was placed in the fifth row as the front rows were reserved for the athletes. The Ministry stated that Gandhi did not request any special arrangements.

Rahul Gandhi again requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to visit violence-hit Manipur and impress upon both the central and state governments to work towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict there at the earliest. Gandhi said on Thursday, he met a group of Manipuri people living in Delhi who shared their heartbreaking struggles since ethnic clashes broke out in the northeastern state. «They spoke of the pain of being separated from loved ones and the physical and mental toll the conflict has taken on their communities,» Gandhi said in a post on X.

Opposition leaders on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Independence Day speech, alleging that it failed to unite and inspire people or address important issues faced by the nation. Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja said the prime minister's speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India's 78th Independence Day did not place any issue before the nation to unite and inspire people. «Whatever he spoke is in line with the sinister, divisive agenda of RSS,» Raja told PTI. «The prime minister speaks about 2047 but he failed to address the issues of plurality, and diversity of the nation. He is trying to impose uniformity on the country,» he alleged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called upon Indian professionals to lead the global gaming market and help establish the country as a global leader in the industry. In his address during the 78th Independence Day celebrations here, the prime minister emphasised the need for Indian talent to dominate not just in gaming but in game production as well by leveraging the country's rich cultural heritage. Asserting that those who create and produce games are largely foreigners, he said he sees that a huge market has emerged in the world of gaming. «India has a rich heritage, and we can bring talent into the gaming world. We should attract everyone to our gaming sector, and I want Indian children and youth to lead the gaming industry,» Modi said.

Aatmanirbharta' (self-reliance) in defence and gradually emerging as a global manufacturing hub of military equipment due to measures taken by the government in the last few years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday. In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said there was a time when the majority of the defence budget was used to procure military hardware from abroad, but his government focused on indigenous defence production. «We are becoming self-reliant in the defence sector. Today, we have our own identity in defence manufacturing. India is emerging as a defence manufacturing hub,» he said. The prime minister complimented the defence ministry and the armed forces for taking a series of decisions, including the notification of a number of positive indigenisation lists under which over thousands of items are being procured from the Indian industry in line with designated timelines. According to the defence ministry, a total of 5,600 items have been identified for domestic manufacturing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today delivered his longest Independence Day speech to date, lasting a remarkable 98 minutes, from the historic Red Fort. This extended address, surpassing his previous record of 96 minutes in 2016, reinforces Modi’s reputation for delivering lengthy and impactful speeches on this significant national occasion. Modi's average Independence Day speech duration is 82 minutes, making his addresses notably longer than those of any other Indian Prime Minister. His shortest speech, delivered in 2017, lasted around 56 minutes. During the 78th Independence Day celebrations, Modi not only set a new record for the longest speech but also achieved the milestone of delivering the third-longest speech ever from the Red Fort, according to Press Trust of India. His inaugural Independence Day speech in 2014 was 65 minutes long, followed by an 88-minute address in 2015. In 2018, Modi spoke for 83 minutes, and his 2019 speech extended to nearly 92 minutes. The following year, in 2020, his address lasted 90 minutes, while in 2021 it was 88 minutes. Last year’s speech also reached 90 minutes.

nepotism in Indian politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech called for inducting fresh blood into the country's system of people with no familial background in politics. PM Modi gave a call to bring one lakh youth into the political system, specifically those with no history of politics in their families. Addressing India's 78th Independence Day speech, Modi said this initiative was aimed at fighting the evils of nepotism and casteism and inducting fresh blood into India's polity. Leader of Opposition and Congress member Rahul Gandhi, often a target of the Bharatiya Janata Party's criticism against nepotism in India's politics, was also in attendance at the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an indirect attack on the opposition, said on Wednesday that while the nation is moving forward with a unified resolution, some people cannot «tolerate» the progress. «We are moving forward with the same resolution, but there are some people who cannot tolerate progress or think of India's progress unless it benefits them. They want anarchy. The country needs to protect itself from this handful of pessimistic people,» the Prime Minister said during his address from the Red Fort on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day. PM Modi noted that there are both external and internal challenges, and more such challenges are bound to come. «I want to say to such forces that India's development will not pose a threat to anyone. The world should not worry seeing India's development,» he added.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, participated in the Independence Day celebrations at New Delhi's Red Fort on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his address to the nation during the event. This marks a significant moment, as it is the first time a Leader of the Opposition has attended these celebrations in recent years. The position had remained unfilled since 2014 due to the lack of sufficient representation from opposition parties in the Lok Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that his government has taken big steps to boost infrastructure in the country in the last 10 years. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 78th Independence Day, the prime minister said,«There has been tremendous progress in infrastructure in the last ten years. We have also given priority to ease of living.» He said four crore houses have been constructed by his government, and three crore more are on the way. «We have taken big steps to boost infrastructure in the country in the last ten years,» the prime minister said.

Independence Day speech this morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a compelling case for a Uniform Civil Code. He said the laws that create divisions within the country are outdated and should be abolished in a modern society. Addressing the nation from the Red Fort, Naredra Modi said there have been many discussion on Uniform Civil Code in the past and it the «need of the hour» to have a secular civil code in the country that should be ‘secular’ and not ‘discriminatory’. “There should be discussions on the Uniform Civil Code. The present civil code appears to be ‘communal’. India needs a ‘secular’ civil code. It is need of hour to have a secular civil code and do away with discriminatory communal civil code,” Modi said in Independennce Day speech, over two months after returned to pwoer for a record-equalling third term.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed on the need to transform the agricultural sector and said the government is making comprehensive efforts to make the lives of farmers better. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 78th Independence Day, he also expressed concerns on deterioration in soil health due to use chemical fertilisers. He said the government has launched programmes to encourage natural farming, and budget allocations too have been increased to promote such farm practices.