Mumbai : Thousands of people from different walks of life, including politicians and corporate leaders, gathered at the NCPA here on Thursday to pay homage to the legendary Ratan Tata, whose identity transcended beyond being the top industry icon.
The body of Ratan Tata, who died in a hospital here on Wednesday night, was brought from his Colaba home in a hearse decked with white flowers to the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai.
The mortal remains were kept at the NCPA in a casket with a Tricolour covering it.
Among the early ones who arrived to pay respect were Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar, his daughter MP Supriya Sule, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, finance industry stalwart Deepak Parekh and Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das.
Even before Tata’s mortal remains were brought to the NCPA from his residence, many people waited patiently in queues to get a last glimpse of the person who held an immense respect in their hearts for different reasons.
His body will be taken to the Prayer Hall at the Worli crematorium later in the day.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said Ratan Tata will be accorded a state funeral.
Leader of opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar and assembly speaker and local MLA Rahul Narwekar were among those who reached the NCPA.
The employees and top executives of the Tata group were also present to pay respect.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, Special Commissioner Deven Bharti and Joint Commissioner of Police Satya Narayan Chowdhary were among the top officials who also paid homage to Tata at the NCPA lawns.
In view of the heavy footfall anticipated at the NCPA, the Mumbai police have beefed up security arrangements and also imposed traffic restrictions in parts of Nariman Point.
Tata, who is credited with transforming the Tata Group into a globally renowned conglomerate, died at age 86 at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday night.
Maharashtra CM Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra’s education minister Deepak Kesarkar and industrialist Mukesh Ambani were among those who rushed to the hospital after hearing about Tata’s death.
Before the hearse carrying Tata’s mortal remains left from his home, located a couple of kilometres away from the NCPA, the Mumbai Police band played a tune as a mark of respect to him.
Several people had gathered outside his house also since early morning to pay tribute.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was among the early visitors at Tata’s home.
The Maharashtra government has declared a day of mourning in the state on Thursday to pay tributes to Ratan Tata, the Chief Minister’s Office said.
A statement quoting CM Shinde said the national Tricolour on government offices in Maharashtra will be flown at half-mast on Thursday as a sign of mourning.
New Delhi : INDIA bloc ally, Aam Aadmi Party, is unlikely to agree on an alliance with Congress in the forthcoming Delhi Assembly polls. The Arvind Kejriwal-led political outfit is not keen on entering into a pre-poll pact with the grand old party, despite contesting the recent Lok Sabha polls as partners in the national capital.
In a clear indication that AAP was not looking forward for an ally in the Delhi Assembly polls, which are scheduled to take place early next year, AAP’s senior leader Raghav Chadha told Tehelka.com, “I think that AAP, under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal is completely capable of defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhi. We do not require an alliance in the national capital, as we have successfully defeated the BJP in three polls consecutively. AAP is fully capable of defeating BJP on its strength in Delhi.”
Comparing AAP with strong regional outfits like Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Trinamool Congress in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal respectively, the AAP MP said that “like these regional parties, AAP is also capable of defeating the BJP on its strength in Delhi.”
Analyzing the outcome from the Haryana Assembly polls, he said “There are another category of states in the country where the Congress may not entirely on its own be able to defeat the BJP in a one-on-one fight. We saw that in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and in Chhattisgarh last year. In Haryana also, we saw something similar. If the Congress were to take its alliance partners along, the results would have been in the favour of the INDIA bloc.”
He, however, exuded confidence about the importance and unity of the INDIA bloc and his party’s continued support for it. “We are very much a part of the INDIA bloc. We wish to remain part of the alliance,” he added.
The statement by the senior AAP leader is being considered as a major setback for the Congress which wants to desperately revive its political fortunes in the national capital. The Congress had been hoping for a pre-poll alliance with the AAP in an effort to regain lost ground in a city which was once a citadel of the grand old party, under the leadership of Sheila Dikshit. However, with AAP planning a payback, in the wake of similar snub by Congress in recent Haryana polls, the chances of Congress’ revival are seemingly very bleak.
Many in the Congress now believe that the party made a huge mistake by agreeing to Jat strongman Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s whim of not forming a pre-poll alliance with the AAP in Haryana Assembly polls.
Meanwhile, Chadha’s statement is being read into by the BJP with a lot of caution. The saffron unit, however, acknowledges that non formation of a pre-poll alliance between AAP and Congress is likely to improve BJP’s chances in the forthcoming elections. “It is too early to read into the impact of the non-formation of an alliance between AAP and Congress, but as the vote is expected to be split three ways this is likely to improve the chances of BJP candidates,” sources pointed out.
The 70-member Delhi Assembly is scheduled to go for polls early next year. AAP had secured 62 out of these seats in the 2020 Assembly elections.
New Delhi : Indian tycoon Ratan Tata has died aged 86, says the Tata Group, the conglomerate he led for more than two decades. Tata was one of India’s most internationally recognised business leaders.
The Tata Group is one of India’s largest companies, with annual revenues in excess of $100bn (£76.5bn).
In a statement announcing Ratan Tata’s death, the current chairman of Tata Sons described him as a “truly uncommon leader”.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran added: “On behalf of the entire Tata family, I extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones.
“His legacy will continue to inspire us as we strive to uphold the principles he so passionately championed.”
Mumbai: A day after the BJP’s stellar performance in the Haryana Assembly election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday appealed to the people of Maharashtra to elect the MahaYuti government again in the upcoming Assembly election to continue the development process.
In his address after laying the foundation stone and inaugurating various projects worth Rs 7,600 crore in Maharashtra through video conference, PM Modi said the MahaYuti’s resolve is to make Maharashtra stronger against Maha Vikas Aghadi’s plan to weaken the state. He congratulated the people of Maharashtra for the launch of a slew of development projects.
“Haryana has reflected the mood of the country by blessing us with a third tenure. Congress’ ecosystem of urban Naxalites was busy selling false propaganda to the people. They tried to create a divide between different sections of the society. However, the people saw through their lies. People trust the policies and the governance model of BJP, ” said the Prime Minister.
“It is historic to be elected for the third consecutive time after completing two terms. Congress is creating fear psychosis in the minds of Muslims. Congress feeds on people’s fears. For the sake of their vote bank, Congress is communalising the country, ” said the Prime Minister. He further said, “But all the conspiracies of Congress were ruined. The Congress tried to spread lies among the Dalits but the Dalit community sensed their dangerous intentions. Dalits realised that Congress wanted to divide its vote bank by snatching away their reservation. They have given record support to the BJP. Haryana has reflected the mood of the country by blessing us with a third tenure.”
“It is historic to be elected for the third consecutive time after completing two terms. Congress targeted the youth and tried to provoke them in different ways. But the youth of Haryana, our sisters and daughters are trusting only BJP for their bright future. Congress provoked the farmers but they know who gave them MSP on crops, ” said the Prime Minister.
“Congress fights elections on completely communal and casteist lines. Dividing the Hindu society and making it their winning formula is the basis of Congress’ politics. Congress is suppressing the Indian tradition of ‘Sarvajan Hitay – Sarvajan Sukhaye’, it is suppressing the Sanatan tradition, ” said the Prime Minister. “The policy of Congress is to make one caste of Hindus fight against another caste. Congress knows that the more Hindus get divided, the more it will benefit. Congress wants to keep the Hindu society on fire by any means so that it can continue to make political gains out of it. Wherever elections are held in India, Congress applies this formula, ” he added.
The Prime Minister said that Congress, a party that ruled the country for decades, is now desperate to gain back power. “Every day, they sow seeds of hatred into people’s minds. Soon after Independence, Mahatma Gandhi sensed the vile intentions of Congress, and that’s why he wanted to dismantle the party, ” he added.
“Congress has always followed the formula of divide and gain power politics. Congress has repeatedly proved that it is an irresponsible party and it is still creating new narratives to divide the country. Congress keeps bringing formulas to divide society. Congress’ formula is clear, which is to keep scaring Muslims, intimidate them, convert them into vote banks and strengthen the vote bank, ” he said.
“Congress was neither interested in development nor legacy. There is development as well as a legacy in our government. We are building a bright future by drawing inspiration from our rich past, ” remarked the Prime Minister.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the upgradation of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur.
The Nagpur Airport upgrade entails an investment of Rs 7, 000 crore. It will serve as a catalyst for growth across multiple sectors, including manufacturing, aviation, tourism, logistics, and healthcare, benefiting Nagpur city and the wider Vidarbha region.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of the New Integrated Terminal Building at Shirdi Airport worth over Rs 645 crore. It will provide world-class facilities and amenities for the religious tourists coming to Shirdi. The construction theme of the proposed terminal is based on the spiritual neem tree of Sai Baba.
In line with his commitment to ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare for all, the Prime Minister launched the operationalization of 10 Government Medical Colleges in Maharashtra located at Mumbai, Nashik, Jalna, Amravati, Gadchiroli, Buldhana, Washim, Bhandara, Hingoli and Ambernath (Thane). While enhancing the undergraduate and postgraduate seats, the colleges will also offer specialised tertiary healthcare to the people.
In line with his vision to position India as the ‘Skill Capital of the World’, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) in Mumbai, with an aim to create an industry-ready workforce with cutting-edge technology and hands-on training. Established under a Public-Private Partnership model, it is a collaboration between the Tata Education and Development Trust and the Government of India. The institute plans to provide training in highly specialised areas like mechatronics, artificial intelligence, data analytics, industrial automation and robotics among others.
Further, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) of Maharashtra. VSK will provide students, teachers, and administrators with access to crucial academic and administrative data through live chatbots such as Smart Upasthiti, and Swadhyay among others. It will offer high-quality insights to schools to manage resources effectively, strengthen ties between parents and the state, and deliver responsive support. It will also supply curated instructional resources to enhance teaching practices and student learning.
New Delhi: After an excellent show in the Haryana Assembly polls, state Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in the national capital.
The development assumes significance as Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said the BJP has announced Nayab Singh Saini as the Chief Minister, though the party’s parliamentary board will make a final decision.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated CM Saini on the poll victory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of Haryana after the BJP emerged victorious for the third consecutive time, saying they had voted for the party for development and good governance.
The BJP bagged 48 seats in the 90-member Assembly while Congress got 37 seats.
In his address at BJP headquarters, PM Modi said, “Truth has triumphed in the land of Gita. The development won in the land of Gita. Good governance won in the land of Gita. People from every caste, every class have voted for us.”
“The people of Haryana have created a new history. So far, 13 elections have been held in Haryana. In 10 of these elections, the people of Haryana changed the government every 5 years. But what the people of Haryana have done this time is unprecedented. This is the first time that a government which has completed two terms of five years each has got a chance again in Haryana.”
He thanked the party workers, saying that the BJP emerged victorious in Haryana due to their immense hard work.
“This triumph is also the win of the duties carried out by our humble Chief Minister (Nayab Singh Saini).”
However, CM Saini credited PM Modi for the party’s hat-trick in the state defying the exit polls and anti-incumbency.
New Delhi : The biggest reason for Bharatiya Janata Party’s victory in Haryana was learning a lesson from the setback it received in Lok Sabha polls. Within months of losing its ground in Haryana during Lok Sabha elections, the BJP was able to make a remarkable turnaround in the state’s Legislative Assembly polls. All this could happen as the saffron leadership learnt from its mistakes made during the general elections, ensuring that the party kept its hold on the crucial state for a third consecutive term.
BJP’s biggest step in the direction was to mend relations with its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The outreach by the BJP ensured that the RSS’ cadre took over 16,000 meetings and prepared a fertile ground for a return of the saffron unit’s government in the state for an unprecedented third term.
The BJP leadership has been on an edge ever since its less than adequate performance in recent Lok Sabha polls. The relationship between the two saffron outfits was strained ever since BJP chief JP Nadda had courted controversy and upset the top leadership of the RSS after certain unwarranted remarks during the peak electoral campaign during general elections.
As part of its electoral strategy, BJP’s central leadership did not allow the internal sabotage in Haryana, an issue that the party had faced in Uttar Pradesh during recent Lok Sabha polls.
While Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was himself seen to be working hard, BJP’s giving its due to OBC vote bank ensured that the community wholeheartedly backed the party.
While other parties, especially Congress, were openly wooing Jat votes in the state, the BJP tried to bring non-Jat communities under its influence. At the same time the saffron unit didn’t antagonize the influential Jat community and roped in caste leaders like Satish Poonia to send out positive messaging to the community.
The BJP took full advantage of the shortcomings of the Congress in its internal conflicts, its excessive dependence on Jat votes and overlooking of other communities, especially Dalits. Congress’ non-engagement with INDIA bloc allies like the Samajwadi Party and the Aam Aadmi Party was also brought to the fore.
These shortcomings of the Congress in Haryana were given due consideration by BJP’s top leadership in making a seat-wise strategy and fielding candidates that could consolidate BJP’s core voters and ensure victory for the party’s candidates.
The BJP also ensured that the state’s electorate was reminded of “kharchi-parchi” an inference towards Congress rule in the state when all jobs and works were awarded allegedly by paying bribes or using influence. The saffron leadership also ensured that involvement of former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar during the campaign process was kept minimal so as not to flare up anti-incumbency feelings again.
The spectacular electoral comeback by the BJP, from losing half of the Lok Sabha seats in the state to bouncing back within a few months, was due to smart political strategies planned and implemented by saffron leadership. Ensuring an unprecedented third term for the party and giving it a much-needed boost after the Lok Sabha polls outcome.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court is set to hear on Wednesday a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) moved by senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy seeking direction to the Union Home Ministry to cancel the Indian citizenship of Rahul Gandhi when the Congress leader has “declared himself a British citizen”.
As per the causelist published on the website of the Delhi HC, a bench headed by Chief Justice Manmohan will take up the matter for hearing on Wednesday.
In an earlier hearing, the Bench, also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, noted that a similar petition is pending before the Allahabad High Court and asked the Union government’s standing counsel to obtain a copy of the petition, along with the case status, pending before the Allahabad HC.
Deferring the hearing, the Delhi HC remarked that the same issue should not be agitated simultaneously before two different forums in the interest of justice. “We intend to doubly make sure that we do not usurp the other High Court’s jurisdiction, ” it said.
The plea filed by Swamy before the Delhi High Court sought direction to the Union Home Ministry to furnish a status report on the complaint/representation filed by him against Gandhi and decide it at the earliest.
The BJP leader, in 2019, wrote a letter to the Union Home Ministry on violations made by Rahul Gandhi in voluntarily disclosing to the UK government that he is a citizen of British nationality, holding a British passport.
Swamy said that with this declaration, the Congress leader ceases to be an Indian Citizen in terms of Article 9 of the Constitution read with the Indian Citizenship Act, 1955.
“A Company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in the year 2003, with address 51 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9EH, where Gandhi was one of the Directors and Secretary of the said company. In the Company’s Annual Returns filed on 10/10/2005 and 31/10/2006, your (Gandhi) date of birth has been given as 19/06/1970 and you had declared your nationality as British. Further, in the Dissolution application dated 17/02/2009 of the above-referred company, your nationality has been mentioned as British, ” said the Union Home Ministry in correspondence to Rahul Gandhi on Swamy’s complaint.
In his petition, Swamy said that he sent many representations to the Home Ministry asking for an update and the status of his complaint, but no action has been taken or intimated to him about the same.
“Hence, this petition for direction to Respondent No. 1 (Home Ministry) to furnish a status report on the complaint/representation filed by the petitioner against Respondent No.2 (Rahul Gandhi) and to decide the complaint/representation filed by the petitioner at the earliest and to furnish the conclusion / final order of the complaint/representation filed, ” the plea said.
With the BJP racing ahead in Haryana as per the early trends, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the “biggest lesson” of the poll results is that one should never be “overconfident” in the elections.
The BJP looks forward to a comfortable win in Haryana, leading in 50 of the 90 Assembly seats.
“Let us see what the results are in Haryana. The biggest lesson of this is that one should never be overconfident in the elections,” said Kejriwal addressing a gathering of the AAP municipal councillors.
“No election should be taken lightly. Each election and each seat is tough,” he added.
The AAP failed to reach a pre-poll alliance in Haryana with the Congress due to disagreement over number of seats to be contested by it.
It independently contested 89 of the total 90 seats in the state after its demand for being given 9 seats was turned down by the Congress.
The AAP candidates were trailing on almost all the seats behind their BJP and Congress opponents.
Kejriwal had earlier during the poll campaign in Haryana asserted that no government would be formed in the state without the AAP’s support.
He asked the party councillors to work hard for the Delhi Assembly polls due in February next year and ensure that the garbage was properly collected and disposed of from their wards.
“You will have the most important role in this (Delhi) election. We will win the elections just if you ensure there is proper garbage collection and disposal from your areas which is a very basic thing,” said the former Delhi chief minister.
New Delhi : After suffering a loss in the Haryana Legislative Assembly polls, the Congress needs to urgently rework its political strategy in the crucial state if it ever wants to regain its lost citadel. The Bharatiya Janata Party was able to retain power in the state for an unprecedented third consecutive time, despite political pundits and pollsters predicting an easy win for a “seemingly overconfident” grand old party.
Relying too much on Jat strongman and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has seemed to have cost the grand old party its one time stronghold state. There is a belief within the Congress that the time has now come to bring down its reliance on the Hoodas and move towards a younger generation of leaders in the state.
It is widely understood that Bhupinder Singh Hooda was given a completely free hand regarding selection of candidates and making decisions related to political strategy for the Haryana Assembly polls. However, instead of keeping the party’s interests in mind, it is widely believed that the Hooda family seemed to have only taken decisions for furthering their own political agenda.
The Hooda family had opposed an alliance with the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party for the state polls, a partnership which had already proved its success in the recent Lok Sabha polls. The family had also successfully cornered a majority of tickets for their loyalists, at the cost of antagonizing other factions within the grand old party. These moves ensured division of anti BJP votes and broadening fissures within the grand old party’s ranks respectively.
Instead of focusing their efforts on seeking tickets for their supporters, the senior Hooda should have ensured selection of candidates that had better chances of winning in these polls, sources in the party felt.
The dictatorial style of working of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, not taking everyone along during the crucial polls, including senior leaders Kumari Selja and Randeep Singh Surjewala, also affected the prospects of the party’s candidates. Interestingly, both Selja and Surjewala remained largely confined to their respective districts during the entire campaign trail. Even the attempt by senior party leader Rahul Gandhi, to present a united front and dispel rumours regarding reports of fissures in the party wasn’t enough.
Moreover, bringing in Dalit leader Ashok Tanwar into the Congress camp was widely seen as an attempt by the Hoodas to quell the political aspirations of Kumari Selja, and sent out a negative message amongst the marginalised community.
Senior leaders in the Congress feel that the party would do itself a favour if it decides to bring in young blood and starts reading them for the next poll camp
With the Congress now out of power from Haryana for a back breaking third consecutive term, the grand old party must now show a keenness to step away from the Hooda clan and take a bet on its younger generation of leaders.
Relying too much on Jat votes at the cost of other communities was also one of the major factors that led to the debacle. This again re-emphasizes the need for the party to groom and bring forth leaders from other castes and communities, with an emphasis on OBCs.
The time is now seemingly ripe for the party to start nurturing young talent amongst its ranks and asking the super seniors to take a dignified exit from the state’s political sphere.
New Delhi: The Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, on Tuesday called on the Indian Air Force (IAF) to realign it to meet the present and future requirements as the global security environment is in a state of constant flux.
The ongoing conflicts have demonstrated the requirement to have a strong and capable Air Force. Therefore, there is a need for the IAF to be prepared to meet any contingency that challenges our national interest, he said.
After reviewing the Parade at the Air Force Station in Tambaram near here, on the occasion of 92nd Annual Day celebrations of the IAF, he said, “Adopting the latest technology along with innovative and out-of-the-box thinking will play a decisive role in today’s multi-domain environment.”
