PM MODI SINGLES OUT CONGRESS IN LOK SABHA SPEECH

Replying in Lok Sabha to the debate on Motion of Thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Congress.

Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi seized on the Congress leader's speech in the House in which he had said that 'India is described in the Constitution as a union of states and not as a nation', and cited India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's enunciation on the country's nationhood to hit out at the opposition party frequently in his nearly 100 minutes of address.

"Nation, for us, is a living soul, not just an arrangement of power or govt," the prime minister said. "Divide and rule have become your mindset. The Congress has become the leader of the tukde-tukde gang," he said and added that 'they are sowing seeds that will strengthen the roots of separatism'.

He noted that people in a number of states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, have kept it out of power for many decades as it got disconnected from the country's roots and grew arrogant.

The prime minister noted that if the BJP loses one election the 'ecosystem' goes after it for months and slammed the Congress, saying that after so many defeats, 'neither your arrogance goes away, nor your ecosystem allows your arrogance to go away'. He alleged that Congress has lost the desire to come to power and has a philosophy that when one is not getting anything then at least spoil something.

"Sometimes a thought comes to my mind, with their statements, their programmes, their misdeeds, the way you speak and connect with issues, it seems you have made up your mind of not coming back to power for 100 years. However, if you have only decided to (not come back to power) for a hundred years, I have also made preparations," he said, drawing cheers from the treasury benches.

With Gandhi often targeting the Modi govt for its alleged proximity to Adani and Ambani groups, the Prime Minister hit back at the opposition for 'scaring' industrialists and entrepreneurs. Taking on the Opposition's criticism of his govt over the issue of price rise, Modi said inflation hovered in double-digit during the last five years of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance dispensation while his govt kept it under five per cent and remains around 5.2 per cent despite the COVID outbreak. The food inflation remains under 3 per cent, he added.

Citing Nehru's speeches, the Prime Minister said he had blamed even the Korean war for price rise and had the Congress been in power, it would have blamed COVID for inflation and washed its hands off. His govt, Modi said, does not look for scapegoats and has worked to keep it under control. His govt has done major reforms with India becoming the fastest growing country among the major economies, he said.

"The world has taken note of India's economic strides and that too in the middle of a once in a lifetime global pandemic. The govt ensured that over 80 crore fellow Indians get access to free ration in the midst of the pandemic. It is our commitment that no Indian has to remain hungry," he said.

"There were just 500 start-ups before 2014. In the last 7 years, 60 thousand start-ups emerged and India is headed towards a century of unicorns. India has reached third place with regard to the number of start-ups," he said, and also highlighted his govt's efforts to boost defence production in the country.

OPPOSITION SLAMS PM’S ‘POLITICAL SPEECH’, SAYS SKIRTED MANY ISSUES

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi singled out the Congress and attacked it while replying to the debate on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha, opposition parties on Monday said his speech was meant for a “maidan”, and argued it was unbecoming of a Prime Minister to have rendered such a “shallow” “political” speech on the President’s Address.

While Congress accused Modi of having indulged in “cheap politics”, leaders of many parties, including Trinamool Congress, DMK and BSP, said it was unfortunate that the Prime Minister did not answers to issues they had flagged, and questions they had asked —instead, they said, he focused all his attention on Congress.

The Congress also accused him of mocking the misery of people who lost their lives and livelihood in the Covid-19 pandemic and dismissed his claims of economic gains as “propaganda”.

Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Parliament should have talked about “12 crore jobs gone, 23 crore helpless poor, death of 700 farmers, the income of farmers remaining at Rs 27 per day, 84 percent households having reduced incomes, the highest inflation in 30 years…..But the ego is still waiting to lose the election.”

DELHI AND MAHARASHTRA SLAM PM AS HE BLAMES THEM FOR EXODUS, COVID SPREAD

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks in Parliament Monday on Covid management, accusing Opposition govts of instigating migrants to leave and escalating the spread of infection, set off a new confrontation between the Centre and states.

While Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described Modi’s statement as “an outright lie”, at least three ministers from Maharashtra said the Prime Minister was distorting reality “with an eye on elections in five states”.

Referring to the initial days of the pandemic in his Lok Sabha speech, Modi targeted the Congress and said the party “crossed all limits in this time of Covid-19”. “During the first wave, when the country was following lockdowns, when WHO was advising people across the world, all the health experts were suggesting that people should stay where they are…because if a person infected with coronavirus travels, he would carry the infection with him. At that time, Congress leaders stood at stations in Mumbai and distributed free train tickets and encouraged migrants to leave Mumbai so that the burden on Maharashtra can be reduced. You are from UP, you are from Bihar, go and spread corona there. You committed this big sin…You pushed our labourer brothers and sisters into great difficulties,” he said.

Moving on to Delhi, Modi said: “At the time, there was a govt in Delhi, the govt that is there even now, which sent out jeeps with loudspeakers to jhuggi-jhopri (slum) colonies and told them that there was a big problem, run away. It asked them to go back home and return to their villages. They provided them with buses to leave Delhi and left them midway, creating several problems for workers. Because of this sin, corona spread at a faster pace than before in UP, Uttarakhand and Punjab, and attacked people.”

Kejriwal posted on Twitter: “The Prime Minister’s statement is an outright lie. The country hopes that the Prime Minister will be empathetic towards those who faced hardship because of Covid and those who lost loved ones. It doesn’t suit the Prime Minister to politicise the pain of people.”

In Mumbai, Congress leader and Maharashtra Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said the Centre “shied away from its responsibility and left the workers to die”. He said the lockdown was “imposed without preparation”. “After that, the situation of our brothers from UP and Bihar in Mumbai and Maharashtra got worse and they were starving. We are proud of the support provided by the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi govt and the Congress to the migrant workers during the Corona period,” Thorat said.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST /Feb 8

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Monday 67,597

Active Cases 9,94,891 (-1,14,047)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,04,062 (455)

Total Vaccination: 170.21 Crores (+55,78,297)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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DIPLOMACY AT WORK TO AVERT NATO-RUSSIA CLASH

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in Washington on Monday for talks with President Joe Biden as the US tries to close ranks with its European allies over the purported threat to Ukraine from Russia, even as French President Emmanuel Macron flew to Moscow to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin. The twin moves, among a flurry of diplomatic engagements that also involves engaging India in a Quad meeting in Australia, comes amid unrelenting alarm in Washington that Russia is going to invade Ukraine, which Moscow insists is a false alarm.

Macron, who has positioned himself at the centre of Europe’s furious diplomatic manoeuvring over Ukraine, met Putin at the Kremlin. In televised opening remarks, the Russian president spoke to his French counterpart using the informal form of address, and praised France for trying to resolve the “fundamental questions of European security”. Macron said that he hoped the meeting would begin a process of de-escalation, adding: “This dialogue is absolutely essential, more than ever, to ensure the security and stability of the European continent. ”

The Ukraine crisis, however, presents the US with an opportunity to reassert its Atlantic power credentials that had taken a back seat following a shift in its focus to the Pacific — and diminution of Nato by President Trump — allowing Russia to reassert itself in Europe.

Scholz visit is aimed at closing the gap Germany appears to have with the US and other European allies amid suspicion that its reluctance to take a strong stand against Moscow stems from its energy dependence on Russia.

STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN OTTAWA AS PROTESTS GO ON

One day after the police chief in Canada’s capital said his city was under “siege” by thousands of truckers and other protesters angry over govt policies, the mayor on Sunday declared a state of emergency and called for outside help. “We’re in the midst of a serious emergency, the most serious emergency our city has ever faced,” the mayor, Jim Watson, said. “And we need to get moving quickly and proactively to bring order back to the streets.” “Someone is going to get killed or seriously injured because of the irresponsible behaviour,” he warned.

Across Canada this weekend, thousands of protesters took to the streets for the second week in a row, snarling traffic and paralysing cities. The protests were initially set off by vaccine mandates for truckers crossing the border from the US, but have since expanded to draw thousands of other protesters from Canada’s political right unhappy over a mixed bag of issues, including the leadership of PM Justin Trudeau.

THE REST

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PRIYANKA GANDHI VADRA: AAP, TMC IN GOA TO EXPAND, CAN’T GIVE STABLE GOVT

In Goa, a week ahead of the February 14 Legislative Assembly polls, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday said that parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) that have “come from outside” were not in the state for development but to “expand their parties”.

“… The AAP and the TMC cannot give you a stable govt… They have come from outside. They have come here to expand their party… they are not here to make Goa progress. All the parties that come to destablise your govt, those that come from outside cannot run Goa,” Priyanka said on Monday, addressing a public rally in St Cruz assembly constituency.

The Congress is contesting the upcoming assembly poll in a pre-poll alliance with the Goa Forward Party (GFP). While the Congress has fielded candidates in 37 of the 40 constituencies, the GFP is contesting the remaining three.

The Congress leader said that the party had declared in its manifesto that it would scrap the three linear projects cutting through the Mollem National Park that would entail hacking of hundreds of trees.“You can see from these three projects what this entire (BJP) govt stands for. There is not a single Goan beneficiary … All they are doing is to remain in power and to benefit their friends who are big business people,”

HIJAB BAN: HC HEARING TODAY, KARNATAKA CM SAYS STICK TO DRESS CODE

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has asked students in junior colleges to adhere to the state govt’s rules regarding uniforms until the issue over wearing of headscarves in classes is addressed by the High Court today.

Bommai, who is on a visit to Delhi to discuss the expansion of his cabinet among other things, refused to comment on the dress code controversy in junior colleges in the state, which has kept several Muslim girls out of classes for wearing the hijab or headscarf.

“Since the matter is in court, I do not want to discuss it,” he said on Monday morning. “For now, the instructions on uniforms issued in the circular (of February 5) should be followed until the high court decides on the matter,” Bommai said., “Exams are coming up and all students must follow the circular. Students must maintain peace,” the CM added.

The controversy, which erupted when six students of a college in Udupi protested a move by the institution to prevent them from wearing the hijab in class, has spread to many colleges in Udupi and other districts of Karnataka. The protests were countered by Hindu students who sought to attend classes wearing saffron shawls, leading to disruption of classes.

On Monday, a junior college in Udupi’s Kundapura allowed Muslim girls to enter the college campus on the condition that the 22 girls who came wearing hijabs would have to attend classes in a separate classroom.

AADHAAR NOT MUST FOR COWIN, GOVT TELLS SUPREME COURT

Aadhaar number is not mandatory for registration on the CoWIN portal for the Covid vaccination, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Monday. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare told a Bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud that one of the nine identity documents, including passport, driver’s licence, PAN card, voter’s identity card and ration card, could be produced for vaccination.

Taking note of the ministry’s submission, the Bench disposed of a plea filed by one Siddharth Shankar Sharma who had claimed that Aadhaar number was being mandatorily insisted upon for administering the vaccination via the CoWIN portal. The Bench had on October 1, 2021, asked the Centre to respond to the PIL.

GAUTAM ADANI SURPASSES MUKESH AMBANI AS ASIA'S RICHEST PERSON

Gautam Adani, the Indian billionaire who turned a small commodities trading business into a conglomerate spanning ports, mines and green energy, is now Asia’s richest person.

The 59-year-old mogul’s net worth reached $88.5 billion on Monday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, eclipsing fellow countryman Mukesh Ambani’s $87.9 billion. With an almost $12 billion jump in his personal fortune, Adani is the world’s biggest wealth-gainer this year.

The coal magnate has increasingly looked beyond the fossil fuel for expansion. He’s moving into renewable energy, airports, data centers and defense contracting--priorities Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also considers crucial to nation-building and meeting the country’s long-term economic goals.

While 2020 was Ambani’s year -- his oil-to-petrochemicals conglomerate Reliance Industries Ltd. created billions of dollars in wealth through a technology pivot that brought in Facebook and Google Inc. as investors -- the pendulum has since swung toward Adani.

Both Indian billionaires--who have built their empires on fossil fuels or coal--are now pushing ahead with green energy projects. Ambani has committed $10 billion over the next three years as part of a larger $76 billion spend plan in renewables. Adani has pledged to invest a total of $70 billion by 2030 to help his group become the world’s largest renewable-energy producer.

JNU GETS ITS FIRST WOMAN VC; ROW OVER OLD TWEETS, INQUIRIES

Soon after the Union Ministry of Education announced the appointment of Professor (at Savitribai Phule Pune University) Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit as new vice-chancellor (V-C) of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), old tweets criticising JNU students and supporting the BJP govt, purportedly posted by a Twitter account carrying her name, were shared widely on social media.

While one of the tweets refers to PhD scholar from JNU Sharjeel Imam, who is currently in jail in connection with a sedition case, as a “jihadi produced by IIT-B and JNU”, another calls JNU students “losers”, while another expresses opposition to the farmers’ movement.

Hours after they went viral Monday, the account was deleted, but screenshots are still doing the rounds on social media.

GLOBAL BRANDS FACE HEAT OVER ‘KASHMIR DAY’ POSTS

Multinational brands—particularly Korea carmakers Hyundai and Kia, and US food chain KFC—faced a social media backlash over tweets and Instagram/FB posts sent out by their dealers and outlets in Pakistan, talking about “Kashmir Solidarity Day” and “right to freedom”.

Hashtags such as #BoycottKiaMotors, #BoycottKFC, #HyundaiWithTerrorist and #HyundaiMustApologise started trending on Twitter amid asurge in nationalistic sentiments in favour of Indian brands like M&M and Tata Motors. Posts in favour of “Kashmir Solidarity Day” were also sent out by handles of dealers and outlets of Suzuki Pakistan and Isuzu Pakistan.

By Monday evening, the posts on Suzuki Pakistan’s twitter and Facebook page (controlled by a dealer of the company) had been taken down.

Concerned over the backlash which started on Sunday and continued even through Monday, Hyundai’s India subsidiary came out with a statement.

The official Twitter handle of KFC India also issued a statement on Monday evening, saying, “We deeply apologise for a post that was published on some KFC social media channels outside the country. We honour and respect India, and remain steadfast in our commitment to serving all Indians with pride.” The objectionable tweet had been sent by a dealer of KFC Pakistan.

By the evening, India’s auto dealers’ body also criticised Hyundai and Kia for the comments. “We #Dealers are shocked. #Kashmir is an integral part of India and will continue till eternity. JAI HIND,” president of the dealers’ body, Vinkesh Gulati, said.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The world owes all its onward progress to men ill at ease. The happy man inevitably confines himself within ancient limits. - Nathaniel Hawthorne

OFF TRACK

A turtle is mugged by three snails.

When asked by police to give a description of what happened, he replies, "I don't know, it all happened so fast!"