Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives ceremonial welcome and Guard of Honour at Perdana Putra building. He was welcomed by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: Ministry of External Affairs

Georgetown:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met with the top leaders of Caribbean nations on the margins of the India-CARICOM Summit here and discussed strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation across several key areas.

The Prime Minister arrived in Guyana earlier in the day — the first visit by an Indian head of the state to the country in more than 50 years.

He met leaders of the Caribbean partner countries on Wednesday at the sidelines of the second India-Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Summit.

“Had an excellent meeting with Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana. The President himself enjoys a strong bond with India,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

The two leaders reviewed the bilateral developmental cooperation, including in sectors like skill development, capacity building, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, education and energy.

“India will always be a trusted partner for Guyana in sectors like infrastructure, shipping, technology and more,” he said, calling the Caribbean nation’s support for initiatives like the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and Global Biofuels Alliance “noteworthy”.

He also met Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

“During the meeting, Prime Minister of Barbados announced the decision of her government to confer on the Prime Minister the Honorary Order of Freedom of Barbados Award, recognising his leadership in assisting during the Covid-19 pandemic and commitment to India-Barbados ties,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X. The award will be bestowed on November 30 in Barbados, it said.

“This high-level engagement provided an opportunity for both leaders to reaffirm and strengthen the India-Barbados relationship while reviewing ongoing cooperation across several key areas, including health & pharma and collaboration at the United Nations,” it added.

Prime Minister Modi also met his Bahamas counterpart Philip Davis and had a “fruitful” discussion focused on strengthening economic ties, climate change action and green partnerships.

“The leaders also exchanged views on the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign,” the MEA said in an X post.

On the sidelines of the India-CARICOM Summit, PM Modi also met Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago.

He congratulated Dr Rowley for adopting India’s flagship UPI platform. “The leaders discussed ways to strengthen – relations in areas of digital transformation, health, defence and maritime security, transportation and cultural exchanges,” the MEA said in a separate post.

The two leaders also witnessed the exchange of an MoU on setting up Integrated Automatic Fruit and Vegetable Primary Processing Activities in Trinidad and Tobago.

PM Modi also met the President of Suriname Chan Santokhi and the two leaders reviewed progress on the bilateral partnership and emphasised the importance of strengthening economic cooperation.

“They agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in areas including defence and security, trade & commerce, agriculture, digital initiatives including UPI, ICT, healthcare, traditional medicine and pharmaceuticals, capacity building, human resource development, cultural and people-to-people engagements,” the MEA said.

The Prime Minister also met Roosevelt Skerrit, his Dominica counterpart, whom he thanked for the conferment of the country’s highest award.

Dominica conferred its top award on PM Modi for his contributions to the Caribbean nation during the COVID-19 pandemic and his dedication to enhancing the bilateral partnership.

“The leaders explored opportunities for – cooperation in areas such as climate resilience, healthcare, capacity building and deepening of people-to-people ties. They also discussed cooperation at the United Nations,” the MEA said.

PM Modi also held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne.

“PM congratulated PM Browne for successfully hosting the 4th SIDS conference. PM Browne appreciated the seven pillar CARICOM plan put forth by PM at the Summit. The leaders exchanged views on issues of trade & investment, capacity building for SIDS, and climate change action. PM Browne announced support for India’s permanent membership of the UN Security Council,” the ministry said in a post on X.

The Prime Minister also met St Lucia Prime Minister Philip J Pierre on the margins of the Summit.

“Both sides exchanged views on cooperation in the fields of capacity building, education, health, cricket, and yoga and stressed the need to further reinforce India-St Lucia bilateral relations,” the MEA said.

During the India-CARICOM Summit, the prime minister proposed seven key pillars to strengthen ties between India and the Caribbean Community, asserting that New Delhi is committed to taking these relations to new heights.

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

Mumbai:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Veer Savarkar and Bhimrao Ambedkar in Mumbai on Friday.

He paid tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar, the former Union Minister and head of the Constitution committee, at Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai.

Prime Minister Modi also paid tribute to the Veer Savarkar, freedom fighter leader of Hindu Mahasabha, at the Veer Savarkar Memorial in Mumbai.

Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra are being held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. 13 constituencies including the six seats in Mumbai are among the ones that will vote on May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 seats.

Earlier in the day, during his address in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur, PM Modi sharpened his attack against the Congress party, Samajwadi Party, and INDIA bloc, accusing it of “appeasement politics.”

He said that Congress intends to change the Constitution by giving people’s property to their “vote bank” that is engaged in “vote jihad” for them.

Addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Hamirpur on Friday, PM Modi said, “This time, the SP-Congress has made their intentions clear even before the elections. Congress is saying that it will investigate everyone’s property. Then they will give a part of your property to the vote bank that does vote jihad for them.”

“Where there is Congress government, these people are reducing the reservation of Dalits and backward classes and giving it to Muslims. Now these people want to change the Constitution and give the entire reservation of SC-ST-OBC to Muslims,” he added.

Prime Minister Modi also addressed a mega public meeting at UP’s Barabanki, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Congress party and Samajwadi Party said they would run a bulldozer over the Ram Temple in Ayodhya if elected in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

“If the Congress, SP, and their INDIA partners come to power, our Ram Lalla would have to return to the tent again as they would run a bulldozer over the Ram Mandir. They should take lessons from Yogi-ji (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) on where to run bulldozers and where not to,” PM Modi said.

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

Mumbai:

Taking a swipe at the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that had the party been dissolved on the suggestion of Mahatma Gandhi, India would have been five decades ahead from what it is now.

He said that the Congress party made the poor people feel as if “they were born to live in poverty”, adding that the Modi government was able to take 25 crore people out of poverty in the last 10 years.

Addressing the public meeting in Mumbai, PM Modi said, “Earlier, there were governments that did not trust the capabilities of Indians…I have seen Prime Ministers who called Indians lazy from the Red Fort…PMs with such a mentality cannot develop India. Under the guidance of Gandhiji, if the Congress had been dissolved after independence, the country would have been 5 decades ahead from now.”

Attacking the Opposition further, he said that many considered the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as “impossible”, but the struggle of 500 years was finally realized.

“Some people say that what Modi says is impossible. It is difficult to instill hope in people who are drowned in hopelessness. Everything is impossible for them. These are the same people who thought that the Ram Temple was impossible. The world has to accept that the people of India were so strong with their thoughts that they kept struggling for 500 years, for one dream…As a result, Ram Lalla is Virajman in a grand temple,” the Prime Minister said.

He also took a jibe at the Congress party over its “non-fulfillment” of the promise of eradicating poverty.

“Congress kept saying for 60 years that they will eradicate poverty… In their 20-25-minute speech from the Red Fort, the Prime ministers of this family only spoke on poverty…They made poor people feel as if they were born to live in poverty, it seemed impossible to eradicate people from poverty. In 10 years, Modi brought 25 crore people out of poverty. What seemed impossible, became possible,” PM Modi added.

He also heavily against the manifesto of the Congress party and said that if the “Maoist manifesto” is implemented, the country will go bankrupt.

“On one hand, Modi has a report card of 10 years and a roadmap for the next 25 years. On the other hand, you have INDI Alliance: Where there are as many parties that many promises, as many PM candidates as many parties,” PM Modi said.

“If the Maoist manifesto of the Congress party is implemented, the country will become bankrupt,” he added.

Attacking Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), Prime Minister Modi said that he allied with the party that abused Ram Mandir and whose leaders were partying after the Mumbai attacks.

“The fake Shiv Sena has betrayed the sacrifices of Bala Saheb and Shiv Sainiks. For power… he went along with those who abused the Ram Mandir. For power… he went away with the people who were partying after the Mumbai attacks. The Congress which abuses Veer Savarkar day and night, today he has gone and sat in his lap,” Prime Minister Modi said.

He added, “I challenge them to make Rahul Gandhi say that he will not abuse Veer Savarkar…they can’t because as soon as the elections are over, he (Rahul Gandhi) will again start abusing Veer Savarkar.”

Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra are being held in five phases: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20. 13 constituencies including the six seats in Mumbai are among the ones that will vote on May 20. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh. Known for its political diversity and significant electoral influence, Maharashtra plays a crucial role in shaping national politics.

In the 2019 elections, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 23 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 18 seats.

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