Mumbai:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the media’s natural role is to create discourse by discussing serious issues.

Speaking after inaugurating INS Towers, the Indian Newspaper Society’s secretariat in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex, PM Modi expressed confidence that India will soon become the third-largest economy and spoke about how the nation has become the leader in digital payments.

He also said the role of newspapers is crucial in the journey to Viksit Bharat in the next 25 years and appealed to Indian publications to enhance their global presence.

“Media makes people aware of their strength. Media’s natural role is to create discourse by discussing serious issues,” PM Modi said even as he emphasised the impact of government policies on the functioning of the media.

The role of newspapers is very important in the journey to Viksit Bharat in the next 25 years. The citizens of a country who gain confidence in their capabilities start achieving new heights of success. The same is happening in India today, PM Modi said.

He said the INS has not only witnessed the ups and downs of India’s journey but also lived it and communicated it to the people.

“A country’s global image directly affects its economy. Indian publications should enhance their global presence,” the prime minister said.

He said the media is not a mute spectator of the condition of the nations but it plays a major role in changing them.

Underlining the role of newspapers and magazines in the next 25-year journey to Viksit Bharat, PM Modi highlighted the media’s role in creating awareness about rights and the potential of the citizenry He also spoke on how India has become the leader in digital payments.

“There was a time when some politicians used to say that digital transactions were not for India. They had a preconceived notion that modern technology can’t work in this country,” he said.

PM Modi further said the world is witnessing the capabilities of Indians and today, the country is creating new records in digital transactions.

“Due to India’s UPI and modern digital public infrastructure, the ease of living of people has improved, and it has become easier for them to send money across countries,” PM Modi said.

The country will benefit from the effective work done by the Indian Newspaper Society, he added.

The PM said before 2014, most people were unaware of the word startup, but the media made it reach every home.

He also highlighted the success of digital transactions in India as an example of how confident citizens achieve great success.

The Prime Minister stated the example of financial inclusion and opening of bank accounts through the movement of Jan Dhan Yojna and the integration of about 50 crore people with the banking system and added that major nations are interested in India’s digital public infrastructure.

“This project was the biggest help in Digital India and initiatives to curb corruption,” he said.

PM Modi highlighted the government’s focus on environmental protection, which he said is a humanitarian issue rather than a political one.

He said the recently launched ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign is being discussed around the world and global leaders showed a keen interest in this program during the G7 Summit.

PM Modi lauded the media for making movements like Swachh Bharat or Startup India a part of national discourse, saying these initiatives were not impacted by vote bank politics.

He underlined the important role of the media in heightening the sense of duty and awareness of the citizens towards the Constitution considering the 75th-year celebrations of the Constitution of India.

The Prime Minister reiterated India’s march to become the third largest economy in the near future.

“It is the responsibility of the media to take India’s success to every corner of the globe. A country’s global image directly affects its economy”, he said.

PM Modi also spoke about the growing importance of the Indian expatriates with the rise in the stature of India and its growing ability to contribute to global progress.

The prime Minister wished for the expansion of Indian publications in all UN languages and said that websites, micro-sites or social media accounts of these publications could be in those languages.

(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 on Saturday emphasised that creation of eight crore new jobs in the last three to four years has “silenced” those spreading fake narratives about unemployment.

Quoting a recent report of Reserve Bank of India on the employment figure, the Prime Minister asserted the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government continues to prioritise stability and growth and added that small and big investors have welcomed the NDA’s third term with enthusiasm.

During the event launching projects costing Rs 29,000 crore in road, railway, and port sectors, PM Modi took a swipe at opposition parties for spreading misinformation on job creation, labelling them as hindrances to progress.

“This figure has silenced those spreading fake narrative on jobs,” PM Modi said in a veiled attack on the opposition that had made unemployment a key issue in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

“Those who spread fake narratives are enemies of investment, infrastructure development and enemies of the country’s growth. Their every policy is about betraying youth and stall employment. Now they are getting exposed as people are rejecting their lies,” the PM said.

PM Modi said skill development and employment are needed in the country and his government is working in this direction.

He said Maharashtra has a glorious history, a capable present and the dream of a prosperous future.

It is the state that has a critical role to play in Viksit Bharat as it has power of industry, agriculture and finance sector.

“My aim is to make Maharashtra the world’s big financial powerhouse and to make Mumbai a global fintech capital,” he said.

“Our aim is to improve everyone’s standard of living and make quality of life the best. This is why efforts are being made to better the connectivity of areas close to Mumbai,” the PM added.

The ground breaking of infrastructure works come months ahead of the state assembly polls.

The upcoming infrastructure projects in and around Mumbai will boost connectivity of the city with nearby areas, which ensures better facilities as well as safety for women, PM Modi pointed out.

The expansion of the metro rail network in the metropolis was going on at a rapid pace, rising from just 8 kilometres ten years ago to 80 kilometres now, while work on 200 kilometres is underway, the PM said.

In Maharashtra, the length of national highways has trebled, adding the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, which will act as a major east-west connector in the northern part of the city, was a fine example of balance between conserving nature and development.

The twin tunnels connecting Thane and Borivali will ensure the distance between the two areas will be covered in minutes, the PM said.

The Coastal Road and Atal Setu are now complete, the PM said, and recalled efforts by some to stall the sea bridge.

But now everyone realises how beneficial it is, the PM said about the Atal Setu, the country’s longest sea bridge connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

Some 20,000 vehicles use it everyday and it is estimated that Rs 20-25 lakh worth of fuel is saved and people take less time to reach Panvel, the PM pointed out.

The transformation of railways is benefitting Mumbai and Maharashtra, he said.

The redevelopment works of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Ajni-Nagpur were happening at a rapid pace.

The new platforms at CSMT and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (two of the main junctions of Central Railway in Mumbai), have been inaugurated and will enable the railways to run 24-coach trains, the PM said.

The Centre has also approved the Rs 76000 crore Vadhavan port in Dahanu in Palghar, which will generate 10 lakh jobs, the PM said.

(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 on Saturday emphasised that creation of eight crore new jobs in the last three to four years has “silenced” those spreading fake narratives about unemployment.

Quoting a recent report of Reserve Bank of India on the employment figure, the Prime Minister asserted the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government continues to prioritise stability and growth and added that small and big investors have welcomed the NDA’s third term with enthusiasm.

During the event launching projects costing Rs 29,000 crore in road, railway, and port sectors, PM Modi took a swipe at opposition parties for spreading misinformation on job creation, labelling them as hindrances to progress.

“This figure has silenced those spreading fake narrative on jobs,” PM Modi said in a veiled attack on the opposition that had made unemployment a key issue in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

“Those who spread fake narratives are enemies of investment, infrastructure development and enemies of the country’s growth. Their every policy is about betraying youth and stall employment. Now they are getting exposed as people are rejecting their lies,” the PM said.

PM Modi said skill development and employment are needed in the country and his government is working in this direction.

He said Maharashtra has a glorious history, a capable present and the dream of a prosperous future.

It is the state that has a critical role to play in Viksit Bharat as it has power of industry, agriculture and finance sector.

“My aim is to make Maharashtra the world’s big financial powerhouse and to make Mumbai a global fintech capital,” he said.

“Our aim is to improve everyone’s standard of living and make quality of life the best. This is why efforts are being made to better the connectivity of areas close to Mumbai,” the PM added.

The ground breaking of infrastructure works come months ahead of the state assembly polls.

The upcoming infrastructure projects in and around Mumbai will boost connectivity of the city with nearby areas, which ensures better facilities as well as safety for women, PM Modi pointed out.

The expansion of the metro rail network in the metropolis was going on at a rapid pace, rising from just 8 kilometres ten years ago to 80 kilometres now, while work on 200 kilometres is underway, the PM said.

In Maharashtra, the length of national highways has trebled, adding the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road, which will act as a major east-west connector in the northern part of the city, was a fine example of balance between conserving nature and development.

The twin tunnels connecting Thane and Borivali will ensure the distance between the two areas will be covered in minutes, the PM said.

The Coastal Road and Atal Setu are now complete, the PM said, and recalled efforts by some to stall the sea bridge.

But now everyone realises how beneficial it is, the PM said about the Atal Setu, the country’s longest sea bridge connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai.

Some 20,000 vehicles use it everyday and it is estimated that Rs 20-25 lakh worth of fuel is saved and people take less time to reach Panvel, the PM pointed out.

The transformation of railways is benefitting Mumbai and Maharashtra, he said.

The redevelopment works of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Ajni-Nagpur were happening at a rapid pace.

The new platforms at CSMT and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (two of the main junctions of Central Railway in Mumbai), have been inaugurated and will enable the railways to run 24-coach trains, the PM said.

The Centre has also approved the Rs 76000 crore Vadhavan port in Dahanu in Palghar, which will generate 10 lakh jobs, the PM said.

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a meeting with economists ahead of the Union budget which will be presented on July 23, in New Delhi on July 11, 2024. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also present.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting eminent economists on July 11 to elicit their views and suggestions for the upcoming Budget, a senior government official said.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha on July 23.

Also Read | Union Budget should focus on fiscal prudence, tax restructuring, agriculture reforms: SBI Research

Besides economists and sectoral experts, Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery and other members also attended the meeting.

Finance Minister Sitharaman, Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh, Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran and economists Surjit Bhalla and Ashok Gulati and veteran banker K.V. Kamath among others were present in the meeting.

The Budget for 2024-25 will be the first major economic document of the Modi 3.0 government, which, among other things, is expected to lay the road map for making India a developed nation by 2047.

President Droupadi Murmu, in her address to the joint sitting of Parliament last month, had indicated that the government would come out with historic steps to accelerate the pace of reforms.

She also said the Budget will be an effective document of the government’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision.

Ms. Sitharaman has already held discussions with various stakeholders, including economists and captains of Indian industry, on the forthcoming Budget.

Several experts have urged the government to provide tax relief to the common man to boost consumption and take steps to check inflation and accelerate economic growth.

The economy has recorded a growth rate of 8.2% in 2023-24.

Earlier in February, Ms. Sitharaman presented an interim budget for 2024-25 in view of the Lok Sabha elections.

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi – in the middle of a fierce attack on the Congress and the opposition in Parliament this evening – broke off to inform the House of a tragedy in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras.

Dozens, including women and children, were killed in a stampede at a prayer meet.

Mr Modi, who was fighting a vociferous battle with the opposition while speaking on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s joint address to Parliament last week, paused and told his fellow MPs of the tragedy. As he did so, the Lok Sabha, which seconds earlier had reverberated with the shrieks and screams and chants of opposition MPs targeting the PM fell completely silent.

“In the midst of these discussions I have also been given sad news. It has come to my attention that there have been many tragic deaths in the stampede in Hathras…” the Prime Minister said.

READ | 87, Including Children, Killed In Stampede At Religious Event In UP

“I express my condolences to those who lost their lives (and) hope for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he added, as murmurs broke from MPs preparing to add the Hathras stampede to their arsenal of weapons against Mr Modi and his ruling BJP, which is also in power in Uttar Pradesh.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, “There are reports of many people dying in the stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. I express my condolences to those who lost their lives in this accident. I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured. The administration is engaged… pic.twitter.com/UasFmME0br

— ANI (@ANI) July 2, 2024

Mr Modi also said senior central government officers had been instructed to contact their state counterparts to coordinate rescue and aid efforts. “Through this forum, I assure everyone that all possible assistance will be provided to the victims,” he said. The PM’s office has announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to each of the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 to each of those injured.

The Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the mishap in Hathras. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000.

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 2, 2024

The Hathras Lok Sabha MP – the BJP’s Anoop Pradhan – said he had spoken to district officers but declined to comment on the number of dead. The injured, he said, were being treated at hospitals.

Before and after the Prime Minister’s mention of the Hathras stampede, the opposition threw a wall of noise – protests, slogans, and screams – at Mr Modi as he was speaking.

READ | PM’s Speech Amid Opposition Chants, Speaker Rebukes Rahul

Such was the relentless sloganeering that Speaker Om Birla appeared to lose his temper on more than one occasion as he tried, without any success, to control the shrieking opposition.

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Mirzapur:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that he grew up washing cup plates and serving tea, adding that the relationship between Modi and tea is very deep.

“I grew up washing cups and plates as a child. I have grown up serving tea. The relationship between Modi and tea is also very deep,” PM Modi said while addressing a rally in Mirzapur today.

“No one wants to waste their vote on Samajwadi Party. No one will vote for someone who is drowning. The common man will vote only for the one whose government is certain to be formed. The country has come to know the people of the INDI alliance very well. These people are deeply communal. These people are extreme casteists. These people are extreme familyists. Whenever their government is formed, these people take decisions on this basis,” he added.

Slamming the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, the Prime Minister said that there are so many promising people in the Yadav community but he (Akhilesh) gave tickets only to his family members.

“These SP people used to release even those terrorists who were caught. The SP government used to suspend any police officer who was reluctant in this. They had made the entire UP and Purvanchal a haven for the mafia. Be it life or land, no one knew when it would be snatched away and in the SP government, the mafia was also seen as a vote bank,” PM Modi said.

He further asserted that CM Yogi is carrying forward the ‘Swachhta Abhiyan’ very bravely. The public was at the mercy of the SP government but now the mafia is trembling in the BJP government.

“The sacred Constitution of our country is also on their (INDI alliance) target. They want to loot the reservation of SC-ST-OBC. Our Constitution clearly says that there cannot be reservation based on religion. Samajwadi Party had released its manifesto during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2012. Then SP had said in its manifesto, just as Dalits and backward classes have got the reservation, similarly, Muslims will also be given reservation,” he added.

“SP had said that it would even change the Constitution for this. SP had announced that 15 per cent reservation will be given to Muslims in police and PAC also. How these people were bent on snatching away the rights of SC-ST-OBC to please their vote bank,” the Prime Minister said in Mirzapur.

PM Modi also emphasized that he is dedicated to the poor, Dalits and backward people.

(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.)

Dhaurahra:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that he will not allow anyone to play with the Constitution, especially when it comes to the issue of reservation based on religion.

“The Constitution does not allow reservation on the basis of religion but the INDIA bloc, as part of its appeasement policy, is planning to give the share of reservation of SC/ST, OBC to Muslims. They also have an eye on your ‘mangalsutra‘, your field, your property because even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that Muslims have the first right on resources. The Congress wants to implement the Karnataka model of reservation in the country,” PM Modi said while addressing a rally in Dhaurahra.

PM Modi also slammed the Congress and the INDIA bloc, accusing them of planning to redistribute the country’s wealth to their vote bank.

“I will stand like a wall against them if they attempt to do this. They also say that they will bring back Article 370 in Kashmir but I will not allow that to happen,” PM Modi added.

The Prime Minister also said that the opposition bloc is also claiming to end the free ration scheme, stop free healthcare schemes for the poor, and remove Vande Bharat trains, if they come to power.

“Will they also convert Ram Mandir into a hospital or try to bulldoze the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor? To stop this, you will have to vote for BJP. Each vote that you cast for BJP will come to me. I have come to seek your blessings because I have much more work to do,” PM Modi said.

He said that the erstwhile Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh has added bitterness to the lives of sugarcane farmers while the current Yogi Adityanath-led government has removed all the shortcomings.

“Yogi Adityanath has given the same amount of money to sugarcane farmers in seven years that Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party did not give in 10 years of their rule,” said PM Modi, adding that the state government is also working on making the Dhaurahra area a hub for banana farming.

Referring to Nighasan-Dhaurahara and Gola-Shahjahanpur roads, PM Modi said that the people of Sitapur and Lakhimpur can be proud of the development that is taking place in their area.

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

JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23, 2024, while speaking at an event hosted by the Economic Club of New York. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing an “unbelievable job” in India by pursuing reforms and taking 400 million people out of poverty through inclusive financial programmes, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has said.

Mr. Dimon made these remarks on April 23 while speaking at an event hosted by the Economic Club of New York.

He praised Prime Minister Modi for the performance of his government.

“Modi has done an unbelievable job in India… He’s taken 400 million people out of poverty,” Mr. Dimon said.

“They’ve got an unbelievable education system, unbelievable infrastructure, they’re lifting up that whole country, because this one man is just as tough. Nobody. I think you have to be tough to break that down, you know, and he’s breaking down some of the bureaucracy…,” he said.

He also praised reforms undertaken by Mr. Modi in the recent past.

“They have put in this unbelievable trend that every citizen by hand or eyeball or by finger is recognised. They opened bank accounts for 700 million people. Their transferred payments are going through.” He also called Mr. Modi “tough” for breaking old bureaucratic systems and said, “We need a little bit more of that here (in the U.S.)”.

Mr. Dimon, 68, also had words of praise for the country’s indirect tax regime, which he said removed corruption emanating from the disparity in tax systems followed by different States.

“…I think you have to be tough to break that down, you know, and he’s breaking down some of the bureaucracy… But they all had completely different it’s almost like Europe, they’re completely different tax systems, which leads to enormous corruption. He’s breaking all that stuff down. And so yeah, they’re examples of people who have just turned these things around,” Mr. Dimon, who has run the largest U.S. lender for more than 18 years, said.

Mumbai:

A case has been registered against a reporter and a video journalist of a news channel for allegedly trespassing into a house to shoot visuals of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from a building near the airport, police said on Wednesday.

The complainant alleged that the duo forcibly entered his 11th-floor flat at Paywadi SRA Cooperative Society, close to the domestic terminal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in suburban Vile Parle (East), an official said.

PM Modi visited Mumbai on Monday morning.

As per complainant Mahesh Patel, a 61-year-old rickshaw driver, the duo told him that they had got permission from the housing society’s secretary and security guard to shoot visuals of the PM, and entered his flat without his consent, using force.

They shot visuals of the PM’s special aircraft and PM Modi himself from the flat’s window for some 15 minutes, he said.

A case was registered under sections 448 (house trespass), 188 (disobeying orders issued by a public servant), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code at Vile Parle police station but no arrest has been made, the police official said.

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