Dalits, OBCs, tribals getting due respect from my govt; previous govts mere used them: PM Modi

Agencies

August 12, 2023

New Delhi, Aug 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Dalits, OBCs and tribals are getting due respect from his government whereas previous rulers neglected these sections and remembered them only during elections.

He also alleged the previous governments failed to provide water to the poor whereas Dalit bastis, underprivileged localities, and tribal areas are now getting piped water due to Jal Jeevan Mission under his government.

The prime minister addressed a public programme at Dhana in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh after performing 'bhoomi pujan' and laying the foundation stone for the construction of Rs 100 crore-worth temple-cum-memorial of social reformer and mystic poet Sant Ravidas at Badtuma village.

Modi bowed down before the idol of Sant Ravidas with folded hands after performing bhoomi pujan.

He also inspected the miniature model of the upcoming memorial-cum-temple at this function.

At Dhana, Modi dedicated to the nation the doubling of the Bina-Kota railway line project besides laying the foundation for various road projects.

The prime minister said the soil from thousands of villages and water from more than 300 rivers became part of Sant Ravidas' upcoming temple-cum-memorial.

He said Sant Ravidas who was born during the Mughal period marked by instability, excesses and atrocities, created an awakening against social evils.

'The governments which ruled for decades had failed to provide water to the poor whereas Dalits, underprivileged localities and tribal areas are now getting piped water due to Jal Jeevan Mission,' Modi said and accused the previous governments of neglecting these sections and remembering them only during elections.

'Our government giving due respect to Dalits, OBCs and tribals,' he said.

Recalling the Covid-19 period, the prime minister said he had decided that no one should sleep empty stomach during the coronavirus outbreak.

'Our free ration scheme for the poor during the Coronavirus period is being lauded by the world,' he said.

These programmes in Sagar district marked the culmination of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's ongoing 'Samrasta (harmony) Yatras', which were started from five places in the state on July 25.

According to officials, the temple-cum-memorial dedicated to Sant Ravidas will be spread over 11 acres of land. The structure will showcase the teachings of Sant Ravidas and also have residential facilities for the devotees besides a museum, art gallery and other amenities.

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Russia decides to remove Taliban from terror list, asks US to return confiscated assets to Afghan

News Network

October 4,2024

Moscow, Oct 4: Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Friday that a decision to remove the Taliban from a list of terrorist organisations had been "taken at the highest level", the state TASS news agency reported.

The decision needs to be followed up with various legal procedures in order to make it a reality, President Vladimir Putin's special representative on Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, was quoted as saying.

Putin said in July that Russia considered Afghanistan's Taliban movement an ally in the fight against terrorism.

Russia has been slowly building ties with the Taliban since it seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war but the movement is still officially outlawed in Russia.

No country has formally recognised the Taliban as the country's legitimate leadership, although China and the UAE have accepted its ambassadors.

Russia added the Taliban to its list of terrorist organisations in 2003. Removing it would be an important step by Moscow towards normalising relations with Afghanistan.

The Taliban's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a speech in Moscow that recent decisions by Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to remove the former insurgents from a list of banned groups was a welcome step.

"We also appreciate the positive remarks by the high-ranking officials of the Russian Federation in this regard and hope to see more effective steps soon," he said.

In separate comments on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was convinced of the need to maintain "pragmatic dialogue" with the current Afghan government.

"It is obvious that it is impossible to solve problems or even discuss an Afghan settlement without Kabul," Lavrov said.

"Moscow will continue its course on developing political, trade and economic ties with Kabul," he added, speaking at a meeting in Moscow with Muttaqi and representatives of neighbouring countries.

While he did not mention the Taliban by name, he praised the current Afghan leadership for its efforts to curb drug production and fight Islamic State, which is outlawed in Russia.

Muttaqi said that countries in the region should cooperate against the Islamic State, which he said had established training centres outside Afghanistan.

Lavrov said the United States should return confiscated assets to Afghanistan and the West should acknowledge responsibility for the post-conflict reconstruction of the country.

Lavrov also called for an increase in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, and said Russia would keep sending it food and essential goods.

Russia has a troubled history in Afghanistan, where the Soviet army invaded in 1979 to support a pro-Moscow government but withdrew 10 years later after sustaining heavy casualties at the hands of mujahideen fighters.

Russia and its post-Soviet neighbours have suffered recurrent attacks from Islamist militant groups linked to Afghanistan - most recently in March, when 145 people were killed in an attack claimed by Islamic State at a concert hall near Moscow.

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