Declined Trump's invite to U.S. to come to land of Lord Jagannath: PM Modi in Odisha
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (June 20, 2025) said he had declined an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Washington, and instead chosen to come to Odisha, the sacred land of Lord Jagannath.
Addressing a rally in Bhubaneswar, Mr. Modi said, "I was in Canada for the G7 Summit when U.S. President Trump had called me and invited me to Washington for a discussion and lunch. I thanked him for the invitation, saying I have to visit Odisha, the land of Lord Jagannath. I humbly rejected his invitation."
PM Modi participated in the first anniversary function of the BJP's maiden government in the state and launched development projects worth over ₹18,600 crore.
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Hindustan Times
14 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
PM Modi targets RJD, Cong in marker for Bihar elections
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a meeting in Siwan, Bihar, targeted the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, talked up his National Demoratic Alliance's development credentials , and inaugurated projects worth ₹ 11,000 crore from a stage replete with eight Union ministers, the state's chief minister and two deputy chief ministers, providing a curtain raiser to assembly elections due later this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the crowd on his way to address a public rally with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary in Siwan, Bihar. (Santosh Kumar/HT) The Congress and the RJD hurt Bihar's pride and kept the state poor due to mafia raj, goonda raj and corruption, Modi said , taking a pointed shot at RJD's Lalu Prasad and alleging that the former chief minister insulted BR Ambedkar. The PM was speaking after laying the foundation stone of and inaugurating multiple development projects worth ₹ 11,000 crore. Modi, who is on a three-state tour, inaugurated the new Vaishali-Deoria railway line and a Vande Bharat Express between Patliputra and Gorakhpur via Muzaffarpur and Bettiah. He also flagged off a state-of-the-art locomotive - the first built at a plant in Marhowra in Saran district – for export to the Republic of Guinea. Modi said the Congress did not allow Bihar to move out of poverty and the worst sufferers were Dalit, Mahadalit, backward classes and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), while in the last 11 years a record 250 million Indians moved out of poverty. 'Bihar under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar played a key role in it, as 3.75-crore (37.5 million) people from the state pulled themselves out of poverty. Despite so many years of independence, half the population lived below the poverty line. People struggled to beat poverty, as they could not find a way. The state was reduced to a migration centre and destined to live with the misfortune of poverty. Now, it is time to be wary of the same forces, who kept it poor, as they are desperate for power while the state has prepared the launchpad for rapid growth,' he added. Bihar governor Arif Mohammad Khan, chief minister Nitish Kumar, Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi, Giriraj Singh, Lalan Singh, Chirag Paswan, Ramnath Thakur, Nityanand Rai, Satishchandra Dubey, and Raj Bhushan Choudhary, deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, state health minister Mangal Pandey and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha were present on the occasion. This is PM's fourth visit to Bihar this year and third since April 24 in what is viewed as a build up for the crucial state elections scheduled in October-November. He reached the venue in a road show, waving to the people from an open vehicle along with CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Choudhary. Siwan is the birthplace of India's first President Dr Rajendra Prasad. Modi, who did not mention RJD's Prasad by name, also referred to a recent controversy where a portrait of Ambedkar was placed close to the feet of the ailing septuagenarian on his 78th birthday on June 11. 'Ambedkar was against dynasty rule. But they (RJD and its allies) do not like it. So they have his portrait placed at their feet. On my way, I saw posters demanding an apology for this insult to Babasaheb,' said Modi. 'But there has been no apology. This is because they hold Dalits in contempt. In contrast, Modi has Babasaheb in his heart and would like to keep his portrait close to his chest,' he added. According to the RJD, the controversy arose because of the camera angle at Prasad's residence. The party has said Prasad had his feet on a sofa because of 'medical advice', and a supporter stood close carrying the portrait of India's first law minister. Modi said that the panja (or hand – the Congress's symbol) and the lantern (the RJD's symbol) worked with a motive of 'Parivar ka Saath aur Parivar ka Vikas' (Support to family, growth to family), while the NDA works for Sabka saath, Sabka Vikas (inclusive development for all). He warned that those who brought 'jungle raj' to Bihar were looking for an opportunity to repeat their old deeds. 'You have to be very cautious for the bright future of your children. People who are ready to put the brakes on Bihar's developmental journey have to be kept at bay, as a prosperous Bihar is important for a prosperous India,' he added. Remembering Rajendra Prasad, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan, and social reformer Braj Kishor Prasad, Modi said Siwan was the land that lent strength to democracy and the Constitution and played a big role in the freedom movement. 'We are trying to take the same spirit forward with inclusive growth so that nobody is discriminated against and even the world recognises India's growth journey to be the third largest economy. I have faith in your abilities, as you are the ones who ended jungle Raj and then worked with the NDA to put the state on track,' he added. The PM said that the Marhowra rail factory was an example of the kind of Bihar the NDA striving to create. 'With the export of locomotives, Saran, which was abandoned by the RJD as backward, has made its place on the global map. Jungle Raj had stalled the growth engine, but now Bihar's engine will run in Africa. Bihar will be a big centre for Make in India and contribute to the nation's growth,' Modi said. The PM said in the last 10-11 years, over 55,000 kms of rural roads were built, 15 million houses got power connection and tap water, 45,000 common service centres were started and now there was a wave of start-ups in towns and cities. CM Nitish, who has been critical of the RJD over its governance track record, took potshots at the main rival, without naming the party. 'Did the ones in power until we took over care for governance? People were scared of stepping out of their homes because of the law and order situation. Such a contrasting sight today when we have boys, girls, and so many women moving freely,'he said. Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Tejashwi Yadav blunted the PM's attack and asked him to stop misleading the people. 'Why is Bihar still grappling with poverty, unemployment, migration, pitiable state of health and education, gross nepotism in appointments, poor state of industrialisation? He[Modi] has no answer, but he can only mislead. The crowd was forcibly assembled for the rally,' he said.
Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- Indian Express
English empowering, tool to break chains… should be taught to every child: Rahul Gandhi
Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the English language is 'not shameful, it's empowering', but the BJP-RSS don't want poor children to learn English because they don't want them to ask questions, move ahead and become equal. 'English is not a dam, it is a bridge. English is not shameful, it is empowering. English is not a chain — it is a tool to break the chains,' said the Congress leader on X. Gandhi was reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement that soon a time would come when those speaking English in the country would 'feel ashamed'. On Thursday, Shah, speaking at the launch of Main Boond Swayam, Khud Sagar Hoon, authored by IAS officer Ashutosh Agnihotri, said: 'In our lifetime, we will see a society in which those speaking English will feel ashamed, that day is not far … I believe that the languages of our country are the ornament of our culture. Without them, we would not have been Bharatiya. Our country, its history, its culture, our Dharma, if these have to be understood, it cannot be done in foreign languages.' In his X post, Gandhi said, 'The BJP-RSS don't want poor kids of India to learn English because they don't want you to ask questions, move ahead, and attain equality.' He said in today's world, English is as important as one's mother tongue because it helps in securing employment and boost one's confidence. 'Every language of India has soul, culture, knowledge. We have to cherish them — and at the same time teach English to every child. This is the path to an India that competes with the world, that gives every child an equal opportunity,' said Gandhi. TMC MP Derek O'Brien also weighed in. In a video statement, he said, 'In India, 97% people use one of the 22 constitutionally recognised languages as their mother tongue. 19,500 languages and dialects are used as mother tongues. This is the 'unity in diversity' of our great nation. Amit Shah, PM Narendra Modi and gang will never understand this.' Another TMC Rajya Sabha member, Sagarika Ghose, said Indians should not be ashamed of any language. 'English is a link language across India, it's aspirational, confers a global advantage and knowledge of English is demanded by millions. Indians should not be 'ashamed' of any language,' she said.
Indian Express
34 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Sukanta, doctor who asked question during CM's lecture ‘detained'
STATE BJP president Sukanta Majumdar and a London-based doctor, Rajatshubhra Bandyopadhyay, were both detained by the city police amid a roadside conversation in south Kolkata's Bhabanipur area on Friday. Although they were both released around three hours later, the incident led to protests by BJP workers and a political firestorm. The BJP claimed that around 25 of its workers were also arrested and released nearly hours later. The drama unfolded as Majumdar, who is also a Union minister of state, arrived in Bhabanipur on a motorcycle to observe 'Paschimbanga Dibas' (West Bengal Day), defying police restrictions. After garlanding a statue of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, he went to meet Bandyopadhyay at his residence on Harish Mukherjee Road. Police intercepted Majumdar's convoy, initially claiming that the doctor was not present at home. However, a video later released by the BJP on social media purportedly showed Bandyopadhyay at his residence, prompting protests from party supporters. They accused the police of misleading them and alleged that the state government was 'weaponising the police' to stifle political expression. Amid the standoff, Bandyopadhyay stepped out of the premises of his home to meet Majumdar on the street. The doctor recently garnered attention for publicly questioning Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her lecture in London, a video of which had been widely shared online. Their conversation was cut short and both Majumdar and Bandyopadhyay were escorted into police vehicles and taken to the city police headquarters at Lalbazar. 'For what reason have we been detained? I have no clue,' Majumdar told mediapersons as he was led into the van. 'Even a visit to a doctor's house has now become a crime?' a BJP worker questioned. The ruling Trinamool Congress defended the police's actions. 'The BJP is creating provocations. The doctor in question has a track record of inciting controversy. The police acted in accordance with the law to maintain peace in a sensitive locality,' said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.
