India News

Modi inaugurates slew of Kedarnath redevelopment works, attacks Cong

Published

9 years ago

October 20, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Prime Minister claimed that the UPA government in 2013 had rejected his offer to help with the re-construction of the flood-ravaged Kedarnath shrine

Visiting the Kedarnath shrine for the second time this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for five projects worth Rs 150 crores and announced a slew of redevelopment works for the Hindu pilgrimage site, on Friday.

The Prime Minister also launched a fresh attack at the Congress party, claiming that the UPA government had rejected his offer (when he was Gujarat chief minister) to help with re-construction of the sacred temple and its surroundings in the aftermath of the catastrophic 2013 floods that ravaged the region.

Modi had, during the 2013 floods, personally flown in to Kedarnath to ‘lead’ rescue and relief operations that were specifically aimed at ferrying Gujratis stranded in the region back to their home state. While Modi, who was then the Gujarat chief minister, and the BJP had then lauded the rescue operations and criticised the Congress – which ruled Uttarakand and at the Centre then – for its poor rescue operations, the political rival had hit back claiming that Modi’s claims were exaggerated. Unofficial but wildly trending claims on social media platforms and even on television news channels had, during the June 2013 Uttarakhand floods, sought to spread the notion that the Modi-led Gujarat government had pressed “4 Boeing jets, 25 buses, and 80 Toyota Innovas to save 15000 Gujarati pilgrims” within a matter of 24 hours. While these exaggerated claims had promptly been punctured by the Army that was carrying out most of the relief work and also the Congress, they had led to Modi being mocked by Opposition parties as a ‘Rambo’ for allowing such rumours to persist.

On Friday, while Modi steered clear of reviving those tall and unbelievable claims, he did not miss the opportunity of chastising the Congress party.

The Prime Minister claimed: “The floods of 2013 had made all of us extremely sad. That time I was not the Prime Minister, I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. I came here to do all that I could for the victims. I had met the then Chief Minister (Vijay Bahuguna – who quit the Congress to join the BJP in May 2016) and the state government officials and offered that Gujarat would redevelop Kedarnath. During the meeting they agreed. And I announced it outside in the media. But when the news was flashed on television, and it reached Delhi, the people there (UPA government) panicked and within hours the state government was pressurised to announce that it will redevelop Kedarnath itself.”

With his party now firmly in power both at the Centre and in Uttarakhand, Modi claimed that he knew that the redevelopment of the Kedarnath shrine and its surrounding areas will be done only by the BJP.

The Prime Minister said that his party’s government in New Delhi and in the State want to promote Kedarnath as “an ideal Tirth Kshetra (pilgrim centre)” and that “We are building quality infrastructure in Kedarnath. It will be modern but the traditional ethos will be preserved. We will ensure the environment is not damaged.”

Modi laid the foundation stone for several reconstruction projects in Kedarpuri, including renovation of the Adi Shankaracharya’s tomb which was devastated in the 2013 flash floods. The Prime Minister also promised three-storey houses to the priests who live around the Kedarnath shrine, saying that in these houses one floor will be for devotees, one for the priest themselves, and one for their guests. He also assured that the width of the narrow road that leads to the shrine will be increased and all modern facilities will be provided to the residents of the region as well as to the tourists.

“I am happy that some 4.5 lakh pilgrims reached Kedarnath in the season and this number will certainly cross by 10 lakh in the next year”, the Prime Minister said, asserting that “I intended to serve baba (Kedarnath) but he perhaps had different plan for me… He possibly wanted me to serve 125 billion babas.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Nandigram bypoll: Congress candidate arrested hours after Mamata’s support

Congress’s Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced support for his candidature.

Published

7 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in West Bengal in connection with an old murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support his candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The arrest came on Friday, September 18, after Mamata Banerjee announced at a press conference at her Kalighat residence that her faction would back the Congress candidate in Nandigram.

Why was Milan Pradhan arrested?

According to the available report, Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case. The report does not provide further details about the case, including the alleged incident, the sections invoked or the circumstances of the arrest.

The arrest therefore comes at a significant point in the Nandigram bypoll, with Pradhan having emerged as the Congress candidate after a series of political developments in the constituency.

Why did Mamata Banerjee support the Congress candidate?

Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been fielded by her faction, withdrew from the Nandigram contest.

According to the report, Pradhan Dey withdrew her candidature after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata subsequently announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The development placed Milan Pradhan at the centre of the latest political developments surrounding the Nandigram election.

Nandigram bypoll scheduled for October 6

The Nandigram Assembly bypoll is scheduled for October 6. The constituency has drawn attention ahead of the election following changes involving candidates and the political support announced by Mamata Banerjee’s faction.

With Milan Pradhan’s arrest now reported, the Congress candidate’s legal case is likely to become another important development in the run-up to the bypoll.

India News

Mamata Banerjee’s Nandigram candidate withdraws from bypoll

Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew from the Nandigram bypoll after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, with Mamata Banerjee later announcing support for Congress.

Published

8 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by Mamata Banerjee’s faction of the Trinamool Congress for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, has withdrawn from the contest.

The development came a day after the Election Commission announced that the rival Trinamool factions would not be allowed to use the party’s existing name and symbol for the upcoming bypolls. The poll panel later allotted new names and symbols to the two factions.

Dey had been announced as the Mamata faction’s Nandigram candidate on Sunday. She is a teacher in Nandigram who had lost her job following the cancellation of the appointments of 26,000 teachers in connection with an alleged recruitment scam.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey met Suvendu Adhikari

According to sources, Dey met West Bengal Chief Minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday. A photograph of the meeting also emerged.

Her withdrawal was announced on Friday afternoon as Mamata Banerjee was addressing a press conference over the Election Commission’s decision concerning the Trinamool factions.

With Dey no longer in the contest, Banerjee announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypoll.

Banerjee said the decision had been taken within her party and that she had spoken with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while noting that the Congress had not been informed about the decision at that point.

New names and symbols for Trinamool factions

The Election Commission has allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee.

The rival faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.

The Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9.

India News

BJP convoy attacked in Punjab ahead of anti-drug campaign launch

BJP leader and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that his convoy was attacked near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway in Punjab while he was travelling to Pathankot for a BJP anti-drug event.

Published

8 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has alleged that his convoy was attacked in Punjab while he was travelling towards Pathankot to attend a party event.

According to Bittu, the incident took place near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, where a group of people allegedly threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at his convoy.

The incident occurred as Bittu was travelling to Pathankot for an anti-drug campaign being launched by BJP president Nitin Nabin.

What happened to Ravneet Bittu’s convoy?

Bittu’s convoy, comprising around eight to nine vehicles, came under attack near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, according to his account.

He alleged that protesters threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at the vehicles. Bittu further claimed that the windows of two escort vehicles were broken and that a jammer vehicle was also damaged.

The protesters also reportedly blocked the road, making it difficult for the convoy to continue towards Pathankot.

The incident took place near an area where the ‘Babe da viyah’ festival was being celebrated.

Three protesters reportedly caught

Bittu’s office said his security team caught three people who were allegedly involved in the incident.

His office further alleged that the three were linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). However, the allegation was denied by the AAP.

AAP leader Joban Randhawa said the party’s workers were protesting peacefully and alleged that Bittu’s supporters had targeted them.

The competing claims have not been independently established in the report.

What did Ravneet Singh Bittu say?

Bittu said he had informed the Union Home Ministry about the incident. He also held Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s Director General of Police responsible for his safety in the event of any harm to him or people associated with him.

His office called for an investigation into the incident and raised concerns about the safety of political leaders and workers.

Why was Bittu travelling to Pathankot?

Ravneet Singh Bittu was travelling to Pathankot to attend the BJP’s anti-drug campaign event. BJP president Nitin Nabin was scheduled to launch the campaign in Pathankot.

The incident occurred amid preparations for the BJP’s political activities in Punjab ahead of the state’s next Assembly election.

Who is Ravneet Singh Bittu?

Ravneet Singh Bittu is a BJP leader and former Union minister. He served as Minister of State for Railways and Minister of State for Food Processing Industries before resigning from the Union Council of Ministers in July 2026.

His tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP had ended in June 2026.