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J&K will be in world’s top 50 travel destinations, says Sinha

The LG also highlighted that tourism in J-K reflects the country’s multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos…reports Asian Lite News

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that the Union Territory will soon find a place among the top 50 destinations in the world and on the travel bucket list of global travellers.

Sinha’s announcement came after he inaugurated the ‘3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting’ here at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, the J-K LG said, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir will soon find its place in the top 50 destinations in the world and it will be on the travel bucket list of global travellers.”

“Under India’s G20 Presidency, the G20 tourism working group is focusing on five inter-connected priority areas that will provide a roadmap for tourism as a tool for achieving sustainable development goals”, Sinha said.

Sinha emphasized that J&K is developing the country’s largest book village on the banks of Wular Lake as the aim is to make the countryside and popular destinations more sustainable and preserve the beauty of fascinating heritage sites.

Sinha further said, “After a long pause of almost four decades, Jammu and Kashmir has revived the relationship with Bollywood and launched a film policy in 2021 to attract more investment into the film sector and to make J-K the most popular film shooting destination.”

The LG also highlighted that tourism in J-K reflects the country’s multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos.

“It is poetry. It’s a land of realisation. It is an energy field vibrating with ageless Indian cultural values. Tourism in J-K also reflects India’s multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos. Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have ensured that the transition in the tourism sector in the backdrop of the pandemic focuses on the needs of travellers, interests of industry stakeholders, creates employment opportunities and promotes environmental awareness,” Sinha said.

Speaking during the inaugural session, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the logo and the theme together convey a powerful message of India’s G20 Presidency, which is striving for just and equitable growth for all in the world.

While welcoming the delegates, Singh said, “The theme of India’s G20 Presidency- “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad.”

“The theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms and their interconnectedness on earth and in the wider universe,” Singh emphasized.

Union tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy along with MOS in PMO Jitendra Singh and Foreign delegates during the 2nd day of G20 tourism working group summit, at SKICC in Srinagar on Tuesday. Amid tight security arrangements the G20 summit was held in Srinagar. 

The Minister further said that Jammu and Kashmir have advanced with unique infrastructure like the world’s highest rail bridge ‘Chenab Bridge’ higher than the Eiffel Tower and India’s longest highway tunnel Chenani-Nashri Tunnel– Asia’s longest bi-directional highway tunnel which are the magnets of attraction for the tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh said that he is delighted to share that the Basohli art form has obtained the Geographical Indication (GI) tag bringing international recognition to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, and maintained that the five priorities in 3rd Tourism Working Group constitute the key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and in achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals 2030.

The delegates of G20 nations, international organisations and invited countries attended the inaugural ceremony. Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Tourism ad Defence Ajay Bhatt, Chief Coordinator, G20, Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Secretary of Tourism, Arvind Singh were also present during the session. (ANI)

ALSO READ-3rd G20 environment working group meet concludes

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Draupadi Murmu leads Presidential race

Counting of votes for the Presidential poll started on Thursday at Parliament House in New Delhi and it is likely to be concluded by evening…reports Asian Lite News

The first round of counting of the Presidential poll on Thursday showed that Draupadi Murmu is far ahead of her counterpart Yashwant Sinha.

The number of votes in favour of Murmu was 540 and for Yashwant Sinha it was 208 out of a total 748 valid votes. Total value of valid votes stands at 5,23,600.

Counting of votes for the Presidential poll started on Thursday at Parliament House in New Delhi and it is likely to be concluded by evening.

Ruling NDA’s Draupadi Murmu and Opposition backed Yashwant Sinha are pitted against each other in the contest, with votes clearly stacked in Murmu’s favour.

If elected, Murmu will be the first tribal woman to occupy the top constitutional post in the country.

Extends lead after second round

NDA candidate Draupadi Murmu is ahead of Opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha by a huge margin after the second round of counting for the Presidential election, which included ballot papers from the first 10 states.

Of the 1,886 valid votes counted so far, Murmu has bagged 1,349, while Sinha got 537.

As far the second round of counting is concerned, of the total 1,138 valid votes counted, Murmu got 809 while Sinha bagged 329 votes.

After the first round of counting on Thursday, the number of votes in favour of Droupadi was 540 while Sinha managed 208 out of the 748 valid votes.

The counting of votes is likely to be concluded by Thursday evening.

If elected, Murmu will be the first tribal woman to occupy the top constitutional post in the country.

ALSO READ-Setback for Sinha as JMM backs Murmu

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Setback for Sinha as JMM backs Murmu

Sinha was banking on the JMM because he hails from Jharkhand and had represented the state in the Lok Sabha for many years…reports Asian Lite News

Just three days ahead of the Presidential election scheduled on July 18, the joint opposition nominee for the top post, Yashwant Sinha, faced a major setback after the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) officially announced its support for NDA Candidate Draupadi Murmu.

The announcement came close on the heels of Shiv Sena declaring support for Murmu.

The JMM issued a statement signed by its founder Shibu Soren, which said that after Independence, this is the first time that a tribal woman is contesting for the top Constitutional post and all the MPs and MLAs of the party will vote for Murmu.

The announcement came as a setback for Sinha, who was banking on the JMM because he hails from Jharkhand and had represented the state in the Lok Sabha for many years.

The Shiv Sena had on Tuesday announced that it will support NDA’s Presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu.

Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray made the formal announcement after a series of consultations with the party MPs, MLAs and other leaders, including tribals.

“There have been absolutely no pressures from the MPs, as claimed in the media. However, many Sena leaders and office-bearers from tribal communities have requested us we take a decision to support Draupadi Murmu for the President’s post,” Thackeray said.

Sinha questions Murmu’s silence

Yashwant Sinha on Thursday questioned NDA nominee Draupadi Murmu’s silence on issues concerning the tribal community in the country.

Addressing a press conference here at a hotel, Sinha called Murmu a ‘silent’ and ‘rubber stamp’ candidate for the Presidential election.

“I have great regards for Draupadi Murmu. However, so far, she has not broken her silence even on issues concerning the tribal communities in India. Hence, my question is to members of the electoral college, and also to the people of the county — should India have a silent and rubber-stamp Rashtrapati?” Sinha said.

He further stated that there is nothing wrong if MLAs and MPs vote for a candidate of his or her choice in the Presidential election.

“The makers of the constitution have devised the method of the secret ballot to underscore the fact that the members of the Electoral College should have freedom to heed the call of their conscience, and should not blindly follow the decision of their respective parties.

“Therefore, I too urge MPs and MLAs, regardless of their party affiliations, to vote for me. But I strongly condemn the dirty tricks employed by the ruling party…. My fight is against anarchism and to protect the democracy of the country,” he added.

“Apart from Madhya Pradesh, the BJP dislodged governments in Karnataka, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, and most recently in Maharashtra. In all this, I hear alarm bells for democracy in India,” Sinha said.

Sinha arrived in Bhopal on Wednesday night to seek support of MPs and MLAs for the upcoming July 18 Presidential elections.

He has left for Delhi on Thursday noon.

ALSO READ-BJP plans grand celebration for Murmu

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Sinha: Fully endorse CJI’s affirmation on constitution allegiance

The Centre has no respect for the Federal Structure of the Constitution. It is constantly encroaching upon the powers of states,” he explained…reports Asian Lite News

Opposition’s Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha, who arrived in Bengaluru on Sunday as part of his poll campaign, said that he was very happy to see in the newspapers a statement by Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, that the “Judiciary is answerable to the Constitution and Constitution alone.”

Addressing media persons here, he said, “I fully endorse this view and congratulate CJI Ramana for this forthright affirmation. Indeed, I have been saying, since I filed my nomination papers on June 27, that the sole purpose behind my acceptance of the combined Opposition’s offer to be their candidate is to safeguard the Constitution and its lofty values, which are today under unprecedented threat.”

In the past eight years, the ruling dispensation at the Centre has launched repeated assaults on democracy and secularism, which form the founding principles of our Republic, he stated.

“It has unleashed a poisonous communal propaganda to divide India’s multi-religious society. Day before yesterday, the Supreme Court made a stinging indictment of Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Mohammad, saying ‘Your loose tongue set nation on fire.’ Regrettably, BJP supporters are trolling the Honourable Supreme Court for condemning her remarks,” Yashwant Sinha said.

“The central government has weaponised ED, CBI, Election Commission and even the Governor’s office against Opposition parties, their leaders and their governments. In Maharashtra, it toppled the coalition government of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress by facilitating the kidnapping of Shiv Sena MLAs to Gujarat and Assam, both being BJP-ruled states. The Centre has no respect for the Federal Structure of the Constitution. It is constantly encroaching upon the powers of states,” he explained.

“In Karnataka, the government has been attempting to communalise the minds of the young generation by introducing a new school curriculum coloured by the ruling party’s ideological agenda. I condemn this,” he said.

“I have great personal regard for the presidential candidate of the ruling party. However, in the prevailing grim circumstances in the country, I urge her to assure the people of India on the following concerns that are uppermost in their minds,” he maintained.

“I hereby pledge that, if elected, I shall be answerable to the Constitution, and to the Constitution alone. I shall exercise my authority conscientiously, without fear or favour, whenever the executive or other institutions break the Constitutional checks and balances. Please make a similar pledge,” he urged.

“I am very happy to be in Karnataka on the fifth day of my campaign. My sincere thanks to Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar and all other leaders of the Congress for the opportunity to meet with the MPs and MLAs of the party in Bengaluru. I also thank them for supporting my candidature in the Presidential election campaign 2022,” he stated.

He maintained that he has a great admiration for Karnataka because of its rich spiritual, cultural and intellectual heritage, and its valuable contribution to India’s freedom struggle.

This is the land of Jagadguru Basaveshwara, who started a mission for a casteless society and also founded a Democratic Parliament in the 12th Century, he said.

“Karnataka has given India great saint-poets like Kanaka Dasa who advocated equality of all human beings irrespective of their caste and creed. In modern times, it has produced a galaxy of towering personalities in literature, arts and cinema such as poet Kuvempu and Dr Rajkumar. Bengaluru today rivals Silicon Valley in software and other knowledge-based enterprises,” he said.

ALSO READ-Our fight will continue beyond Presidential poll: Sinha

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Our fight will continue beyond Presidential poll: Sinha

Sinha said he discussed a few issues with KCR after the latter received him at the airport and would take this forward…reports Asian Lite News

Stating that the Presidential election is a fight between two ideologies, joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha on Saturday vowed to carry on the fight to save the country from destruction, irrespective of the poll result.

“This is the fight for democracy, to save the country from destruction, for the future of your children and for the future of this country,” he told a meeting organised by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on the occasion of his visit to Hyderabad.

The former union minister echoed the view of Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen that this country is collapsing. “We are seeing from every angle that it is collapsing before us. We can’t keep quiet when the country is being destroyed,” he said slamming the Narendra Modi government for its wrong policies.

Sinha told Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao that he was overwhelmed by the warm welcome by the TRS. “This poll has become a people’s movement. Whatever may be the result, we are not bothered. This fight will continue after the polls. We will keep fighting. We will fight along with CM KCR,” the former BJP leader said.

Sinha said he discussed a few issues with KCR after the latter received him at the airport and would take this forward.

Sinha hit out at the Modi government for misusing various central agencies against its political opponents. In the latest instance, a notice has been issued to NCP leader Sharad Pawar regarding an affidavit filed in 2014.

He recalled that he was finance minister for 5 years in Vajpayee government and though the Enforcement Directorate comes under the finance ministry, there was not even a distant thought of using it to target somebody. “It’s really shameful for a minister to ask ED to go after a person.”

Sinha said, while Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair was arrested, no legal action was taken against the BJP spokesperson who spread the venom. “I hope when Prime Minister Modi speaks at a public meeting in Hyderabad, he will shed light on this. He speaks loudly on many issues during Mann ki baat but has not uttered a word on this issue,” he said.

The former minister said during the last eight years, Modi did not dare to address a single press conference. “Is this democracy where one person speaks and 140 crore people listen,” he asked.

He told KCR that he would not get a response from Modi to any of the questions posed by him during his speech. “This is the misfortune of the country. There is no dialogue. No conversation is taking place. When there is no dialogue there will be consensus,” he said.

He blamed the government for not ensuring consensus in the Presidential election. “It was possible to forge a consensus but it was the government’s responsibility. They did not take initiative because they don’t believe in consensus. They believe in confrontation. They want to insult others. Consensus word is not there in their dictionary,” Sinha said.

Sinha revealed that after filing nomination, he rang up Modi but he was not available. “I left a message but till today I have not received the return call. Even if a common citizen calls a person occupying a high position, he should be heard. Unfortunately, the PM has not learnt manners,” he said.

He stated that the Presidential election is being held in an extraordinary situation. “It’s not a fight between two persons and their identities but it’s an ideological battle. When we fight we don’t bother how big the army is against us. If we believe in our cause, we fight with the enemy with whatever weapon we have,” he said.

Sinha said if elected he would strive to safeguard the Constitution and democracy.

He was all praise for KCR and said that the country needs leaders like him. Recalling the days when KCR was the lone voice in Parliament to demand a separate Telangana state, Sinha said the TRS chief not only achieved his goal but ensured rapid development of the state in a short period.

“In a short period he did so much. Telangana is a miracle state. It is one of the progressive states today,” he said.

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