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Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'They rained bullets, you served them biryani': Nadda attacks Congress; slams UPA 'inaction'
BJP chief JP Nadda NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda on Wednesday slammed the Congress party, recalling how the UPA government responded to terrorist attacks that claimed hundreds of civilian lives over the years. During the debate on Operation Sindoor in Rajya Sabha, Nadda said: " Woh hume goliyon se bhunte rahe aur hum unko biryani khilane chale " (They kept raining bullets on us, and kept serving them biryani). Hitting out at Congress for criticising the government over the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack, Nadda said that "those questioning Pahalgam should first reflect on how they dealt with terrorism". "Let me share a few examples: On July 28, 2005, Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami bombed the Shramjeevi Express ...14 were killed, 62 injured. No action was taken. Just before Diwali in 2005, Delhi serial blasts killed 67 and injured over 200. No action was taken. In March 2006, Harkat-ul-Jihad targeted Varanasi's Sankat Mochan Temple and railway station...28 dead, 101 injured. No action was taken," Nadda said in Rajy Sabha. He further said: "Then, Indian Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba jointly carried out the Mumbai train bombings . Two hundred nine people were killed and more than 700 injured. In response, a Joint Anti-Terrorism Mechanism was set up. Its first meeting was held two months later, the second one after seven months… but no concrete action was ever taken." Nadda said that the army, police and security agencies remain the same as they were during the UPA rule, but the poltical leadership and political will changed, calling it "extremely important". "Political leadership is extremely important — because it is the political leadership that gives orders to the army. That is why there's a clear difference between a responsible government, a sensitive government, and one that responds according to the situation's needs. There's also a kind of government that remains non-reactive — and that makes all the difference," he said. The BJP chief said that, after the change of government, first time it has happened in the Indpendent India that the Prime Minister publicaly declares that those behind terror attacks would not be spared. "For the first time after 1947, a PM publicly declared that the culprits of the Uri terror attack would not be spared. And within three days, surgical strikes were carried out — destroying terrorist launchpads across the border. No PM since Independence had responded like this. This is the political will of PM Modi," said Nadda.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Terrorism almost ended across India after 2014, except in J&K: JP Nadda in Rajya Sabha
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Union Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday spoke strongly in the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on Operation Sindoor , praising the Indian security forces and criticising the Opposition.'After 2014, terrorist attacks have almost stopped across the country, except in Jammu and Kashmir,' Nadda paid tribute to the jawans and condemned the recent Pahalgam attack , calling it a national tragedy.'No amount of condemnation is enough. We lost 25 Indian citizens and one Nepali citizen in the incident,' he a direct swipe at the Opposition, BJP National President Nadda said, 'Those who are questioning us today about what happened in Pahalgam should first examine their own past actions. It's like a criminal asking the judge, 'Why was I punished?''He accused the Congress-led government (2004–2014) of showing weakness in its response to terrorism. 'There was no action taken after the 2005 Delhi serial blasts, the 2006 Varanasi attack, or the Mumbai train bombings. Despite all this, trade and tourism with Pakistan continued,' he also criticised the earlier government's policy of appeasement. 'After the 2008 Jaipur bombings, India and Pakistan agreed to confidence-building measures. They gave triple-entry permits to cross the LoC,' he pointed a sharp remark, he said, 'Woh hume goliyon se bhunte rahe aur hum unko biryani khilane chale (They kept shooting at us, and we went to serve them biryani).'He asked the Opposition to introspect, saying it was time to stop politicising national security.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Medical colleges increased from 387 in 2014 to 780: Union Health Minister J P Nadda
The number of medical colleges increased from 387 to 780, undergraduate seats from 51,348 to 1,15,900 and postgraduate seats from 31,185 to 74,306 since 2014, Union Health Minister J P Nadda told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Responding to a question, Nadda said that the government has increased the number of medical colleges, under-graduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) seats. There are 13,86,157 registered allopathic doctors and 7,51,768 registered practitioners in the AYUSH system of medicine. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a doctor to population ratio of 1:1000. 'Assuming that 80 per cent of registered practitioners in both the allopathic and AYUSH systems are available, the doctor-population ratio in the country is estimated to be 1:811,' Nadda said. Nadda said that public health is a state subject and the matter regarding engagement of available medical professionals in the country in various healthcare setups comes under the purview of state governments. However, to bridge healthcare delivery gaps, the government continues to support states and UTs through various central sector/centrally sponsored schemes/programmes by providing financial assistance, capacity building, provision of essential medicines, diagnostics, teleconsultation services, etc. to ensure effective and accessible primary healthcare. The Family Adoption Programme (FAP) has been incorporated into the MBBS curriculum to provide equitable healthcare access to rural population, Nadda said. The FAP involves medical colleges adopting villages, and MBBS students adopting families within these villages. This enables regular follow-up of adopted families for vaccination, growth monitoring, menstrual hygiene, Iron and Folic Acid (IFA) supplementation, healthy lifestyle practices, nutrition, vector control, and medication adherence, the minister said. It also helps in educating families about ongoing government health programmes, he said. Further, the District Residency Programme (DRP) notified by the National Medical Commission (NMC) provides for a compulsory three-month posting cum training of PG medical students at district hospitals as a part of the course curriculum. The DRP benefits the public by strengthening healthcare delivery in rural and underserved areas. Launched in 2018, 1,78,154 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) have been established as on July 15 by transforming existing Sub-Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to provide comprehensive primary healthcare closer to people's homes, Nadda said. Services have expanded from basic maternal and child care to twelve (12) comprehensive healthcare packages. With these reforms, annual footfall rose from 13.49 crore in the financial year 2019-20 to 128.08 crore in 2024-25. Over 117 crore individuals have been screened for hypertension, diabetes, oral, breast, and cervical cancers. Availability of medicines at AAMs and teleconsultations with specialists have improved accessibility, reduced costs, and addressed provider shortages, Nadda stated.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Parliament Monsoon session: JP Nadda apologises after remarks against Mallikarjun Kharge trigger uproar; 'take back my words'
NEW DELHI: The debate on Operation Sindoor and Pahalgam terror attack in Rajya Sabha witnessed a heated exchange between opposition and treasury benches after Leader of the House J P Nadda made some "objectionable" remarks against leader of the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge . Nadda later withdrew his remarks after an opposition uproar and also apologised for it. After Kharge's over an hour long speech, Nadda rose to object to some remarks made by the LoP against PM Narendra Modi. Nadda accused Kharge of "losing his mental balance" and using objectionable words but withdrew his statement soon after amid protests from the opposition. "I take back my words," Nadda said and asked the chair that his remarks may be replaced with "bhavavesh mein beh kar" (flow of emotions). Nadda demanded that Kharge's remarks on PM be expunged from the records. However, Kharge as well as opposition benches demanded an apology from Nadda "PM Modi is the most popular leader in the world and not just BJP takes pride in it, the nation does," Nadda said, adding that Kharge has not taken care of the PM's stature and used objectionable words that were not befitting the status of the LoP. "I have already taken back my words, but if they have hurt his (Kharge's) feelings, I apologise for the same. However, Kharge did cross his limits and made certain remarks against the Prime Minister in passion and out of emotion, which need to be expunged," Nadda said.
The Print
18 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
‘Why did Modi cancel visit to J&K 3 days before Pahalgam?' Kharge's attack on govt in Rajya Sabha
Leader of the House J.P. Nadda attempted an intervention, calling Kharge's charge against the PM serious and asking the Chair to expunge the comments if not authenticated. Levelling a big charge, Congress President Kharge asked, 'The PM cancelled his scheduled visit to save himself, and innocent tourists laid down their lives', which led to a huge ruckus in the House from the government benches. Kharge went on to add, 'Is it their patriotism—to allow other people to die?' New Delhi: The Prime Minister cancelled his scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir three days before the Pahalgam attack, suggesting that the government had prior information of an impending terrorist attack in the Union Territory, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said Tuesday. Continuing his speech, Kharge said that despite several requests from the Opposition to convene a special session of Parliament, the government had only conceded to an all-party meet to discuss Operation Sindoor. But the PM, Kharge added, was not even available for the all-party meeting. 'You (Modi) were in Bihar, attending a political rally. You should be here, in either of the Houses, while the discussion is underway. If you do not have the courage [needed] to listen, you do not deserve to be in that position.' In a speech that lasted more than an hour, Kharge held Union Home Minister Amit Shah squarely responsible for the intelligence and security lapses in J&K, leading to the 22 April Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people. Citing the terror attacks since 2016—in Uri and Pathankot (2016), Pulwama (2019) and Pahalgam (2025)—Kharge said the government still did not take any responsibility for any of the security failures. On 14 July, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, termed the Pahalgam attack as undoubtedly a security failure, taking responsibility for it. Kharge, however, said Amit Shah cannot hide behind the L-G taking responsibility, just because everyone in the Bharatiya Janata Party is scared of 'number 1 and number 2', alluding to the Prime Minister and Home Minister. 'LG has accepted security failure, but the buck should stop at the Home Minister,' he stated. BJP President Nadda, at a point during the speech, said that Kharge had 'lost his mind', but he later retracted the comments in the face of backlash from the Opposition. The curious case of the ceasefire The truth about the ceasefire is that its announcement did not come from the Prime Minister, Home Minister, or Defence Minister but United States President Donald Trump, Kharge said. 'When we were on the front foot, the Army had retaliated and was marching forward, and Pakistan was at our feet, the ceasefire was announced,' the LoP said, adding that not India, but Trump announced it, before announcing it another 29 times. Questioning whether the Trump establishment brokered the India-Pakistan ceasefire with trade threats and economic blackmail, Kharge sarcastically asked why the Prime Minister still maintained silence over his 'friend' Donald Trump's claims on that front, even after Modi—unbefitting of the PM—had gone around campaigning for the US President. Continuing on the topic of the ceasefire, he said, 'Trump said he used trade to bring a ceasefire. I believe Modi is a patriot, that Amit Shah is a patriot, but who benefited from this trade deal, or is it going to benefit someone?' Kharge asked. 'Desh bech ke paisa kaun kamana chahta hai (Who wants to make money by selling off the country)?' Adding to Kharge's charge, Congress Rajya Sabha member Shaktisinh Gohil chipped in, 'The deal was to benefit Adani.' Post-ceasefire, Rahul Gandhi and Kharge wrote to the Prime Minister, demanding a special parliamentary session on the tensions, but Modi did not respond, the LoP said. 'Our letters were dumped in the waste-box, unread. If you (Modi) have such arrogance, a day will come when people will tear down your arrogance … You do not have the time to write a sentence or two. Logon ke galey padne ki fursat hai (You have time for hugs).' However, forced hugs, photographs, and event-baazi are no substitute for a robust foreign policy, Kharge said, underscoring that neither any country nor Trump condemned Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack. Instead, he said, Pakistan Army Chief Asif Munir was invited to the White House for the first time for lunch with Trump, and the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank continued giving loans to Pakistan. 'You compare yourself with Indira Gandhi, who broke Pakistan. You believe you are Vishwaguru …. But these events have revealed the truth of our foreign policy,' he said. Also Read: 'Maun vrat': Congress's Op Sindoor delegation members will not be speaking in Parliament debate On Indian jets and China's role During his speech, Kharge reiterated claims by top defence officials in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. On 30 May at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Anil Chauhan acknowledged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) suffered aircraft losses during the opening phase of Operation Sindoor. Chauhan admitted to 'tactical mistakes' that led to the losses, Kharge said in the House. On 30 June, Defence Attache to Indonesia Capt. Kumar said India lost the IAF jets because the political leadership asked the military not to attack Pakistan's military bases due to 'political considerations', Kharge said. Pointing out that 'his friend' Trump too confirmed the downing of the five jets, Kharge said, 'You (Modi) should answer—no jets were destroyed.' Quoting Lt Gen. Rahul Singh on China sharing data on India's assets with Pakistan and that India was fighting China, and not Pakistan, Kharge took a potshot at Modi, saying that the fighting happened while 'we' were busy playing with the Chinese on swings in Ahmedabad. This was a reference to Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Ahmedabad in 2014, when Modi and he sat on a traditional swing on the Sabarmati riverfront. The Indian government had formed the Kargil Review Committee after the Kargil War, with K. Subrahmanyam heading it. A similar panel under the Modi government should compile a report on Operation Sindoor, its failures, as well as its achievements. On attitude towards women Not only foreign policy, Kharge also raised the issue of the BJP-Centre ecosystem's attitude towards women in the context of Operation Sindoor. Referring to Rajya Sabha MP Ram Chander Jangra, Kharge noted how a BJP leader questioned the valour of the women, who had lost their husbands in Pahalgam, at the time and commented that they did not act like viranganas. Another BJP leader called senior Army Officer Sofia Qureshi the 'sister of terrorists', Kharge recalled, in a reference to Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah. Considering the Supreme Court had sternly condemned his remarks, Kharge asked Nadda, 'Would the BJP remove Shah?' Recalling that nobody in the BJP batted an eyelid when martyred Lieutenant Vinay Narwal's wife was incessantly trolled, and subsequently, the trolling of Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistry, Kharge asked, 'What actions did the BJP government take against these trolls?' (Edited by Madhurita Goswami) Also Read: Op Sindoor debate: Jaishankar,Rajnath spell out India's new normal against terror & Pakistan policy
