The Evening Wrap: PM Modi chairs 1st Niti Ayog meet of his 3rd term; Mamata storms out

Political fault lines which have emerged after the Lok Sabha elections reverberated in the first Niti Ayog meeting of Modi 3.0 on Saturday with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the lone leader of the opposition bloc to have attended, walking out saying she was not allowed to speak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his part maintained in his speech that the dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat (Developed India) 2047’ can be achieved only through the combined efforts of all states. “Viksit Bharat 2047 is the ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role in achieving this aim as they are directly connected with the people,” the Prime Minister, who chaired the 9th governing council meeting of the body, said. The meeting was attended by 26 States and Union Territories and 10 were not present, CEO Niti Ayog B.V.R. Subrahmanyam told the media. All Opposition-ruled States except West Bengal were absent. While Banerjee was the only CM from Opposition-ruled States to attend the meeting, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren who was earlier scheduled to attend backed out at the last moment. Interestingly Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also did not attend the meeting but the State was represented by his two deputies. “I have come out boycotting the meeting. (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. The Chief Ministers of Assam, Goa, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes. This is unfair. From the Opposition side, I was the only one here. I attended the meeting because cooperative federalism should be strengthened,” the Trinamool chief told the media after coming out. However, the government was quick to hit back. The official PIB Fact check unit posted on X that the claim was “misleading”. It said, “The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it.” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that every Chief Minister was given the allotted time and that was displayed on the screen which was present before every table. “...She said in the media that her mic was put off. That is completely false. Every CM was given their due time to speak... It’s unfortunate that the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has claimed that her mic was switched off which is not true... She should speak the truth behind this rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood.” Subrahmanyam said the West Bengal Chief Minister had made a request to be given a time to speak before lunch as normally it goes alphabetically and her turn would have come later. “She was called before Gujarat. Every Chief Minister is allotted 7 minutes. There is a clock to tell you the timings. Nothing else has happened. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh just tapped on his table. She made her points which were reflected in the minutes. Her Chief Secretary continued to attend and he was in the room. She left as she said that there was an Assembly session”. Soldier, infiltrator killed in an encounter in J&K’s Kupwara An Army soldier and a Pakistani infiltrator were killed in an ongoing anti-militancy operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara of north Kashmir on Saturday morning. “There has been an exchange of fire with unidentified personnel on a forward post in Kamkari, Machil Sector on the LoC. One Pakistani person has been killed while two of our soldiers have suffered injuries and have been evacuated,” an Army spokesman said. “The number of injured soldiers later jumped to four, including an officer, as the operations against infiltrators continued in the Machil Sector. One of the soldiers succumbed to his injuries,” officials said. They said weapons, including a rifle and a dagger, were recovered from the slain infiltrator. Official sources said they suspect that the Border Action Team (BAT) was behind the attack. A BAT action is an attack that is carried out by militants along with the Pakistani Army along the LoC. Kupwara has witnessed two major encounters in the recent past. While three infiltrators were killed in the Keran Sector on July 14, a group of militants was intercepted near Trimukha Top in the Lolab Valley three days ago. Meanwhile, the J&K Police released three sketches of suspected militants active in the upper reaches of Doda district. “These terrorists are moving in the upper reaches of Doda and Dessa area and are involved in a recent terror incident at the Urar Bagi area. A cash reward of ₹5 lakh has been announced for providing information for each of these terrorists,” the police said. Paris Oympics: Shooter Manu Bhaker, shuttler Lakshya Sen off to solid starts on day one Manu Bhaker made a statement of intent by storming into the 10m air pistol finals on a day when most of her compatriots endured a forgettable outing at the shooting range before shuttler Lakshya Sen and paddler Harmeet Desai dazzled on debut in India’s start at the Olympic Games on Saturday. Bhaker, who is competing in her second Olympics, seemed determined to wipe off the memories of her tearful past outing as she qualified third for the 10m air pistol women’s final, which will be held on Sunday afternoon at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. In the badminton competition, at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris, Sen was in a hurry to wrap up the proceedings but Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon made sure that the Indian was stretched to an extent in his opening Group L match. Sen prevailed 21-8 22-20 after saving four match points in a tenacious performance. At the South Paris Arena, seasoned campaigner Desai, also competing in his first Olympics, added some more sparkle to India’s performance by progressing to the men’s singles second round with a convincing 4-0 victory over Jordan’s Zaid Abo Yaman. Desai had no trouble in getting the better of his opponent, ranked 538th in the world, in a one-sided preliminary round match that lasted exactly 30 minutes. The 31-year-old from Surat, who was part of the side that clinched the team gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022, is an established name in the Indian TT circuit. He has been toiling for many years in his quest to compete at the Olympics, having played in all other top global competitions. Meanwhile, China bagged the first gold medal of the Paris Olympics with the win of sharp-shooting Chinese teenagers Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting in the final of the 10-metre mixed team air rifle event. Later, first-time Olympians Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani, who arrived in Paris having won three consecutive world titles, added another gold to China’s tally with their win in the synchronised 3-metre springboard event. India, Ukraine looking at possibility of PM Modi’s visit to Kyiv next month India and Ukraine are looking at the possibility of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyiv next month amid renewed global efforts to bring peace to the eastern European nation, multiple diplomatic sources said on Saturday. Modi might visit Kyiv around the Ukrainian National Day on August 24 and is expected to travel to Poland after concluding the trip to Ukraine, the sources said. The Prime Minister held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy’s Apulia. If Modi travels to Poland, it would be the first by an Indian Prime Minister to that country in more than four decades. India and Ukraine are looking at Modi’s visit to Kyiv in the later half of August, the sources said, adding that there is no finality on the trip yet as massive preparations would be required in terms of logistics and related issues. The Prime Minister’s two-nation visit might begin around August 23-24, the sources said. There is no official word on the visit either from India or Ukraine. In Brief: Israeli airstrikes hit a school and a hospital in central Gaza on Saturday as the country’s negotiators prepared to meet international mediators to discuss a proposed ceasefire. At least 30 people sheltering at a girls’ school in Deir Al-Balah were taken to Al Aqsa Hospital and pronounced dead after a strike that Israel’s military said targeted a Hamas command and control centre used to store weapons and plan attacks. Gaza’s Health Ministry said 11 people were killed in other strikes on Saturday. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 27 July 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( PM Modi chairs first Niti Ayog meet of his third term; Mamata storms out Political fault lines which have emerged after the Lok Sabha elections reverberated in the first Niti Ayog meeting of Modi 3.0 on Saturday with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the lone leader of the opposition bloc to have attended, [walking out saying she was not allowed to speak](. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his part maintained in his speech that the dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat (Developed India) 2047’ can be achieved only through the combined efforts of all states. “Viksit Bharat 2047 is the ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role in achieving this aim as they are directly connected with the people,” the Prime Minister, who [chaired the 9th governing council meeting]( of the body, said. The meeting was attended by 26 States and Union Territories and 10 were not present, CEO Niti Ayog B.V.R. Subrahmanyam told the media. All Opposition-ruled States except West Bengal were absent. While Banerjee was the only CM from Opposition-ruled States to attend the meeting, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren who was earlier scheduled to attend backed out at the last moment. Interestingly Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also did not attend the meeting but the State was represented by his two deputies. “I have come out boycotting the meeting. (Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister) Chandrababu Naidu was given 20 minutes to speak. The Chief Ministers of Assam, Goa, Chhattisgarh spoke for 10-12 minutes. I was stopped from speaking after just five minutes. This is unfair. From the Opposition side, I was the only one here. I attended the meeting because cooperative federalism should be strengthened,” the Trinamool chief told the media after coming out. However, the government was quick to hit back. The official PIB Fact check unit posted on X that the claim was “misleading”. It said, “The clock only showed that her speaking time was over. Even the bell was not rung to mark it.” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that every Chief Minister was given the allotted time and that was displayed on the screen which was present before every table. “...She said in the media that her mic was put off. That is completely false. Every CM was given their due time to speak... It’s unfortunate that the Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee has claimed that her mic was switched off which is not true... She should speak the truth behind this rather than again build a narrative based on falsehood.” Subrahmanyam said the West Bengal Chief Minister had made a request to be given a time to speak before lunch as normally it goes alphabetically and her turn would have come later. “She was called before Gujarat. Every Chief Minister is allotted 7 minutes. There is a clock to tell you the timings. Nothing else has happened. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh just tapped on his table. She made her points which were reflected in the minutes. Her Chief Secretary continued to attend and he was in the room. She left as she said that there was an Assembly session”. Soldier, infiltrator killed in an encounter in J&K’s Kupwara An [Army soldier and a Pakistani infiltrator were killed]( in an ongoing anti-militancy operation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara of north Kashmir on Saturday morning. “There has been an exchange of fire with unidentified personnel on a forward post in Kamkari, Machil Sector on the LoC. One Pakistani person has been killed while two of our soldiers have suffered injuries and have been evacuated,” an Army spokesman said. “The number of injured soldiers later jumped to four, including an officer, as the operations against infiltrators continued in the Machil Sector. One of the soldiers succumbed to his injuries,” officials said. They said weapons, including a rifle and a dagger, were recovered from the slain infiltrator. Official sources said they suspect that the Border Action Team (BAT) was behind the attack. A BAT action is an attack that is carried out by militants along with the Pakistani Army along the LoC. Kupwara has witnessed two major encounters in the recent past. While three infiltrators were killed in the Keran Sector on July 14, a group of militants was intercepted near Trimukha Top in the Lolab Valley three days ago. Meanwhile, the J&K Police released three sketches of suspected militants active in the upper reaches of Doda district. “These terrorists are moving in the upper reaches of Doda and Dessa area and are involved in a recent terror incident at the Urar Bagi area. A cash reward of ₹5 lakh has been announced for providing information for each of these terrorists,” the police said. Paris Oympics: Shooter Manu Bhaker, shuttler Lakshya Sen off to solid starts on day one Manu Bhaker made a statement of intent by storming into the 10m air pistol finals on a day when most of her compatriots endured a forgettable outing at the shooting range before shuttler Lakshya Sen and paddler Harmeet Desai dazzled on debut in [India’s start at the Olympic Games]( on Saturday. Bhaker, who is competing in her second Olympics, seemed determined to wipe off the memories of her tearful past outing as she [qualified third for the 10m air pistol women’s final,]( will be held on Sunday afternoon at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre. In the badminton competition, at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris, Sen was in a hurry to wrap up the proceedings but Guatemala’s Kevin Cordon made sure that the Indian was stretched to an extent in his opening Group L match. Sen prevailed 21-8 22-20 after saving four match points in a tenacious performance. At the South Paris Arena, seasoned campaigner Desai, also competing in his first Olympics, added some more sparkle to India’s performance by progressing to the men’s singles second round with a convincing 4-0 victory over Jordan’s Zaid Abo Yaman. Desai had no trouble in getting the better of his opponent, ranked 538th in the world, in a one-sided preliminary round match that lasted exactly 30 minutes. The 31-year-old from Surat, who was part of the side that clinched the team gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022, is an established name in the Indian TT circuit. He has been toiling for many years in his quest to compete at the Olympics, having played in all other top global competitions. Meanwhile, [China bagged the first gold medal of the Paris Olympics]( with the win of sharp-shooting Chinese teenagers Sheng Lihao and Huang Yuting in the final of the 10-metre mixed team air rifle event. Later, first-time Olympians Chen Yiwen and Chang Yani, who arrived in Paris having won three consecutive world titles, [added another gold to China’s tally]( with their win in the synchronised 3-metre springboard event. India, Ukraine looking at possibility of PM Modi’s visit to Kyiv next month India and Ukraine are looking at the [possibility of a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kyiv]( next month amid renewed global efforts to bring peace to the eastern European nation, multiple diplomatic sources said on Saturday. Modi might visit Kyiv around the Ukrainian National Day on August 24 and is expected to travel to Poland after concluding the trip to Ukraine, the sources said. The Prime Minister held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy’s Apulia. If Modi travels to Poland, it would be the first by an Indian Prime Minister to that country in more than four decades. India and Ukraine are looking at Modi’s visit to Kyiv in the later half of August, the sources said, adding that there is no finality on the trip yet as massive preparations would be required in terms of logistics and related issues. The Prime Minister’s two-nation visit might begin around August 23-24, the sources said. There is no official word on the visit either from India or Ukraine. In Brief: [Israeli airstrikes hit a school and a hospital in central Gaza]( on Saturday as the country’s negotiators prepared to meet international mediators to discuss a proposed ceasefire. At least 30 people sheltering at a girls’ school in Deir Al-Balah were taken to Al Aqsa Hospital and pronounced dead after a strike that Israel’s military said targeted a Hamas command and control centre used to store weapons and plan attacks. Gaza’s Health Ministry said 11 people were killed in other strikes on Saturday. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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