Once done with the news conference, Singh was heard thanking God and his stars that he stuck to the topic and not touch any contentious issue. As part of the BJP’s Samajik Nyay Pakhwada programme, Union minister Giriraj Singh addressed the media from the party platform on Friday. While he was asked to talk on PM Awas Yojana, Singh, who is known for controversial remarks with communal undertones, was nervous about the news conference as it was the first time he was addressing reporters at the BJP headquarters. Before the news conference, he repeatedly said to himself that he should stick to the scheme. After his initial remarks, in which he compared the number of houses constructed during this government’s time with that of the previous ones, Singh announced that he would not take any question other than those on the scheme. Once done with the news conference, Singh was heard thanking God and his stars that he stuck to the topic and not touch any contentious issue.
Once bitten: The Congress leadership had been holding discussions for the past few days to effect a change in guard in the party unit in Himachal Pradesh, where Assembly elections are due later this year. And there was hectic lobbying by the major factions. It appears that the central leadership has finally decided not to change the PCC president or the CLP leader. The rout of the party in neighbouring Punjab, where the Congress changed its chief minister and the PCC president, months before elections is fresh in the minds of the leadership. The party, sources said, could appoint four working presidents, including the late Virbhadra Singh’s son Vikramaditya. And for the post of campaign committee chief, an important position, the party is said to be considering the likes of former state unit chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, Dhani Ram Shandil and Kaul Singh Thakur. Some leaders are of the opinion that senior leader Anand Sharma should head the campaign committee..
US trip: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is headed to the US along with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. During the April 11-14 trip, the ministers will participate in the 4th USA 2+2 dialogue that will review bilateral cooperation in Washington DC. They will also meet Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. Singh will be meeting Austin separately at the Pentagon to discuss defence industrial collaboration as well as military-to-military engagements. He is also scheduled to visit the HQ of US-Indo Pacific command in Hawaii
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