Modi Most Popular Among G20 Participants

PM Modi — The busiest leader of them all-Times of India 16.11.2014

NEW DELHI: The Asean and East Asian summits drew leaders from as many as 18 countries to Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw, but the busiest leader seemed to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Infact, it is not over yet as he continues to be much sought after in Australia.

In just three days that he spent in the Myanmarese capital, he held as many as eight bilateral meetings with leaders of countries who had come to attend the two summits. Soon after landing in Nay Pyi Taw Nov 11, Modi met Myanmar President U Thein Sein in what was his first bilateral meeting in the course of his three-nation tour.

During their talks, Modi and Thein Sein reviewed progress of major connectivity projects, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway, and Kaladan transport project. The possibility of India investing in special economic zones in Myanmar was also discussed.

The next day, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, held meetings with the leaders of Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore.

In his meetings with Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Modi spoke about the 'Make in India' campaign launched to attract business to India and discussed possibilities of economic cooperation with them.

On Nov 13, on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit, Modi met leaders of Russia, China and Indonesia.

He started off with a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Modi recalled his visit to Russia in 2001 and told the Russian leader that he was sure India-Russia ties would be further strengthened.

In the evening, he had his first meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang who invited him to visit China.

Modi has earlier met Chinese President Xi Jinping, including during the latter's visit to India in September. But the two prime ministers had never met. Modi and Li discussed issues of bilateral interest, and also discussed Xi's visit.

Following this, the Indian leader met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and congratulated him on assuming office. Modi also talked about the 'Make in India' initiative and invited Indonesian companies to come to India.

After concluding his Myanmar visit, he left for Australia to attend the G20 summit scheduled for Nov 15-16.

Soon after landing in Brisbane on Friday, he lost no time and, apart from other engagements, held three high-powered bilaterals.

Modi first talked with a European Union (EU) delegation headed by Herman Van Rompuy who conveyed that the bloc was keen to "re-engage" with India in all areas, especially trade. Modi told him that the "EU should take advantage of the new economic environment in India".

Modi's proposal of having an International Yoga Day, which he had proposed at the UN, got further impetus with Rompuy telling him that the 28-member bloc supported his initiative for a Yoga Day.

His meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron was another highlight of his engagements Friday at Brisbane. Cameron, who met PM Modi for the first time, told him that relations with India were at the "top of the priorities of UK's foreign policy".

Modi ended the day with a dinner hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with whom he shares a great rapport.

During the course of the G20 summit, Modi will have bilateral meetings with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and also Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on the sidelines.

He is also meeting French President Francois Hollande, who is likely to push for negotiations to clinch the multi-billion dollar deal for the Rafale, which was selected two years ago for the 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) project.

After the G20 summit, the Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart and host Tony Abbott. On Nov 19, Modi will go on a one-day trip to Fiji where leaders of some 30 small island nations will be meeting him in recognition of his growing status as a global leader.

Former Prime minister Manmohan Singh had a reputation of keeping extremely tight schedules while attending multilateral summits and holding series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of such events.

But now, Narendra Modi, a newbie to global diplomacy, seems to be warming up to the game — and fast.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/PM-Modi-The-busiest-leader-of-them-all/articleshow/45156643.cms

Joke of The Day

PM Modi manages Indian crowd abroad to create false persona: Khurshid-Watch Video what Salman spoke

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/PM-Modi-manages-Indian-crowd-abroad-to-create-false-persona-Khurshid/videoshow/45161742.cms


Secret meeting with Anna Hazare led to split within Team Anna, reveals Salman Khurshid's forthcoming book

The India Against Corruption (IAC) movement which resulted in Team Anna split, was not because of the political ambitions of Arvind Kejriwal as is widely believed, but due to a secret meeting between Anna Hazare and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, followed by a goof up by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). Anna had even promised to campaign for the Congress party. Khurshid has revealed this in his forthcoming book "Other Side of the Mountain", recalling the five years of UPA-II and defending various decisions of Manmohan Singh government. He was also a member the group of five ministers negotiating with Hazare on the draft of Lokpal bill.
In the wake of these revelations, attempts to contact Anna Hazare and Kiran Bedi proved futile. Meanwhile, when contacted, AAP leaders refused. A close aide of Arvind Kejriwal refused any official response to query. "We would be able to comment only after reading the book," Kejriwal's aide told dna.
On June 23, 2012, when Khurshid was in Pune along with his wife Louise, a mediator offered to arrange a meeting with Hazare. "I informed my party high command and they cleared the meeting and asked me to see if Anna can campaign for the Congress," said Khurshid.
Now, it was a Herculean task to get rid of the escorting Maharashtra Police personnel, who would have leaked the information about the meeting. An aide of Khrushid asked them to leave the minister alone as aunt of his wife Louise had passed away and they were going to her funeral. "They readily agreed and left us alone," writes Khurshid. Louise was now worried that the policemen should not tell press about the so-called demise of her Pune-based aunt, as she was alive and kicking.
"The meeting with Anna at an undisclosed location outside Pune went very well. He even agreed to campaign for the Congress, but wanted a formal letter," claims Khurshid. Anna also informed him, how he dodged Kiran Bedi, who also happened to be in Pune at that time, telling her, he was going to meet a saint. "He (Anna) also advised me to deny this meeting if at all press got a wind of it. For a larger good and to the benefit of nation, one can lie," he told me.

Upon reaching Delhi, it was first decided that prime minister will write a letter to Anna. But it was sabotaged by some ministerial colleagues and it was agreed that a letter will go in the name and stamp of the then minister in the PMO, V Narayanasamy.
"But a goof-up was in store, as his office instead of dispatching it to Ralegan Siddhi in Maharashtra, sent it to IAC office in Delhi headed by Arvind Kejriwal, who became furious after knowing the contents of the letter. The letter had mentioned the meeting about the between Khurshid and Anna. Kejriwal had no wind of this backroom talks. Though, not in public, he had blamed Anna for backstabbing the movement.

Shocked at the premature bursting of the plot, Khurshid denied his meeting with Hazare while Hazare broke away from Kejriwal and went into a shell, publicly declaring that no government can influence him and that he would not campaign for any party.
Khurshid promised that his book will reveal the complex personalities of both Hazare and Kejriwal. The book, still being scripted, will be published by Rupa sometime early next year.

The book "will primarily try to establish that the UPA-II was a victim of propaganda and the allocations of 2G spectrum and coal were not scams after all. The book seeks to explain what happened exactly in the spectrum and coal blocks allocation. Nobody has understood the governance of UPA-II. I would explain what happened then. Now this government (of Modi) has to respond to the allegations they had levelled as they are in power now.
They rode to success after raking up of 2G and coal scam issues," Khurshid said.
He also said the book will counter all the charges levelled against the UPA, Congress and Manmohan by opposition as also by the people within the system. He, however, declined to divulge details until the book hits the stands, noting that "it is time that we should be credited for some of the best things done by UPA-II."
— With inputs from Mayank Aggarwal

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-anna-hazare-movement-died-after-salman-khurshid-meeting-book-2035519

Salman Khurshid calls Narendra Modi ‘impotent’, BJP says Congress ‘frustrated’

FARRUKHABAD: Union minister Salman Khurshid described Narendra Modi as "impotent", a remark that invited a sharp condemnation from the BJP.

The external affairs minister's fresh salvo against the BJP prime ministerial candidate at a rally came as he raised questions on the Gujarat chief minister's handling of the post-Godhra riots in 2002. Khurshid had once compared Modi to the proverbial frog just out of the well.

See more in following link
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Salman-Khurshid-calls-Narendra-Modi-impotentBJP-says-Congress-frustrated/articleshow/31027029.cms
Without taking the name of Modi, Khurshid, who is a sitting MP from Farrukhabad, asked why a man who aspires to be the prime minister of the country could not do anything during the 2002 riots.

Salman Khurshid makes `nursery` jibe on Modi, BJP says Congress frustrated

New Delhi: After calling BJP`s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi `impotent` last month, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has once again made a controversial reference to the latter, which has irked the country`s main opposition party.
Reports on Wednesday quoted Khurshid as saying that Modi is like a nursery student with good marks who thinks he has PhD degree in connection with the post-Godhra riots