Kovind lauds Centre, states over Covid fight
NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday listed the government’s achievements amid the Covid-19 crisis, especially steps to fight the pandemic and to aid farmers and women, and called for more hard work to build a modern India by the centenary of independence in 2047.
In his address to a joint session of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at the start of Parliament’s budget session, Kovind began by paying tribute to the nation’s freedom fighters on the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and said the government is laying the foundation for the next 25 years with the mantra of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Aur Sabka Prayas” to make the country more self-reliant.
The President’s speech at the start of the budget session usually highlights the government’s
achievements over the past year and outlines targets and plans for the future.
Noting that this is the third successive year that India and the world have been affected by
Covid-19, Kovind lauded the Central and state governments, front-line workers, nurses, doctors, scientists and entrepreneurs for working as a team to help the country cope with the pandemic.
The government’s commitment to fight the Coronavirus is reflected in the country’s massive vaccination programme, where over 1.5 billion doses of vaccines had been administered in less than a year, he said.
India is now among the countries with the most vaccine doses administered.
Those aged 15-18 years have been included in the vaccination programme and frontline workers and senior citizens with co-morbidities are being given a “precautionary” dose, the president said.
LUCKNOW/CHANDIGARH: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday filed his nomination papers from Karhal seat of Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri and said the upcoming state assembly polls will write the country’s history for next century as he appealed to people to defeat negative politics. Likewise, Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also filed his nomination papers from the Jalalabad constituency in Punjab’s Fazilka district for the upcoming polls.
In Lucknow, Yadav said his “mission” is positive politics with progressive thinking.
“This nomination is a mission as this UP election will write the country’s history for the next century. Let’s take part in this movement of positive politics with progressive thinking. Defeat negative politics, remove it. Jai Hind!,” Yadav said. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also shared a picture of his leaving on the Samajwadi Vijay Rath bus for Mainpuri from his native place Saifai in Etawah.
Karhal will go to polls on February 20 in the third of the seven-phase elections in the state.
Later Yadav told reporters,
“First of all, I want to thank the people of Mainpuri and people of the organisation, who have given me a chance that today I am nominated from Karhal for contesting the elections.”
“Positive politics has been carried forward and I hope people of Uttar Pradesh will remove those who do negative politics in this election. Therefore, I appeal to people to give opportunity to the SP not only in Karhal but in every area. The party will take the state on the path of development, prosperity and progress,” he said. On being asked whether he will come to the constituency for campaigning, Akhilesh said, “I have left my election to party leaders and people here. I will certainly come, if I get a chance. But people here have assured me that there is no need for me to come here. Yes, I will certainly
come after winning.”
“The result here will be historic and it will be a message for those practicising negative politics,” he said.
In Chandigarh, Badal was accompanied by his wife and former union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal when he filed nomination papers before the returning officer in Jalalabad.
Talking to reporters, Badal said the Jalalabad Assembly constituency is like his family.
Asked about his rival Congress candidate Mohan Singh Phallianwala, Badal said, “I wish him best of luck.” Sukhbir Badal, a sitting MP from Ferozepur, had represented Jalalabad assembly constituency thrice in 2009 (bypoll), 2012 and 2017.
Badal, the former deputy chief minister, had quit as legislator in 2019 after becoming an MP.