Modi wants to enforce supremacy; not an advocate of peace talks: Musharraf

Pakistan and India were on the path of peace and reconciliation under his regime, former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf has said while claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not an "advocate of peace talks".

The former president and chief of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) in an interview with Voice of America claimed that when he was in power, India and Pakistan were on the "path of reconciliation", but that is not the case anymore, the Express Tribune reported.

"At the time, I spoke to both the prime ministers, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, they were both from different political parties but we wanted to move forward from the disputes, he said.

The 74-year-old retired general, who is facing high treason charges, has been living in Dubai since last year when he was allowed to leave Pakistan for medical treatment.

Musharraf claimed that a four-point initiation of peace was strategised by the former president and was put in implementation by the leadership of both countries.

The four points of contention included Siachen and Kashmir as well, he said.

Law, not faith, runs country: Oppn on Mohan Bhagwat's 'Ram Mandir' remarks

The opposition parties criticised Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat statement over his remarks on Ram Temple, saying that the chief is not above the Supreme Court and that the country is run by the Constitution and not faith.

"Mr Bhagwat is not above the Supreme Court and the country is run by the constitution and not by faith," Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik told ANI.

Criticising the RSS chief and BJP Malik said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is losing his grip in the country, while the BJP is losing the faith of the public.

"BJP Is losing public faith and that is why the Ram Mandir issue has been raised by BJP and Sangh parivar," he added.

He further stated that the matter is before the Supreme Court and the verdict of the highest court should be binding on everybody.

Echoing the same thoughts, Congress leader Virendra Kumar Madan said that the web of lies created by the BJP and RSS has been broken.

"The people of Uttar Pradesh and the whole nation have understood their false promises. Both RSS and BJP think that their land is slipping from their hands and hence are giving such controversial statements," he added.
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Chidambaram attacks Modi govt over unjust growth in Gujarat

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Tuesday his only regret in life was not having served as finance minister in a government which had an "absolute majority", as he targeted the Modi government over its economic policies.

Chidambaram said development had indeed "gone crazy" in Gujarat, and criticised the BJP government in the state for leading what he called a "skewed, unfair, unjust and inequitable growth".

He also came down heavily on the Centre's bullet train project whose foundation was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in Ahmedabad recently.

"The only regret in my life is that I was never a finance minister in a government with absolute majority," he told businessmen at a function organised by the Congress party at Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

Referring to the massive majority the BJP-led NDA had in the Lok Sabha, he said anything could have been done with that kind of mandate.

"We could have completely reformed the finance sector, we could have passed the direct taxes code, we could have passed a near perfect GST. With that kind of majority, any laws could have been changed. Anyway, that did not happen," he said.
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Gujarat polls: Congress offers Patidar community 3 options for quota

Congress gave three options to the Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) at a late night meeting here with respect to latter's quota demand for its community, even as the organisation members said they would consult their leaders and legal experts before taking a decision.

The options were conveyed to the PASS members by senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal at the meeting which took place at 11:30 PM and ended at about 2 AM.

"We have been given three options by the Congress party on how to provide reservation to our community in educational institutions and government jobs," PAAS convener Dinesh Bambhania said after the meeting.

He, however, did not divulge the details of the options.

"The options that have been given will be kept confidential till we discuss it with Hardik, social leaders of the community, legal experts and then it would be kept before our community. If the community accepts the demand, we will convey it accordingly to the Congress party," Bambhania said.

He said, "The Congress proposal has not touched 49 per cent reservations for SC, ST and OBC which exists in the state. The options that have been given are over and above it."

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Sonia Gandhi in hospital: Mother caught stomach bug, better now, says Rahul

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who was on a visit to Shimla, was on Friday rushed back to the national capital and admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after she complained of stomach upset.

Son and party vice president Rahul Gandhi said she is "much better" and there is "nothing to worry".

D S Rana, Chairman (Board of Management) of the Ganga Ram Hospital said that Gandhi, 70, is under observation.

"Sonia Gandhi was brought to the hospital at 5 PM today. She has been found to be suffering from stomach upset and has been admitted for observation," said Rana in a statement.

Rahul Gandhi later tweeted, "Ma was in Shimla and caught a stomach bug so we got her back. Nothing to worry, she's much better. Thanks for the tremendous love and concern."

Ma was in Shimla & caught a stomach bug so we got her back. Nothing to worry, she's much better. Thanks for the tremendous love and concern.

— Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 27, 2017
According to sources, Gandhi was rushed to the hospital in an air-ambulance from Shimla, where she had gone for a vacation.
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