PM Modi’s Kerala visit: Cops arrest man who wrote letter threatening suicide bomb attack
The Kerala Police Sunday arrested a Kochi native who allegedly wrote a letter threatening a suicide bomb attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to the state starting Monday.
The police identified the accused as M Xavier, a native of Kaloor. Xavier confessed to investigators that he wrote the letter in the name of another person against whom he harboured personal animosity and whose name and phone number were mentioned in it.
Kochi City Police Commissioner K Sethuraman told the media that the threat mentioned in Xavier’s letter was a hoax. “He (Xavier) wanted to trap another person. We arrested Xavier after collecting scientific evidence and conducting a forensic handwriting analysis,” he said.
PM Modi inaugurated Kochi's water metro.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the Centre lays emphasis on cooperative federalism. “If Kerala develops, India will develop faster,” he added while speaking at an event to inaugurate a host of development projects in Thiruvananthapuram.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Kerala is a state of aware and educated people. Hardwork and humility of people here are part of their identity"
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates various development projects in Thiruvananthapuram.
PM Modi will dedicate Kochin water metro to nation. "A significant enhancement to Kochi's infrastructure! The Kochi Water Metro would be dedicated to the nation. It will ensure seamless connectivity for Kochi," he wrote on Twitter.
PM Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone of Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram.
PM Modi interacts with students onboard Vande Bharat Express.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off Kerala's first Vande Bharat train from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod -- a significant initiative ahead of the 2024 general elections. Modi, who received a rousing welcome on his arrival at Thiruvananthapuram, will also launch the Kochi water metro and lay the foundation stone for a Rs 1,500-crore digital science park.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives grand welcome at Thiruvananthapuram.
Modi will flag off Kerala's first Vande Bharat train shortly
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently on a two-day tour of Kerala, a state where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is looking to expand its base ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
On Tuesday (April 25), Modi is set to flag off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express train from state capital Thiruvananthapuram, and also dedicate the first-of-its-kind Kochi Water Metro to the nation. Read more
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor hails Centre's initiative to launch Vande Bharat train in Kerala. About 14 months ago, Tharoor had tweeted about how bringing Vande Bharat trains to the state could address CM Pinarayi Vijayan's concern for speedy train travel to promote development,and alleviate Congress's concerns about land acquisition and environmental impact.
Addressing the youth rally in Kochi following a mega road show, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for a BJP government in the state. “The way Northeastern states and Goa accepted BJP, its work and its government, Kerala too will accept it in the coming days,” the PM said during the youth conclave.
Taking a dig at the Pinarayi Vijayan-led CPI(M) government in Kerala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that while the focus of the BJP-ruled states is providing jobs to the youth, the Kerala government has not been able to do so.
Speaking about his government’s achievement, PM Modi said: “Previous governments did scams in every sector whereas our BJP govt is creating new opportunities for the youth in every sector. The BJP govt ran Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and gave new opportunities to the youth. With the mantra of “vocal for local”, we promoted local products. We opened up the space and defence sectors. Through the PLI scheme, the BJP govt increased manufacturing in the country. Through its policies, the BJP govt also increased exports.”
Lauding the youth of Kerala, the Prime Minister said: “I am delighted that when India is walking ahead with the resolution of New India, when India is shouldering global responsibilities, the youth of Kerala has stepped forward to lead India's development journey.”
Following the mega road show in Kochi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a youth conclave in the city. At the meet, the PM said: “Today, our country is starting the journey of Amritkal. This resolution of the youth of Kerala through Yuvam is very important. A mission becomes vibrant when there is energy of the vibrant youth behind it. When it comes to Kerala, it is so grand and beautiful that coming here, the energy increases even more.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after landing in Kochi, held a road show in the city. The 1.8 km-long road show is expected to end at the Sacred Heart College ground at Thevara, where the PM would interact with youths at the YUVAM conclave.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation the Kochi water metro, a first-of-its-kind public boat service integrated with a metro rail network, on April 25. The inaugural event will be held in Thiruvananthapuram. The Rs 747-crore project is being implemented by Kochi Metro Rail Corporation Limited. The project is implemented with assistance from German funding agency Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau.
According to KMRL and Kochi Water Metro Limited (KWML) managing director Loknath Behera, the water metro will start sailing with 8 electric-hybrid boats in two routes – High Court-Vypin and Vyttila-Kakkanad. Operations on the first route will begin on April 26 and on the second route on April 26. Once the project is fully operational, the water metro, with 78 boats and 38 terminals, will cover 76 kms in Kochi backwaters, covering six panchayats and three municipalities.
The PM’s Kerala visit assumes political significance as it comes at a time when the BJP has been making all-out attempts to expand its base in the state ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls by highlighting the Modi-led party’s government’s development agenda at the Centre.
The recent formation of a new Christian party by disgruntled leaders of various splinter outfits of the regional Christian party, Kerala Congress, and the new warmth between the Catholic Church and the Sangh Parivar have rekindled the BJP’s electoral hopes in the state, where the party has not been able to expand its footprint despite having made massive efforts in this regard for years. Buoyed by the PM’s visit, the BJP’s Kerala unit has also started a hashtag campaign “Keralamawaitsmodi” on social media.
Also, PM Modi’s meeting with bishops is taking place at a time when a section of the Church has made a promise to support the BJP in the elections if the Union government steps in to raise the prices of natural rubber, which has been a mainstay of farmers’ income in Central Kerala, where a sizeable section of people belong to the Christian community.
Good afternoon and welcome to our Live Blog. As PM Modi touches down in Kerala, we will be covering all the events that the Prime Minister addresses and attends. Stay along with us to not miss out on any newsworthy event.