Maggie Massal Diplomacy LEADED!
Teesta or no Teesta, Mamata remains unpredictable as Bangladesh gears to welcome her and Modi obliges to take her on deck!
Maggie samples didn't reveal anything objectionable,Mamata Banerjee claims.So what if Centre Issued circular to ban all nine Maggie Products all over the country?
Teesta pact not in Bangladesh visit agenda!
Palash Biswas
West Bengal follows Maharashtra,Goa and Kerala to bail out Maggie Brand facing unprecedented challenge for its survival.Thanks to the Maa Maati Maanush Government.
Maggie Massala diplomacy LEADED-
PM Modi's Bangladesh visit would be 'historic': Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar
FSSAI orders Nestle to recall 9 Maggi noodle variants from India!
Meanwhile,Assam groups ask PM Modi to sign repatriation treaty to send back Bangladesh migrants as Modi promised Trasit Residential permit as branded as citizenship ti Hindu Refugees and Migrants resting the 1971 deadline to 2014 even not killing the citizenship amendmant act which further decided that anyone crossing the border after 18th May,1948 is illegal migrant and is subjected to deportation.Thus,a nationwide deportation drive against partition victim Hindu Bengali DALIT refugees continued nationwide since 2003 despite RSS Gimmick of religious Polariztion which is bound to be boomrang anytime anywhere!
Bangladesh Hindu outfit asks PM to drop Mamata from his entourage!
The outfit, Vedanta Shanskriti Moncho, also asked all pro-liberation forces to show black flag to Banerjee if she visits the country.
"We think the (Islamist) militants are carrying out anti-Bangladesh and anti-Indian activities at the indulgence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee...She is yet to open her mouth on the matter though the peace-loving people of both the countries are talking about the issue," the organisation's general secretary, Binoy Bhushan Joybhar told a press conference here.
"If Mamata Banerjee (yet) comes to Bangladesh, we are requesting all pro-liberation forces to show her black flag," he said.
The organisation alleged that operatives of banned Bangladeshi outfits took refuge in West Bengal in the face of intensified security clampdowns and Banerjee continued to shelter them despite Dhaka's repeated requests against it, endangering peace and sovereignty of both the countries.
The outfit urged Modi not to include Banerjee in his entourage during his Dhaka visit from June 6 while it welcomed him.
RSS on Wednesday said it would request Prime Minister Narendra Modi to raise the issue of safety of Hindu minorities inBangladesh with the government of that country during his trip there beginning on June 6.
A memorandum containing the demand would be submitted to the Prime Minister by the West Bengal unit of the RSS, Jishnu Basu, a senior functionary of the organisation said.
"We not only want the Prime Minister to raise the issue of safety and security of Hindu minorities with the Bangladesh government, but also ensure that Hindus are not forced to flee that country," Basu said.
RSS mouthpiece reminds PM Modi of Hindus' plight in Bangladesh,reports Hindustan Times!
Mohan Bhagwat
'Bengal's Diminishing Hindus' - that is the headline on the cover of the latest issue of Organiser, the English mouthpiece of the RSS.
Published in the run-up to PM Narendra Modi's first visit to Bangladesh, the lead story in the May 24 edition of Organiser showcases the 'pitiable' plight of Bengali Hindus in the Islamist nation and its 'cascading effect on demography' on this side of the border — not only in West Bengal, but also in Assam and other northeastern states bordering Bangladesh.
The story warns that "Hindus are solely, but irreversibly, moving towards extinction in Bangladesh. That is the inevitable conclusion of Bangladesh Census 2011." It mentions how the Hindu population in Bangladesh went down from 12.13% in 1981 to 8.60% in 2011.
It then dwells at length with the series of attacks on Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh and in its earlier avatar, East Pakistan, and explains how Islamist fundamentalists are implementing their agenda of doing away with all vestiges of Hindu existence after partition, in the first phase, and since 1971 (the year Bangladesh was born) till now, in the second.
The subject and the "facts" are clearly a "reminder" for Modi as he gets set to meet Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka on June 6 and 7. Modi will also have Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as company on his visit. RSS leaders in Bengal told HT on Tuesday that Modi "would do well to visit the temples and ashrams in Bangladesh that suffered terrible attacks in 1971 and have never been rebuilt".
"If he wants to visit a temple in Bangladesh, he should visit Ramna Kali Mandir in Dhaka. It was partly demolished in 1971 and has not been reconstructed. He can also visit Jagatbandhu Ashram in Faridpur. There, eight sanyasis were shot dead, also in 1971," Bidyut Mukherjee, prant pracharak of RSS in Dakshin Banga, said.
The 44-year-old Mukherjee is one of the senior RSS leaders in charge of south Bengal. He was the personal assistant of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat between 2004 and 2007.
"The Prime Minister should try to ensure that Hindus don't come under new attacks in that country," Mukherjee said, adding, "In Bengal, both the state and the central governments must ensure that terrorist and fundamentalist elements don't get to spread their wings further."
"Since the first partition of Bengal in 1905, Hindus have been on the receiving end on communal lines… Unfortunately, here too, the vote bank politics started by the Congress, nurtured by the communists and now being milked by Trinamool Congress has only accentuated the spread of Islamic radicalism," the write-up mentions while summing up the situation in West Bengal.
"With the settlement of the land boundary, there was earlier a settlement of our maritime boundary, we actually have completely settled our boundary with Bangladesh, and that is, for a neighbour, an extremely important development, and I cannot overstate the confidence in goodwill that is generated by this act," ANI quoted Jaishankar as saying.
"There are two concepts at play in this visit. At one level, it is once again an affirmation of our neighbourhood first policy. But is also a part of our Act East policy. The consequences, the possibilities of cooperation that would be opened up as a result of these developments really have a very profound impact on our North-East and our policies further east," he added.
Jaishankar also spelled out the details about the Prime Minister's visit.
"The Prime Minister arrives tomorrow morning in Dhaka. There will be a ceremonial welcome and, after that he would be visiting the National Martyrs Memorial. He then goes to the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum," he said.
"Then, the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister of West Bengal along with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh would be flagging of the bus services. There are two important bus services- Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala and Dhaka-Guwahati-Shillong bus service," the Foreign Secretary added.
The Foreign Secretary further said that there would be an exchange of instruments of ratifications of the Land Boundary Agreement and its protocol.
"This would then be followed by talks between the Prime Minister and Bangladesh Prime Minister. There are some foundation stones for different projects that we are doing in Bangladesh. Then, there will be a press statement by the two Prime Ministers. Finally, in the evening a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," said Jaishankar.
"The second day of the visit would see a visit by the Prime Minister to the Dhakeshwari temple. He will then go on to visit the Ramakrishna mission. He will also to our new Chancery complex in Dhaka. He has a meeting and lunch with the President of Bangladesh H.E. Mohammad. Abdul Hamid," he added.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to meet Bangladesh's leader of opposition Begum Roshan Ershad, the former prime minister Khaleda Zia, presidents of leading chambers of commerce and industry and leaders of left parties of Bangladesh.
Jaishankar further said that the Bangladesh visit would consolidate and deepen the relationship between the two nations.
"But other than the rising confidence levels; it would actually help very much with the management of border. For both the countries we expect improvement in security situation on border, there will be more trust and confidence. It would be much more effective for us to deal with illegal activities across the border activities like human trafficking, circulation of counterfeit notes, drug smuggling, and illegal movement of people," he added.
The decision to operationalise the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) was cleared by the Indian Parliament last month. It was one of the long-pending issues between the two South Asian neighbours.
PM Modi, on his maiden visit ti the country, will tomorrow morning reach Bangladesh capital Dhaka for his two-day visit, during which he will have a tight schedule as, besides holding detailed talks with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, he will also attend several programmes and pay a visit to the Memorial of the 1971 Liberation War.
Ahead of Modi's visit, the capital city Dhaka is having a festive look with streets adorned with life-size cutouts of Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Banerjee will arrive here tonight and will take part in the flag off ceremony of Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus service and signing of the LBA agreement.
Large cutouts of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rehman and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were also seen on the streets as a token of an age old relationship between both the two countries and India's role in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
- Mizoram government to take decision on Maggi noodles after receiving directions from FSSAI.
- Uttarakhand High Court asks state government to reply within 15 days.
- Nestle moves High Court against Uttarakhand government's 3-month ban on Maggi.
- Action will be taken against those who endorse Maggi: YS Malik, FSSAI CEO
The CM questioned how could the state take steps against the company as long as it is not found guilty. The CM, however, told the Assembly that the Centre has issued circular banning all the nine Maggi products in the country. Since this comes in the Concurrent List, the government isn't taking steps suo motu.
Mamata also said investigation is a continuous process and she would wait for the findings.
Teesta pact not in Bangladesh visit agenda!
The Teesta Water Sharing Treaty will not come up for discussion during West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's upcoming visit to Bangladesh with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a business meet here on Monday, Ms. Banerjee said that she had agreed to accompany Mr. Modi to Bangladesh but would not have any talks about the controversial water sharing pact.
Confirming the same, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday that Ms. Banerjee would be going for the Land Boundary Agreement.
During the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance regime, Ms. Banerjee had pulled out of a similar visit to Bangladesh with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2011.
- Reliance Retail removes all 11 instant noodle brands from its 2,621 stores in more than 200 cities.
- Nepal imposes indefinite ban on selling and importing of Maggi noodles
Also Read: Food safety watchdog orders all Maggi variants off shelves
- After reports from various state governments, we have concluded that FSSAI standards haven't been met by Maggi: JP Nadda
- 9 variants of Maggi Noodles found unsafe have to be withdrawn from the market: JP Nadda
- No compromise on food safety will be done, all levels of food security will be adhered to: Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Maggi issue
- FSSAI serves showcause notice to Nestle, asks it reply within 15 days as to why the product approval given to it on the nine noodle variants should not be withdrawn.
- Britain's Food Standards Agency to see if Maggi packs sold in UK have high levels of lead as found in that in India.
- UK begins testing Maggi for high lead content.
- Telangana Government is awaiting results of the tests conducted on popular instant noodles 'Maggi' for taking a call on initiating a ban.
Also Read: Telangana govt awaiting test results of Maggi
- States have rights to ban Maggi if found harmful: Ram Vilas Paswan
- Celebrities who endorse Maggi do it because of our work. If they will face any issue we will support them: Nestle India
- FSSAI says Nestle violated labelling regulations on taste enhancer 'MSG', asks company to submit compliance report on orders within 3 days
- Misleading labeling on Maggi packs reading ' No added MSG': FSSAI
- Nestle needs to stop sale, production and import of Maggi immediately: FSSAI
- Lead detected in Maggi in excess of permissible levels: FSSAI
- Nestle launched 'Maggi Oats Masala Noodles' without product approval and without undertaking risk, safety assessment: FSSAI
- Nine Maggi variants unsafe and hazardous for consumption: FSSAI
- Central food safety regulator FSSAI orders Nestle to recall nine variants of Maggi instant noodles from market
Also Read: India bans production and sale of Nestle noodles
- No MSG would be removed from the label: Bulcke
- We found that trust of the consumers has been shaken: Bulcke
- Some quality standards and methods used throughout the world: Bulcke
- We are taking Maggi Noodles off the shelves till the situation is clarified: Bulcke
- Maggi taken off Indian market due to concerns raised by authorities, says Bulcke
- Nestle results show lead below allowed limits, says Bulcke
- Our priority is to clarify on safety of product to authorities and be back on shelves as soon as possible: Nestle CEO
- The trust of consumers and the safety of our products is our priority: Bulcke
- No lead found in 1,000 Maggi batches tested internally: Nestle CEO
- Unfortunate recent developments had led to confusion, says Bulcke
- Maggi adheres to same quality standards in India and across the world: Bulcke
- We don't have data from any of the third party tests conducted on Maggi: Bulcke
- Maggi noodles banned in Bihar for 30 days.
Also Read: Bihar bans Maggi for one month
- Maggi noodles are trusted in India for over 30 years: Bulcke
- Maggi noodles in India are safe for consumption: Bulcke
Also Read: Maggi noodles are safe: Nestle CEO Paul Bulcke
- Some ingredients sourced for Maggi may have had MSD added, says Bulcke
- We do not add MSD in Maggi, says Bulcke
- Maggi withdrawn due to confusion, says Bulcke
- Nestle Global CEO Paul Bulcke addresses a press conference on controversy surrounding the Maggi in Delhi
- Maggi noodles banned in Madhya Pradesh till further order
Also Read: Madhya Pradesh too bans sale of Maggi noodles
- The Prime Minister's Office seeks report on Maggi issue, holds meet with the Union Health Secretary BP Sharma to discuss the matter.
- Importers in Singapore have been ordered to withhold the sales of Nestle`s Maggi instant noodles produced in India until test results on its quality are out.
- Singapore has banned the sale of Maggi brand of instant noodles produced in India: Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore
Also Read: Boiling Maggi row goes global with Singapore ban
- We are waiting for the reports and we shall take action accordingly: Anil Vij, Health Minister of Haryana, on Maggi issue
- Reports are expected today, total 15 samples are being tested: Annapure, Joint Commissioner Food & Drug Department of Mumbai, on Maggi issue
Also Read: Procrastinating Maharashtra waiting for FDA report to ban Maggi
- Investigation underway, reports to come in this week: Delhi Health Minister
- Nine sample pieces of instant noodles of various brands have been picked up in Delhi for testing, says Health Minister Satyendra Jain
- The Prime Minister's Office seeks report on Maggi issue, summons Union Health Secretary
- After India, UK and Nepal will test Maggi noodles
- Nestle Global CEO Paul Bulcke to address media on the ongoing issue of Maggi noodles today in Delhi
Earlier development:
Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday joined Delhi in banning Maggi noodles as Nestle India, the manufacturer of the popular snack, continued to face countrywide scrutiny following lab reports that samples of the snack had excess quantity of lead.
On its part, Nestle India said tests done in a laboratory in Kolkata showed that the lead content in Maggi was within the limits prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Gujarat on Thursday banned Maggi noodles for 30 days after samples failed tests.
Gujarat State Health Minister Nitin Patel told media persons that 27 out of 39 samples of Maggi noodles were found to contain objectionable levels of lead -- ranging from 2.8 to 5.0 -- instead of the permitted 2.5, among other things.
Patel said that since lead was found even in Sunfeast and Hakka noodles, shops will be ordered to withdraw all unsold stocks of these two brands, besides Maggi, failing which they could be liable for action.
The Jammu and Kashmir government also imposed a ban on the sale of Maggi noodles on Thursday and directed Nestle India to remove all stocks from local markets.
Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister Choudhary Zulfikar said in Srinagar that there were reports that Maggi noodles contain lead and MSG in excess.
"We have directed all district magistrates to impose complete ban on the sale of Maggi products in the state," he said.
The minister said the ban will remain in force for a month or till reports of tests on noodles samples - to be conducted by the government - are received, whichever comes earlier.
Facing the heat, Nestle India presented on its website the results of tests of its samples at some food laboratories.
"We regularly monitor all our raw materials for lead, including testing by accredited laboratories. These results have consistently shown lead in Maggi to be within safe limits," Nestle India said on its website.
It said test reports revealed that less than 0.05 milligrams of lead was present per kg while the maximum permissible level was 2.5.
Nestle India also sought to answer in detail possible queries about Maggi.
"We are confident that our Maggi noodle products in India and elsewhere are absolutely safer for consumption," it said.
On the presence of monosodium glutamate (MSG), which the product label says "No added MSG", Nestle stated: "We do not add the flavour enhancer MSG (E621) to Maggi noodles."
The Delhi government had on Wednesday banned Maggi noodles for 15 days after 10 of 13 samples of Maggi were found to contain more than permissible limits of lead.
The Nepal government also decided to impose a ban on importing and selling of Maggi noodles in its market for an undefined period following the controversy.
In Shimla, union Health Minister J.P. Nadda told reporters that the central government has sought reports from all states on the controversy over the quality of Maggi noodles.
The states that have sent Maggi samples for tests include Bihar, Punjab, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Haryana and Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.
In Ahmedabad, union Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said he had asked his department as also the FSSAI to look into the facts following the controversy.
He said safety had been ordered on Maggi and any action would be taken after test reports were in.
He said the government had filed a complaint against Nestle India with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC).
The Central Advisory Committee (CAC) of FSSAI also met in the capital to discuss reports of excessive lead in Maggi.
Following the concerns, a host of retailers -- from neighbourhood mom-and-pop shops to larger ones like Big Bazaar and WalMart -- withdrew it from their shelves.
Meanwhile,Bangladesh is all set to roll out a red carpet welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will arrive here tomorrow on his maiden visit to the country, amid expectations on both sides to take bilateral ties to a new level and unleash the potential of economic and trade ties.
Ahead of Modi's two-day visit, the capital city Dhaka is having a festive look with streets adorned with life-size cutouts of Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Banerjee will arrive here tonight and will take part in the flag-off ceremony of Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus service and signing of the LBA agreement.
Large cutouts of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rehman and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi were also seen on the streets as a token of an age old relationship between both the two countries and India's role in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
"We are really overwhelmed by Prime Minister Modi's visit. We believe that the signing of LBA and Kolkata-Dhaka- Agartala bus service will open new avenues and strengthen the bilateral ties," Awami League MP Md Monirul Islam told PTI.
Islam said strong bilateral ties will also help in fighting the menace of terrorism and fundamentalism.
"We can never forget the role that India had played during our liberation war. We, the Awami League government, always want friendly relations with the Indian government.
India is the biggest friend of Bangladesh. The Friendship between Narendra Modi government and Sheikh Hasina Government along with our Mamatdi will help us to evolve as power," another Awami League MP Sk Afil Udin said.
Writer and noted social activist Shariyar Kabir said, "It is not only a historic day for Bangladesh but also a milestone in Indo-Bangla relations. Both the countries especially two Bengals don't have any difference in culture, language and heritage. We are happy that this long standing issue of LBA is being solved."