Operation Sindoor outreach: Congress leader accuses BJP of resorting to ‘cheap political tricks'
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee Vice-president Kolanukonda Shivaji on Sunday accused the NDA government at the Centre of resorting to 'cheap political games' in the selection of MPs for international delegations formed to explain India's position on Operation Sindoor.
At a press conference, Mr. Shivaji pointed out that while party leader Rahul Gandhi had sent four names, Anand Sharma, Gaurav Gogoi, Nasir Hussain and Raja Brar, the government accepted the name of only Anand Sharma. A few other Congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor, who were not on the party's official list.
Citing the case of the United Front government in 1996 when Jyoti Basu declined the Prime Minister's post after his party, under the leadership of Prakash Karat, did not allow him to accept the offer, Mr. Shivaji said the Centre selecting Mr. Tharoor, who had been maintaining a distance from the Congress lately, had 'mischievous' intention. He alleged that it was an attempt by the BJP to weaken the Congress.
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The Print
an hour ago
- The Print
Siddaramaiah cites 1995 law to justify Congress high command's decision to scrap 2015 caste survey
He also said that the socio-economic and educational survey , better known as the caste survey, was over a decade old and needed to be re-enumerated even though his core support base of Backward Classes groups have been pressuring him to release the data. 'Already 10 years are over (and) according to section 11, clause 1 of the Backward Classes Act 1995, it is very clear that after the 10 years (sic) period, a new survey is to be conducted,' Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Thursday. Bengaluru: A day after the Congress tried to mask its decision to scrap the findings of the 2015 caste survey, Karnataka government Thursday cited clauses from the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1995, to justify its high command's directive to do away with the report. 'In 10 years, the population has gone up, socio-economic and educational changes have happened. In the Backward Classes Commission Act, it is clearly mentioned that after 10 years a new survey needs to be undertaken,' he added. He was addressing the media after a special cabinet session was convened in Bengaluru to discuss the caste survey. On Tuesday, the Congress high command tried to find middle ground between Siddaramaiah and members of his cabinet opposed to the decision to release the findings of the 2015 survey. Political analysts and observers ThePrint spoke to suggested this decision reflects the party leadership's careful manoeuvring to reconcile differing–and confrontational–viewpoints within Karnataka, effectively diverting attention from the Chinnaswamy stadium stampede and prevent the Centre from taking credit for initiating the nationwide caste census. Congress general secretary in-charge of organisation K.C. Venugopal said Tuesday that the party accepts the 2015 caste survey in principle but also called for re-enumeration. The decision was viewed as a setback to Siddaramaiah who has advocated for long to address the dominant status enjoyed by groups like Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Insistence on conducting the entire exercise again is also perceived as a political maneuver for upstage Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement for a nationwide caste census. Also Read: How redoing Karnataka 'caste census' weakens CM Siddaramaiah without strengthening Shivakumar 'New survey to be conducted in 90 days' In 2015, during his first term as chief minister, Siddaramaiah formed a single-person panel comprising then Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (KSBCC) chairperson H. Kantharaj, which initiated work on the caste survey on 11 April that year. It completed the survey on 30 May, 2015—having put forth 54 questions to a total of 5.98 crore people or 94.17 percent of the state's population. But the report, which cost roughly Rs 190 crores, was never accepted as political leaders and seers from dominant communities are believed to have pressured the government to shelve it. Siddaramaiah did not accept the findings and the Congress was ousted from power three years later in 2018. He also did not pursue its coalition partner, Janata Dal (Secular) or JD(S), to do the same in 2019. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) did not want to accept the report since its then chief minister, B.S. Yediyurappa, was leading the agitation to scrap the findings. 'Let H.D. Kumaraswamy, B.Y. Vijayendra and R. Ashoka call for a press conference and announce they are in favour of the earlier caste census. They are making a lot of comments, we will respond to them in the Assembly session. The media must highlight contradictions in the stand of Opposition over caste census. They are trying to politicise it,' Shivakumar said Thursday. In February last year, Siddaramaiah accepted the report but did not open the files until earlier this year. When he did do it, and some of the findings were leaked, protests by so-called dominant communities intensified as the population numbers of these groups were shown to be significantly lower than what was projected earlier. Caste plays a very important role in Karnataka's politics and society. BJP is believed to have the backing of Lingayats while JD(S) depends on the Vokkaligas. The Congress under Siddaramaiah has been backed by AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, Backward Classes and Dalits). Caste trumps party affiliations as Siddaramaiah's own cabinet ministers, including Shivakumar, M.B. Patil, S.S. Mallikarjun, Lakshmi Hebbalkar, Eshwar Khandre and several others opposed the release of the report. Siddaramaiah is from the backward Kuruba community and his support base took aim at Shivakumar every time the latter would try to broach the unwritten pact that he would replace the former halfway through the term. Siddaramaiah camp further complicated matters for the party by promoting a narrative that replacing a chief minister from Backward Classes with Shivakumar, who is from a dominant community, could be politically unfavorable. 'Siddaramaiah and Congress used the Backward Classes for their political agenda and then sacrificed the latter. Siddaramaiah claims that he became CM with the support of AHINDA but has today shown that he will cheat the backward classes to remain in power,' R. Raghu Kautilya, president of Karnataka BJP's OBC morcha said Thursday. Shivakumar said the Congress was carrying out the survey again to further its objective of achieving social justice and not for the sake of politics. The state government said the new survey will be completed in 90 days of it being commissioned. (Edited by Amrtansh Arora) Also Read: Karnataka protests 'ban' on its Totapuri mangoes entering AP, Naidu govt says 'rescue your own farmers'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
2 lakh cyberattacks on power units foiled during Operation Sindoor: Union minister Manohar Lal Khattar
File photo: Union power minister Manohar Lal Khattar (ANI) SRINAGAR: India thwarted nearly 2 lakh cyberattacks targeting its power sector during Operation Sindoor last month, Union power minister Manohar Lal Khattar said Thursday in the first official govt confirmation of the scale of such onslaughts. 'With the advancement of technology, cyberattacks and cybercrimes have increased significantly. A lot of progress has been made in countering them and our cybersecurity has virtually neutralised such threats,' Khattar said. He added that a power line in Uri hydel project had suffered damage due to Pakistani shelling but the link was promptly repaired. Khattar was speaking at a news conference in Srinagar, dwelling on a range of topics, from the Pahalgam attack and water treaties with Pakistan to a debate on ideal energy-saving AC temperatures. On Indus Waters Treaty , which the Centre has kept in abeyance, Khattar said the current situation allows India to move ahead with stalled power projects that previously required Pakistani consent. Asked about Pakistan's warning of 'dangerous consequences' if water flows in rivers under the treaty were altered, Khattar said: 'Pakistan was already given a reply during Operation Sindoor. If needed, a stronger response will follow.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo Under the treaty, India had to previously seek Pakistan's approval before undertaking projects on Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. 'Now, we don't need it. We are restarting the Wullar Barrage project,' Khattar announced. The Centre had started the project in the 1980s to regulate water levels in Kashmir in winter, when river flows thin, but work was suspended in 1987 after Pakistan objected before Indus Waters Commission. On the April 22 Pahalgam attack, Khattar pointed out that while Pakistan had been supporting terrorists, the Centre was now resolute on not allowing terror. 'Terrorism will definitely end. I would like to congratulate the people of J&K as they have stood together against terrorism,' he said. Asked about calls from CPI(M) for a dialogue with Pakistan, Khattar ruled out such moves. 'Terror and talk will not go together. Terror and trade will not go together. Water and blood will not flow together,' Khattar said. The power minister then switched to the raging debate on AC temperatures. He justified his ministry's plan to ensure AC temperatures are not reduced below 20 degrees Celsius, citing energy efficiency goals worldwide and medical opinion about 24 degrees being the ideal temperature.
NDTV
4 hours ago
- NDTV
2 Lakh Cyber Attacks On India's Power System During Op Sindoor: Minister
There have been two lakh cyber attacks on the power sector in India during 'Operation Sindoor'. In the first such confirmation of massive cyber attacks during India-Pakistan clashes, the government today said all the attacks were foiled and the power system is working perfectly. "Two lakh cyber attacks on the power system have taken place. All these attacks have been thwarted," said Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. He was addressing a press conference on the completion of 11 years of the BJP-led Central government. To a question by NDTV, the minister said that cyber attacks started after India launched 'Operation Sindoor' - in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack - and continued for 8 to 10 days. In Jammu and Kashmir, most of the official sites, including power, were targeted, and some are still struggling to be restored. The cyber attacks have affected public services and the official functioning of various departments. On May 7, India woke up to the news of "focused, measured and non-escalatory" strikes of the Armed Forces on the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Nine terror launchpads were targeted within 25 minutes in the operation. The mission was named 'Operation Sindoor' - a codename to avenge the widows of the April 22 attack, wherein 26 civilians - all men - were killed in cold blood by terrorists linked to an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba. The precision terror strikes on terror launch pads were met with Pakistani aggression. The Pakistani military tried to target several cities in India using drones and other munitions, which were "repulsed" by the Indian forces. After four days of fighting, India and Pakistan reached an agreement to stop firing on May 10. Within hours, however, the deal was breached by Pakistan. It was responded to with a stern warning by the Armed Forces the next day: "India would retaliate fiercely to any violation in future".
