Nation will never forgive: Piyush Goyal slams Rahul Gandhi's remarks on economy
Speaking at a session during the Business Today India@100 Summit, Goyal said, 'I think parroting a negative narrative by the leader of the opposition is a matter of shame. I condemn him for that and frankly the nation will never forgive Mr. Rahul Gandhi for this kind of very, very demeaning comments about the great story that Bharat is demonstrating to the world.'
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Business Standard
10 minutes ago
- Business Standard
PM Modi pays tribute to Kakori martyrs on 100th anniversary of revolt
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday remembered the freedom fighters involved in the Kakori train conspiracy on its 100th anniversary, highlighting how the freedom fighters' courage showed the resentment among people against colonial rule. "They were angry at the manner in which people's money was being used to further colonial exploitation. Their valour will always be remembered by the people of India," the Prime Minister wrote in a post on X. Reiterating the resolve to build a prosperous India, PM Modi added, "We will keep working to fulfil their dreams for a strong and prosperous India." Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tribute to Ram Prasad Bismil, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Asfaqullah Khan and other freedom fighters involved in the historic event. Shah stated that the freedom fighters ignited the "torch of revolution" against the "British looting" and shook the foundation of the British Empire by robbing the train with the aim of giving the nation's wealth back to its people. In a post on X, HM Shah said, "The 'Kakori Train Action' is a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and patriotism in the Indian freedom struggle. On August 9, 1925, brave heroes like Ram Prasad Bismil Ji, Chandra Shekhar Azad Ji, and Ashfaqulla Khan Ji ignited the torch of revolution against British looting, shaking the foundations of the British Empire." Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also paid tribute to the freedom fighters involved in the event. CM Sharma stated that the contributions of the freedom fighters will forever inspire the spirit of patriotism in future generations. The Kakori Train Action or Kakori Conspiracy was a train robbery that took place at Kakori, a village near Lucknow, on 9 August 1925 during the Indian Independence Movement against the British colonial rule. The robbery was organised by the Hindustan Republican Association, and more than 40 persons were arrested in this incident. They were finally sentenced to death by the British government, and severe punishments were also given to those people who helped with the incident. The main purpose of the robbery was to protest against the heavy tax that was collected from the Indians and use the money to fund the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) rather than leaving it with the Britishers.
Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Resign from Lok Sabha if you don't trust EC: BJP to Rahul Gandhi on ‘vote theft' remark
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi should resign from the Lok Sabha if he on 'moral grounds' if he does not trust the Election Commission (EC). The BJP was responding to Gandhi's 'vote theft' claim. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said that Rahul Gandhi had made 'baseless allegations' before the media. (ANI) 'Rahul Gandhi, if you don't trust the election commission and the observations made by the Supreme Court, do one thing: first, you resign from the Lok Sabha membership,' PTI quoted BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said. He also demanded Congress MPs Priyanka Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi's resignation from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively, adding that they were also raising questions on the poll body. Bhatia said that Gandhi had made 'baseless allegations' before the media and had refused to produce proof or give a written declaration when the EC had asked for the same. The BJP spokesperson, while reading out excerpts from a past Supreme Court judgment, said that the top court had noted that there was no doubt about the bonafides of the EC, adding that it was on record that the poll body had built its reputation as an impartial body over the years. Bhatia said that the chief ministers of Congress-ruled states like Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh should also tender their resignations on account of their top leaders not having faith in the EC, PTI reported. 'Whatever suits you, you accept. Whatever is inconvenient, you reject and cast aspersions on the Election Commission. This will not work,' Bhatia added. In response to the EC demanding an affidavit under oath for his 'vote chori' allegations, Rahul had said that he had taken an oath on the Constitution. 'The EC asks me to file an affidavit and give information under oath. I have taken oath inside Parliament, in front of the Constitution, on the Constitution,' Gandhi said.
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First Post
10 minutes ago
- First Post
Largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill: How India set a military benchmark with Operation Sindoor
Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has revealed unprecedented details of Operation Sindoor — India's large-scale May military retaliation against Pakistan. Backed by full political freedom and advanced weaponry like the S-400, the operation destroyed key Pakistani military assets, terror hubs and aircraft read more Indian Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh sits in the HJT-36, a jet trainer of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), during the "Aero India 2025" air show at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, February 10, 2025. File Image/Reuters Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh has delivered the most comprehensive account yet of Operation Sindoor, India's large-scale military response against Pakistan in May. Speaking at the 16th edition of the Air Chief Marshal LM Katre Memorial Lecture at the HAL Management Academy Auditorium in Bengaluru, Singh highlighted that the success of the operation was rooted in decisive political backing and the complete operational freedom given to the armed forces. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Launched on May 7, 2025, Operation Sindoor was triggered by the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians. The IAF chief's remarks come amid continued discussion over the planning, execution, and strategic outcomes of the operation. Political clarity and full operational freedom Addressing the audience, Singh stated that the operation benefited from unprecedented political commitment and the absence of operational restrictions from the government. 'There was political will, clear directions given to us, and there were no restrictions,' he said, underlining that any limits on escalation were decided internally by the armed forces themselves. 'If there were any constraints, they were self-made… We decided how much to escalate… We had full freedom to plan and execute. Our attacks were calibrated because we wanted to be mature about it… There was a synchronisation between the three forces.' His statement came after earlier remarks by India's defence attaché to Indonesia, Captain Shiv Kumar, who, at a seminar earlier, suggested that some aircraft losses during the operation had been due to political constraints. 'May not agree (with an earlier Indonesian speaker's claim) that we lost so many aircraft, but I do agree we did lose some aircraft and that happened only because of the constraint given by the political leadership,' Kumar had said. Singh's firm rejection of this narrative highlights the IAF leadership's position that decision-making was driven by strategic judgement rather than externally imposed limits. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Learning from Balakot In recounting the experience, Singh also compared the information-sharing approach during Operation Sindoor to that of the 2019 Balakot airstrike. He noted that after Balakot, the lack of accessible evidence for the public had complicated efforts to convey the scale of the strike's success. '…In Balakot, we could not get anything from inside, and it became a big issue trying to tell our own people, unfortunately, as to what we have been able to achieve. We had intelligence of what had gone on inside, had a human kind of intelligence where we had a very clear picture of the inside in terms of there had been huge damage. There have been so many terrorists who have been neutralised, but we could not convince our own people that, look, we have achieved that,' Singh recalled. This time, he said, the forces ensured that both the domestic audience and the international community could see and understand the operation's impact. 'So I am very happy that this time we were able to take care of that ghost of Balakot that we were able to tell the world what we have achieved,' he added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Unprecedented aerial victories One of the most striking details revealed by the IAF chief was the destruction of multiple Pakistani aircraft, including what he described as the largest-ever recorded surface-to-air kill. 'We have at least five fighters confirmed kills and one large aircraft, which could be either an ELINT aircraft or an AEW &C aircraft, which was taken on at a distance of about 300 kilometres. This is actually the largest ever recorded surface-to-air kill that we can talk about,' Singh said. These kills were achieved using India's advanced air defence systems, including the recently acquired S-400 missile system. Singh described the S-400 as a 'game-changer' that effectively denied Pakistani aircraft the ability to launch long-range munitions. Indian officials have named the S-400 air defence system the 'Sudarshan Chakra'. File Image/Reuters 'Our air defence systems have done a wonderful job. The S-400 system, which we had recently bought, has been a game-changer. The range of that system has really kept their aircraft away from their weapons like, those long-range glide bombs that they have, they have not been able to use any one of those because they have not been able to penetrate the system,' he said. According to Singh, Pakistani aircraft were unable to approach even the outer limits of India's Akash and Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) systems, with all engagement opportunities falling to the Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) network. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Strategic strikes deep inside Pakistan The IAF chief described the scope of the strikes in detail, revealing that the operation targeted critical Pakistani military infrastructure. The list included: Two major command-and-control centres at Murid and Chaklala. Six radars, ranging from large installations to smaller systems. Two surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW) systems in Lahore and Okara. Three hangars: Sukkur UAV hangar, Bholari hangar, and the Shahbaz Jacobabad F-16 hangar. About Jacobabad, Singh said, 'We have an indication of at least one AEW&C in that AEW&C hangar and a few F-16s, which were under maintenance there. One half of the hangar is gone. And I'm sure there were some aircraft inside which have got damaged there.' Bholari, which housed AEW&C facilities, was also attacked, with intelligence indicating an aircraft was inside during the strike. Singh noted that the intent was not to destroy one airfield completely but to send a broader strategic message. India struck the hangar at Jacobabad airfield, Pakistan. 'The idea was once again not to attack one particular airfield and decimate that airfield. The idea was to give him that feeling or give him that indication that look, we can attack you deep inside, at will, wherever we want to,' he said. He also recounted that the operation included a long-desired strike at Sargodha, a key Pakistani airbase. 'Sargodha, we've grown up in our Air Force, dreaming about days like this, someday we'll get a chance to go there. So it just so happens that I got my chance just before I retired… So we took on the airfield there,' he remarked. Minimal collateral damage Operation Sindoor was aimed at eliminating terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Indian forces struck nine major hubs linked to terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen. Singh displayed before-and-after images of Bahawalpur, Jaish-e-Mohammed's headquarters, noting that strikes were carried out with precision to avoid civilian harm. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A view of the post-strike visual at Bahawalpur that reveals gaping holes in the mosque's dome, widespread debris, and collapsed buildings. Maxar Technologies/Reuters 'There's hardly any collateral here… The adjacent buildings are fairly intact… Not only did we have satellite pictures, but also from local media, through which we could get inside pictures,' he said. The offensive reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 100 terrorists. Singh explained that India's long-range precision weapons were used extensively and that every effort was made to limit collateral damage while ensuring operational effectiveness. Pakistan's retaliation and the turning point Following India's strikes, Pakistan responded with artillery shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) and in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as attempted drone incursions across the border. This retaliation led to the deaths of 16 Indian civilians and injuries to 59 others, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. India's coordinated counter-offensive targeted Pakistan's radar systems, communication facilities, and airfields across 11 locations, including Nur Khan Air Base. Pakistani's Nur Khan airbase at Chaklala, Rawalpindi, was among those struck by India under Operation Sindoor. Within 80 to 90 hours of sustained action, Singh said, Pakistan's air defence network had been significantly degraded. 'It was clear to them that if they continue, they are going to pay for it more and more,' he noted. At this stage, Pakistan conveyed through the Director General of Military Operations that it wished to initiate dialogue — a proposal that India accepted. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Avoiding prolonged conflict Singh defended the government's decision to halt the operation once its objectives had been achieved, pushing back against calls to continue military action. 'People got down to their egos in the war… Once we achieved our objective, we should have looked for all windows of opportunity to stop… Some people very close to me said, 'Aur maarna tha'. But can we continue to be at war?… The nation has taken a good decision,' he said. He stressed that the operation was designed as a deterrent measure rather than an open-ended conflict, and that extending hostilities could have carried significant costs for the country. In his remarks, Singh also praised the role of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the National Security Agency (NSA) in ensuring seamless coordination among the armed forces and intelligence agencies. 'The post of CDS made a real difference. He was there to get us together… NSA also played a big role in getting all the agencies,' he said. With inputs from agencies
