He got many opportunities to serve India: PM after Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation
"To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution," Dhankhar wrote in his letter to the President.Dhankhar took over as 14th Vice President of India in August 2022 and was expected to serve a five-year term till August 2027. His resignation, which also means stepping down as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, came on the opening day of the Monsoon session of Parliament.- Ends
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First Post
30 minutes ago
- First Post
Pakistan PM Sharif renews ‘dialogue' call, but India wary of peace rhetoric turning into betrayal
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's call for 'meaningful dialogue' with India is met with scepticism in New Delhi, given a long history of peace talk offers followed by betrayal. India remains firm: no talks without concrete action against terrorism. read more Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said his country was ready for a 'meaningful dialogue' with India to resolve all outstanding issues. However, the statement follows a familiar and recurring pattern that has left India deeply sceptical. New Delhi views such peace overtures from Islamabad as part of a well-worn script, historically been followed by betrayal and hostile actions. Sharif made the remarks during a meeting with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott in Islamabad, where the two discussed regional affairs and bilateral ties. According to an official statement, Sharif 'expressed his appreciation for the UK's role in de-escalation of tensions during the Pakistan-India standoff' and reiterated that 'Pakistan was ready for a meaningful dialogue with India on all outstanding issues.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The comments come in the wake of Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7 to target terror and military infrastructure in Pakistan's territories following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. However, India's position remains firm: any dialogue must centre around Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and an end to cross-border terrorism. Indian officials have consistently warned against falling into the trap of rhetoric-driven diplomacy from Pakistan that lacks sincerity and follow-through. A pattern of peace talk offers followed by betrayal Pakistan's leadership has a long history of extending olive branches publicly while permitting or orchestrating actions that sabotage the very idea of peace. 1999 Kargil War: Just months after then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Lahore in a ground-breaking peace initiative with Nawaz Sharif, Pakistani troops and militants, under the guidance of General Pervez Musharraf infiltrated Indian territory in Kargil, triggering a bloody conflict that cost hundreds of lives. 2001 Agra Summit: After the Kargil betrayal, India cautiously resumed dialogue. But the summit collapsed and in December that year, terrorists from Pakistan attacked the Indian Parliament, a strike that nearly brought the two nations to the brink of war. 2008 Mumbai Attacks: Another major setback came after years of back-channel diplomacy and confidence-building measures. The 26/11 attacks, carried out by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives, left 166 people dead and shattered any remaining trust. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Post-Uri and Pulwama attacks: In more recent years, terror attacks in Uri (2016) and Pulwama (2019), again linked to Pakistan-based groups, were met with Indian military responses, surgical strikes and airstrikes in Balakot, respectively that further cementing India's view that engagement with Pakistan has repeatedly been undermined by acts of terror. India's cautious stance The Indian government has been saying unequivocally that talks cannot proceed under the shadow of terrorism. Without visible, verifiable action from Pakistan to dismantle terrorist networks operating from its soil, India remains unwilling to resume any substantive dialogue. In this context, Sharif's latest outreach is being viewed in New Delhi not as a genuine diplomatic move but as part of a familiar playbook, one where calls for peace serve as a smokescreen for strategic inaction or deception.
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Business Standard
30 minutes ago
- Business Standard
India, UK likely to sign FTA today; business heavyweights converge
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, are set to meet on Thursday for the formal signing of the long-negotiated India–UK free-trade agreement, marking a significant moment in bilateral ties. The signing is scheduled to take place at Chequers, the British prime minister's countryside retreat in the Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire. The 16th-century manor, located roughly two hours from London, will provide the backdrop for the ceremonial close of years of talks between the two nations. 'I am embarking on a visit to the UK and the Maldives from July 23 to 26. India and the UK share a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership that has witnessed significant progress in recent years. Our collaboration spans a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment, technology, innovation, defence, education, research, sustainability, health and people-to-people ties,' Modi said in an official statement ahead of his departure. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, along with senior officials from the commerce department — including Special Secretary and Chief Negotiator L Satya Srinivas, Industry Secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia — and a high-powered business delegation, are already in London for the occasion. While Goyal and UK Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds are expected to ink the agreement on Thursday, a business-to-business summit is set for the following day. Delegates from both countries will explore how to leverage the trade pact's provisions and expand opportunities under the new framework. The timing of the signing is seen as strategically significant. India is also in the advanced stages of concluding a trade deal with the United States, at a time of rising geopolitical polarisation. The Union Cabinet approved the FTA on Tuesday. While implementation in India is now a formality, the UK must still seek approval from Parliament. Once enacted, the agreement is expected to bring substantial benefits. India will see British tariffs eliminated on around 99 per cent of tariff lines, essentially encompassing the full trade value between the countries. Indian tariffs, in turn, will be reduced or eliminated on 90 per cent of tariff lines, with 85 per cent becoming fully duty-free within a decade. The deal is expected to boost Indian exports to the UK, making them more competitive through tariff reductions and improved market access. S C Ralhan, president of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), said the agreement could have a positive impact on job creation, particularly in labour-intensive sectors such as textiles, leather and jewellery. It could also lead to a rise in bilateral investment flows. Kirit Bhansali, chairman of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and a member of the Indian delegation, projected that exports of gems and jewellery to the UK could nearly treble to $7 billion in the next financial year. 'We are expecting exports of studded jewellery to pick up,' Bhansali said. India is expected to import gold, silver, and platinum from the UK in return, though these will be subject to a certain cap. Bilateral trade between India and the UK stood at over $55 billion in FY24. The UK is currently the sixth largest investor in India, with cumulative investments of $36 billion, while India has invested nearly $20 billion in the UK, according to data from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
Christian Michel's children write to PM Modi asking for release of their father
Christian Michel James LONDON: The three children of AugustaWestland helicopter scam accused Christian Michel , a British national incarcerated in India as an undertrial for seven years, have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi pleading for his unconditional discharge. Modi left Wednesday for London where he is expected to sign a free trade pact on Thursday. Michel has been in Tihar jail since Dec 2018 when he was extradited to India from Dubai. In a letter to PM Modi, his son Alois writes on behalf of his brother Alaric and sister Alienor that next week his father will complete seven years in Tihar jail without trial, which amounts to the maximum penalty for the offences he is accused of. 'After 12 years of investigation, Indian authorities have failed to bring my father to trial,' hehas written, describing this length of time in detention without trial being 'a gross violation of human rights'. He points out Britain is a country which is friendly towards India. 'Our father is entitled to an immediate, unconditional discharge,' he writes. Michel, meanwhile, has penned a letter from Tihar to UK PM Keir Starmer, in which he writes: ' If I am not released next week then it is illegal detention.' He says that trying him for the same crime in India, that he was exonerated for by the courts in Italy, is 'double jeopardy', and adding further offences to those he already faces, as the Indian govt has done, is a breach of extradition laws. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Alois has also written to UK foreign secretary David Lammy criticising the British govt for not applying effective pressure on India. 'Our father has been subject to torture and attempts on his life have been made in the prison. It has not gone unnoticed that the British govt has been rushing to secure a trade deal with Mr Narendra Modi, without any concern for human rights of a British citizen. In what way is our father's case different from the many the British govt has forcefully taken up with other govts,' he asks. Michel is accused of bribing and criminally conspiring with Indian officials to win a contract on behalf of British helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, now renamed Leonardo's Helicopters, for 12 VVIP helicopters in 2010 and receiving €30m for securing the deal. He denies the charges.
