
Modi distorting history, alleges Ramakrishna
Addressing the media here on Saturday, he criticised Modi for spreading falsehoods about the RSS, which initially rejected the national flag and Dr BRAmbedkar's Constitution post-independence.
Ramakrishna alleged the BJP still lacks faith in the Constitution, citing Modi's earlier remarks about amending it if the party won 400 Lok Sabha seats. He noted the BJP's recent electoral setback forced it to form a coalition with parties like the TDP.
Ramakrishna questioned Modi's claim of reducing poverty by 25 per cent, asking why free rice distribution continues for millions if poverty has declined. He accused the Modi government of favoring industrialists like Adani and Ambani through its policies. On the Polavaram Project, Ramakrishna alleged collusion between the central and state governments to deceive the poor. He claimed the Modi government's policies harm project evacuees, with plans to reduce the dam's height to lower compensation, potentially turning it into a barrage. He highlighted the plight of tribal communities in submerged areas, enduring floodwaters for three months annually.Ramakrishna called the state-promoted Banakacherla project a 'hoax,' warning against private control of irrigation projects. He questioned the feasibility of its ₹2 lakh crore cost, with Rs 1 lakh crore from private sources. While supporting the free bus scheme, he stressed the need for 3,000 more buses and 10,000 staff for effective implementation. The CPI demanded land allocation and Rs 5 lakh for home construction for the poor.Ramakrishna alleged EVM misuse aided Modi's rise and announced a national CPI meeting in Chandigarh to counter the 'autocratic policies' of both governments. CPI leaders KVVPrasad, Tatipaka Madhu, KRambabu, and V. Kondal Rao attended the press conference.
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Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Reading the outcome of the Alaska summit
The Alaska summit between American President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin may have ended inconclusively, but it clearly indicated that if the Ukraine war ends during Trump's presidency, Ukraine will likely have to sacrifice a part of its territory. The usual aggression that Trump displays when meeting other world leaders was hardly present when he met Putin; if anything, there was a great deal of chemistry between them. In the run-up to the summit, Trump had warned of 'severe consequences' if Putin continued the Ukraine war after the summit, but that appears to be an empty threat now. As a matter of fact, Trump seems to have gone in the opposite direction. After the summit, Trump agreed with Putin that the best way to end the war was through a peace settlement — not a ceasefire, which Ukraine, Europe, and even the US had preferred prior to the summit, but not Russia. The apparent rapport between the two leaders and Trump's reversal on the ceasefire issue suggest that Trump is likely to, going forward, show more understanding of the Russian position than the Ukrainian one. Apart from the growing certainty, underscored by this summit, that the war is likely to end on Russia's terms, the rest is just noise and drama — including, it seems, Trump's recent threat to impose an additional 25% duty on Indian goods for buying Russian oil. A key reason Russia is unlikely to give up the captured Ukrainian territory is not only its military strength but also that, under Trump, Washington lacks the political will to enforce such a change. Even if the US had the political will to do so, as it did under the Biden administration, it might still have been unable to dislodge Russia from the occupied territories. At best, the US could have made it tough for Russia to hold onto the captured territory and generally made life difficult for Moscow. Trump is not keen on doing so; he appears to have decided to abandon Ukraine. America's lack of commitment to this war is hardly born out of a realistic assessment of the balance of forces on the battlefield or due to Russian staying power in the occupied territories; it is simply a function of Trump's personal proclivities. Trump is simply not convinced of the need to push back against Russia because he doesn't believe in that cause: He wants a great power rapprochement with Russia. Trump's war termination talks with Russia without Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the table, America's reduced military assistance to Ukraine, and the summit with Putin are all part of the American president's attempts at controlling the narrative, something Trump enjoys immensely. Europe is deeply worried but has limited capacity to help Ukraine. Its security predicament stems from its deep reliance on American security guarantees. If it doesn't have the wherewithal to look after its own security, its ability to help Ukraine without the US is far less certain. Notwithstanding Europe's good intentions and its constant assurances to Ukraine, it will eventually have to swallow the bitter pill and walk the line dictated by Washington. Good intentions are not enough to win wars. Russia is now acting from a position of strength — militarily, diplomatically and geopolitically. The Alaska summit has further strengthened Moscow's position regarding the war. By agreeing to a peace settlement to end the war, as opposed to a ceasefire, Trump has effectively agreed to the Russian position. Even if we are not sure what Trump has in mind when he refers to a peace settlement, we do know what Putin means by it. The Russian view of a settlement has the following four key elements. One, international legal recognition of Crimea, captured in 2014, as part of Russia, as well as Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions; two, Ukraine must become neutral, outside any military alliance, host no foreign forces, and make a commitment not to acquire nuclear weapons; three, major limits on Ukraine's armed forces; four, ending the sanctions on Russia. Even if Russia is able to get some, if not all, of these demands met — which doesn't seem impossible at this point— it is likely to walk away from this war victorious. Russia is on its way back into the ranks of great powers and the global balance of power, and Putin has much to thank Trump for creating that shift. Even though Ukraine is the most important, and aggrieved, party in this conflict, unfortunately, it appears to be the least consequential one at the negotiating table, at least for the moment. It neither has the military power to push back against Russia on its own nor does it have the geopolitical standing to convince Trump to come to its aid. Kyiv's best friends, the European States, are finding it harder to do for Ukraine any more than what they are already doing. Ukraine's fate is a grave wake-up call for small and medium powers worldwide, especially those bordering ambitious great powers. If so, the eventual outcomes of the Ukraine war are broadly clear; unless of course, there are major shifts in geopolitics in the months to come. We are likely to witness a great power détente between the US and Russia. The chemistry between the two leaders left us in no doubt that the world is headed that way. Such a US-Russia détente will leave Europe insecure, which will seek to build its defence outside of Nato. Ukraine is caught between having to make concessions it detests and being embroiled in a long war with Russia without any US military assistance. It can afford neither, nor can it avoid a choice. Happymon Jacob is the founder and director of the Council for Strategic and Defense Research and the editor of INDIA'S WORLD magazine. The views expressed are personal.


Hindustan Times
26 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Reforming the GST regime
The Goods and Services Tax (GST), when it was finally implemented after decades of labour, was India's largest ever indirect tax reform. It created a nationally unified market and a unique federal forum for governing it. Doing away with state-level bumps in the indirect tax regime, however, was only one of the GST's promises. It was also expected to make the tax regime simple, especially in terms of slabs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech has raised hopes of this promise being fulfilled eight years after GST's roll out. Speaking from the ramparts of Red Fort — the directional changes were later shared by finance ministry officials — Modi said that the Union government has sent a proposal to the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by the GST Council to unleash second generation reforms in GST, which, among other things, will bring most items under just two slabs of 'standard' and 'merit' with some exceptions being put under 'special rates'. HT reported earlier that the Centre has been mulling this, but also pointed out how the GST Council has not met for a long time now. While Modi announced that the reforms, especially on the slab front, would likely be rolled out before Diwali (second half of October), a GST Council meeting is yet to be notified. The idea, at least in principle, ought to be welcomed unequivocally. It will simplify the tax regime and take politicking out of setting tax slabs. However, the devil may very well lie in the details. Any large-scale revision in GST slabs will have to take into account its revenue implications as well as a possible inflationary impact. These two are likely to work in opposite directions and are critical factors for the fiscal and political health of the governments in charge, both in the Centre and the states. One would like to believe that a large part of this homework has been done by the GoM and state governments are on the same page with some of these salient findings. We will know more when these proposals are discussed in the next GST Council. A simplified GST is a much-needed step in India's long, even if gradual, road to reforms. Ideally, this reform should have happened earlier and definitely not in the current environment of global economic turmoil. But that's what political friction to reform sometimes entails.


India.com
26 minutes ago
- India.com
Janhvi Kapoor Faces Backlash Over Edited Video, Actress Says Roz Bolungi Bharat Mata Ki Jai...
New Delhi: Actress Janhvi Kapoor found herself at the center of social media criticism after chanting "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" during a Dahi Handi celebration in Ghatkopar, Mumbai, on Saturday (August 16). While the moment was intended to reflect patriotic enthusiasm, many netizens misinterpreted the context, accusing the actress of confusing Janmashtami with Independence Day. Social Media Reacts Soon after the video went viral, social media platforms were flooded with memes and sarcastic remarks. One user commented, 'Sanskrit ke paper mein calculator le gaya,' while another joked, 'Rotated so hard between festivals this week that she forgot their names and reasons.' A third user simply called it a 'New Glitch.' Also Read | Param Sundari Trailer OUT: Sidharth-Janhvi Romance With SRK-Rajinikanth References, Banter & Laughter Janhvi Responds to Criticism With Clarification Responding to the backlash, Janhvi Kapoor took to her Instagram story on Sunday (August 17) to provide context. She shared that it was BJP MLA Ram Kadam who first raised the chant of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" at the event, and she merely echoed it. However, the viral clip that circulated online had been edited to show only her part, giving the impression that the chant was initiated out of context. In her post, Janhvi wrote, "Unke bolne ke baad nahi bolti toh problem, aur bolo toh bhi video ko kaat ke meme material. Waise sirf Janmashtami nahi, roz bolungi Bharat Mata ki Jai." ('If I hadn't repeated it after he said it, it would be a problem, and if I do, the video gets edited and turned into meme material. Not just on Janmashtami, I'll say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' every day.') Watch the full video here: #WATCH | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Actor Janhvi Kapoor participates in the Dahi Handi festival on the occasion of #KrishnaJanmashtami — ANI (@ANI) August 16, 2025 Adding Glamour to the Festive Spirit Despite the controversy, Janhvi's presence brought star power to the Janmashtami festivities. Dressed in an elegant traditional outfit, she participated in the celebrations with enthusiasm, engaging with the crowd and taking part in the rituals, including breaking the Dahi Handi pot. On the Work Front Professionally, Janhvi Kapoor is preparing for the release of her upcoming romantic-comedy Param Sundari, in which she stars opposite Sidharth Malhotra. The film tells a cross-cultural love story between a Punjabi boy and a Malayali girl, focusing on how their love transcends cultural boundaries and personal differences.