Lakshmi Manchu says art and politics should be kept separate amid Sardaar Ji 3 row
Actor Lakshmi Manchu recently voiced her opposition to the backlash on the casting of Pakistani actors in Indian cinema and emphasised that art should not be entangled with politics. This comes amid backlash over two recent Bollywood films, including 'Abir Gulaal' and 'Sardaar Ji 3.'In a conversation with Hindustan Times, the actor was asked about her opinion on calls to ban such films released in India. She replied, 'Don't politicise art. Go after the people who are causing the trouble. You can't just throw a blanket ban on everybody and say no (you can't work with them). Where is our growth? Where is our warmth? As Indians, we welcomed all these people with open hearts.'advertisementCurrently, Diljit Dosanjh's film is under fire for sharing the screen with Pakistani actor Hania Aamir. Earlier, in March, Vaani Kapoor was under fire for featuring alongside Fawad Khan in 'Abir Gulaal'.
Manchu further added, 'Where are our hearts now? Politics is one way, but why are cattle herding and blanketing? Why are they going after an actor? What threat are they to India, and banning their Instagram? Like how insecure are you? Rather than a divide and rule policy, we need to find ways around how we can find common ground and fight together against the common enemy.'Meanwhile, the actor recently featured in Prime Video's latest reality show, 'The Traitors' which is hosted by Karan Johar.- EndsMust Watch
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The Print
27 minutes ago
- The Print
Not sign of my ‘leaping to join' PM's party: Tharoor on Op Sindoor outreach article
His remarks were seen as likely to irk his Congress party and widen cracks in his ties with its leadership. Tharoor, in an article published in The Hindu on Monday, said Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remained a 'prime asset' for India on the global stage but deserved greater backing. Moscow, Jun 24 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said his article on Operation Sindoor's global outreach was not a sign of his 'leaping to join' Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party but a statement of national unity, interest and standing up for India. Asked about the article at an event here, the Thiruvananthapuram MP said: 'It is not a sign of my leaping to join the prime minister's party (the BJP) as some people unfortunately have been implying. It is a statement of national unity, of national interest and of standing up for India, which to my mind is fundamentally why I came back to India after 25 years of service at the UN.' 'I did so to serve India, and I am very proud to have the opportunity to do so,' Tharoor added. Tharoor said the article was written about 'Operation Sindoor' in which he described the success of the diplomatic outreach mission. 'People always tend to see all this in the context of today's news. It is an article in which I describe the success of this outreach mission, which, amongst other things, showcased the unity of all parties behind the matter of vital national interest,' Tharoor said. 'So, I said the prime minister himself has demonstrated dynamism and energy in engaging with other countries. He has travelled to more countries than any prime minister, and done so in order to take the message of India around the world,' the Congress leader said. 'And to my mind, what we all did was give his efforts that back up by bringing to bear the strength of all of India's different political parties, backgrounds, groups, religions, and convey to the world that message that a united India stands for. Today it is a message against terrorism, tomorrow it could be a message on something else, but that backing up, I believe, is very important,' he said. Tharoor recalled the expression used by Americans that political differences should stop at the water's edge to buttress his argument. 'I, too, have believed for the longest time that political differences in our democracy should stop at the borders. For us, it seems to me there is really no such thing as a BJP foreign policy or a Congress foreign policy, there is only Indian foreign policy and Indian national interest.' 'I am not saying something new, I said this very many years ago, and I said this publicly, on the record, the very first time when I became the chairman of the External Affairs committee back in 2014,' Tharoor said. In the article, Tharoor said the diplomatic outreach following 'Operation Sindoor' was a moment of national resolve and effective communication. The Prime Minister's Office shared Tharoor's article on X. Tharoor in his article said: 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi's energy, dynamism and willingness to engage remains a prime asset for India on the global stage but deserves greater backing.' 'The diplomatic outreach following 'Operation Sindoor' was a moment of national resolve and effective communication. It affirmed that India, when united, can project its voice with clarity and conviction on international platforms,' said the Congress leader, who led a multi-party delegation to the US and four other countries to convey India's stand following the Pahalgam terror attack and the military operation. Tharoor's praise for the prime minister comes at a time when the Congress has been consistently attacking the Modi government over its foreign policy, alleging that Indian diplomacy is being 'shattered' and the country stands 'isolated' globally. Following the Pahalgam attack, Tharoor has been making comments on the India-Pakistan conflict and the diplomatic outreach that are at variance with the stand of the Congress. The Congress has been questioning the government over US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire between the two countries. He has often drawn criticism from his party and jibes aimed at him by Congress leaders for his stand. The delegation, led by Tharoor, visited the US on the last leg of a multi-nation tour to brief key interlocutors about Operation Sindoor, launched by India following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives. The delegation was one of the seven multi-party delegations India had tasked to visit 33 global capitals to reach out to the international community to emphasise Pakistan's links to terrorism. Last week, while speaking in Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor said he has differences of opinion with some in the party leadership, but is not going to speak about them in light of the byelection in Kerala's Nilambur constituency. He said the Congress, its values and its workers are very dear to him. PTI ASK PY PY PY This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Indian Express
32 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump repeats claim, says ‘proud' of stopping India-Pakistan potential ‘nuclear war'
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday reiterated his claim of America's role in South Asia, calling his intervention in the India-Pakistan conflict one of his 'proudest' diplomatic achievements, a claim India has swiftly rejected. 'The most important of all, India and Pakistan… I ended that with a series of phone calls on trade. I said if you're going to go fighting each other, we're not doing any trade deal,' Trump said during a press briefing after the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands. 'I said, 'Look, if you're going to go fighting each other… it was getting very bad, you know how bad that last attack was. It was really bad,' Trump said. 'If you're going to go fighting each other, we're not doing any trade deal,' Trump said. 'I got them to reason, and I said, we're not doing a trade deal if you're going to fight. They said, no, I want to do the trade deal. We stopped the nuclear war…' #WATCH | Hague, Netherlands: US President Donald Trump says '…The most important of all, India and Pakistan…I ended that with a series of phone calls on trade. I said if you're going to go fighting each other, we're not doing any trade deal. The General from Pakistan was in… — ANI (@ANI) June 25, 2025 Trump also mentioned that Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, had visited the White House recently. 'And in fact, I had the general, who was very impressive. The general from Pakistan was in my office last week,' he said. Speaking about India, Trump added, 'Prime Minister Modi is a great friend of mine. He's a great gentleman. He's a great man. And I got them to reason. I said, we're not doing a trade deal if you're going to fight and if you're going to fight each other, we're not doing a trade deal. And you know what they said. No, I want to do the trade deal. We stopped the nuclear war,' Trump claimed. In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly asserted that he warned New Delhi and Islamabad the US would halt trade if tensions escalated further. 'I wouldn't have any interest in making a deal with either if they were going to be at war with each other. I would not and I'll let them know.' Indian officials have categorically and repeatedly denied that trade was a factor in the de-escalation, stating the conflict resolution came via direct military-to-military contact between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries. In a nearly 35-minute phone call with US President last week, PM Modi is said to have firmly rejected any suggestion of external mediation and stated that India does not and will 'never accept' mediation. The standoff followed a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, in which 26 civilians were killed. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and PoK. The ceasefire took effect on 10 May after four days of intense cross-border strikes.
The Hindu
34 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Naidu draws parallels between Emergency era and Jagan's rule in Andhra Pradesh
Marking the 50th anniversary of the declaration of Emergency in India, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched a scathing attack on past regimes, likening the authoritarian rule of the Emergency era to the recent governance of former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Participating in the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas (Constitutional Murder Day) event here on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said, 'June 25, 1975, was the darkest day in Indian democracy. Even today, the wounds of that autocratic rule remain unhealed. The Emergency was not just a political imposition — it was a brutal assault on the soul of our democracy.' Mr. Naidu drew parallels between the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the 'destructive and dictatorial' governance witnessed in Andhra Pradesh in the last five years. 'If the Emergency is a case study on how not to govern a nation, Mr. Jagan's tenure is a case study on how not to lead a State,' he remarked, accusing the previous YSRCP government of throttling dissent, demolishing institutions and damaging democratic values. Referring to the demolition of Praja Vedikasix years ago on the same date, Mr. Naidu said it symbolised the beginning of a regime of vendetta politics and institutional destruction. 'The very platform meant for people's dialogue was razed down. That act was not just symbolic; it was a declaration of war against participatory governance,' he stated. Mr. Naidu thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan for partnering with the TDP in what he called a 'mission to rescue Andhra Pradesh from chaos.' He emphasised that rebuilding efforts were now under way, with the people's mandate empowering them to restore democratic accountability. Drawing attention to India's constitutional legacy, Mr. Naidu reminded the audience that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had given the people a powerful weapon — the right to vote. 'It is through this sacred right that the people rejected destruction and embraced reconstruction,' he said. Criticising the Congress and YSRCP in one sweep, Mr. Naidu remarked, 'Authoritarian rulers may destroy institutions, but people's will shall always prevail. Just as N.T. Rama Rao bounced back after being ousted, today we are reclaiming our State's democratic spirit.' History teaches us that forgetting the Constitution is the first step toward tyranny. Samvidhan Hatya Diwas is a reminder that democracy must be protected not just in courts and Assemblies, but in the conscience of every citizen, he added.
