Shashi Tharoor Meets US VP JD Vance; Says Got Strong Support For India's Op Sindoor
Shashi Tharoor In USA: A multi-party delegation of Indian Members of Parliament, led by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, met United States Vice President JD Vance in Washington DC. The dialogue focused on counter-terrorism cooperation following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack and India's decisive military response—Operation Sindoor. Shashi Tharoor, speaking after the meeting, described the discussion as 'very positive' and 'constructive,' noting that VP JD Vance expressed full support for India's right to respond to terrorism.
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First Post
27 minutes ago
- First Post
‘Perpetrators of evil…' Jaishankar reiterates zero tolerance for terrorism in talks with UK's David Lammy
India will never countenance 'perpetrators of evil' being put on par with its victims and expects partners to understand its policy of 'zero tolerance' against terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday during extensive talks with his British counterpart David Lammy. read more India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasised on Saturday that India will never accept equating terrorists with their victims and expects international partners to respect its strict 'zero tolerance' stance on terrorism. His comments came amid concerns in New Delhi about some countries linking India and Pakistan following recent clashes between the two neighbors. Glad to meet UK Foreign Secretary @DavidLammy today in Delhi. Appreciate UK's strong condemnation of the terrorist attack on Pahalgam and support in combatting terrorism. Our conversation focused on the significant strides being made by the 🇮🇳 🇬🇧 Comprehensive Strategic… — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 7, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After arriving in Delhi, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi , who welcomed the UK's support in India's efforts to combat cross-border terrorism. Following the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the British foreign secretary strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack while Modi underscored the need for a decisive international action against terrorism and those who support it. 'Appreciate his substantive contribution to the remarkable progress in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, further strengthened by the recently concluded FTA. Value UK's support for India's fight against cross-border terrorism,' the prime minister said in a social media post. Modi described the recent conclusion of the India-UK free trade pact and double contribution convention (DCC) as a 'strategic milestone' that will unlock potential of the partnership in diverse sectors, according to the MEA. It said the prime minister conveyed his warm greetings to his UK counterpart Sir Keir Starmer and reiterated the invitation for his visit to India at the 'earliest mutual convenience'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In his televised opening remarks at the meeting with Lammy, Jaishankar thanked the UK for its strong condemnation of the 'barbaric' Pahalgam terror attack and London's solidarity and support to New Delhi's fight against terrorism. 'We practise a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and expect our partners to understand it, and we will never countenance perpetrators of evil being put at par with its victims,' he said. It is understood that the Indian side explained India's challenge of dealing with cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The UK was among countries which were in touch with both India and Pakistan in an attempt to de-escalate their tensions during their military conflict from May 7-10. Lammy paid a two-day visit to Islamabad from May 16 during which he welcomed the May 10 understanding between India and Pakistan to stop the military actions. After the meeting, the British foreign secretary said: 'We are advancing a new era in UK-India relations — boosting trade and technology, tackling the climate crisis and providing greater security for our people.' In his remarks, Jaishankar described the recent conclusion of the India-UK free trade agreement and the double contribution convention as 'truly a milestone which will not only propel our two-way trade and investment but will also have a positive effect on other strategic aspects of our bilateral ties'. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As Lammy landed in Delhi, a British readout quoted him as saying: 'We're building a modern partnership with India for a new global era.' It said he will also welcome progress in 'our migration partnership, including ongoing work on safeguarding citizens and securing borders in both countries'. The MEA said the two ministers reviewed the overall bilateral ties and expressed satisfaction at the progress in diverse sectors, including trade, defence and security, technology, health, green energy and climate, education, and people-to-people ties under the India-UK comprehensive strategic partnership. Lammy's visit provided a valuable opportunity to sustain the high-level engagement and to further consolidate the partnership as both sides agreed to continue working closely to advance their shared objectives, it added. Addressing migration remains a top priority for the government and Lammy is focused on working internationally with global partners to secure the UK's borders at home, the British readout said. 'India was one of my first visits as foreign secretary, and since then has been a key partner in the delivery of our 'Plan for Change'. Our relationship has gone from strength to strength — securing our future technologies, adding over 25 billion pounds in trade every year between our countries and deepening the strong links between our cultures and people,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Lammy said the signing of the free trade agreement with India is just the start of the ambitions for the two countries. 'We're building a modern partnership with India for a new global era. We want to go even further to foster an even closer relationship and cooperate when it comes to delivering growth, fostering innovative technology, tackling the climate crisis and delivering our migration priorities, and providing greater security for our people,' he was quoted in the readout. The British foreign secretary was also scheduled to meet leading figures in Indian business to discuss how both sides can unlock greater investment by Indian business in the UK. In 2023-24, India was the UK's second largest source of investments in terms of number of projects for the fifth consecutive year. In his remarks, Jaishankar listed various initiatives which were rolled out recently to bolster the ties. 'Since your last visit to India, there have been significant initiatives which both of us have taken and those initiatives have progressed well.' Jaishankar singled out the Technology Security Initiative (TSI) and said it will enable deeper collaboration in strategic technology sectors of AI, semiconductors, telecom, quantum, health-tech, bio-tech, critical minerals and advanced materials. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We have also launched the strategic exports and technology cooperation dialogue, the first meeting of which was held, I believe, this week. 'This will enhance among others the TSI's effectiveness in promoting trade in critical and emerging technologies, including the resolution of relevant licensing or regulatory issues,' he said. Jaishankar also pointed to the UK-India infrastructure financial bridge and said it can unlock quality long-term capital flows from the United Kingdom to India, and that would surely contribute to our infrastructure development. 'There is very good collaboration in the education sector with many more universities, I believe, planning to establish their campuses in India, and on the people-to-people ties front, we had the privilege — I myself had the honour – to open two new consulates in Manchester and Belfast,' he said. The overall focus of the talks was to further deepen and diversify the India-UK partnership. With inputs from agencies
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
12k of SAIL's 16k tonnes of steel for tallest rail bridge supplied by Bhilai plant
Raipur: The Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has played a pivotal role in the construction of the world's tallest railway bridge over the Chenab River in Jammu & Kashmir, supplying a total of 16,000 tonnes of steel — with its Bhilai Steel Plant alone contributing 12,000 tonnes to the project. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A senior official from the Bhilai plant confirmed the figure on Friday, hailing it as a proud moment for the Indian steel industry and a major milestone in nation-building. The Chenab Railway Bridge, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, is now the highest railway arch bridge on the planet, rising 359 metres above the riverbed — even taller than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge is part of the strategically crucial Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project and aims to bring seamless all-weather connectivity to Kashmir, significantly improving both civilian and military mobility. SAIL's contribution to the bridge included a wide range of steel products such as TMT bars, heavy plates, structural steel, and hot strip mill products. From the total volume supplied, the Bhilai Steel Plant alone provided 5,922 tonnes of TMT bars, 6,454 tonnes of steel plates, and 56 tonnes of structural steel. The remaining steel was delivered by SAIL's IISCO, Durgapur, Rourkela, and Bokaro plants. Officials said that the construction of this 1.3 kilometre long bridge involved the use of approximately 29,000 metric tonnes of fabricated steel, over 10 lakh cubic metres of earthwork, 66,000 cubic metres of concrete, and a vast network of 84 kilometres of cable anchors and rock bolts. Engineered to endure wind speeds of up to 266 kmph and strong earthquakes, the bridge is being seen not just as an engineering feat, but a strategic lifeline to India's northern frontier. SAIL's Bhilai Steel Plant, known for producing high-grade TMT bars with earthquake- and corrosion-resistant properties, has been a consistent contributor to key national infrastructure. Its steel has previously been used in iconic structures like the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Atal Setu, Sela and Atal Tunnels, and even in defence applications including warships like INS Vikrant. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to the Bhilai plant official, the bridge is yet another example of how SAIL's quality steel is powering India's most ambitious projects. "From high-altitude tunnels to bullet trains and now the world's tallest railway bridge, SAIL steel — especially from Bhilai — is proving essential to India's infrastructure push," the official said.
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
Ex-min Netam switches stand on delisting of tribals, questions Cong
Raipur: Former Union minister and senior tribal leader Arvind Netam after attending a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ) event in Nagpur, said that the visit offered him a new perspective on the Sangh's inner workings. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking to the mediapersons on Saturday in Raipur, Netam said he discussed measures to reduce the ideological distance with tribal people. Netam also thanked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for inviting him. Netam announced a change in his position on the issue of delisting, which refers to the removal of individuals from the Scheduled Tribe list if they convert to another religion. He said that although he once opposed delisting, he "now supports it as a way to check forced or induced religious conversions among tribal people". Responding to the criticism from Congress MP Deepak Baij, who questioned Netam's growing proximity to the RSS, Netam hit back by asking whether Baij himself had "converted to Christianity". Netam further challenged the Congress party to clearly state its position on religious conversions. He brought up the protection of tribal land, forests, and water resources as another major concern. He argued that land acquisition for industrial use must not result in the permanent loss of tribal-land ownership. Instead, he suggested that such land be provided on lease, allowing tribal families to retain their rights and connection to their land.
