Saif Ali Khan Backs Indian Armed Forces Amid India-Pakistan Conflict: ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Hind'
Saif Ali Khan has voiced strong support for the Indian government and armed forces in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor.
As tensions between India and Pakistan reach a boiling point following the horrific Pahalgam terror attack and India's strong military response through Operation Sindoor, actor Saif Ali Khan has issued a powerful and emotional statement voicing his support for the nation, its government, and the armed forces.
In a rare public comment on matters of national security, Saif said, 'I stand in complete solidarity with, and support of, my government and their response to the slaughter of innocents in Pahalgam. My thoughts and prayers are with the families shattered by the violence of this most recent terror attack on our soil. I salute the bravery and courage of our armed forces and thank them for keeping us safe."
His message came in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 lives—civilians and soldiers alike—were tragically lost. The incident prompted the Indian government to launch Operation Sindoor, a coordinated series of precision airstrikes targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The strikes, carried out on May 7, were followed by retaliatory drone and missile attacks from Pakistan on Indian soil, including regions like Jammu, Pathankot, and Udhampur.
In his statement, Saif further emphasized the importance of national unity and resilience in the face of terror, 'I pray we all stand united against terrorism. Jai Jawan, Jai Hind."
The Indian Army, in an official statement, confirmed that it successfully intercepted Pakistan's drone incursions and ceasefire violations on May 8 and 9, while remaining 'fully committed to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation."
Meanwhile, Saif Ali Khan is officially set to star in the Hindi remake of the 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam. The actor and filmmaker Priyadarshan, who have been talking about adapting this Mohanlal-starrer for a while now, are finally making it official. In an exciting twist, Bobby Deol will join Saif Ali Khan as the antagonist in the Oppam remake. Interestingly, Samuthirakani, who played the villain in the original Malayalam film, is also expected to play a significant role in the Hindi version.
Produced by Antony Perumbavoor, Oppam revolves around Mohanlal's character, Jayaraman, a visually impaired man with extraordinary senses of smell, hearing, and touch. When a retired judge is murdered by a man he wrongfully sentenced, Jayaraman steps up to protect the judge's daughter. Sources reveal that Saif Ali Khan has been in talks with Priyadarshan and the producers of Oppam since 2023.
First Published:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
10 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India-US trade deal: Commerce Ministry advised against accepting ‘unilaterally framed obligation' on digital taxes
Legal advisers to the Commerce and Industry Ministry have suggested that Indian negotiators dealing with their US counterparts should not accept Washington's proposal that prohibits India from reintroducing equalisation levy-style taxes, such as the 'Google tax', in the future, a person aware of the negotiations told The Indian Express. The advice was offered on the grounds that the provisions drafted by the US did not state that both parties should refrain from applying digital taxes on each other. Rather, they sought a legal commitment only from the Indian side and were seen as a 'unilaterally framed obligation', the source said. While the US offers a range of digital services in India and American tech companies have long lobbied against any taxes on such services, India also exports a wide range of digital services to the US — particularly in the IT sector — generating the majority share of its total services exports earnings from the US market. Another concern raised with the government was that agreeing to such unilateral provisions could set a risky precedent for future trade negotiations, where similar demands could be made by other trading partners during talks with New Delhi, thereby complicating future negotiations. In a move to assuage US concerns about India being a high-tariff nation, the Central government in March proposed abolishing the equalisation levy on online advertisements as part of the amendments to the Finance Bill, 2025. An equalisation levy is a measure to 'equalise' the tax treatment of resident and non-resident e-commerce companies. As part of the 35 amendments to the Finance Bill, 2025, the Centre proposed removing the 6 per cent equalisation levy (EL) it charges on digital ads, effective from 1 April 2025. A query emailed to the Commerce and Industry Ministry remained unanswered till press time. 'Digital taxation is typically discussed outside the framework of a trade agreement. It is a nation's sovereign right to decide on such matters, and India should reserve that right. Bringing it under the scope of a trade agreement weakens your position. We need to examine the digital trade chapters of the US and Australia, which India must study carefully. Australia has provided the US with a carve-out that allows for protections for US services. We also need to secure our IT/ITeS and technology exports from taxation in the US, our largest market' Arpita Mukherjee, professor at Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) said. Notably the US has forced Indonesia to several steep terms on digital trade. Indonesia has committed to address barriers impacting digital trade, services, and investment, a White House statement said. 'Indonesia will provide certainty regarding the ability to transfer personal data out of its territory to the United States. Indonesia has committed to eliminate existing HTS tariff lines on 'intangible products' and suspend related requirements on import declarations; to support a permanent moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions at the WTO immediately and without conditions; and to take effective actions to implement the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation, including submitting its revised Specific Commitments for certification by the World Trade Organization (WTO),' the White House statement read. The United States Trade Representative (USTR), in its report on non-tariff barriers, had earlier cited the 6 per cent equalisation levy as a discriminatory measure against US firms. The USTR report said that most digital services taxes are designed in ways that discriminate against US companies, often singling out American firms for taxation while excluding domestic companies engaged in similar lines of business. The US has also raised concerns about digital services taxes with a number of trade partners, particularly the EU. 'The disproportionate capture of US firms by the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) is also noted as undermining US competitiveness due to increased compliance costs not borne by EU competitors,' the USTR said. Differences between India and the US assume significance as New Delhi continues to face the risk of 26 per cent reciprocal tariffs. After Indian negotiators completed another round of discussions in Washington last week, a US team led by the US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, Brendan Lynch, is expected to visit India in mid-August to continue negotiations for a trade agreement. While India and the US have agreed on a wide range of tariff lines, the negotiations — which currently only involve market access for goods — remain stuck over sensitive sectors such as agriculture and automobiles, which are key job creators in India. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Bharat must remain Bharat, shouldn't be altered: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday emphasised that 'Bharat must remain Bharat' and should not be translated or altered in any context, as reported by news agency at the 'Gyan Sabha', a national education conclave organised by the RSS-linked Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, Bhagwat said that Bharat is not just a name but the nation's very 'identity'.advertisement'Bharat is a proper noun. It should not be translated. 'India that is Bharat,' is true. But Bharat is Bharat, and that is why, while writing and speaking, we should keep Bharat as Bharat... Bharat must remain Bharat,' Bhagwat said, stressing that the global respect India commands is rooted in its original identity, or 'Bharatiyata'. He cautioned that losing one's identity, regardless of achievements, could result in a loss of respect and security on the global stage. 'The identity of Bharat is respected because it is Bharat. If you lose your identity, whatever other meritorious qualities you may have, you will never be respected or secure in this world. That is the rule of thumb,' he highlighted India's historical commitment to peace and non-violence, saying the country has never followed expansionist or exploitative policies.'Viksit Bharat, Vishwa Guru Bharat, will not be the cause of war ... and will never exploit. We have gone from Mexico to Siberia; we walked on foot, and we went in small boats. We did not invade anyone's territory or ruin it. We did not usurp anyone's kingdom. We taught everyone civilisation,' he to India's civilisational philosophy, he added, 'You see the tradition of Indian knowledge. The root of the tradition is in that truth... the truth of the unity of the whole world.'On education, Bhagwat called for a values-based system rooted in India's cultural ethos. He stressed the need for education to foster self-reliance and social responsibility. 'One small intention behind getting education is to be able to stand on your own in your life and to be able to keep your family intact...' he to nationalist thinker Maharishi Arvind, the RSS Chief linked the revival of Sanatana Dharma to the idea of a Hindu nation. 'Yogi Arvind said that it is God's will for the Sanatana Dharma to rise and for the rise of Sanatana Dharma, the rise of the Hindu nation is inevitable. These are his words, and we see that today's world needs this vision. Therefore, we will have to first understand what Bharat is...' he concluded by reiterating the importance of anchoring India's education system in its civilisational values and national identity.- EndsWith inputs from InMust Watch
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Tharoor unlikely to speak on debate on Pahalgam attack, Op Sindoor issues in LS
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is unlikely to speak on the debate on Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor that gets underway in LS on Monday. "He has not asked the party to be fielded in the debate. The party too has not approached him either till now," sources said. It is to be seen who opens the debate for opposition or initiates the debate in case the chair asks anti-BJP benches to take the lead. The discussion is not being done under any specific rule of LS procedures and is also not based on any notice, sources said, quoting consultations between opposition, government and Speaker. While the belief is that Rahul Gandhi may start, there have been times like during opposition's no-confidence motion against Modi government on Manipur ethnic conflict in Aug 2023 when he let his now deputy Gaurav Gogoi to initiate, and himself spoke later. But Tharoor skipping the debate would set the tongues wagging, as the Thiruvananthapuram MP has had run-ins with the party since he defied Congress to lead a delegation constituted by Modi government for the global outreach on the India-Pakistan conflict. As Tharoor threw his weight behind the government on the issue of conflict and also on the pause of hostilities, there was a frequent to and fro between him and Congress members who were critical of the government.
