Will convey Pahalgam was not one-off incident: Ravi Shankar Prasad
Senior Bharatiya Janata party leader and former union minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, who is leading a delegation of lawmakers to several European countries including the UK and Italy to talk about Operation Sindoor, said the thrust of their outreach will be on Pakistan's continued support of cross border terrorism.
In an interview to Hindustan Times, before the delegation leaves on the 13-day tour, Prasad spoke about India's enhanced military strength and its precision strikes against terror camps.
Edited excerpts
You are leading the delegation to the UK, France, Germany, European Union, Italy and Denmark to shed light on Operation Sindoor and how it was conceived. What will be the thrust of this outreach?
The essence of our communication will be that we believe in peace and amity, but not at the cost of mayhem and brutal killing of our innocent people. We will also convey that this (the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that provoked Operation Sindoor) is not a one-off instance . It is a matter of global concern that Pakistan today has become a sanctuary for terrorism. Anything that happens anywhere can be traced to Pakistan, whether it was giving asylum to Osama Bin Laden the co-founder of Al Qaeda who masterminded the 9/11 terror attacks or the barbaric killing of (journalist) Daniel Pearl. Pakistan's links can be traced to the multiple terror attacks on Indian soil from Uri, to Pulwama and now Pahalgam.
So, the focus will be on Pakistan's role in fostering terrorism?
After every attack, when it has been conveyed to them that there is a link, the response has always been denial. Even after the recent attack, the link between the establishment and terror networks has been blurred.
We are going with the message that terrorism is the biggest enemy of humanity, of basic human rights. Terrorism is a threat to democracy and is against the human rights of ordinary citizens. Pahalgam is the most striking example of how terrorists killed innocent people with impunity. These people were killed in cold blood after being asked to state their religion; men were massacred in front of their wives and families. It is imperative for the world to know this. We will focus on the scourge of cross border terrorism and how Pakistan cannot tolerate peace and development in Jammu and Kashmir.
You have been part of such an outreach before as well. In 2002, after the terror attack on Indian Parliament, you were part of a delegation that went to South Africa. Do you think there is a change in how the world now perceives India's message about terrorism?
Absolutely. Earlier there was equivalence, justification and validation....now there is a change. Now the primary focus is that peace and amity cannot coexist with the designs of terror groups and their patrons who kill with impunity.
India has been assertive that it carried out precision strikes against terrorist bases and did not hit civilians. Will this reflect in your message as well?
The Indian armed forces have showcased their might, and their technological superiority in being able to carry out clinical, precision strikes. Israel is a small state and has flawless air defence, but India too proved its prowess, protecting the whole area from Bhuj (in Gujarat) to Leh (Ladakh); our systems intercepted Pakistani missiles and protected our people. This also shows that the Narendra Modi government's thrust on ramping up defence spending has borne results, from Akash to Brahmos we have superior technology. Of course, we have also been able to voice our concerns through diplomatic channels about terrorism.
The government has selected lawmakers from across the political spectrum for the outreach, but parties such as the Congress and the TMC have struck a discordant note vis-a-vis the selection of delegates.
I do not want to politicise the issue, but it would have been good if these parties had also reacted in the same way. TMC is the second largest party in Parliament, and it will be good to have them on board.
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It is noteworthy that the delay in India's case — 6 years — is much longer than in most other countries (including India's neighbours such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). • Explaining the delay, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) spokesperson posted the following on X: 'Covid disrupted all sectors, including education. Around 30 lakh enumerators are needed for the Census and most of them are primary school teachers. Conducting the Census post-Covid could have disrupted primary education immensely.' • One, the caste census, or the collection of caste data along with all the other data. Two, the possible usage of Census 2027 data for the purposes of delimitation, which is essentially an exercise that will entail rebalancing the state-wise share of Lok Sabha seats based on population. 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Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍The Census of 1931 ECONOMY For first time in 6 years, CPI inflation likely to have fallen below 3% in May Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment. What's the ongoing story: India's headline retail inflation rate may have fallen below 3 per cent for the first time in just over six years in May 2025, with food prices again expected to drive down the overall trajectory even though vegetables became somewhat more expensive last month compared to April 2025. 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Bank of Baroda's Essential Commodities Index, for instance, declined 0.6 per cent year-on-year last month – the first time the index has fallen since January 2019. • While the headline inflation rate is seen falling for the seventh month in a row in May 2025, core inflation – which measures the year-on-year price change for non-food-non-fuel items in the CPI basket – is seen edging up to around 4.2 per cent. • Core inflation, seen as an indicator of underlying demand pressures, has gradually risen since the middle of 2024, when it stood at 3.1 per cent. According to Nomura economists Aurodeep Nandi and Sonal Varma, the recent uptick in core CPI inflation should be looked through. • While the outlook for inflation is benign – the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week cut its forecast for the current fiscal by 30 basis points (bps) to 3.7 per cent – the pace with which prices of certain food items are falling is decreasing. According to Union Bank of India, vegetable prices possibly rose in May 2025 on a month-on-month basis after consistently falling for six months. 'On-the-ground prices of most food segments, though, continue to slide but the pace of correction is losing ground,' the bank's economists, led by Kanika Pasricha, said in a note. Do You Know: • The CPI inflation is nothing but the rate of inflation that consumers face. It is different from the major inflation indicator — the wholesale price index-based inflation rate. According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), which releases the data, the consumer price index measures 'changes over time in general level of prices of a basket of selected goods and services that households acquire for the purpose of consumption'. At an all-India level, the current CPI basket comprises 299 items. • Apart from an aggregate index, consumer price indices are constructed for both rural and urban consumers as well. The 'base year' for the current series of indices is 2012. In other words, the price index is given a value of 100 for 2012 and changes from these price levels are then calculated to arrive at inflation rates for each good or service. • The CPI has six main components, each with differing weights and many more sub-components within them. The main components are—Food and beverages, Pan, tobacco and intoxicants, Clothing and footwear, Housing, Fuel and light and Miscellaneous (services such as education, health care etc.) • Among these, food articles currently weigh 45% of the total index. The second-biggest component is that of miscellaneous services. Within the food category, cereal prices are the biggest factor — they account for 9.67% of the total CPI. This means that a spike in prices of food articles like cereals, vegetables, milk and pulses tends to have the biggest impact in raising consumer inflation. And the reason why food articles have been given such a high weightage is that most Indian consumers tend to spend a considerable portion of their income towards meeting their food demand. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What latest inflation data say PRELIMS ANSWER KEY 1.(b) For any queries and feedback, contact Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
Hindustan Times
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- Hindustan Times
PM Modi's meeting with Canadian PM important opportunity to reset relationship: MEA
NEW DELHI: The upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G7 Summit is an opportunity to reset bilateral ties based on mutual respect and sensitivity to each other's concerns, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday. India-Canada ties rapidly deteriorated after former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged in September 2023 that Indian government agents were linked to the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had dismissed the charge as 'absurd' and accused the Canadian government of giving safe haven to separatists and radical elements that posed a threat to Indian diplomats. Modi and Carney had their first phone conversation on June 6, when the Indian prime minister accepted an invitation to attend the outreach session of the G7 Summit to be hosted by Canada in the resort of Kananaskis on June 15-17. 'We believe that the forthcoming meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit will offer an important opportunity to exchange views on bilateral and global issues, and to explore pathways to reset the relationship based on mutual respect, shared interests and sensitivity to each other's concerns,' external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly news briefing. He didn't go into details of the concerns of both countries and said India's views on 'some of these issues have already been shared publicly in considerable detail'. Besides accusing the Canadian side of not doing enough to rein in Khalistani elements that threatened Indian diplomatic facilities and diplomats, New Delhi had also said the previous Trudeau administration was providing space to secessionist and radical forces inimical to Indian interests. When Carney called Modi last week, the leaders had an 'opportunity to reflect on the India-Canada relationship and the way forward', Jaiswal said, in an apparent reference to the cratering of relations over the past two years. India and Canada, Jaiswal noted, are 'vibrant democracies bound by shared democratic values, a steadfast commitment to the rule of law, and vibrant people-to-people ties'. A readout issued by the Canadian Prime Minister's Office on the phone call between Modi and Carney said at the time that 'there was agreement to continued law enforcement dialogue and discussions addressing security concerns'. The Indian readout on the conversation had made no reference to this issue. Jaiswal responded to a question on the Canadian reference to a dialogue on security concerns by saying that there were existing mechanisms between Indian and Canadian law enforcement agencies that have 'discussed issues of mutual security concern over a period of time'. He added, 'This engagement is likely to continue.' The trial of four Indian men arrested for alleged involvement in the killing of Nijjar is currently underway in Canada. At the same time, both sides have shown interest in discussing the activities of trans-national criminal gangs, including elements with ties to Khalistani separatists. The planned meeting between Modi and Carney is being seen as the first real opportunity in almost two years to repair bilateral ties. Besides the deep people-to-people ties between India and Canada, the Carney government is interested in forging stronger economic ties with India in the face of strained relations with the US due to the trade policies of the Donald Trump administration. Carney has defended his decision to invite Modi to the G7 Summit following criticism of the move by Sikh groups in Canada. He has said India is central to several supply chains, and that the decision to invite Modi was made after consulting other G7 member countries. India is the fifth largest economy and at the heart of a crucial supply chains, he said. India's presence is 'essential' when the G7 countries address key issues such as security, energy, the digital future and critical minerals at the summit, he added. 'There are certain countries that should be at the table for those discussions,' Carney said. Among the priorities listed by Canada for the G7 Summit are strengthening security, countering foreign interference and transnational crime, building energy security, accelerating the digital transition, and fortifying critical mineral supply chains.
Hindustan Times
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- Hindustan Times
Amit Shah reaches Ahmedabad hours after Air India plane crash
New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah reached Ahmedabad on Thursday, hours after the horrific crash of the Air India flight to the UK as condolences poured from world over. The London-bound aircraft with 242 people on board crashed within minutes of taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. On board and among the casualties was the former state CM, Vijay Rupani, who was on his way to meet his family. According to people aware of the details, the former CM's son lives in London. Shah left for Ahmedabad soon after news of the crash. 'Pained beyond words by the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad. Disaster response forces have been quickly rushed to the crash site. Spoke with the Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Bhupendra Patel, Home Minister Shri Harsh Sanghavi, and Commissioner of Police Ahmedabad to assess the situation,' he said in a post on X. Shah visited the plane crash site in Ahmedabad to take stock of the situation on Thursday evening. In the state, the government called off functions, including media interactions that had been planned on the 11th anniversary of the union government. 'A few union ministers were in the state to address the media and take part in programmes about the 11 years of being in power, but these events were called off and the state unit workers have been instructed to join the rescue and relief work, in addition to helping the injured in hospitals and relatives of those who died in the crash,' said a BJP leader based in Gujarat. Several world leaders shared condolence messages on social media. 'The scenes emerging of a London-bound plane carrying many British nationals crashing in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are devastating...I am being kept updated as the situation develops, and my thoughts are with the passengers and their families at this deeply distressing time,' UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on X. British foreign minister David Lammy also condoled the crash and said the UK is working with local authorities in India to urgently establish the facts and provide support. 'Heartbroken to hear the news of a tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad, India. My prayers are with all who lost their loved ones in this horrible incident. We continue to monitor developments and stand with the emergency responders working to help those impacted,' US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, wrote on X. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to President Droupadi Murmu and Modi over the passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad.. 'Please accept the deepest condolences over the tragic consequences of a passenger plane crash in Ahmedabad. Kindly convey the words of sincere sympathy and support to the families and near ones of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured in this catastrophe,' said Putin Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also posted a message of condolence on social media 'Horrible news of a passenger plane crash in India. My deepest condolences to Prime Minister @narendramodi and the entire people of India on this tragic day. Our thoughts are with all victims' relatives and close ones in India, the UK, Portugal, and Canada. We share your shock and grief on this tragic day. We all pray for as many lives to be saved as possible and wish a speedy recovery to those injured.'
