
Sule sidesteps question on buzz over NCP factions reuniting
To a query on whether she will call Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to wish him on the party's foundation day, Sule said, 'I speak to all my brothers on different occasions.' The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar, split in July 2023 after nephew Ajit Pawar joined the then Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government.
Asked if she is remembering 'dada' — her cousin and rival NCP head Ajit Pawar — on the Nationalist Congress Party's 26th foundation day on Tuesday, the Lok Sabha member told reporters that she has six brothers and she remembers them every day.
Pune, Jun 10 (PTI) NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule on Tuesday avoided a direct response on the speculation about the rival NCP factions coming together, saying she was busy with other responsibilities and had no time to discuss the party affairs.
The party name and its clock symbol was given to the Ajit Pawar faction, while the one headed by the former Union agriculture minister was christened NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
There has been speculation that the two factions could be looking at burying the hatchet and reuniting.
To a query on a section of the NCP (SP) having the same feeling and Sharad Pawar saying all decisions regarding the party will be taken by her, Sule said, 'I have had no time to discuss the party affairs with party leaders or meet my family for the last 15 days.' Everyone has the right to express their views and opinions in a democracy, she added.
'NCP is an organisation founded by Sharad Pawar and is functional for 26 years. Everyone, whether they are with us or not, has contributed to the growth of the party. There was team work. I am remembering R R Patil, who is no more,' she said.
Sule recently led a multi-party delegation and travelled to some of the foreign countries to convey India's stand following Operation Sindoor, The parliamentarian said she will be leaving in the afternoon for New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet members of multi-party delegations which travelled abroad. PTI MR GK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
15 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Pawar says India lacks strong ties with neighbours
Pune: Sharad Pawar, chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), on Tuesday expressed concern over what he termed as the Union government's failure to maintain constructive relations with neighbouring countries. Addressing party workers in Pune during the NCP (SP)'s 26th Foundation Day, Pawar said the current foreign policy has not fostered an environment for effective regional diplomacy. 'During Jawaharlal Nehru's leadership, India had cordial ties with its neighbours,' Pawar noted, contrasting it with what he called a sharp decline in relations with countries such as Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. 'The map of India tells a story — to the north are Pakistan and China, to the east is Bangladesh, and to the south, Sri Lanka. How many of these countries can we claim to have positive and consistent engagement with today?' he asked. Referring to the aftermath of a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Pawar said his party had refrained from politicising the issue, instead choosing to stand behind the government on matters of national security. 'When civilians were killed in the Pahalgam incident, we did not criticise the Centre. We said we would support any firm response,' he said. Pawar said that India's diplomatic position, once respected in the neighbourhood, has weakened. He pointed out that while Bangladesh owes its creation to India's efforts, it now seems distant. 'Sri Lanka is increasingly leaning towards China, raising doubts about its strategic alignment with us,' he said. He concluded by saying that the current situation points to a failure of leadership in nurturing bilateral ties. 'India today cannot claim to have a meaningful dialogue with any of its immediate neighbours. This will come at a cost,' he warned. Pawar also emphasised that his party would not use these issues for political mileage but, along with the Congress and Left parties, would continue to work towards the country's overall progress. Supriya Sule, the party's working president, shared her experience from a recent delegation visit to Egypt, Qatar, Ethiopia, and South Africa. She said the leaders there spoke warmly of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Indira Gandhi. 'Even as they acknowledge Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the legacy of past Indian leaders remains strong in their memory,' Sule said.


Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
A riveting, action-packed year awaits Modi 3.0 on the diplomatic front
The first year of Modi 3.0 will be remembered most for Operation Sindoor, thrusting Pakistan back to the centrestage of Indian foreign policy. By striking terrorist infrastructure deep inside Pakistan, India not only imposed unprecedented costs upon Islamabad for its support to cross-border terrorism but also raised the stakes for the international community's indulgence of Pakistan's duplicity in addressing a core Indian concern. The year also saw milestones being delivered like the India-UK FTA and the India-EU end-of-2025 deadline set by both sides for a similar agreement that the EU has described as the largest deal of its kind anywhere in the world. PM Modi's visit to the US within a month of President Trump's return to the White House, along with the launch of negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement, was also one of the high points. There were other foreign policy pluses, none perhaps more significant than the breakthrough with China in the form of the successful settlement of the five-year-old border standoff. The thaw in the relationship after the Modi-Xi meeting in Oct in Russia saw India resuming bilateral visits to Beijing and agreeing on a host of measures to normalise ties. Among the highlights was the upgrade in ties with the Taliban with the first political contact in the form of external affairs minister S Jaishankar's talks with the acting Afghan foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. Modi also garnered international attention for his back-to-back visits to Russia and Ukraine, during which he stressed the importance of direct talks to end the war - something the two sides are engaged in currently. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 임플란트 고민 중이라면? 인천 시민이 주목한 33만원 시술 플란치과 더 알아보기 Undo However, many of these foreign policy hits remain an unfinished business and will test India's resolve in the days ahead. On Pakistan, the challenge will be to ensure the global community, particularly the UN Security Council where Pakistan is a member, shows understanding about the punitive terms India has set out in the 'new normal' against Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism. This will be critical in the event of another terrorist attack from across the LoC. The all-party delegations have made a beginning but there's more to be done, while being mindful of the risks of India-Pakistan re-hyphenation that such an exercise might entail. Managing the relationship with the US will be another pressing challenge in the second year of Modi 3.0. This has arisen unexpectedly from Trump's constant needling of India on bilateral trade and perhaps even more damaging utterances on the India-Pakistan conflict, like his use of the term mediation - a big taboo in Indian foreign policy lexicon - and his drawing an equivalence between India and Pakistan. India is hoping that not just the US but also its other Quad partners will be more liberal in their support for India on cross-border terrorism, like in the form of a joint statement when the foreign ministers and leaders meet this year. The third significant challenge in the next few months will be to decide whether it's time to reinforce the improvement in ties with Beijing by resuming direct air and normal visa services with and, more importantly, with a visit to the country by Modi for SCO summit. Despite China's ties with Pakistan acting as a deterrent, India has kept the door open for continued engagement. Modi has also shown interest in rebuilding ties with Canada by accepting his counterpart Mark Carney's delayed invitation for the G7 but this will be subject to Ottawa's handling of Khalistani separatists and also the probe into Nijjar murder that wrecked the relationship. Signs of improvement in Pakistan-Taliban ties and the proposal to expand CPEC into Afghanistan might pose a few problems too. All in all, a riveting, action-packed year is what awaits Modi 3.0.


Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
India will strike deep inside Pak if provoked with terror attacks: Jaishankar in Belgium
NEW DELHI: India will go deep into Pakistan to hit terrorists if they provoke the Indian govt with terror attacks, foreign minister S Jaishankar said while stressing that India will not live with terrorism anymore. In an interview in Brussels, he said Pakistan had trained thousands of terrorists and was ready to unleash them on India. Asked about China's support to Pakistan, the minister warned against double standards on the issue of terrorism. "They have had close ties for decades. But on an issue like terrorism, you cannot afford ambiguity or double standards. In the end, it's a problem that concerns all of us," said the minister. The message to the terrorists, he said, is that there is going to be retribution, and that retribution will be against the terrorist organisations and the terrorist leadership. "We don't care where they are. If they are deep in Pakistan, we will go deep into Pakistan," he said, adding that India's fighter aircraft and missiles had inflicted far more damage on the Pakistani Air Force than vice versa, forcing Pakistan to sue for peace in the conflict that followed India's Operation Sindoor against the terrorists. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo "As far I'm concerned, how effective the Rafale was or frankly, how effective other systems were - to me the proof of the pudding are the destroyed and disabled airfields on the Pakistani side," he said. "The fighting stopped on the 10th for one reason and one reason only, which was that on the 10th morning, we hit these eight Pakistani, the main eight Pakistani airfields and disabled them," he said, adding that images are available in Google showing runways and those hangars which have taken the hit. The minister also said that the issue in Kashmir is about terrorism. "It has become an India-Pakistan issue because Pakistan harbours and supports terrorists. The conflict is between India and terrorism, not with a specific terrorists attack India, we will hunt them down wherever they are, including in Pakistan," he said.