'Asim Munir America's darling': Cong jabs PM Modi over Pak army chief's US visit
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said Asim Munir appears to have become "America's darling", citing his lunch with President Trump back in June, and another planned visit to the US.
"Field Marshal Asim Munir, whose provocative and communal remarks set the stage for the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, has now become America's darling," Ramesh wrote. "Prime Minister Modi has been claiming a special relationship with President Trump, but this claim has now been completely exposed," his tweet further read.
He also said that the US has not appointed a permanent ambassador to India since January 2025, but the process has been completed for other key countries, including China.
Jairam Ramesh's remarks come in light of Asim Munir's scheduled visit to the US, nearly two months after his last visit to the country, that came weeks after the India-Pakistan military conflict.
During his last visit in June, Munir was hosted by Trump for a private lunch at the White House.
In his next US trip, Munir will attend a farewell event for US Central Command chief General Michael Kurilla in Tampa, Florida, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.
Referencing this, Jairam Ramesh also pointed out to Kurilla's big praise for Pakistan back when India was actively making efforts at the global stage to highlight Pakistan's support to terrorism.
Kurilla had called Pakistan 'a phenomenal partner in the counter-terrorism world', asserting that the US needed to have a relationship with both India and Pakistan. "I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can't have one with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India,' the US general had said.
The timing of Asim Munir's US visit also holds significance due to the ongoing trade tensions between India and America, triggered by Donald Trump's 50 per cent tariff announcement on Indian imports.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
9 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Rahul Gandhi demands clean, pure voter list
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Opposition is protesting for the right to vote for every Indian, and demanded a "clean and pure" voter list. He said the Election Commission is silent as the truth is before the entire nation, after his charge that over one lakh votes in an assembly constituency in Karnataka were found to be fake in a research conducted by his party. Gandhi participated in the protest march by Opposition MPs from Parliament House to the EC office, but was prevented midway by the police and detained. They (EC) cannot talk as the truth is before the entire nation," he said as he was being taken away in a bus by the police. "This fight is not political, but for saving the Constitution," he asserted.
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Biofuels are a pathway to rural prosperity: Sanjeev Chopra, Secy, DFPD
Biofuels are emerging as more than just a decarbonisation tool for the transport sector. They are also a pathway to rural prosperity , agricultural value creation and greater energy security , according to Sanjeev Chopra , Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution . The Indian government can take cues from global experience. Brazil's long-standing ethanol programme, which blends sugarcane-based ethanol in petrol at levels of up to 27 per cent, has reduced oil imports, strengthened rural incomes and created a thriving bioenergy industry. The United States has used corn-based ethanol, blending around 10 per cent in most petrol sold nationally, to support its farm sector while lowering transport emissions. Indonesia has taken a biodiesel route, mandating a B35 blend that uses palm oil to replace petroleum diesel, cutting imports and supporting palm oil growers, with higher blends under consideration. 'Together, we can turn surplus production into sustainable energy, rural growth into national resilience, and agricultural value into enduring prosperity,' Chopra said at the SIAM conference on biofuels. He stressed that ethanol and electric mobility should not be viewed as competing technologies but as complementary routes to achieving environmental and economic goals. 'It is not about either-or. These technologies can grow in a complementary manner, ensuring that consumer needs, producer capabilities and environmental goals are all met,' he said. Diversifying the feedstock base Chopra outlined government initiatives to ensure sustainable and diversified ethanol feedstocks. From October 2025, a pilot will reduce the permissible broken rice percentage in government procurement, freeing up 50 lakh tonnes of fortified rice in five states for ethanol production without affecting food security. 'The idea is to ensure that surplus rice, which is already fortified and stored in the system, can directly support our fuel blending needs without affecting food security,' he noted. Maize production has also been rising sharply, from 340 lakh tonnes to an expected 425 lakh tonnes in two years, with a focus on high-yield varieties and improved post-harvest management. Trials with sweet sorghum at the National Sugar Institute in Kanpur have shown it can be processed in existing sugar mills without major equipment changes, potentially supplying up to 10 per cent of India's ethanol requirement if grown alongside sugarcane. Strengthening rural economies and energy security Chopra linked the biofuel drive to broader rural and economic benefits. By creating additional markets for crops such as sugarcane, rice, maize and sorghum, ethanol production can help stabilise farm incomes, reduce surplus stockpiles and cut India's dependence on imported oil. He also underlined that this approach could protect the country from global supply chain vulnerabilities in critical materials like lithium and semiconductors, which affect electric vehicle production. 'A diverse energy strategy makes us more resilient, both economically and environmentally,' he said.
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
DGCA Investigates Air India After Congress MP KC Venugopal's Shocking Near-Death Flight Experience
Congress leader and party general secretary KC Venugopal has narrated a chilling account of Air India flight AI 2455 from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, which made an emergency diversion to Chennai on Sunday night. The flight, carrying several Members of Parliament, was delayed at departure before being hit by unprecedented turbulence shortly after take-off. Venugopal said a suspected technical fault forced the pilot to divert to Chennai, but what followed was even more nerve-racking, nearly two hours of circling before a failed first landing attempt. 'Another aircraft was reportedly on the same runway. The Captain's quick decision to pull up saved every life on board,' he wrote, adding that 'passenger safety cannot depend on luck.' Air India later clarified that the go-around was due to ATC instructions amid poor weather, not runway conflict. The DGCA is probing the incident as the airline faces increasing scrutiny over safety lapses following the deadly June 12 crash and other alarming episodes.#dgca #airindia #kcvenugopal #flightincident #aviationsafety #flightnews #india #breakingnews #airindiaprobe #midairscare #delhinews #thiruvananthapuram #chennailanding #atc #planeincident #breakingnews #trending #trendingnow #toi #bharat #toibharat #indianews Read More
