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Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Reveal truth to country: Congress to govt after CDS' remarks on losses in Operation Sindoor
The Congress asked the government on Saturday to truthfully tell the country what losses were suffered during the four-day conflict with Pakistan after Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan acknowledged aircraft loss in the hostilities. Gen Chouhan, however, dismissed as 'absolutely incorrect' Islamabad's claim of downing six Indian jets. Latching on to the comment by the chief of defence staff (CDS), Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy said the country wanted to know whether any aircraft were downed during the conflict, especially in the wake of the CDS' 'admission'. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that on July 29, 1999, the Vajpayee government set up the Kargil Review Committee under the chairmanship of 'India's strategic affairs guru K Subrahmanyam, whose son is now our external affairs minister'. This was just three days after the Kargil war ended, he said. 'The committee submitted its detailed report five months later. The report titled 'From Surprise to Reckoning' was then laid on the Table of both Houses of Parliament on February 23, 2000, after the necessary redactions. 'Will the Modi government now take a similar step in light of what the Chief of Defence Staff has just revealed in Singapore?' Ramesh posed in a post on X. Soon after CDS Gen Chouhan's remarks, made during an interview with Bloomberg TV, got published, Reddy took the opportunity to say, 'It appears very clearly a Rafale fighter aircraft was downed in the four-day operations.' 'Today, an hour ago, CDS Gen Chauhan has confirmed that a Rafale aircraft was brought down in the four-day operation. The fact that the fighter aircraft were down is something that the Government of India needs to stop denying. The CDS himself mentioned that.' At a press conference, the Congress leader said, 'Earlier, Air Marshal (Awadesh Kumar) Bharti had mentioned it indirectly in his briefing along with the DGMO. He specifically said that 'losses are normal in combat; the mission objective of the operation has been achieved, and all pilots have come home'.' He said when Rahul Gandhi first pointed it out in a question to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, it was 'very bizarre and strange' that the ruling party functionaries at all levels accused him of not being patriotic. 'We are happy that the objectives (of Operation Sindoor) have been achieved, but the fact that the fighter aircraft were down is something that needs to be… the Government of India should stop denying that. The CDS himself has mentioned it and Air Marshall Bharti had also done so,' Reddy said. The Telangana minister reiterated that the Congress supports the Indian armed forces in every endeavour. 'The party congratulates them as they have done a great job and we are proud of them, we salute them,' he said. 'Today the whole country must realise that for some reason the Government of India were not upfront with whatever happened. The other thing that needs reassessment by the government is that most of the firing in the four-day operation was done by respective countries from within their borders; still, we lost our aircraft. 'I think, this needs serious reassessment of technology so that lessons are learnt and we go forward and improve in those aspects,' Reddy, a former IAF pilot, said. He refuted allegations that his party was playing politics over the issue and said that after every war or conflict, all nation discloses what losses they inflicted on the enemy and what losses they suffered. 'We are not playing politics. We are proud of our armed forces's decisive victory over Pakistan. We want to know the truth about the reverses for lessons for future conflicts.' 'The moot point is every time we have raised this, they have said we are anti-patriotic, anti-national. Are they going to accuse Gen Chauhan of this now,' he posed. Reddy claimed the government was trying to, somehow, not come out clearly with what really has happened. 'We feel the government must be more transparent on every significant event that took place throughout the India-Pak operation,' he said, adding the way forward must be clear and transparent. 'We are very proud of our armed forces and we have seen the satellite pictures. Please tell us how many Pakistan Air Force aircraft you have downed and Indian aircraft that were down. 'A government has to be transparent. Accountability is normal in a democracy. This is not about patriotism. We are more patriotic. Our first family, the Gandhi family, have suffered and have made huge sacrifices for the integrity of the country and these people question us. This is really shocking,' the Congress leader said. Gen Chauhan, in the interview, asserted it is more important to find out why the aircraft were lost so that the Indian military could improve tactics and hit back again. 'I think what is important is not the jet being downed but why they were being downed,' he said. The CDS was asked whether India lost combat jets during the four-day military clashes with Pakistan earlier this month. 'The good part is that we were able to understand the tactical mistakes which we made; remedied, rectified and then implemented it again after two days. We flew all our jets again targeting at long range,' he said. 'Absolutely incorrect,' Gen Chauhan said when asked about Pakistan's claim of shooting down six Indian jets during Operation Sindoor. Previously, Indian Air Force's Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshall AK Bharti, acknowledged that 'losses are a part of combat' and said all IAF pilots returned home safely. Air Marshall Bharti made the remarks at a media briefing on May 11 when asked about Indi'a aircraft losses during Operation Sindoor. Gen Chauhan is in Singapore to participate in the Shangri-La Dialogue. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday accused the government of misleading the nation on the India-Pakistan conflict and demanded holding a special session of Parliament immediately, following Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan's acknowledgement of aircraft loss in the hostilities. In a post on X, Kharge said his party demands a comprehensive review of India's defence preparedness by an independent expert committee, on the lines of the survey done by the Kargil Review Committee. 'In the wake of the remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in Singapore in an interview, there are some very important questions that need to be asked. These can only be done if a special session of the Parliament is immediately convened,' he said. 'The Modi Government has misled the nation. The fog of war is now clearing.' The Congress chief said the IAF pilots risked their lives fighting the enemy, and 'suffered some losses but our pilots were safe'. The Congress president said his party salutes their resolute courage and bravery. However, a comprehensive strategic review is the need of the hour, he asserted. 'The Congress party demands a Comprehensive Review of our Defence Preparedness by an independent expert committee, on the lines of the Kargil Review Committee,' he said. Citing Donald Trump's statements, Kharge said the US president has again repeated his claim about 'brokering a ceasefire'. 'This is a direct affront to the Shimla Agreement. Instead of clarifying Mr Trump's repeated assertions, and the affidavit filed by the US Secretary of Commerce in the United States Court of International Trade, PM Modi is on an election blitz, taking personal credit for the valour of our Armed Forces, hiding behind their bravery and dodging the contours of the agreed ceasefire, which the Foreign Secretary announced on May 10, after Trump's tweet,' Kharge noted in his post. 'Is India and Pakistan now again hyphenated? What are the conditions of the ceasefire agreement? The 140 crore patriotic Indians deserve to know this,' the Congress chief asserted. In a separate post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also asked, 'It is an extraordinary and telling commentary on Emergency@11 that the PM will not chair all-party meetings and will not take Parliament into confidence but the nation gets to know of the first phase of Operation Sindoor through the CDS's interview in Singapore.' 'Couldn't opposition leaders have been taken into confidence by the PM earlier?' he asked.
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Reveal truth to country: Congress to government over CDS' remarks on losses in Operation Sindoor
NEW DELHI: The Congress asked the government on Saturday to tell the country the truth on what losses were suffered during the four-day conflict with Pakistan after Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan acknowledged aircraft loss in the hostilities. Gen Chouhan, however, dismissed as "absolutely incorrect" Islamabad's claim of downing six Indian jets. Latching on to the comment by the chief of defence staff (CDS), Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy said the country wanted to know whether any aircraft were downed during the conflict, especially in the wake of the CDS' "admission". "A government has to be transparent. Accountability is normal in a democracy. This is not about patriotism. We are more patriotic. Our first family, the Gandhi family, themselves suffered and have made huge sacrifices for the integrity of the country and these people question us. This is really shocking, bizarre," the Congress leader said. He reiterated the Congress supports the Indian armed forces in every endeavour. "The party congratulates them as they have done a great job and we are proud of them, we salute them," he said.
India Gazette
8 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Agriculture remains backbone of Indian economy": Shivraj Singh Chouhan hails Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan
New Delhi [India], May 31 (ANI): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday hailed Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, saying that under this campaign, demand-driven research will be done on the basis of feedback coming from the village. 'I congratulate our scientist.... Now, research will not be done sitting in Delhi. Demand-driven research will be done based on feedback coming from the village. Agriculture remains the backbone of the Indian economy... This growth rate results from policy changes by PM Modi, his vision, and the hard work of the farmers,' he said. Earlier, Chouhan launched the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' from Sakhigopal of Puri district, Odisha, today. This historic initiative, launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), is a concrete step towards transforming Indian agriculture and securing the food future of the country through scientific innovation and grassroots participation. During the 15-day campaign, Chouhan will travel to about 20 states. State governments will play a key role in realising this mission, and all states are expected to make this campaign a success through collective ownership and dedication. This campaign will be organised in more than 700 districts from 29 May to 12 June 2025. 731 KVKs, 113 ICAR institutes, state-level departments and officials of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries and innovative farmers will participate in this campaign. Through this campaign, an effort has been made to add a strong chapter towards the resolution of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a Vikashit Bharat. 'Agriculture has traditionally been a state subject in our country. Each state formulates its own agricultural policies and takes steps in the interest of its farmers. But in today's rapidly changing times, there is a need to bring comprehensive reforms to Indian agriculture. Our farmers have filled food reserves by producing record yields. However, markets are evolving, and consumer preferences are changing,' PM Modi said via video conference during the launch of Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan. 'Therefore, this is a humble effort to bring about changes in the agricultural system by working together with farmers and state governments. The goal is to modernise Indian agriculture, and for that, this campaign aims to initiate direct discussions with farmers. Under this campaign, our teams of scientists are taking the concept of 'lab to land' forward in a major way. They will provide farmers with modern agricultural knowledge backed by data and will support them before the season begins,' he added. He appealed to the farmers to address every query of the farmers and document their valuable suggestions as well. 'The 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan' will open new doors of progress for our 'annadatas' (food providers). With this hope, I extend my heartfelt best wishes to the entire team and all the farmers,' he added. (ANI)
Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Farce in legislature as B.C. Conservatives seek a provincial election over a blurred Zoom call
VICTORIA — The legislature descended briefly into farce this week in a dispute over a cabinet minister who blurred the background behind him while voting online on a key piece of legislation. Opposition leader John Rustad argued that 'blurgate' — as one of the New Democrats called it — was serious enough to have led to the defeat of the NDP government. The alleged infraction happened Wednesday night, as the New Democrats pushed through Bills 14 and 15, increasing the cabinet's power to fast-track approvals for energy projects and infrastructure. Several New Democrats exercised the option of casting their votes using the Zoom online platform. One who did so was Rick Glumac, the junior minister of state for trade and NDP MLA for Port Moody-Burquitlam. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. When Glumac voted in support of Bill 14 shortly after 7 p.m., he did so with a blurred background. When he voted on Bill 15 an hour later, he'd abandoned the blurring and changed to a clear background. The B.C. Conservatives pounced on the distinction, arguing that the blurring violated the guidelines for voting by Zoom issued by Speaker Raj Chouhan himself. 'A quiet, private location with good lighting should be selected,' said MLA Peter Milobar, quoting from the rule book. 'The backdrop must be neutral, free of political or partisan images or slogans. Zoom virtual backgrounds must not be applied. 'The only way to have a blurred background is by electronic means, which would be virtual,' Milobar continued. 'That is the only possible way the technology happens, for the minister of state for trade to have a blurred background on one vote and an hour later a clear background.' Then the Opposition pitch to Speaker Chouhan: 'We would ask for a reconsideration, based on the Speaker's own rules, that the minister of state for trade was not eligible to have his vote cast on Bill 14.' If Glumac's participation were disallowed, Bill 14 would have been defeated 46 votes to 45. The Speaker had already ruled that there was no specific rule against use of a blurred background. Now, pressed by the Conservatives, he did so explicitly a second time. 'The chair has already ruled on this issue earlier,' Chouhan advised the house. 'The chair does not consider a blurred background to be a virtual background.' The Conservatives protested angrily, whereupon the Speaker reminded the house: 'Members, no argument with the chair.' He was citing a rule adopted after the Solidarity protests against the 1980s Social Credit government. Those protests spilled over into the chamber and the house was paralyzed by constant challenges to the chair. Under the new rules adopted 40 years ago, challenges were no longer allowed: 'The Speaker delivers rulings through a statement to the house and the matter is no longer open for debate or discussion.' Following the current Speaker's warning, the Conservatives stormed out in protest. As they left, one of their number, Kelowna Mission MLA Gavin Dew, snarled an insult, which the Speaker took as a direct attack. 'The member for Kelowna-Mission has left by making a very disparaging remark to the chair,' ruled Chouhan. 'He will not be allowed to return to the chamber until he comes back and apologizes.' A half-hour later, Dew obtained permission to return and said, 'I made an inappropriate remark, and I withdraw.' Though not strictly an apology, it was sufficient for a Speaker determined to lower the temperature in the room. 'Thank you, member, you now have permission to sit,' said Chouhan. 'But I remind all members, you can disagree with each other but never question the chair's ruling (and) never be disrespectful to the chair.' The matter should have ended there, with the Conservatives cooling down and the house winding down for the night. But, next day, Rustad escalated the attack on Chouhan. 'He has seriously shaken our confidence in his ability to carry on with that job,' the Conservative leader told reporters. 'There is no mechanism that we can do, unfortunately, to be able to voice that displeasure in the confidence we have with the Speaker.' Yet with the house not scheduled to sit again until October, Opposition tempers should have cooled by then. NDP house leader Mike Farnworth dismissed the notion that the NDP could have fallen on the issue. There's a recognition in B.C. that governments aren't defeated by accident and the government always has the option of scheduling an explicit confidence motion to clarify the support of the house. The blurring was an 'accidental technicality,' argued Farnworth, not evidence that the minister was gallivanting where he had no business to be. 'He was clearly in a room in a house. 'Blurring is not a virtual background,' continued Farnworth. 'Maybe a member of the Opposition, sitting on a beach with half a coconut, with an umbrella in it and palm trees — that would be a virtual background.' That left only the hapless Glumac. He's toiled mostly in obscurity through his eight years in the legislature. After this week, he risks being remembered mainly as 'the blurred guy' at the centre of a ridiculous standoff. vpalmer@
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Chouhan launches ‘Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan'
Bhubaneswar: Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday launched the 'Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan', a nationwide campaign aimed at transforming Indian agriculture through scientific intervention. The campaign was launched at Sakhigopal in Puri district in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister K V Singh Deo, local MLAs and senior agricultural scientists. Chouhan, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development, said the campaign seeks to help India become the 'food basket of the world' by directly connecting agricultural scientists with farmers. The campaign aims to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Lab to Land' and the concept of a developed India, he added. Under the initiative, scientists from across the country will leave their laboratories to engage with farmers in over 700 districts, providing hands-on guidance and collecting feedback from the field. 'This is the first time since Independence that such a campaign is being undertaken to connect scientists and farmers directly. The initiative is result-oriented, and under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, there will be no shortage of funds for agricultural research,' Chouhan said while addressing the gathering. The campaign will run from May 29 to June 12, aiming to reach and directly engage with around 1.5 crore farmers nationwide. Chouhan encouraged agricultural scientists to view their field visits as a service to the nation's 'Annadatas' (food providers). 'You are going to serve the farmers. It is your good fortune that you are getting a chance to go to the village and talk to the farmers and increase their crop production, there can be no greater virtue than this,' he said. He also appealed to farmers to actively engage with the scientists. 'Please take some time to meet them, learn about new farming techniques, and help increase production. Better seeds mean better yield, and I thank ICAR scientists for developing new seed varieties,' Chouhan added. Highlighting India's agricultural achievements, Chouhan said the country produced 3,539.59 lakh metric tonnes of foodgrains this year—216.61 lakh metric tonnes more than last year. 'India is now capable of feeding its population of 145 crore. But we must not stop — we aim to become the food basket of the world, not just meet our domestic needs but also export to other countries,' he said. Chouhan attributed this success to the blessings of Lord Jagannath, underlining the symbolic importance of launching the campaign from Puri, the holy land of the deity. 'This is not just an agricultural campaign; it's a national mission to ensure our food reserves are full and our farmers' incomes rise,' he told reporters after visiting Jagannath temple to seek blessings before the launch. Before inaugurating the campaign, Chouhan participated in a 'Tiranga Yatra' (Tricolour March) and a plantation programme, alongside Majhi and other dignitaries, marking a symbolic commitment to sustainability and national pride.
