Latest news with #Control
India.com
a day ago
- Politics
- India.com
Russian FM Lavrov Pitches For Reviving Russia-India-China Troika, Makes BIG Claim On LAC
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that the time has come to revive the Russia-India-China troika, citing improved relations between India and China. Lavrov stated that an understanding has been reached between the two nations on calming the border situation. "..Understanding has been reached between India and China on how to calm the situation on the border, it seems to me that the time has come to revive this Russia-India-China troika," Lavrov said. "..Understanding has been reached between India and China on how to calm the situation on the border, it seems to me that the time has come to revive this Russia India China troika.." Russian FM — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 30, 2025 Earlier in October 2024, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that after multiple rounds of talks, India and China have agreed to disengage from the contentious points. Misri further stated that both countries' negotiators have reached an agreement on patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. "As a result of the discussions that have taken place over the last several weeks, an agreement has been arrived at on patroling arrangements along the line of actual control in the India-China border area and this is leading to dis-engagement and eventually a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020," Misri said. Misri's remark marked the major development between India and China after Galwan Clashes. The standoff between both countries began after the violent clash in the Galwan Valley. The relations between the two India and China deteriorated with India openly admitting that the relations are not cordial.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Zealots fulminating about…': Shashi Tharoor hits back at trolls after praise for PM's anti-terror response
All-party delegation Leader Shashi Tharoor responded sharply to online criticism after he praised the Prime Minister's handling of terrorism. Facing backlash from some quarters, Tharoor clarified that his comments were specifically about India's responses to terrorist attacks, not past wars. In a post on X, Tharoor wrote, 'After a long and successful day in Panama, i have to wind up at midnight where with departure for Bogota, Colombia in six hours, so I don't really have time for this — but anyway: For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC: in the past.' He added, "I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars; & My remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone, during which previous Indian responses were both restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB. " But as usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do. Goodnight, he added. 'My remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone, during which previous Indian responses were both restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB. But as usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do. Goodnight,' he added. While speaking at a gathering in Panama City, where he led one of the seven multi-party delegations involved in the Operation Sindoor campaign abroad, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, 'What has changed in recent years is that the terrorists have also realised they will have a price to pay. On that, let there be no doubt. When, for the first time, India breached the Line of Control between India and Pakistan to conduct a surgical strike on a terror base, a launchpad - the Uri strike in September 2016. That was already something we had not done before.' 'Even during the Kargil War, we had not crossed the Line of Control; in Uri, we did, and then came the attack in Pulwama in January 2019. This time, we crossed not only the Line of Control but also the international border, and we struck the terrorist headquarters in Balakot. This time, we have gone beyond both of those. We have not only gone beyond the Line of Control and the international border. We have struck at the Punjabi heartland of Pakistan by hitting terror bases, training centres, terror headquarters in nine places,' he added. Several Congress leaders have pushed back, reminding Tharoor of the surgical strikes conducted during the UPA era. Among them, Congress leader Udit Raj went as far as to sarcastically label Tharoor the 'super spokesperson' of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 'How could you be so dishonest to the party which gave you so much ?' Raj asked in a post on X. Echoing Raj's remarks, Congress's media head, Pawan Khera, who reshared his post on X, also tagged Tharoor in a video in which former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke about the surgical strikes conducted during the UPA era. The delegation led by Tharoor includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayagi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, Bhubaneswar Kalita--all from BJP; Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora.
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
"Have Better Things To Do": Shashi Tharoor's Sharp Retort Amid Congress Digs
New Delhi: In what marks another flashpoint in Shashi Tharoor's worsening ties with the Congress, the senior leader has responded sharply to his party colleagues' jibes after he praised the Narendra Modi government's fight against terrorism. "Critics and trolls", he said, are welcome to distort his views and that he has "better things to do". Shortly after Mr Tharoor's post, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera shared an excerpt from Mr Tharoor's book in which he criticised the "shameless exploitation" of the 2016 surgical strikes as an "election tool". Mr Tharoor is heading an Indian delegation as part of the Centre's global outreach in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. After events in the US and Panama, the delegation is now headed to Bogota. After a long and successful day in Panama, i have to wind up at midnightvhere with departure for Bogota, Colombia in six hours, so I don't really have time for this — but anyway: For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across the LoC: in tge… — Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) May 29, 2025 "After a long and successful day in Panama, I have to wind up at midnightvhere with departure for Bogota, Colombia in six hours, so I don't really have time for this - but anyway: For those zealots fulminating about my supposed ignorance of Indian valour across tge LoC (sic): "I was clearly and explicitly speaking only about reprisals for terrorist attacks and not about previous wars; and my remarks were preceded by a reference to the several attacks that have taken place in recent years alone, during which previous Indian responses were both restrained and constrained by our responsible respect for the LoC and the IB," he said in a post on X. "But as usual, critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do." Mr Tharoor, who ended his message with a terse "goodnight", let slip two typos in his post; many read this as a sign of his fatigue. Mr Tharoor's remarks after the Pahalgam attack and the India-Pakistan conflict have endeared him to the critics and a section of the government, but the Congress is not amused. Senior leaders have earlier said the four-time MP's remarks do not reflect Congress's stand and there have been murmurs about Mr Tharoor "crossing the line". Yesterday, while addressing a gathering in Panama City, Mr Tharoor said terrorists targeting India have realised in recent years that they will have to pay. "What has changed in recent years is that the terrorists have also realised they will have a price to pay. On that, let there be no doubt. When, for the first time, India breached the Line of Control between India and Pakistan to conduct a surgical strike on a terror base, a launchpad - the Uri strike in September 2015. That was already something we had not done before." "Even during the Kargil War, we had not crossed the Line of Control; in Uri, we did, and then came the attack in Pulwama in January 2019. This time, we crossed not only the Line of Control but also the international border, and we struck the terrorist headquarters in Balakot. This time, we have gone beyond both of those. We have not only gone beyond the Line of Control and the international border. We have struck at the Punjabi heartland of Pakistan by hitting terror bases, training centres, terror headquarters in nine places," he said. The remarks drew a jibe from Congress leader Udit Raj. "Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is the super spokesperson of the BJP. He doing Modi ji's chamchagiri (flattery) more than BJP leaders. Does he (Shashi Tharoor) even know what the earlier governments used to do? ... They (the Central government) are taking credit for the Indian Armed Forces. Shashi Tharoor has become the spokesperson for the publicity stunts of the BJP," Mr Raj said. Shortly after, senior Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Jairam Ramesh joined the offensive against Mr Tharoor, making it clear that the Congress high command has taken note. Mr Khera tagged Mr Tharoor in a video in which former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says that many surgical strikes were conducted during the UPA era. He just added a "CC". Mr Khera added another news report, quoting External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar as saying that "professionally done, target-specific, limited-calibre counter-terrorist operations" have been carried out across the LoC in the past too, but this is for the first time that the government has made it public. Mr Ramesh, who has earlier said Mr Tharoor's remarks don't represent the party stand, added a poem to take a jibe. "Oh what a tangled web we weave, When first we practice to deceive..., he said. Shashi Tharoor has had a chequered journey in the Congress, with several run-ins with the leadership. A former Union minister, he was removed as the party's spokesperson in 2014 after he praised Prime Minister Modi in an article. In 2022, he was part of a rebellion by 23 senior party leaders that called for key organisational changes. Many of these leaders have since left Congress. Later that year, Mr Tharoor contested against Mallikarjun Kharge for the party president's post. While Mr Kharge, who had the tacit support of the Gandhi family, won comfortably, Mr Tharoor got over 1,000 votes, an impressive feat for anyone taking on a "Gandhi-approved" candidate. Following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, he spoke to several national and international platforms. While his remarks made headlines and even his critics praised him for his articulation of the Indian position, the Congress leadership is not happy. The Congress, which assured full support to the Centre in its action against those behind the Pahalgam terror attack, has now changed tack and asked the government to come clean on what led to the ceasefire and questioned what role the US played in it. Earlier, the high command sent a message to Mr Tharoor at a meeting of top leaders. "We are a democratic party and people keep expressing their opinion, but this time, Tharoor has crossed the Lakshman Rekha," a party source said. The sources said the leadership sent a "clear message" that leaders must focus on amplifying the party's stand instead of expressing individual opinions. Mr Tharoor has said he has made the remarks in a personal capacity and that he is not a party spokesperson. Against this backdrop, the government selected Mr Tharoor to lead one of the seven Indian delegations travelling abroad as part of the outreach. The Congress said it had not suggested Mr Tharoor's name. The former diplomat said the party is entitled to have an opinion of his abilities and that he will fulfill the responsibility assigned to him.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Bhowana ranked Punjab's cleanest tehsil
The Faisalabad Waste Management Company (FWMC) has removed more than 615,400 tonnes of solid waste from 16 tehsils over the past six months, following the outsourcing of sanitation operations to private contractors. The initiative, launched under the Punjab government's "Suthra Punjab" campaign, is aimed at transforming urban cleanliness standards and achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. According to FWMC sources, the company has deployed a workforce of over 15,000 personnel, 5,199 waste containers, and 3,014 pieces of machinery across the division to ensure regular waste collection from households and public spaces. The massive operation comes as part of a province-wide sanitation reform led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who approved the outsourcing model in November 2024 for all eight waste management companies in Punjab. A half-yearly performance evaluation conducted by the Central Control Room of the Punjab Local Government Department placed Tehsil Bhowana of District Chiniot at the top among 132 tehsils across the province. Bhowana was recognised for its superior sanitation standards, operational efficiency, and timely resolution of public complaints. Tehsils Jalalpur Pirwala in District Multan and Bahawalnagar secured second and third positions, respectively. The control room, which monitors key performance indicators such as staff deployment, facial attendance, vehicle tracking, waste enclosure setup, complaint resolution, and tonnage collection, ranked 26 tehsils with average efficiency scores above 90. Among these high-performing tehsils, seven belong to Faisalabad Division, including Jaranwala, Pir Mahal, Gojra, Kamalia, Chiniot, Lalian, and Toba Tek Singh. Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq described the performance monitoring as a vital component in ensuring long-term sustainability of the initiative. He noted that municipal bodies previously managed to lift only 28,000 tons of solid waste daily, while the new system aims to handle 60,000 tons, ensuring proper waste disposal and minimising environmental hazards. Rafiq added that control rooms have been established at the tehsil level and that more than 100,000 jobs have been created through the outsourcing model. FWMC Chief Executive Officer Rauf Ahmad credited the first-place achievement of Tehsil Bhowana to the hard work of the company's field staff, as well as the cooperation of provincial and district administrations.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Dishonest' vs 'nationalist': Shashi Tharoor triggers another Congress-BJP slugfest
NEW DELHI: Is Shashi Tharoor prioritising national interest over party interest as country's global envoy or is he being a "super spokesperson of the BJP "? The Thiruvananthapuram MP, who is leading one of the 7 multi-party delegations to expose Pakistan post Pahalgam terror attack, is once again in his party's crosshairs - this time for his remark that "India breached the Line of Control (Loc) for the first time during the 2016 surgical strike on a terror base. " As expected, Congress rebuttal to this claim has been sharp and strong. The party cited an old statement of S Jaishankar to counter Tharoor's remarks. Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera posted on X a remark made by Jaishankar to the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs in October 2016. Khera claimed that Jaishankar had then said: 'Professionally done, target-specific, limited-calibre counter-terrorist operations have been carried out across the LoC in the past too, but this is for the first time that the government has made it public." Drifting apart Tharoor and Congress, who have been at loggerheads for sometime now, seem to be fast drifting apart. What started in February as Tharoor's surprise one-off praise for PM Modi's US visit has slowly but surely evolved into a full blown controversy with the Congress leader making several statements in praise of NDA government's diplomacy initiatives and especially its handling of events post the Pahalgam terror attack. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Undo The latest controversy erupted after Tharoor, during his visit to Panama, said that in recent years, India's stance on terrorism had changed and that terrorists now understand they will face consequences for their actions. "What has changed in recent years is that the terrorists have also realised they will have a price to pay; on that, let there be no doubt. When, for the first time, India breached the Line of Control between India and Pakistan to conduct a surgical strike on a terror base, a launch pad - the Uri strike in September 2015. That was already something we had not done before. Even during the Kargil War, we had not crossed the Line of Control; in Uri, we did, and then came the attack in Pulwama in January 2019. This time, we crossed not only the Line of Control but also the international border, and we struck the terrorist headquarters in Balakot. This time, we have gone beyond both of those. We have not only gone beyond the Line of Control and the international border. We have struck at the Punjabi heartland of Pakistan by hitting terror bases, training centres, and terror headquarters in nine places," Tharoor had said. This evoked a sharp retort from the Congress. Udit Raj, who has been leading the charge against Tharoor, took to social media to slam the Thiruvananthapuram MP. "How could you denigrate the golden history of Congress by saying that before PM Modi, India never crossed LOC and the International border. In 1965 the Indian Army entered Pakistan at multiple points, which completely surprised the Pakistanis in the Lahore sector. In 1971, India tore Pakistan into two pieces and during the UPA government, several surgical strikes were unleashed, but drum beating was not done to encash it politically. How could you be so dishonest to the party which gave you so much?" the Congress leader wrote on X. Pawan Khera also targeted Tharoor and tagged him on an old interview of Manmohan Singh - in which the former Prime Minister had claimed that at least 6 surgical strikes were carried out against Pakistan during the UPA regime. The Congress had in May 2019 released a list of six UPA-era "surgical strikes" which included Bhattal sector in Poonch (June 19, 2008); Sharda sector, across Neelam River Valley, in Kel (August 30-September 1, 2011); Sawan Patra checkpost (January 6, 2013); Nazapir sector (July 27-28, 2013); Neelam Valley (August 6, 2013); and one on December 23, 2013." The BJP, which had then called these claims fraudulent, came to Tharoor's defence and slammed the Congress for attacking a "nationalist" leader within its ranks. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged the Congress has deployed Udit Raj to attack Tharoor at the behest of Rahul Gandhi at a time when a multi-party Indian delegation, led by the Congress MP, is abroad to expose Pakistan at the international forum. BJP leader Ajay Alok said, 'There are two gangs within Congress - one is the 'Gangs of Rahul Gandhi,' similar to 'Gangs of Wasseypur', and the other is the nationalist group with leaders like Shashi Tharoor and P Chidambaram. Today, the Gangs of Gandhi are behaving like the Gangs of Wasseypur. Congress has completely lost its mental balance." Who is to blame for this divide? Former Congress leader Sanjay Jha blames the party for the present crisis. "The Congress did not give Tharoor his due. In Tharoor, the Congress had a huge talent at its disposal and he along with Chidambaram should have been given prominence in showcasing party's response to the current standoff," Sanjay Jha says. What should worry the Congress is the support for Tharoor from one of its senior Kerala leaders, who was recently removed from the post of state chief. Former KPCC chief K Sudhakaran had last week questioned the party's decision to exclude the name of Tharoor from the list of persons to lead the Centre's delegations on ' Operation Sindoor ' and said it was akin to "insulting" him. Sudhakaran said that Tharoor was a competent leader and a loyal member of the party and therefore, in his view, it was not right to sideline the Thiruvananthapuram MP. "All this was an unnecessary controversy is what I feel," Sudhakaran had said in an interview to a TV channel according to news agency PTI. Should Congress act against Tharoor? Tharoor seems to be unperturbed by the Congress opposition to his stand and the attacks of Udit Raj. He has openly aired his views supporting PM Modi's diplomacy initiatives despite clear instructions from Mallikarjun Kharge not to speak against the party line. Sanjay Jha feels Congress should not take any action against Tharoor and instead the party should make efforts to talk to him and integrate him. Well, that does not seem likely in the present circumstances - especially with some Congress leaders now taking a more aggressive stand against Tharoor. Perhaps, it is the politics of Kerala that is at the centre of this row. Kerala goes to polls next year and Congress is going all out to defeat the LDF and make a comeback in the state after two consecutive defeats. The fact that Rahul Gandhi's closest aide K C Venugopal is from Kerala may perhaps have something to do with the power tussle in the state unit and Tharoor's possible disenchantment with the party.
