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The Print
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Print
‘Lowest ever since 1962': Congress MP Deepender Hooda flags dip in defence budget under Modi govt
'This is the lowest ever since 1962, when India was defeated due to lack of readiness,' Hooda stated, blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for 11 years of decline in the defence budget. Rs 6.81 lakh crore was allocated for defence for the year 2025-26, an increase of 9.5 percent over last year, which is just 1.9 percent of GDP, compared to 2.5 percent a decade ago, he said Monday. Gurugram: Participating in the debate on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam terror attack, Congress MP Deepender Hooda expressed concern about the defence budget going down in proportion to India's Gross Domestic Product. Urging an immediate hike in defence allocations, Hooda batted for the armed forces to be equipped with modern weapons and fighter aircraft. He pointed out the air force's alarming decline in its fleet strength as it has dipped below the sanctioned 42 aquadrons. 'More pilots are losing their lives in crashes than combat—two from Haryana were killed in three crashes in six months,' the Congress MP said, asking the government to adopt ideas from the opposition. 'The armed forces did their job (in Operation Sindoor), but did the ruling party do its job?' he said in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Citing Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul Singh who noted that defence equipment promised for January 2025 remains undelivered, Hooda said that the country is still dependent on others. 'With such resources, Operation Sindoor's fate could have been altered,' Hooda said, adding that Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh's statement on zero timely project completions indicates the government's disregard of the Parliamentary Standing Committee reports. The Modi government's foreign policy also came under scanner as the Rohtak MP recalled the circumstances leading to Operation Sindoor's sudden ceasefire on 10 May. 'The nation wished for an appropriate response, but a US President's tweet put an end to it,' he mentioned, quoting Donald Trump's '28 assertions' of facilitating the ceasefire via trade threats. 'The issue turned from terrorism to trade, with Trump referring to five airplane crashes and internationalisation of Kashmir. Our PM didn't deny it ever,' Hooda said. 'Donald ko chup karao, Donald ka muh band karao ya phir Hindustan mein McDonald's ko band karao. (Silence Donald, shut Donald's mouth, or shut down McDonald's in India).' Pakistan, he said, instead got loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB). 'For the first time, a dacoit was appointed as in-charge of a police station,' he said, in reference to Pakistan chairing the Taliban Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2025 and serving as vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the 15-nation UN body. The Congress MP further slammed the Modi government for its inability to stop Pakistan from coming out of the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) grey list, unlike the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that did it in 2011. Hooda reminded the government that China supported Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, as he targeted External Affairs Minister who recently visited the neighbouring country and endorsed Beijing taking over the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) presidency. 'When Pakistan's army chief had lunch in the White House and trilateral discussions with China and Bangladesh took place, where was India's voice?' he pointed out, citing that 81 percent of Pakistani and 72 percent of Bangladeshi arms are sourced from China. He drew a comparison in India's strong response in the face of American pressure during the 1971 Bangladesh war and the 1998 nuclear tests and contrasted it with the new 'hand-washing' policy. 'The government must reveal which country stood with India—those it once called friends have washed their hands off,' the Congress MP said, demanding accountability from the Modi government. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: Jat khaps rally behind Dhankhar, but 'mentor' Devi Lal's clan divided over shock resignation
Indian Express
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: The big questions in Operation Sindoor debate
Good morning, A 19-year-old Indian has just become a grandmaster, the highest ranking a chess player can achieve. Divya Deshmukh defeated some of the world's best at the FIDE Women's World Cup to land in the final, where she was set for an intergenerational clash with Koneru Humpy. Interestingly, Humpy was India's first woman grandmaster and the youngest to achieve the feat, which she accomplished at the age of just over 15. Now, Deshmukh is India's fourth woman grandmaster. She clinched the title automatically, since a FIDE World Cup win allows players to bypass the three norms needed to qualify as a grandmaster. As grandmaster N Srinath puts it, it's like capturing the 'golden snitch' in a Quidditch game from the Harry Potter universe instead of scoring goals through the quaffle. With this win, Deshmukh could be eyeing the World Championship crown next. On that note, let's get to today's edition. The 16-hour special debate on the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor in Parliament saw the government clarifying the circumstances of the ceasefire, while the Opposition flagged security and intelligence failures. Though stances taken by both sides were along expected lines, here are some key highlights from the Lok Sabha discussion. 👉 The big question in all this was whether India lost fighter jets during Operation Sindoor. The Opposition has been seeking clarification on the matter ever since Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan admitted on June 1 that the Indian Air Force lost jets on May 7. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, however, did not provide a specific answer, instead asking the Opposition to focus on the 'results'. 👉 The government also rebutted US President Donald Trump's claims that he brokered the ceasefire between India and the US using trade deals as leverage. Singh asserted that the fighting was stopped only because 'we had fulfilled our objectives'. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar clarified that 'at no stage in any conversation with the US was there any linkage with trade and what was going on.' 👉 Leading the charge for the Opposition, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi asked why the government did not aim for 'territorial gains'. 'When will we take PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?' he questioned. AIMIM leader Assaduddin Owaisi, meanwhile, wondered how the government could allow the national cricket team to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup tournament in September if 'water and blood cannot flow together', as the government had claimed after the April 22 attack. Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda targeted the government on Trump's claims, stating, 'Donald ko chup karao… ya phir Hindustan mein McDonald's ko band karao (Silence Donald or shut McDonald's in India)'. Notably, the Congress has kept out leaders who were part of the government's foreign tour of multi-party delegations from its speakers list. Shashi Tharoor is said to have declined on his own, since he 'has to be consistent', which may violate party line. Whereas Manish Tewari had wanted to speak, but the party chose not to field him. House of bids: Last week, Qatar confirmed the rumours and threw its hat into the ring to host the 2036 Olympics. With this, Qatar joined the growing list of challengers to India's bid to host the 100th anniversary of the 1936 Olympics: Turkey, Indonesia, Hungary and Germany, among others. As of now, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has paused the host selection, and if you recall, it had told India to effectively get its house in order before preparing any master plan. Interestingly, though, Qatar and India's pitches are similar in their messages, underscoring inclusivity and regional aspirations. The former, however, may have a certain edge over the latter. Read my colleague Mihir Vasavda's explainer. Rebirth: The Noon river was once one of the forgotten rivers of Uttar Pradesh. Plagued by a jal kumbha (water hyacinth) infestation and construction debris, the Noon had all but disappeared. Today, the river flows nearly six feet wide at its origin point, Rampur Narua. Behind its second life was a herculean rejuvenation exercise, involving drone-mapping and satellite imagery. Job cuts: When India's largest IT company, Tata Consultancy Services, announced that it was laying off 2 per cent of its workforce, it sent ripples of fear across the Indian tech industry. For years, Indian IT firms boasted of stable growth and job security. Together, the top four IT companies — TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and HCL Technologies — employ around 13.70 lakh people. But with TCS pulling the trigger, will the rest of the industry follow suit? Are the Indian IT firms on the path to mimic the ruthless layoff culture of US tech giants? Read George Mathew's analysis. History lessons: Tensions between Cambodia and Thailand turned deadly last week, amid intense fighting over a century-old border dispute. On Monday, the two nations agreed to an 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire'. The dispute arises out of the 1907 drawing of the border between the two countries by France, the then-colonial power in Cambodia. However, deeper animosity is driven by the contested ownership of their shared culture and heritage. Know all about it. Goans have long faced the brunt of overtourism in the state. Recently, however, a new tourism crisis has taken shape in the state amid concerns over a shrinking foreign tourist footfall. Social media, too, has been rife with stories of territorial taxi drivers and overpriced stays. Goan tourism minister Rohan Khaunte, however, has accused 'paid' social media influencers of 'maligning' the state, while maintaining that there was 'no decline' in tourism. The latest grievance seems to be the 'unregistered homestays' being rented out to tourists, causing problems for residents. 'The issue is…that people from Delhi and other places who bought second homes here during Covid. Tourists come and stay in those homes and residential buildings. We have no details of these registrations,' Khaunte flagged. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Shut Donald's mouth or close McDonald's: Hooda to Govt on Trump's truce claims
Attacking the Government, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda demanded that India should not play cricket with Pakistan at a time when Operation Sindoor is going on. He also demanded modernisation of Indian defence forces and increase in the defence budget. He said that US President Donald Trump claimed '28 times' that he brokered peace between India and Pakistan, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has never contradicted him. The government has to decide its relationship with the US, he said, adding: 'Donald ko chup karao, Donald ka muh band karao ya phir Hindustan mein McDonald's ko band karao. (Silence Donald, shut Donald's mouth, or shut down McDonald's in India). : that either India should ask Trump to stop speaking on India-Pakistan issues or the government should shut McDonald's in India.' The Rohtak MP added that the government should disclose the terms of ceasefire with Pakistan. He also said no country has condemned Pakistan and the Indian government also failed to stop loans granted to Pakistan by IMF and ADB. During the debate, J&K National Conference MP Mian Altaf Ahmad demanded the government take notice of 'innocent killings' in police firing in the UT and release 'innocent people' arrested after the Pahalgam attack. Ahmad said he belongs to the area where the attack was carried out. 'Home Minister (Amit Shah) is here and I am sure that all the murderers will be punished. Our demand to you is to give stringent punishment to them,' he said. Taking on the government, NC's Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi said that after the Pahalgam incident, 'a war had started with the people of Kashmir too'. He said people from J&K were 'defamed' on social media so much that more than 11 cases of violence against them took place in UP, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. —With PTI Inputs
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Close Trump's mouth or close McDonald's: Congress MP Deepender Hooda attacks Modi govt over India-Pakistan ceasefire claims
Congress MP Deepender Hooda on Monday called on the central government to take a stronger position against former US President Donald Trump 's repeated assertion that he mediated a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Speaking during the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor and the Pahalgam attack, Hooda said the government needed to send a clear signal. 'It is unfortunate that the US president said 28 times (about the claim on the India-Pakistan ceasefire)… Donald (Trump) ko chup karao, Donald ka muh band karao ya phir Hindustan mein, mein McDonald's ko band karao (Either shut Donald's mouth or close down McDonald's in India),' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Marketing's Secret AI Tool [Learn More] VELORUM LEADS Try Free Undo — ANI (@ANI) His remarks were a direct criticism of what he called the Modi government's indecisive foreign policy. 'You can't decide whether to shake hands with the US or stare it down. During UPA's time, we had the courage to do both, show strength when needed and friendship when possible,' Hooda added. Live Events Jaishankar dismisses claims, cites timeline Responding to the Opposition's concerns, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the House without naming Trump. He laid out a sequence of events around the May ceasefire with Pakistan. 'On May 9, US Vice President JD Vance called the Prime Minister, warning of a massive Pakistani attack in the next two hours. The PM, in his response, made it very clear that if such an attack happens, it would meet an appropriate response from our side. That attack took place and was foiled by our armed forces on May 9–10. Our response was delivered,' Jaishankar said. He added that India received calls on 10 May suggesting Pakistan's willingness to halt hostilities. 'Our position was that if Pakistan was ready, we needed to get this request from the Pakistani side through the DGMO channels. At no stage, in any conversation with the United States, was there any linkage with trade and what was going on,' he said. Jaishankar also clarified that no phone call took place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump between 22 April and 17 June. Priyanka Gandhi: 'He did not categorically deny US role' Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra raised doubts about the government's version, pointing to what she described as ambiguity in Jaishankar's speech. 'There are certain things that he has not categorically said. He has made some statements, but has not categorically said that the US was not involved in the ceasefire. He said that PM Modi did not speak to US President Trump for a certain period, but did not categorically say that the US was not involved. That is interesting,' she said. TMC's Kalyan Banerjee asks: 'Why did we stop the fight?' TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee also questioned the government's decision to agree to a ceasefire, especially when, according to him, India had the upper hand. '…We thought that we would win the war and teach a lesson to Pakistan. Why did we declare a ceasefire? Have we ever seen that innings be declared when the player is about to score a century? They did the same,' he said. Banerjee also referred to Trump's online post claiming credit for the ceasefire. 'US President Donald Trump, in a post on social media, said that the ceasefire was agreed upon after his intervention. If it is incorrect, why didn't PM Modi post and say that this is incorrect? Why did we declare a ceasefire under the pressure of the American President?' 'India must not be compared with Pakistan' Hooda argued that India, as a global power, must not be treated on the same level as Pakistan in the eyes of world powers. 'India is a major global power. The US must choose what kind of relationship it wants with us,' he said. He recalled the post-26/11 period, when former US President Barack Obama took a clear stand against terrorism emanating from Pakistan. That, Hooda suggested, stood in contrast with Trump's self-promotional claims and the current Indian government's restrained posture. He closed with a sharp suggestion — if Trump continues to make such statements unchecked, India should not rule out economic measures. 'If Trump keeps making such claims, the Indian government should take action, either by publicly countering the statements or by removing US brands like McDonald's to send a stronger message,' he said. The discussion took place against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, a military engagement triggered by intelligence of a large Pakistani offensive on 9 May. Indian forces responded swiftly, and satellite images later showed damage at Pakistani airbases. On 10 May, communications from multiple international channels indicated Pakistan's intent to de-escalate. The ceasefire that followed marked the end of a brief but tense standoff. However, Trump's public statements claiming credit for this outcome sparked outrage among several Indian political leaders. So far, the government has not issued any public rebuttal to Trump's repeated remarks.
News18
a day ago
- Politics
- News18
'Shut Donald's Mouth Or Close Down McDonald's': Hooda To Govt Over Trump's Ceasefire Claims
Last Updated: Deepender Hooda urged the government to confront Trump over his claims of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire, suggesting shutting Trump up or closing McDonald's in India. Congress MP Deepender Hooda on Monday asked the central government to confront US President Donald Trump on his repeated claims of brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Speaking during the debate on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha, Hooda also asked the government to either shut down Trump or the American multinational fast food chain McDonald's in India. 'It is unfortunate that the US president said 28 times (about the claim on the India-Pakistan ceasefire)… Donald (Trump) ko chup karao, Donald ka muh band karao ya phir Hindustan mein (Either shut Donald's mouth or close down McDonald's in India)," he said. #WATCH | Speaking on Operation Sindoor in the House, Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda says, '…Donald (Trump) ko chup karao, Donald ka muh band karao ya phir Hindustan mein McDonald's ko band karao…" — ANI (@ANI) July 28, 2025 After Hooda's speech, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the House and dismissed the claims by Trump on the ceasefire, without naming him. 'On May 9, US Vice President JD Vance called the Prime Minister, warning of a massive Pakistani attack in the next two hours. The PM, in his response, made it very clear that if such an attack happens, it would meet an appropriate response from our side. That attack took place and was foiled by our armed forces on May 9-10. Our response was delivered. Every member has seen satellite pictures of Pakistani air bases. You can see pictures. On May 10, we received phone calls, sharing the impression that Pakistan was ready to cease the fight. Our position was that if Pakistan was ready, we needed to get this request from the Pakistani side through the DGMO channels. At no stage, in any conversation with the United States, was there any linkage with trade and what was going on," he added. Jaishankar also no telephonic conversation was held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump from April 22 to June 17. Reacting to Jaishankar's speech, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the EAM did not categorically say that the US was not involved in the ceasefire. 'There are certain things that he has not categorically said. He has made some statements, but has not categorically said that the US was not involved in the ceasefire. He said that PM Modi did not speak to US President Trump for a certain period, but did not categorically say that the US was not involved. That is interesting," she said. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee also questioned the government over the ceasefire that brought to an end three-day conflict between India and Pakistan. '…We thought that we would win the war and teach a lesson to Pakistan. Why did we declare a ceasefire? Have we ever seen that innings be declared when the player is about to score a century? They did the same. US President Donald Trump, in a post on social media, said that the ceasefire was agreed upon after his intervention. If it is incorrect. Why didn't PM Modi post and say that this is incorrect?… Why did we declare a ceasefire under the pressure of the American President?…" (With inputs from agencies) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
