Latest news with #Shekhawat
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Congress Demands Special Session On Op Sindoor, BJP Says 'Opportunity Soon'
Jodhpur: With opposition parties demanding a special Parliament session in light of Operation Sindoor, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday asserted that the government has nothing to hide and they will have ample opportunity to ask questions during the Monsoon Session, which is a few weeks away. The BJP leader, however, expressed doubts about whether the opposition parties intended to seek answers and pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken extensively in recent days on key national issues, including Operation Sindoor, that they have been raising. The Congress on Sunday demanded the immediate convening of a special session of Parliament to discuss the military and foreign policy strategy in the wake of remarks by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. The Congress also asked that the government take all parties and the nation into confidence and discuss India's defence preparedness and strategy after Operation Sindoor. Speaking to the media on Sunday, Union Culture and Tourism Shekhawat pointed out that India's parliamentary system already has well-established procedures for members to raise issues in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and seek answers. "The Monsoon Session is about to start in the next 20-25 days, everyone will get an opportunity" to raise their issues, Shekhawat said. He emphasised that the government is willing to resolve any confusion or concerns raised by the opposition and there is nothing to hide. "In my view, the opposition should first decide what exactly they want to hear from the prime minister. "If their intention is truly to seek answers, then over the past three days, the prime minister has already spoken in detail from three different parts of the country on the current state of the nation, Operation Sindoor, and all the key issues the opposition has been raising," Shekhawat said. Referring to Operation Sindoor, the BJP leader noted that the global community has been deeply impressed by India's courage and strength displayed during the operation. He took a swipe at the opposition parties, saying when they run out of substantive matters, they often resort to sensational topics to grab attention. "In the last three days alone, the prime minister has addressed key national concerns, including Operation Sindoor, in great detail. These are the very matters the opposition claims it wants answers on," Shekhawat added. On the arrest of the personal secretary to former Congress minister Saleh Mohammad on charges of espionage, Shekhawat called the situation "unfortunate". He stressed that a comprehensive investigation should be conducted into the matter. "Be it a former minister or someone else, when it comes to national security, there must be a thorough and fair investigation. "Every association and link of such persons must be scrutinised. Such anti-national activities cannot go unpunished," he said.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Oppn will have opportunity to seek answers during Monsoon session, Govt ready to address all concerns: Shekhawat
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel With opposition parties demanding a special Parliament session in light of Operation Sindoor , Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Sunday asserted that the government has nothing to hide and they will have ample opportunity to ask questions during the Monsoon Session , which is a few weeks BJP leader, however, expressed doubts about whether the opposition parties intended to seek answers and pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken extensively in recent days on key national issues, including Operation Sindoor, that they have been Congress on Sunday demanded the immediate convening of a special session of Parliament to discuss the military and foreign policy strategy in the wake of remarks by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Congress also asked that the government take all parties and the nation into confidence and discuss India's defence preparedness and strategy after Operation to the media on Sunday, Union Culture and Tourism Shekhawat pointed out that India's parliamentary system already has well-established procedures for members to raise issues in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and seek answers."The Monsoon Session is about to start in the next 20-25 days, everyone will get an opportunity" to raise their issues, Shekhawat emphasised that the government is willing to resolve any confusion or concerns raised by the opposition and there is nothing to hide."In my view, the opposition should first decide what exactly they want to hear from the prime minister."If their intention is truly to seek answers, then over the past three days, the prime minister has already spoken in detail from three different parts of the country on the current state of the nation, Operation Sindoor, and all the key issues the opposition has been raising," Shekhawat to Operation Sindoor, the BJP leader noted that the global community has been deeply impressed by India's courage and strength displayed during the took a swipe at the opposition parties, saying when they run out of substantive matters, they often resort to sensational topics to grab attention."In the last three days alone, the prime minister has addressed key national concerns, including Operation Sindoor, in great detail. These are the very matters the opposition claims it wants answers on," Shekhawat the arrest of the personal secretary to former Congress minister Saleh Mohammad on charges of espionage, Shekhawat called the situation "unfortunate". He stressed that a comprehensive investigation should be conducted into the matter."Be it a former minister or someone else, when it comes to national security, there must be a thorough and fair investigation."Every association and link of such persons must be scrutinised. Such anti-national activities cannot go unpunished," he said.
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
War not about losses, but making enemy kneel: Union Minister on Operation Sindoor
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday responded to the recent remarks made by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan regarding Indian Air Force (IAF) losses during Operation Sindoor, a military operation against Pakistan earlier this to India Today in Jaipur, Shekhawat stated that the focus should not be on the number of losses but on the outcome of the operation. advertisement"I think that war is not a matter of counting one's losses. War is judged by the way, under what circumstances, the other side bowed down and made a compromise with you. We forced Pakistan to make a compromise, ceasefire and show favour in four days by making it kneel without any conditions. I think this topic is more important," Shekhawat said. The statement comes hours after India's top military officer admitted that India lost fighter jets during the initial phase of Operation Sindoor on May 7. Speaking to Bloomberg during the Shangri-La Dialogue, he emphasised that while some jets were downed, the key takeaway was the military's ability to swiftly identify and correct tactical errors."What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down... Why they were down, what mistakes were made - that are important. Numbers are not important," General Chauhan also dismissed Pakistani Prime Minister's claims that six Indian jets, including four Rafales, were downed as "absolutely incorrect."Chauhan also stressed that the operation did not escalate into a nuclear conflict and that communication channels between India and Pakistan remained open throughout the hostilities to manage a separate statement to Reuters, General Chauhan reaffirmed that the early-stage losses prompted immediate strategic adjustments. 'We analysed what went wrong, rectified our approach, and went back stronger,' he the armed forces had deflected questions about Indian jets being shot down by Pakistan. In an earlier interview, Air Marshal AK Bharti, Director General of Air Operations, echoed a similar sentiment in a press conference, said, 'Losses are a part of any combat scenario. All our pilots are back, and we achieved our operational objectives decisively.'Must Watch
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Tourism sector to touch 10% of GDP by 2030: Shekhawat
New Delhi Union minister for tourism and culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday said the tourism sector's share of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would rise to 10% by 2030, in line with global benchmarks. The minister set out this ambitious target at the CII Annual Business Summit in New Delhi. The sector's share of GDP was 5% in 2022-23, according to a government release. 'India will align with global standards, with 10% of GDP coming from tourism,' Shekhawat said. He linked this goal to broader economic growth, noting, 'As our economy grows, parallelly our aspirational class will grow, and those people that have emerged from below the poverty line will commonly go for spiritual tourism.' The strategy involves leveraging India's rich cultural heritage and spiritual sites, alongside significant infrastructure development in roads, railways, and airports. The government is creating policies to enhance the overall tourist experience. Shekhawat cited the Ujjain Mahakal Corridor as an example, attracting over 1 million visitors in one month. A notable shift is the increasing importance of domestic tourists. 'India's domestic tourists have the potential to become a larger contributor to the country's tourism sector,' Shekhawat said, indicating a move away from past reliance on international visitors. Reflecting post-pandemic travel trends, the Centre is pushing states to develop experiential tourism at monument sites. 'We've asked the states to come up with new proposals,' Shekhawat confirmed, as travellers seek new experiences. The minister called for industry collaboration to build an end-to-end roadmap for both international and domestic travellers. 'Promote ease of doing travel in India — which would segue into ease of doing business in the country,' he urged. He specifically asked corporates to host events and meetings within India to boost the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) tourism segment. Infrastructure development, including recent projects in roads, aviation, and railways, is seen as foundational. Shekhawat acknowledged the need for increased flight capacity. He highlighted that granting infrastructure status to the sector will be key: 'The infrastructure status is going to give a major boost to private investments coming into the sector.' The government is also supporting the development of the next 50 tourism destinations. Shekhawat further said that Indian tourism growth will be driven by rising infrastructure investments.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
India seeks intergovernmental group Brics's cultural, civilisational leadership
India has urged the intergovernmental organisation Brics to lead in cultural and civilisational domains apart from in geopolitical terms, emphasising the importance of building an ecosystem based on shared values and diversity. Speaking at the 10th Brics meeting of culture ministers in Brazil's Brasília on Monday, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reaffirmed India's commitment to cultural cooperation rooted in justice, innovation, and heritage. He said that India is focused on the creative economy, ethical artificial intelligence (AI), which respects cultural diversity, intellectual property, and provides fair remuneration for creators, stronger digital safeguards, and indigenous knowledge for climate resilience strategies. Shekhawat said development and heritage must go together. He added India is ready for this journey with Brics partners under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Shekhawat said India will continue to advocate for inclusive and cooperative cultural diplomacy through the Brics. Shekhawat called for stronger legal frameworks to combat illicit trafficking of cultural property, especially online. Shekhawat welcomed Brazil's restitution of cultural property, calling it a step toward cultural justice and civilisational dignity. Shekhawat highlighted India's recent efforts in the area. 'India has reclaimed 642 heritage objects since 2014...[as] acts of justice that restore memory, dignity, and multilateral trust,' he said at the Brics meeting, which concluded with a joint declaration. The declaration outlined strategic priorities, including the creative economy, AI, climate change, return and safeguarding of cultural property, cultural festivals, and alliances. It called for promoting inclusive, rights-based, and innovation-driven cultural growth across Brics nations. The meeting was convened to deepen institutional cooperation and develop joint projects to preserve and promote the cultural diversity of the Brics countries. Shekhawat met with his counterparts from Brazil, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of the meeting and discussed expanding partnerships in digital innovation, creative industries, and cultural exchanges. Brics initially included Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It was expanded in 2023, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
