Minister Ponnam accuses BJP of discriminating against BCs
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mr. Prabhakar questioned the BJP leadership's commitment to social justice, pointing out that the party, despite having three BC MPs and several senior BC leaders, had failed to appoint a BC as its State president.
The Minister said that in the past, the BJP had made promises to make a BC leader the Chief Minister, but it had failed to honour those commitments. 'They did not even consider appointing a BC as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly,' he said.
He contrasted this with the Congress's measures, stating that social justice is achievable only through the Congress. He said the party had appointed a BC leader as the PCC president.
Highlighting the Congress-led initiatives in Telangana, Mr. Prabhakar said the government was moving forward with a caste census and had brought in legislation to ensure 42% reservation for BCs in political, educational, and employment sectors.
Referring to the leadership change in the State BJP ahead of the last Assembly elections, he said the party had removed BC leader Bandi Sanjay and replaced him with G. Kishan Reddy, further reflecting its disregard for backward classes.
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US Plans 500% Tariffs On Top Russian Oil Buyers. How It Will Affect India
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If you're buying products from Russia and you're not helping Ukraine, then there's a 500 per cent tariff on your products coming into the United States. India and China buy 70 per cent of Putin's oil. They keep his war machine going. My bill has 84 co-sponsors. It would allow the president to put tariffs on China and India and other countries to get them -- stop them from supporting Putin's war machine, to get him to the table," the US senator told ABC. He stressed, however, that Trump had a waiver and could decide whether or not to sign it into law if and when it passes Congress. "I was playing with him (Trump). He says, "It's time to move -- move your bill. There's a waiver in the bill, Mr. President. You're in charge whether or not it's to be implemented." But we're going to give President Trump a tool in the toolbox he doesn't have today. After the July break, we're going to pass a bill that with allow the president," Graham added. When Will The Bill Be Tabled The legislation, initially proposed in March, is expected to be moved in August. It is part of America's growing efforts to tighten the economic noose around Russia as Trump struggles to drag Putin to the negotiation table while the war in Ukraine drags on. The tabling of the bill in the Senate was delayed after the White House signalled opposition to expanding sanctions, while Trump was trying to reset ties with the Russian President. However, the administration seems ready to support the sanctions. How The Bill Can Affect India Amid Western sanctions, countries like India and China have continued buying discounted Russian oil, making them targets of the proposed legislation. India, the world's third-largest oil-importing and consuming nation, bought from abroad around 5.1 million barrels of crude oil, which is converted into fuels like petrol and diesel in refineries. India, which has traditionally sourced its oil from the Middle East, began importing a large volume of oil from Russia soon after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. This was primarily because Russian oil was available at a significant discount to other international benchmarks due to Western sanctions and some European countries shunning purchases. This led to India's imports of Russian oil seeing a dramatic rise, growing from less than 1 per cent of its total crude oil imports to a staggering 40-44 per cent in a short period. In June, India ramped up purchases of Russian oil, importing more than the combined volumes from Middle Eastern suppliers such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq, amid market volatility triggered by Israel's dramatic attack on Iran. Indian refiners were proposed to import 2-2.2 million barrels per day of Russian crude oil in June, the highest in the last two years. India's oil imports from Russia were 1.96 million barrels per day (bpd) in May. 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38 minutes ago
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
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‘20 to 30 bullets fired': Utah ISKCON temple targeted in suspected hate crime
The ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, renowned globally for hosting the annual Holi Festival, has come under attack in a suspected hate crime, with over two dozen bullets fired at the premises over several days, causing significant structural damage. Bullet mark on a part of the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah.(X/ ISKCON) According to ISKCON, 20 to 30 bullets were fired at the temple building and surrounding property during night time hours while devotees and guests were inside. The incident resulted in thousands of dollars in damage, including to the temple's intricately hand-carved arches. Condemning the attack, the Consulate General of India in San Francisco expressed solidarity with the community and urged swift action. In a post on X, it stated, "We strongly condemn the recent firing incident at the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. The Consulate extends full support to all the devotees and the community and urges the local authorities to take prompt action to bring the perpetrators to justice." A similar incident had occurred earlier this year when, on March 9, a Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Hindu temple in Chino Hills, California, was found desecrated just days ahead of a so-called 'Khalistani referendum' in Los Angeles, according to temple authorities. The official page of BAPS for the United States shared the details of the March 9 desecration on the social media platform X and emphasised the community's resilience. "In the face of another Mandir desecration, this time in Chino Hills, CA, the Hindu community stands steadfast against hate... Our common humanity and faith will ensure that peace and compassion prevail," BAPS Public Affairs wrote. The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) also pointed to the incident on X, linking it to rising anti-Hindu sentiment and noting that the vandalism came shortly before the planned 'Khalistan referendum' in Los Angeles. "Another Hindu Temple vandalised, this time the iconic BAPS temple in Chino Hills, CA... Not surprisingly, this happens as the day for a so-called 'Khalistan referendum' in LA draws close," CoHNA posted, while listing other recent temple attacks since 2022 and calling for an investigation. Last year, acts of vandalism also targeted the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Sacramento, California, on the night of September 25. That incident followed closely after a similar attack on a BAPS temple in New York. Messages such as "Hindus go back" were found scrawled during those attacks, deeply alarming the local Hindu community. Despite repeated provocations, community leaders continue to affirm their unity and commitment to confronting hate.
