Congress seeks Prime Minister's clarification over U.S. claims of mediation
The Congress on Tuesday (May 13, 2025) claimed the Narendra Modi government had lost 'moral authority' after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said India lost a 'golden opportunity' in teaching Pakistan a lesson for sponsoring terrorism as a state policy.
Mr. Gehlot claimed citizens felt that the Indian armed forces were going strong and could have given a befitting lesson to Pakistan to ensure that it did not harbour terrorists and their camps in future.
'The manner in which the ceasefire was announced, this government has lost the moral authority and moral courage to rule,' Mr. Gehlot said, adding, 'This was a golden opportunity for himself, the government and the country but it has been lost by the sudden announcement of a ceasefire'.
The former Rajasthan Chief Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on Monday evening was 'disappointing' as he did not clarify on Mr. Trump's claims of mediation.
'What pressure is the government under that the U.S. intervened and claimed mediation,' Mr. Gehlot asked as he posed several questions on why the Prime Minister was not responding to claims of the U.S. President since the U.S. has internationalised the issue.
The Congress veteran reiterated his party's demand for a Special Session of Parliament to discuss the issue and a PM-chaired all-party meeting, where the government can spell out its thoughts and policy in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.
Differing opinion
However, there were differing opinions on the issue of third-party mediation. 'Third Party Mediation between India and Pakistan is a reality going back to 1990, call it by whatever name back channelling, brokering, mediating, arbitrating, etc.,' Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari said in a post on X, adding that from 1947 to 1972, India-Pakistan relations 'or lack of them whenever they reached a flashpoint were undergirded by UNSC resolutions, 1972-1990 the Shimla Agreement, 1990 onwards Third Party Intervention by whatever nomenclature you are most comfortable with'.
'U.S. President Donald Trump is just stating the facts as they are,' Mr. Tewari added.
However, the Congress's official position on the issue, articulated by both Mr. Gehlot and communication chief Jairam Ramesh, question the government on the issue of the U.S. role.
Pointing out that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had spent maximum time with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and was the first to meet him, Mr. Ramesh, in a post on X, said, 'The normally unquiet Minister's silence on what Mr. Rubio has said on U.S. mediation and on a 'neutral site' for India-Pakistan talks is very deafening'.
In a separate post, Mr. Ramesh also asked if the Modi government would conduct a Kargil Review Committee-type exercise to probe the Pahalgam terror attack. 'Three days after the Kargil War ended, the Vajpayee government set up the Kargil Review Committee on July 29, 1999. Its report was tabled in Parliament on February 23, 2000, although sections of it have remained classified — as indeed they must,' Mr. Ramesh said, adding, 'Will the Modi government now conduct a similar exercise on Pahalgam, notwithstanding the NIA (National Investigation Agency) probe?'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scroll.in
25 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
About 37% voters in Bihar will have to submit eligibility proof as EC begins electoral roll revision
With a 'special intensive revision' of Bihar's electoral rolls underway, the Election Commission on Saturday said that out of the total 7.89 crore electors in the state, 4.96 crore whose names were already on the rolls on January 1, 2003 will only have to fill and submit a new enumeration form. The remaining 2.93 crore – or about 37% of the electors – whose names were not on the voter list after the last revision of electoral rolls was conducted in 2003, will therefore need to submit proof of eligibility. The special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar was announced by the Election Commission on June 24, ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in the state at the end of the year. The poll panel had said that the review needed to be conducted due to reasons such as rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, fresh voters, non-reported deaths and the 'inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants'. This was the first time that the Election Commission has talked about undocumented migrants being part of the electoral roll in the state after the last special intensive revision held in 2003. As part of the exercise, persons whose names are not on the 2003 voter list will need to submit proof of eligibility. Voters born before July 1, 1987 must show proof of their date and place of birth, while those born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004 must submit documents establishing the date and place of birth of their parents. Those born after December 2, 2004 will need proof of date of birth for both parents. In a press note on Saturday about the start of the revision, the Election Commission noted that as per Article 326 of the Constitution, which deals with eligibility to become a voter, only Indian citizens above 18 years and ordinary residents in the constituency in question are eligible to become electors. 'Special Intensive Revision has already started successfully in Bihar for verifying the eligibility of each elector with full participation of all political parties,' the press note said. 'ECI already has 77,895 Booth Level Officers [BLOs] and is appointing nearly 20,603 more BLOs for new polling stations.' The poll panel also said that over one lakh volunteers would be assisting 'genuine electors, particularly the old, sick, Persons with Disabilities [PwD], poor and other vulnerable groups during the SIR [special intensive revision]'. All recognised political parties registered with the Election Commission have already appointed 1,54,977 booth level agents, the press note said, adding that they could still appoint more. Several political parties had criticised the revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar after it was announced by the Election Commission on June 24. On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the revision was 'even more dangerous' than the National Register of Citizens. Banerjee claimed that although the exercise began in Bihar, the real target was West Bengal, especially its migrant workers. 'The Election Commission must act as an independent institution, not a mouthpiece for the [Bharatiya Janata Party],' she said. Assembly elections in West Bengal are slated to be held next year. The chief minister alleged that through the revision of electoral rolls, the Election Commission was trying to rob young citizens of their voting rights. 'Are they working to establish the NRC [National Register of Citizens]? What is their intention?' Banerjee was referring to an updated National Register of Citizens published by the Assam government in August 2019 with the aim of separating Indian citizens from undocumented immigrants living in the state. As part of the exercise, residents had to prove that they or their ancestors had entered Assam before midnight on March 24, 1971. More than 19 lakh persons, or 5.77% of the applicants, were left out of the final list.
Mint
28 minutes ago
- Mint
‘George Fernandes was shackled… we refused to compromise on democracy in emergency': PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio address on Sunday, played clips of prominent voices who opposed the Emergency, using their remarks to criticise the then Congress government for its suppression of civil liberties. 1. PM Modi emphasised that these voices should be remembered as a reminder to remain vigilant in safeguarding the Constitution. Modi stated that those who imposed the Emergency not only violated the Constitution but also undermined the independence of the judiciary, turning it into a puppet. 2. His condemnation of the Congress for the Emergency-era excesses without naming the party of the then prime minister, Indira Gandhi, came amid an ongoing bitter war of words between the ruling BJP and opposition parties, which have claimed that an undeclared Emergency prevails under the Modi government. Modi said people were tortured on a large scale during the Emergency for the 21-month period between 1975 and 1977. There are many examples which cannot be forgotten, he added. 3. He played bits of speeches of former prime minister Morarji Desai and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and former deputy PM Jagjivan Ram related to the period. George Fernandes was shackled; he noted and recalled that anyone could be arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) at that time. Students were harassed and freedom of expression throttled, he added. 4. Thousands of people were arrested and subjected to inhuman treatment, but it is the strength of Indians that they did now bow and accept any compromise with democracy, he said. 'People finally won, the Emergency was lifted, and those who imposed it lost,' he said. 5. In his address to the nation through the 123rd edition of his monthly radio program 'Mann ki Baat' PM Modi said, "All of you must be filled with the energy of Yoga and memories of International Yoga Day. This year too, on June 21, crores of people took part in the International Day of Yoga celebrations. It began 10 years ago, over these years, every year this tradition has become even grander than before. This also indicates that more and more people are incorporating yoga in their daily lives." 6. Modi added, 'Eri Silk from Meghalaya was recently awarded GI tag... The tribes of Meghalaya, especially the Khasi community, have preserved it for generations and enriched it with their skills... The silkworms that produce this are not killed, which is why it is known as 'Ahinsa Silk'. It is a perfect product for the global market since there is an increased demand of products that don't harm the environment... This silk keeps you warm during winters and cool during summers... Women of Meghalaya are taking this to a larger scale via self-help groups.' 7. Modi stated an International Labour Organisation (ILO) report, which stated that more than 64 per cent of India's population is getting some form of social protection benefit. "Presently, most of the populace in India is taking advantage of one social protection benefit or the other and recently a very important report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has come out. It has been mentioned in this report that more than 64% of the population of India is now definitely availing some sort of social protection benefit or the other," Modi said. 8. India has seen a remarkable 45 percentage point increase in social security coverage over the past decade, making it the second-highest globally in terms of social protection reach. Key government initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), the e-Shram portal, and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) have been instrumental in this expansion. 9. This significant rise in coverage is also expected to bolster India's position in international forums and facilitate the finalisation of social security agreements with developed countries, enhancing global cooperation and worker welfare. People finally won, the Emergency was lifted, and those who imposed it lost. 10. PM Modi also mentioned the World Health Organisation report, which has declared India free from Trachoma disease and asserted that the credit behind the achievement goes to India's health workers and 'Jal Jeevan Mission'. 'WHO has declared Indian Trachoma-free country... This is the success of our health workers... 'Jal Jeevan' Mission has contributed to this', PM Modi said. (With inputs from agencies)
Economic Times
29 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Time to polish our public sector ratnas: Creating an Indian sovereign wealth fund to recast jewels
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Traditional Routes of Privatisation: Limited Success Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Learning from Singapore: The Temasek Model A Case for India's Temasek: Transforming NIIF Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Model: Ownership Transfer, Commercial Management A Pragmatic, Politically Smart Path (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of .) In May 2020, as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package, the Indian government unveiled a bold new Public Sector Enterprise (PSE) policy. Building on that announcement, the Union Budget of February 1, 2021, laid out a detailed blueprint, categorising sectors into two:Strategic sectors, where the government would retain only a bare minimum presence, andNon-strategic sectors, where all Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) would be privatised or marked a tectonic shift in India's approach to public sector enterprises- a clear intent to significantly reduce the government's footprint in business. While implementation is underway, progress has been uneven. This note proposes a bold, agile framework to fast-track the privatisation India has predominantly relied on strategic sales since the 1991 liberalisation era divesting 50% or more equity along with management control. However, another way of privatisation is public market offerings i.e. selling shares of CPSEs to retail and institutional investors. This method was famously deployed by Margaret Thatcher's UK government during its privatisation drive of British Telecom, British Gas, and British India, the strategic sale model has yielded mixed results. The successful sale of Air India came after years of delays. Meanwhile, marquee targets such as BPCL, Shipping Corporation, and IDBI Bank have faced hurdles. BPCL's disinvestment , announced in 2019, was shelved in 2022 as bidders withdrew, the government decided to hit pause to the disinvestment: a prudent decision prioritising value over sales are often complex, politically sensitive, and time-consuming, limiting their effectiveness as the default path to third approach is Singapore's model: move the ownership to an SWF, then sell faced a similar challenge as India in the 1970s, dozens of government-owned enterprises across critical sectors, struggling under state management. The solution was to create Temasek Holdings, the Sovereign Wealth Fund of Singapore which was established in 1974 as a professionally run, wholly government-owned investment company. Temasek operates with full autonomy, managed by an independent board of professionals and free from political interference. It holds and grows equity in state-owned enterprises on commercial principles. Many of these entities are now listed and globally competitive, contributing to a portfolio exceeding US$301 India is not Singapore, the core principle of insulating commercial decisions from political control is powerful and has attempted some separation by routing disinvestment decisions through DIPAM. However, this still functions within the government's bureaucratic framework. What India truly needs is a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) that can own and manage public assets is where the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) enters: India's quasi-sovereign investment vehicle, created in 2015, where the government holds a 49% stake. With assets of over $5 billion across infrastructure, growth equity, and fund-of-funds, NIIF already has the structure to become India's Temasek saw potential in NIIF, investing $400 million in 2018. It now needs a wider mandate that would allow it to become the Indian government could begin by transferring its stakes in select PSEs to NIIF, receiving fund units in exchange. The state would retain economic interest while stepping away from operational PSEs would then be run under professional governance standards, free from day-to-day political interference. Over time, NIIF could gradually dilute its stake in these enterprises in the market when conditions are favourable creating a steady revenue stream for the government, rather than volatile, one-time government could begin with minority stakes transfer, building credibility and demonstrating value creation, and eventually reduce its holding below 51% as per Atmanirbhar Bharat stealth-privatisation model i.e. first shifting ownership to NIIF, then progressively privatizing, shields the process from political turbulence while ensuring the commercial interests of the state are provides PSEs with the time, autonomy, and resources to restructure and become market-ready, aligning with the 2021 policy objective of one strategic PSE per Thomas Jefferson aptly put it, 'That government is best which governs least.' It's time we let our Ratna shine with the polish of professionalism, and free them from the weight of the state's hand.
