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Malaysia Sun
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Malaysia Sun
"Why did PM Modi compromise country's honour for trade?": Congress after Trump again claims to have stopped Indo-Pak conflict
New Delhi [India], July 19 (ANI): The Congress on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over 'compromising' the country's 'honour' regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated claims that he had stop the India-Pakistan conflict. Congress, in a post on X, said, 'Trump said, Five jets were shot down in the war between India and Pakistan. Along with this, he said for the 24th time that I stopped the India-Pakistan war by threatening trade.' 'Trump is constantly repeating this, and Narendra Modi is silent. Why did Narendra Modi compromise the country's honour for trade?' the post further reads. This came after US President Donald Trump on Saturday again claimed to have played a role in stopping the India-Pakistan conflict. Trump stated that he halted the escalation with the assistance of a trade deal. 'We stopped a lot of wars. And these were serious, India and Pakistan, that was going on. Planes were being shot out of there. I think five jets were shot down, actually. These are two serious nuclear countries, and they were hitting each other. You know, it seems like a new form of warfare. You saw it recently when you looked at what we did in Iran, where we knocked out their nuclear capability, totally knocked out that,' he said. 'But India and Pakistan were going at it, and they were back and forth, and it was getting bigger and bigger, and we got it solved through trade. We said, you guys want to make a trade deal. We're not making a trade deal if you're going to be throwing around weapons and maybe nuclear weapons, both very powerful nuclear states,' Trump added. Earlier on Monday, Trump reiterated his claim that he stopped the escalation of the recent India-Pakistan conflict after the Pahalgam terror attack. Trump made these remarks during his meeting with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte. 'We have been very successful in settling wars, India, Pakistan... India, by the way, Pakistan would have been a nuclear war within another week, the way that was going. It was going very badly,' Trump stated. He pointed to his strategy of using trade as leverage, stating, 'We did that through trade. I said, we are not going to talk to you about trade unless you get this thing settled, and they did.' In June, Trump told reporters on Air Force One, 'You know, I did something that people don't talk about, and I don't talk about very much, but we solved a big problem, a nuclear problem potentially with India and with Pakistan.' (ANI)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge urge PM Modi to restore statehood for J&K during Parliament's Monsoon Session
Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for the restoration of full statehood for Jammu and Kashmir in the Monsoon Session of Parliament that is set to begin from July 21. The letter also urged the government to include the Union Territory of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution In the letter, the Congress president and the LoP said that the the prime minister had himself assured that the statehood would be restored. "For the past five years, the people of Jammu and Kashmir have consistently called for the restoration of full statehood. This demand is both legitimate and firmly grounded in their constitutional and democratic rights. It is important to recognise that while there have been instances of Union Territories being granted statehood in the past, the case of Jammu and Kashmir is without precedent in independent India," the letter reads. — INCIndia (@INCIndia) Live Events "Your goodself has, on multiple occasions, personally reiterated the government's commitment to restoring statehood. In your interview in Bhubaneswar on 19 May 2024, you stated: 'The restoration of statehood is a solemn promise we have made and we stand by it.' Again, while addressing a rally in Srinagar on 19 September 2024, you reaffirmed: 'We have said in Parliament that we will restore the region's statehood.' Furthermore, the Union Government has made similar assurances before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in the In Re: Article 370 matter," the letter adds. The BJP government had on August 5, 2019, revoked Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and the state was bifurcated into two Union Territories. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Jairam Thakur advised to wait…awaiting approval': Kangana responds as Congress corners her over BJP leader's remark
A day after Congress criticised BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut over her silence on the devastating floods in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district—her parliamentary constituency— the actor-turned politician took to X and clarified that she is awaiting 'approval' from the authorities and 'will be there soonest'. Congress's criticism came after BJP leader and Jairam Thakur spoke on Ranaut's absence form Mandi amid massive devastation due to the floods. When asked by reporters why Ranaut was silent on the flood situation, Thakur had said, 'I do not know, and I do not wish to comment on it. We are here to live and die for those who care; I do not wish to comment on those who do not care.' 'सांसद कंगना रनौत को मंडी के लोगों की चिंता नहीं है' – ये बात हम नहीं, हिमाचल प्रदेश के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री और BJP नेता जयराम ठाकुर कह रहे हैं। दरअसल, हिमाचल प्रदेश के मंडी में बादल फटने से लोग भीषण त्रासदी से जूझ रहे हैं, लेकिन मंडी की सांसद कंगना रनौत गायब हैं। — Congress (@INCIndia) July 3, 2025 Thakur's comments also followed criticism of Ranaut's social media posts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ghana visit, even as her own constituency was facing severe devastation due to heavy rains and flash floods. Sharing a video of Thakur's remarks, the Congress party wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 'MP Kangana Ranaut does not care about the people of Mandi. These are not our words, but those of former Himachal Chief Minister and BJP leader Jairam Thakur.' Following the backlash, Ranaut issued a statement on Friday expressing grief over the floods and clarified her position. 'It is heartbreaking to see massive flood devastation in Himachal almost every year now. I tried reaching flood-affected areas in Seraj and other areas in Mandi, but advised by respected leader of opposition Shri @jairamthakurbjp ji to wait until the connectivity and reach to the affected areas are restored. Red alert is issued by Mandi DC today as well. Awaiting authorities approval on the same, will be there soonest possible. Thanks,' she wrote on X. It is heartbreaking to see massive flood devastation in Himachal almost every year now, I tried reaching to flood affected areas in Seraj and other areas in Mandi, but advised by respected leader of opposition Shri @jairamthakurbjp ji to wait untill the connectivity and reach to… — Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) July 4, 2025 Her post came shortly after Thakur called on the Congress-led government to carry out relief and rescue operations on a war footing. Thakur, who represents the Seraj constituency in Mandi and campaigned for Ranaut during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, also visited the Kukla Gram Panchayat in Seraj where a cloudburst had destroyed homes and roads. Rescue efforts are currently ongoing in the most severely affected areas such as Thunag and Seraj in Mandi district.
The Print
25-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
How license fee hikes by Karnataka's Congress govt are driving distillers to neighbouring states
'Is this @INCIndia idea of ease of doing business……' Urs posted late Monday, tagging Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The offer came less than 24 hours after Urs posted on X, threatening to move out of Karnataka, which increased the distillery licence fee by a whopping 50 percent. Bengaluru: Aruna Urs, co-founder of Mysuru-based craft rum distiller, Huli, was driving for work Tuesday when he received a call from a friend delivering an unusual message on behalf of Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh. Lokesh extended an offer of a 'tailor-made excise policy' and red carpet welcome to encourage Urs to relocate his craft rum micro-distillery to the neighbouring state, according to a source from Lokesh's office. It had been more than a month since Urs wrote to the Karnataka government, asking it to reconsider its original 100 percent license fee increase that was later reduced by half. He received no response. The state government is literally forcing #huli to move out of Mysuru to Goa or Maharashtra. The annual distillery licensee fee has been increased by 50%! Is this @INCIndia idea of ease of doing business @RahulGandhi @siddaramaiah? — Aruna Urs (@Arunaurs) June 23, 2025 'For one year of licence fees in Karnataka, I can operate for nearly five years in Goa,' Urs told ThePrint. The upstart company, which pays Rs 63.10 lakh for various licence fees, will now have to pay Rs 90 lakh to do business in Karnataka. 'This is pure extortion,' Urs said. He compared this to Goa, where he would pay around Rs 20 lakh for the first year and then Rs 17 lakh for each subsequent year. Karnataka's decision to hike the licence fee has opened the door for the neighbouring states to position themselves as more investor-friendly. Each time professionals have complained, whether it's about language or Bengaluru's crumbling infrastructure, neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have reacted promptly and invited companies or individuals with the promise of a better business environment. Since the rollout of Goods and Services Tax, states rely on excise duties, stamp duty and motor vehicle taxes, as well as other levies, to raise revenues as revenue inflows from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government continue to dry up. For Karnataka, excise, in particular, has been a steady revenue generator. Successive governments have increased excise rates of liquor and beer at every given opportunity to shore up revenues to make up for revenue shortfalls, said industry representatives. 'In less than 24 months, the additional excise duty on the beer industry has been increased three times and excise duty has been increased once in Karnataka. So, four tax increases in less than 24 months in Karnataka. As a result, prices of a bottle (of beer) have gone up from around Rs 160 to Rs 200,' Vinod Giri, director general of The Brewers Association of India (BAI), told ThePrint. Also Read: What's the brewery controversy that has united Congress & BJP against the Left in Kerala 'Open or shut, excise dept forces targets' In the past three financial years, Karnataka has raised its excise targets by over Rs 10,000 crore combined, according to the state economic survey. In 2022-23, the government of Karnataka met its target, earning Rs 29,920.36 crore from the sale of liquor and beer. The target for the ongoing fiscal year is Rs 40,000 crore. But the state's revenue from excise in 2024-25 stood at Rs 36,500 crore compared with the target of Rs 38,525 crore. Trends from at least the past five fiscal years show that revenues and targets from excise on liquor and beer have seen an upward trend. Retailers, hoteliers and other liquor vendors in Bengaluru said high targets only add to pressure from the department to sell more, even though sales have slumped as outlets are forced to shut for elections and processions. 'For even small MLC elections, which have less than 10,000-15,000 voters in some distant place, they make us close our business. Even when a major procession passes through our establishments, we have been forced to close our hotel,' said a Bengaluru-based hotelier, requesting anonymity. 'But this does not mean that we get some concession on the minimum stock purchase. Open or shut, we are expected to buy a quota of liquor every month from the government.' The hotelier added that only in Karnataka does the excise department force closure of restaurants that serve liquor and not just the beverage section, as is the norm in other states. Industry members underlined excise is a heavily regulated sector in Karnataka but several business owners allege the excise department routinely demands bribes during renewals or every month. They alleged that excise inspectors and other officials even land up at hotels to eat and drink for free. At least two people said it was 'harassment' to all those in the liquor business or even remotely connected to the sector. Industry leaders have often cited Karnataka's complex and time-consuming permit process, as well as allegations of widespread corruption, as key deterrents to investing in the state's liquor sector. In November last year, the state wine merchants association accused the excise department of demanding bribes between Rs 30-70 lakh by the state excise minister for allotment of CL-7 licences. 'Govt earns more than the producer' Karnataka has among the highest excise duties, according to multiple people aware of the developments. But, so far, this has not stopped investments in the state, which has 11 major brewers, the highest of all states in the country. Urs said he is a small brewer who needs government support and should not be clubbed with larger players. He added that for every bottle of Huli, its signature jaggery-based rum, the company earns a total revenue of Rs 630, while the government taxes amount to Rs 1,537.50. This takes the price per 750 ml bottle to Rs 2,167. Urs said that the Rs 630 his company earns per bottle has to cover operational expenses – including salaries, electricity bills, raw materials and other production costs, leaving little room for profit. India is one of the fastest-growing alcoholic beverage markets. In 2023, the market size was about $55 billion. It is expected to increase at a CAGR of seven per cent to $73 billion in 2027. However, Giri said Karnataka's liquor industry is under threat since it has become harder to sell investment pitches where operational costs are going up and sales are coming down. There is a misconception that a hike in prices does not affect consumption at all, he added. He said that the 'tendency to overtax' will lead to the industry and government turning into 'net losers'. 'Karnataka was always an investment-friendly state and is the only state that has 11 breweries, the highest in the country. And there were more plans for investments. But when the sales start contracting, what do we tell the companies and why would they invest?' said Giri. The government, however, stood by its decision to increase prices and operating costs for distilleries. Ritesh Kumar Singh, principal secretary in the Karnataka finance department, defended the government's decision, saying that while underlying inflationary pressures affect all products, liquor is relatively insulated. Singh told ThePrint that an increase in taxes actually helps producers increase prices of end products in a tightly controlled market where prices cannot be raised or dropped by market forces. 'The original plan was to double it (licence fee) since it hadn't been increased for the last eight years. But there was a lot of hue and cry and people with many stating that it was too high, then we settled for a 50 percent increase,' he said. Adding, 'And if you distribute this 50 percent increase over eight years and do an annual CAGR, it is 5 percent. Why are people complaining?' (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: Another hike in diesel price, how Karnataka govt is fishing for funds to bankroll poll promises
Deccan Herald
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
'True crusader for justice': Rahul turns 55, wishes pour in from Congress leaders, allies
Warmest birthday greetings to Shri @RahulGandhi. What sets you apart is your unequivocal dedication to the Constitution's values and your deep compassion for social, political and economic justice for the millions whose voices often go unheard. Your actions consistently… — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 19, 2025 Warm birthday wishes to my brother-in-ideals, @RahulGandhi — bound not by blood, but by thought, vision, and purpose. May you continue to stand firm and lead with courage. In our march towards a brighter India, victory shall be ours. #HBDRahulGandhi — (@mkstalin) June 19, 2025 श्री राहुल गांधी जी को जन्मदिन की हार्दिक बधाई व सौहार्दपूर्ण, समावेशी, समायोजनकारी समग्र सामाजिक-राजनीतिक सक्रियता के लिए शुभकामनाएँ! — Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) June 19, 2025 राष्ट्रीय काँग्रेसचे नेते, लोकसभेतील विरोधी पक्ष नेते राहुल जी गांधी आपणांस वाढदिवसाच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा. आपणांस निरोगी असे दिर्घायुष्य लाभो ही सदिच्छा. Wishing Leader of Opposition - Lok Sabha, @INCIndia Leader Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) Ji Happy Birthday. Have a Healthy… — Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) June 19, 2025 I join the entire Congress family and millions across the country in wishing our beloved leader, LOP Sh. @RahulGandhi ji a very happy birthday! Your courage to take on the fascists without fear, your message of love triumphing over hate, and your farsighted vision for our… — K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) June 19, 2025 लोकसभा में नेता प्रतिपक्ष @RahulGandhi जी को जन्मदिन की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। सामाजिक न्याय के प्रति आपकी संवेदनशीलता और प्रतिबद्धता ने राजनीतिक विमर्श को नई दिशा प्रदान की है। आप समाज के हर वर्ग की प्रगति के लिए जो प्रयास कर रहे हैं और जिन बदलावों की अपेक्षा रखते हैं, उनमें… — Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) June 19, 2025 Happy birthday, to #HopeOfIndia my leader, embodiment of silent strength, true visionary, compassionate & wise, who has people's interests in his heart, and a soldier fighting for the idea of India, an inspiration for all those who truly love India, and above all, one of the… — Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) June 19, 2025 Heartfelt birthday wishes to Sh. @RahulGandhi Ji. May God bless you with good health and a long life. The extent to which Rahul ji is fighting for the rights of the oppressed, deprived, Dalits, Tribals, backward classes, and the poor among the upper castes in this country is… — Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 19, 2025 Through your fearless integrity and tireless commitment, you remind us all that real change is fuelled by compassion and empathy. You are a true crusader for justice. A voice for the voiceless and a relentless advocate for equality. May this year bring you joy and renewed… — Congress (@INCIndia) June 19, 2025 The Undisputed, Most Beloved & Visionary leader of INDIA! 🇮🇳 #HappyBirthdayRaGa — Indian Youth Congress (@IYC) June 19, 2025
