Entirely baseless: India on NATO chief's claims that Modi asked for Ukraine plan from Putin
New Delhi (PTI): India on Friday described as "entirely baseless" NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte's remarks that Prime Minister Narendra Modi dialled Russian President Vladimir Putin and asked for Moscow's strategy on Ukraine in view of the impact of Washington's punitive tariffs on India.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said "speculative or careless" remarks that misrepresent Modi's engagements or suggest conversations that never occurred are "unacceptable".
Rutte told CNN on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York that US President Donald Trump's tariffs on India are having a "big impact" on Russia and New Delhi is on the phone with Putin.
"And Narendra Modi is asking him to explain his strategy on Ukraine because India is being hit with tariffs," he claimed.
Jaiswal said the NATO chief's statement is "factually incorrect and entirely baseless."
"At no point has Prime Minister Modi spoken with President Putin in the manner suggested. No such conversation has taken place," he said.
"We expect the leadership of an important institution like NATO to exercise greater responsibility and accuracy in public statements," he added.
Jaiswal said India's energy imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer.
"India will continue taking all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," he said.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
