Fadnavis will have to step down "shamefully": Congress
New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday asserted that Devendra Fadnavis, who was sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister early this morning, will have to step down "shamefully" as all its MLAs and those of the NCP, except a few from the Sharad Pawar-led party, are together.
Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said it is "shameful that the President and the governor have stooped to the standard of RSS workers for facilitating this dissolute political treachery as the chief minister was sworn in disgracefully under cover of darkness".
"Only a few NCP MLAs have fallen in the BJP's trap. All other MLAs of the Congress and NCP are with us. This unholy and corrupt political alliance will fall before long," he said in a statement.
Sooner than later, he said, the "illegally" installed BJP government in Maharasthra will "have to step down in dishonour".
He said Fadanvis will have to step down "shamefully" after the floor test in the legislative assembly as the BJP leader won't be able to prove majority in the assembly.
The BJP has shown "political immorality to grab power at any cost" and the Congress party will fight against this "illegal and corrupt political treachery" carried out by misusing power and violating all constitutional provisions, by all means, Venugopal said.
The Congress leader said Fadnavis and NCP leader Ajit Pawar met the governor only last night and the President rule was withdrawn without having a Cabinet meeting.
"The governor invited Fadnavis without having any clear clue on the numbers they have," he alleged.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders were directly involved in this "murder of democracy", he alleged.
Fadnavis and Pawar were sworn in as chief minister and deputy chief minister respectively after the NCP leader, who was his party's legislative party leader before being sacked later in the day, extended support to the BJP.
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Trump returns from China; terms meeting with Xi as 'G-2'
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump returned from a visit to China, describing his discussions with President Xi Jinping as a meeting of leaders of "two great countries".
Trump landed at the Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on the outskirts of the US capital on Friday evening, claiming to have struck important trade deals, including one for China's purchase of 200 aircraft from Boeing, with a promise for another 750, as well as agreements benefiting the American agriculture sector.
The US President reached here after a brief refuelling stop at Anchorage in Alaska.
“It’s the two great countries. I call it the G-2. This is the G-2. I think it’ll go down as a very important moment in history,” Trump told Fox News in an interview after meeting Xi on Thursday.
The Washington Post reported that Trump’s remarks put China on an equal footing with the US, exactly what Xi had aimed to achieve with the visit.
“Over two days of meetings here, the carefully choreographed pageantry and the reciprocal gestures of friendship and respect between the world’s two most powerful men displayed a geopolitical dynamic that the Chinese have long craved and Americans had resisted," the Post said.
Trump told Fox News that the relationship with Xi was important and suggested that China may not resort to any aggressive moves over Taiwan, at least till he is in office.
“It’s not a takeover. They just don’t want to see this place — we’ll call it a place because nobody knows how to define it — but they don’t want to see it go independent,” Trump said.
“I don’t think they’ll do anything when I’m here. When I’m not here. I think they might, to be honest with you,” Trump said.
"I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down," he said.
"We're not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China's going to be OK with that," he added.
The US President said he had invited Xi for a visit to Washington in September.
“Xi has done something Chinese leaders have been working toward for decades — bringing an American president to Beijing as an undisputed peer,” said Julian Gewirtz, who served as China director on the National Security Council under President Joe Biden.
“Xi used the opulent optics of the visit to make clear to the world that China and the United States are the two dominant, equally matched superpowers. There is no going back.”
Trump’s friendly statements toward Xi and the Chinese people were being amplified in China’s state-controlled media, sending the message that “we’re getting along better with the Americans,” John Delury, a senior Fellow at the Asia Society, was quoted as saying by The New York Times.
It was understandable that Trump wanted to be polite to Xi, but that the American president’s gushing approach “weakens Trump and the US”, R. Nicholas Burns, the ambassador to China during the Biden administration, was quoted as saying in The New York Times.
“Xi did not hesitate to warn Trump over Taiwan. Trump should not hesitate to be frank about our concerns, too,” he said.
Trump and Xi are expected to meet at least three times this year.
The US President has invited Xi to the White House in September.
Trump may travel to Shenzhen in China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in November. And Xi could come to the G-20 summit in December in Miami.
“This is a summit again that was heavier on symbolism than it was on substance — focus on managing problems, not on solving the problems that exist between the US and China,” said Rush Doshi, former National Security Council deputy senior director for China and Taiwan in the Biden administration.
“The way that both leaders talked about the future indicates that this is going to be part of a process that will play out this year,” said Kurt Campbell, former deputy secretary of State in the Biden administration.
