India, China competition should never turn into conflict: PM Modi
New Delhi, Mar 16 (PTI): Despite past tensions with China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has favoured dialogue over discord and said differences between India and China were natural but stronger cooperation was in the interests of the two neighbours and for global stability.
In a podcast with Lex Fridman, Modi said India and China were working to restore the conditions along the borders as they were before the clashes along the Line of Actual Control in 2020, the first since 1975 that resulted in deaths of security personnel on both sides.
"However, after my recent meeting with President Xi, we have seen a return to normalcy at the border. We are now working to restore conditions to how they were before 2020," Modi said referring to his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October last year.
"Slowly but surely, trust, enthusiasm, and energy should return. But of course, it will take some time, as there has been a five-year gap," the prime minister said.
Modi said cooperation between India and China isn't just beneficial for the two nations, but also essential for global stability and prosperity.
"Since the 21st century is Asia's century, we want India and China to compete in a healthy and natural way. Competition is not a bad thing, but it should never turn into conflict," he said.
Modi said the relationship between India and China isn't something new as both nations have ancient cultures and civilizations.
"Even in the modern world, they play a significant role. If you look at historical records, for centuries, India and China have learned from each other," he said.
"Together, they have always contributed to the global good in some way. Old records suggest that at one point India and China alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of the world's GDP. That's how massive India's contribution was. And I believe our ties have been extremely strong, with deep cultural connections," Modi said.
During his over three-hour interaction, the prime minister said there was no real history of conflict between India and China if one looked back over centuries.
"It has always been about learning from each other and understanding one another. At one time, Buddhism had a profound influence in China, and that philosophy originated in India," Modi said.
"In the future too our relationship should remain just as strong and continue to grow. Differences are natural. When two neighbouring countries exist, occasional disagreements are bound to happen," he said.
Even within a family, not everything is always perfect, he said, adding "but our effort is to ensure that these differences don't turn into disputes".
"That is why we actively work towards dialogue. Instead of discord, we stress on dialogue, because only through dialogue can we build a stable cooperative relationship that serves the best interests of both nations," Modi said.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
