India not neutral; it is on side of peace: PM Modi on Russia-Ukraine conflict
Washington (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, insisting that a solution to the conflict cannot be found on the battlefield and that dialogue and diplomacy is the only way to bring peace.
After his wide-ranging talks with Trump at the White House on Thursday (Friday India time), Modi said India has not been neutral on the war and that it is on the side of peace.
"I have always been in close contact with Russia and Ukraine. I have met the leaders of both countries. The world somehow feels India has been neutral, but I want to reiterate that India has not been neutral," he said at a joint media briefing with Trump.
"In fact, India has been on the side of peace," he said, adding "I support Donald Trump's efforts towards finding a possible solution to end the war."
Modi also recalled his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that it is not the era for war,
"When I met President Putin, I had even said that 'this is not the era for war'. I had also said that solutions cannot be found on the battlefield. They can only come when all parties sit at the table for dialogue," the prime minister said.
"India believes that the solution to the war can be found only when the issue is discussed in a forum where both countries (Russia and Ukraine) are in attendance."
On Wednesday, Trump said he held a lengthy and productive phone call with Putin and that they agreed to move forward towards negotiations to end the war.
The US president even said he and Putin "agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately".
India has all along been pressing for resolution of the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
In his summit talks with Putin on July 9 last year in Moscow, Modi told the Russian leader that a solution to the Ukraine conflict is not possible on the battlefield and peace efforts do not succeed in the midst of bombs and bullets.
Weeks later he travelled to Ukraine.
In his talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Modi said both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to end the ongoing war and that India was ready to play an "active role" to restore peace in the region.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
