Jaitley targets Congress over Kumaraswamy breaking down
New Delhi, July 16 : Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday targeted the Congress over Karnataka Chief Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy breaking down at a public event, saying the party believed that "only members of one family can rule India" and that others should be pushed to weeping publicly.
Jaitley's remark came in a facebook post: "Is the Karnataka a preview of what the Congress and the Federal Front promise for the future?" Jaitley said the country is keenly watching Karnataka where the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular joined hands post-elections to form a government in May.
"It is a repeat of what the Congress did to Chaudhary Charan Singh, Chandra Shekhar, H.D. Deve Gowda and I.K. Gujral. It is the obvious consequence of a non-ideological opportunistic alliance (working) with no positive agenda. The basis of the negative agenda is 'keep Modi out'," Jaitley said.
He said people had, in the last few days, seen Kumaraswamy pouring out his emotions with tears, declining to accept bouquets and garlands.
Kumaraswamy broke down at a public event on Saturday stating that he was "not happy" holding the top post and that he was swallowing the pain like 'Vishakantha' (Lord Shiva), who drank poison.
Jailtley said non-ideological opportunistic coalitions always get trapped within their own contradictions and their only objective remains survival and not service of the nation.
"Their longevity is suspect. If a Prime Minister of such a coalition has to weep before cameras with a wish to exit from office, it will be a scenario worse than the policy paralysis of UPA II. The Congress firmly believes that only members of one family can rule India. If anybody else gets a chance, he should be pushed to the desperation of throwing his hands up and weeping publicly," he said.
Jaitley said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clearly demonstrated the advantages of a decisive leadership.
"India's Prime Minister and his government have to overcome the challenges that India faces today. He cannot be seen like the Chief Minister of Karnataka as a tragedy king. If such a coalition is a cup of poison, why even dream of inflicting it on the nation?" he said.
Jaitley cited parts of Kumarswamy's speech and said it reminded him of tragedy-era Hindi films.
He said India needs a sustained high-trajectory growth, cohesive government and a decisive political leadership to face global challenges, including terrorism.
The minister said the country needs a government which is able to resist unfair pressures of allies and regions.
"If fighting terror has to be compromised because of vote-bank pressures of allies, then such a government would be a liability. Can a leadership unsure of itself meet the challenge of eliminating poverty and transforming the world's fastest growing economy into a developed nation?" he asked.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismisses defence minister in surprise announcement
Jerusalem, Nov 5: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday dismissed his popular defence minister, Yoav Gallant, in a surprise announcement that came as the country is embroiled in wars on multiple fronts across the region.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza. But Netanyahu had avoided firing his rival. Netanyahu cited “significant gaps” and a “crisis of trust” between the men in his Tuesday evening announcement.
“In the midst of a war, more than ever, full trust is required between the prime minister and defence minister,” Netanyahu said. “Unfortunately, although in the first months of the campaign there was such trust and there was very fruitful work, during the last months this trust cracked between me and the defence minister.”
In the early days of the war, Israel's leadership presented a unified front as it responded to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. But as the war dragged on and spread to Lebanon, key policy differences have emerged. While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant had taken a more pragmatic approach, saying that military force has created the necessary conditions for a diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the Hamas group.
Gallant, a former general who has gained public respect with a gruff, no-nonsense personality, said in a statement: “The security of the state of Israel always was, and will always remain, my life's mission."
Gallant has worn a simple, black buttoned shirt throughout the war in a sign of sorrow over the October 7 attack and developed a strong relationship with his US counterpart, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
A previous attempt by Netanyahu to fire Gallant in March 2023 sparked widespread street protests against Netanyahu. He also flirted with the idea of dismissing Gallant over the summer but held off until Tuesday's announcement.
Gallant will be replaced by Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister who was a junior officer in the military. Gideon Saar, a former Netanyahu rival who recently rejoined the government, will take the foreign affairs post.
Netanyahu has a long history of neutralising his rivals. In his statement, he claimed he had made “many attempts” to bridge the gaps with Gallant.
“But they kept getting wider. They also came to the knowledge of the public in an unacceptable way, and worse than that, they came to the knowledge of the enemy - our enemies enjoyed it and derived a lot of benefit from it,” he said.
