This is how democracy should work, hope to see this in India: Tharoor lauds Trump-Mamdani meet
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday lauded the cordial meeting between US President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, saying this is how democracy should work and hoped to see this happen in India.
Seizing the opportunity, the BJP expressed hope that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi would get the message.
Reposting on X a video of the meeting between the US President and the New York City Mayor-elect, Tharoor said, "This is how democracy should work. Fight passionately for your point of view in elections, with no rhetorical holds barred. But once it's over, and the people have spoken, learn to cooperate with each other in the common interests of the nation you are both pledged to serve."
"I would love to see more of this in India, and am trying to do my part," the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.
Reacting to Tharoor's remarks, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla was all praise of Tharoor for his remarks and hoped Rahul Gandhi would get the message.
"Once again, Shashi Tharoor reminds Congress to put India first, not Parivar. To behave democratically and not like sore losers. But will Rahul Gandhi get the message? One more Fatwa loading against Shashi?" Poonawala posed in a post on X.
After months of vitriolic attacks against each other during the New York City mayoral election, Trump and Mamdani adopted a mutually warm tone during their first meeting at the White House in Washington DC, with the US president terming it "very productive".
Trump also expressed confidence that Mamdani "can do a very good job".
"We've just had a great meeting, a really good, very productive meeting. We have one thing in common, we want this city of ours that we love to do very well.
"I wanted to congratulate the Mayor. He really ran an incredible race against a lot of smart people, starting with the early primaries, and he beat them easily," Trump said in the Oval Office, as Mamdani stood next to him.
When asked if he would feel comfortable living in New York City under a Mamdani administration, Trump responded emphatically. "Yeah, I would, especially after the meeting. Absolutely".
He added that they agreed on "a lot more than I would have thought. I want him to do a great job, and we'll help him do a great job. He may have different views. I would feel very, very comfortable being in New York, and I think much more so after the meeting."
Mamdani "appreciated" the meeting with Trump, also describing it as a "productive", one focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City.
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Ayush signs off with silver at Badminton Asia Championships
Ningbo (China) (PTI): India's Ayush Shetty signed off with a silver medal after his giant-killing run ended in a straight-game loss to world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships here on Sunday.
The 20-year-old from Mangalore struggled to find his rhythm, going down 8-21, 10-21 to the reigning world champion from China, as India's 61-year wait for a men's singles gold at the event continued.
Despite the loss, it was a creditable campaign from the unseeded youngster, who became only the second Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna to reach the final of the continental showpiece.
Khanna remains the only Indian singles champion at the event, having won the title in 1965. Since then, only the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have lifted the trophy, winning it in 2023.
World No. 25 Ayush entered the contest on the back of defeats to Shi at the Malaysia Super 1000 earlier this year and the Indonesia Masters last season. However, he had played with far greater control and attacking clarity this week, toppling world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, world No. 4 Jonatan Christie and world No. 7 Li Shi Feng en route to the final.
However, the Indian, a product of the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, failed to counter the tactical discipline of Shi, who used his repertoire of strokes and deception to deny Ayush the opportunity to play his natural attacking game.
Shi dictated the geometry of the court from the outset, controlling the net exchanges and forcing Ayush into the forecourt battle early. The variation in the Chinese player’s game blunted the Indian’s attack, as his smashes lacked precision and he succumbed to scoreboard pressure, leading to rushed shot-making.
Shi Yu Qi logged the opening points with two fine net dribbles to race to a 4-0 lead, as Ayush’s smashes lacked precision early on and he trailed 2-6. A long rally ended with the Chinese player going wide, offering the Indian some respite. A deceptive net shot helped Shi move to 7-4, and he extended the lead to 11-6 as Ayush struggled for control, committing a string of unforced errors.
Shi mixed it up effectively, producing a lovely drop shot and repeatedly drawing the Indian to the forecourt with cross returns like a metronome, forcing errors. Two down-the-line smashes gave Shi a massive cushion of game points, and he sealed the opening game when Ayush sprayed a return wide.
The Indian needed a complete reset to stay alive, and he responded with a thunderous straight smash before diving on both flanks to keep the shuttle in play and move to 3-1 in the second game. Shi continued to test Ayush with backhand deceptive net strokes and pushes to the deep, but the Indian managed to retrieve everything and even found his precision in time, with an on-the-line smash confirmed by Hawk-Eye and a well-constructed rally taking him to 7-2.
However, he couldn't hold on to the momentum as the Chinese clawed back to 7-7 after two long shots and a smash into the net from Ayush. A return that kissed the backline from Shi, followed by another error from Ayush at the net and a return into the net, handed the Chinese the advantage once again at the interval, as he led 11-8.
Shi’s ability to place the shuttle into empty spaces with his repertoire of strokes, often punctuated by a fierce smash, made life difficult for the Indian as he stretched the lead to 13-8. Soon, the Chinese was up 15-9 with another powerful smash.
A body return followed by a straight smash took him to 17-9, and another long shot from Ayush further dented his chances. A perfectly angled smash into the forehand corner brought Shi within two points of victory. He then unleashed a cross-court smash to earn 10 match points and sealed the contest with a return that cramped the Indian, targeting his hip.
