Action against MP John Brittas over article indicates 'dangerous situation' in country: CPI(M)
Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 30: The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Sunday said the move of the BJP-led Centre of seeking an explanation from the Left party's MP John Brittas over an article critical of Union Home Minister Amit Shah was an indication of the "dangerous situation" prevailing in the country.
The CPI(M) said that not just Shah, but several other Sangh Parivar leaders have repeatedly given speeches and made statements that were "contemptuous" of Kerala.
Kerala, which was number one in the Human Development Index (HDI), was even compared to a country like Somalia, it said.
The CPI(M) state secretariat, in a statement, further contended that the vindictiveness of the BJP leaders towards Kerala was due to the reason that it was a model state in protecting secularism and has provided alternatives to the globalisation policies of the central government.
Through the Sangh Parivar's intervention, even "anti-Kerala films" were being made, the Left party said and added that the move against Brittas should be seen in this background.
The CPI(M) pointed out that what Shah had said regarding Kerala in Karnataka recently was published in the media, but when the same was mentioned in an article by Brittas he was asked to give an explanation.
The Sangh Parivar's role of forgetting the freedom of speech and expression enjoyed by every individual and moving forward with such actions, as taken against the CPI(M) MP, deserves to be strongly opposed, the statement said.
The Left party urged everyone believing in democratic principles to come together and oppose such moves.
Brittas was called to the office of Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar over his article following a complaint lodged by a BJP functionary, P Sudheer.
The meeting in which Brittas was asked to explain his article -- "Perils of Propaganda" -- took place last week.
In his complaint, Sudheer had called Brittas' article "highly divisive and polarising" and sought "suitable action against the seditious conduct".
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
