Amid power tussle with Pilot, Rajasthan CM Gehlot tells media not to make people fight
Jaipur (PTI): Amid a tussle over leadership with his former deputy Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has said media should not make people fight.
Interacting with reporters here on Monday, he asserted the Congress' election campaign in the state would focus on the schemes and programmes launched by his government. The veteran Congress leader also exuded confidence that his party would return to power based on the work done in the last five years.
Gehlot's comments come in the backdrop of an ongoing tussle with Pilot. The duo has been at loggerheads over the chief minister's post ever since the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan in December 2018.
Recently, Pilot opened another front against Gehlot by holding a day-long fast while alleging that the state government did not take action against the alleged corruption during the tenure of the BJP regime led by Vasundhara Raje, as promised before the 2018 assembly polls.
Gehlot, however, has not offered any direct reaction to Pilot's attack.
On Monday, he said the media should not make people fight.
"The media should stick to the truth and facts The media should not make us fight with each other. They (media persons) should fulfil their duty and it is in the public interest... The media should support the government in reiterating the truth," he said.
"I do not say 'present false figures or praise us falsely' but I would like the media to run based on truth. The media is under the pressure of the central government but they should see the interest of the public," Gehlot told reporters here.
About his government's schemes and the upcoming assembly elections, the Congress leader said the party's campaign would focus on the schemes of his dispensation.
"In the elections, Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah will take part in big road shows, spend money and do everything to win the elections. But we have decided that we will move forward on the basis of the (state) government's works," he said.
Assembly elections in Rajasthan are due later this year.
The state government has taken many decisions, Gehlot said and lauded it for its excellent fiscal management and steps to not impose any tax.
"We will move forward with these things. Our campaign will revolve around this. BJP leaders who come will speak so many things but we will not pay attention to them. We will do our work," he said.
The government is fulfilling the pledge of serving the public and fulfilling promises, Gehlot said.
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Putin meets Iran's FM Araghchi, says Russia ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia
Moscow (PTI): Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin, who hailed the Iranian people for fighting bravely and heroically for their sovereignty and said Moscow is ready to do its best to help bring peace to West Asia as soon as possible.
Araghchi, who held talks with Omani and Pakistani leadership before arriving in Russia, met Putin in St. Petersburg and thanked him for supporting Iran, state-owned TASS news agency reported.
"Russia is ready to do everything in its power to ensure that peace in the Middle East is achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during his meeting with Araghchi, which was also attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Revealing that he received a message from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei last week, Putin asked Araghchi to convey his "gratitude for this message and best wishes for his health and well-being."
He praised the Iranian people for fighting "bravely and heroically" for their sovereignty, Iran's state-run PRESS TV reported.
"We really hope that, based on the courage and desire for independence, the Iranian people, under the guidance of the new leader, will weather this difficult period of trials and peace will come,” Putin said.
He also stressed that Russia “intends to maintain” its strategic relations with Iran.
Araghchi said that the world witnessed Iran’s strength in countering the US during the recent war, and that the Islamic Republic is a "stable and powerful establishment."
"With their courage, the Iranian people succeeded in resisting the US aggression and will be able to endure it,” he said.
He said that it became clear that Iran has “great friends and allies” like Russia, and conveyed “warmest greetings” from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian to the Russian leader.
Araghchi said relations between Moscow and Tehran represent a “strategic partnership at the highest level” and will continue to develop "regardless of circumstances."
"We are grateful to you for the solid and strong positions in support of the Islamic Republic of Iran," he said.
Foreign Minister Lavrov said that the talks between President Putin and the Iranian Foreign Minister were "useful and constructive."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said that Russia is "ready to provide any good offices, any mediation services that are acceptable to the parties."
"We will be ready to do everything so that ultimately peace ensues, guaranteed peace, and that there is no return to hostilities," Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
He was asked how Moscow can assist in future negotiations on the Iranian settlement.
Araghchi arrived in Russia after his whirlwind trip to Islamabad, which, according to him, was “very productive” and involved “good consultations" with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, amid uncertainty over the second round of peace talks to resolve the war in West Asia.
"We held good consultations with our friends in Pakistan. The trip was successful. We assessed the outcome of our recent (meetings) and discussed in what direction and under what conditions talks can move on,” Araghchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel upon his arrival in St Petersburg.
Referring to the second round of talks between the US and Iran to resolve the conflict in West Asia, Araghchi said: "Developments have taken place in the negotiations."
"Despite some progress in earlier rounds, the talks failed to reach their objectives due to the Americans' approach, the excessive demands they made, and the wrong approaches they adopted. Therefore, it was necessary to consult with our friends in Pakistan to review the latest situation,” Iran's official news agency IRNA quoted him as saying.
He said that the trip to Pakistan was a good opportunity to review developments related to the US-Israeli war against Iran, expressing confidence that “these consultations and coordination between the two countries will be highly significant.”
Araghchi arrived at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport early Monday, where he was welcomed by Russian officials and Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the report said.
The first round of peace talks between Iran and the US, held on April 11 and 12, failed to bring the desired result for the parties to the conflict.
The Iranian minister arrived in Islamabad for the second time on Sunday after a short visit to Oman, where he held talks with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said on security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the Iran-US conflict.
After Araghchi left Pakistan for Oman on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that US negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would no longer be going to Islamabad for talks with Iran, contending that Washington held all the cards on the matter.
Trump on Sunday reiterated that the US and Iranian officials can talk by phone for a peace solution to the conflict.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The war began when the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several top commanders. The retaliation by the Islamic Republic extended the war to the entire Gulf region.
