BJP has 'dog-like mentality', says Madhya Pradesh minister
Jhabua (MP), Jul 15: Hitting back at the BJP for the criticism of the Congress government over the transfer of sniffer dogs and their handlers, a Madhya Pradesh minister Monday said the saffron party had a "dog-like mentality".
The controversial comment by PWD Minister Sajjan Singh Verma came three days after the opposition BJP alleged that the shifting of police dogs and their handlers was part of a "flourishing transfer racket" in the Congress-ruled state.
"Can anyone harbour an enmity against an animal? BJP people said dogs have been transferred. It should have been better had they said that the dog squad has been transferred. This is their mentality, like a dog. So we can't help it," Verma said at a press conference here.
Responding to the Verma's statement, state BJP chief spokesman Dipak Vijayvargiya told PTI from Bhopal that Chief Minister Kamal Nath should take a serious note of the "undemocratic and unparliamentary" language used by his Cabinet colleague.
"This is unbecoming of a minister. They (Congress government) have gone so far in the transfer business that they don't know where to stop. They have gone wild, he said.
In an order issued last Friday by the commandant of the 23rd Battalion of the Madhya Pradesh Police, 46 dogs and their handlers were transferred.
A sniffer dog from Chhindwara, named Duffy, was shifted to the CM's residence here.
Two other sniffer dogs, Renu and Sikandar, were also transferred to the CM's house from Satna and Hoshangabad, respectively.
Following this, MLA and state BJP vice-president Rameshwar Sharma had tweeted, "If in their control, the Congress can even transfer the land and sky."
He later told PTI, "The Congress can do miracles. It transferred dogs. The Kamal Nath government transferred about 50,000 officials and employees in six months."
"Some of the officials were transferred three to four times in this period. A transfer racket is flourishing and posts in government offices are on the sale," he had said.
Another state BJP vice-president Vijesh Lunawat had tweeted, "Wah, the transfer industry of the Kamal Nath government did not spare even dogs."
Several other BJP leaders had too taken potshots at the Congress government over the issue.
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India needs steady hand at the wheel but has 'compromised PM': Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): A day after a US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in international waters off Sri Lanka's coast, the Congress on Thursday questioned the government's silence with Rahul Gandhi saying that while the country needed a steady hand at the wheel, it has a "compromised PM who has surrendered our strategic autonomy".
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the Modi government's "reckless abdication" of India's strategic and national interests is there for all to see.
"An Iranian ship, a guest of India was returning, unarmed from the International Fleet Review 2026, hosted by us, and was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). No statement of concern or condolence. PM Modi remains mute," Kharge said on X.
"Why lecture us on the doctrines of MAHASAGAR and India being a 'Net Security Provider' in the IOR, when you can’t react on what is happening in your own backyard? As many as 38 Indian Flag commercial ships along with 1100 sailors are stuck in Gulf of Hormuz," he said.
"Indian sailors, including Captain Ashish Kumar have reportedly died. Why is there no maritime rescue or relief operation in place? You say only 25 days of crude and oil stocks left. With rising oil prices, what is our energy contingency plan, especially in the wake of GOI virtually accepting the demand to stop import of Russian oil? What about the trade of other key commodities with the gulf countries?" the Congress chief said.
As per MEA statement on March 3, "some Indian nationals have lost their lives or are missing", he said.
"There are one crore Indians in the gulf region countries. Medical students are releasing desperate video messages seeking help. How is the GOI securing their well-being? Is there any evacuation plan in place from the affected areas?" Kharge said.
"Clearly, Modi Ji's SURRENDER is both political and moral! It demeans India’s core national interests and destroys our foreign policy carefully and painstakingly built and followed by successive governments over the years!" Kharge said.
Gandhi said the world has entered a volatile phase and "stormy seas lie ahead"
"India's oil supplies are under threat, with more than 40% of our imports transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The situation is even worse for LPG and LNG," he said on X.
"The conflict has reached our backyard, with an Iranian warship sunk in the Indian Ocean. Yet the Prime Minister has said nothing," Gandhi said.
At a moment like this, India needs a steady hand at the wheel, he said.
"Instead, India has a compromised PM who has surrendered our strategic autonomy," Gandhi alleged.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also said maybe it should not be surprising since the Modi government has still not broken its silence over the targeted assassinations in Iran.
In a significant escalation of the West Asia crisis, a US submarine on Wednesday torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in international waters off Sri Lanka's coast when it was returning after participating in the Milan naval exercise, a multilateral wargame hosted by India.
In a post on X, Ramesh said the Indian Navy's flagship multilateral exercise, MILAN, was first held in 1995 and the 13th edition was held in Visakhapatnam from February 19 to February 25, 2026 with 18 warships from other countries, including the USA and Iran participating.
The exercise was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Ramesh pointed out.
"This makes yesterday's sinking of the Iranian warship that took part in the Milan exercise by a US Navy submarine in the Indian Ocean some 40 nautical miles south of Galle in Sri Lanka all the more extraordinary. The Iranian warship was on its way back home," he said.
This US action has enormous implications for India as well and it is shocking that there has been no official response to it till now, Ramesh said.
"Maybe it should not be surprising since the Modi government has still not broken its silence over the targeted assassinations in Iran. Never before has the Indian government looked so timid and fearful," the Congress leader said.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, confirming the strike, said at a Pentagon media briefing that it was the first sinking of an enemy warship by a torpedo since World War II.
The Associated Press, quoting the Sri Lankan Navy, reported that 87 bodies were recovered and that 32 people were rescued following the sinking of the warship IRIS Dena.
The incident marks a major escalation of the conflict between the US and Iran outside of the Persian Gulf and throws up questions relating to maritime security in the Indian Ocean that is largely considered as the backyard of the Indian Navy.
The US and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
In the last few days, the conflict has widened significantly with attacks and counter-attacks by both sides.
India has called for resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
