EAM clarifies PM's Houston comment; says India has non-partisan approach to US' domestics politics
Washington: Asserting that India has a non-partisan approach to domestic American politics, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 'Howdy, Modi' rally was merely referring to the phrase 'Abki Baar Trump Sarkaar' used by the US President's supporters during his 2016 campaign.
"No, he did not say that," the minister said on Monday when asked during a news conference with Indian journalists that Modi in his Houston address used the phrase 'Again Trump Sarkaar.'
Currently on a three-day trip to Washington DC, Jaishankar strongly refuted the notion that the prime minister used the phrase to endorse Trump's candidature for his 2020 re-election campaign.
"I think, please, look very carefully at what the prime minister said. My recollection of what the prime minister said was that candidate Trump had used this ('Ab Ki Baar Trump Sarkaar'). So PM is talking about the past. I don't think we should, honestly, misinterpret what was said. I don't think you're doing a good service to anybody, he said in response to the question.
Addressing a crowd of over 50,000 Indian-Americans in Houston on September 22, Modi said that we in India have connected well with Trump.
"The words of candidate Trump, 'Abki baar Trump sarkar', rang loud and clear. And his celebration of Diwali in the House -- White House -- lit up millions of faces with joy and appreciation," Modi had said amidst thunderous applause from the audience.
Soon thereafter the opposition Congress party accused Prime Minister Modi of endorsing Trump's candidature, a charge denied by the ruling BJP.
"I mean, he (Modi) was pretty clear what he was talking about. He was saying, 'this is what you said as a candidate, which showed that you were trying to, (connect with India and its people even as a candidate)'," Jaishankar said.
"We have a very nonpartisan (approach to domestics US politics). So, our sort of approach to whatever happens in this country is their politics, not our politics," he added.
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Stalin accuses Centre of trying to use women's quota as 'weapon,' slams EPS over delimitation
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has strongly criticised the Centre over the women's reservation and accused it of trying to use it as a "weapon" to tackle the opposition before taking up the delimitation exercise based on population.
"The Union government is not concerned about implementing reservations for women. If their concerns were genuine, they could have done it right away. Rather than doing that, the BJP-led Centre is thinking of using it as a weapon to tackle opposition and take up the delimitation exercise based on population," he told PTI in an interview.
"Hence, the women's reservation must be implemented immediately without showing delimitation as a reason," the DMK president added.
Expressing apprehensions on the proposed delimitation exercise, the CM said it was the DMK that raised the first voice asserting the rights of the state after realising that Tamil Nadu would be affected by the proposed exercise. He also attacked his rival and AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami over the delimitation issue.
Recalling efforts made by the DMK to raise the issue of population-based delimitation, he said an all-party meeting and a meeting of CMs under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee seeking fair delimitation were convened. It sought to freeze delimitation for 25 years and stick to it based on the 1971 Census population.
"We urged the union government that states which successfully implemented population control programmes must not be punished," he added.
The party came up with "Tamil Nadu poradum, Tamil Nadu vellum" (Tamil Nadu will struggle, Tamil Nadu will win) and this is DMK's stand, he said.
"However, Palaniswami, who is seeking votes for the entry of the BJP through the backdoor, has till date been mute over delimitation, and this is a betrayal of the people of Tamil Nadu."
