No wonder his good friend in New Delhi does not want to hug him: Cong's dig at PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over US President Donald Trump repeating his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan using trade, and said "no wonder" the American leader's good friend in New Delhi "does not want to hug him any more".
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared on X a video clip of Trump's remarks in Japan in which he repeated his claim that he stopped the India-Pakistan military conflict using trade.
"So far he has said it 54 times. He has said it in the US, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UK. He has said it mid-flight and on land. Now President Trump has said it again, while addressing business leaders in Japan last evening," Ramesh said on X.
"No wonder his good friend in New Delhi does not want to hug him any more," the Congress leader said.
In his remarks in Japan on Tuesday, Trump reiterated that he ended the India-Pakistan military conflict.
"A lot of the wars that I stopped were because of tariffs. And, frankly, I did a great service to the world because of tariffs, because of trade. If you look at India and Pakistan, they were going at it.
"Seven planes were shot down. Seven brand-new, beautiful planes were shot down, and they were going at it, two big nuclear powers. I said to Prime Minister Modi, and I said to the prime minister and the Field Marshal over in Pakistan, I said that we're not going to do any trade if you're going to be fighting," Trump said.
"(They said) 'no, no, one thing has nothing to do with the other' and I said it has a lot to do with the other. We said we are not doing any deals if you are going to fight and in about 24 hours that was the end of that, it was amazing," the US president said, referring to the stopping of the India-Pakistan conflict in May.
Last month, in his address to world leaders from the UN podium, Trump had repeated his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan.
India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of the two militaries.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
