'Not party's views': Cong distances itself from Sam Pitroda's remarks on China
New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI): The Congress on Monday distanced itself from its leader Sam Pitroda's remarks on China, saying they are not the views of the party and that China remains India's foremost external security and economic challenge.
Pitroda, chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, was reported to have said that he does not understand the threat India faces from China, claiming that it is often blown out of proportion.
"The views reportedly expressed by Mr. Sam Pitroda on China are most definitely NOT the views of the Indian National Congress," AICC general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.
"China remains our foremost foreign policy, external security, as well as economic challenge. The INC has repeatedly raised questions on the Modi Govt's approach to China, including the PM's public clean chit to it on June 19, 2020. Our most recent statement on China was on 28th January, 2025," he said.
"It is also extremely regrettable that Parliament is being denied an opportunity to discuss the situation and express a collective resolve to meet these challenges effectively," Ramesh said.
The BJP has attacked the Congress over Pitroda's remarks, saying that what Pitroda has said symbolises the mindset of the Congress and said Pitroda's remarks are in line with its leaders' statements in support of China.
In his statement on January 28, Ramesh had said the Congress notes the announcement by the Modi government of normalisation of ties with China at a time when there are still many unanswered questions about the disengagement agreement of October 21, 2024.
The statement had come after New Delhi and Beijing agreed to restore commercial and cultural ties including direct flights between the two capitals, resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, liberalised visa regime and other measures following the recent Beijing visit of the foreign secretary.
"The Modi government has not yet satisfactorily explained to the country why this is the right time to normalise relations with China.
"Ever since the Chinese occupied 2,000 sq km of territory in eastern Ladakh that had been accessed by Indian patrols until May 2020, the people and the Armed Forces of the country have held that the Government of India must insist on a restoration of the status quo ante as it stood prior to that," Ramesh had said in his statement, while posing a set of questions to the government.
The views reportedly expressed by Mr. Sam Pitroda on China are most definitely NOT the views of the Indian National Congress.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 17, 2025
China remains our foremost foreign policy, external security, as well as economic challenge. The INC has repeatedly raised questions on the Modi Govt's… pic.twitter.com/vVjjc9pQbT
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UP man gets life term for electrocuting mentally challenged wife to death in Bareilly
Bareilly (UP) (PTI): A local court here has sentenced a man to life imprisonment for murdering his mentally challenged wife by repeatedly electrocuting her while she was tied to a cot, lawyers said on Thursday.
Additional district government counsel Harendra Singh Rathore said Additional Sessions Judge Avinash Kumar Singh on Wednesday convicted Vinod Kumar (45) for killing his wife, Satyavati, in Chaina village of Bareilly district and imposed a fine of Rs 15,000 on him.
According to the prosecution, he was allegedly frustrated with his wife Satyavati's mental illness and often assaulted her.
Rathore said the prosecution examined nine witnesses to establish the charges against him.
As per court records, on the night of May 1-2, 2022, when Satyavati was asleep, Vinod tied her hands and legs to a cot using ropes and then connected an aluminium cable to an electric board to repeatedly administer electric shocks to her.
"She writhed in pain, but the accused continued to electrocute her until she died," the prosecution said.
The court observed that the murder was carried out in an inhuman manner.
After committing the crime, the accused threw the rope and cable on the roof and left for work at a brick kiln around 2 am to create a false alibi.
He later tried to mislead the police and the victim's family by claiming that Satyavati, whose mental condition was unstable, had accidentally died by suicide after grabbing a live electric wire.
However, the victim's brother, Sanjeev, a resident of Shahjahanpur district, suspected foul play and lodged an FIR under sections 498A (husband subjecting wife to cruelty) and 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code at Nawabganj police station.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on the post-mortem report prepared by Dr Faraz Anwar, who stated that multiple electrocution marks found on different parts of the victim's body could not have been self-inflicted.
The police also recovered the rope and electric wire used in the crime on the accused's identification, officials said.
