Self-obsessed govt hell-bent on trivialising freedom fighters' sacrifices: Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday alleged that a "self-obsessed" government is hell-bent on "trivialising" the sacrifices of freedom fighters and the party will strongly oppose such attempts made for political gains.
Gandhi's attack came a day after the BJP released a video narrating its version of events that led to India's partition in 1947 in which it tangentially accused the top Congress leadership at the time and showed pictures of Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The Congress had also taken a strong exception to the exclusion of India's first prime minister Nehru in the Karnataka government's newspaper advertisement on freedom fighters and termed the BJP action "pathetic".
"Friends, we have achieved a great deal in the last 75 years, but today's self-obsessed government is bent on trivialising the great sacrifices of our freedom fighters and the glorious achievements of the country, which can never be accepted," Gandhi said in her message on India's 76th Independence Day.
The Congress will strongly oppose any misrepresentation of historical facts and every attempt to put great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Abul Kalam Azad in the dock based on falsehood for "political gains", she said.
Sonia Gandhi said that in the last 75 years, India has left an indelible mark on the international arena in all fields including science, education, health and information technology through the hard work of its talented people.
"Under the leadership of its visionary leaders, while on one hand, India established a free, fair and transparent election system, on the other, it strengthened democracy and constitutional institutions," the Congress chief said.
Along with this, India has made its identity as a leading country that has always lived up to pluralism in language, religion and sect, she added.
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China confirms its support to Pakistan during four-day conflict with India
Beijing (PTI): China, for the first time, has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media reports here said.
China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.
Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.
Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.
"At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” Zhang said.
What drove his team was the "desire to do an even better job with on site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”, Zhang told CCTV.
“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” he said.
