Telangana BJP MLA seeks abolition of family planning for Hindus
Hyderabad, May 5 (PTI): Telangana BJP legislator Paidi Rakesh Reddy on Monday called for the abolition of family planning for Hindus, so they can have more children.
Addressing a party meeting in Nizamabad, the Armoor MLA, indirectly referring to last month’s terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, said that the terrorists had asked if the victims were Hindus before killing them.
He asserted that only unity among Hindus could protect future generations and safeguard the country.
He also remarked that the "opposite person" was "playing the game" with 11 to 12 children and roaming around with bombs, while "our" children were scared even of firecrackers.
"I am telling all of you, brothers and women, since you are all here, I am requesting that family planning for Hindus be abolished. Give birth to a sufficient number of children. The unity of Hindus is the only way to stop these guns. We are one. If there is no Dharma, there is no country. And if there is no country or Dharma, there are no future generations. Kashmir is an example of that," he claimed.
Reddy further stated that the terrorists in the Pahalgam attack did not ask the victims about their caste—whether they were blacksmiths or barbers, Tamilians, Maharashtrians, or Telugus. "Did they ask? They asked if you were Hindu," he said.
The BJP leader could not be immediately reached for clarification on his statement.
Reacting to Reddy’s comments, Congress Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said that in a secular country like India, religion should not be used to criticise or compare issues.
"This does not address the real problem and instead creates unrest in the country. Rakesh Reddy’s comments, provoking Hindus to have more children, reflect personal views. If the government wants to promote such activity in the national interest, that's a different matter," the Congress MP said.
He added that as a responsible elected representative, Reddy should not provoke people in the name of caste.
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Jaishankar, Rubio welcome trade deal; discuss energy, nuclear, defence, critical minerals
New York/Washington (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio "welcomed" the trade deal reached between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and discussed "formalising" bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration and mining during their meeting in Washington DC on Tuesday.
Rubio held bilateral discussions with Jaishankar at the State Department, ahead of the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting being convened by the US on Wednesday.
"Delighted to meet US @SecRubio this afternoon. A wide ranging conversation that covered our bilateral cooperation agenda, regional and global issues," Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting.
"Facets of India-US Strategic Partnership discussed included trade, energy, nuclear, defence, critical minerals and technology. Agreed on the early meetings of various mechanisms to advance our shared interests," he wrote.
A readout of the bilateral meeting provided by State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that Rubio and Jaishankar "welcomed the trade deal reached between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi. The two leaders emphasised the importance of our democracies working together to unlock new economic opportunities and advance our shared energy security goals."
Pigott further said that Rubio and Jaishankar "discussed formalising bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration, mining and processing."
Rubio and Jaishankar "concluded their meeting by expressing their commitment to expanding bilateral and multilateral cooperation through the Quad. They acknowledged that a prosperous Indo-Pacific region remains vital to advancing our shared interests," the readout said, referring to the four-nation grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the US.
In an X post, Rubio said he met with Jaishankar to "discuss our bilateral cooperation on critical minerals exploration and work together to unlock new economic opportunities between our two countries. We also commended the trade deal between the United States and India."
Jaishankar is on a visit to the United States from February 2-4 and will participate in the Critical Minerals Ministerial being convened by Rubio.
During the visit, he will also hold meetings with senior members of the US administration, the Ministry of External Affairs had said.
The meeting between Jaishankar and Rubio came a day after Trump announced on Truth Social that India and the US agreed to a trade deal under which Washington will bring down reciprocal tariff on Delhi from 25 to 18 per cent.
At the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial, the US will welcome delegations to advance collective efforts to strengthen and diversify critical minerals supply chains.
"This historic gathering will create momentum for collaboration to secure these critical components vital to technological innovation, economic strength, and national security," the State Department has said.
US Vice President J D Vance, Rubio, Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for Global Supply Chains David Copley, and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg will deliver opening remarks at the ministerial.
