US to act more strictly with Pakistan on terrorism: Haley
New Delhi, June 28: US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley on Thursday said Washington will not tolerate governments giving safe haven to terrorists and will communicate this message more strongly to Islamabad than it used to do in the past.
"We cannot tolerate its government, or any other government, giving safe haven to terrorists. We won't tolerate it. We are communicating this message to Pakistan more strongly than in the past and we hope to see changes," Haley said in a speech at a public function here.
"In this area, the US is approaching our relationship with Pakistan differently than in the past," Haley said in her speech on "Advancing India-US Relations" organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
The US envoy, who is on a three-day visit, said the US and India have both felt the pain of terrorism, both share a commitment to defeat it and the hateful ideology that motivates them and share an urgent interest to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists.
"We have greatly expanded our counterterrorism cooperation in the past decade. But we can and we must do more. We must use all of the elements of our national power - economic, diplomatic and military - to protect ourselves," she said.
She said the US has significantly upgraded its security cooperation with India and was now a major defence partner of the US. At the 2+2 dialogue, both countries will discuss ways the US can support India as a provider of regional security around the Indian Ocean.
As she hoped for a free and open Indo-Pacific and protection of sovereign nations from external coercion for peace, stability and commerce, Haley said China is a matter of concern and its failure to respect the rule of law will restrict the relationship between the US and China.
"Unlike India, China does not share our commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental freedoms. This makes China's expansion of loans and investments in countries in the region a matter of concern for many of us.
"China's failure to respect the rights of its people and the rule of law will limit its own ability to grow and prosper over the long term. And unlike with India, this will limit the United States' relationship with China," she said.
On North Korea, Haley said the regime has devoted a huge portion of its limited resources to its nuclear and missile programmes, even in times of famine and at great cost to the lives of its people.
Only a strong, effective international sanctions effort has brought the regime to the negotiating table, she said and added that only time will tell whether the people of North Korea will finally be given priority over their government's dangerous nuclear ambitions.
"The sanctions will stay on. The pressure will continue. We need to see full actions on denuclearisation," Haley said.
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Surjewala slams Pratap Simha’s ‘vile’ remarks on CM Siddaramaiah, demands apology from BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the BJP over alleged disparaging remarks made by former Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during an assembly bypoll campaign in Bagalkote.
Simha made the remarks while campaigning for BJP candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath, triggering a political row ahead of the by-elections scheduled for April 9.
Congress has fielded Umesh Meti, son of former MLA late M Y Meti, whose death necessitated the bye-election.
"Pratap Simha's vile remarks about Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bagalkot have exposed the BJP's despicable politics once again," Surjewala said in a social media post.
Alleging a larger political design, he added, "It is increasingly evident that Pratap Simha’s outburst is driven by desperation," and accused the BJP of using such remarks to target backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and minorities.
The Rajya Sabha member further claimed that the incident reflects a pattern within the party. "This is not one man's madness—it is the BJP’s political culture," he said, adding that the remarks were aimed at "denigrating leaders from marginalised communities".
Referring to past incidents, Surjewala said, "CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar have received death threats in the past, including one from BJP leaders who warned that their bodies would be stuffed into a refrigerator."
The Congress leader also criticised the BJP’s bypoll campaign strategy, alleging "internal contradictions".
He pointed to the party’s use of expelled MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in campaigning despite earlier disciplinary action against him, accusing the BJP of resorting to "abuses and indignities" against opposition leaders.
Surjewala demanded immediate action from the BJP leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, state president B Y Vijayendra, and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka.
He said they must tender a public apology to Kannadigas, particularly to OBCs, SCs, and minorities, over the remarks, and urged the party to expel Simha if it does not repudiate his statements.
Surjewala also called for legal action, demanding that an FIR be registered against Simha and that strict measures be taken.
Warning of "political consequences", he said the electorate in the bypoll-bound constituencies would respond decisively if the BJP failed to apologise, asserting that voters would "teach the BJP a befitting lesson" in the elections.
There has been no immediate reaction from the saffron party yet.
