Anant Kumar Hegde sends reply to BJP leadership, denies charges against him
Bengaluru, Feb 4: BJP MP Anant Kumar Hegde has written to the party leadership that he made no mention of Mahatma Gandhi in his speech, which has faced flak for its swipe at the Father of the Nation, and controversial remarks attributed to him are "incorrect".
BJP sources said Hegde sent a detailed reply to party president J P Nadda, and the party's disciplinary committee, which issued him a show-cause notice to him on Monday, is studying its content before deciding its next course of action.
Hegde has claimed he did not name Mahatma Gandhi nor did he insult him in his speech and news reports about his speech are "incorrect". He added he also did not use words like "nautanki" or "drama" to describe the freedom struggle led by Gandhi.
There is a view in the party that what the former Union minister said might be in bad taste but its content was distorted in some media reports, a senior BJP leader said.
Speaking in Kannada at an event in Bengaluru on Saturday to commemorate Veer Savarkar, an iconic Hindutva figure, Hegde said freedom fighters who did not sacrifice anything made the country believe that it attained independence through 'Upavasa Satyagraha', Gandhi's preferred mode of agitation by undertaking fast.
"Such people became 'Mahapurush (great person)," said Hegde, who is no stranger to controversies.
The Gandhi-led freedom struggle was an "adjustment" with the British, he said, suggesting that contribution of revolutionaries and other freedom fighters who were not associated with the Congress were undermined.
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Modi knew I wasn't happy, we can raise tariffs very quickly: Trump on India's Russian oil purchases
New York/Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump has said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "knew he was not happy" with India's purchases of Russian oil and that Washington can raise tariffs on New Delhi "very quickly".
These remarks were made by President Trump while talking to reporters on Sunday aboard Air Force One en route to Washington DC from Florida.
"They (India) wanted to make me happy, basically. Modi is a very good man; he is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy. They do trade and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly. It would be very bad for them," Trump said.
Trump's remarks came after US Senator Lindsey Graham, accompanying him on Air Force One, said that the tariffs imposed on India by Trump are the "chief reason" New Delhi is now buying substantially less Russian oil.
Graham spoke about his tariff bill that seeks to impose 500 per cent levies on imports from countries buying Russian oil.
Graham said that to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, pressure must be put on Russian President Vladimir Putin's customers.
Trump said that the sanctions are hurting Russia very badly and then mentioned India. Graham then said that the US put a 25 per cent tariff on India for buying Russian oil.
"I was at the Indian Ambassador's house about a month ago and all he wanted to talk about is how they are buying less Russian oil. 'Would you tell the President to relieve the tariff? Graham said.
