BJP leader Ravi using derogatory word against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar is an 'offence': CM
Mandya (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday termed BJP MLC C T Ravi allegedly using a derogatory word against Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar as an "offence".
He also hit out at the BJP and questioned whether the party supports derogatory comments made against a woman.
Ravi allegedly used a derogatory word against Hebbalkar in the Legislative Council on Thursday, during an altercation between them, when the House was adjourned for a while.
"Will they (BJP) support derogatory comments made against a woman?...What they are saying is lies. Will anyone accept the mistake and that he has used a derogatory word against Laxmi Hebbalkar? Then why was he (Ravi) arrested? " Siddaramaiah said in response to a question about BJP staging a protest and Ravi denying allegations.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "Normally women don't give false complaints about comments made against them...I don't know why C T Ravi used such a word...It is an offence."
Noting that Ravi had said that he had not used any derogatory word and the word used by him was "frustrate", Siddaramaiah said, "This seems to be an afterthought. I don't know, but Hebbalkar has clearly said that derogatory word was used against her and others too have heard it. Also, I'm told there is audio and video. I don't know."
To a question, Ravi claiming threat to his life and the government is responsible for it, he said, "All offenders say such things. If that is the case no one can be prosecuted."
Ravi was arrested on Thursday evening and taken into a police van from the premises of Suvarna Vidhana Soudha.
Based on the complaint lodged by Hebbalkar, a case was registered against the BJP leader under sections 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Ravi has accused the police of "violating" human rights, as he alleged that they took him on rounds the entire night to various places in the district, following his arrest.
Reacting to this, the CM said, "He was taken to Khanapur keeping his interest in mind, as, if he was in Belagavi (from where Hebbalkar hails) people might have indulged in disturbance."
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India joins US-led strategic alliance 'Pax Silica'
New Delhi (PTI): India on Friday joined a US-led strategic alliance -- 'Pax Silica' -- that is aimed at building a resilient supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence.
India signed a pact joining the coalition at a ceremony at the AI Impact Summit here.
The signing ceremony was attended by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and US envoy to India Sergio Gor among others.
Gor said Pax Silica is a coalition of capabilities.
"Pax Silica is a declaration that future belongs to those who build and when free people join forces," US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said.
The move comes amid efforts by the two sides to finalise the proposed trade deal and move forward on several other initiatives to solidify bilateral ties after a spell of severe strain in relations.
The Pax Silica initiative was launched in December last year to build a secure, resilient, and innovation-driven supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI).
The Pax Silica Summit was held in Washington on December 12 last year where partner nations signed the Pax Silica declaration.
The declaration lays out a shared vision of deep economic and technology cooperation across supply chains -- from raw materials through semiconductors and AI infrastructure -- and commitment to mutual prosperity and security.
The member nations of the Pax Silica included Australia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Gor last month announced an invitation to New Delhi to join the strategic alliance. One of the key pillars of Pax Silica was to establish a durable economic order to drive AI-powered prosperity across partner nations.
"We recognise that a reliable supply chain is indispensable to our mutual economic security," according to the Pax Silica declaration.
"We also recognise that artificial intelligence (AI) represents a transformative force for our long-term prosperity and that trustworthy systems are essential to safeguarding our mutual security and prosperity," it said.
"We believe that economic value and growth will flow through and across all levels of the global AI supply chain, driving historic opportunity and demand for energy, critical minerals, manufacturing, technological hardware, infrastructure, and new markets not yet invented," it said.
