DK Shivakumar takes dig at Pratap Simha after HC dismisses PIL on Dasara invite
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday hit out at former BJP MP Pratap Simha, saying he was only trying to stay politically relevant after being denied a party ticket.
“Pratap Simha has not been given a ticket by his party. So, he is making attempts to show that he is politically alive. I wish him well,” Shivakumar told reporters at Vidhana Soudha.
He was responding to questions about the Karnataka High Court’s decision to dismiss Pratap Simha’s PIL that had challenged the government’s move to invite writer Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the state’s Dasara festivities.
“The court has delivered justice. We bow to our judiciary. Ours is a democratic system, and today we are celebrating Democracy Day. Our vote is our right. The ballot is stronger than the bullet. This government has been chosen by the people with their votes, and this decision is that of a popularly elected government,” he said.
Shivakumar added that the Constitution stands for equality and provides space for all religions. “We must respect every faith. How can anyone say don’t pray to Chamundeshwari Devi or don’t visit Chamundi Hills? The government has taken a decision within the framework of the Constitution. Leaders like Pratap Simha should read the Constitution properly to understand their rights. Unfortunately, the BJP has no respect for it. We are committed to protecting the Constitution and all communities,” he asserted.
He further said, “Courts also function based on the Constitution. We too work under its principles. Even our oath of office is in the name of the Constitution.”
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India intensifying engagement with global partners from position of strength: Jaishankar
Mumbai (PTI): India is engaging with international partners more intensively and from a "position of strength", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, citing a string of recent trade agreements as evidence of the country's growing economic clout.
In an address at the Global Economic Cooperation conference, Jaishankar highlighted the successful negotiation of several high-profile deals, including a significant trade pact with the United States.
The Global Economic Cooperation is an event organised by the Future Economic Cooperation Council in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Government of Maharashtra.
Describing the current international landscape as perhaps the most turbulent in living memory, the minister warned that the world is witnessing the "weaponisation" of production and finance, alongside tightening export controls and volatile market shifts.
"The established global order is clearly changing. Replacements are hard to create, and we appear to be headed to a long twilight zone. This will be messy, risky, unpredictable, perhaps even dangerous," he said.
Long-standing assumptions and expectations have now become questionable, the minister pointed out.
Key dimensions are transforming simultaneously, be it strategic, political, economic or technological. Solutions lie in derisking and diversifying across multiple domains. This approach is increasingly visible in the policy of nations, the EAM said.
Jaishankar stressed that the "reform express" will continue to roll on.
"From a position of strength, India is engaging international partners more intensively. This is demonstrated in the recently concluded trade deals," he said.
Economic security is best served through stronger self-reliance and more trusted partners, the minister added.
Following a phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, both sides recently announced a reduction of US tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent.
However, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has alleged that the government "sold Bharat Mata" through the trade deal with the US, saying it was a "wholesale surrender", with India's energy security handed over to America and farmers' interests compromised.
Last month, India and the European Union (EU) concluded negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), which will help boost two-way commerce and strengthen economic ties between the two sides. Over the last year, India has also finalised trade deals with the UK, New Zealand and Oman.
Jaishankar said that the world has entered a volatile and uncertain era, possibly the most turbulent in living memory.
He emphasised that India will also be more salient in the global calculus of production, on services, technology, skills and knowledge.
Economics will give way to politics and security when it comes to making choices and technology in the age of AI (Artificial Intelligence), he noted.
The minister further said that the US is determined to reindustrialise at any cost, and this is central to its tech future.
China's manufacturing and export focus continues unabated and may even expand, he added.
Technology competition is intensifying and polarising. Energy trade flows are being significantly redefined. New mindsets are encouraging greater risk-taking, including through military means. Migration and even mobility are getting contentious, he pointed out.
"Each nation and each society will respond as per their interests and calculations," Jaishankar said.
