Let us not politicise the evacuation process: Former PM Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, Feb 28: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Monday urged not to politicise the evacuation process from the war-torn Ukraine, as he called on everyone to work together.
The JD(S) patriarch in a series of tweets said, scoring points at this hour of crisis will make us look bad.
"I have been watching videos of our young citizens stranded in Ukraine making fervent pleas for evacuation. It is heart wrenching to see their plight. I can understand their desperation to get back home safely. But when a war is raging in that country and there is so much uncertainty on the ground, and when operational links are broken, it is only fair that we support our officers and embassies to focus on the job at hand," Gowda tweeted.
He said, he knows from experience that these operations can be tough and delicate.
"Let us not politicise the evacuation process. It will demoralise those conducting the operation. Scoring points at this hour of crisis will make us look bad. Let us work together," he added.
Recently, Gowda, who is also the member of Rajya Sabha, had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to instruct the External Affairs Ministry to transport all Indian citizens back to safety at the earliest, and while they are still stranded make adequate arrangements to take care of their well-being.
Stating that he is aware that the Indian government is already engaged in evacuating Indian citizens, especially students, he specifically shared a list of nearly a dozen medical students from his home district of Hassan in Karnataka, with their last known coordinates.
"It is a very difficult situation, but I am sure the government will leave no stone unturned to bring Indian citizens to safety," he had added in a letter dated February 26.
I have been watching videos of our young citizens stranded in Ukraine making fervent pleas for evacuation. It is heart wrenching to see their plight. I can understand their desperation to get back home safely. But when a war is raging in that country and there is so much 1/3
— H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) February 28, 2022
uncertainty on the ground, and when operational links are broken, it is only fair that we support our officers and embassies to focus on the job at hand. I know from experience that these operations can be tough and delicate. Let us not politicise the evacuation process.2/3
— H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) February 28, 2022
It will demoralise those conducting the operation. Scoring points at this hour of crisis will make us look bad. Let us work together.3/3#Ukraine #Evacuation
— H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) February 28, 2022
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Cong takes swipe at PM over India not being part of US-led 'Pax Silica' grouping
New Delh (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it is perhaps not very surprising that India is not part of a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure silicon supply chain, given the "sharp downturn" in the Trump-Modi ties, and asserted that it would have been to "our advantage if we had been part of this group".
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the news of India not being part of the group comes after the PM had enthusiastically posted on social media about a telephone call with his "once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC".
In a lengthy post on X, Ramesh said, "According to some news reports, the US has excluded India from a nine-nation initiative it has launched to reduce Chinese control on high-tech supply chains. The agreement is called Pax Silica, clearly as a counter to Pax Sinica. The nations included (for the moment at least) are the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia."
"Given the sharp downturn in the Trump-Modi ties since May 10th, 2025, it is perhaps not very surprising that India has not been included. Undoubtedly, it would have been to our advantage if we had been part of this group."
"This news comes a day after the PM had enthusiastically posted on his telephone call with his once-upon-a-time good friend and a recipient of many hugs in Ahmedabad, Houston, and Washington DC," the Congress leader asserted.
The new US-led strategic initiative, rooted in deep cooperation with trusted allies, has been launched to build a secure and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.
According to the US State Department, the initiative called 'Pax Silica' aims to reduce coercive dependencies, protect the materials and capabilities foundational to artificial intelligence (AI), and ensure aligned nations can develop and deploy transformative technologies at scale.
The initiative includes Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia. With the exception of India, all other QUAD countries -- Japan, Australia and the US -- are part of the new initiative.
New Delhi will host the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 on February 19-20, focusing on the principles of 'People, Planet, and Progress'. The summit, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the France AI Action Summit, will be the first-ever global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump on Thursday discussed ways to sustain momentum in the bilateral economic partnership in a phone conversation amid signs of the two sides inching closer to firming up a much-awaited trade deal.
The phone call between the two leaders came on a day Indian and American negotiators concluded two-day talks on the proposed bilateral trade agreement that is expected to provide relief to India from the Trump administration's whopping 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods.
In a social media post, Modi had described the conversation as "warm and engaging".
"We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations and discussed regional and international developments. India and the US will continue to work together for global peace, stability and prosperity," Modi had said without making any reference to trade ties.
