Modi did not visit Krishna Mutt due to life threat: Shobha Karandlaje
Bengaluru, May 2: BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje said that SPG commandos did not allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Udupi Krishna Mutt due to life threat.
Speaking to reporters at the BJP office here on Wednesday, she said that they have requested the Prime Minister to visit Udupi Krishna Mutt. But after inspecting the security arrangements on the Krishna Mutt premises, the SPG has not allowed the Prime Minister’s visit to the Mutt. So, Modi was not happy for that, she added.
A few days ago, Union Home Minister Rajanath Singh was also not allowed to visit the Krishna Mutt. But Singh did not listen to the words of security group and visited the mutt. But the Prime Minister could not violate the caution of the SPG, she added.
On AICC president Rahul Gandhi, Shobha said that the Congress president has no faith on God. He did not go to any temples even after appointing as the AICC president. But during the election campaigning, he has been visiting the temples and other religious places in the state, she added.
No question of alliance with JDS:
The Congress leaders have been alleging that the BJP has come to an alliance with the JDS. But it is just a cock and bull story. There is no question of alliance with the JDS. The BJP would face the election in all the 224 constituencies seriously, she added.
Congress fearing defeat:
Desperate over the fear of defeat in the election, the Congress has stooped to the low level and engineering violence by pelting stones at BJP campaigning vehicles. This is a clear indication that the Congress is fearing defeat in the election. In Bengaluru, Kolara, Davanagere and Dharwada, the Congress workers have pelted stones at BJP vehicles and damaged them. Instead of asking votes on the development works, the Congress which ruled the state for five years, has been using unparliamentary words in its advertisements against Yeddyurappa and RSS, she averred.
It is the culture of the BJP to respect elders. In view of this, Prime Minister Modi has spoken about former prime minister HD Deve Gowda. In order to make Congress people understand that criticism of Deve Gowda by Rahul Gandhi is not good, Modi has spoken about Deve Gowda. There is nothing much to read into those statements, she clarified.
Manifesto on May 4:
She said that the manifesto of the BJP would be announced on May 4. Architect of Karnataka’s development BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa would release the manifesto, she added.
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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.
