Won't tolerate insult to Dr Ambedkar: Karnataka Minister Madhuswamy
Bengaluru (PTI): In the wake of an objectionable play in a private deemed-to-be-university in the city recently, the Karnataka government on Wednesday said it will not tolerate any insult to the architect of the Indian Constitution Dr B R Ambedkar.
During zero hour in the Karnataka Assembly, JD(S) legislator Dr K Annadani raised the issue of the play allegedly demeaning Dr Ambedkar.
"The government has taken action by arresting some people. Such an insult to Ambedkar is unacceptable. Remove the 'deemed university' status and withdraw all the facilities given to the educational institution," Annadani said and trooped to the well of the House.
Replying to him, the state Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said, "the government is not in a position to tolerate it. If the management's role is found then certainly action will be taken," Madhuswamy said.
On repeated insistence seeking removal of deemed-to-be-university status, Madhuswamy said the government will not yield to whatever was asked for in the House.
Annadani alleged the professor and the dean of the university must be held accountable as they knew about the play when the rehearsal was happening.
The skit that was performed by the students of the Jain (Deemed-to-be) university at a college festival recently, purportedly contained offensive references mocking Dr Ambedkar and Dalits, the portion of which was widely shared on social media. Nine persons including seven students have been arrested in this connection.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Talks with Iran ended after 21 hours without reaching agreement, says US Vice President Vance
_vb_41.jpeg)
Islamabad (PTI): US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that the Islamabad Talks with Iran failed as the two sides could not bridge the gulf of differences despite hectic efforts spreading more than 21 hours.
Vance addressed a press conference here after “substantive discussions” in direct talks between the two sides -- the first since 1979 at this level --mediated by Pakistan.
“We have been at it now for 21 hours, and we have had a number of substantive discussions, that’s the good news,” Vance said.
“The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement,” he added.
“We have made very clear what our red lines are, what things we are willing to accommodate them on and what things we are not,” the US vice president said, adding that the Iranian delegation had “chosen not to accept our terms”.
He was asked to elaborate the main sticking points of what did the Iranians reject but he refused to go into specifics.
“I won’t go into all the details because I don’t want to negotiate in public after we negotiated for 21 hours in private. But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and that they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon,” Vance said
He said stopping Iran from getting a "nuke" was the “core goal of the US president, and that’s what we have tried to achieve through these negotiations”.
Vance also praised Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, terming them “incredible hosts”.
“Whatever shortcomings were in the negotiations were not because of Pakistanis, who did an amazing job and really tried to help us and the Iranians bridge the gap and get to a deal,” he said.
Separately, the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baqaei, in an X message also confirmed that the two sides failed to make a deal and “numerous messages and texts have been exchanged between the two sides".
“In the past 24 hours, discussions were held on various dimensions of the main negotiation topics, including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, war reparations, lifting of sanctions, and the complete end to the war against Iran and in the region,” he wrote.
“The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran’s legitimate rights and interests.”
Baqaei also expressed appreciation to the “government and the warm-hearted and noble people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for hosting the negotiations and their benevolent efforts in advancing this process”.
_vb_48.jpeg)
_vb_17.jpeg)