Donald Trump reiterates claim that he stopped conflict between India and Pakistan
New York/Washington, Jul 14 (PTI): US President Donald Trump Monday reiterated his claim that he stopped the conflict between India and Pakistan, which could have turned into a "nuclear war", through trade.
"We've been very successful in settling wars. You have India, (and) Pakistan. You have Rwanda and the Congo that was going on for 30 years," Trump said during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Rutte in the Oval Office.
"India, by the way, Pakistan would have been a nuclear war within another week the way that was going. That was going very badly, and we did that through trade. I said, ‘we're not going to talk to you about trade unless you get this thing settled’, and they did, and they were both great, great leaders, and they were great,” he added.
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim more than a dozen times on several occasions that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.
However, India has been consistently maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.
In a nearly 35-minute phone call with Trump last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly stated that India does not and will "never accept" mediation and that the discussions between Indian and Pakistani militaries on cessation of military actions were initiated at Islamabad's request.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.
India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
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Public can obtain e-pass online to watch Independence Day celebrations in Bengaluru: BBMP
Bengaluru, Aug 13 (PTI): For the first time, the general public can obtain e-pass online to watch the 79th Independence Day celebrations, said Maheshwara Rao, Chief Commissioner, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Wednesday.
Rao, along with the Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru, Seemanth Kumar Singh, was briefing the media here about how Bengaluru is preparing for the state-level ceremony to be held on August 15 at Field Marshal Manik Shah Parade Ground, Cubbon Road, Bengaluru.
“Earlier invitations were distributed by government officials to special invitees and to those involved in the ceremony. Now, people can obtain an e-pass from the Seva Sindhu website (www.sevasindhu.karnataka.gov.in),” added the commissioner.
He said a live telecast of the programme is also available on Doordarshan.
According to him, the viewing gallery for the public at the venue has been expanded to allow more people to watch the programme in person.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will hoist the Indian flag, following which he will inspect the parade in an open jeep and receive the guard of honour.
Siddaramaiah will also deliver an Independence Day message.
On ground security checks are already underway, said the Police Commissioner.
“Police have been deployed on guard duty at the ground for the last 15 days. They are also checking all the hotels, lodges and rest houses for any suspicious activities,” said Singh.
CCTV cameras and baggage scanners, Door Frame Metal Detector and Hand-Held Metal Detector have been installed around the ground to closely monitor all the events, he added.
He also appealed to those with green passes (e-passes) to arrive at Gate no. 05 from the Manipal Centre side via Cubbon Road.
He urged people not to carry any unnecessary luggage or items with them. Even essential items like mobile phones, water bottles, helmets, cameras, radios and umbrellas are best left behind to facilitate quick entry into the venue, he added.
Meanwhile, Bengaluru Traffic Police has appealed to the public to use public transport and metro service as much as possible, due to the lack of space for parking vehicles at Manik Shah Parade Ground and nearby areas.
Parking will not be allowed at Central Street (from Anil Kumble Circle to Shivajinagar Bus Stand), Cubbon Road (from CTO Circle to K R Road and Cubbon Road Junction) and MG Road, from Anil Kumble Circle to Trinity Circle), added a Traffic Police advisory issued on Wednesday.
