Trump under fire for defending Putin over poll meddling
Washington, July 17 : US President Donald Trump is facing a barrage of criticism for defending his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over claims of Moscow's interference in the 2016 presidential elections.
At a joint news conference with Putin following their summit in Finland on Monday, Trump refused to denounce the Russian leader for interfering in the presidential campaign and instead contradicted American intelligence agencies, the US media reported on Tuesday.
Russia had no reason to meddle, Trump said.
His remarks sparked an enormous amount of backlash from his critics, Republicans and Democrats, warning that his actions could ultimately hurt national security interests.
"The President must appreciate that Russia is not our ally," said House Speaker Paul Ryan. "The US must be focused on holding Russia accountable and putting an end to its vile attacks on democracy."
Russia is responsible for "ongoing, pervasive attempts" to undermine US democracy, said Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.
Republican Senator John McCain, a key member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it was a "disgraceful performance".
"No prior President has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant," he said.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted that it was a "missed opportunity... to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling".
"Shameful," tweeted Republican Senator Jeff Flake. "Bizarre and flat-out wrong," wrote Senator Ben Sasse in reference to Trump's separate assertion that both countries were to blame for their deteriorating relationship.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump's actions had "strengthened our adversaries while weakening our defences and those of our allies".
Former Vice President Joe Biden said: "... Our President had the chance to confront an adversary who has attacked - and continues to attack - our democracy and our allies. He could have stood up for American interests and values. He chose not to."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called Trump's performance an "embarrassment". Former CIA director John Brennan said Trump's news conference "was nothing short of treasonous".
"Not only were Trump's comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???" he tweeted.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Mike Pence defended the summit and praised Trump.
During the press conference, Putin offered to allow US investigators to visit Russia to question the officers regarding poll medding.
In a later interview with Fox News, he said it was "ridiculous" that some people thought Russia could have influenced the US elections.
Putin said the US-Russian relations should not be "held hostage" to an internal political struggle in America. He also dismissed longstanding reports that Russian intelligence may hold compromising material on Trump.
The Russian leader described the Helsinki meeting as "candid and useful" while Trump said there had been "deeply productive dialogue".
Trump said US-Russia relations had "never been worse" than before they met, but that had now changed.
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SC upholds inclusion of ‘secular, socialist’ in Preamble of Constitution
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the inclusion of the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, confirming their retrospective application from November 26, 1949. The court ruled that the power to amend the Constitution under Article 368 extends to the Preamble, which is an integral part of the document.
A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated, “The power under Article 368 cannot be curtailed. It will equally apply to the Preamble.” The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, which introduced these terms in 1976 during the Emergency, was challenged on grounds of its retrospective application and the lack of states’ ratification.
The petitioners, including BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, argued that the amendment forced a particular economic theory on the nation and violated the original intent of the Constitution. Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay contended that the Preamble reflects the will of the people at the time of adoption in 1949 and is therefore unalterable.
The court dismissed these objections, affirming that both socialism and secularism are part of the Constitution's Basic Structure. The Bench clarified that socialism refers to a welfare state ensuring equality of opportunity without negating private sector participation or individualism. It emphasised that secularism is embedded in the Constitution, particularly in the principles of equality and fraternity.
Chief Justice Khanna remarked, “Secularism has always been a core feature of the Constitution.” He added that the amendment did not impose socialism as dogma but aligned with the welfare goals enshrined in various constitutional provisions.
