Maharashtra polls were match-fixed, Bihar next: Rahul Gandhi
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the Election Commission after the poll watchdog rejected his allegations of rigging in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly election. Reacting to the EC’s refutation attributed to the commission officials who spoke on anonymity, Gandhi said, “Evasion won’t protect your credibility. Telling the truth will”. Sharing his op-ed published in ‘The Indian Express’, headlined “Match-fixing Maharashtra”, on X, Rahul reiterated the allegations he has been making since the poll’s result was announced. The 2024 Maharashtra assembly election was a “blueprint for rigging democracy”, he said, alleging that this “match-fixing” would next happen in Bihar and “then anywhere BJP is losing”. If you have nothing to hide, answer questions in my article and prove it by: publishing consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to LS and Vidhan Sabhas of all states Rahul told EC On EC officials rejecting his claims, Rahul said, “Dear EC, you are a constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions.” “If you have nothing to hide, answer the questions in my article and prove it by: Publishing consolidated, digital, machine-readable voter rolls for the most recent elections to the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas of all states including Maharashtra and by releasing all post-5 pm CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths,” he demanded. Rahul further said, “My article shows how this happened, step by step: Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission. Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll. Step 3: Inflate voter turnout. Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win. Step 5: Hide the evidence.” He said, “It’s not hard to see why BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra. But rigging is like match-fixing – the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroys public faith in the result.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul’s claims absurd, bring into disrepute Cong’s own polling reps, say EC officials
Add Your Heading Text HereNEW DELHI: Election Commission officials on Saturday slammed Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for accusing it of “fixing” Maharashtra polls, saying that the “absurd” allegations – already dismissed in a letter to the Congress dated Dec 24, 2024 – not only demotivate lakhs of govt staff who work untiringly to deliver transparent elections but also “bring into disrepute” party’s own representatives from the polling station to the constituency level. “Any misinformation being spread, by anyone, is a sign of disrespect towards the law, under which polls are held. After an unfavourable verdict by the voters, trying to defame the Election Commission by saying that it is compromised, is completely absurd,” an EC functionary told TOI.EC also found it strange that the LoP, instead of directly writing to the EC, has thus far chosen to air his grievances at various other forums – party meetings, Lok Sabha, even interactions on foreign soil and, now, an Op-Ed article. “If he is aggrieved, why is he shying from write to EC directly or seeking a meeting?” asked the functionary mentioned above. On Rahul faulting the appointment process of CEC and election commissioners, officials underlined that it was only under Modi govt that the law was amended to allow LoP a say in the appointments. “All CECs and election commissioners under previous Cong govts were appointed at the sole will of the Executive,” said an officer. Stating that Rahul, in his Op-ED article, has only harped on the allegations denied by the poll panel in December 2024, with additional clarifications published in TOI on April 22, EC officials rejected his charge of extraordinary surge in last two hours. It emphasised that over 6.4 crore electors in Maharashtra, who reached the polling station from 7 am to 6 pm on November 20, 2024, had voted. Thus, about 58 lakh votes were polled per hour on an average. “Going by these average trends, nearly 116 lakh voters could have voted in the last two hours. Therefore, casting of 65 lakh votes by electors in two hours is much below the average hourly voting trends,” an EC functionary pointed out. As regards the anomalies alleged by Rahul in roll revision, the functionary underlined that over 27,000 booth level agents (BLAs) appointed by the Congress were actively involved at every step of the summary revision of Maharashtra rolls ahead of the state polls, including raising claims and objections against the draft roll. Interestingly, while electors increased by 8.1% in Maharashtra since the last assembly poll, the corresponding rise was 13.4% for Jharkhand and 16.2% for Telangana. Congress won both Jharkhand (in alliance with JMM) and Telangana polls. Even after the final roll was published with a total 9.7 crore electors and its copies shared with all political parties including the Congress – allowing them to file two-point appeals, if dissatisfied – only 89 appeals were filed before the first appellate authority (district magistrate) and one before the second (chief electoral officer). “It is thus amply clear that there was no grievance of Congress or any other political party before the conduct of Maharashtra polls,” said the EC functionary. As regards allegations of irregularities in polling, EC officials shared that polling agents of all candidates and parties, including Congress, were present at the polling stations. “Congress’s nominated candidates or their authorized agents did not raise any substantiated allegations with regard to any kind of abnormal voting at the time of scrutiny before the returning officer and the election observers,” said an officer. “It appears that all these facts brought to the Congress notice by EC in its letter dated December 24, 2024, have completely been ignored,” said an EC functionary. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
LoP Gandhi Slams CM Nitish; Calls Bihar Crime Capital of India
PATNA — In a fiery address at the Constitution Security Conference held at the International Convention Centre in Rajgir, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on both the Central and Bihar governments, accusing them of allowing lawlessness to prevail and undermining the Constitution. Speaking from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s home turf of Nalanda, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said on Friday, “Bihar, the land of truth, justice and non-violence, is today becoming the ‘Crime Capital’ of India.” The Congress MP lamented the breakdown in law and order, alleging that the public in Bihar now feels unsafe and stated that “Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are responsible for this situation.” “The law and order here is in shambles. Basic facilities like education, employment, and healthcare remain out of reach of the common people,” Rahul Gandhi said. Targeting PM Modi, LoP Gandhi said, “Attempts are being made to spread hatred and fear in the country. But the Congress will not let this conspiracy succeed. We began ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ for this reason, and we are not backing down.” He also ridiculed CM Nitish Kumar’s frequent political flip-flops. “The Chief Minister keeps changing sides — sometimes here, sometimes there. The people of Bihar have now understood that real issues are being sidelined,” he said. Positioning himself as a defender of constitutional values, LoP Gandhi warned against attacks on social justice and democracy. “We will not let the Constitution be destroyed. This country will run on the Constitution drafted by Baba Saheb Ambedkar, not on the instructions of two or three capitalists,” Rahul Gandhi said. He urged the youth of Bihar to unite in defence of democracy and constitutional values, calling the present struggle a fight against hatred and violence. “Together we will move the country forward on the path of justice and brotherhood,” he said. This was LoP Gandhi’s first public event in Nalanda, making it politically symbolic given CM Nitish Kumar’s stronghold in the region. The event saw significant participation from Congress workers and local residents. –IANS Courtesy : Clarion Note: This news is originally published on https://clarion.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Match-fixing will come to Bihar next’: Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP over Maharashtra polls; alleges ‘rigging’
NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday again accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of engaging in “poll rigging”. Citing last year’s Maharashtra polls, he cautioned against similar “match-fixing” activities by the saffron party in the upcoming Bihar polls. “How to steal an election? Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy,” he said as he went on to list out the alleged sequence. He noted that the alleged tampering begins by “rigging the panel for appointing the Election Commission”. Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll Step 3: Inflate voter turnout Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where BJP needs to win Step 5: Hide the evidence “It’s not hard to see why the BJP was so desperate in Maharashtra. But rigging is like match-fixing – the side that cheats might win the game, but damages institutions and destroy public faith in the result. All concerned Indians must see the evidence. Judge for themselves. Demand answers. Because the match-fixing of Maharashtra will come to Bihar next, and then anywhere the BJP is losing. Match-fixed elections are a poison for any democracy,” he added. The opposition parties have consistently raised the allegations of poll rigging in Maharashtra polls, with leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge even calling for a going back to ballot paper system terming electronic voting machines (EVMs) as “fraud” and something that put the opposition at “disadvantage”. — kharge (@kharge) The Election Commission, has however, rejected Rahul’s charge of unexpected voter’s spike in the Maharashtra polls calling it “nothing unusual”. “During the assembly elections in Maharashtra 6,40,87,588 electors, who reached the polling station from 7 am to 6 pm, voted. About 58 lakh votes were polled per hour, on an average. Going by these average trends, nearly 116 lakh voters could have voted in the last two hours. Therefore, casting of 65 lakh votes by electors in two hours is much below the average hourly voting trends,” a senior EC functionary had said earlier this year. They also pointed out that Congress’s own polling agents were present at every booth during the elections and did not raise any credible complaints about irregular voting — neither during the scrutiny by returning officers nor before election observers the following day. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Habit of surrendering’: Rahul Gandhi takes shot at PM Modi on caste census; questions his silence on Trump’s ceasefire claim
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday doubled down on his “surrender” jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the prime minister has a habit of “surrendering”. Speaking at a gathering in Bihar’s Nalanda, Rahul said, “My aim is caste census. In Lok Sabha, in front of Modi ji, I told him that caste census would be conducted. And you know he has a habit of surrendering.” “And I knew that the day we put a little pressure, they would completely surrender,” the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha further said. “I am fighting for the caste census to save the Constitution and for the overall betterment of the country. Wherever we form government in future, we will remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation. It will start from Bihar,” he further said. — INCBihar (@INCBihar) He also questioned PM Modi’s silence over US President Donald Trump’s claims about resolving tensions between India and Pakistan. “PM Modi is silent on US President Donald Trump’s claims of brokering peace between India, Pakistan,” Rahul said. Rahul added that Trump has made the same statement many times. “Trump has said 11 times, 11 times, that I made Narendra Modi surrender. He has said it publicly 11 times. Narendra Modi is unable to respond. Narendra Modi is unable to say that Trump is lying because it’s the truth.” Targeting the government over the caste census issue, he said, “They will never get a genuine caste census done because the day they get it done, their politics will end.” He also raised questions about the structure of the census exercise. “Doubtful if the government can conduct caste census properly with no officers from OBC, tribal community finalising questionnaire,” he said. Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also attacked the Centre on Tuesday, alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave in to pressure from the United States during Operation Sindoor. Targeting PM Modi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said, “Trump gave a sign from there. He (Trump) picked up his phone and said, ‘Modiji, what are you doing? Narendra … Surrender.’ And PM Modi complied,” Rahul Gandhi said while addressing a gathering in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal. Further, he also targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party, and its ideological parent, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying that they “surrender” whenever put under the slightest pressure. “I am well aware of the BJP and RSS people. Apply a little pressure on them, give them a slight push, and they run away in fear,” Gandhi said. He also took to social media to reiterate his charge, saying: “Trump called, and Narendra Modi surrendered. This is the history and character of BJP-RSS. In 1971, despite American threats, India split Pakistan. The lions and lionesses of Congress face superpowers; they don’t bow.” Gandhi’s comments come in the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that he played a role in ending the military escalation between India and Pakistan after India carried out precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoJK in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Following Operation Sindoor, which was conducted on May 7, both countries ceased further military action after a call from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to his Indian counterpart. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Firm on breaking 50% reservation cap in country: Rahul
Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said wherever there is a Congress govt, 50% reservation barrier would be removed. Addressing the ‘Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan’ at Rajgir in Nalanda district, Gandhi said he was firm on his commitment to break the 50% barrier on reservations. “If the population of the marginalised communities is 90%, why is their reservation limited to only 50%?” he asked. He said, “the Telangana govt has already broken the barrier, and wherever a Congress govt is formed, this barrier will be removed there.” Gandhi also said Bihar which once guided the world civilisations with its wisdom and philosophy has now turned into the “crime capital of the country”. He said, “Bihar was once considered the land of truth, justice, and non-violence. It showed the path to the entire world; people from across the globe used to come to study at Nalanda University”. But today, he said, the situation has completely changed. “People from Bihar are now forced to migrate to other states and even abroad because there are no employment opportunities here”, he pointed out, while remarking, “Bihar has now become the crime capital of the country”. Reaffirming his commitment to caste census and removing the 50% cap on reservation, he said, he will ensure both these are done. And once done, there will be a paradigm shift in the way development is carried out in the country. Gandhi disclosed that after joining politics, he learnt that “90% of the country’s population has no real representation anywhere”. The backward classes, dalits, adivasis, and extremely backward communities lack meaningful representation in key areas such as the corporate sector, judiciary, bureaucracy, and among the owners of private hospitals and other institutions. On the other hand, Gandhi added, these 90% of people can only be found among the MGNREGA and the gig workers. He said, while dalits, backward classes, adivasis, extremely backward communities, and the poor from the general category make up 90% of the population, they control less than 5% of the country’s resources. “You have 90% shareholding in pain and suffering”, he remarked about the 90% population. Gandhi also said while the BJP agreed under pressure to carry out the caste census, he was not sure whether they will do it the way it needs to be done. He referred to the Telangana model, where the questions were framed by about 3 lakh people, unlike the BJP model, where the questions are framed by a selective few officers behind closed doors with no representation from the “90% population”. Referring to the Constitution, he said, it is not merely a 75-year-old book, but a collection of thoughts and philosophy of thousands of years. “The Constitution embodies an ancient philosophy — the thoughts of Lord Shiva, Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Ambedkar, Periyar, Narayana Guru, and Basavanna”, he said, while adding, “This ideological battle has been going on for thousands of years as on one side stands Mahatma Gandhi and on the other, Godse”. Gandhi said, once the caste census is conducted properly, it will not just be an X-ray but an MRI, leading to a new paradigm of development. “The beginning will be made from Bihar; you have been doing it for thousands of years and you will do this also as this is in your DNA”, he remarked amidst thundering applause. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Train bullies target nun in Odisha: 18-hour cop ordeal after false charges by Bajrang Dal hecklers
Nun Rachana Nayak was released after she proved that her six young companions — two men and four women — were all Christians by birth and were travelling for enrolment in training courses A 29-year-old nun was forced off a train by suspected Bajrang Dal activists and detained for 18 hours at a police station in Odisha on charges of trafficking in women and illegal conversions that an investigation later proved false. Nun Rachana Nayak was released after she proved that her six young companions — two men and four women — were all Christians by birth and were travelling for enrolment in training courses. In an indication of the insecurity among minorities, Catholic Church authorities advised members travelling with girls from the community to carry written consent from their parents and village pradhans, as well as baptism certificates proving they are Christian. The incident comes a year after the BJP assumed power in Odisha, and weeks after it released one of the killers of missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons, who were burnt alive in 1999 by a mob led by a Bajrang Dal activist. Nayak, a nun with the Holy Family Convent in Bhopal, and her companions were surrounded, threatened and forced off the train by a group of 30 at Khurda Junction, about 20km from Bhubaneswar. They were detained by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and allowed to leave only on Sunday evening following the intervention of three women human rights lawyers. “They had boarded the Rajya Rani Express from Berhampur on Saturday evening. One of the young men happened to be the nun’s younger brother,” Sujata Jena, one of the women lawyers, told The Telegraph. “They were headed for Jharsuguda, from where they planned to travel to Chhattisgarh where the girls would have received training in various skills and in spoken English.” Jena said the four young women had been selected through a rigorous process of career counselling, and all of them were Catholics. “Some people began heckling them on the train and accused the nun of involvement in religious conversions,” she said. Religious conversions, unless conducted through inducement, fraud or force, are not illegal. “As soon as the train reached Khurda Junction around 11pm on Saturday, around 30 people gathered and began abusing the nun and the four girls. They forced the entire group off the train,” Jena said. “Apart from religious conversions, they accused the nun of trafficking in women. The Railway Protection Force intervened and took all of them to the police station.” Jena added: “They pleaded they were all Christians and that the nun had nothing to do with religious conversions, but no one listened to them.” She said the women lawyers got to know about the matter on Sunday morning and rushed to Khurda. “During the investigation, it came out that all those detained were aged above 18 except for one girl, who was 17. All of them are literate,” she said. “All of them have now been released with full security and without any charges. The police treated them with dignity.” Jena said the women’s parents arrived at the police station and took them back to their villages, unwilling after the ordeal to let them go on to Chhattisgarh. The two young men too left for home. A GRP team escorted Nayak up to Bhubaneswar. Shankar Rao, inspector-in-charge, GRP Khurda, said: “The nun and the four girls know each other. All of them are Christians. The nun hails from Berhampur. She was involved neither in religious conversions nor trafficking. No FIR has been registered by the nun (against the hecklers).” Sources said the nun belongs to the Holy Family order, a local congregation founded in Kerala. Catholic Church sources in Delhi said that apart from written parental consent and baptism certificates, members travelling with girls had been advised to carry “a letter of admission to a senior secondary school to prove they are travelling for higher education”. Courtesy : Subhashish Mohanty, The Telegraph Note: This news is originally published on https://thetelegraph.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘There was no need to ask us to stop’: Shashi Tharoor reacts to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Narender, surrender’ jibe at PM
‘There was no need to ask us to stop’: Shashi Tharoor reacts to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Narender, surrender’ jibe at PM; watch video’There was no need to ask us to stop’: Shashi Tharoor reacts to Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Narender, surrender’ jibe at PM; watch video NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor offered a measured response to party colleague Rahul Gandhi’s controversial “Narender, surrender” jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that domestic political differences should not overshadow India’s unified stance abroad. Speaking in Washington, where he is leading an all-party parliamentary delegation, Tharoor diplomatically navigated questions about Gandhi’s remarks that accused PM Modi of capitulating to US President Donald Trump during a the recent standoff. “In a democracy, and this is normal, parties will contend, criticism will be expressed, demands will be made, points of view will be laid out. We are not here on a party political mission. We are here as representatives of a united India,” Tharoor said. “I often point out to my interlocutors that we have five political parties amongst my seven MPs. We have three religions, we have got seven states… it’s an incredible cross section reflective of India’s diversity. There is an old saying that our political differences stop at the edge of the border. Once you cross the border, you are an Indian and your other allegiances come second,” he added. — PTI_News (@PTI_News) Tharoor dismissed concerns over intra-party criticism overshadowing the delegation’s mission. “I think, frankly, when one is doing the nation’s service, I don’t think one needs to worry too much about these things,” he said. Referring to a recent statement by fellow Congress leader Salman Khurshid, Tharoor added, “I noticed that my friend Salman Khurshid has asked the question, ‘Is it so difficult to be a patriot in our country these days?’ And I think anybody who considers that working in the national interest is some sort of anti-party activity really needs to question themselves rather than us. I honestly feel at this point in time that we are focused on a mission here, and we don’t really need to spend too much time worrying about what is said or not said in the heat of the moment by various individuals. Because for us, the focus really is on this much larger and more important message.” On the matter of US mediation in India-Pakistan tensions, Tharoor reiterated India’s firm stance. “I am not necessarily having to address this issue because I am not here to stir up any sort of complication with the White House. We have enormous respect for the American presidency,” he said. “I think we don’t know exactly what his folks said to Pakistan. We didn’t need persuading by anybody. We were clear — there was no need to ask us to stop because we had said: you hit us, we will hit back, and if they will stop, we will stop. We said that on the first day, we said that on the last day. They may have talked to Pakistan, but that is between them and Pakistan.” — PTI_News (@PTI_News) Tharoor’s remarks come after Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Bhopal, alleged that Prime Minister Modi had acted on a cue from Donald Trump during a military standoff. “As soon as Trump signalled from there, picked up the phone and said, ‘what are you doing Modi ji? Narender, surrender’…and Modi ji obeyed Trump’s orders with ‘Ji Huzoor’,” LoP had said. Former Congress president also invoked the memory of the 1971 Indo-Pak war, saying, “Back then a phone call had not come but the US had sent its 7th fleet, weapons, and an aircraft carrier, but Indira Gandhi didn’t surrender and said she would go by national interest.” He further alleged that the BJP and RSS were habituated to “writing surrender letters” since India’s independence. The BJP, in response, accused Gandhi of insulting the armed forces and undermining the success of Operation Sindoor with his comments. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Remarks made with evil intention’: Allahabad HC says Rahul Gandhi must face trial over Indian Army remarks
LUCKNOW: Allahabad high court’s Lucknow bench has dismissed Congress MP Rahul Gandhi ’s plea challenging a summons in a defamation case linked to his remarks about the Army during his Bharat Jodo Yatra held between Sept 2022 and Jan 2023. Justice Subhash Vidyarthi ruled on May 29 that Gandhi must stand trial, observing a prima facie case exists against him. “Freedom of speech is subject to reasonable restrictions and does not include the freedom to make statements defamatory to any person or to the Indian Army,” the court said. The case was filed by retired BRO director Udai Shanker Srivastava, who alleged Gandhi made derogatory comments in Lucknow on Dec 16, 2022, days after a face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh. Gandhi had said, “People will ask about Bharat Jodo Yatra… but they will not ask a single question about China capturing 2,000 sqkm of Indian land, killing 20 Indian soldiers, and thrashing our soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh… Don’t pretend people don’t know.” Srivastava called the remarks “false and baseless”, made with an “evil intention of demoralising the Indian Army and damaging public faith”. He cited the Army’s official Dec 12 statement, which described the Dec 9 clash in Arunachal as involving “minor injuries to a few personnel from both sides”. On Feb 11 this year, a Lucknow magistrate had summoned Gandhi under Section 500 (defamation) of IPC, saying his comments were not made in discharge of official duty and could demoralise armed forces. Gandhi’s lawyer Pranshu Agarwal said in high court the case was politically driven and Srivastava lacked standing under Section 199 CrPC, as the Army—not the petitioner—was the target. Justice Vidyarthi rejected the claim, saying Srivastava was an “aggrieved person” under the law. The judge said the lower court’s summons was based on a “judicious application of mind” after reviewing complaint details and witness statements, not issued mechanically. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
No Third-Party Role in Indo-Pak Ceasefire: Tharoor Blunts Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Surrender Jibe at PM Modi
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor shuts down Rahul Gandhi’s “Narender Surrender” claim, affirming there was no third-party role in the India-Pakistan ceasefire after Operation Sindoor. Speaking from Washington D.C., Tharoor clarifies that India acted on its own terms, offering to halt military strikes only if Pakistan ceased hostilities first. He emphasized India’s readiness to respond with force to future terror threats and highlighted the strength of India-US strategic ties. Milind Deora echoed: “He puts country before party.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https://timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.