Telangana BC survey can’t be role model: Panel ex-chief
Hyderabad: Telangana Backward Classes (BC) Commission former chairman Vakulabharanam Krishna Mohan Rao has expressed serious objections over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s portrayal of Telangana’s caste enumeration and 42% BC reservation initiative as a “national role model.” He stated that the Telangana caste survey was conducted without authority as per the Constitution and legal framework. In an open letter to Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, Krishna Mohan Rao mentioned that while the Article 342A(3) permits states to maintain their own BC lists, any enumeration or survey, related to the identification of BCs must be conducted by a commission constituted under the Article 340 with the assent of the President, or under statutory provisions such as the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, or the Collection of Statistics Act, 2008. He noted that the SEEEPC (Socio-Economic Educational Employment Political Caste) survey in Telangana was executed by the planning department through IAS officers, without the authority of any such legally mandated body, rendering it unconstitutional. “The caste survey lacks public consultation, transparency, and scientific rigour, with no caste-wise data made public to date. Despite this, the Telangana govt proceeded to act upon it,” the ex-chairman said. He stated that the BC reservation in education and employment falls squarely under the purview of the BC Commission. He added that the govt could have entrusted the BC Commission with this task, backed by clear terms of reference (TOR), and ensured a scientifically sound process. “Unfortunately, that was not done,” he said. 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.
Court issues NBW against Rahul Gandhi
Jamshedpur: A special MP-MLA court in Chaibasa has issued a non-bailable warrant against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with a 2018 defamation case and asked him to appear in person on June 26. The court rejected Gandhi’s plea seeking exemption from personal appearance before issuing the warrant. Pratap Katiyar, a local BJP leader, had filed the case for Gandhi’s remarks against then BJP president Amit Shah at the Congress party’s plenary session in 2018. The case was transferred to the special MP-MLA court in 2020 which then issued summons to Gandhi, but he did not appear, following which a bailable warrant was issued. Gandhi then approached the HC seeking a stay on the warrant. The HC disposed of the plea on March 20, 2024. Jamshedpur: A special MP-MLA court in Chaibasa has issued a non-bailable warrant against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with a 2018 defamation case and asked him to appear in person on June 26. The court rejected Gandhi’s plea seeking exemption from personal appearance before issuing the warrant. Pratap Katiyar, a local BJP leader, had filed the case for Gandhi’s remarks against then BJP president Amit Shah at the Congress party’s plenary session in 2018. The case was transferred to the special MP-MLA court in 2020 which then issued summons to Gandhi, but he did not appear, following which a bailable warrant was issued. Gandhi then approached the HC seeking a stay on the warrant. The HC disposed of the plea on March 20, 2024. 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.
Called Pakistani firing a big tragedy, assured help to the victims, what did Rahul Gandhi do in Poonch?
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday to meet the people affected by Pakistani firing after ‘Operation Sindoor’. Gandhi assured the victim families that he is with them in this difficult time. Rahul also met school children and encouraged them by saying that he loves them very much. Rahul met the victims of Pakistani firing in Poonch Jammu: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reached Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday to meet the people affected by Pakistani firing after ‘Operation Sindoor’. Gandhi assured the victim families that he is with them in this difficult time. Rahul also met school children and encouraged them by saying that he loves them very much. He said that this is a very big tragedy. Many people died in this. Resources have also been damaged on a large scale. We met people. Learned about their pain and suffering. We tried to understand the problems of the people. He said that during the meeting, people told me some of their problems and urged me to raise it at the national level. I will definitely raise it at the national level and I will try to solve the problems of these people. Whom did Rahul Gandhi meet? Congress’ Jammu and Kashmir unit president Tariq Hameed Karra had earlier said on Saturday that Gandhi visited structures affected by the shelling, including a gurdwara, a temple, a madrasa and a Christian missionary school. He also met bereaved families and members of civil society. He said Gandhi is the first national leader to reach out to the affected population to express solidarity and share their pain. Gandhi had said in his visit to Jammu and Kashmir last month that the concept behind the terrorist attack was to divide the people of the country and it is necessary that India unites and defeats terrorism forever. Rahul Gandhi’s Poonch visit In fact, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi visited Poonch and interacted with the affected people for more than an hour. These included families who lost their members in the shelling between May 7 and May 10. Rahul Gandhi told reporters that this is a big tragedy. Many people have lost their lives. They (Pakistani army) have attacked places of common citizens. I talked to people and tried to understand their problems. They have asked me to raise their issue at the national level, which I will do. Standing strongly with the victim families – Rahul He later wrote on the social media platform ‘X’ that I met the families of those who lost their lives in Pakistan’s shelling in Poonch today. Broken houses, scattered belongings, moist eyes and painful stories of losing loved ones in every corner – these patriotic families bear the biggest burden of war every time with courage and dignity. Salute to their courage. Gandhi said that I stand strongly with the victim families – I will definitely raise their demands and issues at the national level. He was accompanied by the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit president Tariq Hameed Karra and All India Congress Committee general secretary G A Mir. What did Rahul Gandhi say to school children in Poonch? Rahul Gandhi also met school children in Poonch. He told them that you guys should not panic. I am standing with you in this difficult time. I love you guys very much. You guys do not need to take tension at all. The Congress leader told the school children that to get out of this difficult time, you guys should study diligently and make a lot of friends. I assure all of you that one day everything will be fine. Rahul Gandhi shared the video Rahul had also gone after the Pahalgam attack This is the second visit of the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha to the Union Territory since the brutal terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. 26 people lost their lives in that terrorist attack, most of whom were tourists. Gandhi had visited Srinagar on April 25 to meet the people injured in the terrorist attack. He had met the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister and many others of Jammu and Kashmir during that time. Rahul reached Jammu on Saturday morning A Congress leader said on Saturday morning that Gandhi arrived at Jammu airport on Saturday morning and left for Poonch by helicopter to visit the areas affected by the cross-border shelling and meet the bereaved families. In response to the Pahalgam terror attack, India carried out precision strikes on nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan and its occupied Kashmir late on May 6 under ‘Operation Sindoor’. Since then, shelling had increased in the Poonch sector. 13 people killed in Pakistani shelling in Poonch district alone 28 people were killed in artillery fire and missile and drone attacks by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir between May 7 and 10, of which 13 were killed in Poonch district alone and more than 70 were injured. Thousands of people living in areas near the Line of Control and International Border areas left their homes and took shelter in government relief camps. India and Pakistan agreed to end the military confrontation on May 10 after four days of continued drone and missile attacks across the border. Curated by: Sujeet Upadhyay Courtesy : Hindi News
There is no stopping the deaths of manual scavengers in India — is the government deliberately ignoring it?
Increasing number of deaths of manual scavengers in India, ignorance of law even after Supreme Court order and serious problem of caste discrimination New Delhi — The claim of the Government of India to eradicate manual scavenging seems far from the ground reality. Recently, a series of deaths while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in different parts of the country have once again raised the question — is it just administrative negligence, or a deep-rooted structural problem of caste injustice? Tragic incidents in Delhi and Kolkata in early February On February 2, two sanitation workers died near Mansa Devi Apartments in Narela, Delhi, while one was seriously injured. These workers were lowered into a toxic sewer by a private contractor without any safety equipment. On the same day, three workers — Farzem Sheikh, Hashi Sheikh and Suman Sardar — lost their lives in the Bantala area of Kolkata when they were swept into a manhole due to a burst pipe. All these workers were residents of Murshidabad district of West Bengal and were employed by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Deaths continue despite Supreme Court order The above incidents took place four days after the landmark judgment on January 29 in which the Supreme Court banned manual scavenging and hazardous sewer cleaning in the country’s major metropolises. This order was given by a bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Arvind Kumar. A horrific series of deaths from March to May 2025 • Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu (May 19): Three Dalit labourers — Saravanan, Venugopal and Harikrishnan — died after inhaling toxic gas at Alaya Dyeing Mills. Another is hospitalised. • Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh (April 3): Eight people lost their lives while cleaning a well ahead of the Gangaur festival. • Faridabad, Haryana (May 21): A sanitation worker died while cleaning a septic tank, and the landlord who went to rescue him also lost his life. Police did not register an FIR. • Ahmedabad, Gujarat (May 16): Three young workers died while cleaning the septic tank of a closed factory. There was no safety arrangement of any kind. At least 20 sanitation workers have lost their lives across the country between February and May 2025. Structural injustice and caste discrimination According to data, 92% of India’s sanitation workers come from Scheduled Castes, Tribes and Backward Classes. Experts believe that these deaths are not just ‘accidents’ but are the result of systemic casteism and economic exploitation. Demands of Dalit-Adivasi organization DASAM Dalit Adivasi Shakti Adhikar Manch (DASAM) has reacted sharply to these incidents and has made the following demands from the government: • Immediate registration of FIR in all incidents (under relevant sections of Manual Scavengers Act 2013, SC/ST Act, and BNS). • Independent and time-bound judicial investigation of each case. • Compensation of Rs 30 lakh to the families of the victims, along with full rehabilitation in housing, education, and livelihood. • Formation of a central monitoring body to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court order. • Cancellation of licenses of contractors engaged in such work. • National audit of sanitation system and private contracts across the country. The question is on the system, not on sympathy DASAM says that this is not just a matter of pity or compassion, but a matter of constitutional duties, legal accountability and human dignity. Accepting the deaths of sanitation workers as normal is a blot on the face of a civilized society. The organization said in a statement, “The lives of these workers are precious. Their deaths could have been prevented. And if we still remain silent, we will also be complicit in this injustice.” Courtesy : Hindi News
‘Foreign policy has collapsed’: Rahul Gandhi asks EAM to explain three diplomatic shortcomings over Operation Sindoor; BJP hits back
NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday triggered a political war of words after claiming that India’s foreign policy had collapsed under the Narendra Modi-led government, and asked external affairs minister S Jaishankar to answer three questions regarding India’s global standing following Operation Sindoor and state of heightened tensions with Pakistan. “Will JJ explain: Why has India been hyphenated with Pakistan? Why didn’t a single country back us in condemning Pakistan? Who asked Trump to ‘mediate’ between India & Pakistan?” Rahul wrote in a social media post on X. — RahulGandhi (@RahulGandhi) “India’s foreign policy has collapsed,” he added. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party attacked Rahul and accused him of weakening India and the morale of the Armed Forces with his questions. “When Operation Sindoor is going on, Rahul Gandhi is giving careless statements. He is asking how many IAF jets are down. On May 11, during a press briefing, Air Marshal Bharti said, ‘We are in a combat scenario, it is not prudent for us to answer that question,’” BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said. “Rahul Gandhi seems to be busy in conversations with Pakistan on how to weaken Indian and the morale of the forces… Today, a senior leader of Pakistan, Mariam Nawaz, gave a statement that on the night of May 6 and 7, and on May 9, Pakistan had to face a huge loss because of India’s action… At such a time, what is LoP and ‘Nishan E Pakistan’ Rahul Gandhi saying?” he added. Bhatia said that Rahul could have asked these questions in all-party meeting of the MEA briefing. He further accused the Congress leader of hating 140 crore Indians while hating Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “You can ask any question in an all-party meeting of the MEA briefing. Your questions can be answered. But such activities by Rahul Gandhi are not innocent. This cannot be neglected by calling it Rahul Gandhi’s childlike, for which he is known. When it is about the nation, every statement holds weight, and will be exposed if it causes harm to the country… Why has Rahul Gandhi started hating 140 crore Indians while hating PM Modi?” Bhatia said. “At Rahul Gandhi’s instructions, Mallikarjun Kharge said that Operation Sindoor is a small war. Looking at Congress’s character and careless attitude, it is not wrong to say that if anyone is betraying India, then it is Rahul Gandhi,” he added This comes after the Congress leader had claimed that the Centre informed Pakistan “at the start” of Operation Sindoor and said this wasn’t a “lapse”, but a “crime”. On May 17, Rahul had shared an undated video of Jaishankar, in which the minister is heard saying that “India had warned Pakistan before launching strikes” on terror infrastructure. Following Rahul’s remarks, the BJP slammed the Congress leader, calling his statements “sinister.” “Rahul Gandhi’s daftness is not merely incidental — it is sinister. He is speaking the language of Pakistan,” BJP’s Amit Malviya said in a post on X. The ministry of external affairs refuted Rahul’s claim, calling it a “misrepresentation of facts.” The MEA clarified that the government had warned Pakistan during the “early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement,” not before it began. It noted that Jaishankar had said, “We had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Op Sindoor’s commencement.” “This is being falsely represented as a warning issued before the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out,” the ministry added. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. 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.
‘Called Indira Ji Durga’: Harivansh slams Rahul Gandhi for remarks over Operation Sindoor, cites Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 1971 example
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh on Friday advised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to exercise caution in his remarks questioning the Centre and the armed forces over Operation Sindoor. Harivansh cited the example of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who did not protest against former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the 1971 war with Pakistan. “There cannot be a more shocking, sad, and uninformative statement than this. This is the time when we all should stand together,” Rajya Sabha deputy chairman said. “When the 1971 war took place, it was widely publicised that Atal Ji called Indira Ji ‘Durga’. The reality was that Atal Ji did not say that, but he also did not protest at that time. Today, the situation is such that the whole country has to stand united… Pakistan’s DGMO called our DGMO for a ceasefire. Pakistan’s DGMO surrendered, and we are not ready to listen to our army. Former NSA Shivshankar Menon’s book mentions that after the Mumbai attack in 2008, where 166 people were killed, there was silence—whose government was in power then?” he added. Harivansh also reminded Rahul that the UPA government allegedly hid the news of terrorists beheading a soldier near the Pakistan border, while then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama. “Brahma Chellaney wrote in 2013 that terrorists beheaded our soldiers in the Keran sector near the Pakistan border. At that time, the Prime Minister was in America and was to meet then US President Obama. This news was hidden from the country,” Harivansh said. “Do not go into the past, otherwise I will mention 2,500 incidents from 2004 to 2014. There were thousands of such occasions when you should have taken action, but did not,” he added. This comes after Rahul Gandhi, in a social media post, claimed that India’s foreign policy has collapsed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to explain why India has been hyphenated with Pakistan, and who asked U.S. President Donald Trump to “mediate” between the two South Asian neighbours. This follows Rahul’s claim that the Centre informed Pakistan “at the start” of Operation Sindoor and stated that this was not a “lapse” but a “crime.” On May 17, Rahul shared an undated video of Jaishankar in which the minister is heard saying that “India had warned Pakistan before launching strikes” on terror infrastructure. The MEA clarified that the government had warned Pakistan during the “early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement,” not before it began. It noted that Jaishankar had said, “We had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Op Sindoor’s commencement.” “This is being falsely represented as a warning issued before the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out,” the ministry added. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. 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.
‘There is nothing to conceal’: Karnataka deputy CM Shivakumar admits to donating Rs 25 lakh to National Herald
NEW DELHI: Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Friday admitted to donating Rs 25 lakh to the National Herald, saying “there is nothing to conceal, it is a newspaper run by our party.” Shivakumar’s statement came after the ED named his brother DK Suresh and Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy in its chargesheet related to the National Herald case. Addressing reporters, Shivakumar said, “I donated Rs 25 lakh to the National Herald. It is a newspaper run by our party. My brother and I have given money to the publication. We have also given donations from our trust. We have given our hard-earned money; there is nothing to conceal,” Shivakumar told reporters.The National Herald newspaper is still under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) as part of an ongoing probe involving senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi. The matter is linked to alleged financial irregularities in the transfer of a Rs 90.25 crore loan from the Indian National Congress (INC) to Associated Journals Ltd (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald, and its subsequent assignment to Young Indian for a mere Rs 50 lakh. BRS working president K T Rama Rao (KTR) also posted on X, sharing newspaper report screenshots about the National Herald case. “Telangana has become an ATM for Scamgress and it’s been now corroborated by agencies As the ED charge sheets Telangana “Bag Man” in National Herald case, he is trying his best to distract the people’s attention from his corrupt practices The million dollar question is whether the NDA Govt will act this time or pardon Revant Reddy as they’ve done in the case of Amrut Scam, RR Tax and Civil supplies scam” he wrote on X. Earlier on Wednesday, the ED presented initial arguments at Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court regarding its complaint against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in a money laundering case connected to the National Herald. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju told the court that the case involves proceeds of crime and ongoing criminal activity, which amounts to money laundering. Following arguments by ASG Raju and ED Special Counsel Zoheb Hosain, the court scheduled the next round of hearings from July 2 to July 8. The court scheduled the next hearing for July after the defence requested more time, citing the submission of a large number of documents totaling 5,000 pages. 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 Gandhi’s unannounced visit to DUSU office leaves officials, ABVP fuming
NEW DELHI: Congress functionary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday made an unscheduled visit to the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) office and interacted with students, drawing sharp objections from university officials and protests from ABVP-backed student representatives. “Today, Rahul Gandhi came to University of Delhi without any information to the authorities. He stayed in the DUSU office for almost one hour,” the university’s proctor Rajni Abbi Rajni Abbi said in a statement.”During this time, the DUSU was cordoned by security cover. Rahul Gandhi has done this for the second time.” The DUSU secretary was not allowed to enter her office and was not let in by NSUI students,” Abbi said in a statement, warning of strict action against those involved. DUSU president Ronak Khatri, affiliated with the Congress-backed NSUI, defended the visit, stating that as the elected head of the student union, he does not need permission to host private guests. He called the university’s reaction politically motivated and an overreach that undermines student autonomy. — ronak_khatrii (@ronak_khatrii) Meanwhile, the RSS-linked ABVP, which holds several DUSU posts, also slammed the visit. DUSU Secretary Mitravinda Karanwal claimed she was blocked from entering her office due to “VVIP protocol” and accused Gandhi of sidelining other elected representatives. — ABVPVoice (@ABVPVoice) The ABVP described the event as a staged photo-op, likening Gandhi’s visit to “a rejected actor crashing a student play,” and questioned the Congress party’s commitment to youth engagement and democratic values. This visit follows a similar episode in Bihar’s Darbhanga, where Gandhi met students without official clearance, leading to two FIRs. 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.
Sonia, Rahul Gandhi denied knowing about AJL-YI transactions: ED
NEW DELHI: During her questioning over three days in July 2022 in the National Herald money laundering case, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi had told Enforcement Directorate (ED) that she was not aware of who took the decision in Congress to assign the Rs 90 crore loan of Associated Journals Ltd (AJL) to Young Indian, a not-for profit company in which she and her son Rahul Gandhi held 76% stake. “Motilal Vora, the then treasurer of Congress, would have been aware of this as he was empowered to deal with administrative and financial matters,” Sonia had told the investigators, the ED said in its chargesheet filed against her on April 9. Rahul took an identical stand, refusing to acknowledge the controversial transactions that have become the prime money laundering charges slapped by the agency against the two. Young Indian took over AJL’s loan liability towards Congress for a mere Rs 50 lakh, and in the process took over the company that owned assets across India estimated at over Rs 2,000 crore, according to ED. Both Sonia and Rahul were directors in Young Indian when these transactions happened, the agency said while accusing them of being involved in the conspiracy to siphon off assets of AJL that actually belonged to the Congress party. Based on details of Rahul’s interrogation by ED investigators, TOI had in June 16, 2022 exclusively reported that the Congress functionary had blamed the AJL-YI transactions to the late Motilal Vora. The agency was sceptical of the identical statements of mother and son as Sonia was then Congress president and Rahul was a general secretary in the party, besides being the majority shareholders in Young Indian and directors of the company. Vora was the party’s treasurer for decades. Significantly, ED noted in its chargesheet that at the time it was transferred to Young Indian for Rs 50 lakh, AJL had an annual rental income of Rs 75 lakh. AJL’s annual income shot up significantly after it was owned by the Gandhi family: from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 15 crore per annum by 2021-22. AJL, publisher of Congress mouthpiece National Herald and Quami Awaz, folded operations in 2008 after providing VRS to its remaining staff. However, it continued to make revenue by renting out its premises in Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow and other cities. Later, after taking over the company, the promoters/directors of Young Indian further developed these properties and raised the annual rental income to Rs 15 crore. While Sonia told ED that “she was not aware why a new entity Young Indian was incorporated for assignment of the alleged loan of Rs 90 crore so as to do away with the non-recoverable loan of AJL when the same could have been achieved simply by writing off the loan”, Rahul had said he was not aware where the Rs 50 lakh came from in Young Indian to settle the AJL loan (with Congress). Both Sonia and Rahul refused to produce documentary evidence to support their claim that late Vora was authorised to take the decision of assigning AJL’s loan to YI and in return, transferring the entire company and its properties to the new entity privately owned by them. 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.
‘ED is weapon of BJP, Modi & Amit Shah’, says Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut
NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday stated that he had been a victim of the raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), accusing the probe agency of being a “weapon” of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During a press conference, Raut commented on the Supreme Court’s criticism of ED regarding the TASMAC raids in Tamil Nadu. “What is new here? I am a victim too (of ED). I have been through that, there are several others like me…ED is a weapon of BJP, of PM Modi, of HM Amit Shah. As long as there is ED, there is Modi-Shah and BJP…” Raut said.Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s inquiry to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Raut defended the question, stating that Indian citizens harbour distrust towards Pakistan. “What is wrong with the question Rahul Gandhi has asked? Every citizen of the country has this question in their mind. It is not just the BJP’s supporters who have this question. The 1.4 billion people of the country will always believe this: that you cannot trust Pakistan. That is the first point. The second point is, what benefit do we have from Trump? Trump has only harmed us. Our ongoing efforts were focused on fighting terrorism; it was not about grabbing land like Israel,” Raut said. He emphasised that Rahul Gandhi’s question reflected public sentiment. “To eliminate terrorism, we started a fight with Pakistan, but Trump stopped it. Trump caused harm to us. If Rahul Gandhi has asked this question, then it is the question in the minds of the people. The third question he asked is also true. Our blood boils; our veins carry the blood of patriotism. When the sindoor of 26 women was wiped out, our blood boils,” he continued. Raut criticised the government’s stance and India’s response to Pakistan. “I have seen that Pakistan’s Prime Minister has said that they have taken revenge for the defeat of 1971. This is the kind of language they are using. What kind of revenge have you taken? What courage does it take to use such language? In 1971, when Pakistan had to accept defeat during Indira Gandhi’s time, their language was not like this. In 1965, under the leadership of Lal Bahadur Shastri, we made Pakistan bite the dust, yet their language was not like this then. But during Prime Minister Modi’s tenure, Sharif is saying that they have taken revenge for 1971. The government should be ashamed,” Raut said. 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.