Inaugurating the solidarity rally, Venugopal, a Rajya Sabha MP, strongly condemned the war unleashed by Israel in Gaza and their attacks against hospitals and refugee camps there.
The question is no longer whether the war will expand. It has. The next few days will tell us whether the war stabilises around Hormuz or whether the Strait itself becomes the trigger for a far larger rupture. What to watch for over the next 48 hours is simple: Any move by the US toward direct naval control of the Strait; any credible Iranian attempt to disrupt or mine shipping lanes and, critically, whether energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues to be targeted.If those lines are crossed in tandem, the war will no longer be containable within the region.
Having drawn flak for staying in a five-star hotel for the last three months, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor described the controversy as "silly seasoned" that prompted invitation by many of his friends to stay with them.
The sources said Misri reiterated the government's stand that the decision to stop military actions was taken at a bilateral level, as some opposition members questioned US President Donald Trump's repeated assertions about his administration's role in stopping the conflict.
"There is no dearth of talent in my ministry. I have the assistance of very able secretaries," she said in a curt tweet.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Unfortunately, the best man does not always win, but I feel enriched by the experience of the campaign and getting to know Rajeev Chandrasekhar, says Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
'India is at a critical juncture in this century. I want to be a part of the diplomatic team that works to make India great.'
The diplomatic exercise aimed at presenting India's stance against Pakistan on terror comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor -- the Indian offensive against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
The proposed legislation on Emigration (Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2024) seeks to replace the Emigration Act of 1983 with a view to facilitate the circular mobility of people intending to emigrate for overseas employment.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who faced trolling on social media in the wake of India and Pakistan reaching an understanding on May 10 to halt all military actions, has received support from veteran diplomat Nirupama Menon Rao, a body of Indian diplomats and a host of politicians from several parties.
The former Union minister said the population debate is 'utterly misplaced' and half a century out-of-date as a large majority of Indian states have achieved replacement levels of fertility.
The government of India may be rethinking its rule barring foreign visitors from coming back to India within 60 days of their earlier visit unless they take special permission from the embassies or consulates.When the rule was initially introduced, then minister of state in external affairs ministry Shashi Tharoor had tweeted that terrorist Ajamal Kasab and his associates did not need visas to come to Mumbai to carry out the 26/11 attack.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returned home on Saturday after a week-long trip to the United States and Brazil. Asked on the controversy regarding Shashi Tharoor, the PM said, "In politics, ups and downs keep happening."
Tharoor said the Congress should stand up for its foundational principles.
The Cabinet reshuffle of October 28 seems to have left some Congress ministers dismayed. While some are reportedly upset over being demoted, others are unhappy about being ignored for key ministerial posts.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was questioned by the Special Investigation Team on Thursday for the second time in the last four weeks on the Indian Premier League controversy as also various aspects leading to the mysterious death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.
Shashi Tharoor has been removed as Congress spokesperson after the party high command received complaints that he had embarrassed the party with his praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Celebs and commoners cast their votes in the second phase of the Lok Sabha election on Friday, April 26, 2024
Government representatives told a parliamentary panel that the US has not officially conveyed to India that it should cut tariffs by April 2.
Ironically, it was Twitter that did Shashi Tharoor in. Though the former minister of state external affairs has maintained a stoic silence on the micro-blogging site ever since his unceremonious exit, his followers are on the rampage
Congress leaders have supported the Union government's stand of abstaining from voting in the anti-Russia resolution in the United Nations General Assembly, informed sources on Thursday.
'It is high time that the 'war on terror' is removed from our diplomatic toolbox.' 'Certainly, our parliamentarians have no role in it,' asserts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Shashi Tharoor-Lalit Modi stand-off over the Kochi IPL team reached the Supreme Court on Tuesday with a petition seeking a CBI probe into the Union Minister's alleged proxy stakes in the Rs 1533-crore franchise, won by a consortium, Rendezvous Sports World. Alternatively, the petition urged the apex court to constitute a special investigation team to probe the allegations.
Sunanda Pushkar, the woman at the centre of a ownership controversy surrounding the Kochi IPL franchise, is considering filing for damages and has hired a Dubai-based lawyer for the purpose.
'It is in the interests of everybody, including those named in the report, to have the truth established,' says UN Under Secretary General Shashi Tharoor.
Amid questions over his future, many political observers believe he has enhanced his political stature.
Much has been written during the last one week about the directions by the government of India, to the ministers and Congress Members of Parliament, to travel economy class during their tour within the country or abroad.The Cabinet minister who refused to travel first class out of conviction was George Fernandes, the former minister for defence. I witnessed it as Information Consultant in the Defence Ministry. In fact it caused me some embarrassment.
Opposition parties have not been given the chairmanship of any of the four key parliamentary panels including the committee on home affairs and information technology, which were with the Congress, in the latest rejig announced on Tuesday.
Sunanda Pushkar on Wednesday strongly denied media reports that she is acting as a proxy for Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor in the Kochi IPL franchise. She also came out strongly in support of Tharoor, who has come under fire from several quarters, following his spat with IPL commissioner Lalit Modi over the Kochi team.
Here's a quick look at who spoke in the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Operation Sindoor debate.
The Congress president was angry with Tharoor over the leak of his views against party's stalling tactics in Parliament in the media.
Amid outrage over the controversial remarks on Prophet Muhammad by the Bharatiya Janata Party's now-sacked two functionaries, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said it is high time Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence on the 'proliferation of hate speech and Islamophobic incidents' in the country, asserting that his silence is interpreted by some as condoning what has been happening.
India succeeded in busting the Pakistani narrative on Operation Sindoor, particularly among the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) member nations, where Islamabad sought succour after carrying out terror activities across the border, Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde said.
The appointment of private secretaries to three Union Minister including Home Minister Rajnath Singh has been put on hold, according to official sources.
The ruling party sharply countered the comment, saying the Congress had "demeaned and defamed" Hindus of India.
The Congress on Thursday urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up strongly with Canadian authorities reports of a float depicting the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi being part of a parade in Brampton.
A special investigation team of the Delhi police on Friday questioned senior journalist Nalini Singh in connection with the murder case of former union minister Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs will be briefed on Indo-Pak relations with specific reference to recent surgical strikes.
Tharoor argued that the proposed bill represents a "grave chapter in the history of the Indian republic, seeking to ratify an ordinance that in many ways is an assault on our democratic heritage and the spirit of federalism."
