Gandhi's decision to fly economy class followed a similar act by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and an announcement by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna that he would be undertaking official trips to Belarus and Turkmenistan.
Days after Pakistan said it would raise the alleged human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir in upcoming Indo-Pak talks, India on Tuesday made it clear that law and order cannot be questioned in the name of rights and that terrorism will be the focus of the parleys.
In view of the government's austerity drive, Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Sunday decided to forego travel by private aircraft which he is entitled to use on visits abroad and said he will go by commercial flights.
India on Thursday put on Pakistan the onus of unveiling the conspiracy behind the terror attack on Mumbai and ruled out meaningful dialogue till concrete action is taken against those responsible. The firm message was sent out by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna. "It is in our vital interest to normalise our relations with Pakistan. However, we are at a stage where it is for Pakistan to determine the kind of relationship that it wants to have with India," Krishna said.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his deputy Shashi Tharoor are ready to vacate their luxury hotel rooms following Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's call for austerity.
Accusing Pakistan of not being serious about punishing the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Saturday said India has provided enough evidence for their prosecution. He also made it clear that Pakistan was to be blamed for the suspension of the composite dialogue, after the terror strikes on Mumbai in November last year, and said it has to take the initiative for the resumption of the process.
All Indians in tsunami-hit Japan are safe and India will extend all assistance to help the people of Japan in its hour of crisis, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said on Monday. "I spoke to the ambassador there. The ambassador told me that all the 25,000 Indians in Japan -- most of them are in and around Tokyo -- they are all safe and he is in touch with the Indian community," Krishna told reporters outside Parliament. He said the embassy will "do whatever is possible".
With Interpol issuing Red Corner Notice against Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed, India on Wednesday said the development vindicates its stand on his involvement in Mumbai terror attacks, and urged Pakistan to act on the basis of evidence collected 'painstakingly'.External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the world should take note of the Interpol notice.
The visit of External Affairs Minister S M Krishna's to Australia has evoked a mixed response from the Indian community, amid fresh attacks on them as they hoped it would put greater pressure on the government to provide more security to the minority community.
Actress Julia Roberts and director Steven Spielberg would be among the chosen few who will grace a gala reception in honour of External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and the Indian delegation in Washington on Thursday evening.
Australia on Thursday assured India that 'firm action' will be taken against those responsible for the recent attacks on Indian students, as External Affairs Minister S M Krishna took up the issue with the authorities in Sydney, amid serious concerns over it back home. During his meeting with New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees, Krishna, who is on a five-day visit to Australia, was assured that firm action will be taken against the perpetrators.
The Bharatiya Janata Party walked out in protest when Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar refused to allow former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha who wanted to know whether the statement of external affairs minister S M Krishna had broken the protocol by saying that unless Pakistan government takes action against Hafeez Sayeed, master mind behind the Mumbai bomb blast, there was no point in carrying forward any kind of dialogue with Pakistan.
The Obama administration's point man for South Asia, Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake has assured that there will be deliverables from the first US-India Strategic Dialogue that will be held in Washington, DC, on June 2-3.
The pilot project would cover entire Karnataka and parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, external affairs minister S M Krishna said while replying to a discussion on the working of his ministry. The project, when completed, would substantially improve the level of passport-related services offered to people, he said adding this was one of the largest e-governance initiatives undertaken by the government.
Faced with strident attack from opposition over the Indo-Pak joint statement, government on Friday said progress in dialogue with Pakistan is not possible in an atmosphere vitiated by violence or the threat to use violence and claimed this was encapsulated in the document.
India has been asking Pakistan to hand over 42 fugitives including underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, but Islamabad has refused to cooperate, Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
Notwithstanding their differences on the boundary question, India and China on Wednesday vowed to deepen their multi-faceted ties for a "lasting friendship" as Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna met his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in Phuket.
India and the United States on Monday night reached an End-Use Monitoring pact on defence equipment and technology, as they vowed to push their strategic ties with Washington giving an assurance that its policy on enrichment and reprocessing technology will not affect New Delhi.
India and the United States are expected to launch a new chapter in the strategic partnership on Monday when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds talks with Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna during which Pakistan and terrorism are likely to figure prominently.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Saturday embarked on a four-day visit to Iran during which its controversial nuclear energy programme and the proposed IPI gas pipeline project are expected to figure prominently in the bilateral talks.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt on Thursday.Sources indicate that while Dr Singh will seek a firmer commitment on tackling terror from his Pakistani counterpart, Gilani might rake up the contentious issue of Kashmir during the talks. The composite dialogue between India and Pakistan had come to a standstill after the terror attack on Mumbai in November
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will invite his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi to India during his visit to Islamabad in July as part of efforts to reduce the "trust deficit" between the two neighbours.
The ruling Congress in Arunachal Pradesh has said that it was opposed to construction of a dam by China in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra River.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi are expected to hold telephonic talk on Tuesday to discuss ways to reduce trust deficit in pursuance to the decision reached between prime ministers of the two countries in Thimphu.
Taking a serious note of the killing of two Indian fishermen allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, India on Tuesday told Colombo that the use of force against them should not be repeated and asked it to take a decision that will not upset bilateral ties. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna also directed Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao to convene a meeting of the Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on the issue around February 15 to discuss the issue.
The United States government has clarified that it has not 'ever discouraged' its citizens from traveling to India, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. Replying to a written question, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said the US embassy in New Delhi issued a Warden Message, which is not a Travel Advisory, reminding all its citizens resident in or traveling to India that there is a high threat from terrorism throughout India.
Pakistan intends to invite External Affairs Minister S M Krishna to Islamabad where it will make "certain proposals" to bridge the "trust deficit" between the two countries.
India on Monday termed as "internal matter" the Pakistan Supreme Court rejecting petitions challenging the release of Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed, a key accused in the Mumbai terror attack, but said it will closely monitor the case.
Terming the arrest of an Indian diplomat posted in Islamabad a "serious" issue, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday said the government would do whatever was needed after finding out her "motive and modus operandi".
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has met the families of 21 Indians, who have been charged with diamond smuggling in China, and assured them that he will raise the issue during his meetings with the top Chinese leadership.
India and China have made "considerable progress" on the boundary question a resolution for which will be time-consuming, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said on Tuesday while asking both sides to adopt a patient approach and show maturity in dealing with outstanding issues.
On the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and China, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna spoke of the historic ties between the two counties and pitched for a strong and stable relationship between the two most populous nations on the planet.
Seeking China's backing for a permanent United Nations Security Council seat for India, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday called on Beijing to 'review' its policies on UN reforms to 'welcome' its neighbour to the core group of the world body."Indeed, even on the complex issue of UN reforms, it is time for China to review previously held positions and welcome the presence of, in the Security Council, a nation with which it has much in common," Krishna said.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Tuesday sought China's support for the convention against terrorism proposed by India at the United Nations and said all nations should join hands to thwart terrorists' evil designs. Ahead of his talks with the Chinese leadership, Krishna said in view of the multi-dimensional threats posed by terrorism it has become necessary to step up the fight against the menace under the aegis of the United Nations.
In an interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN's Devil's Advocate programme, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna says Indians will continue to be a target for terrorists, in Afghanistan and at home, and that he's convinced the United States fully shares India's concerns on fighting terror.
"I do not think that India has been squeezed out. I think India is playing a stellar role in rebuilding Afghanistan which has been acknowledged by the people of Afghanistan and by the legitimate Government of Afghanistan, and that is what matters," Krishna said in an interview to Karan Thapar for Devil's Advocate.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Saturday said no Indian embassy employee in Kabul wanted to come back fearing terror attacks but government would consider transfer requests made on family grounds.
Terming the beheading of a Sikh in Pakistan as a matter of 'deep and serious concern,' the government on Wednesday said the issue is being taken up appropriately with the Pakistani side.
India on Tuesday said the doors for talks with Pakistan were never shut but remained non-committal on resumption of dialogue with it amid reports of Home Minister P Chidambaram's likely visit to Islamabad.
With assaults on Indians in Australia showing no let-up, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna is expected to take up the issue with his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith whom he will meet on the sidelines of a conference in London later this week.
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