Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Pretoria, South Africa, on Friday, ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled for November 22&ndash;23 in Johannesburg, according to Indian media.&nbsp;Since US President Donald Trump is skipping the G20 Summit, Modi&rsquo;s decision to attend, after missing earlier international gatherings where Trump was present, gives credence to the Indian opposition&#39;s criticism that the Indian premier is &ldquo;frightened&rdquo; of the US president. Modi, in a post on X on Friday, announced, &ldquo;will be attending the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a particularly special Summit as it is being held in Africa. Various global issues will be discussed there. Will be meeting various world leaders during the Summit.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1991689920365367791&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=dc03ef7bb17bffe0847e38e588d871b60b14ea48&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 712px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1991689920365367791">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>India&rsquo;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend two recent major international gatherings attended by the US president, -- the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia held on October 26&ndash;28 as well as the Sharm el-Sheikh summit in Egypt on October 13. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi had earlier tweeted that &ldquo;PM Modi is frightened of Trump.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1978669002798055695&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=dc03ef7bb17bffe0847e38e588d871b60b14ea48&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 416px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1978669002798055695">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>The Indian opposition has also highlighted Modi&rsquo;s contradictory stance during the May conflict with Pakistan. On one hand, India&rsquo;s leadership claims no Indian Air Force planes were downed; on the other, the same leaders remain silent whenever Trump asserts that seven jets were destroyed.&nbsp;Trump has additionally claimed credit for brokering peace between India and Pakistan, a claim Modi reportedly finds humiliating; yet has neither refuted nor directly addressed it with the US president.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1950181582901215683&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=dc03ef7bb17bffe0847e38e588d871b60b14ea48&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1950181582901215683"></iframe></div></div>

India

Since US President Donald Trump is skipping the G20 Summit, Modi’s decision to attend, after missing earlier international gatherings where Trump was present, gives credence to the Indian opposition's criticism that the Indian premier is “frightened” of the US president.

With Trump skipping G20 Summit, Modi arrives in South Africa   

ISLAMABAD: The spike in social spending in recent years in India has been driven by State governments, despite cuts in Central transfers, says an Indian media report. &nbsp; The report published by The Hindu Business Line challenges the perception that the Narendra Modi government&rsquo;s political success stems from extensive delivery of social services. The report suggests that, as with many other aspects of the regime, the success may instead reflect effective public relations and perception management. The report has sourced data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)&rsquo;s publications, Handbook of Statistics on the Indian Economy and Handbook of Statistics on Indian States. Share of social spending&nbsp;According to the report, data shows that the share of social spending in the total budgetary outlays of the central government declined from 2014-15, the first year of the Modi government, and largely remained lower until the Covid-19 pandemic year of 2021-22. The average share of social spending in total expenditure dropped from 8.5% under the previous UPA government to as low as 5.3% during the 11 years under Modi. In contrast, State governments consistently demonstrated a higher tendency to spend on social sectors throughout this period. The report notes that state-level social spending exceeded that of the central government by more than four times under the UPA and more than eight times under the Modi government.

An Indian report finds state governments, not Modi’s Centre, drove recent social spending growth; it shows central social outlays fell under Modi versus UPA, while states spent far more, challenging Modi’s welfare-focused political image narrative.

Report debunks myth of Indian PM Modi’s social spending image

PATNA: India&#39;s poorest state, Bihar, goes to the polls on Thursday, and for many of its 130 million people, one issue overshadows all others: money. That&#39;s what Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hopes to capitalize on, wooing voters with economic incentives in a bid to win full control. A win here, strategists say, could &quot;energize&quot; the BJP&#39;s prospects in other key states heading into next year&#39;s elections. Bellwether battlegroundHindu-majority Bihar, the country&#39;s third-most-populous state -- roughly the size of Mexico -- is a bellwether battleground. It remains the only state in the Hindi-speaking north where Modi&#39;s Hindu nationalist party has never ruled alone. For housewife Rajkumari Devi, feeding her three children depends on the daily wage her husband earns as a laborer in the Muzaffarpur district.He takes home about 400 to 500 rupees (about $5) on the days he finds work. &lsquo;Unemployment everywhere&rsquo;&quot;There is no stability,&quot; said the 28-year-old, outside her modest one-room home overlooking agricultural land. &quot;There have been times when he has not had work for days -- so we stretch the little money we have,&quot; she added. &quot;There is unemployment everywhere.&quot; Bihar ranks worst in India on poverty indicators, according to the government&#39;s NITI Aayog policy think tank, with a GDP per capita of 52,379 rupees, just ahead of the Central African Republic. Cash promises In September, Modi announced investment projects worth $8 billion, including rail and road upgrades, new agricultural schemes, and an airport terminal. He also unveiled an $844 million initiative to support women entrepreneurs, offering 7.5 million women cash transfers of 10,000 rupees each. The BJP, allied with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar&#39;s Janata Dal (United) in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), faces a stiff challenge from the opposition. At a rally in the state capital Patna on Sunday, Modi urged voters to &quot;bless the NDA.&quot; Election in two phases&nbsp;<h2 style="line-height: 2;">A BJP victory in Bihar could, analysts say, boost its momentum in opposition-held states, such as neighboring West Bengal, as well as Tamil Nadu in the south.</h2> &quot;This is the election which will decide whether the BJP can form a government on its own,&quot; said Pushpendra, a political analyst who uses only one name. A BJP win could &quot;energize&quot; the party elsewhere, he said. The election will be held in two phases, on Nov. 6 and 11. Results are due on Nov. 14.

A victory for Modi's party, the BJP, in Bihar could boost its momentum in neighboring West Bengal and Tamil Nadu; election will be held in two phases, on November 6 and 11; results are due on November 14.

India's Modi hopes economic incentives will help BJP win in poorest Bihar state

ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump and Indian Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi are taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to task for their own reasons. Trump is doing it for Modi&rsquo;s refusal to acknowledge his role in ending the Pakistan-India conflict in May, while Gandhi heads an opposition that has been down for too long. US President Donald Trump claimed he used trade pressure to stop a May Pakistan-India clash, saying &ldquo;seven brand new&rdquo; planes were shot down. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly deny Trump&rsquo;s account and &ldquo;find the courage&rdquo; to respond. &lsquo;Seven brand new planes&rsquo;&nbsp;US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that &ldquo;seven brand new, beautiful planes were shot down&rdquo; during the Pakistan-India conflict earlier this year. While referring to the aerial encounters between the two countries, the US president said the two countries were &ldquo;going at it&rdquo; in May, during which &ldquo;seven planes were shot down.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;Seven brand new, beautiful planes were shot down,&rdquo; Trump said in his speech, available on White House YouTube channel, to business leaders in Japan during a dinner. &nbsp; <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eDOKTKbcJC4" title="President Trump Delivers Keynote Remarks at APEC CEOs Luncheon" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>&nbsp;</div> India continues to deny that any of its aircraft were lost and rejects Trump&rsquo;s claim regarding the ceasefire. &nbsp; &lsquo;Great service to the world&rsquo;The US president said he told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, &ldquo;We&#39;re not going to do any trade if you&#39;re going to be fighting.&rdquo; The same message was also sent to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif &mdash; whom he termed &ldquo;a very nice man, a very good man&rdquo; &mdash; and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. &ldquo;And within about 24 hours, that was the end of that,&rdquo; Trump said. &ldquo;It was amazing, actually.&rdquo; &ldquo;A lot of the wars that I stopped were because of tariffs,&rdquo; he said, adding that he was able to do a &ldquo;great service to the world [&hellip;] because of tariffs, because of trade.&rdquo; &nbsp; &#39;Don&rsquo;t be scared Modi ji&rsquo;&nbsp;Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, in a post on X on Wednesday, while hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said: &ldquo;Trump is insulting Modi in country after country. Latest is South Korea. 1. Repeated that he used trade to frighten Modi into stopping Operation Sindoor. 2. Said 7 planes were shot down.&rdquo; &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be scared Modi ji, find the courage to respond,&rdquo; the opposition leader added, while throwing down the gauntlet.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1983482933160939544&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=82a003937f4acc08242766ee2e8d1415521c90d7&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 416px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> This is not the first time; the Indian opposition leader has challenged PM Modi on the issue. Back on July 29 during a debate in the Indian Parliament, Rahul Gandhi, in his speech available on his Youtube channel, said: &ldquo;Donald Trump has said 29 times, 29 times he said he got the ceasefire done, if he is lying than the prime minister should say it here, if he has the courage should say it here that he is lying.&rdquo; &ldquo;If he has the courage, if he has the courage, if he has the courage, if he has the courage of Indira Gandhi, let him say here, that &lsquo;Donald Trump you are a liar, you did not make a ceasefire, and that we did not lose any planes&rsquo;, let him say if he has the courage.&rdquo; &ldquo;If he has even 50% of the courage of Indira Gandhi than say it here, if he has the courage, if he really has the courage, than this evening the prime minister should say it here Donald Trump is a liar, don&rsquo;t have President Trump tell you that I have stopped the war 29 times, have the courage to tell him that no, to hell with you, you cannot stop any war, we are going to fight,&rdquo; Gandhi challenged Modi to loud applause from the opposition benches. <div class="fr-embed youtube-embed"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TFmq0kSb9OU" title="Does Modi Have Courage to Call Trump a Liar? | Operation Sindoor Debate in Parliament | Rahul Gandhi" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; aspect-ratio: 16 / 9; max-width: 100%; display: block;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe>&nbsp;</div>

Donald Trump claims credit for stopping the Pakistan-India conflict in May; Rahul Gandhi has challenged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show courage and deny Trump’s statements.

Trump, Rahul Gandhi gibe about Modi 

ISLAMABAD: An Indian lawmaker belonging to the opposition Congress party, while flaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his decision to skip the Kuala Lumpur summit, claimed it was due to his reluctance to be &quot;cornered&quot; by US President Donald Trump, and sarcastically suggested that Modi was missing opportunities for global photo ops and self-promotion. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the ASEAN-India Summit virtually, but will miss the East Asia Summit. The 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur is scheduled to take place from October 26 to 28. To join virtually&nbsp;Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a post on X on Thursday, stated: &ldquo;Had a warm conversation with my dear friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia. Congratulated him on Malaysia&rsquo;s ASEAN Chairmanship and conveyed best wishes for the success of upcoming Summits.&quot; &quot;Look forward to joining the ASEAN-India Summit virtually, and to further deepening of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1981217338054557916&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=51666db8e4a9a3a384e7c978679a9061eef54654&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 345px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1981217338054557916"></iframe></div></div>&lsquo;Photo ops&rsquo; and hugs &nbsp;Jairam Ramesh, the Indian National Congress lawmaker in a post on X, said: &ldquo;For days the speculation has been - will He or won&#39;t He? Will Mr. Modi go to Kuala Lumpur for the Summit or not? Now it appears certain that the PM will not go.&rdquo; &ldquo;It means the loss of so many opportunities to hug and get photo ops with world leaders or to flaunt himself as the self-styled Vishwaguru,&rdquo; Ramesh added sarcastically. &lsquo;Doesn&rsquo;t want to be cornered&rsquo;&nbsp;Commenting about what he sees as the reason for Modi not travelling to Kuala Lumpur, Ramesh said: &ldquo;The reason why Mr Modi is not going is simple. He just doesn&#39;t want to be cornered by President Trump, who will also be there.&rdquo; &ldquo;He refused an invitation to attend the Gaza peace summit in Egypt a few weeks back, precisely for this reason,&rdquo; he added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1981207439069630613&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=51666db8e4a9a3a384e7c978679a9061eef54654&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1981207439069630613"></iframe></div></div> &lsquo;Far too risky&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Posting messages in praise of President Trump on social media is one thing. But to be seen hobnobbing physically with the man who has claimed 53 times that he stopped Op Sindoor and has claimed 5 times that India has promised to stop buying oil from Russia is another matter.&rdquo; &ldquo;It&rsquo;s far too risky for him,&rdquo; he said. <figure id="isPasted"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/79e091fd-e917-4b98-9523-94ee8954331b-Trump and Modi.jpg" alt="Trump and Modi.jpg" style="width: 1000px; height: 563px;" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><figcaption>File Photo: X via @narendramodi</figcaption></figure>Modi&rsquo;s decision to stay away from the summit is unusual, according to an Indian media report.&nbsp; Since taking office in 2014, he has attended every East Asia Summit until 2019. The 2020 and 2021 editions were held virtually due to the pandemic.&nbsp; In 2022, then-Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar represented India in Cambodia, the only time Modi did not attend.&nbsp; He resumed participation in 2023 in Thailand and travelled to the 2024 summit in Laos, the report states.

Asia

The Indian prime minister, in a post on X, stated, “Look forward to joining the ASEAN-India Summit virtually”, making a Modi-Trump meeting unlikely. 

‘Seen hobnobbing’ with Trump ‘too risky’ for Modi: Indian opposition leader 

ISLAMABAD: An Indian opposition leader has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi break his silence on US President Donald Trump&#39;s repeated claims of orchestrating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, accusing him of failing to challenge Trump&#39;s &ldquo;interference in India&#39;s internal matters.&rdquo; Supriya Shrinate, an Indian politician from the opposition Congress party, in a video post on X, took the Indian prime minister to task for what she called his inability to challenge the US president and not mentioning any of his telephone conversation with Trump in a recent post on X. The Indian prime minister in his post earlier on Wednesday on X stated: &ldquo;Thank you, President Trump, for your phone call and warm Diwali greetings. On this festival of lights, may our two great democracies continue to illuminate the world with hope and stand united against terrorism in all its forms.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1980826742379184347&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=e6b18b33aa53675afc390f166411878d938ff67d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 392px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Shrinate, in her post on Wednesday, said that the Indian prime minister hurls abuse at the opposition, and asked, &ldquo;Why does your [Modi&rsquo;s] light go out in front of Trump?&rdquo; She said President Trump is exposing PM Modi with every passing day. The politician said every Indian&#39;s blood boils when Donald Trump speaks on &quot;our matters.&quot; &quot;I got the ceasefire done,&quot; Trump has said this &quot;the 56th time,&quot; Shrinate said, adding, &ldquo;at least now say something Modi sarkar [government]&rdquo;. &quot;&#39;You are lying Donald Trump.&rsquo; Just this much, just this once, show us by saying it,&rdquo; she dared the Indian prime minister at the end of the video.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1981018977829614027&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=e6b18b33aa53675afc390f166411878d938ff67d&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 903px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

Politician says every Indian's blood boils when Donald Trump speaks on 'our matters;' 'I got the ceasefire done,' Trump has said this the 56th time, she says, adding, “At least now say something Modi sarkar [government].'

Indian opposition politician challenges Modi’s silence on Trump's remarks about ceasefire

NAGPUR: Brandishing bamboo sticks and chanting patriotic hymns, thousands of uniformed men paraded in central India, a striking show of strength by the country&#39;s million-strong Hindu ultranationalist group. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh -- the National Volunteer Organisation, or RSS -- marked its 100th anniversary this month with a grand ceremony at its headquarters in Nagpur. AFP was one of a handful of foreign media outlets granted rare access to the group, which forms the ideological and organizational backbone of Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in power since 2014. Undermining constitution &nbsp;Critics accuse&nbsp;the 75-year-old prime minister and the RSS of eroding the rights of India&#39;s Muslim minority and undermining the secular constitution.At the parade, RSS volunteers in white shirts, brown trousers, and black hats marched, boxed, and stretched in time to shrill whistles and barked orders. &quot;Forever I bow to thee, loving Motherland! Motherland of us Hindus!&quot; they sang, in a scene that evoked paramilitary drills of the past. &quot;May my life ... be laid down in thy cause!&quot; Hindus make up around 80% of India&#39;s 1.4 billion people. Founded in 1925, the RSS calls itself &quot;the world&#39;s largest organization,&quot; though it does not give membership figures. &lsquo;Hindutva&rsquo;At the heart of its vision is &quot;Hindutva&quot; -- the belief that Hindus represent not only a religious group but are India&#39;s true national identity.<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/f8aaa21f-d7f1-4eda-8d69-1798ac80febc.png" style="width: 1000px; height: 563px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption id="isPasted">NAGPUR: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat attends the centenary celebrations of the Hindu nationalist organization at Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur on October 2, 2025. -- Photo by AFP/File</figcaption> &quot;They are willing to fight against those who will come in their way ... that means minorities, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and other Hindus who do not subscribe to the idea,&quot; historian Mridula Mukherjee said. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat uses softer language, claiming that minorities were accepted but that they &quot;should not cause division.&quot; &lsquo;Fascist by nature&rsquo;The RSS was formed during the imperial rule of the British. But it diverged sharply from that of independence efforts by Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress Party, whose leader Jawaharlal Nehru considered them &quot;fascist by nature.&quot; Mukherjee said archives showed &quot;a link between the RSS and fascist movements in Europe.&quot; Idealizing Nazis&nbsp;&quot;They have said, very clearly, that the way the Nazis were treating the Jews should be the way our own minorities should be treated,&quot; she told AFP. The RSS does not comment directly on such parallels, but Bhagwat claimed that &quot;today we are more acceptable.&quot; The RSS was an armed Hindu militia during the 1947 partition of India and the creation of Muslim-majority Pakistan. Gandhi&rsquo;s assassination&nbsp;Hindu extremists blamed Gandhi for &ldquo;breaking India apart.&rdquo; A former RSS member assassinated him in 1948, and the group was banned for nearly two years. But the RSS rebuilt quietly, focusing on local units known as &quot;shakhas&quot; to recruit. Today, it claims 83,000 of them nationwide, as well as over 50,000 schools and 120,000 social welfare projects. Saffron flag not India&rsquo;s tricolor&nbsp;At a shakha in Nagpur, Alhad Sadachar, 49, said the unit was &quot;meant to develop togetherness.&quot;<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/f95229d8-8f64-44db-9209-ffe076b97192-RSS Safron flag.jpg" alt="RSS Safron flag.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">NAGPUR: RSS volunteers salute the organisation&#39;s flag before morning drills during a shakha, or training session, of the Hindu nationalist organisation at a park in Nagpur on October 3, 2025. -- Photo by AFP/File</figcaption></figure>&quot;You can get a lot of good energy, a lot of good values, like helping those in need,&quot; he said. At a shaka that AFP was allowed to attend, dozens of members &ndash;- many middle-aged, elderly, and not in uniform &ndash;- gathered for an hour of calisthenics and song. But in a show of symbolism, they congregated beneath a saffron flag -- the color of Hinduism -- rather than India&#39;s tricolor. Demolition of Mughal-era Babri mosque &nbsp;The RSS remains deeply political. The group re-emerged in the late 1980s, spearheading a movement that ended with a violent mob demolishing the centuries-old Mughal-era Babri Mosque in Ayodhya -&ndash; now replaced by a gleaming temple to the Hindu god Rama. Role in BJP&rsquo;s victory&quot;That was the turning point,&quot; said Mukherjee, the historian, adding that the RSS was &quot;able to create a mass mobilization on religious issues, that became at its heart clearly anti-Muslim.&quot; The group helped deliver Modi&#39;s BJP party an electoral landslide in 2014. Since then, Modi -&ndash; a former RSS &quot;pracharak&quot;, or organizer -- &nbsp;has pursued policies that critics say marginalize India&#39;s estimated 220 million Muslims, 15% of the population. Lynching and hate speech&nbsp;&quot;There has been a clear increase in terms of violence, lynching, and hate speech since Modi has taken over,&quot; said Raqib Hameed Naik, director of the US-based Center for the Study of Organized Hate. RSS leaders deny that it has participated in atrocities. &quot;Those allegations are baseless,&quot; Bhagwat&nbsp;claimed. &quot;Atrocities were never done by the RSS. And if it happens anyway, I condemn that.&quot; RSS under Modi&nbsp;Under Modi, it has expanded its reach. &quot;The RSS has been able to stir Indian society in a direction that is more nationalistic, less liberal in a Western sense,&quot; said Swapan Dasgupta, a former nationalist parliamentarian.

India's RSS is a legion of Hindu ultranationalists; it has idealized Nazis, and it re-emerged in the 1980s. It helped deliver PM Modi's BJP an electoral landslide in 2014. Under him, it has expanded its reach. 

India under Modi and RSS: eroding minority rights, undermining secularism  

Reuters

PATNA: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s national alliance faces a tough regional election in the state of Bihar next month, due to youth unemployment and distrust over voter rolls, which could pose risks to his coalition that relies on regional partners. Bihar, in eastern India, is one of the country&#39;s poorest states and its third most populous, with over 130 million people. Its chief minister, Nitish Kumar, has previously sided with both Modi and the opposition, but is currently a key partner in Modi&#39;s National Democratic Alliance. Politically crucial heartland&nbsp;The state is part of a politically crucial heartland region, and any cracks within the NDA in November&#39;s assembly vote in Bihar could threaten Modi&#39;s coalition, with elections to follow within months in the states of Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. Modi&#39;s national alliance, which has 293 out of 543 seats in the Parliament, has a strong voter base only in Assam. The Vote Vibe agency said its opinion poll in Bihar showed the NDA had a marginal 1.6 percentage point lead over the opposition alliance, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress party, as of October 8. &lsquo;Strong voting bloc&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;This election could swing either way,&quot; the agency said in its outlook, noting that the NDA&#39;s slight edge was due to its recent programs, such as money transfers to 12.1 million women under a self-employment subsidy that totaled more than 121 billion rupees ($1.37 billion). Nivedita Jha, an activist based in Bihar&#39;s state capital Patna, said women will form a strong voting bloc in the poll because men usually leave Bihar in search of jobs in economic hubs like Mumbai and New Delhi, and not all return to vote. &quot;Women take the decisions because the men are not here,&quot; she said. &quot;They talk about the opposition, which has promised more money if they come to power, and my understanding is that they trust the opposition more&quot;. &lsquo;They have declared me dead&rsquo;Some Bihar voters are also angry about the revision of the state voter list. In one case, 85-year-old Jitni Devi said she was removed from the list and can no longer vote or access her pension. &quot;They have declared me dead,&quot; she told Reuters. &quot;People in my village tease me as a dead woman, and bank officials shoo me away when I go there to withdraw my money.&quot; The state election commission did not respond to queries about Devi&#39;s case. The federal election body has previously said that all complaints are investigated thoroughly. Voters angry over unemploymentAnxiety among young voters in Bihar over employment is another election issue, despite a falling unemployment rate. Government data showed that 9.9% of people aged 15&ndash;29 were unemployed in Bihar in the fiscal year 2023&ndash;24, a significant drop from 30.9% in 2018&ndash;19, but concerns persist. &quot;For me, I have seen my father going out of Bihar for work, so the issue of jobs matters the most,&quot; said Babloo Kumar, 25, who plans to vote for the first time in November. A new political party, Jan Suraaj &mdash; founded by Prashant Kishor, Modi&#39;s former poll manager &mdash; said it aims to reset the political agenda in Bihar. &lsquo;Big dip in Modi&#39;s popularity&rsquo;&nbsp;&quot;Joblessness, migration, increasing debts, loss in agriculture revenue are the issues in Bihar,&quot; said the party&#39;s national president, Uday Singh. &quot;There is a big dip in Modi&#39;s popularity here&quot;. The opposition has promised a law guaranteeing at least one government job per family, if desired. Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party, however, said it remains confident of victory. &quot;The NDA alliance is in a very solid position,&quot; said Guru Prakash Paswan, a BJP spokesperson. &quot;People have strong faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s vision.&quot; Voting will be held on November 6 and 11 for 243 state assembly seats, and results will be declared on November 14.

The Bihar election is crucial for Modi's coalition stability; women voters are pivotal due to the migration of men for jobs; voters are angry over unemployment and distrust the electoral rolls.

India's Modi faces tough Bihar state election

ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi drew parallels between his country&rsquo;s triumph at the Asia Cup 2025 over Pakistan and the military conflict in May, in which India lost six fighter jets, including Rafales.&nbsp;The move prompted a sharp response from Pakistan&rsquo;s interior minister and Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi.&nbsp;After India defeated Pakistan in the final on Sunday, Modi posted on X, formerly Twitter: &ldquo;Operation Sindoor on the games field. Outcome is the same &ndash; India wins! Congrats to our cricketers.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-6" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-6&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1972373287985401858&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5a49b7e06affe931a75395c47318369856134ebf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 100%; height: 100%; min-height: 0px;"></iframe></div> Naqvi retorted that equating sport with war distorted both history and the spirit of cricket. &ldquo;If war was your measure of pride, history already records your humiliating defeats at Pakistan&rsquo;s hands. No cricket match can rewrite that truth,&rdquo; he wrote. &ldquo;Dragging war into sport only exposes desperation and disgraces the very spirit of the game.&rdquo;</div></div>&nbsp;The exchange comes after the Indian cricket team refused to accept the trophy from Naqvi at the post-match ceremony.&nbsp;&ldquo;I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight,&rdquo; said Simon Doull, the presenter for the host broadcaster. &ldquo;So that does conclude the post-match presentation.&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-7" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-7&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1972458690084229221&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=5a49b7e06affe931a75395c47318369856134ebf&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 486px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;"></iframe></div> Naqvi waited on stage for over 45 minutes before leaving with the trophy, while the Indian players celebrated with an imaginary one.</div></div>Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav insisted the decision was not politically motivated.&nbsp;&ldquo;I think this is one thing which I have never seen since I started playing cricket, started following cricket, that a champion team is denied a trophy, that too a hard-earned one. I feel we deserved it. I can&rsquo;t say anything more; I&rsquo;ve summed it up really well. If you tell me about trophies, my trophies are sitting in the dressing room, all the 14 guys with me, the support staff, those are the real trophies throughout this journey in the Asia Cup.&rdquo; Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the trophy remain unknown.<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"> </div>

Cricket

Indian PM compares military conflict to 'games field'; Tweet prompts sharp response from Asian Cricket Council chief Mohsin Naqvi; Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav insists the decision is not politically motivated.




Articles tagged with "Narendra Modi"