In Brief

Modi, Sharif likely to meet at SCO summit in Russia

- by India Writes Network

The guessing game has begun, the usual media frenzy that kicks off whenever the leaders of India and Pakistan are expected to be present at a multilateral event.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s telephone call to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif has fuelled speculation about a possible meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s annual summit in the Russian city of Ufa next month.

Against this backdrop, Mr Modi’s Ramzan call to his Pakistani counterpart on June 17 is widely seen as a sign of thaw between the two prickly South Asian neighbours. During his conversation with Mr Sharif, Mr Modi emphasised that there was a need for maintaining “peaceful” and “friendly” bilateral ties between the two neighbors.

However, no official request for a meeting has been initiated from either side so far.

India and Pakistan are expected to be given full membership of the SCO at the forthcoming summit on July 8-9.

Read More

Lalit Modi visa row: Govt, BJP chorus in Sushma Swaraj’s defence

- by India Writes Network

Amid a raging controversy over India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s decision to help former IPL impresario Lalit Modi procure British travel documents on “humanitarian grounds”, the government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly rallied to her defence, asserting that she did nothing wrong.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has firmly stood by Mrs Swaraj, who has been facing a blistering campaign by the Congress party asking for her resignation. In a robust assertion of solidarity, senior Cabinet ministers have spoken in support of the low-key foreign minister, who is widely recognised as one of the most effective ministers in the Modi cabinet.

Two days after Home Minister Rajnath Singh defended Swaraj’s action, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has now rallied to her support, saying she acted “bona fide” and with “good intentions” and the entire government and party were one on the issue.

Read More