Democracy can thrive when losers & Oppn show faith in it, says Ram Madhav
New Delhi, Jan 16 Senior BJP leader Ram Madhav on Thursday said in democracy 'no body is eternal' and lashed out at the opposition parties for 'converting streets' into scenes of protests and indulging in unwarranted attack on the elected government saying 'democracy has gone to dogs'.
"Criticism is welcome, democracies succeed when losers have faith in democracy," Mr Madhav said in reference to the violent protest unleashed in the country over the new Citizenship law and maintained the opposition parties would do well to wait for 'five years' for their turn to come.
"Democracy survives when you have lost the election and still you cherish the democratic spirit," he said during a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue here.
The session was attended by a large number of foreign delegates.
"......when your view point is not validated by the elected government system that means you lost the mandate, you lost the election but still you cherish the democratic spirit," Mr Madhav remarked hinting at the principal opposition Congress and other parties.
In democracy, he insisted, all criticism has place but it is improper to "lose faith in the democratic process and then converts streets into democratic fora, indulge in violence and say that the government is not listening, that is not democratic spirit".
Mr Madhav maintained, ".....whatever has happened in this country in last few months has happened in most democratic manner after thorough discussions in Parliament. Lot of criticism, the government had endured in Parliament".
He said the government is "duty bound" to respond but to bank on violence and 'attribute' motives to government decision is erroneous.
".....getting depressed and claiming that democracy is going to dogs is something that you have to keep aside," he counseled the opposition parties.
Responding to questions on violence and a general perception that the Modi government and BJP is against 'criticism', the key party leader said - "in India with drop of hats, the governments have changed. People believed they are eternal, no body is eternal.....but if you have a view point,
use the right forum and use the right manner, that is democracy".
Mr Madhav said in general sense too, the democracies by nature tend to be "very noisy, especially in our part of the world and as somebody described as very messy".
However, he said - ".....still they have proved to be successful and functional democracies".
With regard the CAA row, the BJP general secretary said - “We have only made additions to the existing Act. This is an amendment to the Act. Those who are under depression will understand it soon".
He also said, in India while no single model of democracy exists, it is the most favourable and acceptable form of government.
"For a democracy to succeed, it has to truly represent the People. Democracy requires ethics, values and culture to support democratic government. Society must be nurtured ethically and culturally to strengthen democratic spirit," he remarked.
New Delhi, Jan 16 India and the US on Thursday countered Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for his remarks that the 'Indo Pacific' as a term excludes China.
US Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Pottinger told during a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue here, the 'Indo Pacific' is "free and open and does not exclude any nation".
He said the description Indo Pacific actually asks global community to respect and promote the principles that are held in common.
"It is a community of countries that respects the rule of law, stands up for freedom of navigation," Mr Pottinger said.
Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, who also spoke during the meet, said the reference to 'Asia Pacific' was more of a colonial concept.
"India was connected to China and South East Asia for millennia," Mr Gokhale said.
Earlier in the day, MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar asserted that New Delhi's vision of Indo Pacific is "not ambiguous".
"India's vision of Indo Pacific is not something which is ambiguous," he said during the weekly media briefing.
In his address at the Raisina Dialogue on Wednesday, Mr Lavrov had criticised Indo-Pacific initiative which is essentially led by the United States.
Mr Gokhale said on Thursday that - "The Asia Pacific as a concept is essentially a colonial concept. Long before colonies came up in Asia, India was connected with the South East Asia and China and other parts of the world".
On Wednesday, the Russian Minister Mr Lavrov had sounded critical of the 'Indo Pacific' and said:
“Why do you need to call Asian Pacific as Indo-Pacific? The answer is evident… to exclude China. Terminology should be unifying, not divisive".
“.....Our Indians friends are smart enough to understand that," he had remarked.
I do not tweet as of now, Foreign Secy Vijay Gokhale
Energy to be a 'major issue' in view of crisis in Iran, Venezuela: Foreign Secy
New Delhi, Jan 16 (UNI) Energy is going to be a major issue in next 12 months especially in view of the crisis in Iran and other countries such as Venezuela.
"....energy is going to be a problem, and there is 50-50 chance, we could discuss on energy during next year's Raisina Dialogue," Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said here.
In the panel discussion at the geo-strategic conference, he said, India is looking at developing its own capacity and capabilities.
Information is power, so India will protect data that is vital for its security and economic well being, he said.
"If information is gold, then we are sitting on one-by-seven of proven reserves. Data is something that needs to be protected," he maintained.
On a rather lighter note, he said technology has often had "disruptive influence".
He maintained almost all Indians now have a 'view' on the country's foreign policy.
But he said his 'younger colleagues' are experts in social media and thus India will be able to capture the world of information.
To a question, the Foreign Secretary, however, said "....I do not tweet as of now".
There is still time to talk about date and venue of Trump's visit, says MEA
New Delhi, Jan 16 (UNI) It appears while the visit of US President Donald Trump to India anytime soon to India looks certain, but the date and month and where will Mr Trump go, "there is still time to talk about these", MEA said here on Thursday.
"I can tell you now that both the countries through diplomatic channels are continuously in touch on the matter (possible visit of Mr Trump), but which will be the date and month and where will Trump go, there is still time to talk about these," MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters here answering questions.
The mention of Mr Trump's visit to India prior to elections in the US has assumed significance in the light of reports that various dates are being discussed for the same.
The 2020 United States presidential election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
The MEA spokesman said: "The top level engagement between India and the United States is inherent part of the Strategic Partnership between two countries".
He also said when the two leaders had met, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had invited President Trump.
"In addition whenever there are high level talks, this issue of President Trump's visit to India figures...
I can tell you now that both the countries through diplomatic channel are continuously in touch on the matter," he said.
MEA spokesman clarified that such announcement for high level visits is made "through a proper procedure and the moment we have confirmed information, it will be shared".
Imran, along with other Heads of Govts of SCO to be invited for meet in India: MEA
New Delhi, Jan 16 The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan along with seven other heads of governments of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will be invited to attend the meet to be hosted in India this year.
"It is now a public knowledge that India will be hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Governments meeting later this year. The meeting is held and will be held at the Prime Minister's level and it discusses the SCO's programme of multilateral economic issues. As per the established practices and procedures within SCO, all eight members of SCO as well as four observer states and other international dialogue partners will be invited," MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters here.
"Hum sabko bulayenge, ab uske baad kya hoga, yeh is samay mere liye batana mushkil hae (We will invite everybody, but what will happen after that will be something difficult for me to say now)," he said answering specific question on Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The India-Pakistan relation is not in best of terms and has in fact nosedived during last two years over various issues including Pulwama terror attack, India's surgical strike and abrogation of Article 370
in Jammu and Kashmir.
India and Pakistan were admitted as full members of SCO in 2017.
It will be first such high level meeting of the eight-member grouping to be hosted by India after its admission to the bloc.
The Heads of State Council is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO and meets once a year.
China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are original members of the SCO.
UNSC move on Kashmir, a 'clear message' for Pak; China must draw 'lessons' : MEA
New Delhi, Jan 16 (UNI) Close on the heels of UNSC yet again rejecting China's request to take up Kashmir issue for discussion, India on Thursday said a 'clear message' has gone that if at all the matter needs to be discussed it is only through bilateral mechanism between New Delhi and Islamabad.
"Most of the members were of the view that it (Kashmir) is a bilateral issue. Hence the closed door session did not come to any conclusion... We hope the message has gone loud and clear to Pakistan that if at all there is any matter between India and Pakistan that needs to be discussed, it should be done only bilaterally," MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar told reporters here.
To a question on how does India perceives China's stand on Kashmir vis-a-vis UNSC, he said: "I suggest that this question should be posed to the Chinese side as well. China should seriously reflect on this global consensus, draw the proper lessons and refrain from taking such action in future".
The spokesman said: "An effort was made by Pakistan through a member of the UNSC (read China) to once again misuse the platform of UNSC for discussing a bilateral matter. The overwhelming majority of the UNSC members were of the view that UNSC was not the right forum for such issues and this should be discussed bilaterally between India and Pakistan".
The informal closed-door meeting, therefore, concluded without any outcome, he said adding: "It once again highlighted that Pakistan’s desperate measures to peddle baseless allegations and presenting an alarming scenario lacked any credibility".
Mr Kumar said: "Pakistan can avoid this global embarrassment time and again by putting their energy in something constructive".
This was China's third initiative in recent times to hold a closed-door meeting to discuss Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Security Council.
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