‘Real-Term Rise In Air Ticket Prices Negative’

NEW DELHI: Amid demands to regulate airfare, civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu said in Lok Sabha on Friday that the govt retains the power to intervene in extraordinary circumstances – as seen during the recent spike in ticket prices due to mass-cancellation of IndiGo flights -to protect passengers against opportunistic pricing but emphasised the importance of deregulation and viability of airlines for the sector to grow.Rejecting criticism of soaring air prices, he said in real terms the growth in airfare is actually negative if consumer price index is factored in. In India, it has fallen by 43% compared to 23% in the US and 34% in China, he said, insisting that it is obvious that a certain pricing level has been maintained to keep it affordable for people.“We all feel these are companies which are charging a lot of money. But none of them are making good money. Most of them are in losses. We have to keep this in mind,” he said, replying to a debate on a private member’s resolution on “appropriate measures to regulate airfare in the country”.Hitting back at opposition members who targeted the govt over instances of exorbitant airfares and the alleged duopoly in the sector, he said no matter how much politics they resort to, the governing alliance is committed to people and ensuring that more and more places are brought on the aviation map. If this was not the case, PM Narendra Modi would not have been elected to office three times in a row, Naidu asserted. He emphasised that deregulation in the sector since 1994 had led to its growth as more airlines joined in and competition rose to the benefits of passengers. Competition Commission of India and courts have also advocated deregulation, he said.Congress MP Shafi Parambil, who had moved the resolution, cited the airfare of over Rs 60,000 in a Srinagar to Delhi flight following the Pahalgam terror attack to bat for regulation but withdrew his resolution as per the standard convention in cases of private members’ business.Naidu noted that the govt has a tariff monitoring unit, which is being made more powerful by its inclusion in aircraft rules to lend it statutory provisions. He said the govt had intervened to cap prices for air tickets to Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh this year, and it had taken similar measures after the Pahalgam terror attack.It is not that price surge occurs every day but mostly during festive seasons, he said, stressing that the govt has sat with airlines to augment capacities in specific routes during such occurrences. Aircraft availability is one of the constraints for the sector, and the govt is working at a programme so that aircraft are manufactured in India and the country grows as a leasing hub like Ireland and Singapore, he added.

Say Impeachment Move A Brazen Attempt To ‘Browbeat Judiciary’

NEW DELHI: Expressing solidarity with Madras high court judge Justice G R Swaminathan, 56 former judges Friday issued an open letter urging members of Parliament to withdraw the impeachment notice against him. They warned that the move undermines judicial independence and seeks to pressure judges who do not align with certain political or ideological expectations.Signatories include former SC judges Adarsh Goel and Hemant Gupta, Justice Anil Deo Singh (ex-CJ Rajasthan HC), Justice Narsimha Reddy (ex-CJ Patna HC), Justice P B Bajanthri (ex-CJ Patna HC) and Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee (ex-CJ Karnataka HC).The notice was filed after Justice Swaminathan, acting on a petition by a right-wing activist, directed state authorities to ensure that a sacred lamp be lit at a hilltop temple. Govt officials said this went against the longstanding practice of lighting the lamp at the nearby Deepa Mandapam, where the ritual had been observed for years.In their letter, the former judges sharply criticised the attempt to remove him. “We, the former Judges of SC and former CJs and Judges of HCs, take serious exception to the attempt being made by certain MPs and other senior advocates to impeach Justice G R Swaminathan of Madras HC. This is a brazen attempt to browbeat judges who do not fall in line with the ideological and political expectations of a particular section of society. If such an attempt is permitted to proceed, it would cut at the very roots of our democracy and independence of judiciary.”They stressed that the reasons cited by the MPs do not justify such a drastic step. “Even if the reasons mentioned by the signatory MPs are taken at face value, they are wholly inadequate to justify resorting to such a rare, exceptional & serious constitutional measure as impeachment,” the statement said.The former judges further warned that using impeachment to challenge judicial decisions poses a grave threat to the rule of law. “The very purpose of the impeachment mechanism is to uphold the integrity of the judiciary, not to convert it into a tool of arm-twisting, signalling and retaliation. To wield the threat of removal as a means of compelling judges to conform to political expectations is to turn a constitutional safeguard into an instrument of intimidation.Such an approach is “anti-democratic, anti-constitutional, and an anathema” to the rule of law. The present attempt to impeach a sitting high court judge for discharging his judicial duty is, therefore, not an isolated episode but part of a continuing assault on dignity and independence of the judicial institution itself. Today, the target may be one judge; tomorrow, it will be the institution as a whole,” they said.They also noted that this reflects a wider pattern of pressure on the judiciary. According to them, recent years have seen similar attempts to attack or discredit former chief justices Dipak Misra, Ranjan Gogoi, S A Bobde and D Y Chandrachud, as well as current CJI Justice Surya Kant, whenever their decisions upset political groups. They said such efforts aim to use impeachment and public criticism as tools to control judges rather than engage in genuine legal critique.

Ayesha Curry and Stephen Curry (Image via: stephencurry30/ Instagram)

Stephen Curry’s wife, Ayesha Curry, sent shock waves in the NBA world after a candid confession about her marriage. The popular entrepreneur diverted media attention for all the wrong reasons. As of now, both Ayesha Curry and her NBA husband haven’t spoken about it publicly or on social media. Despite all this, Ayesha has always posted about Stephen Curry and her kids on social media. Recently, the Sweet July Skin owner shared a glimpse of a mother-daughter night out with Riley and Ryan all the way from their favorite K-pop-inspired girl group, KATSEYE. Even the Golden State Warriors’ cornerstone shared the post on his Instagram story too.

Ayesha Curry shares a happy mother-daughter moment with Riley and Ryan

Stephen Curry’s wife, Ayesha Curry, loves posting about her NBA husband and kids. Recently, the International Smoke owner recently shared a happy mother-daughter moment with Riley and Ryan during their favorite K-pop-inspired group, KATSEYE. The proud momma posted an adorable picture and captioned it as, “Took my baby girls to see their FAVORITE KATSEYE World … a mommy-daughter night to remember. Swipe to the end to see our forever mood!” The snaps included sweet highlights of both Riley and Ryan enjoying the night out with their entrepreneur mom, Ayesha Curry while capturing the adorable moments away from the usual family routine.

Everything you need to know about the global pop group KATSEYE

The popular six-member global pop group KATSEYE came into existence from Netflix’s Pop Star Academy, and since then there’s been no looking back. The reputed group includes six members, Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae, who represent different cultures, walks of life, and countries. KATSEYE’s breakout song, Gnarly, went on to garner more than 100 million streams this year, and the six-member global music group has been performing extremely well with packed stadiums and millions of audience members across different venues in the U.S. during their Beautiful Chaos Tour. With the growing popularity of KATSEYE, it is quite understandable that Stephen Curry’s daughters, Riley and Ryan, are crazy about it. The concert attended by Ayesha Curry and her daughters even featured lively outfit changes and fan-favorite songs, including Time Lapse, Gabriella, and Torch, along with a colorful stage. Also Read: Stephen Curry limps off court as Golden State Warriors suffer another defeat against Houston Rockets

MUMBAI: The scourge of match-fixing has hit cricket, or more specifically, Indian domestic cricket, again. In a sensational development, the Assam Cricket Association secretary Sanatan Das informed the media on Friday that it had suspended four of its players — Amit Sinha, Ishan Ahmed, Aman Tripathi and Abhishek Thakuri — with immediate effect after allegations emerged that “they were involved in corrupt practices relating to the game of cricket” during the league stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.“The above four players, who have represented Assam at various stages, are accused of influencing and attempting to instigate some of the current Assam team players, who took part in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 held in Lucknow from Nov 26 to Dec 8. Following the emergence of these allegations, the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of the BCCI conducted an enquiry. The ACA has also initiated criminal proceedings. Prima facie, there appears to be involvement of the aforementioned four players in serious misconduct, affecting the integrity of the sports,” Das stated in the release on Friday.

The ACA stated that it had also lodged an FIR at the Crime Branch, Guwahati, against the four players on Friday. The ACA, incidentally, happens to be the home association of BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. “The BCCI follows a zero tolerance policy regarding any kind of misdeeds or corrupt practices by any of the players, irrespective of which state they come from. Our anti-corruption unit is quite efficient to find out these kind of activities which is indulged by some players or bookies. We will continue our drive against those kind of persons who are involved in trying to malign the game of cricket,” Saikia told TOI. “We will not allow that to happen. As I said, our (anti-corruption) team is very efficient and is constantly working on this,” he added.Placed in Elite Group A, Assam, captained by India allrounder Riyan Parag, finished seventh out of eight teams, winning three games and losing four out of the seven matches they played in the competition. None of these four players accused of “indulging in corrupt practices” were a part of the Assam team in SMAT 2025.Amit Sinha, a batsman, has featured in 32 first-class matches (1208 runs at 22.79), 46 List A games and 31 T20s for Assam. Thakuri, a wicket-keeper batsman, has played 12 first-class matches (451 runs at 23.73), including two Ranji Trophy matches this season, besides having represented Assam in 11 List A and 10 T20s.“There was no particular match in which they were in fixing. These players were not there in the Assam squad for SMAT. They (allegedly) approached our team’s players with an intention of fixing. Those players approached the Assam captain (Riyan Parag), who reported it to the BCCI’s anti-corruption & Security unit. The BCCI’s ACSU investigated it and found that something was foul in the case. After conducting an investigation, the BCCI’s ACSU reported the matter to us. We have therefore suspended all these (accused) four players. If the names of more players emerge in the investigation (of the BCCI’s ACSU), then we will take action against them too. As of now, these four players have been found to be involved (in making a corrupt approach). They have admitted to us that they tried to make these corrupt approaches about producing a certain ‘performance’ from the players,” ACA president Taranga Gogoi told TOI from Guwahati.“We are all completely against corruption in cricket,” he added.The ACA secretary stated: “The suspension of the players was done to curtail any scope of further deterioration of the situation. Accordingly, during the suspension period, the players are barred from: Taking part in any State-level tournament or match conducted under the Assam Cricket Association, District Units or affiliated clubs. Participating in any cricket-related activity, including officiating as match referee, coach, umpire etc. The suspension will continue til the final outcome of the investigation and/or any further decision of the Association. All District Associations are directed to ensure strict compliance with this order and to inform clubs and cricket academies under their jurisdiction for the necessary action.”“The ACA reiterates its commitment to safeguarding the integrity and spirit of the sport and will continue to uphold the highest standards of transparency, discipline and ethical conduct,” concluded Das’ statement.

Rupee depreciation: Experts are of the view that this weakness may persist in the near term. (AI image)

The rupee has been in a downward spiral versus the US dollar – hitting new historical lows and even crossing the 90 mark. The depreciation has been steep, and even more on a real effective basis. In fact, the rupee is one of the worst performing major currencies. Experts are of the view that this weakness may persist in the near term, given the uncertainty of the India-US trade deal, and pressure on capital flows – and this can and will impact various macroeconomic variables in India, if it persists. A persistently weak rupee affects India through five major channels, influencing everything from inflation and imports to exports, corporate margins, and even investment decisions. While the short-term effects are mostly negative—such as raising costs and additional economic pressure—a weaker rupee can also support long-term growth by gradually shifting consumer and producer behaviour, encouraging more domestic output and improving export competitiveness, says BofA Securities in its latest report.

Rupee’s Depreciation vs Dollar: Some Startling Numbers

Historical periods of large depreciation in rupee in nominal and real terms

Despite recent expansion in the trade deficit, India’s current account deficit remains controlled. With crude oil prices ranging between $60-65/brl, approximately $15/brl lower than previous year’s average, the risk of energy costs affecting external financing needs appears limited.“This means the primary challenge has been on capital flows, and that has been an issue which remains multifaceted, and has been seen across FDI flows, FPI flows, and debt related inflows, which have to a certain extent stalled. Indeed, the RBI as per official data has sold $65 billion in the open market between October 24 to September 25, and is also running a large short forward book position of $63.6 billion until end October, which has probably increased in November given the extent of pressure on the rupee,” says BofA Securities.

Weak capital inflows are the culprit

What does a weak rupee mean for the Indian economy? BofA Securities says that the economic impact of a weaker exchange is multifaceted, and the exchange rate influences several macroeconomic variables, through the interplay of sentiment, growth inflation and other balances.

First channel: Sentiment hit – possibly quick and large

According to BofA Securities, historically data suggests that a weak rupee causes a sentiment hit – which then tends to impact variables and key economic indicators – be it consumer confidence, business sentiment and policy uncertainty measurements, PMI. BofA’s analysis suggests that during periods of more than 10% weakness in the rupee, the catalyst for sentiment weakening could be seen in the data. “Given the extent of current weakness, it can feed through consumer sentiment and business sentiment potentially,” it warns.

Second channel: What happens to GDP growth?

The relationship between exchange rate and GDP is in several ways multifaceted. Several studies, including from the RBI, have documented the connections between exchange rates and GDP growth, examining both price and volume implications, specific component effects, and temporal aspects. The primary channel of impact of a weaker exchange rate comes through both exports and imports, which are the primary factors relying on the exchange rate to an extent, notes BofA.Let’s understand this better:The main effect of a weakened rupee manifests in import patterns – this can particularly affect discretionary and consumer-related imports. Research indicates that a 5% decline in RBI’s Real Effective Exchange Rate can result in a corresponding 2.3% reduction in imports. This in turn can push up GDP growth through the decreased import volumes.According to a study done by ministry of finance in 2023, the results of exports being meaningfully influenced by exchange rate weakness has been weakening in the recent years, but based on the results, the export sensitivity to 5% REER depreciation can typically increase exports by ~2%, implying almost a ~4% improvement in the current depreciation episode. BofA Securities quotes a recent RBI study which investigated the relationship between exchange rate fluctuations and trade balance, and concluded that rupee depreciation in real terms enhances the trade balance progressively. This impact appears more significant in periods of rupee’s depreciation compared to the appreciation periods.

Trade balance does respond to rupee weakness over time

Their study showed that both in the short term and the long term, rupee depreciation does influence the trade balance positively, likely working more strongly through import demand compression, than through export improvement immediately.“Based on this study, if the current depreciation holds, the implied trade balance improvement could be as large as 5-7% of the trade balance which in current terms saves India almost $7-12 billion, in line with RBI’s study,” says the BofA report. “However, with the shadow of the weakness emanating from the tariffs imposed by the US, we believe the gains on the trade front, especially exports will be somewhat stunted, but the imports compression is still likely to play out, given the primary source of compression is on the domestic demand front, not external front,” it adds.

Third Channel: Inflation Trouble

This is one channel that can feed negatively into the economy, raising prices and hence, inflation. But, will that be the case for India? As per the BofA report, historically, the exchange rate – inflation nexus has always been strong in India, as typically rupee weakness can emanate from elevated inflation, which in turn can trigger more inflation.

Core CPI

This cycle however is not visible in the current scenario, and with typical channels of higher imported inflation appears to be relatively benign to cause any major inflation spiral, the report says,How does inflation get imported in times of rupee depreciation? There are three main channels:In today’s scenario, the comforting fact is that the fall in crude oil prices has been more drastic than the rupee’s depreciation. Further, even if crude oil prices rise at the margin, the government has kept the price of fuel in India elevated, over and above the implied prices based on crude oil levels, resulting in elevated gross marketing margins for oil companies, notes BofA.. “As such, even after a weaker exchange rate, the need to raise retail fuel prices will stay limited. This may not be the case for all energy products, or precious metals, which have been moving up, and the pass through will continue to be visible in the data,” it adds.

Gold prices

BofA is of the view that the ongoing deflationary trends in China have spread across the region, including India. This suggests that the effects of a weakened exchange rate may actually be limited. “This is visible as the persistent weakness in WPI inflation, which reflects input costs, and is much more sensitive to a weaker exchange rate and imported prices. Indeed, after a brief period, WPI inflation has been negative for an extended period, and in index terms, WPI index still remains below the highs seen in June 2022,” it says.Previous RBI analyses and current quarterly projection models indicate that a 5% reduction in REER can actually cause a 35-basis points rise in inflation across 3-4 quarters. This suggests that there could be a potential 60-70 basis points upward risk to inflation. However, considering the global economic context, this outcome seems unlikely in the current phase of rupee weakening, says BofA. According to the RBI, about 36.4% of the present inflation basket is directly or indirectly impacted by imported prices, which naturally may be impacted by a weaker exchange rate. Overall, while a large amount of rupee weakness is a precursor for higher inflation, the uniqueness of the global commodity price backdrop and the persistence of low food inflation can ensure that the pass through of a weaker exchange rate is somewhat less.The prospect of a favorable rabi crop sowing season will also further blunt the inflation impact, as volume growth will ensue even if input costs rise, the pass through will be somewhat quelled by large stocks availability.

Fourth channel: External Sector

On the external sector front, the long-term impact may actually bode well for the Indian economy. The impact on external finances is expected to be more noticeable through current account dynamics rather than capital account movements. Historical analysis suggests that trade balance actually improves – imports take a hit because they cost more and exports get a leg up because they are cheaper for the country that imports them.“For the implied trade balance, the improvement based on historical sensitivities can be anywhere between 0.8-1 times based on historical studies,” says BofA Securities. “However, the weakness in US trade activity, especially with exports, adds an element of uncertainty on the goods trade improvement that can typically be seen after every major correction in the rupee on real terms. This could mean that the typical “J – Curve” effect may not be as quickly visible in the data if rupee weakness persists, but eventually it should be seen, potentially in 2-4 quarters,” it adds.

Rupee weakness can boost export growth

The depreciation of the rupee would significantly enhance competitiveness in services trade, although initial dollar surpluses might decrease as operational costs in India, particularly for GCCs, reduce.“This could mean lesser need to send operational capital, but over time could also result in a larger incentive to expand capacity given cost efficiencies. As per an RBI study, services exports improve by 0.8% for every 1% FX weakness over time. For other services items such as tourism and education, a weaker rupee would reduce incentives for outbound activity, but whether it can be seen meaningfully in a short time period is debatable,” says BofA.

INR REER and Secondary Income

The flow of remittances is a big positive of rupee depreciation. For remittances, bouts of a weaker exchange rate can result in a small period of lower inflows, but typically once the rupee depreciation stalls, it is followed by a meaningful increase in remittances flow, to use the better cross exchange rate. This is not the case with primary transfers, which typically is not impacted during currency fluctuations, the report says.“Overall, we believe the current account deficit tends to shrink over a period of time post a sharp bout of forex weakness, but that is more likely to be visible in the next 3-6 months, rather than the next 1-2 months. On the capital flows side, we do not see any meaningful impact of a weaker exchange rate on both FDI and FPI flows, but a weaker rupee can add to the public and private debt burden at the margin, especially if they are not matched fully from a forex hedging perspective. There will still be some increase in debt burdens, but we believe its implications will be relatively well managed,” it adds.

Fifth Channel: Does the fiscal situation pose a risk?

On the fiscal side of the economy, the implications of a weaker rupee are not immediately clear. This is especially so since the government no longer subsidizes fuel consumption meaningfully, outside of LPG products. Whilst LPG subsidies might increase marginally, fertiliser subsidies are likely to experience a more substantial rise due to currency depreciation.

Subsidies

The important thing is that the current rupee depreciation, combined with RBI’s ongoing market interventions, is likely to enhance the central bank’s foreign exchange earnings. This could result in increased RBI dividend payments in fiscal year 2026-27, offering potential revenue support.“This will be a similar dynamic to the weakness in rupee seen last year, potentially with a larger intensity, given the extent of intervention this year has been much larger in selling foreign exchange, which typically yields the RBI profits. As such, the overall fiscal impact remains unclear to us, as there are positive and negative aspects of the exchange rate weakness in our view,” BofA Securities says.

Where is the rupee headed?

The India-US trade deal is a key factor in ongoing weakness in rupee, and an effective resolution may pave the way for a relatively stronger rupee compared to the present scenario.BofA analysts are of the view that the rupee still remains dependent on portfolio flows next year after large equity outflows this year partly driven by tariffs. “Finalization of trade deal to reduce the tariffs would be important in reducing uncertainty for equity investors,” it says. “Further pick-up in growth momentum would be another key factor for next year which may support corporate earnings and ease equity valuation concerns,” it adds.Given this uncertainty, BofA believes that the central bank’s management of rupee levels will be key. “RBI’s reserves remain adequate, but continued portfolio outflows could make these operations unsustainable or build-up of RBI’s short dollar forward positions may skew return expectations on the rupee,” it says.“Overall, we believe dollar weakness next year would still support mild rupee appreciation and that could pick-up pace around the seasonally favorable first quarter for the rupee. We forecast the rupee to reach 86/USD by end-2026, in line with dollar weakness next year,” it says.Even though the RBI has been letting the rupee weaken to reduce pressure on the exchange rate markets, BofA believes that the RBI will likely stay involved in both the spot and forwards market, providing liquidity and curbing volatility. “Indeed, in the latest RBI meeting, the governor clearly stated that the tolerance for rupee volatility has not changed for the RBI, in our view, and we would expect them to remain visible, and smoothen out the direction of the move, without necessarily anchoring any specific level. This has been the strategy through 2025, where RBI has opportunistically sold and bought foreign exchange, when it could, and if inflows return in a meaningful way, we believe the RBI may also have a preference to rebuild its external buffers,” it adds.

Pete Alonso and Haley Alonso (Image via IG)

Pete Alonso’s free agency shift became one of the week’s biggest stories after the All-Star infielder signed a five year, 155 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. His departure closed a long and lively chapter with the New York Mets, a team he grew up in as both a player and a person. The move also stirred deep feelings at home. Haeley Alonso shared a message that quietly captured the meaning of the years they spent in New York and how much the city shaped their life together.Her post did not read like a farewell to a fan base. It read like someone touching an old memory and realizing how full those years truly were. She chose a picture from his 2019 rookie season, a moment when everything felt new and uncertain. That image became the center of her reflection as she looked back on the start of their journey in baseball’s biggest market.

Haeley’s goodbye message reveals the moments that made New York feel like home for the Alonsos

Haeley wrote, “I was looking back at pictures and videos last night of our past 7 years in New York to go down memory lane as we close out this chapter and enter a new one. As I was getting close to the beginning of my photos, I came across this picture I took of Pete after his debut game back in 2019. Admittedly, I burst into tears because it so vividly brought me back to that exact moment. Seeing him so dirty, so exhausted but it was the happiest I had ever seen him.“Her words showed how clearly she remembers that night. It was not the stats or the noise in the stadium. It was the look on his face when he walked off the field, tired yet thrilled, stepping into a future neither of them could fully imagine then.She continued, “We fell in love with New York City and lived in Manhattan for 6 years. We fell in love with the fans and their passion. Sometimes glowing, sometimes… spirited but always heartfelt. We loved this team. His teammates, coaches, staff… truly everyone. We made lifelong friends over the years and l’m forever grateful for that. Just so grateful for all of it Thank you for loving Pete.”Her message turned their exit into something gentle. A reminder that even when careers move forward, the memories stay with them, shaped by a city that gave them their first baseball home.Also read: Fans can’t stop talking as Adrian Morejon and wife Melany’s cozy pictures with a sunset moment win hearts online

NEW DELHI: Karnataka Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain on Friday claimed that deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar will become chief minister after the ongoing winter session of the state legislature, adding fuel to speculation over a possible leadership change within the ruling party.Speaking to reporters, the Ramanagara MLA confirmed that he attended a late-night dinner with Shivakumar and several ministers and legislators. He dismissed suggestions that the meeting was a show of strength. “MLAs from various constituencies have come for the session; it is a rare opportunity for all of us to meet. During the session, we meet each other. We had dinner together. What’s there in that? Can having food together be called a show of strength?” he said.Asked whether Shivakumar shared any political developments during the gathering, Hussain responded, “I’m giving the good news. He will become (CM) after the session, he will become. What’s wrong with it?” He added, “….Shivakumar will get a chance, he will become the chief minister now.”Hussain said 50 to 55 Congress legislators attended the dinner. While party leaders described it as a casual meeting, it took place amid heightened speculation over a power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, particularly after the government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.Reacting to remarks that Shivakumar’s elevation would depend on destiny, Hussain said, “Everything will happen if the god has written in one’s fate…. We are all confident that Shivakumar has a chance for his efforts, struggle, and organising the party. We have told the same to the high command, the high command will decide.”The MLA reiterated that the Congress remains disciplined and that the final decision on the chief ministership rests with the central leadership. “Numbers are not important here. We should be committed to the decision they make. They have said that everyone should abide by the party discipline and abide by their decision. This is the party culture, too. We will abide by their decision,” he said.The Congress high command has recently attempted to contain the leadership friction, with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar holding breakfast meetings at each other’s residences. The gesture was seen as a signal that Siddaramaiah would continue as chief minister for now, particularly with the Belagavi legislature session underway. The session, which began on December 8, will continue until December 19.

Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar and over 30 Congress legislators, including some ministers, met for a dinner late on Thursday night, party sources told PTI.Ministers K H Muniyappa, Mankal Vaidya, Dr M C Sudhakar, MLAs N A Haris, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, H C Balakrishna, Ganesh Hukkeri, Darshan Dhruvanarayana, Ashok Kumar Rai, K Y Nanjegowda were among those present in the meeting, the sources added.Expelled BJP MLAs ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar also attended the dinner, they said.The dinner meeting came a day after CM Siddaramaiah, along with ministers and a few legislators considered close to him, met for a dinner hosted by former Belagavi North MLA Feroz Sait.Though leaders term it a casual dinner meeting, speculation is rife as it had taken place amid a power tussle in the ruling party, over the CM post.There were speculations about a change in chief minister when the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, as it was believed that there was a powersharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar after the grand old party won the Assembly election in 2023.As the government crossed this crucial date, activities intensified in Congress, and both the CM and the Deputy CM met over breakfast at each other’s residences, on the instructions of the high command. This was seen as a move to pause the leadership tussle between the two and to signal Siddaramaiah’s continuation as the CM for the time being, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to India from December 4-5, does not signals that Delhi is on Moscow’s side, rather it highlights Modi government’s determination to maintain its non-aligned position, according to Christopher Wood, Global Head of Equity Strategy at Jefferies. In his weekly report GREED & fear, Wood pointed out that India is asserting its independence in foreign policy and “is not going to allow itself to be pushed around serving the imperial interests of other powers.” He further clarified that Putin’s visit should not be interpreted as Delhi siding with Russia. “Putin’s visit does not mean that Delhi is on Russia’s side. What it does mean is that the Modi Government is sending the message that it maintains its non-aligned status and is not going to allow itself to be pushed around serving the imperial interests of other powers,” Wood wrote in the report, as cited by ANI. Wood also noted a stark contrast between the portrayal of Putin in Western media as an Austin Powers-style “Dr Evil” figure and the tone of his official engagement in Delhi. Ahead of his trip, Putin spoke to Indian journalists at the Kremlin, sharing Russia’s perspective on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. “That is of course that the conflict originated in what Russia regards as the Maidan coup back in February 2014,” Wood further said, referring to the political upheaval in Ukraine during 2013-14. During the summit, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s longstanding stance on the conflict, stressing the country’s interest in an early cessation of hostilities and a sustainable resolution through dialogue and diplomacy. Modi also highlighted that India stands ready to provide any required assistance and play an appropriate role. The visit coincided with the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, held at Modi’s invitation. According to the joint statement issued on December 5, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership, first established during Putin’s state visit to India in October 2000. “The Leaders emphasised the special nature of this long-standing and time-tested relationship, which is characterised by mutual trust, respect for each other’s core national interests and strategic convergence. They underscored that, as major powers with shared responsibilities, this important relationship continues to be an anchor of global peace and stability that should be ensured upon the basis of equal and indivisible security,” the statement said. The joint statement also highlighted that India-Russia ties have remained “resilient” amid a complex and uncertain global environment. Both nations agreed to foster a contemporary, balanced, mutually beneficial, and sustainable long-term partnership. “Development of India-Russia relations across the entire spectrum is a shared foreign policy priority. The Leaders agreed to make all efforts to unlock the full potential of the strategic partnership,” it added.

NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday chaired a review and strategy meeting of Congress MPs in Lok Sabha. Party’s Thiruvananthapuram MP, Shashi Tharoor, skipped the meeting chaired by Rahul Gandhi.News agency ANI reported Tharoor had informed the leadership in advance about his unavailability, while senior Congress leader and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari was also absent from the meeting.The Congress, which has 99 MPs in the Lok Sabha, convened the meeting to assess the party’s performance in the ongoing session and to discuss its response to key issues being raised in Parliament, news agency ANI reported.The discussions are understood to have focused on the government’s stance during the election reform debate and the Opposition’s floor strategy in the days ahead.The review huddle comes a day after Rahul Gandhi escalated his criticism of Amit Shah, accusing the home minister of evading pointed questions raised by the opposition during the debate.Speaking to reporters outside Parliament on Thursday, Gandhi claimed Shah appeared “nervous” during his intervention.“Amit Shah ji was very nervous yesterday. He used the wrong language, his hands were trembling. He is under tremendous mental pressure. Everybody saw this yesterday,” Gandhi alleged. “What I asked him, he did not answer directly. He gave no proof. I have directly challenged him to come on the ground and let us discuss all my press conferences in the Parliament. I got no answer,” he said.The BJP, however, hit back, accusing the Congress and Rahul Gandhi of indulging in “hit-and-run” politics.Union minister Giriraj Singh targeted the Congress leader, alleging that he avoids listening to the government’s side of the story in Parliament.“Rahul Gandhi adopts a hit-and-run formula. When the Prime Minister and the home minister speak, he walks out, this is his democracy. He doesn’t have the strength to listen to the truth. He felt bad after hearing what the Union Home Minister said yesterday. I believe that Rahul Gandhi will have to give up this habit. The entire Nehru family was thrown into disarray by the Home Minister’s speech,” Singh said.Tensions between the ruling party and opposition benches have been running high since Wednesday, when a heated exchange broke out between Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha over allegations of “vote chori” during the debate on electoral reforms.