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Imran Khan, India’s War veterans back Sidhu against jingoist attack on hug to Pak army chief

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8 years ago

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Imran Khan, India’s War veterans back Sidhu against jingoist attack on hug to Pak army chief

Attacked by critics for his visit to Pakistan for Imran Khan’s oath ceremony and a hug shared with the Pakistani army chief, cricketer-turned-minister Navjot Singh Sidhu got a message of thanks and support from across the border as well as war veterans of Indian army.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan came out in support of Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who has been under fire for hugging Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa during Khan’s oath-taking ceremony.

Thanking the cricketer-turned-politician for attending his oath ceremony, Khan tweeted: “I want to thank Sidhu for coming to Pakistan for my oath taking. He was an ambassador of peace & was given amazing love & affection by ppl of Pakistan. Those in India who targeted him are doing a gt disservice to peace in the subcontinent – without peace our ppl cannot progress.”

While defending his friend, Imran Khan also seized the chance to push dialogue and trade between the two countries. Just after his election victory, PM Modi had written to him expressing India’s commitment to “meaningful and constructive engagement”.

He added in another tweet: “To move forward Pakistan and India must dialogue and resolve their conflicts incl Kashmir: The best way to alleviate poverty and uplift the people of the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue and start trading”

Sidhu had also held a press conference earlier in the day and termed the hug ‘an emotional moment’, which arose after Bajwa told him that efforts were being made to open the corridor to Kartarpur Sahib.

“Pakistan Army chief said they were making efforts to open corridor to Kartarpur Sahib, what followed was emotional moment,” Sidhu said, adding that his visit to Pakistan was not political but “just a warm invitation from a friend”.

He also responded to criticism over being seated in the front row, next to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir “president” Masood Khan, during the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday. “My seat was changed at the last minute. I was told just 5 minutes before ceremony that I was to be seated on front row. I sat wherever they made me sit,” Navjot Singh Sidhu said.

Sidhu was the only Indian to attend the oath-taking ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (the President House) in Islamabad, on the invitation of Imran Khan, his contemporary and friend from their cricket days.

Following his statement, the BJP slammed him and said that it is unbelievable how someone can hold a press conference in support of Pakistan.

Even Sidhu’s boss, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Amarinder Singh, who has not shared the best of ties with his minister, had earlier ticked off Sidhu publicly, saying “I think it was wrong for him (Navjot Singh) to have shown the affection he did for the Pakistan Army chief, I am not in its favour… The fact is that the man (Mr Sidhu) should understand that our soldiers are being killed everyday. My own regiment lost one major and two jawans a few months ago,” the Chief Minister had said.

Sidhu, asserting that his visit was “not about politics” but a warm invite from an old friend, pointed out that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had travelled on the bus to Lahore and Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled trip to Lahore in 2015, on his way back from an official visit to Afghanistan.

During that surprise stopover, he said, PM Modi had hugged then prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

“No one is questioning PM Modi,” Navjot Singh Sidhu said.

On criticism from his own boss, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, he said: “I was criticised by the Captain, by top Congress leaders. It is not necessary that if the Captain has spoken against me, I should too.”

You can’t, he added pointedly, try to please everybody. “He who tries to, pleases nobody.”

It didn’t silence the BJP, though. “Sidhu’s visit to Pakistan is shameful,” said Punjab BJP chief Shwait Malik.

“On one side, the Pakistan army was involved in attacking our soldiers at the border and on the other side Sidhu was hugging the Army chief. Does it mean he was thanking him for killing our jawans?” he asked.

However, Sidhu was backed by several veteran Army officers who termed the barbs being directed at the minister for his “hug” as “petty”, reported The Indian Express (IE) after talking to officers who are veterans of wars against Pakistan.

“We should not be petty. The man goes there and someone comes up to him and they hug each other, so what…We are big country and we should behave like a big country. Japhi paa layi te fer kee hoya (If they hugged each other, so what) It is the Punjabi way to greet somebody,” IE quoted Lt General Depinder Singh (retd) as saying.

Lt General Tej Sapru (retd) said: “I do not think he has done anything wrong. We must look at it from the macro level. By hugging, it does not mean that he has sold the country out. If someone can hug the Prime Minister of Pakistan then the Army Chief comes under the PM. Here he has just hugged a person who came to him and said hello…If he has hugged him no heavens have fallen. He has not told him that we will not fire on them on the LoC.”

Lt General H S Panag (retd) said: “So what if he hugged the Pak Army Chief?…The right wing which is making all the noise because they know they do not have the capability of doing anything to Pakistan. I have attended seminars where retired Pakistani Army officers also come and we hug each other. It is a non-issue.”

A telling remark was from Brigadier Surinder Singh (retd) who said: “At least some channel of communication should be kept open with the Pak Army Chief. There can be back channel diplomacy through such common meeting ground. People criticising this are fools. When we meet Pakistani counterparts at flag meetings we meet with due regards with each other. And when need be we kill each other also.”

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Dharmendra Pradhan submits resignation to PM Modi amid student protests

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours before the third round of talks between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party.

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3 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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Dharmendra Pradhan

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a major development amid the ongoing student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Pradhan announced the decision through a post on X, just hours before the Centre was scheduled to hold the third round of talks with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been leading the agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.

The resignation of the Education Minister had remained the primary demand of the protesters, who have been camping at Jantar Mantar for more than a month seeking accountability and reforms in the examination system.

The latest development comes at a crucial time as both sides prepare for another round of discussions aimed at resolving the prolonged standoff.

As of now, there has been no official announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office on whether Pradhan’s resignation has been accepted. Further details are awaited.

Resignation comes before key Centre-CJP meeting

The announcement was made only hours before representatives of the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party were expected to meet for the third round of negotiations.

The talks are being closely watched as the government attempts to end the month-long protest, with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan remaining one of the protesters’ central demands.

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CJP says Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation non-negotiable ahead of third round of talks

CJP has hardened its stand before the third round of talks with the Centre, insisting that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation remains its primary and non-negotiable demand.

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7 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has reiterated that the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remains its top demand, just hours before the third round of discussions with the Centre on Saturday.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation would see little purpose in continuing negotiations if the government was unwilling to remove the minister.

In a post on X, Ranka said Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was “non-negotiable” and added that there was no point in holding further discussions if the government rejected the demand.

The third round of talks is scheduled for Saturday afternoon after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives for nearly two hours during the second round of discussions on Friday.

According to the CJP, it has placed three key demands before the Centre:

  • Resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • A guarantee that no legal action will be taken against protesting students.
  • Compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.

During Friday’s meeting, the Centre agreed in principle to two of the demands — ensuring no legal action against protesting students and providing compensation. However, the demand for the Education Minister’s resignation remains unresolved.

Speaking after the meeting, JP Nadda said the protesters had also submitted five suggestions for reforms to the examination system. He said the government would hold internal discussions before responding during Saturday’s meeting.

Government sources, however, indicated that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not under consideration. According to the sources, the government believes resignation is not the appropriate course of action and continues to back the minister.

Meanwhile, the Centre has announced several measures aimed at tackling examination paper leaks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the establishment of fast-track courts to hear paper leak cases, while the government is preparing amendments to strengthen the law with stricter punishments and higher fines.

The Centre has also replaced the Education Secretary and removed 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA), while promising broader reforms within the examination body.

Responding to the action against NTA officials, Ashutosh Ranka said the move alone was insufficient. He maintained that accountability ultimately rests with the Education Minister and reiterated that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.

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PM Modi’s Instagram reel on exam paper leaks crosses record 303 million views amid Jantar Mantar protests

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direct video address addressing exam paper leaks has crossed 303 million views on Instagram amid student demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.

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8 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has crossed a global digital milestone, with a single Instagram reel gathering over 303 million views within a 24-hour period. The massive social media turnout eclipsed the previous global record of 300 million views. The digital milestone unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing demonstrations by thousands of youth and student protesters gathered at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding systemic reforms and accountability following examination malpractices.

Following the high engagement on his initial post, the Prime Minister released a follow-up video message titled “Thank you friends” to express gratitude to young citizens for their constructive suggestions and feedback.

Late-night message addresses student concerns

The record-breaking digital engagement began with a rare late-night selfie video posted by Prime Minister Modi. In the clip, he directly addressed public anxieties regarding examination paper leaks and promised strict executive action against offenders.

By utilizing a direct video format aimed at connecting with younger demographics, the Prime Minister emphasized that the administration treats competitive exam malpractices with extreme seriousness rather than as a minor issue.

Cabinet plans fast-track courts and strict penalties

Detailing actions undertaken over the preceding two and a half months, the Prime Minister stated that the primary objective of the administration has been protecting candidates from losing an academic year. He highlighted the extensive administrative coordination required to arrange re-examinations swiftly for affected candidates.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi announced that the Union Cabinet will move forward with a strict legal framework. The proposed measures include establishing fast-track courts and imposing harsh penalties on individuals or criminal syndicates involved in leaking examination papers.

The initial late-night communication generated a surge of approximately one million new followers on the Prime Minister’s profile overnight. In his follow-up statement, PM Modi appreciated the active dialogue created among the youth, remarking that citizen engagement helps strengthen governance.

“This love of yours will remain, and our bond will continue to connect with even more vibrancy,” the Prime Minister stated, thanking supporters for their active involvement.

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