Can't ignore religion-based population while framing policy: RSS chief at 'Vijaya Dashami' rally

Various countries have welcomed the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, while the regime in Tel Aviv seems to view the development as a “fatal blow” to its regional coalition building against the Islamic Republic.

After several days of intensive negotiations hosted by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia finally clinched a deal on Friday to restore diplomatic relations and re-open embassies, seven years after ties were severed over several issues.

The important development soon became a hot topic in regional as well as international media and reactions from other countries began to pour in.

“The return to normal relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia provides great capacities to both countries, the region, and the Muslim world,” Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who is set to soon meet with his Saudi counterpart to make the necessary arrangements, wrote in a post on his Twitter account.

“The good neighborliness policy, as the key axis of the Iranian administration’s foreign policy, is strongly moving in the right direction and the diplomatic apparatus is actively behind the preparation of more regional steps,” he said.

Riyadh eyeing continuation of dialogue

Saudi National Security Adviser Musaid Al Aiban, who negotiated the agreement with his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani, said that Riyadh “welcomes the initiative of His Excellency President Xi Jinping, based on the Kingdom’s consistent and continuous approach since its establishment in adhering to the principles of good neighborliness.”

He said Saudi Arabia takes “everything that would enhance security and stability in the region and the world,” while “adopting the principle of dialogue and diplomacy to resolve differences.”

“While we value what we have reached, we hope that we will continue to continue the constructive dialogue, in accordance with the pillars and foundations included in the agreement, expressing our appreciation for the People’s Republic of China’s continued positive role in this regard.”

China: This is ‘victory for dialogue’

China’s Top Diplomat Wang Yi praised the agreement as “a victory for dialogue, a victory for peace, offering major good news at a time of much turbulence in the world.”

China will continue to play a constructive role in handling hotspot issues in the world and demonstrate its responsibility as a major nation, Wang said. “The world is not just limited to the Ukraine issue.”

Nasrallah: Agreement could lead to new horizons

Addressing a local event on Friday, the secretary general of Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the agreement will be “to the benefit” of the region.

“The rapprochement of Iran and Saudi Arabia proceeds in its normal path and can open new horizons for the region and Lebanon,” he said.

The Iranian foreign minister also held separate phone conversations with his Omani, Iraq, and Qatari counterparts who embraced the resumption of ties.

Turkey and the United Arab Emirates also welcomed the new development in separate statements.

US welcomes ‘de-escalation’

In the first reaction, the United States claimed that it embraces “de-escalation” in West Asia.

“Generally speaking, we welcome any efforts to help end the war in Yemen and de-escalate tensions in the Middle East region. De-escalation and diplomacy together with deterrence are key pillars of the policy President Biden outlined during his visit to the region last year,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson told Reuters.

Ansarullah hails move against foreign interference

Mohammed Abdulsalam, the Yemeni Ansarullah resistance movement’s chief negotiator, said the region is in need of resumption of “normal ties” between its countries.

“The region needs the resumption of normal ties between its countries for the Islamic nation to reclaim its lost security as a result of foreign, especially American-Zionist, interferences,” he tweeted.

Foreign interference, he said, has taken advantage of differences in the region and used Iranophobia to wage aggression on Yemen.

‘Dangerous development for Israel’

Meanwhile, the Israeli regime did not seem to take the development so well. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called the agreement a “political victory” for Iran and a “serious and dangerous development for Israel.”

“This delivers a fatal blow to efforts to build a regional coalition against Iran,” he said.

Former Prime Minister Yair Lapid also described the reconciliation deal as a dangerous development that strips Israel of its regional defensive wall. “The agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran reflects the complete and dangerous failure of the Israeli government’s foreign policy,” Lapid said.

Benny Gantz, former minister of military affairs, also reacted to the rapprochement, stating that it was a cause for concern.

Kalaburgi, Mar 7: Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday said that four to six BJP MLAs will not get the party ticket in the Assembly elections in the State. 

Addressing a press conference before Vijay Sankalp Yathra here, he said that the rest of the MLAs will enter the poll field. Responding to a question on the chief ministerial candidate, he said that the legislative party meeting will decide on it after obtaining a clear majority in the election.

Expressing confidence that the party will retain power in the State by winning at least 140 seats, he said that the first list of candidates will be announced soon after a discussion with the BJP top brass leaders. 

Reacting to the Opposition charges that the absence of leadership in State BJP has prompted the ruling party to invite national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, he questioned, ‘who is the leader of Congress, and why Rahul Gandhi is not coming for campaigning in Karnataka’.

Pointing out that Rahul Gandhi is talking very lightly about India in foreign countries, he said that the Congress leader should tender an apology for his remarks. 

He also lambasted Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D K Shivakumar. “Congress leaders in the State are behaving as if they are CM now itself -- before the Assembly polls. It is only a beggar’s dream,” he added.

Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Bhagwanth Khuba, and KKRDB chairman Dattatreya Patil Revoor were present at the press conference.

Bengaluru, Mar 8: A day after claiming that surveys indicated that the Congress is projected to win over 140 out of the total 224 seats in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, its state President D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said BJP's numbers would not cross beyond 65, and may even come down to 40 seats. He claimed that people from all walks of life across the state were angry against this BJP government.

"We have a guarantee about our numbers, we also have a guarantee that BJP's numbers will not go beyond 65. What the BJP is doing or saying is their internal matter, Yediyurappa has said something (about winning over 140 seats) based on their calculation, I don't want to interfere with their party," Shivakumar said. Speaking to reporters here, he said, let the BJP do whatever they want, but their numbers won't cross beyond 60-65.

"This is definite, but according to me, it will not be surprising if their number comes down to 40 like they had got 40 seats (in the 2013 Assembly polls), after the first term of the BJP government in the state (from 2008-13). So, it will not be surprising if the '40 per cent commission BJP government' comes down to 40 seats, people are that angry, you ask whomever you want, anywhere," he added. The KPCC chief on Tuesday claimed that while its earlier survey had projected Congress' seat tally at 136, the recent survey predicted a tally of over 140 seats.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 104 seats in the 224-member Assembly, emerging as the single largest party, while Congress and JD(S)' tally stood at 80 and 37 respectively. However, BJP's tally increased in the later days giving it a majority in the Assembly, as several Congress and JD(S) MLAs defected to join the saffron party.

To a question on Congress' screening committee meeting as part of the party's process to select candidates, Shivakumar said, "today too there is a meeting, we have reached a stage, completing almost 75 per cent of the process, today we will complete it fully, after this it will be sent to the national level (AICC)." 

"We will do the process (to choose candidates) and intimate those concerned," he said, when asked whether the process was getting too long. Shivakumar also called Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai "Sullina Saradaara" (lord of lies), as he hit out at the latter for terming Congress 200 units of free power promise as "bogus", stating that the CM himself was making false promises to people or not keeping the promises made earlier.