Confidence in India’s leadership has grown in recent years and the country is being hailed as the most stable country from a political risk perspective, says the chief of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Mukesh Aghi speaks extensively about the changing dynamics of global politics and how the United States now is considered a country with significant political risk.

“Well, we should talk about country risk analysis, especially political risk, and India used to always come up there as a political risk country,” says Mr Aghi, emphasising the historical perception of India’s political landscape.

“For the first time, I’m saying India is coming as the most stable country from a political risk perspective,” he added.

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Mr Aghi drew a contrast with the uncertainty prevailing in the United States, stating, “US is the other extreme now. We have no idea what’s going to happen in the US. President Trump could come back, or President Biden could be elected, or Nikki Haley could be there.”

Describing this as turmoil, he stressed on the volatile nature of the political situation in the United States.

Mr Aghi said that the world is in a state of flux, with nearly 50% of the population set to vote in various countries, ranging from the US and India to Russia, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

“I think overall, what we’re seeing, the world is in a flux. Almost 50% of the population is going to vote, all the way from US, India, to Russia, to Indonesia, Pakistan itself.  We see a change happening. I think for the first time after the Second World War, what we’re seeing is there’s a shift in the balance of power,” he said.

Expressing optimism about India’s role in this evolving scenario, Mr Aghi said that countries like India are becoming more assertive and economically robust.

“Countries like India are coming out much more assertive, much more, I call, opulent from the perspective of economic growth,” he stated.

The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), formed in 2017, aims to bridge the gap between business and government and foster closer public-private sector partnerships across all facets of the economy and society in the United States and India.

Mr Aghi underlined the multifaceted rise of India, both economically and politically. “In every aspect, you’re seeing India rising. You have a leadership which has the confidence, which tends to permeate the confidence in the population,” the US-India Partnership Forum head said.

Looking ahead to 2024, Mr Aghi predicts continued growth and confidence in India.

“I think as we look at 2024, we are seeing India’s economic growth, India’s confidence will keep on rising as things move forward,” he says, highlighting a positive trajectory for India on the global stage.

The body of former model Divya Pahuja, who was shot dead in a Gurgaon hotel last week, has been found in a Haryana canal. Police said that the body had been thrown in Bhakra canal in Punjab and had drifted to the neighbouring state.

The body was recovered by a team of the Gurugram Police from Haryana’s Tohna. Cops said that they sent photos to Pahuja’s family, who identified her body. The body has been sent for an autopsy.

“The incident happened on January 1 and the body was dumped on January 2,” said senior Gurgaon police officer Mukesh Kumar. “We identified the victim’s body through her tattoos.”

One of the accused had yesterday confessed that he had dumped her body in a canal in Punjab.

Balraj Gill, who was arrested from Kolkata airport last evening when he was trying to board a flight, told the police during his interrogation that he disposed of the former model’s body in a canal in Patiala, which is about 270 kilometres from Gurugram, where she was allegedly murdered on January 1.

Divya Pahuja was killed at a Gurgaon hotel on January 1, with CCTV footage showing killers dragging her body out of the hotel to a car.

The 27-year-old was taken to a hotel room by five men. She was shot in the head as she had allegedly been blackmailing the hotel owner with his obscene pictures, police said.

Sources said Pahuja allegedly had some obscene videos of the hotel owner Abhijeet Singh on her phone which he asked her to delete, but she refused. The former model was allegedly blackmailing with the photos and this led to Singh and at least two of his aides shooting her. Pahuja’s family has vehemently denied this charge.

Divya Pahuja was in jail for her alleged involvement in the fake encounter of her then-boyfriend and Gurugram gangster Sandeep Gadoli in 2016. She had been granted bail in June last year. 

After intense deliberations, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has been chosen for the chairperson of opposition bloc INDIA, sources said. INDIA bloc is yet to make an official announcement. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was another contender for the top post, but in today’s meeting he said that someone from Congress should assume charge.

INDIA or ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Today’s meeting was attended by representatives from all parties, except for Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party.

Several leaders attending the meet stressed on the importance to ensure unity at the national level and not allow state-level rifts to disturb the alliance.

However, choosing a chairperson is only one facet of the many challenges faced by the INDIA bloc. They still have to tackle the issue of seat-sharing between all the parties.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party is not expected to be in a forgiving mood given the state Congress’s refusal to share any seats in the assembly elections. State party chief Kamal Nath had refused to honour the central leadership’s commitment for six seats in the state.

The ripples were very public. Akhilesh Yadav’s swipes at the Congress were followed by the party’s crushing defeat in the three heartland states and the sacking of Kamal Nath from the top post.

Congress’s discussion with AAP is also proving contentious. While the party wants 4 seats in Delhi and seven seats in Punjab, AAP is not ready to comply. In both Delhi and Punjab, the ruling party wants the bigger share of seats. AAP also wants to contest in Goa, Haryana and Gujarat, sources said.