Archives for 2022

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police on Tuesday arrested a person in connection with the attack on NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence during a protest by MSRTC workers here, an official said.

With this, the total number of persons arrested in the case has reached 118, he said.

Mudaliar had conducted a recce of Pawar’s residence ‘Silver Oak’ with an accomplice ahead of the attack that took place on April 8, he said.

The accused also took part in the meeting, which was allegedly held at the main accused lawyer Gunratna Sadavarte’s residence on April 7, the official said, adding that he also has knowledge of some financial transactions.

Earlier this morning, a team of Kolhapur police had reached Mumbai to take custody of Sadavarte in a case registered against him at Shahupuri police station, the official said.

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday responding to the queries related banning the entry of non-Hindus in the Char Dham shrines- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri said that the state government will conduct a verification drive to check if people from outside of the state have encroached upon illegally.

“Ours state is a peaceful one and we should work towards preserving our religion and culture. We will conduct a verification drive to check if people from outside of Uttarakhand have encroached illegally,” said the CM. 

He further added that there is no space for ‘encrochers’. “There is no space for encroachers, spreaders of religion based frenzy. The law will take its own course in such matters,” said CM Dhami.  Last week, Swami Anand Swaroop, a seer who was part of Haridwar Dharam Sansad hate speech has written to Uttarakhand Chief Minister to ban entry of non-Hindu people in Char Dham shrines. 

He also warned the CM of increasing footprints of non-Hindus in the Himalayan state.  The seer had also warned that his ‘Kali Sena’ will teach a lesson to those non-Hindus who ‘violate the sanctity of the Char Dham’. Swami Anand Swaroop, one of the organizers of Dharam Sansad in Haridwar in December 2021 is also convenor of the Dharam Sansad core committee. 

Last year, intelligence aganecies had alerted authorities in Uttarakhand about ‘Demographic Changes’ in certain areas of the hill state warning about these changes, especially in border districts of Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat and Pithoragarh of Kumaon disvision of the state.

All three districts share border with Nepal. Officials from Uttarakhand government told that a report was sent to the union home ministry in January 2021 citing the situation in these districts as ‘sensitive’. 

In September 2021, the state government citing too much increase in population in certain areas of the state which is causing ‘Demographic Change’ resulting into ‘Migration of some communities from those areas’, issued directions to take steps to find the ‘solutuion of the problem’.

Release from the state government stated, “It has come to the notice of the government that in certain areas of the state due to too much increase in population demographic changes have occurred resulting in ‘migration by some communities from those areas’. No only this, there is also an apprehension of disturbance in communal harmony.”

However, the release did not name any community.  The release further stated that the director general of police of the state, all the district magistrates and district police chiefs to take steps to find solution of the problem. 

The state government had also issued instructions to form district level committees along with ‘Peace Committees. These committees will advise to find ‘solution’ of the ‘problem’ and meetings will be organized from time to time to maintain peace.

The directions had also been issued to identify people in every district of Uttarakhand who are from other states with criminal history living in the state and verify their documents as well as records. 

Directions also include taking action by authorities who have forged their documents including foreigners and keeping an eye on sale of properties to see if anyone is not selling the property out of pressure or fear.  Interestingly, union home ministry in an RTI reply had stated that threats to Hindus and Hinduism are ‘imaginary’ or ‘hypothetical’.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered a status-quo on the demolition drive in Jahangirpuri, Delhi.

The matter was mentioned by Senior advocate Dushyant Dave before the bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana.

The drive is unconstitutional, unauthorized demolition is taking place in Jahangirpuri where riots took place. No notice was served so that reply is served in 10 days,” he said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal also mentions the plea by Jamiat Ulama-I-Hind seeking directions that residential accommodations or any commercial property cannot be demolished as a punitive measure. The petitioners have said in the plea that the administration in several states is employing bulldozers to raze down the houses of persons suspected to be involved in criminal incidents such as riots.

The petitioners have also prayed that police personnel to be provided specialised training in handling communal riots and situations where populations become restive.

The court will hear both matters tomorrow.

UNITED NATIONS: With food and energy costs spiralling, especially for many developing countries in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, India has for the first time told the UN Security Council that energy security is a “serious concern” and needs to be “addressed through cooperative efforts.”

“The impact of the situation is being felt beyond the region with increasing food and energy costs, especially for many developing countries.”

“It is in our collective interest to work constructively, both inside the United Nations and outside, towards seeking an early resolution to the issue,” he said.

“The growing shortages can only be addressed by going beyond constraints that bind us presently. Energy security is equally a serious concern and needs to be addressed through cooperative efforts,” Ravindra said.

This is the first instance since Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine that India has, in the UN Security Council, underlined the need to address the issue of energy security in the wake of the conflict through “cooperative efforts.”

In its previous statements on Ukraine in the powerful UN organ, India has maintained that the impact of the crisis is being felt beyond the region with increasing food and energy costs, especially for many developing countries.

It has also said that the conflict was having an impact on the global economy, especially on many developing countries, including through disruption of supply chains and its adverse impact on energy and commodity prices was evident.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who was recently in Washington for the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue — when asked at a press conference about India’s oil purchase from Russia — had said: “If you are looking at energy purchases from Russia, I would suggest that your attention should be focused on Europe.”

“We do buy some energy, which is necessary for our energy security. But I suspect looking at the figures, probably our total purchases for the month would be less than what Europe does in an afternoon.”

Jaishankar, while speaking alongside visiting British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss at the India-UK Strategic Futures Forum in New Delhi last month, had said that “when the oil prices go up, I think it is natural for countries to go out into the market and look for what are the good deals for their people.”

“But I am pretty sure if we wait for two or three months and actually look at who are the big buyers of Russian oil and gas, I suspect the list would not be too different from what it used to be and I suspect we won’t be in the top 10 on that list,” he said.

Ambassador Ravindra said India supports calls urging for guarantees of safe passage to deliver essential humanitarian and medical supplies; including through the establishment of permanent humanitarian corridors.

“We hope the international community will continue to respond positively to the evolving humanitarian requirements,” he said.

Ambassador Ravindra noted with concern that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has deteriorated further and women and children have been disproportionately impacted, forming the bulk of the people who have moved to neighbouring countries and displaced internally in Ukraine.

“India continues to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterates its call for immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities.

“We have emphasised right from the beginning of the conflict the need to pursue the path of diplomacy and dialogue. When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option,” he said.

India continues to emphasise to all member states of the UN that the global order is anchored on international law, UN Charter and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, the Indian ambassador added.