Category: National

Lucknow: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attended the historic Ramlila celebrations here where he launched a veiled attack on Pakistan, saying those who help and provide shelter to terrorists cannot be spared, but made no reference to the “surgical strikes.”
Making terrorism the centrepoint of his over 20-minute speech, he said terror was the worst enemy of humanity and called upon the world community to speak in one voice against the menace to put an end to it.

“Terrorism does not have any boundaries. It is bound to destroy all…a need has arisen to root out those who spread terrorism. Those who help terrorists and provide shelter to them can no longer be spared,” he said.
“Terrorism is against humanity. The entire world is being destroyed…if you think that we are insulated against terrorism, then we are wrong. It is a virus affecting our societies. All forces across the world have to talk in one voice and end it. It will not be possible to save humanity without eradicating terrorism,” the Prime Minister said.
“The forces of humanism should unite globally to end the menace,” he said.

Modi became the first Prime Minister to attend a Ramlila event outside Delhi and his participation at the Aishbagh celebrations assumes significance in the context of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh early next year.
The theme of this year’s Dussehra here was ‘destruction of terrorism’. In the run up to the event today, there have been many references to the surgical strikes by characters enacting Ramlila.
In significant gestures, Modi was presented a Sudarshan Chakra, bow and arrow and a mace at the event, symbolising valour.
At the Delhi event at Ramlila Maidan, as usual, President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi were present.
“No one should have this misunderstanding that they are safe from terrorism as terrorism has no boundary, no morality, it can go anywhere and it is bent upon crushing humanity…It is essential for all to come together against terrorism,” Modi said.
“The entire world is being harmed. For the last two days we are seeing the picture of a little girl of Syria….And so today, when we are burning Ravana, all human forces as one will have to resolve to fight terrorism as humanity cannot be saved without bringing an
end to it,” he said.
Modi recalled his meeting with a top US official who had then not recognised terrorism as a problem and had instead termed it as a law and order issue. He said the world’s perspective towards terrorism changed after 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
He also urged the people to remain vigilant against terrorists, saying their attempts to carry out attacks can be thwarted by alert citizens.
While celebrating Dussehra, which signifies victory of good over evil, the Prime Minister said Lord Ram represented humanity and its rich values and traditions.
He said the first person to fight terror was neither a soldier nor a politician, but the mythological bird Jatayu who fought against Ravana to protect a helpless Sita, whom he was trying to kidnap.
Noting that war at times becomes inevitable due to prevailing circumstances, he said India is a country which follows the principles of peace as taught by Lord Buddha.
“We balance between the Mohan of the Sudarshan Chakra, and the Mohan of the Charkha (Mahatma Gandhi)…We are the people who have seen yudhh (war) and Buddha. We can go from yudh to Buddha. Buddha’s path (of peace) should be our final path,” he said.
Terming castiesm, communalism and nepotism as the forms of social evils present inside people, he said and there is a need to get rid of these ‘Ravanas’.
Modi said on side the country was celebrating Vijay Dashmi and on the other the world was observing the day of the girl child today and called upon people to end the menace of female infanticide and feoticide.
“We have pledged to burn Ravana’s effigy every year for abducting Sita. But we continue to discriminate between the male and female child. It should end. Who will end the Ravana inside us that kills many Sitas inside a mother’s womb. We should stop killing Sitas in this 21st century,” he said.
He said women athletes brought laurels to the country in the recently-held Rio Olympics and they are a fine example of what girls can achieve.
Modi also used his speech to drive home the importance of sanitation and called for a fight against the social evil of manual scavenging which continues to eixist despite efforts.
Using the occasion, Modi said just as we burn Ravan every year, people should draw lessons from the tradition by taking a pledge to end all evils from our lives.
Highlighting the significance of Uttar Pradesh, which goes to polls early next year, Modi said this land has given us Ram and Krishna.
Modi began and concluded his speech with chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram; Jai, Jai Shri Ram’ the slogan often heard at the height of Ram temple movement. BJP has in recent elections, however, desisted from making the Ram temple issue an electoral plank.
Earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who also represents the Lucknow constituency in Lok Sabha, thanked the Prime Minister for being successful in eradicating corruption and for enhancing the country’s image across the world.
“Wholesale corruption was at its peak earlier. I thank the PM for being successful in eradicating corruption,” he said, apparently targeting the previous Congress-led government.
He said Modi has also helped improve India’s global standing by showing to the world its strength.

New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), one of the prominent Muslim organisations, has come out strongly against the government’s stand on triple talaq, insisting that there should be no interference “in the belief and religion of any citizen”.
In a statement, JIH chief Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari said Muslims consider divorce, polygamy and other personal laws as “an intrinsic part of their religion and are hence obliged to follow the Sharia in those matters”.

“The government should respect this position of Muslims, instead of conspiring to put an end to it,” he said.
Maintaining that attempts to “impose” a common civil code in the name of social reform and gender justice will prove “counterproductive”, he said, “The Constitution guarantees the freedom to profess, practice and propagate one’s own religion.”
Stressing that the government cannot force Muslims to follow other communities in issues related to personal laws, the Jamaat chief said it would amount to “infringement” on their fundamental rights.

“Those clamouring against triple talaq and demanding a ban on polygamy are a minuscule minority and are not representative of the Indian Muslim community,” he said, adding the government should respect this position of Muslims instead of “conspiring” to put an end to it.

“Jamaat-e-Islami Hind completely stands by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board which is the authentic representative body of Indian Muslims,” he said, adding all “major” Muslim organisations and a “vast majority” of the Muslim community stand solidly behind the Board and “will not accept any interference in their personal law.”
Asserting that those who are trying to “sow the seeds of dissension among Muslims will never succeed”, the Jamaat chief said, “The problem of triple talaq and polygamy has been blown out of proportion with the sole motive of portraying Muslims as being patriarchal and misogynistic.”

On the question of triple talaq, the JIH President said, “Most of the Islamic scholars accept pronouncement of triple talaq in one sitting as leading to a final and irrevocable divorce. However, if a person pronounces triple talaq in one sitting but says that he intended only a single divorce, then it will be treated likewise.”
“The ideal way of divorcing one’s wife is to pronounce talaqs one by one over a period of three months between her menstrual cycles, so that there is an opportunity for reconciliation between the spouses,” he said. PTI

New Delhi: Ahead of their annual bilateral summit, India has conveyed its opposition to Russia over its joint exercise with Pakistan, a nation which “sponsors and practises terrorism as a matter of State policy”, saying it will create further problems.
“We have conveyed our views to the Russian side that military cooperation with Pakistan which is a State that sponsors and practises terrorism as a matter of State policy is a wrong approach and it will only create further problems,” Indian ambassador to Moscow Pankaj Saran said in an interview to Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

Saran’s remarks come ahead of the bilateral meeting in Goa on Saturday between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will be arriving in India on October 14. Apart from bilateral Summit, Putin will attend the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) meet on October 16.
India has been communicating its unhappiness to Russia over its joint military exercises with Pakistan. However, these concerns have been played down by the Russins who maintain that they hold similar military drills with other countries of the region as well.
Saran also said, “There are some burning issues before the world today which the BRICS countries will certainly address and this includes the question of terrorism and the threat of terrorism faced by all the countries in the BRICS group. So this will be a major item of discussion during the Summit apart from the regional conflicts and the global situation.”

On India-Russia ties, the envoy said as far as India’s relations with Russia are concerned, the two countries share a special and privileged strategic partnership.
“We see no change in this. On the contrary, this has only strengthened in all areas, including in the field of military-technical cooperation. This partnership is an anchor of peace and stability in the region and the world.
We have a regular system of military exercises with Russia. We have been holding these exercises for the last few years with Russia and we will continue to do so. The plan for these exercises is drawn up between the relevant agencies of the two sides. This will continue even next year,” he said. PTI

RSS For Strict Action Those ‘Who Cause Commotion’ in Kashmir

Srinagar: Right wing Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (RSS), the fountainhead of ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), on Tuesday said that Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) “belongs” to India.

“Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is a part of India,” said Mohan Bhagwat addressing RSS convention in Nagpur on the ve of Dussehra. “We all know that the outrage in Kashmir is because of forces across the border.”

“But we gave a proper response to them. The Indian Army gave a proper message,” he said referring to the army claimed “surgical strikes along Line of Control on September 29”. “And the people behind the commotion in Kashmir got the message that there is a limit to tolerance.”

“There should be nothing lacking when it comes to securing our borders,” he added.

Asserting that there is a need to promote nationalism in Kashmir, Bhagwat said, “the heated protests in Kashmir have cooled down. There is a need to promote nationalism in Kashmir.”

“Strict action should be taken against the people who try to cause commotion in the Valley,” he added.

Baramulla/New Delhi: Pakistan-based Militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) suffered the maximum damage in the cross-LoC surgical strikes on Militant launch pads carried out by the Indian Army, with assessment reports of radio intercepts indicating that around 20 of its militants were killed.

The assessment reports available from Indian Army field units, which included radio conversations between various Pakistani formations, showed maximum damage was inflicted on the LeT, a banned Militant group, at Dudniyal launch pad in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, opposite to Kupwara sector of North Kashmir, according to sources in the know of details of the recent surgical strikes.

The sources said on Sunday that five teams culled out from the Army division in the area were tasked to destroy launch pads of Militant groups located at Kail, also known as Kel and Dudniyal.

In a well calibrated operation, which started on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, the Indian Army moved across the LoC and smashed four launch pads that were under the guard of a Pakistani post located 700 metres from the LoC.

The sources said that the Militants were not expecting an action by the Indian Army and therefore were taken by surprise.

The Militants, mainly belonging to the LeT, were seen running towards the Pakistani post when they were killed by the Indian troops, according to the assessment reports.

After the successful strike inside the PoK, an effective radio monitoring and strict vigil was maintained, the sources said, adding the wireless messages from radio intercepts of the Pakistani Army indicated that at least 10 LeT Militant had been killed during the multiple and near-synchronised surgical strikes on four launch pads.

There was heavy movement of Pakistani Army vehicles till the break of dawn and all the bodies were cleared off and taken away, the sources said, adding as per the radio intercepts there was a mass burial in the Neelum Valley.

Similar blow was dealt to the Militantist launch pads located at Balnoi area opposite of Poonch in which nine Militant belonging to the LeT were killed as per the radio intercepts of the Pakistani Army, the sources said.

Two Pakistani soldiers belonging to 8 Northern Light Infantry were also killed in the strike in this sector, they said.

However, the sources said that post 8.30 am of September 28, radio and wireless intercepts between various formations of Pakistan have fallen silent.

According to the sources, there were intelligence reports that Militant were planning to enter into India from various directions in Kashmir as well as Jammu region.

The sources said that the Army waited for the opportunity when the Militant were in the process of gathering at one place before giving them a bloody nose.

Pakistan has contested the claims of the Indian Army and said that there was no surgical strike carried out. They only admitted that two of their soldiers were killed in cross-border firing.

However, after the operation was over, the sources said, duty officer at the Director-General of Military Operation in Pakistan was informed about the strikes carried out by the Indian Army in PoK.— PTI

Srinagar: India on Saturday rejected Pakistan’s references on Kashmir at the UN, saying such remarks are a self-serving attempt by Islamabad to bring extraneous issues to the world body for its “territorial aggrandisement”.

India, exercising the Right of Reply after Pakistan’s envoy to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, raised the Kashmir issue at the UN, said yesterday Pakistan had made references to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir in a self-serving attempt to bring extraneous issues before the Committee.

Such efforts were a flagrant misuse of the body for Pakistan’s own territorial aggrandisement, India said, recalling that the Special Committee on Decolonisation was concerned only with Non-Self-Governing Territories. It asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India.

Pakistan responded by saying that the United Nations recognised that all people under alien subjugation had a right to self-determination.

Exercising its Right of Reply, Pakistan said India continued to perpetrate misinformation on the Kashmir issue year after year.

Raking up the Kashmir issue again at the UN, Pakistan had said the non-implementation of UN Security Council resolutions for a plebiscite in Kashmir is the “most persistent” failure of the UN.

“The decolonisation agenda of the United Nations will remain incomplete without resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, among the oldest items on the UN’s agenda,” Lodhi had said on Friday at a debate of the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee in the General Assembly.

She said for over six decades UN Security Council resolutions promising a plebiscite under UN auspices to allow the Kashmiri people to determine their destiny, have not been implemented.

“This is the most persistent failure of the United Nations,” she said, adding generation after generation of Kashmiris has only seen broken promises and brutal oppression.

She asserted that Jammu and Kashmir “never was and can never be” an integral part of India but is a disputed territory, the final status of which has yet to be determined in accordance with several resolutions of the UN Security Council.

Lodhi said the UN has a moral responsibility towards people suffering under colonial domination and foreign occupation.

“There is an urgent need to bring the work on this unfinished agenda to closure and eliminate the last remaining vestiges of colonialism. We hope that we will be able to achieve this shared goal sooner rather than later,” she said.

Barmer (Rajasthan): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed security on the international border in the desert state and said India never attacked anyone but doesn’t count the bullets when retaliating.
On the second day of his visit to Rajasthan, Singh visited the Border Security Force’s Munabao Border Outpost (BOP) here.

“India never attacks anyone and we do not intend to occupy others’ land. Our heritage is ‘Vasudev Kutumbakam’ or the whole world is one family. We never open fire first; but if attacked, in retaliation we never count the bullets after pulling the trigger,” the Union Minister said while addressing BSF personnel.
Singh’s comments come in the wake of heightened tension between India and Pakistan following the Indian Army’s surgical strikes against terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control on September 29 and the September 18 Uri terror attack.
Lauding the BSF, Singh assured that the Centre will do everything to improve infrastructure on the international borders and their service conditions.

He said urgent repairs on damaged border fence at some places will be carried out, and periodically reviewed thereafter.
The minister said installation of flood lights and a road parallel to the border fencing will also be completed to facilitate effective border patrols.
Pointing out that some BOPs do not have telephone facility, he said connectivity will be ensured with the sanction of more mobile phone towers close to the border. In the meantime, more satellite phones will be provided at the BOPs, he assured.
Singh said the Centre will soon address the shortage of bulletproof jackets and consider procuring such jackets that are lighter.
He said the BSF’s proposal to construct safety walls and ring bunds on peripheries of BSF battalion headquarters and BOPs will be examined.
The Union Minister said the issue of discomfort caused by camouflage uniform of BSF personnel will also be addressed.
On Friday, Rajnath Singh had visited Murar and adjoining BOP in Jaisalmer district and interacted with the BSF troopers there. IANS

New Delhi: Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on Saturday said the IAF is prepared to deal with “any challenge” in “most befitting manner”.

Rajnath Singh said a new concept, “Border Security Grid”, would be put in place after taking inputs from all border states.

New Delhi: India has decided to completely seal its winding border with Pakistan by December 2018, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday,

The minister said the situation on the border would be continuously monitored.

Rajnath Singh said a new concept, “Border Security Grid”, would be put in place after taking inputs from all border states.

The decision comes in the wake of rising India-Pakistan tension after the September 18 attack on a military base in Jammu and Kashmir and the later “surgical strikes” on “terror launch pads across the Line of Control.”