Khattar rejects calls for resignation, says whatever govt did was right

Agencies

August 30, 2017

New Delhi, Aug 30: An unfazed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today ruled out his resignation after meeting BJP chief Amit Shah, saying that his government had acted with "restraint" and he was satisfied with its work.

There will not be any change (in leadership), he told reporters after submitting a report to Shah on the violence in Haryana following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh last week.

Khattar was responding to a query on speculation that the BJP top brass might replace him amid the opposition's charge that his government mishandled the Dera episode, resulting in large-scale violence.

At least 38 people were killed, mostly in police firing. He said his government had acted with "restraint" as its first target was to ensure that the self-styled godman appeared before the court in Panchkula in Haryana.

The BJP government has been accused of mishandling the matter by allowing lakhs of dera followers to assemble in Panchkula before the Dera chief was to be sentenced, sparking a wave of violence following his conviction of rape.

Justifying his government's action, Khattar said had something happened before the controversial sect head appeared before the special CBI court on August 25, Gurmeet Singh might have used that as an "excuse" for not turning up in court.

"We acted with restraint. We achieved our aim," he said. Asked about the demand for his resignation, he shot back, "Anybody can say anything... We are satisfied with our work. Whatever we did was right. There will be no change."

To a question on his party courting the Dera head for political support, Khattar said political parties sought everyone's cooperation. "But there is never a condition for such support that somebody breaks the law. Nobody is above the law," he said, claiming that his government had no deal with the Dera chief, as was being alleged.

The force used by the state police was minimal, he said, adding that it also showed no laxity against those indulging in violence. He also rejected reports of a "VIP treatment" given to the Dera head after he was convicted, saying he was temporarily put up in a guest house as arrangements were being made in the jail.

Convicted of raping two of his women followers, the Dera chief was on Monday sentenced to 20 years in jail.

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Taliban appoints Ikramuddin Kamil as acting consul in Mumbai as India-Afghan ties improve

News Network

November 12,2024

The Taliban regime has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil as the acting consul in the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Afghan media has reported.

It is the first such appointment made by the Taliban set up to any Afghan mission in India.

There was no immediate comment from the Indian side on the appointment that came.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has announced the appointment of Kamil as the acting consul in Mumbai, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

"He is currently in Mumbai, where he is fulfilling his duties as a diplomat representing the Islamic Emirate," it said.

The appointment is part of Kabul's efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with India and enhance its presence abroad, the media outlet said

Kamil holds a PhD degree in international law and previously served as the deputy director in the department of security cooperation and border affairs in the foreign ministry, it said.

He is expected to facilitate consular services and represent the interests of Afghanistan in India, the report added.

Kamil's appointment comes days after the external affairs ministry's point-person for Afghanistan held talks with the Taliban's acting defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, in Kabul.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, also posted on X about Kamil's appointment.

The appointment of Kamil is seen as part of efforts to facilitate consular services to the Afghan population in Mumbai.

There has been almost negligible presence of diplomatic staff at the Afghan missions in India.

Most of the diplomats appointed by the Ashraf Ghani government have already left India.

In May, Zakia Wardak, the seniormost Afghan diplomat in India, resigned from her position after reports emerged that she was caught at the Mumbai airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth Rs 18.6 crore from Dubai.

Wardak had taken charge as the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to New Delhi late last year, after working as the Afghan consul general in Mumbai for more than two years.

She took charge of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi last November, after the mission helmed by then ambassador Farid Mamundzay announced its closure.

Mamundzay, who was an appointee of the Ghani government, had moved to the United Kingdom.

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Manipur CM is mastermind behind violence; Centre lied in Supreme Court: Kuki MLAs

News Network

November 11,2024

The Manipur Kuki MLAs have released a statement calling out Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's 'lies' in the Supreme Court. In a joint statement, the MLAs, including those from the Bharatiya Janata Party, said they had not had any meeting with the Chief Minister since May 3, 2023, nor did they intend to meet him in the future as “he was the mastermind behind the violence”.

As per the MLAs, the SG lied about state CM N Biren Singh speaking to Kuki MLAs to control the situation there, in order to halt a Supreme Court probe into the leaked tapes which allege that Singh has been complicit in the violence that broke out between Kukis and Meitis there.

"We...clarify that we have never had any meeting with Chief Minister, Shri N. Biren Singh since May 3, 2023, nor have any intention to meet him in future as he is the mastermind behind the violence and ethnic cleansing of our people from the Imphal valley, which is continuing till today, the latest being the brutal killing and burning of Mrs Zosangkim Hmar on November 7, 2024," the letter read, while condemning the recent 'barbaric' killing of the woman there, and noting the SG's assertion is 'tantamount' to misleading the top court.

“We, the undersigned ten MLAs, have come to know that during the Supreme Court hearing held on November 8, 2024, the Solicitor General of India submitted that ‘CM is meeting all Kuki MLAs and trying to bring the situation down to get peace’. In this connection, we hereby categorically state that this submission is a blatant lie and tantamount to misleading the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” the statement said.

The Supreme Court, while hearing a petition by a Kuki organisation, asked that it submit audio tapes to substantiate its claim that the Chief Minister was instrumental in inciting and organising violence in the northeastern State.

Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta orally informed the court that the Chief Minister was meeting all the Kuki-Zo MLAs and that peace in the State had come at a huge cost.

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