Reception was also attended by Kashmiri separatists
Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh stirred up a storm on Monday night, tweeting to express "disgust" at having to fulfill his "duty" at being the Indian government's representative at a Pakistan National Day reception in New Delhi on Monday. The reception was also attended by various leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, which wants Kashmir to secede from India. The reception took place in the backdrop of controversial remarks by Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit that India was not opposed to his interactions with separatists in Kashmir. India has maintained that the separatists should not be allowed to have a role in the resolution of India-Pakistan issues.
Home Minister calls for anti-conversion law
Even as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday claimed that the central government was committed to upholding the rights of minorities, he said that religious conversions were unnecessary and that a strong “anti-conversion” law was required. "Do we need to impose the supremacy of our faith over others?" Singh said at the annual conference of state minorities commissions at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. "Can’t we decide that serving humanity is fine, but why do people have to be converted to another faith?"
No evidence that Sunanda was murdered, says Tharoor
Former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor on Monday said that there was no evidence to prove that his wife, Sunanda Pushkar, had been murdered. He also told the Kerala High Court that he had not control over Pushkar's assets. Meanwhile, the Special Investigative Team of the Delhi Police received a report on the analysis of the contents of Pushkar’s laptops and mobile phones from the Directorate of Forensic Science. “One week back we had received these equipments and reports, now we are analysing the data,” said Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi. “It is volumes of data and it will take time to analyse it.” Pushkar was found dead in a hotel in Delhi on January 17 last year.
IAEA: Progress limited on Iran nuclear inquiry
The International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday said that it had made limited progress in its inquiry into Iran’s nuclear programme. Yukiya Amano, the Agency’s chief, said that the organisation required greater cooperation from Iran with respect to the possible military dimensions of the country’s programme. However, he clarified that Iran had been cooperating with regards to the implementation of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements. Amano’s comments came ahead of an approaching deadline for a framework deal between Iran and Western nations. As part that deal, the IAEA has been given the task of confirming that Iran has been abiding by the terms of an interim agreement, and has not been building any additional uranium enrichment facilities.
Sri Lanka orders release of 54 Indian fishermen
Sri Lanka on Monday ordered the release of 54 Indian fishermen who had been arrested on Sunday for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters. However, officials said that the captured fishing trawlers would remain in Sri Lanka’s possession. The order came a day ahead of the third round of talks between fisher leaders from the two countries. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier stated that talks would only take place if the fishermen, who hailed from the state, were released.
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Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh stirred up a storm on Monday night, tweeting to express "disgust" at having to fulfill his "duty" at being the Indian government's representative at a Pakistan National Day reception in New Delhi on Monday. The reception was also attended by various leaders of the Hurriyat Conference, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, which wants Kashmir to secede from India. The reception took place in the backdrop of controversial remarks by Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit that India was not opposed to his interactions with separatists in Kashmir. India has maintained that the separatists should not be allowed to have a role in the resolution of India-Pakistan issues.
Home Minister calls for anti-conversion law
Even as Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday claimed that the central government was committed to upholding the rights of minorities, he said that religious conversions were unnecessary and that a strong “anti-conversion” law was required. "Do we need to impose the supremacy of our faith over others?" Singh said at the annual conference of state minorities commissions at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. "Can’t we decide that serving humanity is fine, but why do people have to be converted to another faith?"
No evidence that Sunanda was murdered, says Tharoor
Former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor on Monday said that there was no evidence to prove that his wife, Sunanda Pushkar, had been murdered. He also told the Kerala High Court that he had not control over Pushkar's assets. Meanwhile, the Special Investigative Team of the Delhi Police received a report on the analysis of the contents of Pushkar’s laptops and mobile phones from the Directorate of Forensic Science. “One week back we had received these equipments and reports, now we are analysing the data,” said Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi. “It is volumes of data and it will take time to analyse it.” Pushkar was found dead in a hotel in Delhi on January 17 last year.
IAEA: Progress limited on Iran nuclear inquiry
The International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday said that it had made limited progress in its inquiry into Iran’s nuclear programme. Yukiya Amano, the Agency’s chief, said that the organisation required greater cooperation from Iran with respect to the possible military dimensions of the country’s programme. However, he clarified that Iran had been cooperating with regards to the implementation of the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements. Amano’s comments came ahead of an approaching deadline for a framework deal between Iran and Western nations. As part that deal, the IAEA has been given the task of confirming that Iran has been abiding by the terms of an interim agreement, and has not been building any additional uranium enrichment facilities.
Sri Lanka orders release of 54 Indian fishermen
Sri Lanka on Monday ordered the release of 54 Indian fishermen who had been arrested on Sunday for allegedly poaching in Sri Lankan waters. However, officials said that the captured fishing trawlers would remain in Sri Lanka’s possession. The order came a day ahead of the third round of talks between fisher leaders from the two countries. The Tamil Nadu government had earlier stated that talks would only take place if the fishermen, who hailed from the state, were released.
