NEW DELHI: External affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar held a phone conversation with Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday, to discuss regional developments and concerns over shipping security in the region. In a post on X EAM later described the talks as detailed and said both sides agreed to remain in touch.

“A detailed conversation this evening with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi of Iran on the latest developments regarding the ongoing conflict. We agreed to remain in touch.”Later, Iran’s foreign ministry in a statement on Wednesday gave details of the phone call between both ministers. .In a post on X, the ministry of foreign affairs of Iran said: “Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of India, held a phone conversation with Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during which they discussed regional developments.” According to the statement, the two ministers also discussed the impact of the ongoing conflict on maritime traffic through the key waterway that links the Persian Gulf with global shipping routes.“The foreign ministers of Iran and India also discussed the consequences of the US and Israeli regime’s military aggression on the security of shipping and vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” the Iranian foreign ministry said.During the call, Araghchi detailed the attack by the United States and Israel on Iran over the past 11 days, including the missile attack on a girls’ elementary school, which killed over 100 girls, and civilian sites and public service centers. “In this telephone conversation, Iran’s Foreign Minister detailed the crimes committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian nation over the past 11 days, including the missile attack on a girls’ elementary school in Minab on the first day of the war and subsequent widespread attacks on civilian sites and public service centers. He emphasized Iran’s determination to comprehensively defend the integrity of Iran,” the post added. He said such actions violated international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. The Iranian minister also referred to what he called Iran’s “principled approach to safeguarding shipping security in the Persian Gulf,” adding that instability affecting maritime traffic in the region was the result of “aggressive and destabilising actions of the United States.”Jaishankar, according to the statement, emphasised the importance of continuing and strengthening bilateral relations between India and Iran, and stressed the need for continued consultations aimed at restoring stability in the region.

NEW DELHI: Exercising exclusive Art 142 powers, Supreme Court Tuesday ordered setting up of a tribunal comprising retired Chief Justice and ex-judges of Calcutta and neighbouring HCs to decide appeals against judicial officers’ orders rejecting claims for inclusion in the Bengal voter list post special intensive revision.A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi stuck to its order that no bureaucrat acting as ERO would sit in appeal against rulings of judicial officers drafted to scan documents of 60 lakh voters in ‘logical discrepancy’ and ‘unmapped’ category.Cal HC CJ to nominate ex-CJ, judges: SC SC gave a free hand to Calcutta HC CJ to nominate the former CJ and judges and directed EC to notify the tribunal in consultation with the HC CJ and the retired CJ.The CJI-led bench took exception to a raft of applications of TMC supporters and private persons relating to SIR work and process, dismissed the applications, and warned of contempt action if such attempts are made in future.SC was unhappy also over delay in creation of secure IDs for judicial officers by EC and said, “A stage has come where we have doubts about the bona fides of both the state govt and the EC.” It asked the EC to ensure that there was no delay in creating the IDs for the judicial officers to allow them to work without any delay.The CJI said Calcutta HC CJ had informed SC that more than 500 judicial officers from Bengal and 200 from Jharkhand and Odisha had been working seven days a week and have disposed of more than 10 lakh claim applications.At the commencement of hearing, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy attempted to press for the applications in absence of an appellate forum for voters whose claims have been rejected by judicial officers. SC said, “As CJI, I will not permit anyone to dare question the work of judicial officers. I am issuing a warning.”It was advocate Kalyan Banerjee who articulated the grievances and said when 10 lakh claims have been decided, why EC is not publishing supplementary voter list, as was directed by SC, containing the names of those whose claims have been accepted?Banerjee also said that the rejection of claims must be accompanied by reasons to enable aggrieved person to appeal against it before a specified forum. The bench told both state govt and EC to facilitate the judicial officers, who are working as agents of SC, to carry out their work smoothly.“We have taken great risk in assigning the SIR work to judicial officers, who are working tirelessly. But the risk is worth it as it (preparation of voter list) is very important for free and fair elections. Citizens have a constitutional right to get included in voter lists, but not intruders and illegal migrants,” the CJI said.

NEW DELHI: The governing NDA on Tuesday came down heavily on Rahul Gandhi over the no-confidence motion against Speaker Om Birla, with parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju saying the leader of the opposition was attacking democratic institutions because of the realisation that there is no way he could lead his party to win an election.Rijiju said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra would have been a better choice for leading the Congress and accused Rahul of publicly seeking foreign intervention to fight the alleged threat to democracy in India.The governing coalition sought to frame the no-confidence motion as yet another instance of Rahul railroading his Congress colleagues and others in the opposition to support his whim, with Rijiju claiming that at least 50 opposition MPs had confided in him their misgivings about the move against Birla.Rahul undermining dignity of Parl with his antics: RijijuNDA speakers kept up the attack even as members belonging to the INDIA bloc justified the move against the Speaker and accused him of gagging the opposition at the govt’s instance. While DMK’s TR Baalu called him a “gentleman” who had suspended so many opposition MPs, TMC’s Mahua Moitra called the motion a divine retribution for the speaker for “wrongly” expelling her in 2023. His karma has caught up with him, she said. Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Arvind Sawant said Birla was under pressure to act against the opposition.Rijiju accused Rahul of undermining the dignity of Parliament with his “antics”. He tried to forcibly hug the PM. “What kind of LoP does that?” the minister asked.Other speakers from the treasury benches, including JDU’s Rajiv Ranjan, Shiv Sena’s Shrikant Shinde and TDP’s Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu, highlighted Rahul’s frequent absence from key debates in the House and accused him of undermining national interests by questioning sacrifices of the armed forces. Shinde called him a “leader of vacation and not leader of opposition.” NDA MPs praised Birla for giving chances to first-time MPs and helping Lok Sabha register record productivity during his tenure.Rijiju’s claim about restiveness in opposition’s ranks over the motion against the Speaker came against the backdrop of TMC reversing its earlier stand after Congress warmed up to its own move to seek the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar who had riled up West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee by going ahead with the SIR of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state.He said Priyanka Gandhi would have been a better choice leading Congress, leading to Congress MPs rising in protest. Rijiju also contrasted Congress’s approach towards the Speaker by saying that the opposition chose not to bring a motion of no-confidence against then Speaker Somnath Chatterjee even when he had blocked telecast of proceedings in 2008 when the Congress had used bribes to engineer a majority.Congress members disrupted the minister when he referred to the LoP’s meeting with the Chinese ambassador when armies of the two countries were engaged in a tense standoff in Doklam in 2017.Union minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh said the opposition has been relentlessly disrupting the functioning of the House, unmindful of the fact that for each hour that Parliament runs, Rs 1.9 crore is spent, and Rs 9 crore for every day of the session. “These people don’t let it run, whose money is being wasted, it is taxpayers’ money that they are wasting,” the JDU neta said.Referring to Mahua Moitra’s remarks of the Speaker throttling opposition’s voice, Lalan Singh said that when Mamata was the sole MP from her party, it was then Speaker Somnath Chatterjee who did not allow her to speak. Then Mamata was part of NDA, yet the saffron alliance did not bring any no-confidence motion against the Speaker.

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Tuesday took up the opposition’s resolution on removal of Speaker Om Birla amid a heated debate over who should preside while the House discussed him. Opening the debate, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi accused Birla of partisan behaviour. He said the Speaker made “baseless” allegations against women opposition MPs and repeatedly blocked Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi from raising “critical issues” in the House. As soon as Congress member Mohammad Jawed read out the notice seeking to move the resolution, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi raised a point of order, questioning the decision to allow BJP’s Jagdambika Pal to chair proceedings as he was appointed to the panel of chairpersons by Birla. Congress and TMC MPs also said Pal was not elected by the House, and highlighted that the post of Deputy Speaker has been vacant for last 7 years.Mics are being used to silence MPs: GogoiCongress and TMC MPs also said Pal was not elected by the House, and highlighted that the post of deputy speaker had been vacant for seven years.While TMC MP Saugata Roy said parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju should move a motion to appoint a presiding officer specifically for the purpose, Rijiju said Owaisi’s claim was irrelevant as Pal was competent to preside over LS proceedings when the resolution was taken up.Pal then put to vote the notice to move the resolution and asked at least 50 MPs to stand up in its support. The notice was then accepted and Jawed read out the resolution, which was admitted for discussion.Gaurav Gogoi raised questions over the manner in which Birla presided over the House when Rahul had to speak on the motion of thanks to the President’s address. “There was an expectation that the Chair would be neutral. But research of uncorrected versions would show the number of times the LoP was interrupted. While the LoP was on his feet, another member was called upon,” Gogoi added.“Is this parliamentary tradition we want to show? Microphones are being used to silence MPs. It stands in direct contradiction with the rituals of this House,” Gogoi said, pointing out how Shas-hi Tharoor’s mic was allegedly switched off in the middle of his speech on Feb 9.“When the LoP wanted to speak on the motion of thanks, he was interrupted 20 times by the Speaker, me-mbers of the chairpersons’ panel and senior MPs of the treasury benches… in a premeditated manner,” he said.

NEW DELHI: In yet another strong pitch for “one nation one law”, Supreme Court on Tuesday said Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is the most effective tool to remove the prevailing discrimination against women in marriage, succession, inheritance and property rights under Muslim personal law and other customary laws.This statement – “most effective answer is UCC” – came from a bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices R Mahadevan and Joymalya Bagchi after advocate Prashant Bhushan said inferior inheritance rights given to women under the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, violated their right to equality and non-discrimination, and hence, must be struck down as unconstitutional, like triple talaq.Appearing for PIL petitioner Poulomi P Shukla, Bhushan said it is inconceivable that Muslim women in Uttarakhand, which has enacted UCC, would enjoy equal property inheritance rights with their male siblings, but Muslim women in Delhi or other states in India would be deprived of the same.

The bench said inequalities in inheritance rights of women compared to their male siblings are present even in Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) and tribal societies. “This court has already recommended in its judgment the directive principles of state policies under Article 44 (UCC),” the bench said.SC told Bhushan that he has made a very good case of discrimination against Muslim women but striking down of a standalone provision does not take away the discrimination that inheres within Muslim personal law.“Triple talaq is declared unconstitutional (and subsequently banned by a Parliament enacted legislation). But grounds of divorce in Muslim marriage remain asymmetrical. The right to dissolution of marriage by Muslim women continues to be limited under the 1937 Act. But a Muslim man has much wider grounds to give divorce,” Justice Bagchi said. CJI Kant said, “The most effective answer, as articulated by Justice Bagchi, is UCC.“Bhushan said this is ideal, but till that comes, should Muslim women continue to suffer violation of their Article 14 right to equality in inheritance, which is not an essential religious practice, but a civil right. Justice Bagchi asked, “What about the rights in marriage and inheritance of scheduled tribes? Many such discriminations are there in society.”Referring to polygamy permitted for Muslim men under Section 2 of the 1937 Act, Justice Bagchi said, “The basic equality of one man to one woman that is monogamous marriage, has it been achieved throughout the country? Can we declare all bigamous or polygamous marriages under the personal laws to be unconstitutional as it violates the right to equality under Article 14?”“All these have to appeal to conscience of the legislature to bring into reality the object of Article 44 in Directive Principles of State Policy chapter of the Constitution,” SC said.When the bench said if some Muslim women or wakf board had filed the petition, it would have been different, Bhushan responded by saying he can bring in as many Muslim women as petitioners to challenge the discriminatory provision on inheritance in the 1937 law. “A large number of Muslim women are aggrieved by this discriminatory practice,” he said.The bench said if the court struck down the inheritance provision of the 1937 Act, it would create a vacuum and deprive Muslim women whatever little they were getting. Bhushan said SC can say that the inheritance among Muslims would be governed by secular Indian Succession Act. SC asked him to contemplate all situations that would arise and file an amended petition.

LONDON: Gangs of suspected Somalian men have allegedly been terrorising Indian-origin shopkeepers and restaurant owners in Wembley and trashing their shops in targeted attacks of late. This follows the attack in Harlow last week, wherein a gang attacked Holi revellers. Wembley shopkeepers felt it could be the same group.Bob Blackman MP raised the Harrow attack in Parliament on Monday, stating: “Thugs from the Central Mosque attacked the annual Holi celebration in Harrow, attempting to assault over 1,000 peaceful worshippers. 20 attackers, one arrest… The Met has questions to answer.”Manek Chowk Indian restaurant on Ealing Road, Wembley, was attacked twice in the past week — March 5 and March 7. Videos showed the miscreants, most in thobes and all in face coverings, descending upon the restaurant and wrecking it. Another showed tables and chairs turned over, with food and crockery all over the place.A local PIO store owner, who witnessed the vandalism, said: “It started in Traders Wembley last Wednesday. Three men from Daman and Diu were beaten up in the toilets and left bleeding. It was a Somalian gang of young boys. Next, they targeted Manek Chowk. It was a gang of 15 to 20. They came from the mosque area and attacked the restaurant, and 10 or 12 youths got off the bus and joined them and started smashing the restaurant. They didn’t speak with anyone. They just started throwing tables and chairs. They attacked the tills and broke the lights. An Indian man who tried to intervene was hit with a bottle. It keeps happening after 8pm and is totally unprovoked.”Another video, shot March 6, showed a gang of masked men in thobes pulling fruit and veg boxes out at Panesar Food and Wine in Harrow Road, Wembley, throwing them on the ground and treading on them. “They destroy the places, video it and go. It looks like they are paid,” a local said.Both times, by the time police showed up, the gang had fled after causing destruction worth thousands of pounds.On Monday night, a Gujarati-origin man was stabbed in Ealing Road and rushed to A&E. A Brent Council spokesperson said: “Any violent or targeted intimidation of local businesses is utterly unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Brent. We encourage anyone with information or footage to come forward to the police without delay.”