UK's indifference on Khalistan protest at embassy is unacceptable: India

News Network
March 20, 2023

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New Delhi, Mar 20: The foreign ministry summoned the senior most diplomat of UK in New Delhi late last evening as the Indian flag was pulled down from the Indian High Commission in London by Khalistan sympathisers protesting against the police crackdown on separatist Amritpal Singh. 

In a sharply worded statement, the ministry demanded an explanation for "absence of security" at the high commission premises and said the UK government's "indifference" to Indian diplomats and personnel was "unacceptable".

The protests over the crackdown started last evening evening. Cellphone videos posted on social media showed protesters climbing the building and taking down the Indian flag. In Australia's Brisbane, pro-Khalistan groups carried out what they called a referendum on Khalistan.

"An explanation was demanded for the complete absence of the British security that allowed these elements to enter the High Commission premises. She was reminded in this regard of the basic obligations of the UK Government under the Vienna Convention," the foreign ministry said in its statement.

The ministry also said it finds "unacceptable" the "indifference of the UK Government to the security of Indian diplomatic premises and personnel".

"It is expected that the UK Government would take immediate steps to identify, arrest and prosecute each one of those involved in today's incident, and put in place stringent measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents," the statement read.

British High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis, meanwhile tweeted: Over the weekend, 112 supporters of Amritpal Singh have been arrested. Amritpal Singh is on the run. The crackdown started after they broke into a police station with swords and guns to ensure release of one of them. Six police officers were injured in the clash.

Since then, 78 supporters of Amritpal Singh were arrested, many of them after a daring car chase. His close aide Daljeet Singh Kalsi, who handles his finances, was arrested this morning from Haryana's Gurgaon.

The Punjab police tweeted details of the crackdown, saying 34 arrests were made today and the situation in the state is peaceful.

"Punjab Police is acting within the law. #AmritpalSingh is still absconding and not yet arrested. Don't believe the rumours and false news. Request all citizens to maintain peace & harmony & not panic," read another tweet.

Punjab police sources said Amritpal Singh has been maintaining close links with Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and terrorist groups based in foreign countries.

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News Network
May 16,2023

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Bengaluru, May 16: The Congress's cautious approach to resolving the 'DK Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah' conundrum in Karnataka has triggered a side-effect -- new claims from different caste groups for the chief minister post. 

The All India Veershaiva Mahasabha, which represents the influential Lingayat community, has bid for the top post, citing that 34 of the newly elected Congress MLAs are Lingayats. The swing of the Lingayat vote, once a key support base of the BJP, has been identified as a key factor in the Congress win this time.

Another claim has come in from the Dalit community. Supporters of veteran Congress leader G Parameshwara held a demonstration, demanding that the Dalit leader be chosen for the Chief Minister post. At the gathering in Tumkur, placards reading "a Dalit should be CM" were waved.

In a letter addressed to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha has said that the Congress had fielded 46 candidates from the community and 34 of them won.

The organisation has key Lingayat leaders among its members. Its president is 91-year-old Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, Karnataka's oldest MLA who won from Davangere South this time.  

"Further more, we wish to bring to your kind notice that our community has played a major role in electing other smaller communities in other 50 constituencies. This shows that the traditional voters of the BJP has shifted its loyalty to Congress party, thereby supporting the Congress party to win 134 constituencies in the state," the letter adds.

The community, which accounts for 17 per cent of Karnataka's population, can potentially swing outcomes in nearly 100 seats. It is the community's electoral significance that saw all parties vie for its support and promote Lingayat leaders in the run-up to the polls.

The organisation has further suggested that it is important that the Congress retains the support of the community for the general election due next year.

"Considering the above facts, we now urge the Congress party to give a chance/consider (a) Veerashaiva Lingayat community leader for the post of Chief Minister of Karnataka state," the letter states.

The organisation has also requested the Congress chief to ensure a number of cabinet berths for the community "which is proportionate to the number of MLAs of our community".

The demand for the Chief Minister post, however, seems more like a pressure building tactic as the two tallest Congress leaders in Karnataka are in running for the job and no third name has been come up in discussions so far.

Once a key support base of the BJP, the Lingayats backed the Congress this time, results in the seats dominated by the community have indicated.

Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who switched from the BJP to the Congress days before polls, said that the Lingayats support the Congress this time.

A key factor behind the Lingayat swing could be the removal of BS Yediyurappa, BJP veteran and tallest Lingayat leader in Karnataka, as chief minister over corruption charges. While the BJP replaced him with Basavaraj Bommai, another Lingayat leader, the results indicate it did not help the party's poll prospects. Even the last minute move to scrap 4% reservation to Muslims and its reallocation among Lingayats and Vokkaliga did not not work in the BJP's favour. 

The seeds of Congress' current dilemma over the choice of a chief minister were, in fact, sown during their poll campaign. To take on the BJP's formidable election machinery, the party avoided projecting a single leader as the face of its campaign. Instead, it projected the trio of Mr Shivakumar, Mr Siddaramaiah and its national chief Mr Kharge as leading its Karnataka push.

While Mr Shivakumar belongs to the influential Vokkaliga community, which dominates southern Karnataka, Mr Siddaramaiah is a Kuruba, a backward caste group that has sizeable presence in central and northern Karnataka. With the Dalit roots of its national president Kharge, Congress got a panel of leaders that appealed, in total, to a huge chunk of Karnataka's population.

While this hugely benefited the Congress campaign and paved the way for its victory, the competing claims for the top job are now proving to be a hurdle in its decision-making.

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News Network
May 23,2023

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Bengaluru, May 23: The new Congress government of Karnataka led by chief minister Siddaramaiah has issued an order revoking the nomination of four members of the State Waqf Board, including its Chairman Maulana N K Muhammad Shafi Saadi with immediate effect.

Apart from Shafi Saadi, the nominations of Waqf Board members Mir Azhar Hussain, G. Yakub, and IAS officer Zehera Naseem have also been revoked. 

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News Network
May 26,2023

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Mangaluru, May 26: Senior Congress leader B Ramanath Rai on Friday urged the state government to form a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the ‘politically motivated’ murders that took place in the district in the last few years.

Addressing reporters at the Congress office here, Rai said many youths, belonging to Hindu and Muslim communities have been victims of political violence in the district in the last few years.

He said there should be a comprehensive probe into these murders after preparing a list of the victims. Congress workers were not involved in these political murders and the role of BJP and other communal outfits in the communally sensitive district should be probed, the former minister said.

The Congress government will not tolerate violence of any kind in the coastal region, he said.

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