The United States has handed over 297 antiquities, which were smuggled out of India, during the ongoing visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official statement said on Sunday.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to President Joe Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India.

Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties, Modi said in a social media post on X.

Thanking President Biden for his support in returning these artefacts, PM Modi noted that these objects were not just part of India’s historical material culture, but formed the inner core of its civilisation and consciousness.

Official sources said illicit trafficking of cultural property is a longstanding issue that has affected many cultures and countries throughout history, and India has been particularly hit, PTI reported.

With this, the total number of ancient items recovered by India since 2014 has gone to 640, officials said, adding the number returned from the USA alone will be 578. This is the maximum number of cultural artefacts any country returns to India.

Some of the notable antiquities handed over to India include an ‘apsara’ in sandstone from central India belonging to the 10-11th century CE, a Jain Tirthankar in bronze belonging to the 15-16th century CE, a terracotta vase from eastern India belonging to 3-4th century CE, and a stone sculpture from South India belonging to 1st century BCE-1st century CE.

Other prominent items include Lord Ganesh in bronze from south India belonging to the 17-18th century CE, standing Lord Buddha in sandstone from north India from the 15-16th century CE, and Lord Vishnu in bronze from Eastern India belonging to the 17-18th century CE.

Apart from the current visit, Modi’s earlier visits to the USA have also been particularly fruitful in terms of returning antiquities to India.

Officials said during his visit to the US in 2021, 157 antiquities were handed over by the US government, including the exquisite bronze Nataraja statue from the 12th century CE. Also, a few days after his US visit in 2023, 105 antiquities were returned to India.

Defending his remarks pertaining to Sikh community and other sections of Indian society made during a speech in the United States, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused BJP of spreading lies and making desperate attempts to silence the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

“The BJP has been spreading lies about my remarks in America,” Gandhi said in his social media post while sharing a clip of the speech he made in the US on X.

The former Congress chief said, “I want to ask every Sikh brother and sister in India and abroad – is there anything wrong in what I have said? Shouldn’t India be a country where every Sikh – and every Indian – can freely practice their religion without fear?”

As usual, the BJP is resorting to lies, Gandhi said. He said the BJP is desperate to silence him because they cannot stand the truth. “But I will always speak up for the values that define India: our unity in diversity, equality, and love,” he added.

In his remarks at a gathering in Washington, D.C. earlier this month on September 10, Gandhi emphasised that the fight is about whether a Sikh is permitted to wear a turban in India, whether a Sikh can wear a kara in India, and whether a Sikh has the right to go to Gurdwara. This applies to all religions, and that’s what the fight is about.

Attacking the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha over the statements about the condition of Sikhs in India, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu earlier said if those “manufacturing bombs” were supporting him, he is the “number one terrorist”.

Later on September 19, an FIR was registered at High Grounds Police Station in Bengaluru, Karnataka, based on a complaint by one of the office-bearers of the State Pradesh Congress Committee against Union Minister Bittu for his alleged remarks against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Gandhi.

Another leader Sanjay Gaikwad, an MLA of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, on September 16, announced a reward of Rs 11 lakh to anyone who will “chops off the tongue” of Gandhi over his statement on reservation in the US.

However, after Shiv Sena MLA remarks, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate slammed Shiv Sena and its ally in Maharashtra, BJP, after Gaikwad’s disgusting remarks against Gandhi.

On September 21, Congress chief Kharge said his party would launch an agitation against threats to Rahul Gandhi.

Kharge also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s failure to take action against leaders of his party who used derogatory remarks against the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha.

“BJP, RSS leaders, including MLAs and MPs, talk about chopping off the tongues of our leaders. Rahul Gandhi is under attack for speaking the truth and an atmosphere of hate is created against him like (it was done against his grandmother) Indira Gandhi,” Kharge said today while addressing a press conference in Jammu.

“Such provocative speeches by the BJP and the RSS are ignored by the Prime Minister, who has failed to rein in these leaders and take action against them because he is frightened of them,” he said.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi took oath as Chief Minister of Delhi at Raj Niwas on Saturday. With this, she became the 17th woman to hold the top office in independent India and the third youngest after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit in the national capital.

Former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, and other dignitaries were also present during the swearing-in ceremony. Atishi’s parents Vijay Singh and Tripta Wahi were also present.

The Council of Ministers including Saurabh Bharadwaj, Gopal Rai, Imran Hussain, Kailash Gahlot, and new Sultanpur Majra MLA Mukesh Ahlawat also took oath into the Delhi Cabinet along with Atishi.

The senior AAP leader, who will have a brief tenure in office as Assembly elections in the national capital are due in February, has become the second woman sitting Chief Minister alongside West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee.

The 43-year-old has been a key face of the party and managed AAP’s operations during Arvind Kejriwal’s time in Tihar jail in connection with the excise policy case.

The Kalkaji MLA’s name was proposed by Kejriwal, who tendered his resignation as Chief Minister, for the top post.

A first-time legislator, Atishi, name was selected unanimously following a meeting of the party MLAs in the presence of top leaders including AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal.

After taking the oath, Atishi was overwhelmed with emotion and sought the blessings of her mentor and AAP chief, Arvind Kejriwal, by touching his feet.

On Friday, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Atishi as Delhi Chief Minister from the date of her being sworn in while accepting Kejriwal’s resignation. She also cleared the proposal to appoint five ministers.

After taking oath as the Delhi Chief Minister, Atish thanked AAP convener Kejriwal who has given her the responsibility to serve two crore Delhiites.

“Arvind Kejriwal understood the struggle of the common man and changed the face of Delhi in the last 10 years with excellent education and health facilities, free electricity and many other facilities,” the new Chief Minister said in her post on X.

“Kejriwal is not the Chief Minister of Delhi today, this is a very emotional moment for us. But we have only one objective in the upcoming elections – to make Arvind Kejriwal the Chief Minister of Delhi again,” she said.

Also, in these 4 months, under the guidance of Arvind Kejriwal, all the work of Delhiites will be done which was stopped by BJP through its conspiracies, she asserted. Kejriwal is now out of jail and will not let any conspiracy of BJP succeed, Atishi added.

After being inducted as Minister in Delhi cabinet, AAP leader Kailash Gahlot said that Kejriwal’s guidance as party’s national convenor will remain. “Our only goal is to continue to work for the people of Delhi like before and to bring back Arvind Kejriwal,” he added.

AAP MLA Gopal Rai, after taking oath as Delhi Minister, emphasised carrying forward the work that was started in Delhi under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal to new heights by the time of the next elections.

“Along with this, we will work as a team to control pollution that increases during the winters. We will also work on other pending work,” the newly inducted Minister added.

Speaking to reporters after taking oath as Delhi Minister, Mukesh Ahlawat said that the ministry that he is being assigned with has always been challenging. However, he said he would fulfill his responsibilities properly.

Another inducted Minister in Delhi cabinet, Imran Hussain, said, “In another 4-5 months, Delhi Assembly elections will be held and Delhi will make Arvind Kejriwal the CM again. The work is being done under the guidance of Arvind Kejriwal – be it the education model, free water, free bus travel for women and others.”