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Bhutan, India call China’s road construction “illegitimate”

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Bhutan, India call China’s road construction “illegitimate”

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]China calls Danglong part of its “territory”

Bhutan has joined India in objecting to the construction of a road in what they called a “disputed territory” by China. Bhutan refuted China’s claim that the road construction in Sikkim sector’s Donglang was “legitimate” and lodged formal protest and asked China to “stop the work immediately” near Bhutan’s army camp.

On Wednesday, Vetsop Namgyal, Bhutan’s Ambassador to India called construction of the road by China as “violation of an agreement” between the two countries. He said that “Doklam (which is also known as Donglang) is disputed territory and Bhutan has written agreement with China that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, peace and tranquility should be maintained in the area”.

Indian and Chinese troops were already in the face-off in the Donglang area of the Sikkim sector.

Earlier, Chinese foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said “Donglang is part of China’s territory and it is indisputable”. He accused India of “raising the issue” on part of Bhutan saying “The Donglang area belonged to China since ancient times and it doesn’t belong to Bhutan nor it belongs to India”.

Without naming India, the Chinese spokesman said, “If any third party, out of hidden agenda, interfered, it is disrespect of the sovereignty of Bhutan, We don’t want to see this as Bhutan is a country entitled to sovereignty by the international community.” There are no diplomatic relations between China and Bhutan.

Donglang is located in a tri-junction close to the strategic area called Chicken Neck. China says that the Sikkim part of India-China boundary is settled and therefore India has no right to object over the road construction.

Beijing believes that the area is “undoubtedly” located on its side of the border as per the 1890 Sino-British Treaty on Sikkim. China says that according the treaty “Zhe” is the ancient name of Sikkim and the area, on which the Indian army has raised objection, is undoubtedly located on the Chinese side of the border.

Amidst ongoing stand-off, China stopped first batch of 50 Indian pilgrims for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra earlier this month. Six other batches were scheduled to make the trip. Out of 1,430 pilgrims, 350 were supposed to travel through Nathu La, while remaining pilgrims were set to go through Lipulekh, Uttarakhand, which is much longer.

Last week, Gopal Baglay, spokesman for Ministry of External Affairs, said there were “some difficulties” in the movement of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar via Nathu La pass and New Delhi was holding discussions with Beijing. Earlier it was reported that China took the decision due to landslides in Tibet.

On Wednesday, China said that India was to bear the responsibility for the ongoing stand-off in the Sikkim sector as well as the closure of Nathu La pass. Beijing defended its decision saying China had agreed to open the route as the boundary there has been delineated with the consent of both countries.

Chinese side opened Nathu La pass for Indian pilgrims in 2015. According to Chinese authorities, it worked well for two years and Chinese authorities had prepared for the reception of Indian pilgrims and informed Indian side about it. The reopening of the pass will depend on when or whether the Indian side will “correct its errors”, Lu said.

Chinese foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had earlier said, “The Indian troops crossed the boundary at the Sikkim side to the Chinese territory. This is different to what was before in India-China boundary. China has made solemn representations against the same. India should respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China.”

On Wednesday, China had lodged protest with India over the alleged “crossing of boundary” by its troops in the Sikkim section and demanded immediate “correction of the error”. The resumption of future visits of the pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar yatra will be linked to India withdrawing the troops from the area, China said.

The India-China stand-off comes even as bilateral ties nose-dived after India’s boycott of One Belt One Road summit in Beijing and China scuttling India’s bid to get membership of Nuclear Suppliers Group of countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking in a panel discussion at International Economic Forum Summit in St Petersburg (Russia) on June 2, said, “It is true that we have a border dispute with China. But in the last 40 years, not a single bullet has been fired because of the ongoing cooperation in trade and investments between the two countries.” He described how the world has increasingly become inter connected and inter-dependent in the present scenario.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Parliament winter session: Government lists 15 bills, including Waqf bill

The session will kick off on November 25 and conclude on December 20.

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The government has listed five new ones and one to amend the contentious Waqf law out of 15 bills for the winter session of Parliament. The session will kick off on November 25 and conclude on December 20.

The government has introduced five new bills, including the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, which aims to promote coasting trade and increase the participation of Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens for both national security and commercial purposes.

Another significant legislation that will be introduced by the government is the Indian Ports Bill, 2024. This bill is designed to implement measures for the conservation of ports, enhance security, and manage pollution, ensuring compliance with India’s international obligations and statutory requirements.

Additionally, the government plans to introduce the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, which aims to meet India’s obligations under maritime treaties and support the development of Indian shipping while ensuring the efficient operation of the Indian mercantile marine in a way that serves national interests.

Pending legislation includes the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is awaiting consideration and passage after the joint committee of both Houses submits its report to the Lok Sabha. The committee is expected to report by the end of the first week of the winter session.

Currently, there are eight bills, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, pending in the Lok Sabha, while two additional bills are in the Rajya Sabha.

Furthermore, the government has also listed the Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill for introduction, consideration, and passage, which seeks to increase the pecuniary appellate jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

The Merchant Shipping Bill, along with the Coastal Shipping Bill and the Indian Ports Bill, is slated for introduction and eventual passage.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) today issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare. The leaders allegedly restricted essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to civilians in Gaza, resulting in severe humanitarian crises and deaths, including among children.

Last year in October, Israel had launched attacks on Gaza in retaliation for the surprise attack by Hamas. The Israel-Hamas war has led to the death of thousands of civilians, while lakhs have been displaced. The major infrastructures in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, were also destroyed as Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas.

The International Criminal Court stated that it found reasonable grounds to believe the accused intentionally targeted civilians and limited medical supplies, forcing unsafe medical procedures, which caused immense suffering. This ruling was based on the findings from at least October 8, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024.

The court remarked that it has assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza.

Furthermore, it also noted that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and medical supplies created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza, leading to death of civilians, including children due to malnutrition and dehydration.

Additionally, the International Criminal Court dismissed two challenges by Israel against its jurisdiction in the situation in the State of Palestine.

Notably, Israel had contested the ICC’s jurisdiction, claiming it could not be exercised without Israel’s consent. Nonetheless, the Chamber ruled that the Court has jurisdiction based on Palestine’s territorial scope, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. It further noted that Israel’s objections were premature, as jurisdictional challenges under the Rome Statute can only be made after an arrest warrant is issued.

Reportedly, Israel had also requested a fresh notification regarding the investigation, started in 2021. Denying the request, the court stated that Israel had earlier declined to request a deferral, making additional notifications unnecessary.

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Yogi Adityanath accords tax-free status to Sabarmati Report film in Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday accorded a tax-free status to ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film, based on the train burning incident at Godhra in Gujarat in 2002, in the state.

The announcement was made after Chief Minister Adityanath attended the screening of Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna-starrer ‘The Sabarmati Report’ in Lucknow with the film’s cast.  

Speaking to reporters, actor Vikrant Massey thanked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for making ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film tax-free in the state. “I want to thank Yogi Adityanath ji. This is an important film and I appeal to everyone to go and watch this film,” he said.

Chief Minister Adityanath along with many of his cabinet colleagues watched the film ‘The Sabarmati Report’ under a special screening at a cinema hall in the capital, said a spokesperson of the state government.

Several people associated with the film unit were also present on the occasion. Later the chief minister announced to make this film tax-free in UP.

The BJP-ruled states have been praising the makers of The Sabarmati Report, claiming the team has tried to bring out this truth in front of the people of the country through the film.

The saffron party is appealing to people to watch this film and try to get closer to the truth of Godhra.

Uttar Pradesh becomes the sixth BJP-ruled state after Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to declare lead actors Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna’s film tax-free.

Adityanath said along with identifying the faces of those who are conspiring against the country for political gains, there is also a need to expose them. The film team has discharged its responsibilities to expose the truth, he said, adding an attempt has been made to bring the real truth in front of the country in a big way through the film.

The Sabarmati Report is said to be based on the incident of setting fire to a train full of ‘karsevaks’ in Godhra on February 27, 2002, killing 90 devotees. After this incident, communal riots broke out in Gujarat. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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