Mumbai, June 17: In a pre-emptive move against a brewing political rebellion, the Shiv Sena(UBT) leader in the Lok Sabha, Arvind Sawant, in a petition before the Speaker, Om Birla, has sought his intervention to block any attempts by disgruntled lawmakers to orchestrate a fresh split or merger in the Lower House of Parliament.

The extensive four-page letter, dated June 16, was written amid swirling media reports about “Operation Tiger”. The media report suggested that up to seven of the party’s nine Lok Sabha MPs are contemplating breaking away to align with the rival Eknath Shinde-led faction or other political forces.

Sawant has explicitly flagged these backroom manoeuvres. “There are reports appearing in the media that certain Members of Parliament elected on the symbol of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) have either approached, or are contemplating approaching, your office seeking recognition as a separate group or a merger with another political party within the Lok Sabha,” he said.

Sawant emphasised that the parliamentary wing owes its existence entirely to the parent organisational party and that the constitutional framework does not permit “multiple competing formations” to represent the same political party inside the House.

A core segment of Sawant’s petition relied heavily on constitutional law and judicial precedent to dismantle the strategy often used by defecting factions.

Sawant said there is no Constitutional protection for a ‘Split’, and that following the deletion of Paragraph 3 of the Tenth Schedule via the Constitution (Ninety-first Amendment) Act, 2003, the law no longer recognises splinter groups within a legislature as a defence against disqualification.

Citing the Landmark Supreme Court judgment in ‘Subhash Desai vs. Principal Secretary, Governor of Maharashtra & Ors.’ (2023), he has argued that the power to appoint a whip, leader, or issue binding directives flows exclusively from the parent political party, not the legislative group.

Addressing rumours that numerical strength (the two-thirds mark) is enough to break away, Sawant clarified that Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule requires two distinct conditions to be satisfied conjunctively: first, a merger of the original political party itself, and second, the support of at least two-thirds of the legislative members. “Without an actual merger of the organisational Shiv Sena(UBT), any standalone action by the MPs would constitute a voluntary relinquishment of membership, triggering immediate disqualification under Paragraph 2 of the Anti-Defection Law,” he remarked.

Sawant has requested the Lok Sabha Speaker to take the formal representation strictly on record, refuse any separate recognition, status, privilege, or facility to any purported breakaway faction and ensure no decision is taken on any rogue request without first granting the principal Shiv Sena(UBT) leadership a fair opportunity to present its case.

The submission of this letter comes at a highly volatile moment. Rumours have intensified as multiple UBT MPs reportedly arrived in New Delhi simultaneously with Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde.

Compounding the anxiety within the Uddhav camp, senior MP Sanjay Raut recently launched a scathing attack on the ruling dispensation, alleging that opposition lawmakers were being offered astronomical sums of up to Rs 15 crore each to defect.

While the Shinde faction has publicly dismissed accusations of engineering defections, the appearance of Sawant’s comprehensive legal letter signals that the Thackeray loyalists are bracing for a bruising constitutional battle to protect their presence in Parliament.

Evian, June 17: Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) on Wednesday issued a joint statement on key geopolitical issues, reaffirming their support for Ukraine, welcoming a breakthrough agreement between the United States and Iran, and underscoring their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

On Ukraine, the G7 leaders said they remain united in their support for Kyiv amid its ongoing conflict with Russia. “We, the Leaders of the G7, stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” the statement said.

The leaders pledged to step up military assistance, including the delivery of additional air defence systems, interceptors and long-range capabilities. They also signalled readiness to support increased military production in Ukraine through licensing arrangements.

Highlighting what they described as a “new momentum” in the conflict, the G7 committed to increasing pressure on Russia through stronger sanctions, particularly targeting the oil and gas sectors. The statement noted that leaders considered it “the right moment to proceed with additional measures” following a deal supported by US President Donald Trump that led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

On the Middle East, the G7 welcomed a newly announced agreement between the United States and Iran. The leaders described the deal as providing “an historic opportunity to prevent Iran from acquiring any nuclear weapon and tackling the threats related to its regional and ballistic activities.”

The statement reaffirmed the group’s position that “Iran will never obtain a nuclear weapon” and expressed support for a broader diplomatic framework aimed at securing long-term peace and stability in the region.

The G7 also endorsed efforts led by France and the United Kingdom to restore confidence in maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz and facilitate the resumption of commercial shipping. Leaders reiterated that unrestricted transit passage remains “the bedrock of international trade.”

Addressing regional conflicts, the group called for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and backed efforts to disarm Hezbollah. In Gaza, the leaders pledged to accelerate humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts while calling for an end to violence in the West Bank.

Turning to the Indo-Pacific, the G7 stressed the importance of maintaining a rules-based order and opposed unilateral attempts to alter the status quo through force or coercion.

“We reaffirm our opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, in particular by force or coercion, in the East and South China Seas and across the Taiwan Strait, which should only be resolved peacefully through dialogue,” the statement said.

The leaders also expressed deep concern over North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, reiterating their commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions. They also called for coordinated action against North Korean cryptocurrency theft and cybercrime.

The statement concluded by supporting international efforts to address global economic imbalances and welcomed China’s participation in the Global Convergence for Growth Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month.

Washington, June 17: US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are set to take India-US relations to “new highs” the White House said as the two leaders prepared for bilateral talks in France, with trade, technology, investment and global security expected to top the agenda.

“President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have a close friendship, and under their leadership, the Trump administration and Indian government are set to take our two countries to new highs,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told media.

The meeting in Evian, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, will be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since their summit meeting last February. It comes amid discussions on a possible trade agreement and as diplomatic efforts continue to address the crisis in West Asia.

The White House said Trump and PM Modi will meet on the sideline sof the G7 Summit. According to the White House, the two leaders will discuss economic growth, supply chains, artificial intelligence, investment partnerships and a range of global security challenges.

“President Trump has consistently underscored his support for America’s strategic partnership with India,” Desai told media adding that Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent visit to India built on Trump’s efforts to deepen cooperation between the two countries on trade and national security.

“Secretary Rubio’s landmark visit to India built on the President’s push to expand bilateral ties and cooperation on trade and national security, including with the signing of a historic MOU on critical minerals,” he said.

Experts say both sides are looking for tangible outcomes as well as strong political messaging.

Aparna Pande, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said expectations are high for the meeting.

“PM Modi and President Trump’s in-person meeting will be their first since last February’s summit meeting,” Pande told media.

“Both sides have high expectations from this meeting, which comes in the backdrop of a possible resolution of the West Asia crisis and amidst discussions over the trade deal.”

Pande said symbolism and substance would both matter. “The optics of the meeting will be critical as well as the substantive part,” she said.

“Both leaders would like to demonstrate that ties between the two democracies remain strong despite the headwinds and that they would be keen to announce some defense and technology related agreements.”

Atman Trivedi, Partner at Albright Stonebridge Group, North America, described the meeting as an opportunity to improve momentum in bilateral ties.

“The leaders’ meeting represents the latest best opportunity to reset ties,” Trivedi told media.

“Their conversation comes after the deaths of Indian sailors in the Gulf of Oman dealt a blow to hopes for reviving bilateral relations.”

Trivedi cautioned against expecting major breakthroughs.

“Expectations should be modest and centered around Trump and Modi reaffirming the importance of each other to longstanding shared interests in energy, defense, and technology cooperation,” he said.

“A positive statement recognizing the significance of an interim trade agreement and urging negotiators to reach a deal in the next month or two should also be achievable.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump and Modi exchanged greetings on the sidelines of a G7 outreach session on “Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity”.

The two leaders shook hands and held a brief conversation before joining discussions attended by G7 countries, partner nations, the World Bank and the African Development Bank.

Upon arriving in Evian, Modi said he looked forward to engaging with world leaders on major global issues.