Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf will be unable to attend the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries in New Delhi next week due to “certain unforeseen circumstances”, the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi stated on Saturday.

The Parliament of India will host the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum on October 26-27 in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.

“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi wishes to inform that, due to certain unforeseen circumstances, H.E. Dr. Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran, will be unable to attend the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries in New Delhi,” read a statement issued by the Iranian Embassy on Saturday.

“It is also emphasised that the parliamentary delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran will participate in the meeting. As one of the members of BRICS, Iran reaffirms its commitment to active and effective participation at the highest levels in the summits and meetings of this grouping,” it added.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the country’s delegation will continue its dialogue and consultations with delegations from BRICS member countries in New Delhi, with a view to expanding and deepening bilateral and multilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of parliamentary relations and cooperation.

“The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran also expresses its sincere appreciation to the Government of the Republic of India for its gracious hospitality and the arrangements made to host this meeting. It wishes the Meeting of Speakers of the Parliaments of BRICS Member Countries every success and hopes that it will yield constructive outcomes towards strengthening cooperation and engagement among member countries,” the statement added.

Several global parliamentary leaders will assemble in New Delhi for the conference being hosted under India’s chairship on the theme of people-centric development.

Earlier this week, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla mentioned that the conference marks a new chapter in the history of India’s parliamentary diplomacy. It will bring together Presiding Officers and parliamentary leaders from BRICS member and partner countries, Union Ministers, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh, Presiding Officers of State Legislatures, Members of Parliament and other dignitaries.

The Lok Sabha Speaker stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would grace the event and meet the leaders of the visiting delegations.

He further stated that the conference would feature bilateral and multilateral interactions with the leaders of visiting delegations and parliamentary friendship groups. A meeting of the Secretaries of the delegations will be held on Monday to finalise the Joint Statement of the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum.

Highlighting the central theme of the programme, he said that the forum would deliberate on the overarching theme of ‘Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development’.

He added that, building on the legacy of the BRICS Parliamentary Forum, the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum would facilitate consensus-based dialogue through four high-level sessions, titled Resilience: The critical role of parliaments in strengthening institutions to ensure a better future; Innovation: Promoting human-centred innovation in artificial intelligence and digital technologies through parliaments; Cooperation: Ensuring a more representative system of global governance through parliamentary cooperation; and, Sustainability: The role of parliaments in ensuring a sustainable and inclusive future for our countries.

Members of the delegations will visit the Parliament of India and also enjoy cultural visits in Delhi.

Necessary safety and security measures have been implemented at the DDA-maintained Aastha Kunj Park, Kalkaji, including deployment of the allotted security personnel, installation of 105 additional lights and CCTV surveillance, an official said on Saturday.

Further strengthening of lighting arrangements is under process, with due consideration to the ecological sensitivity of the Morphological Ridge, said the official on a day when Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the city’s security during a visit to the Delhi Police headquarters.

The new security framework for the park comes against the backdrop of the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park on September 21. Three accused were arrested for the crime.

The incident exposed that Aastha Kunj Park — a 142-acre DDA park with 29 multi-access points — continues to suffer from poor lighting, broken perimeter walls, unmanned or missing gates, and a lack of CCTV coverage inside the premises.

According to a status report on the beefed-up security at the DDA park, all security guards, as per the presently allotted strength, have been deployed in the park. Considering its extensive area of 142.41 acres and 29 gates, regular patrolling is undertaken to ensure security coverage across the park.

Two siren-equipped motorcycles, along with torches and essential safety equipment, are deployed for night patrolling. Surprise night inspections are also conducted by the site in-charge, security supervisor and departmental staff to verify security arrangements and guard deployment, said the status report.

For addressing dark spots in the green zone, all 340 existing lights in the park are presently functional. Further, 105 additional lights have been installed in accordance with the recommendations of the Safety Audit Report, it said.

A joint inspection has been conducted with officials of the electrical department, and the proposal for installation of high-mast lights at suitable identified locations is under process, said the status report.

The official pointed out that augmentation of security facilities is being done while bearing ecological considerations in mind.

“Approximately 99 per cent of the park area falls within the Morphological Ridge. Accordingly, additional illumination in densely vegetated areas is being planned judiciously to avoid disturbance to the natural flora and fauna while ensuring adequate lighting along pathways and visitor-use areas,” said the official.

Other steps taken by the agencies include installation of four CCTV cameras, closure of gates at 9 p.m. and biometric attendance for all security guards, said the official.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, Akhilesh Yadav, has triggered a controversy with his remark that the “most infiltrators in UP are from Uttarakhand”, drawing a sharp response from Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who accused the Kannauj MP of insulting the people of the Himalayan state and recalled the 1994 Rampur Tiraha incident.

The controversy erupted after Yadav made the remarks while responding to questions from reporters in Lucknow on Friday. He was asked about the BJP’s allegations that the Opposition was attempting to protect the votes of infiltrators by raising questions about the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Responding to the allegations, Yadav said, “The people who are saying this themselves are infiltrators… Most infiltrators in UP are from Uttarakhand. One has to define infiltrators… The term infiltrators will not weaken the ‘Hindustaniyat’. They are making efforts to end ‘Hindustaniyat’. They have made a mockery of faith and devotion…”

His remarks drew a strong reaction from Chief Minister Dhami, who took to X to defend the people of Uttarakhand and describe the statement as an insult to the state’s identity, history and sacrifices.

“Uttarakhand is both the Devbhoomi and Veerbhoomi. This sacred soil has given the nation numerous sants, soldiers, and individuals devoted to national service. Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators, is an insult to the pride of the Devbhoomi and to our struggles,” CM Dhami said.

The Uttarakhand Chief Minister also invoked the Rampur Tiraha incident of 1994, when activists demanding a separate Uttarakhand state were fired upon during the tenure of then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

“The people of Uttarakhand also have not forgotten that when Akhilesh Yadav ji’s father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, bullets were fired at the agitators demanding a separate Uttarakhand state at Rampur Tiraha in Muzaffarnagar. Bullets were fired at Uttarakhand’s agitators during the father’s regime, and today the son is calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators! The people of Uttarakhand can never forget their struggles and sacrifices,” he said.

CM Dhami further questioned whether the Congress, which is a political ally of the Samajwadi Party, supported Yadav’s statement.

“Does the Congress support this statement from its political ally, Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji? Is calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators acceptable to the Congress? The Congress must answer the people of this Devbhoomi,” the Chief Minister said.