Mumbai, April 25: In a major relief for stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, the Bombay High Court on Friday granted him protection from arrest in connection with an FIR lodged over his satirical video and his controversial “gaddar” (traitor) remark aimed at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The court directed the Mumbai Police not to take any coercive action against Kamra, who is currently residing in Chennai.

The FIR had been filed following the circulation of a video in which Kamra allegedly mocked Shinde and referred to him as a “gaddar,” sparking outrage among the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) supporters.

While restraining the police from arresting the comedian, the court, however, allowed investigators to proceed with their inquiry.

It permitted the Mumbai Police to travel to Chennai to question Kamra, with the assistance of the local police.

The court said if the police file a charge sheet, the trial court should not proceed till the High Court decides the quashing petition filed by Kamra.

Kamra had filed a plea before the High Court seeking to quash the FIR filed against him.

Earlier on April 16, the High Court had granted him interim bail, which has now been made regular.

The FIR was filed at Khar police station following a complaint by Shiv Sena legislator Muraji Patel after Kamra, during a performance of his stand-up show Naya Bharat, allegedly referred to Shinde as a ‘gaddar’.

Kamra was initially granted interim anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court before he moved the Bombay High Court to seek quashing of the FIR and grant of regular bail.

The remark was purported as a reference to Shinde’s political defection from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to join hands with the BJP, which led to a dramatic split in the party and the rise of a new ruling coalition MahaYuti.

Mumbai, April 25: Shiv Sena(UBT) in its mouthpiece Saamana on Friday said that the government should take quick action in the national interest in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, and not engage in a campaign, indirectly mentioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Bihar.

The editorial read: “The Pahalgam attack is inhumane, but blaming this case on Hindu-Muslim conflict is even more inhumane. Our fight is with Pakistan and terrorist groups. If anyone wants to defame Indian Muslims and Kashmiri people, then it indicates that they do not want to solve the country’s problems and want to politicise Pahalgam like Pulwama.”

It slammed the BJP’s IT cell, saying that “While all the tourists are saying that locals helped the tourists stranded in and around Pahalgam, it is shocking that the BJP’s ‘IT’ cell is trying to divide Hindus and Muslims in this incident as well. The attack in Pahalgam was not only on tourists, it was on us. The Kashmiri people have expressed their human feelings that we were hurt in it, which should be taken into account. Our fight is with Pakistan and terrorist groups.”

“The country has not yet recovered from the shock of the Pahalgam terror attack. Twenty-five lakh tourists from all over the country reached Kashmir due to the propaganda that we have ended terrorism in Kashmir, and this happened without incident. There is a public outcry that every drop of blood and tears shed in Kashmir should be avenged, that justice should be done to Pakistan. Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are giving the impression that the Pahalgam incident should not be politicised. Since the Pahalgam attack took place, they have started saying that the issue should not be politicised. If these groups had followed the path of not politicising a tragic incident in the last ten years, there would not have been time to make such pleas today. The Pahalgam attack is inhumane, brutal and it must be avenged, but what does it mean to avenge? asked the Shiv Sena(UBT).

“The country is facing a real threat from those who think that by voting for the BJP in the elections, making Modi the Prime Minister, and only by doing so, ‘revenge’ will be completed, and that the Pakistanis will hide in the pit. Revenge is to be taken from Pakistan and the terrorists. Will the revenge of Pahalgam be completed by challenging the Muslims of the country and attacking their mosques and madrasas? Some people are tempted to do so. The fight is against Pakistan, not against the patriotic Muslims who are Indian citizens,” said the editorial.

“After the Uri and Pulwama terror attacks, there were speeches, ‘we will take revenge, we will make amends’. There were knee-jerk reactions in Parliament and public meetings. As revenge for Uri, a ‘surgical strike’ was carried out on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. At that time, it was said that the backs of Pakistan and terrorists had been broken and the Pakistanis made amends, but that did not happen,” claimed the editorial.

The Shiv Sena(UBT) in the editorial recalled that Indira Gandhi in 1971 defeated Pakistan and divided it into two parts. Still, the tail of the Pakistanis remained crooked. What exactly is the PM Modi government going to do now? The government should take action, not merely do a campaign,” said the editorial targeting the BJP-led government at the Centre.

“PM Modi is shaken by the Pahalgam attack and returned after cutting short his visit to Saudi Arabia. Rahul Gandhi is returning after cancelling his US visit. It is usual for the government to call an all-party meeting after the ‘Pahalgam’ attack. What will a government that always suppresses the voice of the opposition and is not ready to discuss any issue in Parliament, from Kashmir to Manipur, do by calling an all-party meeting? The country’s Home Minister is not serious about national security, as he has failed to protect the lives of the people. Home Minister’s removal is an all-party demand. If the government is not going to consider that demand, then why is there any need for meetings? ” asked the Shiv Sena(UBT) in the editorial.

Upping the criticism against the BJP-led government at the Centre, the editorial said: “It has been a long time since Article 370 was abrogated, but the government will not answer what it achieved by removing the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir. The government has made huge cuts in the Army and reduced financial provisions for the Defence Department. This game is dangerous. It did not provide aircraft to the army units in Pulwama and left the safety of thousands of tourists in Pahalgam hanging in the wind. Now that the attack happened and the people are angry after innocent people were killed, the government is running around.”

New Delhi, April 24: India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) is not only morally justified in light of continuing cross-border terrorism but also legally defensible due to repeated procedural violations by Pakistan, several experts reckoned on Thursday.

The action, they said, is a sovereign right exercised to protect national interest, security, and the integrity of international agreements, which depend on reciprocity and mutual adherence.

“​This step signals that while India has always honoured its international commitments, it will not be taken for granted when the other party – a rogue state like Pakistan – repeatedly breaches the spirit and terms of the agreement,” an analyst opined.

Under the Indus Waters Treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, waters of three rivers – Ravi, Sutlej and Beas – averaging around 33 Million Acre Feet (MAF) were allocated to India for exclusive use. The waters of Western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab – averaging to around 135 MAF were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty.

Last August, India had served a formal notice to Pakistan seeking a review and modification of the IWT citing “fundamental and unforeseen changes in circumstances” that require a reassessment of obligations.

In the notice, India had highlighted that, under Article XII(3) of the IWT, its provision may from time to time be modified by a duly ratified Treaty concluded for that purpose between the two governments.

India’s notification highlighted fundamental and unforeseen changes in circumstances that require a reassessment of obligations under various Articles of the Treaty. Among various concerns, important ones included change in population demographics; environmental issues – need to accelerate development of clean energy to meet India’s emission targets; impact of persistent cross border terrorism, etc.

However, despite India’s repeated warnings, Pakistan was involved in serious violation of treaty protocols.

The eventual suspension of the treaty came only after persistent violations and was triggered further by national security threats, such as Tuesday’s Pahalgam terror attack, which has claimed 26 innocent lives.

The most critical breach occurred in 2016, when Pakistan unilaterally bypassed the treaty’s graded mechanism of dispute resolution outlined under Article IX of the IWT. This article mandates a stepwise escalation — from technical discussions to neutral expert adjudication and finally, if needed, to a Court of Arbitration.

In 2015, Pakistan initially requested a neutral expert to examine technical objections to India’s Kishanganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects. However, it withdrew this request next year and unilaterally approached the Court of Arbitration, violating the agreed dispute-resolution protocol. This deliberate deviation undermined the legal sanctity of the treaty and indicated a pattern of weaponizing legal mechanisms for political ends.

Recognising this breach, India issued a formal notice to Pakistan on January 25, 2023, calling for the modification of the treaty to ensure that the dispute resolution process could no longer be exploited unilaterally. ​By exhausting diplomatic options and adhering to procedural fairness, India demonstrated responsibility and restraint.

​Pakistan has also invoked the treaty’s dispute resolution provisions three times, not always in good faith.

The first instance involved objections to a hydropower project on the Chenab River in India-administered Kashmir. While Pakistan raised concerns that the project could give Indian engineers undue control over river flows, the World Bank-appointed neutral expert ruled in favour of India in 2007, validating the project’s design and sediment management as being in line with international best practices.

India has already set the stage to tighten the noose around Pakistan with several projects.

The Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project on a tributary of the Jhelum was commissioned in 2018 and diverts water from the Kishanganga River to a power plant in the Jhelum basin via a 23 km tunnel.

The Ratle Hydroelectric Project on Chenab was revived in 2021 with an 850 MW capacity as Pakistan raised concerns over potential flow manipulation.

The Tulbul Navigation Project on Jhelum was also never really off the table since the Uri attack in 2016 and can regulate water flow through a navigational lock-cum-control structure.

The Shahpurkandi Dam on Ravi was cleared in 2018 and completed in early 2024. It blocks surplus water from flowing into Pakistan, enhancing irrigation and power generation in India.

Similarly, the Ujh Multipurpose Project on a tributary of the Ravi, which was announced in 2020 is currently in the planning stage, combines storage, irrigation, and hydroelectric goals to cut off water flow to Pakistan.

It clearly shows that the IWT may only be temporarily suspended but the pressure is already building on Pakistan.

These developments clearly indicate a concerted effort by India to leverage water resources as a strategic tool in its geopolitical stance towards Pakistan and can have serious implications for the terror sponsors across the border.

Pakistan relies heavily on the Indus River system for irrigation, with about 80 per cent of its cultivated land – approximately 16 million hectares – depending on these waters. The agricultural sector contributes 23 per cent to Pakistan’s national income and supports 68 per cent of its rural inhabitants. Reduced water availability could lead to lower crop yields, food shortages, and economic instability.

The Indus basin also supplies 154.3 million acre-feet of water annually, which is vital for irrigating extensive agricultural areas and ensuring food security. Pakistan’s water storage capacity is low, with major dams like Mangla and Tarbela having a combined live storage of only about 14.4 MAF, which is just 10 per cent of Pakistan’s annual water share under the treaty. The suspension exacerbates these vulnerabilities by cutting off a guaranteed water supply.

The suspension of the IWT will also have significant economic implications for Pakistan, particularly in the agricultural and industrial sectors. It may also affect the country’s power generation capabilities, as hydropower is a crucial source of electricity.