Mumbai: Samajwadi Party National President MP Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear that not only Muslims have faced problems due to ISR, but Hindus in Uttar Pradesh have also been forced to stand in queues. Hindus are also facing problems due to SIR. The Chief Minister was also alarmed by this and said that 4 crore votes were cut from us. Those who were looking for papers of Muslims, now they have put all Hindu brothers in the queue. Hindu brothers are looking for papers. It is not the opposition that is worried about SIR in UP, but the ruling parties are worried. Fake votes were cast. The Election Commission was silent in the by-elections, and its impartiality and honesty were also questioned. Akhilesh Yadav said that the opposition has no problems due to SIR. He was addressing a summit here in Mumbai. He also predicted and claimed that Mamata Banerjee will return to West Bengal once again. Maharashtra Samajwadi Party State President Abu Asim Azmi was also present in this press conference. Akhilesh Yadav has also strongly criticized the Election Commission and the UP government and has also raised questions about the government’s methods and communalism.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Saturday removed the red and blue flashing lights installed on the official vehicle of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and the escort vehicle accompanying her, after a controversy erupted over whether the use of such lights was authorised.

The matter gained traction over the past few days following social media posts and a formal complaint by an RTI activist, which questioned whether the installation of police style lights violated rules introduced to curb VIP culture.

The controversy first came to public attention on March 11 when an X user with the handle posted a photograph of the mayor’s official car showing red and blue flashing lights mounted on the vehicle.

The post questioned whether the mayor had permission to use lights resembling those installed on police vehicles. The images quickly circulated on social media and triggered debate about whether the installation was in line with existing regulations.

Two days later, RTI activist Anil Galgali formally raised the issue with the mayor. In a letter dated March 13, he objected to what he described as the unauthorised use of flashing lights on official vehicles.

In his communication, Galgali stated that such lights had been installed on both the mayor’s car and the escort vehicle accompanying it.

He pointed out that the Central Government had already restricted the use of flashing lights to specific emergency services and urged authorities to treat the matter seriously and take immediate action.

The escort vehicle, a Scorpio, was reportedly used by the mayor’s personal assistants and protocol officer and was also seen carrying similar flashing lights.

Responding to the controversy, Mayor Ritu Tawde said she had no interest in using a beacon on her vehicle and described the incident as an administrative oversight.

“As mayor, I have no interest in a red beacon car. This is a mistake of the administration. While providing an official vehicle to the mayor, the administration should have checked what was permissible,” she said.

Tawde added that she simply used the official vehicle allotted to her and said the responsibility of ensuring compliance with regulations lay with the civic administration.

She also indicated that she was not particularly concerned about the criticism coming from the opposition.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also addressed the issue and said the mayor should not be held responsible for the controversy.

According to him, inquiries revealed that the light was mounted on the bonnet of the vehicle rather than on the roof.

He reiterated that the government’s earlier decision clearly prohibits the use of red beacons on official vehicles and said the mayor was aware of these rules. Fadnavis added that targeting her over the issue was not justified.

The episode drew political reactions as well. Leader of the Opposition and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar criticised the development, stating that it went against the Centre’s move to eliminate VIP culture.

She questioned whether the mayor considered herself above the rules introduced by the central government and pointed out that the use of red beacons had been banned in 2017.

Under the decision implemented from May 1, 2017, the Central Government prohibited the display of red beacons, insignia and similar symbols on government vehicles, except for authorised emergency services.

Following that order, the red beacon had earlier been removed from the mayor’s official vehicle during the tenure of then mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar.

Meanwhile, UBT MLC Milind Narvekar also commented on the issue on social media, questioning whether the controversy was an attempt to target the newly elected mayor.

Washington, March 15: US President Donald Trump has rejected a potential deal with Iran to end the ongoing conflict, saying the proposed terms were “not good enough yet”, even as he called on countries around the world to deploy naval forces to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and keep global oil shipments moving.

In a wide-ranging telephone interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump said Iran had signalled interest in negotiations but insisted Washington would not rush into a ceasefire agreement while the war continues.

“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet,” Trump said in the interview.

Asked what the terms of a possible agreement would include, the president declined to elaborate. “I don’t want to say that to you,” he said, though he suggested that abandoning nuclear ambitions would likely be central to any deal.

The remarks came as the war between the US, Israel, and Iran entered its third week, with fighting spreading across the Middle East and global energy markets shaken by tensions around the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said the US is urging countries affected by disruptions to oil shipments to help secure the strategic waterway.

“They’ve not only committed, but they think it’s a great idea,” Trump said when asked about possible international participation.

Earlier in the day, Trump also appealed publicly for a multinational effort to protect the route.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote that “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe.”

He added that he hoped nations including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK would deploy naval vessels to the area.

The Strait of Hormuz is widely regarded as the world’s most critical oil shipping lane, carrying a large share of global crude exports.

The president also confirmed in the NBC interview that US forces had carried out strikes on Kharg Island, a strategic Iranian oil export hub.

“We totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun,” Trump said.

However, he said US forces had deliberately avoided destroying key energy infrastructure on the island.

“Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines, because having to rebuild that would take years,” he added.

The fighting has already taken a toll on US forces. According to reporting by The New York Times, six American service members died this week when a US Air Force refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq while supporting operations linked to the war.

The crash brought the total number of American service members killed in the conflict to at least 13.

The conflict has also spilled across the region.

According to The Washington Post, the US Embassy compound in Baghdad was struck in an attack early Saturday. Air raid sirens sounded, and smoke was seen rising from inside the diplomatic compound after an explosion damaged a structure on the roof.

The embassy warned Americans not to approach the facility because of security risks.

Iran-aligned militias have carried out multiple attacks across Iraq in recent days, targeting diplomatic facilities, infrastructure, and locations linked to the US and its allies, according to reporting by The New York Times.

Iran has also continued missile and drone attacks across the Gulf region. The governments in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain reported intercepting numerous drones and missiles during the latest wave of strikes.

Despite rising tensions and surging oil prices, Trump dismissed concerns that higher gasoline prices could hurt his political standing.

“I think they’ll go lower than they were before, and I had them at record lows,” Trump said, predicting prices would fall once the war ends.

“I’m not concerned at all,” he added. “The only thing I want to do is make sure that Iran can never be the bully of the Middle East again.”

The war began after the US and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28, targeting military infrastructure and facilities linked to Tehran’s missile and drone programmes.

Since then, the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as the central geopolitical flashpoint in the conflict. Iran has threatened to block tanker traffic through the narrow passage, raising fears of a major global energy shock and prompting the US and its allies to consider naval operations to keep the route open.