Washington, Oct 16: A long-awaited trade agreement between India and the United States is almost complete, with only one or two per cent of negotiations remaining, a senior US official said, signalling that the two countries are approaching a breakthrough after months of high-level discussions.

The official said the biggest issues had already been resolved and that negotiations were continuing at the highest political levels, including between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The biggest items have been settled. I mean …., it’s pretty much done. We have that one, one or two per cent left,” the official told reporters during a State Department briefing on Friday.

The remarks came ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s scheduled visit to India, where he will hold discussions with Indian government officials and leading business executives in Mumbai and Jamnagar.

The official said the two governments remained in constant contact over the proposed agreement.

“We are actively engaged every single week,” the official said, adding that high-level discussions on the trade deal were taking place regularly.

The official cited recent diplomatic engagements involving US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and conversations between Trump and PM Modi as evidence of the momentum behind the negotiations.

However, the official also identified a significant complication that had delayed the agreement.

An earlier understanding had been linked to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, but the legal framework had to be reconsidered after the law was struck down, according to the official.

The development forced negotiators to revisit elements of the proposed agreement and contributed to several additional months of discussions.

Despite those complications, the official expressed optimism that the remaining differences could be resolved soon.

Rubio is scheduled to travel first to Uzbekistan for meetings with Central Asian leaders before proceeding to India.

In Mumbai, he will meet Indian government counterparts and senior executives from some of the country’s largest companies.

The official said the decision to visit Mumbai rather than New Delhi reflected the administration’s growing emphasis on commercial diplomacy and Indian investment in the United States.

Rubio will also travel to Jamnagar.

The official said Washington was seeking closer engagement with India across information technology, pharmaceuticals, defence cooperation and other sectors.

Further visits by senior American Cabinet officials are also anticipated next year as both governments seek to expand bilateral engagement.

New Delhi, Oct 16: Amid dramatic scenes, detentions by law enforcers and a congregation of Tricolour-waving people in Connaught Place to support the CJP’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march, the Delhi Police on Friday circulated on social media a list of rules related to respecting the national flag.

In a post on social media, the police cautioned people against disrespecting the Tricolour while waving it to express patriotism.

The Delhi Police said on X, “Our Tricolour deserves the highest respect. Let patriotism reflect in every gesture. Respect the Flag. Uphold the Pride.”

Within hours of detaining Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke for giving a call for an unauthorised march, the police took to social media and circulated a list of 12 rules culled out from the Flag Code of India.

The police cautioned people against disrespecting the tricolour – an offence that invites imprisonment of up to three years with a fine.

Circulating the rules, the police reminded citizens that the “Flag shall not be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or floor, or trail in water; it shall not be used to cover a speaker’s desk, nor draped over a speaker’s platform; it shall not be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of any vehicle, train, boat or aircraft or used as a covering for a building”.

While the CJP’s proposed venue for the Tiranga march – Central Park in Connaught Place (CP) – remained out of bounds on Friday evening, many people gathered around the circular Central Park, on roads converging at the central Delhi park and gates of Rajiv Chowk Metro station till after sunset.

Left student leader Neha Bora and some of her All India Students’ Association supporters were detained and ferried away by the police, while other small groups of slogan shouters were detained from Barakhamba Road and other spots.

Later, Rajya Sabha MP and Communist leader John Brittas marched in Connaught Place with supporters while holding the tricolour in hand.

The police continued to use social media to educate people about the respect to be shown towards the national flag, reminding them about the illegality of intentional display of the flag with ”saffron” down.

In their message on X, the police quoted the rules and said that the tricolour shall not be used as part of any costume or uniform, or embroidered or printed on cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or dress material.

“No lettering of any kind shall be placed on the National Flag, and the Flag shall not be used as a receptacle for receiving, delivering, holding or carrying anything, except flower petals placed inside before it is unfurled on special occasions and National Days,” reminded the Delhi Police on X.

According to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, a person who brings into contempt the Indian National Flag shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with a fine, or with both.

Earlier, Dipke was detained after being served two notices by the Delhi Police, urging him to refrain from staging the gathering at Connaught Place, as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has not given permission for it and prohibitory orders are in place at the proposed venue.

According to officials, one of the notices was issued on behalf of the New Delhi district authorities under the Delhi Police Act, instructing individuals not to visit Central Park, as Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) is currently in force.

A second notice was issued to Dipke by the South West Delhi authorities, reminding him that he, along with CJP co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were previously ‘bound down’ (placed under a legal undertaking) following their preventive detention at the airport and subsequent production before a court.

New Delhi, Oct 16: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the alleged assault and inhuman treatment of a married woman by her husband and family members in Gujarat Surendranagar district. In a separate matter, the NHRC has also taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the alleged contamination of borewell water in Maharashtra Nashik district.

Observing that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights, the apex human rights body has issued notices to the Surendranagar District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.

The NHRC said the report is expected to include the current health status of the victim and details of any compensation paid to her.

According to the media report, the woman and the man she was living with, were allegedly tracked down by the husband and family members of the woman. They were enraged over her living with the man.

They brought them both back to Surendranagar under the pretext of conducting a “purification ritual”.

The woman was allegedly beaten with sticks, kicked and tied to a tree. The accused also allegedly forced the man accompanying her to rape her.

The incident reportedly came to light after a video of the alleged assault was circulated on social media.

In another matter, the NHRC has also taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the alleged contamination of borewell water in Dattanagar locality near the Ambad Industrial Area in Maharashtra’s Nashik district due to the seepage of chemical-laden factory effluents.

The apex human rights body has issued a notice to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary, seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.

It has also sought comments from the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board.

The NHRC observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights.

According to the media report, carried on October 7, residents of Dattanagar have allegedly been receiving contaminated borewell water for the past two months due to the seepage of chemical-laden effluents allegedly discharged from factories in the adjoining industrial area.

The report stated that children had been advised not to attend schools, while doctors had advised women in the locality to avoid pregnancy.

The residents are reportedly spending around Rs 5,000 per month on purchasing clean drinking water, besides incurring substantial expenses on medical treatment.