National News
PM Modi To Visit Egypt While Returning From US, Talks Likely To Boost Cooperation In Security And Renewable Energy: Report
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Egypt this month, following his trip to the United States, to strengthen collaboration in various areas, including security and renewable energy. The visit aims to build upon the positive outcomes of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s visit to India earlier this year. The visit is set to be brief, with the Prime Minister travelling to Egypt immediately after concluding his state visit to the US on June 24, stated a report.
Background
President El-Sisi’s participation as the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in January marked a significant milestone in the bilateral relationship. Although Egypt and India have shared a close bond since their joint involvement in the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961, this was the first time an Egyptian leader had been hosted for the Republic Day celebrations.
Despite President El-Sisi’s multiple visits to India, a reciprocal high-level visit from the Indian side had been pending since 2020 when a planned visit was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cooperation in Key Areas
Defense, Security, and Renewable Energy:
Cooperation in defense and security, along with a focus on renewable energy, particularly green hydrogen, are pivotal aspects of the bilateral relationship.
Both countries signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance defense cooperation last year, facilitating joint exercises. Egypt has expressed interest in procuring 70 fighter jets, including India’s indigenous light combat aircraft, Tejas.
Additionally, Egypt has established agreements with Indian firms, aiming to invest over $21 billion in green hydrogen production.
Inter-Faith Dialogue and Combating Extremism
Promoting inter-faith dialogue and addressing issues like radicalization and extremism have been integral to the bilateral engagement. In May, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam, visited India and held productive meetings with religious leaders, emphasizing the shared commitment to fostering peace and harmony.
National News
Woman MP complains to RS chairman against Rahul’s ‘misbehaviour’ during Parliament scuffle
New Delhi, Dec 19: Amidst the ugly scuffle followed by heated exchanges outside the Parliament complex, a BJP woman Parliamentarian has made startling and explosive charges against the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
Phangnon Konyak, the woman Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland, filed a complaint with the Rajya Sabha Chairman on Thursday, claiming that her dignity and self-esteem have been deeply hurt because of the ‘behaviour and conduct’ of Rahul Gandhi.
She claimed that the Congress MP along with party members misbehaved with her and also made her ‘uncomfortable’ while she was protesting against the insult meted out to Babasaheb Ambedkar by the grand old party.
“He misbehaved with me in a loud voice and his physical proximity to me was so close that I, being a lady member, felt extremely uncomfortable,” she said.
“I stepped aside with a heavy heart and felt that no Member of Parliament should behave this way,” she added.
Konyak, also the state President of BJP Mahila Morcha in Nagaland, said that the incident happened while she was protesting against Congress’ ‘ill-treatment’ of BR Ambedkar at Makar Dwaar, the main entrance of Parliament building.
“The Security Personnel had cordoned off the area and created a passage to the entrance for Hon’ble MP’s of other parties. Suddenly, Leader of Opposition, Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji along with other Party Members came in front of me despite there being a passage created for them,” she wrote in her complaint.
Earlier, the penultimate day of the Winter Session was marred by a huge controversy as a scuffle broke out between BJP and INDIA bloc MPs over insult and affront to the legacy of the country’s greatest Dalit icon. Two BJP MPs said that they suffered injuries after Rahul pushed a fellow lawmaker. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge also claimed assault by the BJP Parliamentarians, saying that his “knees were hurt”.
Rahul Gandhi has rejected all the allegations and counter-charged that it was he who got shoved by the ruling party MPs.
National News
Ambedkar row: Lalu Prasad seeks HM Shah’s resignation
Patna, Dec 19: Lalu Prasad Yadav, the National President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has sharply criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over a recent statement concerning Dr. BR Ambedkar.
During an interaction with the media in Patna, Lalu Yadav accused HM and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of harbouring animosity toward Dr. Ambedkar, a key architect of the Indian Constitution and a symbol of social justice.
Expressing his strong disapproval, Lalu Yadav stated: “Amit Shah and BJP leaders have hatred for Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar. The statement of Amit Shah is an example of this. I strongly condemn his statement. He should resign from the post and leave politics.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Yadav accused the BJP and its ideological affiliates of consistently disrespecting Dr Ambedkar and his legacy.
In a scathing statement, Yadav said, “The genetic children of Golwalkar have always disrespected our idol, Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Followers of the book ‘Bunch of Thoughts’ can never truly embrace the ideas of Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution. Their hatred for him is evident not only in their words but also in their body language.”
He went further to allege that BJP leaders harbour deep-rooted biases.
“Social inequality, untouchability, discrimination, and hatred towards Dalits and marginalised communities are ingrained in the blood of Sanghi BJP leaders. Their disdain for the Constitution and its principles is clear. “True followers of Baba Saheb Ambedkar do not associate with the BJP. Anyone who supports the BJP after such insults to Ambedkar is effectively endorsing and worshiping Golwalkar’s ideology and has become a staunch bootlicker of BJP leaders,” Yadav said.
Following the statement of Lalu Prasad Yadav, the leaders from the ruling alliance, including the JD(U) and BJP, have voiced strong objections to his comments, dismissing them as baseless and questioning his credibility.
Neeraj Kumar, JD(U) MLC criticised Lalu Prasad Yadav’s remarks, stating, “He lacks credibility as the Election Commission has declared him ineligible to contest elections. The public no longer takes Lalu’s statements seriously. Lalu Prasad should answer why a memorial for Ambedkar has not been established, while one exists for Sanjay Gandhi. Lalu’s family amassed assets worth ₹478 crore in Patna and now they are doing hypocrisy.”
BJP leader Arvind Kumar Singh defended HM Amit Shah, asserting that his statements exposed the Opposition’s historical sidelining of Dr. Ambedkar, causing discomfort among them.
Crime
RG Kar rape-murder: Victim’s parents approach Calcutta HC seeking fresh probe
Kolkata, Dec 19: Not satisfied with the current course of investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata in August this year, the parents of the victim on Thursday approached the Calcutta High Court seeking a court direction for initiating a fresh probe into the matter.
The victim’s parents have claimed that they do not have any faith in the course of the current investigation by the central agency in the matter and hence they want a fresh investigation from the beginning in the matter.
The parents have moved the single-judge Bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh with their petition in the matter.
Justice Ghosh has admitted the petition and the matter might come up for hearing next week.
According to the parents, since the trial process in the matter has already started and the statements of the witnesses are being recorded, unless the Calcutta High Court intervenes in the matter right now, there might be possibilities of the probe going in the wrong direction.
Since the time a special court in Kolkata last week granted “default bail” to two individuals accused of tampering with the evidence since the CBI was unable to file a supplementary charge sheet against them within 90 days from the day of their arrest, the victim’s parents as well as the representatives of the state’s medical fraternity had been accusing the CBI of gross incompetence in the matter.
Those two accused persons were the former principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal. Ghosh is still behind bars because of the pending parallel probe by the CBI against him in the case of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar, while Mondal is already out on bail.
The CBI so far has filed only one charge sheet in the case were civic volunteer Sanjay Roy had been identified as the “sole prime accused” in the rape and murder.
Recently, the victim’s parents have also changed their counsel representing them at the Supreme Court of India.
West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, an umbrella of the body of the junior doctors in the state spearheading the movement on this issue, has already threatened to resume their protests which they withdrew earlier keeping the larger public interest in mind.
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