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Tag: Anurag Srivastava

  • UN panel’s conclusions on Michel based mostly on restricted info, biased allegations: MEA

    Rejecting the opinion of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention calling for instant launch of AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case accused British nationwide Christian Michel, India on Friday mentioned the conclusions drawn by the UN panel are based mostly on restricted info, biased allegations and an inaccurate understanding of its legal justice system.
    India additionally made it clear that the Working Group will not be a judicial physique, and due to this fact, its opinions are usually not legally binding on the member states.
    AFP on Thursday reported that the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) discovered that Michel, who has been held in India since December 2018 after being extradited from the United Arab Emirates, was being “detained arbitrarily”.
    Responding to queries over the report, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava mentioned, “We have seen selective leaks of the opinion of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concerning the case of Mr. Christian James Michel, even before its official release.”
    “At the outset we would like to make it clear that the Working Group is not a judicial body, and therefore, its opinions are not legally binding on the Member States,” he mentioned.
    Srivastava mentioned the Indian authorities supplied well timed info on this difficulty to the Working Group in June 2020, at their request.
    “We regret that the conclusions drawn by the Working Group are based on limited information, biased allegations from an unidentified source and on an inaccurate understanding of India’s criminal justice system,” he asserted.
    The extradition was finished solely in accordance with the provisions of the extradition treaty signed between two sovereign states, Srivastava mentioned, including that the arrest and subsequent custody had been finished as per the due technique of regulation and can’t be thought of arbitrary on any grounds.
    “At no time was the accused denied his rights to legal counsel or a fair hearing. The fact that he has been able to approach courts on multiple occasions including the higher judiciary is itself proof of this,” the MEA Spokesperson mentioned.
    There have additionally been no restrictions on consular entry by the authorities, he asserted.
    Michel has been handled on par with different detainees and supplied all services by the jail authorities as per guidelines, Srivastava mentioned.
    The Working Group must be conscious that India has a strong grievance redressal mechanisms in opposition to allegations of violations of human rights in a vibrant and impartial judiciary and a ‘category A’ National Human Rights Commission compliant with the Paris Principles, he mentioned.

    Srivastava mentioned the allegations which kind the idea of the opinion rendered by the Working Group are opposite to details.
    “The Government of India therefore, rejects the opinion rendered by the Working Group,” he mentioned.
    India, as a accountable member of the Human Rights Council, will proceed to cooperate with the Working Group and supply it with the mandatory info to the extent attainable underneath Indian legal guidelines, to advertise and defend human rights of all, the MEA spokesperson mentioned.

    Michel is an accused within the VVIP chopper rip-off and has been in jail ever since he was introduced on a particular airplane from Dubai after UAE authorities handed him over to the Indian authorities in December 2018.

  • India, China sustaining shut communication on subsequent spherical of navy talks: MEA

    India and China have agreed to carry the subsequent spherical of senior commander-level assembly quickly and either side are sustaining shut communication over diplomatic and navy channels on it, the Ministry of External Affairs stated on Friday.
    Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter border standoff in japanese Ladakh for over eight months as a number of rounds of diplomatic and navy talks haven’t but produced any main breakthrough.
    “Both sides have agreed to hold the next round of the senior commander level meeting soon and we are in close communication over diplomatic and military channels in this regard,” Spokesperson within the ministry Anurag Srivastava stated.
    He was replying to a query on the subsequent spherical of navy talks at a media briefing.
    The eighth and final spherical of navy talks between the 2 sides had taken place on November 6 throughout which either side broadly mentioned disengagement of troops from particular friction factors.
    India has all alongside been sustaining that the onus is on China to hold ahead the method of disengagement and de-escalation on the friction factors within the mountainous area.
    In a transparent message to China, Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane final week stated India is dedicated to resolve the japanese Ladakh standoff by talks however nobody ought to make any mistake of testing its persistence.

    Following the sixth spherical of navy talks, the 2 sides had introduced a slew of choices together with to not ship extra troops to the frontline, chorus from unilaterally altering the state of affairs on the bottom and keep away from taking any actions which will additional complicate issues.
    This spherical was held with a selected agenda of exploring methods to implement a five-point settlement reached between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a gathering in Moscow on September 10 final 12 months on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO) conclave.
    The pact included measures like fast disengagement of troops, avoiding motion that would escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border administration and steps to revive peace alongside the LAC.

  • India requires pressing help for 39 Indian sailors on board two ships in Chinese waters

    India on Friday referred to as for “urgent, practical and time-bound” help to 39 stranded Indian sailors on board two ships in Chinese waters contemplating the “grave” humanitarian scenario creating within the vessels.
    Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava stated Indian bulk cargo vessel MV Jag Anand has been on anchorage close to Jingtang port in Hebei province of China since June 13 and it has 23 Indian sailors.
    Another vessel, MV Anastasia, with 16 Indian nationals as its crew is on anchorage close to Caofeidian port in China since September 20, he stated.
    Srivastava stated each these vessels have been ready for discharge of their cargo and there’s a rising stress on the crew members on account of the lengthy delay.
    “Given this and our concern for the increasingly difficult conditions for our crew members, these two cases are being pursued vigorously,” he stated responding to a media question on the matter.
    Srivastava stated the Indian Embassy in Beijing continued to stay in shut and steady contact with the Chinese authorities in Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin, including the MEA can also be following up on the matter by the Chinese Embassy right here for “an early resolution”.
    “We have noted the statements of the Chinese side, expressing their willingness to extend their assistance in this matter. We expect that this assistance will be provided in an urgent, practical and time-bound manner, given the grave humanitarian situation that is developing on board the ships,” Srivastava stated.
    He stated the Indian Embassy has repeatedly taken up the difficulty with each the Chinese ministry of overseas affairs and the native provincial authorities, requesting that the ships be allowed to dock and/or the crew be allowed to be modified.
    “They have been following up this matter for the last few months. The Indian Ambassador has personally taken up this issue with the Vice Foreign Minister. The Ministry has also been following this issue with the Chinese Embassy,” Srivastava stated.
    He stated the Chinese authorities have conveyed that on account of varied COVID-19-related restrictions imposed by the native authorities, change of crew shouldn’t be being permitted from these ports.
    “While the shipping companies are examining the logistics of sailing the ships away from their current points of anchorage, our embassy is liaising with relevant authorities in Tianjin for berthing approvals to facilitate the crew change,” Srivastava stated.

    He stated the delivery firms have been requested to make sure that they submit their plans for crew change on the earliest for approvals by the native Chinese authorities.
    “We also understand that MV Anastasia is exploring the possibility of a crew change at sea at its current point of anchorage in Caofeidian. Our Embassy has yesterday written to Chinese authorities proposing this alternative and sought approval for the same,” he stated.

  • India seeks ‘urgent, time-bound’ help for 39 sailor caught in Chinese waters

    India on Friday referred to as for “urgent, practical and time-bound” help to 39 stranded Indian sailors on board two ships in Chinese waters contemplating the “grave” humanitarian state of affairs creating within the vessels. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava mentioned Indian bulk cargo vessel MV Jag Anand has been on anchorage close to Jingtang port in Hebei province of China since June 13 and it has 23 Indian sailors. Another vessel, MV Anastasia, with 16 Indian nationals as its crew is on anchorage close to Caofeidian port in China since September 20, he mentioned. Srivastava mentioned each these vessels have been ready for discharge of their cargo and there’s a rising stress on the crew members on account of the lengthy delay. “Given this and our concern for the increasingly difficult conditions for our crew members, these two cases are being pursued vigorously,” he mentioned responding to a media question on the matter. Srivastava mentioned the Indian Embassy in Beijing continued to stay in shut and steady contact with the Chinese authorities in Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin, including the MEA can also be following up on the matter by means of the Chinese Embassy right here for “an early resolution”. “We have noted the statements of the Chinese side, expressing their willingness to extend their assistance in this matter. We expect that this assistance will be provided in an urgent, practical and time-bound manner, given the grave humanitarian situation that is developing on board the ships,” Srivastava mentioned. He mentioned the Indian Embassy has repeatedly taken up the problem with each the Chinese ministry of overseas affairs and the native provincial authorities, requesting that the ships be allowed to dock and/or the crew be allowed to be modified. “They have been following up this matter for the last few months. The Indian Ambassador has personally taken up this issue with the Vice Foreign Minister. The Ministry has also been following this issue with the Chinese Embassy,” Srivastava mentioned. He mentioned the Chinese authorities have conveyed that on account of assorted COVID-19-related restrictions imposed by the native authorities, change of crew will not be being permitted from these ports. “While the shipping companies are examining the logistics of sailing the ships away from their current points of anchorage, our embassy is liaising with relevant authorities in Tianjin for berthing approvals to facilitate the crew change,” Srivastava mentioned. He mentioned the delivery firms have been requested to make sure that they submit their plans for crew change on the earliest for approvals by the native Chinese authorities. “We also understand that MV Anastasia is exploring the possibility of a crew change at sea at its current point of anchorage in Caofeidian. Our Embassy has yesterday written to Chinese authorities proposing this alternative and sought approval for the same,” he mentioned. PTI MPB SMN

  • India slams Trudeau’s ‘ill-informed’ comments, asks Canada not to misrepresent diplomatic talks for political purpose

    India on Tuesday reacted sharply to the “ill-informed” comments by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on farmers’ protests in India and said the remarks are “unwarranted” especially when pertaining to internal affairs of a democratic country.

    In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said it is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes. Srivastava’s remarks come after Trudeau expressed concern about the ongoing farmers’ protest in India against three farm laws and said Ottawa has reached out to the Indian authorities to highlight the same.

    Speaking during a Facebook video interaction organised by Canadian MP Bardish Chagger to mark Gurupurab or the 551st birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, Trudeau on Monday (local time) said Canada will always be there to defend the right of peaceful protest.In response to a media query on comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India, Srivastava said: “We have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country. It is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes.”

  • Modi-Biden call will happen in ‘due course’: External affairs ministry

    A telephone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US president-elect Joe Biden will happen “in due course” at a mutually convenient time, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday.

    Statements issued by Biden’s transition team over the past two days said the president-elect had so far spoken on the phone with the leaders of France, Germany, Ireland, the UK, Australia, Japan and South Korea.

    Responding to a question at the weekly news briefing on a call between Modi and Biden, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said it would “happen in due course at a mutually convenient time”.

    He noted that the Prime Minister had congratulated Biden through a tweet on November 8 and also appreciated the president-elect’s contribution to strengthening India-US relations in his former capacity as vice president.

    Modi had also conveyed that he “looks forward to working with [Biden] to take India-US relations to greater heights”, Srivastava said.

    Srivastava said the foundation of the India-US relationship is strong and the comprehensive global strategic partnership between the two countries has bipartisan support from the Republican and Democratic parties in the US. “It has also been seen that every successive US president and administration has raised the status of these relations,” he said.

    Modi had tweeted separate congratulatory messages to Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris, the first woman and the first Indian American person to be elected to the position.

  • PM Modi To Join 1st Virtual SCO Summit With China & Pakistan Leaders Amid Border Standoff

    This is the first time that the annual meeting of the SCO is being held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Russia, the current chair of SCO, has organized most of the grouping’s meetings virtually this year, except for the meetings of foreign ministers and defense ministers that were held in Moscow in September. Meanwhile, this SCO Summit is being held against the backdrop of the India-China border standoff. It will be the first time that PM Modi and the Chinese President Xi Jinping will share a platform since border stand-off between the Indian and Chinese troops in May. The two countries have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks over border tensions. President Vladimir Putin will chair Tuesday’s virtual meeting and the heads of state of the eight SCO members – Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – will speak for 10 minutes. The heads of state of four observer countries – Iran, Afghanistan, Belarus and Mongolia – will join the meet, and the SCO secretary general and executive director of the SCO’s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) will also address the gathering. Last week during a weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that India will host a summit of the council of heads of government of the SCO on November 30 in the virtual format in which prime ministers of the member countries will participate. Modi, who has led the Indian delegation to the annual summit since India became a full member of SCO in 2017, had outlined his vision with the acronym HEALTH – stating healthcare cooperation, economic cooperation, alternative energy, literature and culture, terrorism-free society and humanitarian cooperation – at last year’s summit in Bishkek.

    The SCO Summit is the grouping’s main body that sets the agenda and main directions for the next year. The meeting is expected to focus on all the main areas of activity, including politics, security, trade and economy, and it will conclude with the adoption of the Moscow Declaration containing the joint position of the members on global and regional issues.

    There will also be statements on issues such as digital economy, Covid-19, countering terrorism, including on the internet, and countering drug trafficking. The summit is also expected to make decisions on major projects and trade and economic initiatives.

  • Jharkhand BJP chief charged with sedition after comment on Hemant Soren govt and all the latest news

    Here are today’s top news, analysis, and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times

    A day after the Jharkhand police booked state BJP president Deepak Prakash for sedition and other charges, the leader on Sunday challenged the government to arrest him, stressing that he will not retract from his stand.Two days back in Dumka, Prakash had said that the incumbent government, led by Hemant Soren, would be unseated within two months and the next government would have a BJP chief minister.

    India on Sunday rejected Pakistan’s move of granting provisional-provincial status to Gilgit-Baltistan. In a strongly worded reply, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs Anurag Srivastava said “the area of so-called Gilgit-Baltistan” are an integral part of India.

    Citing the robust Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections for two months in a row, finance secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey stressed that the Indian economy is on the rapid recovery path. The finance secretary stressed that the government is quite open and as and when any intervention or stimulus is needed, it will be done.