Latest news with #StandingCommitteeonExternalAffairs
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Experts present their views on India-Bangladesh ties to parliamentary panel
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The Standing Committee on External Affairs met on Friday and heard views of experts on 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'. Chairperson of the panel Shashi Tharoor, MP, later said the committee heard insights of 'four first-class experts'.He said the panel was told that the number of Bangladeshis coming to the country has come down. 'You will see our report in the next few weeks... We didn't discuss (the issue of Bangladeshis living in India). But we were told about a figure that the number of Bangladeshis coming to our country has lessened now,' he said. India-Bangladesh ties have seen some strain in the recent past. India on Thursday condemned the demolition of a Durga temple in Dhaka, criticising the role of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government and projecting it as a case of illegal land use. At a weekly media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, the extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. 'We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka. The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as illegal land use allowing ... and they allowed the destruction of the temple. This has resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted. We are dismayed that such incidents continue to recur in Bangladesh. Let me underline that it is the responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh to protect Hindus, their properties, and religious institutions,' Jaiswal said. The decision of the authorities has been condemned by several minority organisations. Earlier in May, India imposed restrictions on the entry of Bangladeshi ready-made garments (RMG) and other products through its northeastern land ports -- Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram -- and Fulbari and Changrabandha in West Bengal, following controversial remarks by Bangladesh's interim chief advisor Muhammad Yunus. During a speech in China, Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Yunus had described India's northeastern states as a 'landlocked region with no access to the ocean.' This comment has sparked diplomatic friction, with Indian officials viewing it as undermining the region's connectivity and status. The new restrictions has forced Bangladesh to reroute exports -- including Ready-Made garments (RMG), plastics, melamine, furniture, juices, carbonated drinks, bakery items, confectionery, and processed foods -- through Kolkata port in West Bengal or Nhava Sheva port in Maharashtra, increasing logistics costs. (ANI)
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Willing to discuss ongoing issues with Bangladesh: MEA
India is willing to discuss all issues with Bangladesh in a 'conducive' environment, said Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, emphasising that established modalities exist between Dhaka and New Delhi that can deal with a full spectrum of bilateral relations. The remarks came as former diplomats and experts are set to address the Standing Committee on External Affairs to discuss the 'Future of the India-Bangladesh Relationship'. Sources told The Hindu that the experts are former National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon, Lieutenant-General Ata Hasnain (retd), former High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das, and Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Amitabh Mattoo. 'We are prepared to engage with Bangladesh on all matters in an environment that is conducive for mutually beneficial dialogue,' Mr. Jaiswal said on Friday, responding to a question on the renewal of the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty of 1996. Responding to another question about Bangladesh joining trilateral consultations with Pakistan and China on June 19, Mr. Jaiswal said that India maintains a 'constant watch on the developments in our neighbourhood that have a bearing on our interest and our security. Our relations with individual countries, while they stand on their own footing, take into account the evolving context as well'. Mr. Jaiswal's remarks came a day before the parliamentary panel holds a special discussion on Bangladesh with the four experts. According to preliminary preparation documents, the experts are expected to address questions about the political situation under the interim government led by Mohammed Yunus, the rise of religious fundamentalism, security threats to India from the turmoil in Bangladesh, and concerns over Bangladesh and China's 'strategic alignment' since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Amongst prescriptions, the experts will also advise the committee on India's public perception in Bangladesh, particularly the sentiment that New Delhi is identified with the fallen government of Ms. Hasina and not with the 'people of Bangladesh' . Mr. Menon was the NSA when India and Bangladesh conducted negotiations on the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) that was sealed in 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms. Hasina. The panel is likely to advise the lawmakers on the need to coordinate with the U.S., EU and the U.K. on the requirement for having a credible election in Bangladesh and convince them about India's 'strategic imperative' to ensure safety of the northeast in the face of unstable Bangladesh.
News18
21-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Settled It...': Trump Again Claims He Brokered India-Pak Ceasefire In Talks With Ramaphosa
Last Updated: While holding talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting at the White House, Donald Trump reiterated the claim of brokering ceasefire deal. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday yet again iterated his mediation efforts between India and Pakistan, saying that he was the one who settled the soaring tensions through trade. While holding talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a meeting at the White House, Trump reiterated the claim, which has been rejected by New Delhi. 'If you take a look at what we just did with Pakistan and India. We settled that whole thing and I think that settled it through trade. We are doing a big deal with India, doing a big deal with Pakistan," he said. The US President further claimed that he had urged both the nations-India and Pakistan to stop fighting as the military actions were going worse and severe. 'I said what are you guys doing, somebody had to be the last one to shoot but the shooting was getting worse and worse, bigger and bigger, deeper and deeper into the countries," he added. 'I hate to say we got it settled and two days later something happens and they say it's Trump's fault. Pakistan has some excellent people and India has my friend Modi, he is a great guy," Trump added. Trump Taking Credit For Ceasefire Deal The US President has been reiterating everywhere that he was the one who not only just 'broker' the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, but also averted a 'nuclear conflict'. He had also portrayed the ceasefire as a major diplomatic success, stating that he had prevented a potential nuclear war and even envisioned the leaders of India and Pakistan dining together in peace. India Rejected Trump's Claim India last week issued a firm six-point rebuttal to his claims, even laying out the sequence of events that led to the two DGMOs speaking on the phone and agreeing to cease hostilities. The Ministry of External Affairs clarified that the ceasefire was achieved directly through military-to-military channels between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan, without any involvement of any third party, including the US. Earlier on Monday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told members of the Standing Committee on External Affairs that there was no indication of any nuclear attack from Pakistan and the United States was no where in the picture during the ceasefire talks. Operation Sindoor India launched 'precision strikes" under Operation Sindoor on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The strikes killed at least 10 family members of JeM chief Masood Azhar and four close aides. The sites targeted were the Pakistani bases at Rafiqui (Shorkot, Jhang), Murid (Chakwal), Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi) Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian (Kasur). In the strikes, the air bases in Skardu, Bholari, Jacobabad and Sargodha suffered extensive damage. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN-News18. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! First Published: May 21, 2025, 23:36 IST
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
There was no nuclear signalling
New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told a parliamentary committee on Monday that India's conflict with Pakistan was always in the conventional domain and there was 'no nuclear signalling' by the two nuclear-armed neighbours. According to sources, Vikram Misri, who led the Centre's briefing on India's 'Operation Sindoor' on Monday, reiterated that the decision to arrive at a ceasefire understanding was reached at a bilateral level as panel members raised repeated assertions by the United States on its role in stopping the four day-long military conflict. The DGMOs of the two countries reached an understanding on halting all military actions on May 10. The diplomat also asserted that Pakistan's use of Chinese-made weapon platforms 'did not matter' as the Indian armed forces managed to 'hammer' the neighbouring country's air bases while retaliating to Pakistan's escalatory attempts to target Indian military installations and civilian areas, the above-mentioned sources said. The meeting of Parliament's Standing Committee on External Affairs, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, was attended by a number of lawmakers, including the TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, the Congress' Rajeev Shukla and Deepender Hooda, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and the BJP's Aparajita Sarangi and Arun Govil. Earlier, India's armed forces rejected reports of India hitting nuclear facilities at Kirana hills using loitering and penetrating munitions. Director General of Air Operations, Air Marshal AK Bharti, confirmed during a press conference that the Indian armed forces did not target the nuclear facility at Kirana Hills. 'Thank you for telling us that Kirana Hills houses some nuclear installation. We did not know about it. And we have not hit Kirana Hills, whatever is there,' he said in response to a reporter's question. Vikram Misri's clarification of 'no nuclear signalling' assumes significance as some Pakistani ministers and officials repeatedly pointed out to the country's nuclear arsenal as tensions ran high before the four-day conflict. Pakistan's ambassador to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, had said in an interview that his country will use its 'full spectrum of power, both conventional and nuclear', if attacked by India over the Pahalgam terror attack.
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Parliamentary panel members condemn trolling of Foreign Secretary Misri, express solidarity with him
New Delhi [India], May 19 (ANI): Members of the Standing Committee on External Affairs on Monday expressed their solidarity with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri against online trolling after he had announced that India and Pakistan had reached an understanding for stopping military action following Operation Sindoor. The members said he has performed good service for the nation. Talking to reporters after a meeting of the Standing Committee, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said the members expressed a desire to have a resolution expressing solidarity with the Foreign Secretary in the face of the unwarranted attacks or comments, but Misri requested that there should be no resolution. Misri briefed the members on current foreign policy developments regarding India and Pakistan in the wake of Operation Sindoor carried out by India on May 7. India had carried out Operation Sindoor early on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack and launched precise strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK. Indian Armed Forces responded effectively to Pakistan's subsequent aggression and pounded its airports. Tharoor, who heads the panel, said several questions were raised in the three-hour discussion and detailed answers were received. 'We had a very comprehensive and rich discussion. As you can see, a meeting that normally would have finished by 6 o'clock, has gone on till 7 o'clock. It was a very thorough, wide-ranging discussion. We had 24 members attending, which I think is a record for this committee. The fact is that this was a very thorough discussion. Many of the MPs had thoughtful questions to ask. There was even a desire to have a resolution expressing solidarity with the Foreign Secretary in the face of the unwarranted attacks or comments, he himself requested that there should be no resolution but it was a unanimous sentiment of the committee, that he has performed good service for the nation, we all stand with him,' Tharoor said 'That was not a formal resolution but it was definitely the wish of everyone. I also want to add that the committee has, in many ways, covered a lot of constructive ground and has left with satisfactory responses to various have had a good discussion,' he added. He said a lengthy discussion was held with the MEA in which 24 members took part and 'a lot of people had questions' and 'detailed and satisfactory responses to those questions' were received. 'All committee members wanted to encourage the Foreign Secretary and announce our solidarity against everything that was said on social media against him and his family. This is absolutely wrong. The entire committee supports him. We would also like to say that he has served the nation well and we are thankful to him for questions were raised in the 3-hour discussion, and detailed answers were received for them,' he said. India and Pakistan have reached an understanding for stopping military action following a call made by Pakistan's DGMO to his Indian counterpart. (ANI)
