HM Shah keeping close eye on situation, taking regular inputs India bats for English as 3rd SCO official language

Panaji (ANI): India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Friday sought the support of members to make English the third official language of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Currently, Russian and Mandarin are used as official and working languages. He said that constructive steps are needed in this regard.

Jaishankar said that India has initiated an unprecedented engagement with SCO observers and dialogue partners by inviting them to participate in more than 14 social-cultural events. Sources informed that the foreign ministers of the SCO member countries are likely to finalise in the day a set of 15 decisions or proposals for the consideration of the grouping’s summit

EAM S Jaishankar during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Goa on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI

BHUTTO-ZARDARI CALLS FOR COLLECTIVE APPROACH BY SCO TO COMBAT TERRORISM

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday called for a collective approach by the SCO to combat terrorism and not get caught up in “weaponising terrorism for diplomatic point scoring”. His remarks at the India-hosted conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Goa came shortly after EAM S Jaishankar said terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terrorism, must be stopped. Bhutto-Zardari in his address said terrorism continues to threaten global security and that collective security of our peoples is our joint responsibility.

in July. The proposals are aimed at expanding cooperation among the SCO member countries in the areas of trade, technology, commerce, security and socio-cultural ties.

New Delhi (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah has cancelled all his programmes for the upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka in the wake of clashes reported in parts of Manipur, sources said.

“Union Home Minister Amit Shah is closely monitoring the situation in Manipur and is in constant touch with top functionaries of the State and Central govts,” sources said on Friday. Shah, who is staying put in Delhi, is also taking regular inputs from security and intelligence agencies about the Manipur situation, which remained peaceful but tense on Friday.

“The Home Minister is closely monitoring the Manipur situation and taking updates regularly from top functionaries of the State

ED, CBI won’t help BJP get votes: Mamata

Samsherganj (ANI): West Bengal CM

Mamata Banerjee on Friday took potshots at the BJP, saying that central agencies such as CBI and ED will not help the BJP get votes in next year’s general elections. The Trinamool Congress supremo called upon all opposition parties in the country to unite and fight the BJP together in 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

I and Central govts,” sources said. On Thursday, Shah held two video conferences attended by the Manipur Chief Minister, the State’s Chief Secretary, the police chief, the Union Home Secretary and other top officials of the Central govt. He also held telephonic conversations with CMs Neiphiu Rio of Nagaland, Zoramthanga of Mizoram and Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam in view of the situation in Manipur.

ON

ARTICLE 355 INVOKED, ARMY FLAG MARCH

n view of the prevailing unrest in Manipur, the Central Govt on Friday imposed Article 355 in the state to control the situation, top police officials said on Friday. Article 355 is a part of the Constitution’s emergency provisions that empower the Centre to take all necessary steps to protect a state against internal disturbances and external aggression. Director General of Manipur Police, P Doungel while talking to the media said that after reviewing the overall situation, Article 355 has been imposed in the entire state allowing the Centre to take all necessary steps to bring the situation under control and protect the lives and properties of people.

CRPF OFFICERS TASKED TO OVERSEE SECURITY FORCES, RAF DEPLOYMENT

At least five DIG rank officers and seven senior superintendents of police (SSP) and SP rank officers of the CRPF have been tasked to coordinate the deployment of various security forces in violence-hit Manipur, official sources said.The Centre has rushed in about 20 fresh companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), including the CRPF and the BSF, in the wake of the spiralling violence between tribals and the majority Meitei community leading to the displacement of more than 9,000 people from their villages.The induction of the CAPF units apart from that of the Army columns and the Assam Rifles is going on.

CONGRESS, RJD DEMAND PRESIDENT’S RULE IN VIOLENCE-HIT MANIPUR

Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Friday requested President Droupadi Murmu to impose President’s Rule in the state. In a video statement, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “For the last few days Manipur is burning. Due to violence, the internet has been snapped and curfew has been imposed in eight out of 16 districts.” Echoing similar views, RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha also wrote to President Murmu demanding the imposition of President’s Rule. In a letter to the President, the RJD spokesperson said, “I am writing to express my deep concern about the recent spate of violence in Manipur, which has been alarmingly widespread and has resulted in the loss of life and property.”

Caste census will happen at any cost: Lalu

Patna (PTI): A day after the Patna High Court put an interim stay on the caste-based survey, RJD national president Lalu

Prasad

Yadav said the survey is the demand of a majority of people and will happen at any cost. In a series of tweets (in Hindi) on Friday, Lalu Prasad said that it was a “clever move by the BJP to stop the caste-based survey”.

“The caste-based census is a demand of the majority of people and it will happen at any cost. BJP is scared of counting majority backward class people,” he said.