India Can't Change "Fanatical, Bigoted Mindset" Of Pakistan: S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, speaking in Lok Sabha on Friday, highlighted incidents involving attack on minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The minister said New Delhi is tracking "very closely" the treatment of minorities in Pakistan and making its position "well known", but the country cannot change the "fanatical and bigoted mindset" of a neighbour.

Replying to a supplementary query during the Question Hour, S Jaishankar pointed to 10 incidents involving attacks on Hindus in Pakistan in February.

Seven of these incidents are related to abduction and forced conversion, two other cases linked to abduction, and one to "police action" against students celebrating Holi, S Jaishankar said.

The external affairs minister said India also takes up such cases at the international level.

Responding to another supplementary question, he said, "Like in Pakistan, we track the welfare and well-being of minorities in Bangladesh as well ... In 2024, we had 2,400 incidents relating to attacks on minorities and in 2025, 72 incidents ... I have taken it up with my counterpart there. The foreign secretary also took it up when he visited Bangladesh. This continues to be a matter of concern for our government." BJP's Nishikant Dubey pointed out that there had been four agreements between India and Pakistan, including the Nehru-Liaquat Pact of 1950 to ensure protection of minorities, and sought to know whether these agreements need to be redone, and if India will raise the matter at the United Nations forum.

Responding to this, S Jaishankar said, "We have responded to the situation of minorities in different ways. Many of the agreements that the honourable member has referred to, do not apply anymore in reality, because there were commitments made by Pakistan for protection of its minorities, which it did not live up to".

"So, while we are raising our voice and exposing the attacks on minorities, if there are minorities who come to India, we take a sympathetic view of them. We have given them long-term visas. From 2014, we have granted 50,019 visas for minorities who came from Pakistan," he said.

On Pakistan, the external affairs minister informed the House that there were also three cases related to atrocities against members of the Sikh community. In one case, a Sikh family was attacked; in another, a Sikh family was threatened for reopening an old Gurdwara, and yet another case involved the abduction and conversion of a girl from the Sikh community, he said.

The minister added that two other cases involved members of the Ahmediya community, and another case in which a Christian person of unstable mind was charged with blasphemy.

Responding to a query on whether India plans "tough action" on the lines of earlier prime minister Indira Gandhi's stance against Pakistan, S Jaishankar said New Delhi is making its position "well known" but "we as a government and a country cannot change the fanatical and bigoted mindset of a neighbour." "Even Indira Gandhi could not do it," he observed.

In a written response to Lok Sabha the same day, the external affairs minister said the Government of India has regularly come across "reports of atrocities" committed against members of the minority communities in Pakistan.

He was asked whether the government was aware of the "heinous crimes" being committed continuously against the minority communities in Pakistan.

"The Government of India has regularly come across reports of atrocities committed against the minority communities in Pakistan, including various incidents of intimidation, persecution, killing, abduction, forced conversions and forced marriages," S Jaishankar said.

He was also asked if the government has taken, or proposes to take, any steps at international level to provide security to the minority communities in Pakistan and to protect their religious places.

The minister said India has on several occasions highlighted the condition of minorities and "violation of their human rights in Pakistan" at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"It is the responsibility of the Government of Pakistan to discharge its constitutional obligations towards its citizens, including those from the minority communities. Based on the reports of atrocities against minorities in Pakistan, the Government of India has, from time to time, taken up the matter with the Government of Pakistan and asked it to take steps to protect and promote the safety, security and the well-being of its minority communities," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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3 Cops Killed In Action, 2 Terrorists Shot Dead In J&K Encounter: Sources

Three police personnel have been killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, sources said on Thursday. Two of the terrorists have also been shot dead while three to four terrorists are still holed up.

Five security personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, have also been injured and are undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Teams from the Army, the National Security Guard, the Border Security Force, Police, the Special Operations Group, and the Central Reserve Police Force had been carrying out searches in the area for the past five days. There was an exchange of fire on Sunday and a local resident had informed the police on Tuesday that two men in army uniform had asked her for water while they were having food in the area.

"Contact has been re-established with militants in the forest area of Juthana under police station Rajbagh in Kathua," an official told news agency IANS, adding that there had been no exchange of fire since Sunday.

The operation was supported by helicopters, drones, bulletproof vehicles, and sniffer dogs and security agencies had questioned several people and picked up three suspects. On Tuesday, the forces had recovered two grenades among other material.

The tracksuits found among a large cache of ammunition and other materials in the Sanyal forests were identical to those worn by the four Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) terrorists killed in the Assar forests and Doda in June and August last year, the IANS report said. 

Sunday's Gunfight

The operation, led by Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, was launched on Sunday evening in the Hiranagar sector. The Special Operations Group of the J&K Police had received intelligence about terrorists hiding inside a ''dhok'' (enclosure) in a nursery in Sanyal village, roughly 5 km from the International Border with Pakistan, officials said. 

The hiding terrorists opened fire and a gunfight followed, lasting over half an hour. 

The terrorists are believed to have inflitrated into India on Saturday. 

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Asia's Largest Tulip Garden In Srinagar Opens For Public

Nestled between the Dal Lake and the Zabarwan Hills, Asia's largest tulip garden opened for the public on Wednesday, marking the beginning of a new tourism season in the Kashmir valley.

The Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden was thrown open to the public by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

The garden was set up by Ghulam Nabi Azad, the then chief minister of the erstwhile state in 2007 to advance J-K's tourist season which was earlier limited to the summers and the winters.

Formerly known as Siraj Bagh, the garden was opened to the public as tulips of different colours have started to bloom, Floriculture Department officials said.

The department plants tulip bulbs in a phased manner so that the flowers remain in bloom for a month or more.

This year, the department has added two new varieties of tulips to the garden.

A new colour scheme has been introduced this year, and the total number of varieties of tulips and other flowers has risen to 74.

Other spring flowers including hyacinths, daffodils, muscari and cyclamens are also on display.

About 17 lakh tulip bulbs have been planted in the garden that spreads over 55 hectares, the officials said.

The extension of the garden has reached almost its full capacity, they said.

The garden started on a small scale with 50,000 tulip bulbs imported from The Netherlands. It instantly gained popularity among tourists and has been steadily growing each year, both in terms of the number of visitors and the tulips that bloom.

More than 4.65 lakh visitors, both domestic and foreign, visited the garden last year while the footfall in 2023 was 3.65 lakh.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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India, China Make "Progress" To Resume Kailash Manasarovar Yatra: Centre

India and China have made progress on the modalities to resume Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said following the official consultation between the Foreign Ministries of India and China, held in Beijing on Wednesday.

Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) at the MEA held a consultative meeting with Liu Jinsong, Director General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during which the two sides reviewed the action taken by them to implement the strategic direction as also the specific steps agreed in the meeting between Foreign Secretary and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister in January 2025 to stabilise and rebuild ties.

"They took positive note of the developments in bilateral relations since the meeting of the leaders of India and China in October 2024. In the intervening period, the Foreign Ministers have met twice, while the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question have held their 23rd meeting. These high-level meetings have provided strategic guidance to stabilise and further develop relations," read a statement issued by the MEA.

"They agreed to continue efforts to further facilitate and promote people-to-people exchanges, including arrangements for resumption of direct flights, interaction of media and think-tanks, and celebration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The two sides have made further progress on the modalities to resume Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in 2025," it added.

The MEA stated that both sides also took stock of the planned exchanges and activities this year, discussing resumption of dialogue mechanisms in a step-by-step manner to utilise them to address each other's priority areas of interest and concern and move relations on to a more stable and predictable path.

On Tuesday, India and China comprehensively reviewed the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas and early resumption of cross-border cooperation - including trans-border rivers and Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra - during the 33rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) held in Beijing.

While Das led the Indian delegation at the meeting, Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed the Chinese delegation.

The meeting, the MEA said, was held in a "positive" and "constructive" atmosphere.

"Peace and tranquility on the border are critical for the smooth development of overall bilateral relations. The two sides explored various measures and proposals to give effect to the decisions taken during the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives on the India-China boundary question in Beijing in December 2024 and to advance effective border management," read a MEA statement issued after the meeting.

"The two sides agreed to maintain and strengthen relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms towards this end. They also exchanged views on early resumption of cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including on trans-border rivers and Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra," it added.

During the meeting, both countries agreed to work together to make substantial preparations for the next meeting of the Special Representatives (SR), which will be held in India later this year. The Indian delegation leader also paid a courtesy call on China's Assistant Foreign Minister Hong Lei.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had visited Beijing on January 26-27 for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism between both countries, following which both countries announced their decision to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of 2025.

The meeting was held to review the state of India-China bilateral relations, as agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Kazan last October.

During their discussions, Foreign Secretary Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong agreed to take certain people-centric steps to stabilise and rebuild ties.

Both sides also agreed, in principle, to resume direct air services between the two countries with the relevant technical authorities on the two sides to negotiate an updated framework for the purpose at an early date.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Causing Great Prejudice To Litigants": Top Court Judge On Lawyer Strikes

Justice AS Oka of the Supreme Court today spoke about the people's trust in courts, saying it may not be as much as it is believed to be, and how lawyers using unconstitutional means like a strike can further whittle it down by raising the pendency of cases. 

"If today lawyers practising in high courts are taking recourse to something highly unconstitutional, are we not causing great prejudice to litigants?" he said in his address at an event organised by SCAORA or the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association.
 
Lawyers and judges, Justice Oka said, often carry the wrong impression that the people have full faith in courts. But such an impression may not be entirely correct and one of the major reasons for lack of faith in judiciary is pendency of cases, he said.

"We kept patting our backs that citizens trust the courts, but we have to ask if the citizens are saying that," he said. "I have been to villages etc. The statement that common man has full faith in judiciary may not be entirely correct. Out of 4.5 crore pending cases, 10 per cent are over a decade old," Justice Oka said.

His comments come amid the ongoing strike by lawyers of the Allahabad High Court. The Bar Association there is protesting against the transfer of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, whose transfer there was advised by the Supreme Court after bundles of half burnt cash was found on the premises of his Delhi bungalow on Holi. 

The Allahabad High Court is the parent court of Justice Varma.
Lawyers, Justice Oka said, are taking recourse to unconstitutional means of protest cause "great prejudice" to the common litigant.

"Dr Ambedkar had warned that in independent India unconstitutional means of protest are prohibited. If today lawyers practicing in the high court takes recourse to something completely unconstitutional, are we not causing big prejudice to litigants?" he said.

Explaining the point, he said, "We talk about great pendency in bigger high courts.. and who is contributing to it? Imagine there are 1,000 bail applications before five courts and 100 will be taken up".

"If members boycott... Then the date will be given when the accused is entitled to bail. Then who is to blame?" he questioned.

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ममता बनर्जी का लंदन में दिखा देसी अंदाज, साड़ी और चप्पल पहनकर की जॉगिंग, देखें वीडियो

पश्चिम बंगाल की मुख्‍यमंत्री ममता बनर्जी (Mamata Banerjee) अपनी सादगी के लिए जानी जाती हैं, फिर चाहे देश हो या विदेश. ममता बनर्जी ब्रिटेन की आधिकारिक यात्रा पर हैं. बावजूद इसके न उनका अंदाज बदला है और न ही लिबास. ममता बनर्जी को हम देश में जिन परिधानों में देखते हैं, वैसे ही परिधान में वे लंदन में भी नजर आई हैं. विदेश से उनके देसी अंदाज वाला एक वीडियो सामने आया है, जिसमें ममता बनर्जी जॉगिंग करती दिख रही हैं. सोशल मीडिया पर उनका यह वीडियो बहुत ही पसंद किया जा रहा है. इस दौरान फिटनेस के प्रति उनका क्रेज भी झलकता है. 

ममता बनर्जी इस वीडियो में हरी बॉर्डर वाली साड़ी और अपने चिर-परिचित अंदाज में चप्पल पहने नजर आ रही हैं. लंदन के सर्द मौसम के कारण बनर्जी ने काले रंग का ‘कार्डिगन' पहन रखा था और उन्होंने शॉल भी ओढ़ा हुआ था. साथ ही उनके साथ इस वीडियो में बड़ी संख्‍या में लोग नजर आ रहे हैं. 

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अपनी किसी विदेश यात्रा के दौरान साड़ी पहनकर ममता के ‘जॉगिंग' करने का यह पहला मामला नहीं है. 2023 में स्पेन की आधिकारिक यात्रा के दौरान मैड्रिड में उन्हें साड़ी और चप्पल पहनकर टहलते देखा गया था. बनर्जी रविवार को लंदन पहुंची थीं.

बंगाल और ब्रिटेन के बीच सदियों पुराना रिश्ता: बनर्जी

सोमवार को ‘एक्स' पर साझा की गई एक पोस्ट में बनर्जी ने कोलकाता और लंदन के बीच ऐतिहासिक जुड़ाव का जिक्र करते हुए कहा, ‘‘बंगाल और ब्रिटेन के बीच सदियों पुराना रिश्ता है, जो इतिहास, संस्कृति और वाणिज्य में अपनी जड़े जमाये हुए है.''

उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘कल जब हम लंदन पहुंचे, तो हमने एक ऐसे शहर में कदम रखा, जो कोलकाता की तरह ही अपने अतीत को संजोये हुए है, साथ ही वर्तमान की गतिशीलता को भी खुद में सहेजे हुए है. दिन के कार्यक्रम शुरू होने से पहले, मैंने लंदन की भव्यता में खुद को सराबोर करने के लिए कुछ वक्त बिताया.''

कोलकाता, जिसे पूर्व में कलकत्ता के नाम से जाना जाता था, 1911 तक ब्रिटेन शासित भारत की राजधानी थी.

बंगाल का लोगों को जोड़ने में विश्‍वास: बनर्जी 

बाद में, बनर्जी ब्रिटेन में भारत के उच्चायुक्त विक्रम के. दोराईस्वामी द्वारा आयोजित ‘इंडिया हाउस' में एक जलपान कार्यक्रम में शरीक हुईं. 

मुख्यमंत्री ने कहा, ‘‘बंगाल दीवार खड़े करने में नहीं, बल्कि लोगों को जोड़ने में हमेशा से विश्वास करता रहा है....''

बनर्जी 22 मार्च को लंदन के लिए रवाना हुई थीं. वह 27 मार्च को ऑक्सफोर्ड विश्वविद्यालय में व्याख्यान देने वाली हैं. उनके 28 और 29 मार्च के बीच भारत लौटने की उम्मीद है. लंदन की यह उनकी दूसरी यात्रा है. उन्होंने पहली यात्रा नवंबर 2017 में की थी.

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'PoK भारत का था, है और रहेगा', UN में भारत ने साफ कहा- पाकिस्तान को खाली करना होगा कब्जा

भारत ने संयुक्त राष्ट्र में पाकिस्तान की आलोचना करते हुए कहा कि वह जम्मू-कश्मीर के क्षेत्र पर अवैध रूप से कब्जा जारी रखे हुए है, जो उसे खाली करना होगा. ये टिप्पणियां सोमवार को संयुक्त राष्ट्र में भारत के स्थायी प्रतिनिधि राजदूत पार्वथानेनी हरीश ने संयुक्त राष्ट्र शांति अभियानों में अनुकूलता को बढ़ावा देने पर संयुक्त राष्ट्र सुरक्षा परिषद (UNSC) की खुली बहस में कीं. वह पाकिस्तान के कब्जे वाले कश्मीर के संदर्भ में बोल रहे थे.

जम्मू कश्मीर भारत का अभिन्न अंग था, है और हमेशा रहेगा

संयुक्त राष्ट्र में भारत के स्थायी प्रतिनिधि राजदूत पार्वथानेनी हरीश ने कहा, ‘‘जम्मू-कश्मीर भारत का अभिन्न अंग था, है, और हमेशा रहेगा. पाकिस्तान ने जम्मू-कश्मीर के एक हिस्से पर अवैध रूप से कब्जा जारी रखा है, जो उसे खाली करना होगा.''

पाकिस्तान द्वारा जम्मू-कश्मीर का मुद्दा उठाए जाने पर भारत की दो-टूक

हरीश की यह कड़ी प्रतिक्रिया पाकिस्तान द्वारा संयुक्त राष्ट्र सुरक्षा परिषद की खुली बहस के दौरान जम्मू-कश्मीर का मुद्दा उठाए जाने के बाद आई. उन्होंने कहा, ‘‘इस तरह के बार-बार उल्लेख न तो उनके (पाकिस्तान के) अवैध दावों को मान्य करते हैं और न ही उनके राज्य प्रायोजित सीमा पार से आतंकवाद को उचित ठहराते हैं.''

हरीश ने कहा, ‘‘हम पाकिस्तान को सलाह देंगे कि वह अपने संकीर्ण और विभाजनकारी एजेंडे को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए इस मंच का ध्यान भटकाने की कोशिश न करे.'' उन्होंने जोर देकर कहा कि भारत अधिक विस्तृत उत्तर देने के अधिकार का प्रयोग करने से बचेगा.

हरीश का यह जवाब पाकिस्तानी प्रधानमंत्री के विशेष सहायक सैयद तारिक फातमी द्वारा सुरक्षा परिषद में संयुक्त राष्ट्र शांति स्थापना के भविष्य पर चर्चा के दौरान जम्मू-कश्मीर पर दिए गए बयान के बाद आया है. भारत ने कहा है कि वह पाकिस्तान के साथ सामान्य पड़ोसी संबंध चाहता है, लेकिन इस बात पर जोर देता है कि इस तरह के संबंधों के लिए आतंक और शत्रुता से मुक्त वातावरण बनाने की जिम्मेदारी इस्लामाबाद पर है.

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