‘Cong party flags with flags of PoK, Pakistan in London’, Rijiju says anti-India forces can never break Bharat

New Delhi, May 10 (IANS) Two alleged notorious criminals were arrested after an encounter with the Delhi Police near Zakir Husain College on Jawaharlal Nehru Marg in the national capital, officials said on Sunday.

The operation was carried out by the Special Staff team of the Central District of Delhi Police, which apprehended the two accused, identified as Sahil and Avinash, following an exchange of fire late on Saturday night.

Both sustained bullet injuries to their legs during the encounter and were later admitted to a hospital for treatment.

According to police officials, Sahil and Avinash had been on the Delhi Police’s list of most-wanted criminals for the past several days. The duo was allegedly involved in a recent firing incident in Delhi’s Karol Bagh area, where shots were fired in broad daylight, prompting an extensive manhunt by the Special Staff teams across the city.

Police said that late on Saturday night, the Special Staff received specific intelligence inputs suggesting that the two accused involved in the Karol Bagh firing case were likely to visit the area around Zakir Husain College, either to meet someone or to commit another crime, allegedly.

Acting on the information, police personnel laid a trap in the area and intensified surveillance around the college premises and adjoining roads.

Officials said that when the police team attempted to stop the suspects, the accused allegedly tried to escape and opened fire at the police personnel.

According to police sources, nearly 10 rounds were fired during the encounter.

The police team retaliated in self-defence and fired at the accused, injuring both Sahil and Avinash in their legs before overpowering and arresting them on the spot.

Police officials stated that both accused were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital after the encounter for medical treatment and are currently under police supervision.

Investigators also recovered illegal firearms and live cartridges from the spot, which are believed to have been used by the accused during the exchange of fire with the police team.

The Delhi Police has now launched further investigations to ascertain the criminal backgrounds of the two accused, including their alleged links with other gangs and criminal networks operating in the city.

Officials are also probing the motive behind the recent firing incident in Karol Bagh and examining whether the accused were planning another attack or criminal operation in the central Delhi area before being intercepted by the police.

–IANS

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New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Congress MP Imran Masood on Thursday launched a sharp attack on fellow party leader Shashi Tharoor over his comments on India’s position regarding the ongoing West Asia conflict, urging him to avoid what he described as “excessive sycophancy” towards the Prime Minister.

Masood’s remarks come after Tharoor offered a nuanced defence of New Delhi’s diplomatic stance amid the escalating tensions involving the US, Israel and Iran.

Tharoor, in an article on the ongoing West Asia crisis, defends India’s diplomatic restraint, pushing back against critics who have described the government’s silence on the US-Israeli war on Iran as a “moral failure”, and instead terms New Delhi’s approach as “responsible statecraft”.

Responding to this, Masood told IANS, “Tharoor Sahab, please refrain from such excessive sycophancy towards the Prime Minister; the country has never had a weaker Prime Minister than this one.”

“The nation is currently paying the price for that visit to Israel — where he (PM Modi) went and hugged the leadership (Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu) — which was followed shortly thereafter by the outbreak of war; yet, it is the common people who have been left standing in line to bear the consequences,” he added.

In an opinion piece published in The Indian Express, Tharoor argued that while the conflict may violate international law, India’s foreign policy must strike a balance between principle and pragmatism, prioritising national interest, regional stability and strategic partnerships over rhetorical condemnation.

Tharoor’s remarks have triggered unease within sections of the Congress, where some leaders have accused the Centre of maintaining a “deafening silence” and failing to take a proactive diplomatic role in the crisis. Critics within the party have characterised the government’s stance as a “surrender of values” and a departure from India’s traditional non-aligned posture.

Days earlier, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi criticised the Central government’s “silence” regarding the US-Israel attack on Iran. She had stated that the lack of any official statement on this matter is not neutral; rather, it amounts to an “abdication” of responsibility.

In an op-ed published in The Indian Express, titled ‘Government’s silence on killing of Iran leader is not neutral, it is abdication’, Sonia Gandhi said, “The killing of a sitting head of state in the midst of ongoing negotiations marks a grave rupture in contemporary international relations. Yet, beyond the shock of the event, what stands out equally starkly is New Delhi’s silence.”

Interestingly, Tharoor also recalled late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s non-alignment policy to justify the current government’s stance on the conflict in West Asia.

Recalling India’s long-standing diplomatic tradition, he said the country has historically balanced principle with pragmatism, citing late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s policy of non-alignment.

He noted that it was “not a refusal to take moral positions, but a recognition that India’s sovereignty and survival depended on avoiding entanglement in Cold War hostilities”.

“Today, in an increasingly multipolar world, India practises ‘multi-alignment’ — engaging with diverse powers, sometimes in tension with one another, while keeping our national interest paramount,” he said.

–IANS

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Patna, Jan 27 (IANS) The political tension in Bihar has escalated following the Mokama firing incident involving supporters of former MLA Anant Singh and the Sonu-Monu gang.

While the opposition, led by RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, has criticised the government for allegedly protecting criminals, NDA leaders, including Union Minister and JD-U leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, have come to the defence of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Tejashwi Yadav questioned the government’s role in the incident, accusing it of shielding criminals, and even hinted at Lalan Singh’s alleged involvement.

Responding to these allegations, an agitated Lalan Singh dismissed the claims. “Who is linking my name to the Mokama firing incident? We do not answer these baseless statements by the opposition. Tejashwi Yadav should focus on his work,” he remarked.

Lalan Singh further defended Nitish Kumar, rejecting claims by Tejashwi that the Chief Minister is “tired” after ruling Bihar for over two decades.

“Nitish Kumar is a workaholic. Even after 20 years of governance, he continues to visit districts. These opposition leaders are simply making up stories. Tejashwi can keep talking; the public has already rejected him,” he said.

The opposition has also raised questions about Anant Singh’s release from jail in the earlier case of the arms act.

In a counterattack, Lalan Singh questioned RJD’s decision to give Anant Singh’s wife, Neelam Devi, a ticket to contest the Mokama by-election, which she won on an RJD ticket.

Singh reminded Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD’s past under Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi’s leadership, accusing the party of hypocrisy in raising issues about Anant Singh now.

Earlier, Tejashwi alleged that the government is complicit in shielding criminals.

“Crime has become a habit in this government. Corruption has become a courtesy. The Chief Minister remains silent, and criminals are openly giving interviews to the media. Nitish Kumar has used his authority to release two criminals from jail and even visits their homes,” Tejashwi claimed earlier.

On January 24, when Anant Singh surrendered before the Barh Sub-Divisional Court. He has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days and is currently lodged in Beur jail.

–IANS

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