A nine-hour long gunbattle was what it took to kill the three Jaish-E-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists who had sneaked into the 182nd Battalion Camp of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Srinagar in the wee hours of Tuesday but security forces have reason to believe that there are still four JeM cadres roaming free in the Valley, plotting another fidayeen attack.

&ldquo;There is credible information that 10 JeM terrorists had infiltrated into the Valley a few days back. Three of them were killed in the encounter in Pulwama where they attacked the District Police Lines. Of the seven who were remaining, three were neutralised today. That still leaves us with four more terrorists who are still out there planning the next fidayeen attack,&rdquo; reliable sources told WION.

The BSF battalion camp that came under attack today is located in close proximity to the Srinagar International Airport, in the Humhama area of Budgam district. And while security agencies maintain&nbsp;that the airport was not the target, the possibility of them using the camp as a base to launch an attack on the airport is not being ruled out completely.

The three terrorists who were gunned down today had been spotted in a black-coloured Alto car on the Pulwana-Budgam border late Monday night.

Two of them were clad in BSF uniforms while the third was in civilian clothing, sources said.

In the wee hours of Tuesday, the terrorists used a wire cutter to cut through the perimeter fencing of the BSF camp and get inside. &ldquo;It appeared to be a brand new, newly-purchased wire-cutter,&rdquo; a source said.

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WATCH: Gunfight between terrorists and security forces at BSF camp in Srinagar (WION Web Team)
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As soon as the three terrorists gained entry into the camp, from behind the Subordinate Officers&#39; (SO) Mess, they ran in different directions. While one of them dashed toward the Administrative Block, the second made his way to the SO Mess and the third made a run for the canteen.

It was then that the terrorist who was running towards the canteen &mdash; wearing civilian clothes &mdash; was challenged by a BSF sentry. &ldquo;This terrorist responded with firing a burst but was not good enough for this sentry who took him out swiftly,&rdquo; a source revealed.

The other two terrorists managed to enter the Administrative Block and the SO Mess, respectively. &ldquo;It was in the SO Mess that this terrorist martyred the BSF Assistant Sub-Inspector. Before he could cause more damage, he was overpowered by the JCOs there who snatched his weapon and neutralized him,&rdquo; the source said.

Meanwhile, the terrorist who had entered the Administrative Block opened fire and injured an exchange operator and two to three more BSF personnel, one of whom was hit by a bullet in the abdomen. This terrorist&nbsp;was finally killed when he tried to escape from the Administrative Block.

Sources said the three JeM terrorists were heavily armed.&nbsp;

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US-made Saber knife (with compass) recovered from one the terrorists killed in Srinagar encounter <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/dna?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dna</a> <a href="https://t.co/FeR6boGIEF">pic.twitter.com/FeR6boGIEF</a>
&mdash; Raghvendra Rao (@raghvendra_rao) <a href="https://twitter.com/raghvendra_rao/status/915109025364140032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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They were carrying AK-47s and Pakistani-made Shaheen pistols. A US-made sabre knife (with a compass) was also recovered from one of the terrorists.&nbsp;

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security forces have reason to believe that there are still four JeM cadres roaming free in the Valley, plotting another fidayeen attack

A nine-hour long gunbattle was what it took to kill the three Jaish-E-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists who had sneaked into the 182nd Battalion Camp of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Srinagar in the wee hours of Tuesday but security forces have reason to believe that there are still four JeM cadres roaming free in the Valley, plotting another fidayeen attack. “There is credible information that 10 JeM terrorists had infiltrated into the Valley a few days back. Three of them were killed in the encounter in Pulwama where they attacked the District Police Lines. Of the seven who were remaining, three were neutralised today. That still leaves us with four more terrorists who are still out there planning the next fidayeen attack,” reliable sources told WION. The BSF battalion camp that came under attack today is located in close proximity to the Srinagar International Airport, in the Humhama area of Budgam district. And while security agencies maintain that the airport was not the target, the possibility of them using the camp as a base to launch an attack on the airport is not being ruled out completely. The three terrorists who were gunned down today had been spotted in a black-coloured Alto car on the Pulwana-Budgam border late Monday night. Two of them were clad in BSF uniforms while the third was in civilian clothing, sources said. In the wee hours of Tuesday, the terrorists used a wire cutter to cut through the perimeter fencing of the BSF camp and get inside. “It appeared to be a brand new, newly-purchased wire-cutter,” a source said. WATCH: Gunfight between terrorists and security forces at BSF camp in Srinagar (WION Web Team) × As soon as the three terrorists gained entry into the camp, from behind the Subordinate Officers' (SO) Mess, they ran in different directions. While one of them dashed toward the Administrative Block, the second made his way to the SO Mess and the third made a run for the canteen. It was then that the terrorist who was running towards the canteen — wearing civilian clothes — was challenged by a BSF sentry. “This terrorist responded with firing a burst but was not good enough for this sentry who took him out swiftly,” a source revealed. The other two terrorists managed to enter the Administrative Block and the SO Mess, respectively. “It was in the SO Mess that this terrorist martyred the BSF Assistant Sub-Inspector. Before he could cause more damage, he was overpowered by the JCOs there who snatched his weapon and neutralized him,” the source said. Meanwhile, the terrorist who had entered the Administrative Block opened fire and injured an exchange operator and two to three more BSF personnel, one of whom was hit by a bullet in the abdomen. This terrorist was finally killed when he tried to escape from the Administrative Block. Sources said the three JeM terrorists were heavily armed. US-made Saber knife (with compass) recovered from one the terrorists killed in Srinagar encounter @WIONews @dna pic.twitter.com/FeR6boGIEF — Raghvendra Rao (@raghvendra_rao) October 3, 2017 × They were carrying AK-47s and Pakistani-made Shaheen pistols. A US-made sabre knife (with a compass) was also recovered from one of the terrorists.

Inside story of Srinagar BSF camp attack: 9-hour gun battle, 'suicide squad' still on loose

India and the US have just concluded a joint military training exercise to prepare for any threats that might be encountered during UN peace-keeping operations.&nbsp;

The training exercise, named Yudh Abhyas 2017 or War Practise 2017, was conducted at joint base Lewis McChord in Washington.

The two-week long exercise which began on September 14 and ended on September 27 witnessed soldiers from both countries honing their counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist skills under a joint brigade headquarter.

Both sides (together) trained, planned, and executed a series of well-developed tactical drills for the&nbsp;neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered during UN&nbsp;peace-keeping operations.

One of the largest joint military training and defence cooperation endeavours between India and the US, this year&#39;s Yudh Abhyas was the thirteenth edition of the joint exercise which is hosted alternately by the two countries.

Exercises like Yudh Abhyas provide an opportunity to the armed forces of both countries to train in an integrated manner at battalion level, with joint planning at brigade level.&nbsp;

Multiple scenarios were rehearsed during the joint exercise with a view to understanding&nbsp;each others organisational structures and battle procedures.

The exercise is aimed at a higher degree of what the armies called &quot;jointsmanship&quot;&nbsp;to further facilitate inter-operability between the armed forces of the two countries, and&nbsp;to meet any unforeseen contingency anywhere on the globe.

The exercise, the armies said, is also an ideal platform to learn from each other&rsquo;s experiences of the planning and execution of operations.

Towards the end, a joint exercise simulating operational settings under a UN mandate was undertaken by the two armies.

Experts from both sides also held academic and military discussions on varied topics to share with each other their experiences for mutual benefit.

This was the thirteenth edition of Yudh Abhyas or War Practise

India and the US have just concluded a joint military training exercise to prepare for any threats that might be encountered during UN peace-keeping operations. The training exercise, named Yudh Abhyas 2017 or War Practise 2017, was conducted at joint base Lewis McChord in Washington. The two-week long exercise which began on September 14 and ended on September 27 witnessed soldiers from both countries honing their counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist skills under a joint brigade headquarter. Both sides (together) trained, planned, and executed a series of well-developed tactical drills for the neutralisation of likely threats that may be encountered during UN peace-keeping operations. One of the largest joint military training and defence cooperation endeavours between India and the US, this year's Yudh Abhyas was the thirteenth edition of the joint exercise which is hosted alternately by the two countries. Exercises like Yudh Abhyas provide an opportunity to the armed forces of both countries to train in an integrated manner at battalion level, with joint planning at brigade level. Multiple scenarios were rehearsed during the joint exercise with a view to understanding each others organisational structures and battle procedures. The exercise is aimed at a higher degree of what the armies called "jointsmanship" to further facilitate inter-operability between the armed forces of the two countries, and to meet any unforeseen contingency anywhere on the globe. The exercise, the armies said, is also an ideal platform to learn from each other’s experiences of the planning and execution of operations. Towards the end, a joint exercise simulating operational settings under a UN mandate was undertaken by the two armies. Experts from both sides also held academic and military discussions on varied topics to share with each other their experiences for mutual benefit.

WATCH: To better understand each other, Indian & US armies conduct joint military exercise

As the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/state-funeral-for-marshal-of-indian-air-force-arjan-singh-tomorrow-flag-to-fly-at-half-mast-20297">last rites of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh </a>were being conducted inside the cremation ground at Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;morning, three Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft conducted a flypast to honour the departed soldier by flying in the &ldquo;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/the-life-and-times-of-arjan-singh-indias-brave-air-warrior-20294">Missing Man</a>&rdquo; formation&mdash;a formation in which one slot in a bunch of four planes is left deliberately vacant. The &ldquo;Missing Man&rdquo; here denoted the departed soul. It was also symbolic of how India and its Air Force will miss this warrior of the skies forever.

Minutes earlier, three MI-17 V5 helicopters had flown past over the cremation ground tropping IAF colours and five UK-made Pounder Guns of 1941 vintage fired in cyclical fashion with a 2.5 second gap between each round to give a 17-gun salute to the Marshal of the Indian Air Force who died on the evening of September 16 after suffering a cardiac arrest. The 17-gun salute was fired once the last rites had been completed and before the pyre was lit.

Once the formal funeral ceremony got over, it was time for family members and close relatives to sit and reminisce about the man, the soldier, the leader, the officer and of course, Indian Air Force&#39;s first and only five-star ranked officer.

&ldquo;I think if people can follow some of his principles, it (the country) would be&nbsp;a much better place,&rdquo; said Arvind Singh, the son of the deceased Marshal of the IAF, who flew in from the United States to be in time for the funeral. Many relatives who are settled abroad could not make it in time.

Arvind Singh also fondly recounted how <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/indias-final-salute-to-iaf-marshal-arjan-singh-5123">Marshal Singh</a> once walked up to him and his mother and asked, &ldquo;Are you okay if we give away all this?&rdquo; when he was planning to sell his personal farm to&nbsp;set up a Trust devoted to the welfare of retired Air Force personnel. &ldquo;I was ecstatic,&rdquo; Arvind Singh said, adding that one of the main conditions his father had imposed was that no family member would have any interest in the Trust. The Rs 2 crore raised by selling that farmhouse was used to set up the Trust.

&ldquo;The Trust has grown, has done very well and a lot of people have followed his footsteps. Many non-commissioned officers are now contributing to that trust which is a very good precedent in India where we have a lot of inequality of wealth,&rdquo; the Marshal&#39;s son said.

Group Captain A.K Dash, the doctor who had been attending to Marshal Arjan Singh for the past many years, told WION&nbsp;that on the day he had to be rushed to the hospital, Singh &ldquo;did not want many doctors to intervene&rdquo; and that &ldquo;he was feeling restless&rdquo;. &ldquo;He never wanted any treatment to be given at any point of time. But we used to convince him,&rdquo; Dash said.

In addition to serving officers, scores of retired Air Force personnel had turned up to pay their last respects to the deceased&nbsp;Marshal. Two such aged seniors,who could barely walk, slowly made their way to the funeral pyre, stood there for a few moments and then saluted the man who had now gone &ldquo;missing&rdquo; from the physical world, just like that &ldquo;missing&rdquo; Su-30 in the flypast a few minutes back.

&nbsp;

In addition to serving officers, scores of retired Air Force personnel had turned up to pay their last respects to the deceased?Marshal

As the last rites of Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh were being conducted inside the cremation ground at Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment Monday morning, three Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft conducted a flypast to honour the departed soldier by flying in the “Missing Man” formation—a formation in which one slot in a bunch of four planes is left deliberately vacant. The “Missing Man” here denoted the departed soul. It was also symbolic of how India and its Air Force will miss this warrior of the skies forever. Minutes earlier, three MI-17 V5 helicopters had flown past over the cremation ground tropping IAF colours and five UK-made Pounder Guns of 1941 vintage fired in cyclical fashion with a 2.5 second gap between each round to give a 17-gun salute to the Marshal of the Indian Air Force who died on the evening of September 16 after suffering a cardiac arrest. The 17-gun salute was fired once the last rites had been completed and before the pyre was lit. Once the formal funeral ceremony got over, it was time for family members and close relatives to sit and reminisce about the man, the soldier, the leader, the officer and of course, Indian Air Force's first and only five-star ranked officer. “I think if people can follow some of his principles, it (the country) would be a much better place,” said Arvind Singh, the son of the deceased Marshal of the IAF, who flew in from the United States to be in time for the funeral. Many relatives who are settled abroad could not make it in time. Arvind Singh also fondly recounted how Marshal Singh once walked up to him and his mother and asked, “Are you okay if we give away all this?” when he was planning to sell his personal farm to set up a Trust devoted to the welfare of retired Air Force personnel. “I was ecstatic,” Arvind Singh said, adding that one of the main conditions his father had imposed was that no family member would have any interest in the Trust. The Rs 2 crore raised by selling that farmhouse was used to set up the Trust. “The Trust has grown, has done very well and a lot of people have followed his footsteps. Many non-commissioned officers are now contributing to that trust which is a very good precedent in India where we have a lot of inequality of wealth,” the Marshal's son said. Group Captain A.K Dash, the doctor who had been attending to Marshal Arjan Singh for the past many years, told WION that on the day he had to be rushed to the hospital, Singh “did not want many doctors to intervene” and that “he was feeling restless”. “He never wanted any treatment to be given at any point of time. But we used to convince him,” Dash said. In addition to serving officers, scores of retired Air Force personnel had turned up to pay their last respects to the deceased Marshal. Two such aged seniors,who could barely walk, slowly made their way to the funeral pyre, stood there for a few moments and then saluted the man who had now gone “missing” from the physical world, just like that “missing” Su-30 in the flypast a few minutes back.

Sukhoi-30 Fly 'Missing Man' formation to pay tribute to 'Missing' Marshal Arjan Singh

Setting the stage for more political fireworks in Parliament, a Lok Sabha MP from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has been allowed to introduce a Private Member&rsquo;s Bill in the Parliament that seeks to amend the Constitution of India to enable imparting of &ldquo;religious education related to Hindu religion&rdquo; in educational institutions which are wholly maintained out of State funds, if the majority of students studying in such institutions are Hindus.

The Bill, which is listed to be introduced in Lok Sabha on August 4, is likely to raise hackles of the Opposition parties, many of whom are already trying to corner the government over the latter&rsquo;s alleged divisive agenda.

Lok Sabha&rsquo;s Committee on Private Members&rsquo; Bills and Resolutions which examines Private Member Bills before clearing them to be introduced in the Parliament recently accorded its &nbsp;approval to BJP MP from Kota (Rajasthan) Om Birla to introduce &ldquo;The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Insertion of new article 28A)&rdquo; in Indian Parliament&rsquo;s lower House.

Birla&rsquo;s Bill seeks to insert a new article 28A to the Constitution of India &ldquo;with a view to provide that religious education related to Hindu religion shall be imparted in an educational institution wholly maintained out the state funds, if the majority of the students studying in that institution are Hindus&rdquo;.

The Bill also provides &ldquo;that such religious education shall not be compulsory for non-Hindu students studying in such institution&rdquo; and also that &ldquo;no Hindu student studying in such institution shall be compelled to such religious education&rdquo;. While these clauses appear sufficient to quell any misconceptions about the proposed legislation, it is unlikely that the discussion on the Bill will not generate heat.

&ldquo;After considering all aspects of the Bill, the Committee recommend that the member may be permitted to move for leave to introduce the Bill,&rdquo; the Committee on Private Members&rsquo; Bills and Resolutions led by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai stated. Birla has been a three-time legislator in the Rajasthan State Assembly and is a first-time Lok Sabha MP.&nbsp;

Article 28 of the Indian Constitution provides for &ldquo;Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions&rdquo;. While Clause 1s under Article 28 states that &ldquo;no religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds&rdquo;, Clause 2 states that &ldquo;nothing in clause (1) shall apply to an educational institution which is administered by the state but has been established under any endowment or trust which requires that religious instruction shall be imparted in such institution&rdquo;.

Clause 3 under Article 28 states that &ldquo;no person attending any educational institution recognised by the state or receiving aid out of state funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto&rdquo;.

The chances of a Private Member&rsquo;s Bill getting passed in Parliament are usually remote. Since Independence, only a dozen-odd such Bills have managed to become laws. In fact, since Private Member&rsquo;s Business is usually allowed in the post-lunch session on Fridays, most of these Bills don&rsquo;t even reach the discussion stage. During the last Lok Sabha, as many as 300 Private Members&rsquo; Bills were introduced and just four per cent of them could be discussed, with the remaining 96 per cent lapsing without a debate.

The Bill, which is listed to be introduced in Lok Sabha on August 4, is likely to raise hackles of the Opposition parties

Setting the stage for more political fireworks in Parliament, a Lok Sabha MP from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has been allowed to introduce a Private Member’s Bill in the Parliament that seeks to amend the Constitution of India to enable imparting of “religious education related to Hindu religion” in educational institutions which are wholly maintained out of State funds, if the majority of students studying in such institutions are Hindus. The Bill, which is listed to be introduced in Lok Sabha on August 4, is likely to raise hackles of the Opposition parties, many of whom are already trying to corner the government over the latter’s alleged divisive agenda. Lok Sabha’s Committee on Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions which examines Private Member Bills before clearing them to be introduced in the Parliament recently accorded its approval to BJP MP from Kota (Rajasthan) Om Birla to introduce “The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2017 (Insertion of new article 28A)” in Indian Parliament’s lower House. Birla’s Bill seeks to insert a new article 28A to the Constitution of India “with a view to provide that religious education related to Hindu religion shall be imparted in an educational institution wholly maintained out the state funds, if the majority of the students studying in that institution are Hindus”. The Bill also provides “that such religious education shall not be compulsory for non-Hindu students studying in such institution” and also that “no Hindu student studying in such institution shall be compelled to such religious education”. While these clauses appear sufficient to quell any misconceptions about the proposed legislation, it is unlikely that the discussion on the Bill will not generate heat. “After considering all aspects of the Bill, the Committee recommend that the member may be permitted to move for leave to introduce the Bill,” the Committee on Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions led by Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambi Durai stated. Birla has been a three-time legislator in the Rajasthan State Assembly and is a first-time Lok Sabha MP. Article 28 of the Indian Constitution provides for “Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions”. While Clause 1s under Article 28 states that “no religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds”, Clause 2 states that “nothing in clause (1) shall apply to an educational institution which is administered by the state but has been established under any endowment or trust which requires that religious instruction shall be imparted in such institution”. Clause 3 under Article 28 states that “no person attending any educational institution recognised by the state or receiving aid out of state funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto”. The chances of a Private Member’s Bill getting passed in Parliament are usually remote. Since Independence, only a dozen-odd such Bills have managed to become laws. In fact, since Private Member’s Business is usually allowed in the post-lunch session on Fridays, most of these Bills don’t even reach the discussion stage. During the last Lok Sabha, as many as 300 Private Members’ Bills were introduced and just four per cent of them could be discussed, with the remaining 96 per cent lapsing without a debate.

BJP MP's Bill seeking to impart Hindu religious education in educational institutions to be introduced in Lok Sabha

Mention the words &ldquo;Chabad House&rdquo; in India and chances are that many Indians wouldn&#39;t know the way to one. Those who do, would probably connect the name to terror: the 26/11 terror attacks that saw Mumbai&#39;s Chabad House becoming one of the targets.

&nbsp;

Welcome to Paharganj in the heart of Delhi. Here, everyone knows what the Chabad House is and someone will actually escort you to the three-storeyed building hidden in a maze of streets and bylanes. The Chabad House in Paharganj is the first semblance of a home away from home for hundreds of Israelis landing in India. Conservative estimates put the number of Israelis visiting Delhi&#39;s Chabad House at 50,000 per year.

&nbsp;

The presence of a Delhi Police constable right at the entrance of Delhi&#39;s Chabad House is a signal enough: that from the security point of view, this is an important venue.

&nbsp;

The scene on the first floor is baffling. With backpacks and luggage littered across the entire floor, a clutch of young Israelis hang out: &mdash;some relaxing on the floor, others downing a cold drink, yet others charging their phones and laptops.

&nbsp;

Chaya Mushka, the wife of Rabbi Akiva, who&#39;s incharge of this Chabad House, is busy attending to droves of Israelis walking in and out of the building. She takes out time to explain what a Chabad House is and what it means for those visiting it. &ldquo;Chabad House is an open Jewish House that is like an open home where every Jew can come and feel at home. Our mission in life is to love every Jew, irrespective of how they look or where they come from,&rdquo; she says.

&nbsp;

The Chabad House is probably the first point of contact with their own people for Israelis visiting India. It&#39;s a comfort zone that allows them some familiarity, before venturing out to explore exotic, bewildering India.

&nbsp;

Ask any of these Israeli youngsters as to why they chose India and the answer is unsurprising. A long holiday in India has almost become a formal ritual, after the rigorous and compulsory military training that all Israeli youth undergo after completing their studies.

&nbsp;

&ldquo;Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I will complete my military training and will then go to India for a vacation,&rdquo; says a young backpacker heading out of Chabad House. Many others acknowledge that doing military training and heading to India afterwards are almost synonymous.

&nbsp;

But it&#39;s not that only Israeli youth visit Iidia. Pensioners like Shaikey too, are among those who like to come. &ldquo;I think India is a very interesting country, There is so much of variety here...the south has something to offer, the north has something completely different. The people here are very kind. They like to help and take good care of us,&rdquo; he says.

&nbsp;

The Israelis swarm Paharganj and the area around Chabad house - that shows just how comfortable they feel here. Here, there are shops with signs in Hebrew and what&#39;s more, many shopkeepers address them quite fluently in their own tongue. Expectedly, business is booming here.

&nbsp;

&ldquo;I&#39;ve been dealing with them for 12 years. Yes, I speak a little bit of Hebrew. They come, they have heard about my shop. When they are here and I speak to them in Hebrew it creates a friendly environment and makes them feel comfortable and at home,&rdquo; says Waseem, who runs a leather goods shop just meters away from Chabad House. He then goes on to have a conversation with a young Israeli customer in fluent Hebrew.

&nbsp;

Rabbi Akiva, the man in charge of Delhi&#39;s Chabad House, has been here for six years now and is very upbeat about the ties Israel shares with india and why so many Israeli&#39;s come to India.

&nbsp;

&ldquo;I am happy about the Indian Prime Minister&#39;s visit to Israel. I am a Jew, and an Israeli. But i am living in India. And everything that makes India a better place makes me happy. I think it&#39;s a great thing. It&#39;ll help both countries. What can be wrong in this?&rdquo; he says, adding that he plans to stay on in India for good.

&nbsp;

The symbolism of Prime Minister Modi&#39;s meeting with 10-year-old Moshe is not lost on Rabbi Akiva. Moshe was but a baby when his parents were killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and his Indian nanny, Sandra, fled with him in her arms.

&nbsp;

&ldquo;We won over the terrorists and Moshe who was just a toddler is now ten years old and will be growing up. As as it is being said, he&#39;s going to be a Rabbi in Mumbai,&rdquo; says Rabbi Akiva.

&nbsp;

The Rabbi adds that though Moshe&#39;s is a sad story, but the fact that PM Modi will be meeting him goes on to show that India is really interested in Israel&mdash;and not just because of technology and other things Israel has to offer. &ldquo;As we can see, the Indian government helps us with security and the fact Prime Minister Modi is going to visit and meet Moshe shows that India and Israel are very much connected and both nations want to help each other,&rdquo;&nbsp;the Rabbi says.

?I am happy about the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Israel. I am a Jew, and an Israeli. But i am living in India", says Rabbi Akiva of Chabad House

Mention the words “Chabad House” in India and chances are that many Indians wouldn't know the way to one. Those who do, would probably connect the name to terror: the 26/11 terror attacks that saw Mumbai's Chabad House becoming one of the targets. Welcome to Paharganj in the heart of Delhi. Here, everyone knows what the Chabad House is and someone will actually escort you to the three-storeyed building hidden in a maze of streets and bylanes. The Chabad House in Paharganj is the first semblance of a home away from home for hundreds of Israelis landing in India. Conservative estimates put the number of Israelis visiting Delhi's Chabad House at 50,000 per year. The presence of a Delhi Police constable right at the entrance of Delhi's Chabad House is a signal enough: that from the security point of view, this is an important venue. The scene on the first floor is baffling. With backpacks and luggage littered across the entire floor, a clutch of young Israelis hang out: —some relaxing on the floor, others downing a cold drink, yet others charging their phones and laptops. Chaya Mushka, the wife of Rabbi Akiva, who's incharge of this Chabad House, is busy attending to droves of Israelis walking in and out of the building. She takes out time to explain what a Chabad House is and what it means for those visiting it. “Chabad House is an open Jewish House that is like an open home where every Jew can come and feel at home. Our mission in life is to love every Jew, irrespective of how they look or where they come from,” she says. The Chabad House is probably the first point of contact with their own people for Israelis visiting India. It's a comfort zone that allows them some familiarity, before venturing out to explore exotic, bewildering India. Ask any of these Israeli youngsters as to why they chose India and the answer is unsurprising. A long holiday in India has almost become a formal ritual, after the rigorous and compulsory military training that all Israeli youth undergo after completing their studies. “Ever since I was a little girl, I knew I will complete my military training and will then go to India for a vacation,” says a young backpacker heading out of Chabad House. Many others acknowledge that doing military training and heading to India afterwards are almost synonymous. But it's not that only Israeli youth visit Iidia. Pensioners like Shaikey too, are among those who like to come. “I think India is a very interesting country, There is so much of variety here...the south has something to offer, the north has something completely different. The people here are very kind. They like to help and take good care of us,” he says. The Israelis swarm Paharganj and the area around Chabad house - that shows just how comfortable they feel here. Here, there are shops with signs in Hebrew and what's more, many shopkeepers address them quite fluently in their own tongue. Expectedly, business is booming here. “I've been dealing with them for 12 years. Yes, I speak a little bit of Hebrew. They come, they have heard about my shop. When they are here and I speak to them in Hebrew it creates a friendly environment and makes them feel comfortable and at home,” says Waseem, who runs a leather goods shop just meters away from Chabad House. He then goes on to have a conversation with a young Israeli customer in fluent Hebrew. Rabbi Akiva, the man in charge of Delhi's Chabad House, has been here for six years now and is very upbeat about the ties Israel shares with india and why so many Israeli's come to India. “I am happy about the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Israel. I am a Jew, and an Israeli. But i am living in India. And everything that makes India a better place makes me happy. I think it's a great thing. It'll help both countries. What can be wrong in this?” he says, adding that he plans to stay on in India for good. The symbolism of Prime Minister Modi's meeting with 10-year-old Moshe is not lost on Rabbi Akiva. Moshe was but a baby when his parents were killed in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and his Indian nanny, Sandra, fled with him in her arms. “We won over the terrorists and Moshe who was just a toddler is now ten years old and will be growing up. As as it is being said, he's going to be a Rabbi in Mumbai,” says Rabbi Akiva. The Rabbi adds that though Moshe's is a sad story, but the fact that PM Modi will be meeting him goes on to show that India is really interested in Israel—and not just because of technology and other things Israel has to offer. “As we can see, the Indian government helps us with security and the fact Prime Minister Modi is going to visit and meet Moshe shows that India and Israel are very much connected and both nations want to help each other,” the Rabbi says.

The Chabad House: Home away from home for Israelis in India

A little over a year after it was passed by India&#39;s Parliament, the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016 &mdash; a new and tougher law &mdash; quietly came into effect on July 5 after a formal gazette notification by the ministry of civil aviation.

Under the new law, the perpetrators of a hijacking are now punishable with death should the hijacking result in the death of any person &mdash; including ground handling staff and airport personnel &mdash; or with life imprisonment or with a fine.&nbsp;

Earlier, the death penalty was applicable only in the case of the death of hostages or security personnel.

The new law also allows for the confiscation of the offenders&#39; moveable and immoveable property.

Another key feature of the new law is that it widens the definition of hijacking from &ldquo;in-flight&rdquo; to &ldquo;in-service&rdquo;.&nbsp;

That means an aircraft will be considered to be in-service from the time it is being prepared for a specific flight by the crew or ground personnel to until 24 hours after it lands.

The new law also expands the definition of a hijacker.&nbsp;

A hijacker is now any person who organises a hijacking or directs others to commit one, a person who participates in a hijacking, and one who assists any person to evade investigation, prosecution, or punishment for a hijacking.

The new law also enhances the jurisdiction Indian courts can exercise in a hijacking case.

Under its provisions, Indian courts will be able to exercise jurisdiction over a hijacking anywhere &mdash; should the offence be committed against or by an Indian citizen on board a flight, irrespective of the country where the offence is committed.

That includes hijackings by stateless persons. 
&nbsp;

The new law expands the definition of a hijacker

A little over a year after it was passed by India's Parliament, the Anti-Hijacking Act, 2016 — a new and tougher law — quietly came into effect on July 5 after a formal gazette notification by the ministry of civil aviation. Under the new law, the perpetrators of a hijacking are now punishable with death should the hijacking result in the death of any person — including ground handling staff and airport personnel — or with life imprisonment or with a fine. Earlier, the death penalty was applicable only in the case of the death of hostages or security personnel. The new law also allows for the confiscation of the offenders' moveable and immoveable property. Another key feature of the new law is that it widens the definition of hijacking from “in-flight” to “in-service”. That means an aircraft will be considered to be in-service from the time it is being prepared for a specific flight by the crew or ground personnel to until 24 hours after it lands. The new law also expands the definition of a hijacker. A hijacker is now any person who organises a hijacking or directs others to commit one, a person who participates in a hijacking, and one who assists any person to evade investigation, prosecution, or punishment for a hijacking. The new law also enhances the jurisdiction Indian courts can exercise in a hijacking case. Under its provisions, Indian courts will be able to exercise jurisdiction over a hijacking anywhere — should the offence be committed against or by an Indian citizen on board a flight, irrespective of the country where the offence is committed. That includes hijackings by stateless persons.

India gets new anti-hijacking law

In the fourteen Presidential elections India has seen so far, only once has a candidate been elected unopposed. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected unopposed as the first citizen of the country in 1977.

That, however, is unlikely to happen as India readies to elect its&nbsp;15th President in a few weeks from now with both the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Opposition camp looking set to make a fight out of it.

While it will almost be a matter of prestige for the ruling BJP to get its candidate elected as the next President of India, the Opposition is sensing an opportunity here to embarrass the Narendra Modi government by getting its candidate to be the next occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan.&nbsp;That probably explains why both the camps are treading cautiously on naming their respective candidates. Despite the likelihood of its candidate sailing through, the BJP still&nbsp;wants to create a broader consensus for its candidate to sail through comfortably.

Wooing Opposition parties also makes sense for the BJP as political parties cannot issue any whip to their legislators for voting in Presidential Elections. Simply put, this means that even Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies belonging to the Opposition camp defy party loyalties and can vote for the candidate fielded by the ruling party.

While the names of senior BJP leaders like Lal Krishna&nbsp;Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were circulating up to a few weeks back, the restoration of conspiracy charges against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case appears to have thwarted their chances for now. India&#39;s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj could emerge as the dark horse from the NDA stable, sources indicate.

But given Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s ability to spring surprises (remember Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister?), a surprise candidate may well be fielded by the BJP.

The Opposition parties, led by Congress, are reportedly mulling fielding the likes of former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar for the top job.

With the countdown to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee&#39;s exit from Rashtrapati Bhavan beginning formally today after the Election Commission of India issued&nbsp;the formal notification for the next presidential elections, the Narendra Modi government now has its task cut out. And that is getting a candidate of its choice elected as the President of India with minimum fuss.

(WION)

The countdown for presidential elections begins today with Election Commission's notification

In the fourteen Presidential elections India has seen so far, only once has a candidate been elected unopposed. Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy was elected unopposed as the first citizen of the country in 1977. That, however, is unlikely to happen as India readies to elect its 15th President in a few weeks from now with both the ruling BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Opposition camp looking set to make a fight out of it. While it will almost be a matter of prestige for the ruling BJP to get its candidate elected as the next President of India, the Opposition is sensing an opportunity here to embarrass the Narendra Modi government by getting its candidate to be the next occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan. That probably explains why both the camps are treading cautiously on naming their respective candidates. Despite the likelihood of its candidate sailing through, the BJP still wants to create a broader consensus for its candidate to sail through comfortably. Wooing Opposition parties also makes sense for the BJP as political parties cannot issue any whip to their legislators for voting in Presidential Elections. Simply put, this means that even Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assemblies belonging to the Opposition camp defy party loyalties and can vote for the candidate fielded by the ruling party. While the names of senior BJP leaders like Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were circulating up to a few weeks back, the restoration of conspiracy charges against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case appears to have thwarted their chances for now. India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj could emerge as the dark horse from the NDA stable, sources indicate. But given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ability to spring surprises (remember Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister?), a surprise candidate may well be fielded by the BJP. The Opposition parties, led by Congress, are reportedly mulling fielding the likes of former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar for the top job. With the countdown to Indian President Pranab Mukherjee's exit from Rashtrapati Bhavan beginning formally today after the Election Commission of India issued the formal notification for the next presidential elections, the Narendra Modi government now has its task cut out. And that is getting a candidate of its choice elected as the President of India with minimum fuss. (WION)

Next Indian President: Opposition wants to spoil BJP's gameplan

Pranab Mukherjee&#39;s term as President of India ends on July 24 and the process to elect India&#39;s 15th President commences on Wednesday, June 14 when the election commission of India will issue&nbsp;the notification calling for the election. If required, voting will be held on July 17 while July 20 has been fixed as the date of counting.

So who elects the President of India? 
Elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the elected members of state legislative assemblies including NCT of Delhi and UT of Puducherry vote to elect the President of India 
A total of 4,896 legislators &mdash; 543 from Lok Sabha, 233 from Rajya Sabha and 4,120 from the state assemblies &mdash; will form the electoral college for the presidential polls this time.

How many votes does a legislator have? 
The value of votes of each MLA and MP is arrived at by using formulae that take into account the population of respective states as per the 1971 census. 
Currently, the total value of the votes of 4,120 MLAs is 5,49,495.&nbsp; 
And the total value of votes of 776 MPs is 5,49,408.&nbsp; 
Thus, the total value of votes for the presidential polls is 10,98,903.

What&#39;s the process to vote? 
Voting for presidential polls in India is conducted using ballot papers. The ballot paper does not contain any election symbol and has just two columns--column 1 containing the heading &ldquo;name of candidate&rdquo; and column 2 containing the heading &ldquo;order of preference&rdquo;. 
Each elector will have as many preferences as there are contesting candidates. 
An elector in giving his vote will place the figure &ldquo;1&rdquo; in the space opposite the name of the candidate whom he chooses for his first preference and may, in addition, mark as many subsequent preferences as he wishes by placing on his ballot paper the figures 2,3,4 and so on in the spaces opposite the names of other candidates, in order of preference.

Is it a secret ballot? 
The constitution has expressly provided that election to the office of Pesident shall be by secret ballot. Therefore, the electors are expected to scrupulously maintain secrecy of vote. There is no concept of open voting at this election and showing the ballot to anyone under any circumstances in the case of presidential elections is totally prohibited.

What about party whips? 
Significantly, political parties cannot issue any whip to their MPs and MLAs in the matter of voting in the presidential election. This implies that legislators can vote as per their conscience and need not stick to political loyalties.

How is counting done? 
After calculating the total value of votes polled by each candidate, the returning officer totals up the value of all valid votes polled. The quota for declaring a candidate as elected is determined by dividing of the valid votes by 2 and adding one to the quotient, 
Ignoring the remainder, if any. For example, assuming the total value of valid votes polled by all candidates is 1,00,001. The quota required for getting elected would be 50,000+1=50,001 
In the current scenario, whichever candidate wins 5,49,452 votes will become the next president of India.

Though several names have informally been doing the rounds, neither the ruling NDA nor the Opposition parties have formally announced the names of their respective candidates for the presidential polls yet. While the BJP would be hoping to create some consensus for its candidate, the opposition would try to use this as an opportunity to embarrass the govt by getting its candidate elected. This election will also provide opposition parties to form a front against the BJP in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

WION's Raghvendra Rao explains how the election will take place

Pranab Mukherjee's term as President of India ends on July 24 and the process to elect India's 15th President commences on Wednesday, June 14 when the election commission of India will issue the notification calling for the election. If required, voting will be held on July 17 while July 20 has been fixed as the date of counting. So who elects the President of India? Elected members of the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the elected members of state legislative assemblies including NCT of Delhi and UT of Puducherry vote to elect the President of India A total of 4,896 legislators — 543 from Lok Sabha, 233 from Rajya Sabha and 4,120 from the state assemblies — will form the electoral college for the presidential polls this time. How many votes does a legislator have? The value of votes of each MLA and MP is arrived at by using formulae that take into account the population of respective states as per the 1971 census. Currently, the total value of the votes of 4,120 MLAs is 5,49,495. And the total value of votes of 776 MPs is 5,49,408. Thus, the total value of votes for the presidential polls is 10,98,903. What's the process to vote? Voting for presidential polls in India is conducted using ballot papers. The ballot paper does not contain any election symbol and has just two columns--column 1 containing the heading “name of candidate” and column 2 containing the heading “order of preference”. Each elector will have as many preferences as there are contesting candidates. An elector in giving his vote will place the figure “1” in the space opposite the name of the candidate whom he chooses for his first preference and may, in addition, mark as many subsequent preferences as he wishes by placing on his ballot paper the figures 2,3,4 and so on in the spaces opposite the names of other candidates, in order of preference. Is it a secret ballot? The constitution has expressly provided that election to the office of Pesident shall be by secret ballot. Therefore, the electors are expected to scrupulously maintain secrecy of vote. There is no concept of open voting at this election and showing the ballot to anyone under any circumstances in the case of presidential elections is totally prohibited. What about party whips? Significantly, political parties cannot issue any whip to their MPs and MLAs in the matter of voting in the presidential election. This implies that legislators can vote as per their conscience and need not stick to political loyalties. How is counting done? After calculating the total value of votes polled by each candidate, the returning officer totals up the value of all valid votes polled. The quota for declaring a candidate as elected is determined by dividing of the valid votes by 2 and adding one to the quotient, Ignoring the remainder, if any. For example, assuming the total value of valid votes polled by all candidates is 1,00,001. The quota required for getting elected would be 50,000+1=50,001 In the current scenario, whichever candidate wins 5,49,452 votes will become the next president of India. Though several names have informally been doing the rounds, neither the ruling NDA nor the Opposition parties have formally announced the names of their respective candidates for the presidential polls yet. While the BJP would be hoping to create some consensus for its candidate, the opposition would try to use this as an opportunity to embarrass the govt by getting its candidate elected. This election will also provide opposition parties to form a front against the BJP in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. (WION)

Process to elect next President of India begins today

Terming it an incident that had &ldquo;happened at a lower level&rdquo; and admitting that &ldquo;&iuml;t shouldn&#39;t have happened&rdquo;, the Canadian High Commission today restored the visa of retired Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official Tejinder Singh Dhillon who was denied entry into Canada a few days back.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/canada-denies-entry-to-retired-cop-says-crpf-indulged-in-rights-violations-15957">Also Read: Canada denies entry to retired cop, says CRPF indulged in rights violations</a>

Significantly, while issuing a fresh visa to Dhillon, the Canadian High Commission also stamped the earlier &ldquo;Cancelled&rdquo; visa with a stamp that stated &ldquo;Cancelled Without Prejudice&rdquo;. In another gesture to salvage the situation that had the potential to erupt into a diplomatic row, the High Commission also provided an air ticket to Dhillon to travel to Toronto where he was originally supposed to go attend a wedding when he was denied entry into Canada.

Dhillon, who retired from the CRPF as an Inspector General in 2010, was declared inadmissible under Canada&rsquo;s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with the Vancouver airport immigration authorities maintaining that he could not be granted entry since he was part of the CRPF which &ldquo;committed widespread and systemic human rights abuses, for example torture, arbitrary detention, murder, and sexual assault.&rdquo;

Speaking exclusively to WION/DNA, Dhillon&mdash;who was in Delhi to meet the Canadian High Commission officials&mdash;said, &ldquo;The incident which happened in Vancouver was very unfortunate. I tried to keep my cool and I was very confident because I knew I had nothing against me. But when they tried to accuse my organisation and the country of being involved in such things, I told them that I did not agree with their allegations. I felt offended about it because it affected my organisation and my country.&rdquo;

Appreciating the role of the Indian government in taking up the matter with the Canada government, Dhillon added that he also appreciated the Canada government for the prompt action they took in the matter.

&ldquo;They repeatedly told me that they deeply apologize for what had happened. They also added that this happened at a lower level, and that it shouldn&#39;t have happened,&rdquo; he said.

Asked about the circumstances that led to his ordeal in Canada, Dhillon blamed it squarely on the newly created Canada Border Service Agency.

&ldquo;They are all young people. I don&#39;t think they are much experienced and probably they don&#39;t know how to conduct themselves. But their powers are supreme and they are misusing their powers.&rdquo;

&ldquo;The system needs to be screened, they need to be more educated, they need to respect the dignity of every human being who enters in Canada,&rdquo; he added.

Dhillon said that he had been assured by the Canadian authorities that a &ldquo;strong call&rdquo; will be taken on this to ensure that &ldquo;such things do not happen&rdquo;.

&ldquo;I told them I have a spotless career. I have a President&#39;s Police Medal for distinguished service,&rdquo; Dhillon said adding that since he had served for CRPF which is accused with such charges, they felt that he should not have continued with that force.

&ldquo;In fact, one of the problems they had was that not only did I continue with CRPF but also earned promotions by virtue of helping the force complete its tasks,&rdquo; he added.

Calling it a very &ldquo;immature&rdquo; act at a lower level, Dhillon cited &ldquo;lack of knowledge and lack of proper attitude and maturity&rdquo; as the reasons behind this episode.

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Tejinder Singh Dhillon was denied entry into Canada since he was part of the CRPF

Terming it an incident that had “happened at a lower level” and admitting that “ït shouldn't have happened”, the Canadian High Commission today restored the visa of retired Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official Tejinder Singh Dhillon who was denied entry into Canada a few days back. Also Read: Canada denies entry to retired cop, says CRPF indulged in rights violations Significantly, while issuing a fresh visa to Dhillon, the Canadian High Commission also stamped the earlier “Cancelled” visa with a stamp that stated “Cancelled Without Prejudice”. In another gesture to salvage the situation that had the potential to erupt into a diplomatic row, the High Commission also provided an air ticket to Dhillon to travel to Toronto where he was originally supposed to go attend a wedding when he was denied entry into Canada. Dhillon, who retired from the CRPF as an Inspector General in 2010, was declared inadmissible under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act with the Vancouver airport immigration authorities maintaining that he could not be granted entry since he was part of the CRPF which “committed widespread and systemic human rights abuses, for example torture, arbitrary detention, murder, and sexual assault.” Speaking exclusively to WION/DNA, Dhillon—who was in Delhi to meet the Canadian High Commission officials—said, “The incident which happened in Vancouver was very unfortunate. I tried to keep my cool and I was very confident because I knew I had nothing against me. But when they tried to accuse my organisation and the country of being involved in such things, I told them that I did not agree with their allegations. I felt offended about it because it affected my organisation and my country.” Appreciating the role of the Indian government in taking up the matter with the Canada government, Dhillon added that he also appreciated the Canada government for the prompt action they took in the matter. “They repeatedly told me that they deeply apologize for what had happened. They also added that this happened at a lower level, and that it shouldn't have happened,” he said. Asked about the circumstances that led to his ordeal in Canada, Dhillon blamed it squarely on the newly created Canada Border Service Agency. “They are all young people. I don't think they are much experienced and probably they don't know how to conduct themselves. But their powers are supreme and they are misusing their powers.” “The system needs to be screened, they need to be more educated, they need to respect the dignity of every human being who enters in Canada,” he added. Dhillon said that he had been assured by the Canadian authorities that a “strong call” will be taken on this to ensure that “such things do not happen”. “I told them I have a spotless career. I have a President's Police Medal for distinguished service,” Dhillon said adding that since he had served for CRPF which is accused with such charges, they felt that he should not have continued with that force. “In fact, one of the problems they had was that not only did I continue with CRPF but also earned promotions by virtue of helping the force complete its tasks,” he added. Calling it a very “immature” act at a lower level, Dhillon cited “lack of knowledge and lack of proper attitude and maturity” as the reasons behind this episode. (WION)

Ex-CRPF official's visa restored as Canada apologises, issues him air ticket to Toronto

In a sign of things to come, the Centre today underlined the need to have &ldquo;aggression&rdquo; in the battle against left-wing extremism (LWE) in the country and stated that the state governments should take the ownership of anti-Naxal operations. The Centre too made it clear that officers will have to lead from the front. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;Today, we need to consider whether to react only after the occurrence of such events? Should our role not be proactive? Learning from the old incidents, we need to bring aggression into our policy,&rdquo; Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said while presiding over the day-long review meeting of left-wing extremism affected states in New Delhi today. 
&nbsp; 
Today&rsquo;s meeting comes in the backdrop of the April 24 ambush in Burkapal in Chhattisgarh&rsquo;s Sukma district in which 25 CRPF personnel were killed by Naxals. Stating that the &ldquo;whole country is agitated&rdquo; post-Sukma attack, Singh said that he was &ldquo;concerned but not perturbed&rdquo; by this attack. 
&nbsp; 
The Home Minister further said that 12,000 Indian citizens&mdash;2,700 security personnel and 9,300 innocent civilians - had lost their lives in violent activities of the left-wing extremists. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;We will have to have aggression in thinking, aggression in strategy, aggression in deployment of forces, aggression in operations, aggression in development and aggression in road construction,&rdquo; Singh told the meeting attended by Chief Ministers and Ministers of LWE affected states, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top officials from the Centre and states. 
&nbsp; 
Stating that &ldquo;extremely defensive deployment&rdquo; may result in a reduction of &ldquo;operational offensive&rdquo;, Singh emphasised that &ldquo;states take the ownership of LWE operations and CAPFs cooperate with them fully&rdquo;. &ldquo;At the same time, the forces on the ground level should not lack leadership. &quot;Unity of Purpose&quot; and &quot;Unity of Action&quot; are essential for the success of operations,&rdquo; he said. 
&nbsp; 
Rajnath further said that both the central forces and the district police will have to work under a coordinated strategy and plan. &ldquo;The most important thing is that the officers will have to lead from the front. Success in this regard cannot be achieved only by sitting in Delhi, Ranchi or Raipur,&rdquo; he added. 
&nbsp; 
Pointing out that the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is sub-optimal currently, the Home Minister added that Mini UAVs are proving to be extremely useful and should be procured in more quantities. &ldquo;We must try that with every battalion there must be atleast one UAV / Mini UAV,&rdquo; Singh said. 
&nbsp; 
Stating that left-wing extremists mostly&nbsp;looted weapons, Singh said that technologies like trackers in weapons, shoes and bullet-proof jackets, biometrics in smart gun triggers, and unique identification numbers in gelatin and other explosive materials should be used.

(WION)

Rajnath Singh at a meeting said India needed aggression in thinking and strategy to tackle left-wing extremism

In a sign of things to come, the Centre today underlined the need to have “aggression” in the battle against left-wing extremism (LWE) in the country and stated that the state governments should take the ownership of anti-Naxal operations. The Centre too made it clear that officers will have to lead from the front. “Today, we need to consider whether to react only after the occurrence of such events? Should our role not be proactive? Learning from the old incidents, we need to bring aggression into our policy,” Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said while presiding over the day-long review meeting of left-wing extremism affected states in New Delhi today. Today’s meeting comes in the backdrop of the April 24 ambush in Burkapal in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district in which 25 CRPF personnel were killed by Naxals. Stating that the “whole country is agitated” post-Sukma attack, Singh said that he was “concerned but not perturbed” by this attack. The Home Minister further said that 12,000 Indian citizens—2,700 security personnel and 9,300 innocent civilians - had lost their lives in violent activities of the left-wing extremists. “We will have to have aggression in thinking, aggression in strategy, aggression in deployment of forces, aggression in operations, aggression in development and aggression in road construction,” Singh told the meeting attended by Chief Ministers and Ministers of LWE affected states, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top officials from the Centre and states. Stating that “extremely defensive deployment” may result in a reduction of “operational offensive”, Singh emphasised that “states take the ownership of LWE operations and CAPFs cooperate with them fully”. “At the same time, the forces on the ground level should not lack leadership. "Unity of Purpose" and "Unity of Action" are essential for the success of operations,” he said. Rajnath further said that both the central forces and the district police will have to work under a coordinated strategy and plan. “The most important thing is that the officers will have to lead from the front. Success in this regard cannot be achieved only by sitting in Delhi, Ranchi or Raipur,” he added. Pointing out that the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is sub-optimal currently, the Home Minister added that Mini UAVs are proving to be extremely useful and should be procured in more quantities. “We must try that with every battalion there must be atleast one UAV / Mini UAV,” Singh said. Stating that left-wing extremists mostly looted weapons, Singh said that technologies like trackers in weapons, shoes and bullet-proof jackets, biometrics in smart gun triggers, and unique identification numbers in gelatin and other explosive materials should be used. (WION)

Home minister Rajnath Singh wants 'aggressive policy' to tackle left-wing extremism

With China continuing to raise the heat on Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to India&#39;s north-eastern frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, India&mdash;in a veiled but stern message&mdash;today said that no &ldquo;artificial controversy&rdquo; should be created around this visit and added that &ldquo;nobody should have any problem on the visit&rdquo;. India also took this opportunity to underline that the status of Arunachal Pradesh is &ldquo;indisputable&rdquo;.

&ldquo;When Dalai Lama is in Arunachal Pradesh, he will be confined only to religious matters. He is not there to make any political statement or he is not there with any political motive. So, unnecessary issues should not be raked up due to this visit,&rdquo; Union minister of state for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said today.

India&#39;s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), too, came out with a statement citing that the Tibetan spiritual leader, as per his website, had visited Arunachal Pradesh on six earlier occasions between 1983 and 2009.

&ldquo;The Government has clearly stated on several occasions that His Holiness Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader, who is deeply respected as such by the Indian people. No additional colour should be ascribed to his religious and spiritual activities and visits to various states of India. The Government, therefore, urges that no artificial controversy should be created around his present visit to Arunachal Pradesh,&rdquo; the MEA said.

Meanwhile, Rijiju said that Dalai Lama&#39;s visit to Arunachal Pradesh was in response to the &ldquo;wishes and appeals made by thousands of devotees&rdquo; and that during this visit, the Dalai Lama &ldquo;will be addressing, giving blessings to thousands of devotees in West Kameng district, Tawang district and Itanagar&rdquo;.

&ldquo;We have heard some comments from many quarters including the Chinese government. The people of Arunachal Pradesh desire to have a very good neighbourly relation with people with China. We never intend to have any kind of problem with our neighbours. India never interfered into the internal affairs of China. We also never questioned the Chinese sovereignty and India has respectfully adhered to One China policy. So we expect that China also should not interfere in our internal matters,&rdquo; Rijiju said.

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The Dalai Lama is on a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims is part of Tibet (WION)
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The MoS also underlined that &ldquo;being a democratic and secular country, India cannot restrict or stop the visit or a programme of any religious leaders in our country&rdquo;.

&ldquo;The religious sentiments of every community must be given all freedom. That is why we expect that nobody should have any problem on the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh,&rdquo; he added.

Rijiju also stated that &ldquo;Arunachal Pradesh is not a disputed territory&rdquo;. &ldquo;We have certain issues with regard to delineation or the boundary on the spots on the ground along McMahon Line&nbsp;because it is not being demarcated on the ground. That is why there is a talk between the special representatives of India and China and I hope and the people of Arunachal Pradesh hope that an amicable solution can be reached in the foreseeable future,&rdquo; he added.

&ldquo;But the status of AP is indisputable. Being a full fledged state of the Union of India, Arunachal Pradesh&#39;s status cannot be questioned. The territorial integrity of Arunachal Pradesh as a part of Indian union cannot be questioned. People of Arunachal Pradesh are upset by some people showing it as disputed territory. On behalf of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, I would like to appeal to our Chinese friends not to rake up this issue because as a neighbour we intend to have&nbsp;normal relations with China.&rdquo;

Rijiju, who will be joining Dalai Lama in Arunachal Pradesh on April 5 and would accompany him for the next three days, further said that the state government had accorded Dalai Lama the status of a state guest and all the facilities for the entire arrangement of his visit are being arranged by the state govt.

He reiterated that India did not &ldquo;intend to have any kind of damage in the relationship&rdquo; with China and that it respects Chinese sovereignty and expected that China would respect India&#39;s sovereignty in return.

Dalai Lama, who is on a nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, is slated to give a teaching and confer a White Tara Long Life Empowerment (drolkar tsewang) in the morning at the Buddha Park on April 5. On April 6, he will give teachings in Dirang on Geshe Langri Thangpa&#39;s Eight Verses of Training the Mind (lojong tsikgyema) &amp; Guru Yoga (lama neljor) and confer the Avalokiteshvara Permission (chenresig jenang) in the morning at Thupsung Dhargyeling Monastery. From April 8 to 10, he is scheduled to give teachings in Tawang. On the mornings of April 8 &amp; 9, the spiritual leader will give teachings on Kamalashila&#39;s The Middling States of Meditation (gomrim barpa) &amp; Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo&#39;s Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma) at Yiga Choezin. On the morning of April 10 morning, he will confer the Rinzin Dhondup Initiation at Yiga Choezin.

(WION)

India also took this opportunity to underline that the status of Arunachal Pradesh is 'indisputable'

With China continuing to raise the heat on Dalai Lama's visit to India's north-eastern frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh, India—in a veiled but stern message—today said that no “artificial controversy” should be created around this visit and added that “nobody should have any problem on the visit”. India also took this opportunity to underline that the status of Arunachal Pradesh is “indisputable”. “When Dalai Lama is in Arunachal Pradesh, he will be confined only to religious matters. He is not there to make any political statement or he is not there with any political motive. So, unnecessary issues should not be raked up due to this visit,” Union minister of state for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who is also a Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh, said today. India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), too, came out with a statement citing that the Tibetan spiritual leader, as per his website, had visited Arunachal Pradesh on six earlier occasions between 1983 and 2009. “The Government has clearly stated on several occasions that His Holiness Dalai Lama is a revered religious leader, who is deeply respected as such by the Indian people. No additional colour should be ascribed to his religious and spiritual activities and visits to various states of India. The Government, therefore, urges that no artificial controversy should be created around his present visit to Arunachal Pradesh,” the MEA said. Meanwhile, Rijiju said that Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh was in response to the “wishes and appeals made by thousands of devotees” and that during this visit, the Dalai Lama “will be addressing, giving blessings to thousands of devotees in West Kameng district, Tawang district and Itanagar”. “We have heard some comments from many quarters including the Chinese government. The people of Arunachal Pradesh desire to have a very good neighbourly relation with people with China. We never intend to have any kind of problem with our neighbours. India never interfered into the internal affairs of China. We also never questioned the Chinese sovereignty and India has respectfully adhered to One China policy. So we expect that China also should not interfere in our internal matters,” Rijiju said. The Dalai Lama is on a visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims is part of Tibet (WION) × The MoS also underlined that “being a democratic and secular country, India cannot restrict or stop the visit or a programme of any religious leaders in our country”. “The religious sentiments of every community must be given all freedom. That is why we expect that nobody should have any problem on the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh,” he added. Rijiju also stated that “Arunachal Pradesh is not a disputed territory”. “We have certain issues with regard to delineation or the boundary on the spots on the ground along McMahon Line because it is not being demarcated on the ground. That is why there is a talk between the special representatives of India and China and I hope and the people of Arunachal Pradesh hope that an amicable solution can be reached in the foreseeable future,” he added. “But the status of AP is indisputable. Being a full fledged state of the Union of India, Arunachal Pradesh's status cannot be questioned. The territorial integrity of Arunachal Pradesh as a part of Indian union cannot be questioned. People of Arunachal Pradesh are upset by some people showing it as disputed territory. On behalf of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, I would like to appeal to our Chinese friends not to rake up this issue because as a neighbour we intend to have normal relations with China.” Rijiju, who will be joining Dalai Lama in Arunachal Pradesh on April 5 and would accompany him for the next three days, further said that the state government had accorded Dalai Lama the status of a state guest and all the facilities for the entire arrangement of his visit are being arranged by the state govt. He reiterated that India did not “intend to have any kind of damage in the relationship” with China and that it respects Chinese sovereignty and expected that China would respect India's sovereignty in return. Dalai Lama, who is on a nine-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh, is slated to give a teaching and confer a White Tara Long Life Empowerment (drolkar tsewang) in the morning at the Buddha Park on April 5. On April 6, he will give teachings in Dirang on Geshe Langri Thangpa's Eight Verses of Training the Mind (lojong tsikgyema) & Guru Yoga (lama neljor) and confer the Avalokiteshvara Permission (chenresig jenang) in the morning at Thupsung Dhargyeling Monastery. From April 8 to 10, he is scheduled to give teachings in Tawang. On the mornings of April 8 & 9, the spiritual leader will give teachings on Kamalashila's The Middling States of Meditation (gomrim barpa) & Gyalsey Thokme Sangpo's Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (laklen sodunma) at Yiga Choezin. On the morning of April 10 morning, he will confer the Rinzin Dhondup Initiation at Yiga Choezin. (WION)

Nobody should have any problem with Dalai Lama's Arunachal Pradesh visit, India says

A day after challenging a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court to &ldquo;arrest and put him in jail&rdquo; for contempt, Calcutta High Court judge, Justice CS Karnan continued to be defiant, calling the SC bench &ldquo;unconstitutional&rdquo; and &ldquo;artificial&rdquo; and maintained that the contempt order against him was in violation of principle of natural justice and was not maintainable under the law.

In an exclusive interaction with WION, Justice Karnan also stood by his allegations of corruption against 20 judges in the Madras High Court and claimed that he can establish his case against these judges on the basis of the available administrative record. &ldquo;The 20 judges are corrupted. The administrative record is available on the file of the Madras High Court registry. On the strength of the administrative file, I can establish my case against the 20 judges,&rdquo; he told WION/DNA.

The Calcutta High Court judge also said that &ldquo;all honourable seven judges have no locus standi to constitute and unconstitutional bench and issue a suo motu contempt order against me which is violating the natural principle of justice&rdquo;. &ldquo;Article 19 (1) G of the Constitution duly permits to all citizens freedom of speech, writing etc,&rdquo; he added.

Asked whether he was ready to tender an unconditional apology to the apex court, Justice Karnan said, &ldquo;No..no..no..no. They are contemnors. Yesterday, I passed judicial order and I declared that all seven judges are contemnors...all seven judges are accused under the SC/ST Atrocities Act...further directed the Registrar General not to allot any administrative or judicial work &nbsp;to the honourable judges because they are accused under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.&rdquo;

On whether he had any locus standi in passing an order on the SC judges, Justice Karnan said, &ldquo;Yes, the Indian Constitution permits. Under the provision of the Constitution, I can pass orders. I am also having interim power. This SC bench is not a regular bench...it is an unconstitutional bench...artificial bench. In order to harass me, the bench was artificially constituted.&rdquo; 
&nbsp; 
Karnan further said that &ldquo;the point of unconditional apology does not arise because so far there is no discussion or findings that I am contemnor&rdquo;. &ldquo;The suo motu contempt initiated by the seven judge bench is not maintainable under the law. Law does not permit this. There was no original jurisdiction...no cause of action...no provision. What relief are the honourable judges seeking against me? So far they haven&rsquo;t disclosed,&rdquo; he told WION/DNA.

Karnan also made it clear that he will &ldquo;not appear before the honourable seven judges since they are accused under the SC/ST Atrocities Act&rdquo;.

When asked about his future course of action, Justice Karnan said, &ldquo;I want to execute my order.&rdquo; Asked as to how will he do that, he responded, &ldquo;Wait and see a couple of days.&rdquo; On his dare to the SC asking it to put him in jail, the judge said, &ldquo;Law doesn&rsquo;t permit that. They cannot put me in jail.&rdquo;

Karnan further said that he had written a complaint against 20 corrupt judges to the Prime Minister of India since the &ldquo;PM of India has power...is a high competent authority to order an inquiry on my complaint&rdquo;. &ldquo;However, the honourable judges suo motu issued contempt proceedings against me...before that there is no prior notice...judicial and administrative work was taken off from me without hearing my side. Actually, there is no discussion..no findings that I am contemnor but the honourable judges direct me to come and appear before them,&rdquo; he added.

&quot;I am also holding constitutional office. One constitutional office should not stand (against) another constitutional office,&quot; he said.

(WION)

Justice Karnan stood by his allegations of corruption against 20 Madras High Court judges

A day after challenging a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court to “arrest and put him in jail” for contempt, Calcutta High Court judge, Justice CS Karnan continued to be defiant, calling the SC bench “unconstitutional” and “artificial” and maintained that the contempt order against him was in violation of principle of natural justice and was not maintainable under the law. In an exclusive interaction with WION, Justice Karnan also stood by his allegations of corruption against 20 judges in the Madras High Court and claimed that he can establish his case against these judges on the basis of the available administrative record. “The 20 judges are corrupted. The administrative record is available on the file of the Madras High Court registry. On the strength of the administrative file, I can establish my case against the 20 judges,” he told WION/DNA. The Calcutta High Court judge also said that “all honourable seven judges have no locus standi to constitute and unconstitutional bench and issue a suo motu contempt order against me which is violating the natural principle of justice”. “Article 19 (1) G of the Constitution duly permits to all citizens freedom of speech, writing etc,” he added. Asked whether he was ready to tender an unconditional apology to the apex court, Justice Karnan said, “No..no..no..no. They are contemnors. Yesterday, I passed judicial order and I declared that all seven judges are contemnors...all seven judges are accused under the SC/ST Atrocities Act...further directed the Registrar General not to allot any administrative or judicial work to the honourable judges because they are accused under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.” On whether he had any locus standi in passing an order on the SC judges, Justice Karnan said, “Yes, the Indian Constitution permits. Under the provision of the Constitution, I can pass orders. I am also having interim power. This SC bench is not a regular bench...it is an unconstitutional bench...artificial bench. In order to harass me, the bench was artificially constituted.” Karnan further said that “the point of unconditional apology does not arise because so far there is no discussion or findings that I am contemnor”. “The suo motu contempt initiated by the seven judge bench is not maintainable under the law. Law does not permit this. There was no original jurisdiction...no cause of action...no provision. What relief are the honourable judges seeking against me? So far they haven’t disclosed,” he told WION/DNA. Karnan also made it clear that he will “not appear before the honourable seven judges since they are accused under the SC/ST Atrocities Act”. When asked about his future course of action, Justice Karnan said, “I want to execute my order.” Asked as to how will he do that, he responded, “Wait and see a couple of days.” On his dare to the SC asking it to put him in jail, the judge said, “Law doesn’t permit that. They cannot put me in jail.” Karnan further said that he had written a complaint against 20 corrupt judges to the Prime Minister of India since the “PM of India has power...is a high competent authority to order an inquiry on my complaint”. “However, the honourable judges suo motu issued contempt proceedings against me...before that there is no prior notice...judicial and administrative work was taken off from me without hearing my side. Actually, there is no discussion..no findings that I am contemnor but the honourable judges direct me to come and appear before them,” he added. "I am also holding constitutional office. One constitutional office should not stand (against) another constitutional office," he said. (WION)

EXCLUSIVE: SC contempt order not maintainable under law, Justice Karnan tells WION

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Raghvendra Rao

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