Former Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday in Delhi with a controversial remark that forced his new party to issue a disclaimer.

Once a close aide to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Agarwal lost out in the race for re-nomination to the upper house to actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan.

Angry over the loss, Agarwal, without taking Jaya&#39;s name, said he was compared with those who dance and work in films.

&quot;I have been compared with those who dance and work in films,&quot; Agrawal said, leaving the BJP leaders on the dais squirming.

The remark did not go well with the BJP party, which immediately distanced itself from the remark.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj too took to her Twitter handle to condemn the remark.&nbsp;

&quot;Shri Naresh Agarwal has joined Bhartiya Janata Party. He is welcome. However, his comments regarding Jaya Bachhan ji are improper and unacceptable,&quot; she tweeted.

The BJP, on Monday, fielded 11 candidates for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats in UP to make a contest of it.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Agarwal was once a close aide to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

Former Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Agrawal on Monday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday in Delhi with a controversial remark that forced his new party to issue a disclaimer. Once a close aide to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Agarwal lost out in the race for re-nomination to the upper house to actor-turned-politician Jaya Bachchan. Angry over the loss, Agarwal, without taking Jaya's name, said he was compared with those who dance and work in films. "I have been compared with those who dance and work in films," Agrawal said, leaving the BJP leaders on the dais squirming. The remark did not go well with the BJP party, which immediately distanced itself from the remark. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj too took to her Twitter handle to condemn the remark. "Shri Naresh Agarwal has joined Bhartiya Janata Party. He is welcome. However, his comments regarding Jaya Bachhan ji are improper and unacceptable," she tweeted. The BJP, on Monday, fielded 11 candidates for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats in UP to make a contest of it.

'Improper and unacceptable': Sushma Swaraj on Naresh Agrawal's remark on Jaya Bachchan

As India and China vigorously jostle for influence in the tiny Himalayan nation, Nepal&rsquo;s new Prime Minister KP Oli has a hard task at hand to do a balancing act. But his early days as prime minister indicate a tectonic shift towards China. Even during elections, he maintained an aggressive pro-China line so as to reduce dependence on India. He used nationalism as a major election plank, which many believe went down well with the masses who voted the left alliance to a comfortable majority, causing discomfiture in the Indian establishment. This was wary of the return of the communist regime. In fact, there are reports that China played a crucial role in ensuring the victory of the left alliance in the elections.

In keeping with his words during electioneering, Oli has dropped enough hints of his government&rsquo;s pro-China tilt. In an interview to Hong Kong&#39;s South China Morning Post, he was more forthcoming when he said that he wanted to &ldquo;deepen&rdquo; ties with China and get more leverage in his dealings with India &ldquo;in keeping with the times&rdquo;. &nbsp;The statement will certainly not please the Indian establishment which had sent its foreign minister Sushma Swaraj immediately after the election results to mend ways with the new government.

The crafty Oli seems to have made a well-thought-out statement to drive a hard bargain with India. The election manifesto of the left alliance speaks volumes about the intent of the new government. It says that the India-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty 1950 will be scrapped and a new treaty will be negotiated. &nbsp;The two countries are deadlocked over the issue for several years whether to amend the treaty or replace it completely.&nbsp;

The ties between India and Nepal deteriorated during Oli&rsquo;s first stint as prime minister when he blamed India for the unofficial economic blockade which stopped essential goods from entering Nepal from India, a charge New Delhi denied. &nbsp;An angry Oli then signed a trade and transit agreement with China with an aim to end India&rsquo;s monopoly over Nepal&rsquo;s supply of daily essentials which further created bitterness between the two countries. Oli was also miffed with India&rsquo;s diplomatic intervention in the country&rsquo;s constitutional process in 2015 when New Delhi sought to accommodate demands of the Madhesis who launched a violent struggle to have greater say in the federal system. He often blamed New Delhi for the circumstances which led to his resignation following the political crisis over the Madhesi issue.

Therefore, there is no element of surprise as Oli plays the China card shrewdly. &nbsp;&quot;We have great connectivity with India and an open border. All that&#39;s fine and we&#39;ll increase connectivity even further, but we can&rsquo;t forget that we have two neighbours. We don&#39;t want to depend on one country or have one option,&quot; he said in the same interview. It should be recalled that Oli in his previous avatar as prime minister had inked a deal with China to extend Tibet rail network to Kathmandu and created special economic zones for Chinese firms, infuriating India.

Oli should realize that he can&rsquo;t afford to keep all his eggs in one basket. He will need to be pragmatic to balance both India and China. &nbsp;India is still Nepal&rsquo;s biggest trade partner. In fact, the two-thirds of Nepal&rsquo;s trade remains with India and the Himalayan nation is heavily dependent on the latter for its everyday needs. Therefore when asked how he wanted to work out relations with India, Oli said: &nbsp;&quot;We&#39;ve always had excellent relations with India. There were some elements in the Indian establishment that caused some misunderstanding, but Indian leaders have assured us that there will be no interference in the future and we will respect each other&#39;s sovereign rights&rdquo;. &nbsp;There is no doubt that he is still smarting from his unceremonious ouster and yet to reconcile.

Oli is aware that both India and China want to expand their influence in the region and he would like to use this to his country&rsquo;s advantage. The only difference is while India has always considered Nepal as a natural ally based on the close historical ties, China is ensnaring the region by dolling out lollipops to the world&rsquo;s one of the most impoverished countries by building roads, and trade and transit corridors. But Oli would do well to be careful and understand China&rsquo;s designs. In the past, several countries like the Maldives and Sri Lanka cosied up to China eyeing massive investments but ended up into a debt-trap.

Both India and Nepal need to reconcile and a make a fresh rapprochement to iron out their differences and bring the ailing relations back on track. Given the historic and cultural ties, the two countries can&rsquo;t afford to be like oil and water.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Given the historic and cultural ties, Nepal will need to be pragmatic to balance both India and China.

As India and China vigorously jostle for influence in the tiny Himalayan nation, Nepal’s new Prime Minister KP Oli has a hard task at hand to do a balancing act. But his early days as prime minister indicate a tectonic shift towards China. Even during elections, he maintained an aggressive pro-China line so as to reduce dependence on India. He used nationalism as a major election plank, which many believe went down well with the masses who voted the left alliance to a comfortable majority, causing discomfiture in the Indian establishment. This was wary of the return of the communist regime. In fact, there are reports that China played a crucial role in ensuring the victory of the left alliance in the elections. In keeping with his words during electioneering, Oli has dropped enough hints of his government’s pro-China tilt. In an interview to Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, he was more forthcoming when he said that he wanted to “deepen” ties with China and get more leverage in his dealings with India “in keeping with the times”. The statement will certainly not please the Indian establishment which had sent its foreign minister Sushma Swaraj immediately after the election results to mend ways with the new government. The crafty Oli seems to have made a well-thought-out statement to drive a hard bargain with India. The election manifesto of the left alliance speaks volumes about the intent of the new government. It says that the India-Nepal Peace and Friendship Treaty 1950 will be scrapped and a new treaty will be negotiated. The two countries are deadlocked over the issue for several years whether to amend the treaty or replace it completely. The ties between India and Nepal deteriorated during Oli’s first stint as prime minister when he blamed India for the unofficial economic blockade which stopped essential goods from entering Nepal from India, a charge New Delhi denied. An angry Oli then signed a trade and transit agreement with China with an aim to end India’s monopoly over Nepal’s supply of daily essentials which further created bitterness between the two countries. Oli was also miffed with India’s diplomatic intervention in the country’s constitutional process in 2015 when New Delhi sought to accommodate demands of the Madhesis who launched a violent struggle to have greater say in the federal system. He often blamed New Delhi for the circumstances which led to his resignation following the political crisis over the Madhesi issue. Therefore, there is no element of surprise as Oli plays the China card shrewdly. "We have great connectivity with India and an open border. All that's fine and we'll increase connectivity even further, but we can’t forget that we have two neighbours. We don't want to depend on one country or have one option," he said in the same interview. It should be recalled that Oli in his previous avatar as prime minister had inked a deal with China to extend Tibet rail network to Kathmandu and created special economic zones for Chinese firms, infuriating India. Oli should realize that he can’t afford to keep all his eggs in one basket. He will need to be pragmatic to balance both India and China. India is still Nepal’s biggest trade partner. In fact, the two-thirds of Nepal’s trade remains with India and the Himalayan nation is heavily dependent on the latter for its everyday needs. Therefore when asked how he wanted to work out relations with India, Oli said: "We've always had excellent relations with India. There were some elements in the Indian establishment that caused some misunderstanding, but Indian leaders have assured us that there will be no interference in the future and we will respect each other's sovereign rights”. There is no doubt that he is still smarting from his unceremonious ouster and yet to reconcile. Oli is aware that both India and China want to expand their influence in the region and he would like to use this to his country’s advantage. The only difference is while India has always considered Nepal as a natural ally based on the close historical ties, China is ensnaring the region by dolling out lollipops to the world’s one of the most impoverished countries by building roads, and trade and transit corridors. But Oli would do well to be careful and understand China’s designs. In the past, several countries like the Maldives and Sri Lanka cosied up to China eyeing massive investments but ended up into a debt-trap. Both India and Nepal need to reconcile and a make a fresh rapprochement to iron out their differences and bring the ailing relations back on track. Given the historic and cultural ties, the two countries can’t afford to be like oil and water. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Will KP Oli be able to humour both India and China?

Two Hyderabad women, who were stuck in Saudi Arabia in search of a job, have now safely returned to India.

Rehana and Noor had gone to Saudi Arabia with a promise of employment but were forced to work as domestic help.&nbsp;

Their sister Farzana had written to the Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj stating that her sisters were being tortured and must return to India.&nbsp;

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Telangana: Hyderabad woman who had gone to Saudi Arabia for a job &amp; thrashed &amp; sexually assaulted there, returned to India on 25th January. Her daughter says, I thank Sushma Swaraj Ma&#39;am, Indian Embassy and Hyderabad police for bringing back my mother&#39;. <a href="https://t.co/2NMLwn7r6c">pic.twitter.com/2NMLwn7r6c</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957254653648842753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The two women safely returned to India on January 25, shortly after Farzana&#39;s&nbsp;appeal for their safe return.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;women, who went to Saudi Arabia in February 2017, claim that they were thrashed and sexually assaulted during their employment&nbsp;period.

&quot;I was not given food to eat. I even tried committing suicide,&quot; noted one of the sisters.

The daughter of one of the victims&nbsp;thanked Sushma Swaraj saying that &quot;I thank Sushma Swaraj Ma&#39;am, the Indian Embassy and the Hyderabad police for bringing back my mother&quot;.

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I was thrashed and sexually assaulted. I was not given food to eat. I even tried committing suicide. My children told me they are trying to bring me back and asked me not to lose hope. I then received a call from Indian Embassy &amp; today I am here: Woman <a href="https://t.co/2LuLHcNi4R">pic.twitter.com/2LuLHcNi4R</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957254656626900993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier in January,&nbsp;Farzana had claimed that her&nbsp;sisters were being held in Saudi Arabia on a pretext of employment.

She asked the External Affairs Minister to initiate the process of safe return of her sisters.

&quot;They were taken to Saudi through an agent on the promise of a beautician job, but are now forced to work as domestic help,&quot; Farzana noted previously.

According to media reports, the women were promised a salary&nbsp;of 1200 Saudi Riyal but received only one Saudi Riyal during the course of their employment.

The women claim to have been thrashed and sexually assaulted in Saudi Arabia

Two Hyderabad women, who were stuck in Saudi Arabia in search of a job, have now safely returned to India. Rehana and Noor had gone to Saudi Arabia with a promise of employment but were forced to work as domestic help. Their sister Farzana had written to the Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj stating that her sisters were being tortured and must return to India. Telangana: Hyderabad woman who had gone to Saudi Arabia for a job & thrashed & sexually assaulted there, returned to India on 25th January. Her daughter says, I thank Sushma Swaraj Ma'am, Indian Embassy and Hyderabad police for bringing back my mother'. pic.twitter.com/2NMLwn7r6c — ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2018 × The two women safely returned to India on January 25, shortly after Farzana's appeal for their safe return. The women, who went to Saudi Arabia in February 2017, claim that they were thrashed and sexually assaulted during their employment period. "I was not given food to eat. I even tried committing suicide," noted one of the sisters. The daughter of one of the victims thanked Sushma Swaraj saying that "I thank Sushma Swaraj Ma'am, the Indian Embassy and the Hyderabad police for bringing back my mother". I was thrashed and sexually assaulted. I was not given food to eat. I even tried committing suicide. My children told me they are trying to bring me back and asked me not to lose hope. I then received a call from Indian Embassy & today I am here: Woman pic.twitter.com/2LuLHcNi4R — ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2018 × Earlier in January, Farzana had claimed that her sisters were being held in Saudi Arabia on a pretext of employment. She asked the External Affairs Minister to initiate the process of safe return of her sisters. "They were taken to Saudi through an agent on the promise of a beautician job, but are now forced to work as domestic help," Farzana noted previously. According to media reports, the women were promised a salary of 1200 Saudi Riyal but received only one Saudi Riyal during the course of their employment.

Hyderabad sisters stuck in Saudi Arabia return, daughter thanks Sushma Swaraj

Amid all the tension between India and Pakistan, Union Minister Sushma Swaraj yet again came to the rescue to help get Lucknow boy married to a Pakistan girl.

Naqi Ali Khan, 27, who hails from Lucknow is an engineer from Agha Mir Deodhi area near City Station. The bride, Sabahat Fatima, 24, is from Karachi.&nbsp;

Their marriage was fixed two years ago but cross-border tension caused visa hassles for the bride.

Fatima, after many efforts, finally took to social media last year to seek Swaraj&#39;s help. The minister then helped the bride in granting her a visa.&nbsp;

The two got solemnised by senior Shia cleric and vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq.

They got married on Friday and had their reception on Saturday, reports said.&nbsp;

Media reports quoted the couple saying that they were grateful for Swaraj&#39;s help and hoped that the government will soon grant Sabahat Indian nationality too.&nbsp;

Their marriage was fixed two years ago but cross-border tension caused visa hassles for the bride

Amid all the tension between India and Pakistan, Union Minister Sushma Swaraj yet again came to the rescue to help get Lucknow boy married to a Pakistan girl. Naqi Ali Khan, 27, who hails from Lucknow is an engineer from Agha Mir Deodhi area near City Station. The bride, Sabahat Fatima, 24, is from Karachi. Their marriage was fixed two years ago but cross-border tension caused visa hassles for the bride. Fatima, after many efforts, finally took to social media last year to seek Swaraj's help. The minister then helped the bride in granting her a visa. The two got solemnised by senior Shia cleric and vice-president of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Maulana Kalbe Sadiq. They got married on Friday and had their reception on Saturday, reports said. Media reports quoted the couple saying that they were grateful for Swaraj's help and hoped that the government will soon grant Sabahat Indian nationality too.

Sushma Swaraj helps Lucknow boy and Pakistan girl get married

Rahul Gandhi is all set to kickstart Congress party&#39;s election campaign for upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka from Saturday.

Gandhi will begin his four-day campaign tour from Bellary district, the same district from where Sonia Gandhi won&nbsp;in 1999 Assembly polls&nbsp;defeating current external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.

Rahul Gandhi campaigning in Karnataka is being compared to Sonia Gandhi&#39;s 1999 campaign&nbsp;noticing the similarity that Sonia Gandhi also started her campaign after she was elected as Congress president.

Media reports say Rahul Gandhi will&nbsp;be visiting Koppal&#39;s Huligamma Temple on Saturday and Gavi Siddeshwara Mutt in the evening.

The four-day campaign will&nbsp;involve road shows, public meetings, interactions with civil society groups and farmers.

Earlier former chief minister of Karnataka and Congress leader Gundu Rao had said that Rahul Gandhi is going to be a &quot;very key&quot; campaigner for the Congress in the state.

Countering criticism of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-continue-temple-run-in-karnataka-30075">Gandhi visiting temple</a> during the elections campaign, Congress leader Anil Shastri said that Gandhi&#39;s visit to temples is just a matter of faith and not intended to create a vote bank.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi also visited several temples during the Gujarat Assembly elections inviting criticism of playing &#39;&#39;soft&nbsp;Hindutva&#39;&#39; card.

The four-day campaign will involve road shows, public meetings, interactions with civil society groups and farmers

Rahul Gandhi is all set to kickstart Congress party's election campaign for upcoming assembly elections in Karnataka from Saturday. Gandhi will begin his four-day campaign tour from Bellary district, the same district from where Sonia Gandhi won in 1999 Assembly polls defeating current external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. Rahul Gandhi campaigning in Karnataka is being compared to Sonia Gandhi's 1999 campaign noticing the similarity that Sonia Gandhi also started her campaign after she was elected as Congress president. Media reports say Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Koppal's Huligamma Temple on Saturday and Gavi Siddeshwara Mutt in the evening. The four-day campaign will involve road shows, public meetings, interactions with civil society groups and farmers. Earlier former chief minister of Karnataka and Congress leader Gundu Rao had said that Rahul Gandhi is going to be a "very key" campaigner for the Congress in the state. Countering criticism of Gandhi visiting temple during the elections campaign, Congress leader Anil Shastri said that Gandhi's visit to temples is just a matter of faith and not intended to create a vote bank. Rahul Gandhi also visited several temples during the Gujarat Assembly elections inviting criticism of playing ''soft Hindutva'' card.

Rahul Gandhi to kickstart election campaign in Karnataka from today

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday on her maiden visit to Saudi Arabia during which she will inaugurate the Janadriyah festival of the Gulf Kingdom, which is home to over three million Indians.

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EAM Sushma Swaraj received by Saudi officials and Indian Ambassador Ahmad Javed on her arrival in Riyadh for Janadriyah festival. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaudiArabia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaudiArabia</a> <a href="https://t.co/KE2G1uQEXC">pic.twitter.com/KE2G1uQEXC</a>
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During the three-day visit, Swaraj will meet with the Saudi leadership and discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest.

She will also participate in the inauguration of the prestigious National Heritage and Culture Festival &#39;Janadriyah&#39;, at which India is the guest of honour country.

The festival, organised by the National Guard, exhibits Saudi Arabia&#39;s rich tapestry of culture and heritage.

&quot;Warm welcome reflecting our relationship! EAM @SushmaSwaraj received by Saudi officials and Indian Ambassador Ahmad Javed on her arrival at Riyadh airport. Saudi Arabia is India&#39;s valued strategic partner,&quot; Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Swaraj will inaugurate the Janadriyah festival tomorrow.

Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had earlier said that India&#39;s participation in the festival will be multi-faceted.

&quot;We will have an Indian pavilion where we will project a number of Indian themes and projects. The pavilion will comprise glimpses of traditional and modern India,&quot; he said.

Saudi Arabia is home to more than 3 million Indian people and ties between the two countries are on an upswing in the last few years especially after the landmark visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Gulf Kingdom in April 2016.

Saudi Arabia is India&#39;s fourth largest trade partner after China, the US and the UAE. The country is a major source of India&#39;s energy requirement as it accounts for almost one- fifth of India&#39;s crude oil requirement.

The volume of bilateral trade during 2016-17 was recorded at $ 25.079 billion, a slight decrease from the $ 26.71 billion in 2015-16.&nbsp;

During the three-day visit, Swaraj will meet with the Saudi leadership and discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday on her maiden visit to Saudi Arabia during which she will inaugurate the Janadriyah festival of the Gulf Kingdom, which is home to over three million Indians. EAM Sushma Swaraj received by Saudi officials and Indian Ambassador Ahmad Javed on her arrival in Riyadh for Janadriyah festival. #SaudiArabia pic.twitter.com/KE2G1uQEXC — ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2018 × During the three-day visit, Swaraj will meet with the Saudi leadership and discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. She will also participate in the inauguration of the prestigious National Heritage and Culture Festival 'Janadriyah', at which India is the guest of honour country. The festival, organised by the National Guard, exhibits Saudi Arabia's rich tapestry of culture and heritage. "Warm welcome reflecting our relationship! EAM @SushmaSwaraj received by Saudi officials and Indian Ambassador Ahmad Javed on her arrival at Riyadh airport. Saudi Arabia is India's valued strategic partner," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Swaraj will inaugurate the Janadriyah festival tomorrow. Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh had earlier said that India's participation in the festival will be multi-faceted. "We will have an Indian pavilion where we will project a number of Indian themes and projects. The pavilion will comprise glimpses of traditional and modern India," he said. Saudi Arabia is home to more than 3 million Indian people and ties between the two countries are on an upswing in the last few years especially after the landmark visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Gulf Kingdom in April 2016. Saudi Arabia is India's fourth largest trade partner after China, the US and the UAE. The country is a major source of India's energy requirement as it accounts for almost one- fifth of India's crude oil requirement. The volume of bilateral trade during 2016-17 was recorded at $ 25.079 billion, a slight decrease from the $ 26.71 billion in 2015-16.

Swaraj in Saudi Arabia on three-day visit

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Saudi Arabia from February 6-8 during which she will inaugurate a prestigious festival of the Gulf nation, the external affairs ministry said today.

Ms Swaraj will inaugurate the Janadriyah festival on February 7, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Addressing a joint press conference with Saudi Minister of National Guard Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Muhammad bin Eyaf al-Muqrin Al-Saud, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said India&#39;s participation in the festival will be multi-faceted.

&quot;We will have an Indian pavilion where we will project a number of Indian themes and projects. The pavilion will comprise glimpses of traditional and modern India,&quot; he said.

India has been invited to the festival as a guest country.

&quot;We greatly value our close and deep-rooted civilizational and strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia...I have no doubt that India&#39;s participation in this festival will take our relationship to new heights,&quot; Mr Singh said.

Saudi Arabia is home to more than 3 million Indian people and ties between the two countries are on an upswing in the last few years.

Saudi Arabia is India&#39;s fourth largest trade partner after China, the US and the UAE.

The country is a major source of India&#39;s energy requirement as it accounts for almost one-fifth of India&#39;s crude oil requirement.

 
The volume of bilateral trade during 2016-17 was recorded at USD 25.079 billion, a slight decrease from the USD 26.71 billion in 2015-16.

Saudi Arabia is home to more than 3 million Indian people and ties between the two countries are on an upswing in the last few years

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Saudi Arabia from February 6-8 during which she will inaugurate a prestigious festival of the Gulf nation, the external affairs ministry said today. Ms Swaraj will inaugurate the Janadriyah festival on February 7, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said. Addressing a joint press conference with Saudi Minister of National Guard Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Muhammad bin Eyaf al-Muqrin Al-Saud, Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said India's participation in the festival will be multi-faceted. "We will have an Indian pavilion where we will project a number of Indian themes and projects. The pavilion will comprise glimpses of traditional and modern India," he said. India has been invited to the festival as a guest country. "We greatly value our close and deep-rooted civilizational and strategic relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia...I have no doubt that India's participation in this festival will take our relationship to new heights," Mr Singh said. Saudi Arabia is home to more than 3 million Indian people and ties between the two countries are on an upswing in the last few years. Saudi Arabia is India's fourth largest trade partner after China, the US and the UAE. The country is a major source of India's energy requirement as it accounts for almost one-fifth of India's crude oil requirement. The volume of bilateral trade during 2016-17 was recorded at USD 25.079 billion, a slight decrease from the USD 26.71 billion in 2015-16.

Sushma Swaraj's three-day visit to Saudi Arabia begins from Tuesday

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj met former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal here on Friday.

The minister, who reached Kathmandu on Thursday, met <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepals-oli-most-likely-next-pm-wins-parliament-seat-26385" target="_blank">Chairman of CPN-UML K.P Sharma Oli</a> in her first engagement and congratulated him on his party`s victory in the recent elections. &quot;The two held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward,&quot; EAM spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted.

Swaraj is on a two-day official visit to Nepal in an effort to reach out to the country`s political leadership ahead of the formation of a new government by a Communist alliance.

This is Swaraj`s seventh visit to Nepal since assuming office in May 2014. However this is her first visit to Nepal after the three-tier elections ended here in December.

The timing of the visit comes at a time when India wants to improve its relations with Oli and his party, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML).

Relations between the two sides are often described as &quot;patchy&quot;, where Oli criticised India`s constant hindrance over Nepal`s new constitution in 2015, which did not recognise the rights of the Madhesis.

On January 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Oli and congratulated him in advance on his win in the just-concluded Nepal elections and invited each other to visit their respective countries.&nbsp;

India's External Affairs Minister is on a two-day visit to the country

External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj met former Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal here on Friday. The minister, who reached Kathmandu on Thursday, met Chairman of CPN-UML K.P Sharma Oli in her first engagement and congratulated him on his party`s victory in the recent elections. "The two held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward," EAM spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted. Swaraj is on a two-day official visit to Nepal in an effort to reach out to the country`s political leadership ahead of the formation of a new government by a Communist alliance. This is Swaraj`s seventh visit to Nepal since assuming office in May 2014. However this is her first visit to Nepal after the three-tier elections ended here in December. The timing of the visit comes at a time when India wants to improve its relations with Oli and his party, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) (CPN-UML). Relations between the two sides are often described as "patchy", where Oli criticised India`s constant hindrance over Nepal`s new constitution in 2015, which did not recognise the rights of the Madhesis. On January 21, Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Oli and congratulated him in advance on his win in the just-concluded Nepal elections and invited each other to visit their respective countries.

Sushma Swaraj calls on Prachanda in Nepal

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli on Thursday and congratulated him on his party&#39;s victory in the recent elections in Kathmandu.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar took to Twitter to inform about the meeting.

&quot;In her first engagement, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Mr K.P Sharma Oli, Chairman of CPN-UML and congratulated him on his Party&#39;s victory in the recent elections. The two held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward&quot;, he tweeted.

Swaraj is on a two-day official visit to Nepal in an effort to reach out to the country&#39;s political leadership ahead of the formation of a new government by a Communist alliance.

Addressing the media at Tribhuvan International airport, Swaraj said that her visit will strengthen the India-Nepal friendship.

Raveesh tweeted, &quot;Delighted to visit Nepal - India&#39;s close friend. Our relationship is of such a nature that we don&#39;t need an excuse to visit each other. My visit to Nepal is to meet friends from all political parties and strengthen (India-Nepal) friendship&quot;.

Earlier today, Swaraj met Udaya Shumsher Rana, Minister of State (Finance) Nepal.

Swaraj will hold meetings with Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and outgoing Nepali prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

She will also meet with Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Madhesi leaders.

This is Swaraj&#39;s seventh visit to Nepal since assuming office in May 2014.

Addressing the media at Tribhuvan International airport, Swaraj said that her visit will strengthen the India-Nepal friendship

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli on Thursday and congratulated him on his party's victory in the recent elections in Kathmandu. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar took to Twitter to inform about the meeting. "In her first engagement, EAM @SushmaSwaraj met Mr K.P Sharma Oli, Chairman of CPN-UML and congratulated him on his Party's victory in the recent elections. The two held wide ranging discussions on ways to take the special relationship between India and Nepal forward", he tweeted. Swaraj is on a two-day official visit to Nepal in an effort to reach out to the country's political leadership ahead of the formation of a new government by a Communist alliance. Addressing the media at Tribhuvan International airport, Swaraj said that her visit will strengthen the India-Nepal friendship. Raveesh tweeted, "Delighted to visit Nepal - India's close friend. Our relationship is of such a nature that we don't need an excuse to visit each other. My visit to Nepal is to meet friends from all political parties and strengthen (India-Nepal) friendship". Earlier today, Swaraj met Udaya Shumsher Rana, Minister of State (Finance) Nepal. Swaraj will hold meetings with Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and outgoing Nepali prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. She will also meet with Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Madhesi leaders. This is Swaraj's seventh visit to Nepal since assuming office in May 2014.

Nepal: Sushma Swaraj meets CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, congratulates for elevation win

Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will be on a two-day visit to Nepal starting Thursday.&nbsp;

Swaraj&#39;s visit comes ahead of the formation of a new Nepalese government by a Communist alliance.&nbsp;

She will be accompanied by the newly appointed Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale and Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (North) of the EAM.

In her first trip post the three-tier elections in December, the external affairs minister will meet Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Nepal&#39;s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

She is also expected to meet with CPL-UML chief Oli, Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Madhesi leaders.

(With inputs from ANI)

Swaraj's visit comes ahead of formation of new Nepalese government by a Communist alliance

Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj will be on a two-day visit to Nepal starting Thursday. Swaraj's visit comes ahead of the formation of a new Nepalese government by a Communist alliance. She will be accompanied by the newly appointed Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale and Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (North) of the EAM. In her first trip post the three-tier elections in December, the external affairs minister will meet Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari and Nepal's Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. She is also expected to meet with CPL-UML chief Oli, Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda and Madhesi leaders. (With inputs from ANI)

Sushma Swaraj's two-day trip to Nepal begins this Thursday

Calling terrorism the &quot;mother of all disruptions&quot;, India&#39;s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj&nbsp;said that the challenge of terrorism was even more serious in the digital age when there was a greater propensity for radicalisation.

The external affairs minister was speaking at the General Rawat was speaking at India&#39;s flagship geo-political conference, Raisina Dialogue, in New Delhi.

&quot;Terrorism is undeniably the mother of all disruptions today. Our attitude towards terrorism has evolved in the last few decades. The challenge of terrorism is even more serious in the digital age with greater propensity to radicalisation,&quot; the external affairs minister said.

Sushma Swaraj also said that terrorism was no longer viewed as &quot;other&#39;s problem&quot; or a &quot;law and order situation&quot; and was also used as an instrument of statecraft, stating &quot;that time has gone long by&quot;. 
 
Also Read -&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/need-to-identify-nations-who-are-sponsors-of-terrorists-army-chief-at-raisina-dialogue-29797">Need to identify nations who are sponsors of terrorists: Army chief at Raisina Dialogue</a> 
 
She also said that after the 9/11 attack, &quot;we associate terrorism with ungoverned spaces.&quot;

&quot;We are all now clear that terrorism anywhere can threaten societies anywhere,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

The external affairs minister said that terrorism from governed spaces is much more dangerous and said that the problem will not spare its originators and practitioners.

Sushma Swaraj concluded by saying that the message was particularly relevant for those who feel that terrorism can be an instrument of convenience.

Calling terrorism the 'mother of all disruptions', India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, said that the challenge of terrorism was even more serious in the digital age when there was a greater propensity for radicalisation

Calling terrorism the "mother of all disruptions", India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said that the challenge of terrorism was even more serious in the digital age when there was a greater propensity for radicalisation. The external affairs minister was speaking at the General Rawat was speaking at India's flagship geo-political conference, Raisina Dialogue, in New Delhi. "Terrorism is undeniably the mother of all disruptions today. Our attitude towards terrorism has evolved in the last few decades. The challenge of terrorism is even more serious in the digital age with greater propensity to radicalisation," the external affairs minister said. Sushma Swaraj also said that terrorism was no longer viewed as "other's problem" or a "law and order situation" and was also used as an instrument of statecraft, stating "that time has gone long by". Also Read - Need to identify nations who are sponsors of terrorists: Army chief at Raisina Dialogue She also said that after the 9/11 attack, "we associate terrorism with ungoverned spaces." "We are all now clear that terrorism anywhere can threaten societies anywhere," she said. The external affairs minister said that terrorism from governed spaces is much more dangerous and said that the problem will not spare its originators and practitioners. Sushma Swaraj concluded by saying that the message was particularly relevant for those who feel that terrorism can be an instrument of convenience.

Terrorism anywhere can threaten societies anywhere: Sushma Swaraj at Raisina Dialogue

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today held &quot;productive&quot; talks with her Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Asim amidst a strain in bilateral ties over a number of issues, including the signing of an FTA between Maldives and China.

&quot;Swaraj met Mohamed Asim, Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of the President of Maldives. Both had productive discussions to strengthen bilateral relationship keeping in mind &#39;India first&#39; policy of Maldives and our policy of &#39;Neighbourhood first&#39;,&quot; the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

It is understood that the Maldivian leader reiterated that the Maldives would not undertake any activity which would harm Indian interests and it would also be conveyed that the country was &quot;sensitive&quot; to India&#39;s concerns over peace and security in the Indian Ocean region.

India had already made it clear that it expected that as a close and friendly neighbour, the island nation would be sensitive to its concerns in keeping with its &#39;India First&#39; policy. The Indian statement had come in response to a query on Maldives-China free trade agreement (FTA).

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today held 'productive' talks with her Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Asim amidst a strain in bilateral ties over a number of issues, including the signing of an FTA between Maldives and China

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today held "productive" talks with her Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Asim amidst a strain in bilateral ties over a number of issues, including the signing of an FTA between Maldives and China. "Swaraj met Mohamed Asim, Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of the President of Maldives. Both had productive discussions to strengthen bilateral relationship keeping in mind 'India first' policy of Maldives and our policy of 'Neighbourhood first'," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted. It is understood that the Maldivian leader reiterated that the Maldives would not undertake any activity which would harm Indian interests and it would also be conveyed that the country was "sensitive" to India's concerns over peace and security in the Indian Ocean region. India had already made it clear that it expected that as a close and friendly neighbour, the island nation would be sensitive to its concerns in keeping with its 'India First' policy. The Indian statement had come in response to a query on Maldives-China free trade agreement (FTA).

Sushma Swaraj holds 'productive' talks with Maldivian Foreign Minister: MEA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that India was not eyeing on anyone`s territory as the country`s focus has always been on capacity building and resource development.&quot;We do not intend to exploit anyone`s resources, nor we are eyeing anyone`s territory.

Our focus has always been on capacity building and resource development.

Thousands of Indian soldiers laid down their lives in the two World Wars, and never did India eye an inch of foreign territory,&quot; Prime Minister Modi said while inaugurating Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference in Delhi.

The Prime Minister lauded Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj for taking care of not only Indian citizens but also the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs).&quot;Sushma Swaraj not only takes care of Indian citizens but also the NRIs.

Under her, our ministry of external affairs keeps an eye on problems of NRIs 24 by 7 with a real-time monitoring system,&quot; he said.He also stated that country`s ethos even in grave situations have always been a part of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (whole world is a family).&quot;During the earthquake in Nepal, flood in Sri Lanka, water problems in the Maldives; India was the first to respond.

When crisis struck Yemen, we saved our 4,500 people as well as 2000 others. India`s humanity even in grave situations like these is a part of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,&quot; he added.Prime Minister Modi said, &quot;We have strengthened our relationship with ASEAN countries. India is the top contributor to UN peacekeeping corps.

The 21st century is being considered the Asian century and India will be a major player in this with the growing stature of our country and you shall feel proud about our growth.&quot;External Affairs Minister Swaraj delivered the opening remarks at the conference by saying India has become a country which decides global policy.&quot;If India is dominating the world today, credit goes to Prime Minister Modi.

India has become a country which decides global policy. When Prime Minister goes to G-20, he brings black money to centre stage and takes brave decisions like demonetisation and the GST back home,&quot; she said.As many as 124 Members of Parliament and 17 mayors from 23 countries participated in this conference.

Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien, Lok Sabha deputy chairman Thambidurai, Union Ministers VK Singh and MJ Akbar, and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar were also present at the event.

Every year, January 9 is celebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD), an annual celebratory day that marks the contribution of overseas persons of Indian origin (PIO) towards their homeland.This is the first PIO-Parliamentary Conference and is a way of reaching out to the Indian community overseas by the government.

Our focus has always been on capacity building and resource development.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that India was not eyeing on anyone`s territory as the country`s focus has always been on capacity building and resource development."We do not intend to exploit anyone`s resources, nor we are eyeing anyone`s territory. Our focus has always been on capacity building and resource development. Thousands of Indian soldiers laid down their lives in the two World Wars, and never did India eye an inch of foreign territory," Prime Minister Modi said while inaugurating Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) Parliamentary Conference in Delhi. The Prime Minister lauded Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj for taking care of not only Indian citizens but also the Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)."Sushma Swaraj not only takes care of Indian citizens but also the NRIs. Under her, our ministry of external affairs keeps an eye on problems of NRIs 24 by 7 with a real-time monitoring system," he said.He also stated that country`s ethos even in grave situations have always been a part of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (whole world is a family)."During the earthquake in Nepal, flood in Sri Lanka, water problems in the Maldives; India was the first to respond. When crisis struck Yemen, we saved our 4,500 people as well as 2000 others. India`s humanity even in grave situations like these is a part of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," he added.Prime Minister Modi said, "We have strengthened our relationship with ASEAN countries. India is the top contributor to UN peacekeeping corps. The 21st century is being considered the Asian century and India will be a major player in this with the growing stature of our country and you shall feel proud about our growth."External Affairs Minister Swaraj delivered the opening remarks at the conference by saying India has become a country which decides global policy."If India is dominating the world today, credit goes to Prime Minister Modi. India has become a country which decides global policy. When Prime Minister goes to G-20, he brings black money to centre stage and takes brave decisions like demonetisation and the GST back home," she said.As many as 124 Members of Parliament and 17 mayors from 23 countries participated in this conference. Rajya Sabha deputy chairman PJ Kurien, Lok Sabha deputy chairman Thambidurai, Union Ministers VK Singh and MJ Akbar, and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar were also present at the event. Every year, January 9 is celebrated as Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (PBD), an annual celebratory day that marks the contribution of overseas persons of Indian origin (PIO) towards their homeland.This is the first PIO-Parliamentary Conference and is a way of reaching out to the Indian community overseas by the government.

India not eying anyone's territory, says PM Modi

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday inaugurated the 5th Round Table of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Network of Think Tanks in Indonesia.

Speaking at the inauguration Swaraj said, &quot;The 5th Round Table meeting taking place at a very important juncture as in less than three weeks from now, India will host the ASEAN-India commemorative summit to mark the 25 years of India-ASEAN relations.&quot;

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Taking ASEAN-India relationship in the commemorative year! EAM <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SushmaSwaraj</a> met with Mr. Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General, ASEAN and Ms. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ActEastPolicy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ActEastPolicy</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CRDqfe3zcF">pic.twitter.com/CRDqfe3zcF</a>
&mdash; Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/949462475870691328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Therefore, the discussions are timely and opportunely. It will provide useful inputs to our leaders, when they will meet on 25th January in New Delhi for the summit,&quot; she added.

Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation.

&quot;I look forward to new India where both India and ASEAN can work together to bring development and prosperity to the region,&quot; she said.

The External Affairs Minister said it will be an honour and prestige for India to host all 10 ASEAN leaders as the guest of honours for the Republic Day.

&quot;Their presence in New Delhi on this day will place India-ASEAN relations at centre stage,&quot; she said.

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I urge the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation &amp; suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational &amp; cultural co-operation. I look forward to new India where both India &amp; ASEAN can work together to bring development &amp; prosperity to the region: Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://t.co/EXAuEitJL7">pic.twitter.com/EXAuEitJL7</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949492307828486144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier today, Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia, met with the ASEAN Sectary General Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi in Jakarta.

Later in the day, she will address the Indian community in the capital city.

Earlier on Friday, India and Indonesia condemned all forms of terrorism at the 5th Joint Commission meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

&quot;We unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms. We expressed our strong opposition to any selective approach to deal with this group of menace and called upon all the countries to stop providing state sponsorship to terrorism and prevent their territories to stop being used for establishing terrorist safe havens,&quot; Swaraj said.

The two leaders also reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people to people links in the meeting.

Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday inaugurated the 5th Round Table of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) India Network of Think Tanks in Indonesia. Speaking at the inauguration Swaraj said, "The 5th Round Table meeting taking place at a very important juncture as in less than three weeks from now, India will host the ASEAN-India commemorative summit to mark the 25 years of India-ASEAN relations." Taking ASEAN-India relationship in the commemorative year! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met with Mr. Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General, ASEAN and Ms. Retno Marsudi, Foreign Minister of Indonesia. #ActEastPolicy. pic.twitter.com/CRDqfe3zcF — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 6, 2018 × "Therefore, the discussions are timely and opportunely. It will provide useful inputs to our leaders, when they will meet on 25th January in New Delhi for the summit," she added. Swaraj urged the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation and suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational and cultural co-operation. "I look forward to new India where both India and ASEAN can work together to bring development and prosperity to the region," she said. The External Affairs Minister said it will be an honour and prestige for India to host all 10 ASEAN leaders as the guest of honours for the Republic Day. "Their presence in New Delhi on this day will place India-ASEAN relations at centre stage," she said. I urge the Think-Tanks to strengthen consultation & suggest ways to enhance maritime, commercial, educational & cultural co-operation. I look forward to new India where both India & ASEAN can work together to bring development & prosperity to the region: Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta pic.twitter.com/EXAuEitJL7 — ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2018 × Earlier today, Swaraj, who is on a two-day visit to Indonesia, met with the ASEAN Sectary General Dato Paduka Lim Jock Hoi in Jakarta. Later in the day, she will address the Indian community in the capital city. Earlier on Friday, India and Indonesia condemned all forms of terrorism at the 5th Joint Commission meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries. "We unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms. We expressed our strong opposition to any selective approach to deal with this group of menace and called upon all the countries to stop providing state sponsorship to terrorism and prevent their territories to stop being used for establishing terrorist safe havens," Swaraj said. The two leaders also reviewed trade, energy ties, defence cooperation and people to people links in the meeting.

Sushma Swaraj urges ASEAN Think Tanks to enhance maritime cooperation

A major hurdle in the dream of a 17-year-old girl to pursue her higher education in the USA was cleared after Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj intervened to facilitate in getting her visa confirmed from the US Embassy.

The visa was confirmed yesterday after the intervention of the union minister, a Rajasthan government release said today.

Bhanupriya Haritwal of Jalalpur village, who was one of the three girls given a Rs 1 crore scholarship by the Rajasthan government to study abroad for securing a rank in the Class 10 state board exams in 2015, will now pursue computer science from the California State University in the USA, it said.

She had secured the second rank in the examination following which she got the scholarship for the four-year course, the release said.

Haritwal, whose father Sohan Lal is a teacher at a private college in Sikar district, had applied for the visa, but the application was rejected twice by the embassy, it said.

&quot;The girl had cleared the internal test conducted by the California State University and then applied for the visa. But, it was rejected twice by the US Embassy.

&quot;The family had approached me, and I took up the case with the external affairs minister who helped her securing the visa yesterday,&quot; Sikar MP Swami Sumedhanand told PTI.

The girl is talented and will now pursue her higher education from the university, the MP said.

Haritwal after clearing her class 12 board exam had secured good scores in SAT and IELTS to secure admission at the California State University.

From a middle-class family, she completed school education in Hindi medium, the release said.

&quot;The girl had cleared the internal test conducted by the California State University and then applied for the visa. But, it was rejected twice by the US Embassy.&quot;

&quot;The family had approached me, and I took up the case with the external affairs minister who helped her securing the visa yesterday,&quot; Sikar MP Swami Sumedhanand told news agency PTI.

The girl is talented and will now pursue her higher education from the university, the MP said.

Ms Haritwal, after clearing her class 12 board exam, had secured good scores in SAT and IELTS to secure admission at the California State University.

She is from a middle-class family and completed school education in Hindi medium, the release said.

Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj intervened to facilitate in getting her visa confirmed from the US Embassy

A major hurdle in the dream of a 17-year-old girl to pursue her higher education in the USA was cleared after Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj intervened to facilitate in getting her visa confirmed from the US Embassy. The visa was confirmed yesterday after the intervention of the union minister, a Rajasthan government release said today. Bhanupriya Haritwal of Jalalpur village, who was one of the three girls given a Rs 1 crore scholarship by the Rajasthan government to study abroad for securing a rank in the Class 10 state board exams in 2015, will now pursue computer science from the California State University in the USA, it said. She had secured the second rank in the examination following which she got the scholarship for the four-year course, the release said. Haritwal, whose father Sohan Lal is a teacher at a private college in Sikar district, had applied for the visa, but the application was rejected twice by the embassy, it said. "The girl had cleared the internal test conducted by the California State University and then applied for the visa. But, it was rejected twice by the US Embassy. "The family had approached me, and I took up the case with the external affairs minister who helped her securing the visa yesterday," Sikar MP Swami Sumedhanand told PTI. The girl is talented and will now pursue her higher education from the university, the MP said. Haritwal after clearing her class 12 board exam had secured good scores in SAT and IELTS to secure admission at the California State University. From a middle-class family, she completed school education in Hindi medium, the release said. "The girl had cleared the internal test conducted by the California State University and then applied for the visa. But, it was rejected twice by the US Embassy." "The family had approached me, and I took up the case with the external affairs minister who helped her securing the visa yesterday," Sikar MP Swami Sumedhanand told news agency PTI. The girl is talented and will now pursue her higher education from the university, the MP said. Ms Haritwal, after clearing her class 12 board exam, had secured good scores in SAT and IELTS to secure admission at the California State University. She is from a middle-class family and completed school education in Hindi medium, the release said.

Swaraj intervenes, 17-yr-old girl's US dream to come true

On the&nbsp;second day of her visit to South East Asia,&nbsp;External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Indonesia.

Swaraj here called on the country to play a crucial role in South East Asia.&nbsp;

She said &quot;Indonesia is one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy and the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to&nbsp;play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region.&quot;

Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi&#39;s invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations.

Widodo will be accompanied by&nbsp;other ASEAN Heads of States and Heads of Governments in New Delhi.&nbsp;

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Indonesia, as one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy &amp; the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> <a href="https://t.co/vPz4yqnGNR">pic.twitter.com/vPz4yqnGNR</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949240515412676608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I express my appreciation that President Joko Widodo accepted PM Modi&#39;s invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of Honor at India&#39;s Republic Day celebrations along with other ASEAN Heads of States &amp; Heads of Govts in New Delhi: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ww6nhK6nlg">pic.twitter.com/Ww6nhK6nlg</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949243003700355072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Swaraj also stressed on developing relations with ASEAN Region as crucial for the country&#39;s Act East Policy.&nbsp;

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For India, relations with ASEAN Region is a key priority. It is at the core of our Act East Policy: EAM Sushma Swaraj in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jakarta?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jakarta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indonesia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indonesia</a> <a href="https://t.co/qe4pW9Xqlp">pic.twitter.com/qe4pW9Xqlp</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/949243006422368257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Sushma Swaraj is on a four-day visit to South East Asia.

She arrived in Indonesia from Thailand on the second day of her three-nation tour.&nbsp;

The Union minister will visit Singapore next.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India's Republic Day celebrations

On the second day of her visit to South East Asia, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Indonesia. Swaraj here called on the country to play a crucial role in South East Asia. She said "Indonesia is one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy and the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region." Swaraj also thanked Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, for accepting PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of honour at India's Republic Day celebrations. Widodo will be accompanied by other ASEAN Heads of States and Heads of Governments in New Delhi. Indonesia, as one of the largest country, the most diverse democracy & the biggest economy in ASEAN Region, has a critical role to play in evolution of the new security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/vPz4yqnGNR — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × I express my appreciation that President Joko Widodo accepted PM Modi's invitation to join ASEAN special commemorative summit as Guest of Honor at India's Republic Day celebrations along with other ASEAN Heads of States & Heads of Govts in New Delhi: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta pic.twitter.com/Ww6nhK6nlg — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × Swaraj also stressed on developing relations with ASEAN Region as crucial for the country's Act East Policy. For India, relations with ASEAN Region is a key priority. It is at the core of our Act East Policy: EAM Sushma Swaraj in #Jakarta #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/qe4pW9Xqlp — ANI (@ANI) January 5, 2018 × Sushma Swaraj is on a four-day visit to South East Asia. She arrived in Indonesia from Thailand on the second day of her three-nation tour. The Union minister will visit Singapore next.

Indonesia to play critical role in Indo Pacific region: Sushma Swaraj

India&#39;s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Thursday that three Indian girls had been rescued from Kenya.&nbsp;

Swaraj said the girls were victims of an &quot;organised crime syndicated that indulged in trafficking of girls&quot;.&nbsp;

She added that seven Nepalese girls had also been rescued.&nbsp;

Swaraj said the girls&#39; passports and phones had been taken from them and that they were being held captive in Mombasa.&nbsp;

Swaraj added that the Indian girls had been flown back to the country, and that the ministry of external affairs was &quot;sharing details&quot; with the government of Punjab so that a case can be registered against the agents and other people involved in the trafficking.&nbsp;

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I appreciate the efforts of Ms.Suchitra Durai, Indian High Commissioner in Kenya. Our First Secretary Karan Yadav deserves a special mention. We thank the Kenyan Police for their help./3 <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainKenya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainKenya</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/capt_amarinder?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@capt_amarinder</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/948765376816365569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It is unclear when the girls were taken to Kenya.&nbsp;

Swaraj said the girls, who have been flown back to India, were being held captive in Mombasa

India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Thursday that three Indian girls had been rescued from Kenya. Swaraj said the girls were victims of an "organised crime syndicated that indulged in trafficking of girls". She added that seven Nepalese girls had also been rescued. Swaraj said the girls' passports and phones had been taken from them and that they were being held captive in Mombasa. Swaraj added that the Indian girls had been flown back to the country, and that the ministry of external affairs was "sharing details" with the government of Punjab so that a case can be registered against the agents and other people involved in the trafficking. I appreciate the efforts of Ms.Suchitra Durai, Indian High Commissioner in Kenya. Our First Secretary Karan Yadav deserves a special mention. We thank the Kenyan Police for their help./3 @IndiainKenya @capt_amarinder — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 4, 2018 × It is unclear when the girls were taken to Kenya.

Have rescued 3 Indian girls from Kenya: Sushma Swaraj

The likelihood of holding cricket series between India-Pakistan, even at an impartial venue, seem slim considering the high number of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-violated-ceasefire-881-times-along-loc-ib-27216">cross-border firing violations </a>by Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday.&nbsp;

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj along with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar stated during a meeting of the consultative committee attached to the ministry that offered a review of relations with neighbours.&nbsp;

Upon matter related to starting suspended cricket matches between India-Pakistan, Swaraj said that more interest is being shown towards&nbsp;the release of women and elderly detainees and prisoners at present.&nbsp;

However, due to the extensive violation of cross-border firing, it does not provide a conducive atmosphere for engaging in a cricket series, she said.&nbsp;

Due to tension between the two countries, the India-Pakistan cricket fixture has been off for some time and the unfavourable line of neckwears have not allowed a change on this front as yet.&nbsp;

Although, the two nations continue to play in international competitions against each other. &nbsp;

Swaraj informed that there have been over 800 cross-border violations this year and even though violence in Jammu and Kashmir has reduced, the relations still remain problematic.&nbsp;

Moreover, the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/in-a-blistering-attack-mea-says-pakistan-heckled-kulbhushan-jadhavs-family-27755"> recent controversies</a> surrounding Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother have made things rather worse.&nbsp;

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj along with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar told the government during a meeting of the consultative committee attached to the ministry that offered a review of relations with neighbours

The likelihood of holding cricket series between India-Pakistan, even at an impartial venue, seem slim considering the high number of cross-border firing violations by Pakistan, Sushma Swaraj said on Sunday. Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj along with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar stated during a meeting of the consultative committee attached to the ministry that offered a review of relations with neighbours. Upon matter related to starting suspended cricket matches between India-Pakistan, Swaraj said that more interest is being shown towards the release of women and elderly detainees and prisoners at present. However, due to the extensive violation of cross-border firing, it does not provide a conducive atmosphere for engaging in a cricket series, she said. Due to tension between the two countries, the India-Pakistan cricket fixture has been off for some time and the unfavourable line of neckwears have not allowed a change on this front as yet. Although, the two nations continue to play in international competitions against each other. Swaraj informed that there have been over 800 cross-border violations this year and even though violence in Jammu and Kashmir has reduced, the relations still remain problematic. Moreover, the recent controversies surrounding Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother have made things rather worse.

Cross-border violations do not provide conducive atmosphere for cricket with Pakistan: Sushma Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said that four Indians, who were in the custody of Nigerian authorities, have been released following the intervention of the Indian high commissioner there.

Two of the four Indians had earlier taken to Twitter seeking Swaraj&#39;s intervention for their release. One of them, Viyas Yadav, had said that they were caught by the Nigerian authorities and were kept in Lagos for the past three months.

&quot;I am happy to inform that we have secured the return of Captain Atul Sharma, Sudhir Kumar, Balvinder Singh and Viyas Yadav to India. I appreciate the efforts of B N Reddy, Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria. We thank Nigerian authorities for their help,&quot; Sushma Swaraj tweeted.

According to reports, the four Indians were on board a merchant vessel and were caught by the authorities there as they were looking for the ship for an earlier crime.

Captain Atul Sharma and Sudhir Kumar are from Himachal Pradesh.&nbsp;

According to reports, the four Indians were on board a merchant vessel and were caught by the authorities there as they were looking for the ship for an earlier crime

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said that four Indians, who were in the custody of Nigerian authorities, have been released following the intervention of the Indian high commissioner there. Two of the four Indians had earlier taken to Twitter seeking Swaraj's intervention for their release. One of them, Viyas Yadav, had said that they were caught by the Nigerian authorities and were kept in Lagos for the past three months. "I am happy to inform that we have secured the return of Captain Atul Sharma, Sudhir Kumar, Balvinder Singh and Viyas Yadav to India. I appreciate the efforts of B N Reddy, Indian High Commissioner in Nigeria. We thank Nigerian authorities for their help," Sushma Swaraj tweeted. According to reports, the four Indians were on board a merchant vessel and were caught by the authorities there as they were looking for the ship for an earlier crime. Captain Atul Sharma and Sudhir Kumar are from Himachal Pradesh.

4 Indians in Nigerian custody released: Sushma Swaraj

&quot;Your son massacred thousands of Pakistanis&quot;, the blunt question flew on to the face of the mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Spy or no spy, no mother wants to hear that her son has been a mass murderer.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

If espionage is punishable by law then the punishment should be meted out to the person concerned and not spill over to include family members.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

For the record, Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s &#39;guilt&#39; or complicity in espionage activities have not been proven yet.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The mistreatment of family members is what India&#39;s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj pointed out today in the Parliament. She refered to the absurdity of Pakistan&#39;s actions.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

But while we understand, though find it unacceptable, the reasons behind the bullying tactics of the Pakistani government. What surprises us more is why would the Press act the way it did. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

Then why did the Pakistan Press turned so brutal to the mother and the wife?&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In the turbulent, murky water of bilateral relation between India and Pakistan, even the Press, which should ideally disassociate itself from the hyper-nationalistic moods of the day turns into a tool of terror.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It is unfortunate, but not an aberration, to see the Press acting in this way. While nationalism can justifiably turn one into a patriotic citizen, too much of nationalism can turn a patriot into a jingoistic individual. In an insecure democracy, such as Pakistan, the urge to prove patriotism can often go overboard.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In front of the glare of the international media, the temptation to conduct a media trial of two closest kins of the accused, even if they are innocent, is too big to be ignored.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Press, as per the classic definition, is the fourth estate. In a democracy, it is responsible for informing and educating the people. But more often than not, it abdicates that role and prefers to pander to the official position.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Let us be under no illusion that the Press of the world&#39;s largest democracy is any more independent or conscious than its counterpart in Pakistan. But such comparisons between two bad examples defeat the larger goal of having a fiercely independent and committed press.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The state establishments of Pakistan have done its share in humiliating, harassing and hurting the two ladies. Whose only crime, as I could make out from far, is being related to the alleged &#39;culprit&#39; by blood and through marriage. I suppose they have suffered enough for that. Punishments are not always meted out by courts, the sufferings that we undergo on a daily basis from a range of diffused sources can be traumatic too.

&nbsp;

As journalists, we are laden with the difficult task of maintaining a relationship with government and state machineries but at the same time, we are not expected to allow these relationships to soften our stance when we speak back to power.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

This ability and the responsibility to speak back to power, no matter how big and threatening its presence is, is a rare privilege. To lose it would mean an easy and cushy life but a redundant profession.

&nbsp;

In the Communist countries, the state has its own newspaper. The existence of media beyond the control of the state is rarely encouraged. This idea of a state-controlled media stemmed from the ideological position that the Communist Party, as the vanguard of the proletariat, will be in a position to portray the most genuine concerns of the people. Over time, however, the fallacy of such a position became too glaring to ignore. The apathy towards bourgeois-run media turned into a ploy to gag free press.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

In a robust democracy, such as India or in a fragile representative government, such as Pakistan, the ambiguity of state control over the Press makes it even more hideous. The danger of an obsequious media always is present but well masquerade under the nationalist garb.

&nbsp;

Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s case provided just enough instigation for the Pakistani Press to unveil its true character. The violence, the impatience, and the vitriolic that it directed towards Jadhav&#39;s mother and wife is what it is expected to carry in its bosom towards anyone identified by the state as its enemy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

They just need to be tad careful though. The moment state&#39;s agenda becomes the media&#39;s agenda, the dangers are that journalists become apologists of the state.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There is a big difference between state and the nation; people and the politician. It is for us to choose our focus of primary allegiance.

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The moment state's agenda becomes the media's agenda, the dangers are that journalists become apologists of the state.?

"Your son massacred thousands of Pakistanis", the blunt question flew on to the face of the mother of Kulbhushan Jadhav. Spy or no spy, no mother wants to hear that her son has been a mass murderer. If espionage is punishable by law then the punishment should be meted out to the person concerned and not spill over to include family members. For the record, Kulbhushan Jadhav's 'guilt' or complicity in espionage activities have not been proven yet. The mistreatment of family members is what India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj pointed out today in the Parliament. She refered to the absurdity of Pakistan's actions. But while we understand, though find it unacceptable, the reasons behind the bullying tactics of the Pakistani government. What surprises us more is why would the Press act the way it did. Then why did the Pakistan Press turned so brutal to the mother and the wife? In the turbulent, murky water of bilateral relation between India and Pakistan, even the Press, which should ideally disassociate itself from the hyper-nationalistic moods of the day turns into a tool of terror. It is unfortunate, but not an aberration, to see the Press acting in this way. While nationalism can justifiably turn one into a patriotic citizen, too much of nationalism can turn a patriot into a jingoistic individual. In an insecure democracy, such as Pakistan, the urge to prove patriotism can often go overboard. In front of the glare of the international media, the temptation to conduct a media trial of two closest kins of the accused, even if they are innocent, is too big to be ignored. The Press, as per the classic definition, is the fourth estate. In a democracy, it is responsible for informing and educating the people. But more often than not, it abdicates that role and prefers to pander to the official position. Let us be under no illusion that the Press of the world's largest democracy is any more independent or conscious than its counterpart in Pakistan. But such comparisons between two bad examples defeat the larger goal of having a fiercely independent and committed press. The state establishments of Pakistan have done its share in humiliating, harassing and hurting the two ladies. Whose only crime, as I could make out from far, is being related to the alleged 'culprit' by blood and through marriage. I suppose they have suffered enough for that. Punishments are not always meted out by courts, the sufferings that we undergo on a daily basis from a range of diffused sources can be traumatic too. As journalists, we are laden with the difficult task of maintaining a relationship with government and state machineries but at the same time, we are not expected to allow these relationships to soften our stance when we speak back to power. This ability and the responsibility to speak back to power, no matter how big and threatening its presence is, is a rare privilege. To lose it would mean an easy and cushy life but a redundant profession. In the Communist countries, the state has its own newspaper. The existence of media beyond the control of the state is rarely encouraged. This idea of a state-controlled media stemmed from the ideological position that the Communist Party, as the vanguard of the proletariat, will be in a position to portray the most genuine concerns of the people. Over time, however, the fallacy of such a position became too glaring to ignore. The apathy towards bourgeois-run media turned into a ploy to gag free press. In a robust democracy, such as India or in a fragile representative government, such as Pakistan, the ambiguity of state control over the Press makes it even more hideous. The danger of an obsequious media always is present but well masquerade under the nationalist garb. Kulbhushan Jadhav's case provided just enough instigation for the Pakistani Press to unveil its true character. The violence, the impatience, and the vitriolic that it directed towards Jadhav's mother and wife is what it is expected to carry in its bosom towards anyone identified by the state as its enemy. They just need to be tad careful though. The moment state's agenda becomes the media's agenda, the dangers are that journalists become apologists of the state. There is a big difference between state and the nation; people and the politician. It is for us to choose our focus of primary allegiance. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Why Pakistani press was so brutal to Kulbhushan's family

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke on the Kulbhushan Jadhav affair in Parliament on Thursday.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Live: EAM Sushma Swaraj delivers statement on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a> in Lok Sabha (Source- LSTV) <a href="https://t.co/2NR2ScAZhZ">https://t.co/2NR2ScAZhZ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946269014136721409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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She said the Pakistani claim that there was a camera or a recording chip in Jadhav&#39;s wife&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-hidden-camera-or-recording-chip-found-in-chetnas-shoe-27916" target="_blank">shoe</a> was absurd.&nbsp;

Swaraj said Jadhav&#39;s wife Chetna had taken two international flights in those same shoes to get from Mumbai to Islamabad.&nbsp;

Chetna had travelled from Mumbai to Dubai on an Air India flight, and from Dubai to Islamabad on an Emirates flight.&nbsp;

Swaraj said people might still believe Air India had helped Chetna, but asked how she could possibly have smuggled a hidden camera or a recording chip in her shoe onto an Emirates flight.&nbsp;

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A meeting of a mother with her son &amp; a wife with her husband was turned into a propaganda tool by Pakistan :EAM Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z5M28mVBGZ">pic.twitter.com/Z5M28mVBGZ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946256013379846144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Swaraj added that not only were Chetna&#39;s bindi and mangalsutra removed but also those of Jadhav&#39;s mother&#39;s Avanti.&nbsp;

Swaraj said that when Kulbhushan first saw his mother like that, without her mangalsutra and bindi, he thought something might have happened to his father.&nbsp;

&quot;Baba kaise hain?&quot; was the first thing Kulbhushan asked his mother, said Swaraj.&nbsp;

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Jadhav Ji&#39;s mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles &amp; mangalsutras of both mother &amp; wife were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946258931176824832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Swaraj spoke in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

She said the meeting was started in absence of the Indian deputy high commissioner accompanying Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother and that if he had seen how their clothes were changed, he would have registered a protest there and then.&nbsp;

She also took up the heckling of the women by the Pakistani media.&nbsp;

She said it had been specifically agreed by both sides that media would not be allowed to come close to the family but that the Pakistani press not only came close to them but also harassed and hurled taunts at them:&nbsp;

&quot;Thank god they didn&#39;t say that there was a bomb in her shoes! If for security reasons she was made to take off shoes, they should have returned them when she was leaving but no, they had to commit some sort of cruelty,&quot;&nbsp;Swaraj said.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kulbhushan-jadhav-parroted-script-given-by-pakistan-during-meeting-with-family-mother-foils-attempt-reports-27934" target="_blank">Kulbhushan Jadhav parroted script given by Pakistan during meeting with family, mother foils attempt</a>

&quot;It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again and again and an environment of fear was created for them,&quot; Swaraj added.&nbsp;

Swaraj said Jadhav's wife Chetna took two international flights in those same shoes. How then could she have hidden a camera or a chip inside them?

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj spoke on the Kulbhushan Jadhav affair in Parliament on Thursday. #WATCH Live: EAM Sushma Swaraj delivers statement on #KulbhushanJadhav in Lok Sabha (Source- LSTV) https://t.co/2NR2ScAZhZ — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × She said the Pakistani claim that there was a camera or a recording chip in Jadhav's wife's shoe was absurd. Swaraj said Jadhav's wife Chetna had taken two international flights in those same shoes to get from Mumbai to Islamabad. Chetna had travelled from Mumbai to Dubai on an Air India flight, and from Dubai to Islamabad on an Emirates flight. Swaraj said people might still believe Air India had helped Chetna, but asked how she could possibly have smuggled a hidden camera or a recording chip in her shoe onto an Emirates flight. A meeting of a mother with her son & a wife with her husband was turned into a propaganda tool by Pakistan :EAM Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha #KulbhushanJadhav pic.twitter.com/Z5M28mVBGZ — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × Swaraj added that not only were Chetna's bindi and mangalsutra removed but also those of Jadhav's mother's Avanti. Swaraj said that when Kulbhushan first saw his mother like that, without her mangalsutra and bindi, he thought something might have happened to his father. "Baba kaise hain?" was the first thing Kulbhushan asked his mother, said Swaraj. Jadhav Ji's mother who only wears a saree was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles & mangalsutras of both mother & wife were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows: EAM Sushma Swaraj in Rajya Sabha #KulbhushanJadhav — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × Swaraj spoke in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. She said the meeting was started in absence of the Indian deputy high commissioner accompanying Jadhav's wife and mother and that if he had seen how their clothes were changed, he would have registered a protest there and then. She also took up the heckling of the women by the Pakistani media. She said it had been specifically agreed by both sides that media would not be allowed to come close to the family but that the Pakistani press not only came close to them but also harassed and hurled taunts at them: "Thank god they didn't say that there was a bomb in her shoes! If for security reasons she was made to take off shoes, they should have returned them when she was leaving but no, they had to commit some sort of cruelty," Swaraj said. Also read: Kulbhushan Jadhav parroted script given by Pakistan during meeting with family, mother foils attempt "It was nothing like a humanitarian gesture. Human rights of the family members were violated again and again and an environment of fear was created for them," Swaraj added.

Sushma Swaraj speaks on Jadhav row, says Pakistani claims of hidden camera absurd

Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday announced to make a statement in both Houses of Parliament tomorrow on the treatment of Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s wife and mother in Pakistan.

Swaraj will first address the Rajya Sabha at 11 am and later the Lok Sabha at 12 noon on Thursday.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Earlier today, Parliament witnessed protests after Opposition condemned the way Pakistani authorities&nbsp;humiliated the family of jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav during their visit to&nbsp;Islamabad.&nbsp;

From removing bangles, bindi and mangal sutra of Jadhav&#39;s wife to preventing his mother to speak in her mother tongue, Pakistani officials harassed the two before their 40 minutes meeting with him.

The meeting between Jadhav and his family took place on December 25 at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad after repeated requests by India for family access. 
&nbsp;

Swaraj will first address the Rajya Sabha at 11 am tomorrow and later the Lok Sabha at 12 noon, media reports. ?

Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday announced to make a statement in both Houses of Parliament tomorrow on the treatment of Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife and mother in Pakistan. Swaraj will first address the Rajya Sabha at 11 am and later the Lok Sabha at 12 noon on Thursday. Earlier today, Parliament witnessed protests after Opposition condemned the way Pakistani authorities humiliated the family of jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav during their visit to Islamabad. From removing bangles, bindi and mangal sutra of Jadhav's wife to preventing his mother to speak in her mother tongue, Pakistani officials harassed the two before their 40 minutes meeting with him. The meeting between Jadhav and his family took place on December 25 at the Pakistani foreign affairs ministry in Islamabad after repeated requests by India for family access.

Sushma Swaraj to speak on Kulbhushan Jadhav's family meet in Parliament tomorrow

Jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was shocked to see his mother without her &#39;mangal sutra&#39; and &#39;vermillion,&#39; compelling him to ask about his father first, during the 40 minutes meeting with his family in Islamabad on December 25.&nbsp;

Thinking of something unfortunate might have happened while he was not around, Jadhav asked &#39;baba kaise hai&#39; (How is father), as informed by Sushma Swaraj in Parliament today. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The External Affairs Minister described the meeting as a propaganda by Pakistan, adding that an environment of fear was created for Jadhav&#39;s kin and both were made to look like widows.

&quot;Jadhav Ji&#39;s mother, who only wears a saree, was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both women were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows,&quot; Sushma said.

&quot;Kulbhushan Jadhav&#39;s mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly, and when she continued, the intercom was switched off,&quot; she added.

Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition of Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned Pakistan&#39;s misbehavior as one targeted towards Indians on the whole, and not just Jadhav and his family.

Jadhav thought something unfortunate might have happened while he was not around

Jailed Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav was shocked to see his mother without her 'mangal sutra' and 'vermillion,' compelling him to ask about his father first, during the 40 minutes meeting with his family in Islamabad on December 25. Thinking of something unfortunate might have happened while he was not around, Jadhav asked 'baba kaise hai' (How is father), as informed by Sushma Swaraj in Parliament today. The External Affairs Minister described the meeting as a propaganda by Pakistan, adding that an environment of fear was created for Jadhav's kin and both were made to look like widows. "Jadhav Ji's mother, who only wears a saree, was forced to wear salwar-kurta. Bindi, bangles and mangalsutras of both women were removed. Both the married women were made to like widows," Sushma said. "Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother was not allowed to speak in Marathi. Two Pakistani officials present in the meeting kept stopping her repeatedly, and when she continued, the intercom was switched off," she added. Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition of Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned Pakistan's misbehavior as one targeted towards Indians on the whole, and not just Jadhav and his family.

'Baba kaise hai', asked Kulbhushan Jadhav on seeing his mother without 'mangal sutra' in Islamabad

The mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj at her residence in New Delhi.&nbsp;

The meeting took place a day after the two officially went to Pakistan to meet their son and husband respectively. &nbsp;

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Mother and wife of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a> leave from residence of EAM Sushma Swaraj in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/FFWIb4HcvJ">pic.twitter.com/FFWIb4HcvJ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945545635175866369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also present at the meeting.

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Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar at the residence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi <a href="https://t.co/C5MCnuUz6Z">pic.twitter.com/C5MCnuUz6Z</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945544453837660160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Jadhav, the Indian national sentenced to death in Pakistan, was allowed to meet his family, from behind a glass barrier at the Pakistan foreign ministry in Islamabad.

It was Jadhav&#39;s first meeting with his family, more than a year after he was arrested by the Pakistani Army over alleged espionage and spying activities in March last year.

Mother Avanti and wife Chetankul Jadhav were accompanied to the ministry by Indian deputy high Commissioner JP Singh and three Indian foreign ministry officials.&nbsp;

Only Jadhav&rsquo;s family was allowed into the room where he was sitting, while Singh and other officials monitored the meeting from outside the room.

The meeting lasted for 40 minutes.

The meeting took place a day after the two officially went to Pakistan to meet Jadhav?

The mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav on Tuesday met External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj at her residence in New Delhi. The meeting took place a day after the two officially went to Pakistan to meet their son and husband respectively. Mother and wife of #KulbhushanJadhav leave from residence of EAM Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/FFWIb4HcvJ — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 × Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar were also present at the meeting. Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar at the residence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in Delhi pic.twitter.com/C5MCnuUz6Z — ANI (@ANI) December 26, 2017 × Jadhav, the Indian national sentenced to death in Pakistan, was allowed to meet his family, from behind a glass barrier at the Pakistan foreign ministry in Islamabad. It was Jadhav's first meeting with his family, more than a year after he was arrested by the Pakistani Army over alleged espionage and spying activities in March last year. Mother Avanti and wife Chetankul Jadhav were accompanied to the ministry by Indian deputy high Commissioner JP Singh and three Indian foreign ministry officials. Only Jadhav’s family was allowed into the room where he was sitting, while Singh and other officials monitored the meeting from outside the room. The meeting lasted for 40 minutes.

Kulbhushan Jadhav's wife, mother meet Sushma Swaraj

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart state councillor Yang Jiechi will hold the next round of formal negotiations on the boundary issue later today.

This comes almost four months after the 73-day-long military stand-off at the Doklam plateau in the tri-junction region.

In the 20th round of special representatives talks since the establishment of the Special Representatives (SR) mechanism in 2003, Doval and Jiechi are expected to discuss ways to maintain peace and tranquillity along the 4,000-km-long border.

The two representatives will also discuss the Doklam stand-off.

Last Doval and Jiechi had met during the BRICS summit in Xiamen in September.

Reportedly, the decision to hold talks in the connection was taken at a meeting held last week between External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Russia-India-China (RIC) conference here.

However, the announcement of the meeting was made by MEA on Wednesday.

&quot;At the invitation of Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser and the Special Representative of India on the Boundary Question, Yang Jiechi, State Councillor and Member of the Politburo of Communist Party of China&#39;s Central Committee and Special Representative of China on the Boundary Question, will visit India on December 22 to hold the 20th meeting of special representatives,&quot; MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a media briefing.

Kumar averred that the discussions will be focused on the boundary issue, adding &quot;we, of course, attach lot of importance to this dialogue mechanism.&quot;

On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying while addressing a media briefing said that the Doklam stand-off had posed a &quot;major test&quot; for bilateral ties.

Hua also stressed that lessons should be learnt from the conflict to circumvent similar situation in the future.

&quot;This special representative meeting is not only a high-level channel for the border issue discussion but also the platform for strategic communication,&quot; she said.

She further said that the meeting was not only a high-level channel for the border issue discussion, but also the platform for strategic communication.

&quot;In 2017, China-India relations have maintained a good momentum generally but the Doklam incident posed a major test for the two countries. We should learn lessons from this incident to avoid any further conflict of this kind in the future,&quot; she added.

The last round of SRs meeting was held in Beijing in April 2016.

The Doklam standoff began on June 16 over People&#39;s Liberation Army&#39;s plans to build a road in area claimed by Bhutan.

The conflict came to an end on August 28 after the tw0 sides agreed to withdraw their respective troops from the Doklam plateau and the Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India&#39;s corridor.&nbsp;

This comes almost four months after the 73-day-long military stand-off at the Doklam plateau in the tri-junction region

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart state councillor Yang Jiechi will hold the next round of formal negotiations on the boundary issue later today. This comes almost four months after the 73-day-long military stand-off at the Doklam plateau in the tri-junction region. In the 20th round of special representatives talks since the establishment of the Special Representatives (SR) mechanism in 2003, Doval and Jiechi are expected to discuss ways to maintain peace and tranquillity along the 4,000-km-long border. The two representatives will also discuss the Doklam stand-off. Last Doval and Jiechi had met during the BRICS summit in Xiamen in September. Reportedly, the decision to hold talks in the connection was taken at a meeting held last week between External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Russia-India-China (RIC) conference here. However, the announcement of the meeting was made by MEA on Wednesday. "At the invitation of Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser and the Special Representative of India on the Boundary Question, Yang Jiechi, State Councillor and Member of the Politburo of Communist Party of China's Central Committee and Special Representative of China on the Boundary Question, will visit India on December 22 to hold the 20th meeting of special representatives," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a media briefing. Kumar averred that the discussions will be focused on the boundary issue, adding "we, of course, attach lot of importance to this dialogue mechanism." On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying while addressing a media briefing said that the Doklam stand-off had posed a "major test" for bilateral ties. Hua also stressed that lessons should be learnt from the conflict to circumvent similar situation in the future. "This special representative meeting is not only a high-level channel for the border issue discussion but also the platform for strategic communication," she said. She further said that the meeting was not only a high-level channel for the border issue discussion, but also the platform for strategic communication. "In 2017, China-India relations have maintained a good momentum generally but the Doklam incident posed a major test for the two countries. We should learn lessons from this incident to avoid any further conflict of this kind in the future," she added. The last round of SRs meeting was held in Beijing in April 2016. The Doklam standoff began on June 16 over People's Liberation Army's plans to build a road in area claimed by Bhutan. The conflict came to an end on August 28 after the tw0 sides agreed to withdraw their respective troops from the Doklam plateau and the Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's corridor.

NSA Doval to hold border talks with China today

Shortly after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reacted to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sushma-swaraj-to-take-up-sikhs-forced-conversion-with-pak-government-27239">reports of the forced conversion of Sikhs to Islam</a> in Hangu, Pakistan, Islamabad denied any such incident.&nbsp;

Swaraj had on December 19 shared an article by the Pakistani media on her Twitter handle.

The piece had reported on the &quot;forced&quot; conversion&nbsp;of Sikhs to Islam in Hangu, Pakistan.

&quot;We will take this up at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan,&quot; the minister had tweeted.&nbsp;

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We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainPakistan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainPakistan</a> 
Sikh community in Hangu &lsquo;being forced to convert&rsquo; <a href="https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj">https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/943040163319463942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On Thursday, Pakistan denied any forced conversion of Sikhs to Islam in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan, said it as an incident of &quot;misinformation&quot;.&nbsp;

Faisal also expressed Pakistan&#39;s commitment to the freedom of religion.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had on December 19 shared an article on the issue by the Pakistani media on her Twitter handle

Shortly after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reacted to reports of the forced conversion of Sikhs to Islam in Hangu, Pakistan, Islamabad denied any such incident. Swaraj had on December 19 shared an article by the Pakistani media on her Twitter handle. The piece had reported on the "forced" conversion of Sikhs to Islam in Hangu, Pakistan. "We will take this up at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan," the minister had tweeted. We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. @IndiainPakistan Sikh community in Hangu ‘being forced to convert’ https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 19, 2017 × On Thursday, Pakistan denied any forced conversion of Sikhs to Islam in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Mohammad Faisal, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan, said it as an incident of "misinformation". Faisal also expressed Pakistan's commitment to the freedom of religion.

Pakistan denies 'forced' conversion of Sikhs to Islam

Shortly after reports of Sikhs&#39; forced-conversion to Islam made headlines in Pakistan, Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj claimed that her team will take the highest action on the issue.&nbsp;

Swaraj shared an article from Pakistan media on her Twitter handle that reported on &quot;forced&quot; conversion of Sikh community in Hangu, Pakistan.

&quot;We will take this up at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan,&quot; the minister tweeted.&nbsp;

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We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiainPakistan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiainPakistan</a> 
Sikh community in Hangu &lsquo;being forced to convert&rsquo; <a href="https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj">https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/943040163319463942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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She also tagged the High Commission of India, Islamabad in her tweet.&nbsp;

Swaraj shared an article from Pakistan media on her Twitter handle that reported on 'forced' conversion of Sikh community in Hangu, Pakistan

Shortly after reports of Sikhs' forced-conversion to Islam made headlines in Pakistan, Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj claimed that her team will take the highest action on the issue. Swaraj shared an article from Pakistan media on her Twitter handle that reported on "forced" conversion of Sikh community in Hangu, Pakistan. "We will take this up at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan," the minister tweeted. We will take this up at the highest level with Government of Pakistan. @IndiainPakistan Sikh community in Hangu ‘being forced to convert’ https://t.co/HiWuVmBzbj — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 19, 2017 × She also tagged the High Commission of India, Islamabad in her tweet.

Sushma Swaraj to take up Sikhs' 'forced conversion' with Pak government

The Doklam stand-off had put severe pressure on bilateral relations between New Delhi and Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj during a meeting, a statement from China said.

He added that lessons should be learnt from the episode so that &#39;such incidents are not repeated&#39;. The statement added that Wang had brought up the 73-day stand-off between the Indian and the Chinese troops in the Donglang (Doklam) sector near the Sikkim border in June, during a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi, on Monday.

Swaraj had then said at a press briefing that she and Wang had spoken about strengthening mutual trust to develop better understanding. The statement, published in Mandarin, said, &quot;The viciousness caused by the cross-border infiltration of the Indian border guards put bilateral relations under severe pressure. The matter was finally settled peacefully through diplomatic means, reflecting the maturing of bilateral relations. India-China ties maintained their momentum of development as a whole in 2017. Both sides have made efforts in this regard. But they (the efforts) were not very satisfactory. However, lessons should be learned and (such incidents) should be avoided again.&quot;

&quot;With mutual trust, the specific problems are expected to be resolved on the basis of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation,&quot; he added.

Wang&#39;s visit to New Delhi was the first by a top Chinese official to India after the Doklam stand-off.

He further said, &quot;Without mutual trust, individual problems will continue to overflow and erode the overall situation of bilateral relations. To this end, both sides should strengthen strategic communication at all levels, restore the established dialogue mechanism, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and at the same time control the existing differences and safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border areas.&quot;

Wang also called on President Ram Nath Kovind and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

The Dokalam stand-off came to an end on August 28 after the two sides agreed to withdraw their respective troops from the Doklam plateau and the Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India&#39;s corridor.

The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. Besides this, Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency also quoted Wang as saying, &quot;Sino-Indian relations are at a crucial moment when both sides need to make right choice on the future of the bilateral relations.&quot;

The Doklam stand-off had put severe pressure on bilateral relations between New Delhi and Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj during a meeting, a statement from China said.

The Doklam stand-off had put severe pressure on bilateral relations between New Delhi and Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj during a meeting, a statement from China said. He added that lessons should be learnt from the episode so that 'such incidents are not repeated'. The statement added that Wang had brought up the 73-day stand-off between the Indian and the Chinese troops in the Donglang (Doklam) sector near the Sikkim border in June, during a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi, on Monday. Swaraj had then said at a press briefing that she and Wang had spoken about strengthening mutual trust to develop better understanding. The statement, published in Mandarin, said, "The viciousness caused by the cross-border infiltration of the Indian border guards put bilateral relations under severe pressure. The matter was finally settled peacefully through diplomatic means, reflecting the maturing of bilateral relations. India-China ties maintained their momentum of development as a whole in 2017. Both sides have made efforts in this regard. But they (the efforts) were not very satisfactory. However, lessons should be learned and (such incidents) should be avoided again." "With mutual trust, the specific problems are expected to be resolved on the basis of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation," he added. Wang's visit to New Delhi was the first by a top Chinese official to India after the Doklam stand-off. He further said, "Without mutual trust, individual problems will continue to overflow and erode the overall situation of bilateral relations. To this end, both sides should strengthen strategic communication at all levels, restore the established dialogue mechanism, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and at the same time control the existing differences and safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border areas." Wang also called on President Ram Nath Kovind and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The Dokalam stand-off came to an end on August 28 after the two sides agreed to withdraw their respective troops from the Doklam plateau and the Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's corridor. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. Besides this, Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency also quoted Wang as saying, "Sino-Indian relations are at a crucial moment when both sides need to make right choice on the future of the bilateral relations."

Doklam stand-off put 'severe pressure' on ties with India: China

Clearly, it is not the trilateral Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Ministers&#39; meeting held in New Delhi on December 11 that made Wang Yi&#39;s visit to India significant. Rather, it is the current &quot;cold peace&quot; that exists in China-India relations after the prolonged Doklam border stand-off making the Chinese foreign minister&#39;s current visit significant.

Wang Yi&#39;s visit was significant in many ways. It was the first high-level Chinese official&#39;s visit to India after the two and a half month long Doklam border stand-off. The Chinese foreign minister&#39;s visit to India demonstrated once again that the multilateral mode of engagement keeps China-India ties moving even though their bilateral relationship is at a low tide. Over the years, the RIC foreign ministers&#39; meeting might have contributed a little to expand the level of trust that is required to strengthen the bilateral relations among Russia, India and China. Still, this trilateral meeting remains to date one of the most valuable preparatory forums to generate broader understanding for BRICS and other multilateral channels of engagement among these countries. In fact, the RIC foreign minister&#39;s meeting has acted more as a consultative political mechanism to improve the understanding among Russia, India and China on regional and global affairs. In that context, Wang Yi&#39;s visit offered a much-required momentum to China-India relations with Russia at the regional level.

Additionally, consultative meetings that take place at the bilateral level during these multilateral forums come as an additional bonus to the entire spectrum of engagement. The Chinese foreign minister&#39;s meeting with Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the RIC meeting was certainly a positive move for their bilateralism. Fresh report indicates that both the Chinese and Indian Foreign Minister had a &ldquo;positive and forward&rdquo; looking meeting which was aimed to offer a &ldquo;fresh momentum&rdquo; to China-India bilateral relations. In a way, Wang Yi&rsquo;s visit offered an occasion for Chinese and Indian leaderships and officials to think afresh how to approach the bilateral relations ahead to the year 2018. The Chinese foreign minister&rsquo;s acceptance to address the India-China cultural evening organised by the Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra came as a solace that the bilateral relations need a flexible diplomatic and political approach on both hands.

The post-Doklam period witnessed a slow improvement in China-India relations. In fact, during the Xiamen BRICS summit, both Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi agreed to nurture ahead a &ldquo;forward looking constructive&rdquo; relationship. A &ldquo;constructive&rdquo; relationship that would be &ldquo;forward-looking&rdquo; is a part of their official &ldquo;developmental partnership&rdquo; which was primarily constructed during President Xi Jinping&rsquo;s visit to India in September 2014. The essence of this &ldquo;developmental partnership&rdquo; is to forge a closer economic-oriented partnership, enhancing the decade-old &ldquo;Strategic and Cooperative Partnership of Peace and Prosperity&rdquo;. A range of bilateral dialogue mechanisms - Joint Economic Group (JEG), Strategic Economic Dialogue, Financial Dialogue, Joint Working Group (JWG), Defence and Security Dialogues, Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), and Special Representatives (SRs) dialogue - are central to this partnership. These mechanisms have offered an official level of certainty to push forward the dialogue process between the two countries even though tensions between the two sides continue to recur concerning the boundary disputes. Thus, one might witness both China and India having regular meetings through these mechanisms in 2018. But the challenge would be how to expand the bilateral trade contacts that have been freezing for some time around US$71.18 billion between the two sides. Importantly, to India&rsquo;s concern, the bilateral trade deficit with China is increasing.

Opportunities are aplenty for China and India to nurture their bilateral ties ahead. Still, it would not be easy to nurture a &ldquo;forward-looking&rdquo; partnership given the assertive strategic perspectives that both countries currently hold towards each other. India&rsquo;s resolute stance on the Doklam border stand-off surprised Beijing enormously, from which Beijing is yet to recover completely and figure out how to configure its relationship with India forward. Besides, Beijing has not yet completely disengaged itself from the Doklam episode. Fresh Indian media report suggests that around 1,800 Chinese troops are still camping at Doklam even though the heavy winter have arrived in the plateau. But no matter what might be the Chinese approach towards India in times to come, India must be prepared to deal with a new China under Xi Jinping. Wang Yi&rsquo;s visit to India was undertaken after the recently concluded 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which has prepared a &ldquo;new era&rdquo; blueprint for China under Xi Jinping. Positioning China as the leader of the developing world and centre of the globalized world would be the new mantra of this &ldquo;new era&rdquo; plan. To promote this, China may employ a more consultative approach towards the developing world, but its approach towards India would be meagre since Beijing views India as a contending power to its developing-world leadership strategy.

Thus, New Delhi on its part needs to carefully observe Beijing&rsquo;s powerful foreign policy team that is looking at Asian affairs, especially at matters relating to India, after the 19th National Congress. Under Xi Jinping, Chinese foreign policy is undergoing continuous change, where Wang Yi is expected to play an influential role in China&rsquo;s policy approach to India. Wang&rsquo;s foreign policy exposure in the Chinese decision-making continuum is outstanding. As a former Chinese Ambassador to Japan, a former Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and as a former Vice-Foreign Minister, Wang Yi is regarded as one of the finest and influential diplomats in the league of the CPC&rsquo;s foreign affairs. As a key member of the 17th and 18th Central Committees of the CPC, he is regarded as Xi Jinping&rsquo;s &ldquo;Asia Man&rdquo;. He is expected to play an influencing role in coming times on matters relating to key Asian affairs such as China-India boundary dispute, the South China Sea dispute or the East China Sea dispute.

Importantly, Wang Yi shares the distinction with Yang Jiechi, who is not only a member of the 18th Central Committee but a person in charge of China-India border affairs currently, especially the Special Representatives dialogue mechanism. With Yang Jiechi who has been recently elevated as a politburo member at the 19th National Congress, Wang Yi brings authority to China&rsquo;s decision-making process towards key Asian affairs, including matters relating to India. Yang Jiechi, a State Councillor is higher in ranking than the Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In a possible scenario of Yang Jiechi relinquishing the position of special representative of China-India border affairs in March 2018, Wang Yi is expected to be in charge. Approaching China under these new leaderships in coming times would therefore require smart diplomatic and political foresight in India.

Wang Yi&rsquo;s visit to India has offered a new political context for both the sides to rebuild the relationship afresh in 2018. Rebuilding the relationship would however require a flexible state approach on both sides. Xi Jinping&rsquo;s new China might not really be prepared to have a flexible approach towards India. The same can be said about India&rsquo;s current and future approach to China. India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi might not really succumb to any Chinese hard approach in coming times. Therefore, China-India relations would continue to make headlines even though the year 2018 might witness a more engaging relationship between the two countries at some level.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Wang Yi's visit was significant in many ways. It was the first high-level Chinese official's visit to India after the two and a half month long Doklam border stand-off.

Clearly, it is not the trilateral Russia-India-China (RIC) Foreign Ministers' meeting held in New Delhi on December 11 that made Wang Yi's visit to India significant. Rather, it is the current "cold peace" that exists in China-India relations after the prolonged Doklam border stand-off making the Chinese foreign minister's current visit significant. Wang Yi's visit was significant in many ways. It was the first high-level Chinese official's visit to India after the two and a half month long Doklam border stand-off. The Chinese foreign minister's visit to India demonstrated once again that the multilateral mode of engagement keeps China-India ties moving even though their bilateral relationship is at a low tide. Over the years, the RIC foreign ministers' meeting might have contributed a little to expand the level of trust that is required to strengthen the bilateral relations among Russia, India and China. Still, this trilateral meeting remains to date one of the most valuable preparatory forums to generate broader understanding for BRICS and other multilateral channels of engagement among these countries. In fact, the RIC foreign minister's meeting has acted more as a consultative political mechanism to improve the understanding among Russia, India and China on regional and global affairs. In that context, Wang Yi's visit offered a much-required momentum to China-India relations with Russia at the regional level. Additionally, consultative meetings that take place at the bilateral level during these multilateral forums come as an additional bonus to the entire spectrum of engagement. The Chinese foreign minister's meeting with Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the RIC meeting was certainly a positive move for their bilateralism. Fresh report indicates that both the Chinese and Indian Foreign Minister had a “positive and forward” looking meeting which was aimed to offer a “fresh momentum” to China-India bilateral relations. In a way, Wang Yi’s visit offered an occasion for Chinese and Indian leaderships and officials to think afresh how to approach the bilateral relations ahead to the year 2018. The Chinese foreign minister’s acceptance to address the India-China cultural evening organised by the Pravasi Bhartiya Kendra came as a solace that the bilateral relations need a flexible diplomatic and political approach on both hands. The post-Doklam period witnessed a slow improvement in China-India relations. In fact, during the Xiamen BRICS summit, both Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi agreed to nurture ahead a “forward looking constructive” relationship. A “constructive” relationship that would be “forward-looking” is a part of their official “developmental partnership” which was primarily constructed during President Xi Jinping’s visit to India in September 2014. The essence of this “developmental partnership” is to forge a closer economic-oriented partnership, enhancing the decade-old “Strategic and Cooperative Partnership of Peace and Prosperity”. A range of bilateral dialogue mechanisms - Joint Economic Group (JEG), Strategic Economic Dialogue, Financial Dialogue, Joint Working Group (JWG), Defence and Security Dialogues, Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), and Special Representatives (SRs) dialogue - are central to this partnership. These mechanisms have offered an official level of certainty to push forward the dialogue process between the two countries even though tensions between the two sides continue to recur concerning the boundary disputes. Thus, one might witness both China and India having regular meetings through these mechanisms in 2018. But the challenge would be how to expand the bilateral trade contacts that have been freezing for some time around US$71.18 billion between the two sides. Importantly, to India’s concern, the bilateral trade deficit with China is increasing. Opportunities are aplenty for China and India to nurture their bilateral ties ahead. Still, it would not be easy to nurture a “forward-looking” partnership given the assertive strategic perspectives that both countries currently hold towards each other. India’s resolute stance on the Doklam border stand-off surprised Beijing enormously, from which Beijing is yet to recover completely and figure out how to configure its relationship with India forward. Besides, Beijing has not yet completely disengaged itself from the Doklam episode. Fresh Indian media report suggests that around 1,800 Chinese troops are still camping at Doklam even though the heavy winter have arrived in the plateau. But no matter what might be the Chinese approach towards India in times to come, India must be prepared to deal with a new China under Xi Jinping. Wang Yi’s visit to India was undertaken after the recently concluded 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which has prepared a “new era” blueprint for China under Xi Jinping. Positioning China as the leader of the developing world and centre of the globalized world would be the new mantra of this “new era” plan. To promote this, China may employ a more consultative approach towards the developing world, but its approach towards India would be meagre since Beijing views India as a contending power to its developing-world leadership strategy. Thus, New Delhi on its part needs to carefully observe Beijing’s powerful foreign policy team that is looking at Asian affairs, especially at matters relating to India, after the 19th National Congress. Under Xi Jinping, Chinese foreign policy is undergoing continuous change, where Wang Yi is expected to play an influential role in China’s policy approach to India. Wang’s foreign policy exposure in the Chinese decision-making continuum is outstanding. As a former Chinese Ambassador to Japan, a former Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and as a former Vice-Foreign Minister, Wang Yi is regarded as one of the finest and influential diplomats in the league of the CPC’s foreign affairs. As a key member of the 17th and 18th Central Committees of the CPC, he is regarded as Xi Jinping’s “Asia Man”. He is expected to play an influencing role in coming times on matters relating to key Asian affairs such as China-India boundary dispute, the South China Sea dispute or the East China Sea dispute. Importantly, Wang Yi shares the distinction with Yang Jiechi, who is not only a member of the 18th Central Committee but a person in charge of China-India border affairs currently, especially the Special Representatives dialogue mechanism. With Yang Jiechi who has been recently elevated as a politburo member at the 19th National Congress, Wang Yi brings authority to China’s decision-making process towards key Asian affairs, including matters relating to India. Yang Jiechi, a State Councillor is higher in ranking than the Foreign Minister Wang Yi. In a possible scenario of Yang Jiechi relinquishing the position of special representative of China-India border affairs in March 2018, Wang Yi is expected to be in charge. Approaching China under these new leaderships in coming times would therefore require smart diplomatic and political foresight in India. Wang Yi’s visit to India has offered a new political context for both the sides to rebuild the relationship afresh in 2018. Rebuilding the relationship would however require a flexible state approach on both sides. Xi Jinping’s new China might not really be prepared to have a flexible approach towards India. The same can be said about India’s current and future approach to China. India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi might not really succumb to any Chinese hard approach in coming times. Therefore, China-India relations would continue to make headlines even though the year 2018 might witness a more engaging relationship between the two countries at some level. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity)

Opinion: Wang Yi's visit to India may not clear the mist in China-India relations

The foreign ministers of India, Russia, and China made a joint statement Monday after their trilateral meeting in New Delhi.&nbsp;

The joint statement said the three countries &quot;Condemn terrorism in all forms and manifestations and reaffirm determination to prevent and counter terrorism.&quot;&nbsp;

It added that all states should take adequate measures to prevent terrorist activities from their territory.&nbsp;

And that those committing, organising, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice.&nbsp;

The statement added that cooperation between India, Russia, and China was not directed against any other country.&nbsp;

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier briefed reporters about what had been discussed at the meeting between the three foreign ministers:&nbsp;

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Discussed terrorism,political scenario in Middle East&amp;North Africa, different challenges in putting world economy back on growth track, transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking, food security and climate change: EAM Swaraj on India-Russia-China trilateral meet <a href="https://t.co/0kAuCrJ0rI">pic.twitter.com/0kAuCrJ0rI</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940151342798053376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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A joint statement by the three countries said they 'condemn terrorism in all forms and manifestations and reaffirm determination to prevent and counter terrorism'

The foreign ministers of India, Russia, and China made a joint statement Monday after their trilateral meeting in New Delhi. The joint statement said the three countries "Condemn terrorism in all forms and manifestations and reaffirm determination to prevent and counter terrorism." It added that all states should take adequate measures to prevent terrorist activities from their territory. And that those committing, organising, inciting or supporting terrorist acts must be held accountable and brought to justice. The statement added that cooperation between India, Russia, and China was not directed against any other country. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had earlier briefed reporters about what had been discussed at the meeting between the three foreign ministers: Discussed terrorism,political scenario in Middle East&North Africa, different challenges in putting world economy back on growth track, transnational organized crime, illicit drug trafficking, food security and climate change: EAM Swaraj on India-Russia-China trilateral meet pic.twitter.com/0kAuCrJ0rI — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 ×

India, Russia, China 'condemn terrorism in all forms'

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-police-responding-to-reports-of-explosion-police-tweet-26472">Explosion in Manhattan, trains being evacuated</a>

The New York Police Department was responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin on Monday morning in midtown Manhattan at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, according to the police department&#39;s official Twitter feed.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-elected-congress-president-unopposed-26455">Rahul Gandhi elected Congress president, unopposed</a>

Rahul Gandhi has been elected president of the Indian National Congres. He was elected unopposed.&nbsp;

Mullappally Ramachandran of the Congress said 89 nomination proposals were received, all of which were valid.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-shubhankar-sharma-wins-joburg-open-with-total-score-of-23-under-par-26468">India&#39;s Shubhankar Sharma wins Joburg Open with total score of 23 under 264</a>

Shubhankar Sharma became the first Indian golfer to clinch the Joburg Open today, his maiden European Tour title that also earned him a ticket to the prestigious British Open next year.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/vladimir-putin-orders-withdrawal-of-russian-troops-from-syria-ria-26456">Putin orders partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria: Agencies</a>

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday gave the order for a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria during a visit to the country&#39;s airbase there, news agencies reported.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/confirmed-virat-kohli-and-anushka-sharma-are-now-married-26476">Confirmed! Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are now married</a>

After days of speculation, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma are now officially married. The couple had flown to Italy a few days back with their immediate family members where the ceremony took&nbsp;place.

Explosion in Manhattan, trains being evacuated The New York Police Department was responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin on Monday morning in midtown Manhattan at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, according to the police department's official Twitter feed. Rahul Gandhi elected Congress president, unopposed Rahul Gandhi has been elected president of the Indian National Congres. He was elected unopposed. Mullappally Ramachandran of the Congress said 89 nomination proposals were received, all of which were valid. India's Shubhankar Sharma wins Joburg Open with total score of 23 under 264 Shubhankar Sharma became the first Indian golfer to clinch the Joburg Open today, his maiden European Tour title that also earned him a ticket to the prestigious British Open next year. Putin orders partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria: Agencies Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday gave the order for a partial withdrawal of Russian troops from Syria during a visit to the country's airbase there, news agencies reported. Confirmed! Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are now married After days of speculation, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and actress Anushka Sharma are now officially married. The couple had flown to Italy a few days back with their immediate family members where the ceremony took place.

WION Evening News Brief, December 11, 2017

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