Tag: Goa

Terror attacks shift headlines from SCO in Goa to J-K

[ad_1]
The headlines on Friday when the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ( SCO) met in Goa India, changed quickly. The killing of five soldiers in the Kandi area of Rajouri, a border district along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, in an encounter with the terrorists who had attacked an army vehicle and killed five soldiers on April 20 in the same belt, altered the headlines. The dateline also shifted from Panaji to Panaji to Rajouri. The SCO meet and its conclusions, which could have been the banner headlines were diluted as the killing of soldiers made it to the headlines in a way that no one had anticipated.
This change in headlines substantiated the Indian view that how terrorism was keeping it away from direct or indirect talks with Pakistan in resolving issues between the two countries bilaterally. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar did not mince words in calling out his Pakistani counterpart Bilawal Zardari Bhutto as the “spokesperson of industry of terrorism, the mainstay of Pakistan.” He underscored his message in the phrase, “The victims of terrorism and perpetrators of terrorism cannot sit together”. This was a clear message to Pakistan that it cannot hope India to talk and improve ties while terrorism from across the border continued to bleed the country. The killing of five soldiers on Friday in Rajouri lent strategic, diplomatic, and political meat to this assertion.
Bilawal Zardari Bhutto, who projected himself as the son of Benazir Bhutto who was assassinated by terrorists in December 2007, tried to convince the SCO and India, in particular, that Pakistan also is a victim of terrorism, and it has suffered the maximum number of casualties due to acts of terror. It is a fact but this doesn’t grant Pakistan a license to export and unleash terrorism in India. The real victims of terrorism empathize with the fellow victims, not inflict terrorism on them.

This is not the first time that the headlines changed in this manner. At a time, way back in December 2015, when it was hoped that a new chapter of friendly ties between India and Pakistan might open with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lahore, to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, things turned sour with terror attack on Indian Air Force Station in Pathankot. This was like the Lahore turned Kargil moment during the Vajpayee era in 1999. The headlines don’t change for days or weeks, but these leave a legacy of chilling reminders of what had happened. These are dark spots in the history, which cannot be obliterated. These spots have an unfortunate tendency to recur as necessary lessons are not learned in time, and the temporary wake up calls turn into sleepwalking after few weeks or months.
As the operations are underway to trace and neutralize the terrorists who mounted these attacks, it is hoped that the army would be successful in neutralizing the terrorists involved in these two incidents, in which 10 soldiers have died with zero casualty on the other side so far. This is a very heavy toll, as it is far beyond the normal and acceptable ratio; one to four. That is four terrorists against each soldier. By that count, the number of terrorists killed in these operations should have been 40. But there are certain constraints. It is not always possible to maintain this ratio as the situations and terrains are difficult. The army has an added constraint, it has to navigate its operations without causing collateral damage – no civilian casualty is the mantra. There may be an argument that how could there be civilian losses in high and rocky terrains, but this is not the case. During this time of the year, shepherds are in the upper reaches with their herd. The gunbattles and operations restrict their movement and they have to stay within specified spaces. This is the geographic challenge.
The nation is waiting for the outcome of the ongoing operations in the mountains dotted with dense forests. That will add yet another headline. The real threat of headlines of this nature is that they overshadow the rest of the stories emanating from the ground. Positive optics take a back seat not only in the captions and headlines but also in the minds of the people.
[ad_2]
#Terror #attacks #shift #headlines #SCO #Goa

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Imran Khan’s party ridicules Bilawal’s Goa visit

[ad_1]
Islamabad: Leaders of Imran Khan’s party, PTI, on Thursday poured hate on Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s visit to India, alleging he had gone there to show loyalty to Bajwa’s Plan of appeasing the US on Israel and India, The News.com.pk reported.
“As I had pointed out earlier, Imported FM was desperate to go to Goa to show his loyalty to Bajwa’s Plan of appeasing the US on Israel and India. He again missed meetings in Afghanistan because no photo ops there! Despite insult by India of refusal to arrange bilateral meetings, he’s desperate to go,” tweeted PTI senior leader Dr Shireen Mazari.
Senior Vice-President of PTI Fawad Chaudhry also took to his Twitter handler to unleash condemnation on the foreign minister’s visit and tweeted that they strongly condemn FM visit of Goa, participation would have been possible on video but problem is you people in “love of Modi are ready to disregard atrocities committed by Modi Janta in Kashmir and hardships Muslims of India and minorities to make Modi Janta happy” Pak Foreign policy is dead by all definitions of the word.

He wrote that dozens of journalists have been sent to Goa with Bilawal, who will also serve as his political assistants along with official coverage of Bilawal Bhutto’s visit, The News.com.pk reported.
Earlier today, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar greeted Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari with a “Namastey” in Goa at a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The two-day-long meeting of SCO member states began here on Thursday.
Visuals showed the Jaishankar greeting Zardari in Indian tradition with a “Namastey”, avoiding a handshake.
On his arrival in the coastal State yesterday Zardari had said he looks forward to constructive discussions with his counterparts from friendly countries. The Pakistan minister was received at the airport by Indian diplomat JP Singh (Joint Secretary, Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran desk).

The Pakistan politician is attending the SCO conclave at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
[ad_2]
#Imran #Khans #party #ridicules #Bilawals #Goa #visit
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 6, 2023
Bilawal Bhutto arrives in Goa; first Pak foreign min to visit India in 12 yrs

[ad_1]
Benaulim: Pakistan’s foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari arrived in Goa on Thursday to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), becoming the first senior leader from the neighbouring country to visit India in almost 12 years.
Bhutto-Zardari’s visit to India to attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting comes amid continuing strain in ties between the two countries on a host of issues including Islamabad’s use of cross-border terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Pakistan foreign minister was received at the airport in Goa by JP Singh, the joint secretary heading the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Iran division at the external affairs ministry.

In 2011, Pakistan’s the then foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited India and held talks with her the then counterpart SM Krishna.
#WATCH | Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari lands at Goa’s Dabolim to attend Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting.
(Source: Pakistan MoFA) pic.twitter.com/6ZtTmRCdL7
— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2023
“I am very happy to reach Goa to lead the Pakistani delegation at the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting. I expect the SCO CFM meeting to be successful,” Bhutto-Zardari told reporters.
Though there was a buzz in the media about Bhutto-Zardari’s two-day visit to Goa, both the Indian and the Pakistani side appeared to keep each other at arm’s length.
People familiar with official engagements on the sidelines of the SCO conclave said there is no plan for a bilateral meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Bhutto-Zardari so far as there was no request for it from the Pakistani side.
In a tweet with a caption ‘Salaam, from Goa India’, Bhutto-Zardari said: “Assalamualaikum, we have reached Goa for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet.”

“I will first hold a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister. Then, will hold a meeting with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister. I will attend the dinner hosted for all the foreign ministers…,” he said in a short video.
Before leaving for Goa, the Pakistani foreign minister said, “My decision to attend this meeting illustrates Pakistan’s strong commitment to the charter of the SCO.”
“During my visit, which is focused exclusively on the SCO, I look forward to constructive discussions with my counterparts from friendly countries,” he said.
The Pakistan foreign minister’s visit to India is the first such trip from Islamabad since 2011 as Khar visited New Delhi that year. She is currently serving as the minister of state for foreign affairs.
In May 2014, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited India to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony.
In December 2015, former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan, and days later Modi made a brief visit to that country.
The invitation to the Pakistan foreign minister to attend the SCO meeting was sent in January, days after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif offered to hold bilateral talks between India and Pakistan.
In an interview with UAE-based Al Arabiya news channel, Sharif had said Pakistan has learnt its lesson after three wars with India and now it wants to live in peace with India, if “we are able to resolve our genuine problems.”
However, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office later said negotiations are not possible without India revoking its 2019 actions on Kashmir.
India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such an engagement.
The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India’s warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.
The relations further deteriorated after India in August 2019 announced the withdrawal of special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories.
In a related development, Pakistan PM Sharif said his country’s decision to attend the SCO foreign meeting in India reflects its “commitment” to the SCO Charter and multilateralism as he asserted that his country was committed to playing its part to advance its shared values of peace and stability in the region.
“We are committed to playing our part to advance our shared values of peace and stability in the region. We are all for win-win understandings based on connectivity, trade and mutually advantageous cooperation,” he further said.

[ad_2]
#Bilawal #Bhutto #arrives #Goa #Pak #foreign #min #visit #India #yrs
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 4, 2023
International drug cartel busted in Goa, Olympic medallist among 3 held

[ad_1]
Mumbai: The Narcotics Control Bureau has busted an international drug cartel in Goa and arrested two Russians – a 1980 Olympic silver medallist woman swimmer and a former policeman – along with an Indian, and seized various drugs including cocaine and charas, an official said on Saturday.
The operation was conducted by the NCB’s Goa unit over the past two weeks, he said.
“Based on a tip-off that a Russian drug cartel was actively operating in Arambol and its adjoining areas in Goa, a probe was launched. As per the intelligence inputs, a Russian woman named S Varganova was found involved in the supply of drugs to foreign nationals. During the investigation, we also received information that led to the identification of a local man named Akash,” the NCB official said.

“During further probe, it was learnt that Akash was part of a larger network and he was working on the directions of a Russian person, who acted as the kingpin of the cartel,” he said.
Immediately after that, Akash was put under discreet surveillance. After extensive intelligence-based operations, a Russian national named Andre was apprehended and 20 LSD blots were seized from him.
Andre revealed that he was growing hydroponic weed at his local residence, the anti-drug agency said.
Thereafter, tree pots of hydroponic weed plants were recovered from his house, the official said.
During the entire operation, different kinds of drugs, including 88 LSD blots, 8.8 grams cocaine, 242.5 grams charas, 1.440 kg hydroponic weed, 16.49 grams hash oil, 410 grams hash cake – were seized along with Rs 4.88 lakh cash, he said, adding that the NCB also recovered Indian and foreign currencies, fake documents, IDs and material required to grow hydroponic weed.
“The arrested Russian woman, S Varganova, is a 1980 Olympic silver medallist in swimming, while Andre is a former policeman from Russia. The latter has been operating a drug cartel in Goa for a long time. He had visited many cities to spread his network and had been managing the well-spread network of street peddlers,” the NCB said.

Along with the Russian nationals, local citizen Akash has also been arrested, the official said, adding that further investigation was on.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in Panaji the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Goa Police has been cracking down on the illegal drug trade in the state.
He said various agencies in the state are trying to uproot the illegal drug trade and they are working in coordination.
“In the last four years, main drug paddlers have been arrested by ANC,” Sawant told reporters.
[ad_2]
#International #drug #cartel #busted #Goa #Olympic #medallist #among #held
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 29, 2023
Withdrawing summons issued to Arvind Kejriwal, Goa police tells HC

[ad_1]
Panaji: The Goa police on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that they are withdrawing the summons issued to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in which he was asked to appear before them on April 27 in a case related to the illegal sticking of posters on public properties during the 2022 Assembly elections campaign.
The police had issued the notice suo motu to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener on April 13 under section 41 (A) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). But Kejriwal challenged the summons issued to him by the Pernem police, asking him to appear before the investigating officer on April 27 in connection with the case.
The case was heard by a division bench comprising Justices Mahesh Sonak and Valmiki Menezes of the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday, during which the police submitted that they are going to withdraw the summons issued to Kejriwal.

Talking to PTI, advocate Subodh Kantak, who represented Kejriwal, said the petition was disposed of by the bench after the police submitted that they are going to withdraw the summons.
The police notice to Kejriwal read, “During the investigation of a case about defacement of property, it is revealed that there are reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain facts and circumstances from you in relation to the present investigation.”
The Kejriwal-led AAP won two seats in the 2022 polls in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Withdrawing #summons #issued #Arvind #Kejriwal #Goa #police #tells
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 26, 2023
Goa cops issue summons to two sisters over posts spreading religious hatred on Insta

[ad_1]
Panaji: The crime branch of Goa police has summoned two sisters against whom a case has been registered for allegedly spreading religious hatred against the majority community through their posts on Instagram, an official said on Tuesday.
The police had last week registered a suo moto case against two Instagram accounts over posts that were derogatory in nature and hurt religious sentiments, he said.
Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Nidhin Valsan told PTI that the twin sisters have been summoned on April 27 as a part of the investigation in the case.

The summons are issued to the sisters under section 41 (A) of the Criminal Procedure Code, 153-A (hurting religious sentiments) and section 67 of the Information Technology Act, it was stated.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Goa #cops #issue #summons #sisters #posts #spreading #religious #hatred #Insta
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 25, 2023
BJP leaders fail to show guts to speak truth over Mhadei issue: Goa Congress

[ad_1]
Panaji: Hitting out at the BJP, the Goa Congress on Sunday said that leaders of the saffron party, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, “failed to show the guts to speak truth over Mhadei issue” in front of people of the coastal state.
“Today none of the BJP leaders dared to speak over the Mhadei issue during Amit Shah’s public meeting (in South Goa). However, Shah tried to divert the issue by boasting of state schemes, which always remains unfulfilled,” said Chairman of Goa Congress Media Cell Amarnath Panjikar.
Referring to Shah’s remarks, during a public rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi in January, that the Centre “has resolved the long dispute between Goa and Karnataka over Mhadei and allowed the diversion of Mhadei to Karnataka to satisfy the thirst of farmers of many districts”, Panjikar said: “Pramod Sawant and other leaders of the BJP had got a good opportunity to clarify this issue, in the presence of Amit Shah.”

Recently, Goa BJP President Sadanand Shet Tanavade has said that BJP leaders have “guts to tell even the media in Karnataka that the Goa government will not compromise on the Mhadei river issue”. On this, Panjikar said, “Forget about speaking in front of the media in Karnataka, the state BJP leaders even failed to make a statement in Goa itself.”
“BJP has today proved that it is ‘masters of U-turn’ and doesn’t have guts to face the public on Mhadei issue. They only know how to suppress voice of people who seek justice against their dictatorship. Today all Goans have come to know the real fake face of BJP leaders,” he said.
[ad_2]
#BJP #leaders #fail #show #guts #speak #truth #Mhadei #issue #Goa #Congress
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

April 17, 2023
Even war can take place for shortage of water: Goa Minister

[ad_1]
Panaji: Goa Agriculture Minister Ravi Naik on Friday advised the need of storing rainwater as in the coming future war could take place due to scarcity of water.
Naik, speaking during the Assembly session, said that stored rainwater can be used for agriculture and horticulture purposes.
“Everywhere water shortage is taking place, there could be more scarcity. In the future war can happen due to shortage of water,” Naik, the former Goa Chief Minister, said.
He added that if rainwater is stored in the state, then it can be exported to Arab countries and get petrol from them.
“We get a significant amount of rain in the state, which is not utilised. If we construct dams and store the water for agriculture and other purposes, it will help us. We can even export the water to Arab countries and bring fuel from them. We get around 126-inch rain. But this water goes to the sea, we can bring it in use by constructing dams,” Naik said.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#war #place #shortage #water #Goa #Minister

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 31, 2023
Cong MLAs in Goa wear black clothes to protest Rahul’s LS disqualification

[ad_1]
Panaji: Congress legislators in Goa on Monday wore black clothes while attending the Assembly Session as a mark of protest against the disqualification of former INC president Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha.
All three Congress MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition Yuri Alemao, Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa came to the Goa Legislative Assembly in black clothes.
“We strongly condemn the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi who spoke the truth and exposed the crony capitalist agenda of the BJP government. As a mark of protest, all three of us are wearing black clothes today,” Yuri Alemao told reporters.
Aldona MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira and Quepem MLA Altone D’Costa also criticised the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi.
The former Congress president was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday, a day after a court in Gujarat’s Surat convicted him over a 2019 speech.
The Congress on Sunday staged ‘Satyagraha’ to protest Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha. Alemao had said “what is seen these days is dictatorship”.
“The Bharat Jodo Yatra was a movement to highlight the communal politics. Rahul Gandhi got good support from the yatra and after its success, the Central government got scared,” Alemao said.
He further said “crony capitalists and double engine governments have ruined the future of the youth”.

“Dictatorship should be stopped. Rahul Gandhi was disqualified because the BJP could not face him. It was a ‘black day’ in the country,” he had said.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#Cong #MLAs #Goa #wear #black #clothes #protest #Rahuls #disqualification
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 27, 2023
5-day Goa Budget Session to commence on Monday

[ad_1]
Panaji: The five-day Budget Session of the Goa Assembly will begin on March 27 and conclude on March 31.
Last year, soon after the swearing in of his government for the second time, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had presented a budget focussing on revival of mining and fostering the economy with no new taxes.
He had presented a budget (expenditure) worth Rs 24,467.40 crore, of which Rs 17,097.50 was revenue expenditure, while Rs 7,369.90 was capital expenditure.
Sawant has said that this year’s budget will be realistic and futuristic, which will focus on areas like education, healthcare, sanitation, tribal welfare and other areas.
“My government has set the target of availing maximum benefit out of Centrally-sponsored schemes. The state will carry out schemes on priority areas like education, healthcare, sanitation, tribal welfare, etc. The Budget will be realistic and futuristic,” Sawant said.
Subscribe us on
[ad_2]
#5day #Goa #Budget #Session #commence #Monday

( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 26, 2023