AAP councillor denies involvement in killing of IB staffer, calls for impartial probe
New Delhi: AAP councillor Tahir Hussain on Thursday denied any involvement in the riots or the killing of an Intelligence Bureau staffer whose family accused him of being behind the murder, saying these are "baseless accusations".
He called for an impartial probe into the incident and said action should be taken against the guilty. "It is wrong to target me. I and my family have nothing to do with it," Hussain said.
The AAP leader also demanded strict action against BJP leaders responsible for giving inflammatory speeches.
Ankit Sharma (26), who worked for the Intelligence Bureau (IB), had gone missing on Tuesday and his body was found in a drain near his home in northeast Delhi's riot-hit Chand Bagh area on Wednesday.
His family members claimed that the local councillor and his associates were behind the killing. Hussain has rejected the allegations.
"I came to know from news reports that I am being blamed for the murder of a man. These are lies and baseless accusations. For our safety, my family and I had moved away from our home on Monday in police presence," he said.
Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the party's stand remains clear that strictest punishment must be taken against anyone associated with spreading violence and added that Hussain has given his statement on the matter.
Thirty-four people have been killed and over 200 injured in the communal clashes that broke out in northeast Delhi three days ago after violence between anti and pro Citizenship (Amendment) Act groups spiralled out of control.
Frenzied mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, a petrol pump and pelted stones at locals and police personnel.
Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Chand Bagh and Shiv Vihar are among the areas mainly affected by the riots.
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US confirms Israel's attack on Iran, says it was not involved
Washington: In response to recent developments, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed concerns regarding reported offensive operations involving Israel and Iran. Blinken emphasized that the United States has not been engaged in any offensive operations, stressing on the nation's commitment to de-escalating tensions in the region.
Speaking on behalf of the G7, Blinken reiterated the focus on de-escalation efforts, as reflected in their recent discussions and statements. He emphasized the importance of working collaboratively to reduce tensions and promote stability.
Earlier reports had indicated that the US received advance notification of a planned Israeli strike on Iran, scheduled for the coming days. However, Blinken clarified that while the US was informed of the intended strike, it did not endorse the action. This statement highlights the United States' stance of neutrality in the matter and its commitment to diplomatic solutions to mitigate tensions.
"We’re committed to Israel’s security. We’re also committed to de-escalating -- to trying to bring this tension to a close," Blinken said during a news conference at the conclusion of the group's meeting in Capri, Italy, hours after a US official told CNN that Israel had launched a military strike on Iran.
He also said the countries shared "a commitment to hold Iran to account."
Blinken said the nations condemned Iran's weekend strikes on Israel. He called those attacks "unprecedented in scope and scale; scope because it was a direct attack on Israel from Iran, scale because it involved more than 300 munitions including ballistic missiles."
