Harsh Vardhan Shringla appointed new Indian Ambassador to US
New Delhi, Dec 20: Seasoned diplomat Harsh Vardhan Shringla was Thursday appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the US, considered a high-profile posting where he will face the task of engaging with the Trump administration on a number of key issues including the H1B visa.
Shringla, a 1984-batch Indian Foreign Service official, will succeed Navtej Sarna.
"He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," the Ministry of External Affairs said.
At present, Shringla is serving as Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh. Senior diplomat Riva Ganguly Das, presently Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations, has been appointed as new High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
Besides the H1B visa issue, Shringla will also have to engage with Washington on resolving issues relating to India's purchase of S 400 air defence missile systems from Russia.
India risked the threat of US sanctions when it finalised the USD 5 billion deal with Russia in October.
Shringla will also have to engage with the Trump administration on several other issues including India's import of crude oil from Iran. The US has given India temporary waiver from the sanctions regime against import of Iranian oil.
The waiver will come to an end on April 4.
In the course of a diplomatic career spanning 34 years, Shringla has held a variety of positions in New Delhi and abroad.
Before his appointment as High Commissioner in Bangladesh nearly three years back, he served as India's Ambassador to Thailand. He has also served in Vietnam, Israel and South Africa.
He has also served in the Ministry of External Affairs here as Joint Secretary responsible for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Maldives.
He has also headed the United Nations Political and SAARC Divisions in the Ministry.
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P&H High Court denies anticipatory bail to man accused of replacing national flag with saffron flag
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to Vikas Tomar, who is accused of removing the national flag from a mosque in Gurugram’s Uton village and replacing it with a saffron flag.
Justice Manisha Batra, presiding over the case Vikas Tomar @ Vikash Tomar v. State of Haryana, observed that the allegations against the petitioner were not vague but specific, and supported by conversations between him and other co-accused.
“The gravity of the offence and its potential impact on public order and communal peace cannot be overlooked at this stage,” the Court noted. It further stated that no exceptional circumstances had been presented that would justify granting pre-arrest bail, especially given the “serious communal and constitutional implications” of the alleged conduct.
According to the prosecution, a complaint was filed on July 7 in Bilaspur, Gurugram, reporting that anti-social elements had replaced the national flag atop a mosque with a saffron flag. Audio and video evidence were submitted along with the complaint. Two other accused were initially arrested under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 2 of the Prevention of Insult to National Honours Act, 1971, but were granted bail the same day.
The Sessions Court had earlier denied anticipatory bail to Tomar on July 15, with Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Chauhan observing that such acts threaten the social fabric in a diverse country like India. He remarked, “Any person of ordinary prudence and slightest of patriotism in his heart would not have dared to commit such a crime.”
Tomar's counsel argued before the High Court that he was not named in the FIR and had no role in the alleged incident. However, opposing counsel representing the State and the complainant contended that Tomar aimed to provoke communal unrest in the region.
Justice Batra, after considering the arguments, concluded that custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary. “No ground for grant of anticipatory bail is made out,” the Court held.
Advocate Abhimanyu Singh appeared for the petitioner, while Additional Advocate General Apoorv Garg represented the State of Haryana. Advocate Rosi appeared for the complainant.
The bail plea was dismissed.
