India distances itself from SCO statement condemning Israeli strikes on Iran
New Delhi: India has formally dissociated itself from a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) statement that strongly condemned Israel’s military strikes on Iran. The SCO, of which Iran is also a member, termed the attacks a violation of international law and the UN Charter. However, India clarified it had not participated in the decision-making process and issued a separate statement reflecting its own stance.
The SCO statement, issued earlier on June 14, described Israel’s June 13 strikes as “aggressive actions against civilian targets” and a “gross violation” of Iran’s sovereignty, resulting in civilian casualties and threatening global peace. It specifically referred to damage to Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility and the killing of 78 people, including senior security officials and top nuclear negotiator Ali Shamkhani.
While the SCO made no mention of dissent from any member, India simultaneously released a statement stating that it did not participate in the discussions regarding the condemnation. “India did not participate in the discussions on the above-mentioned SCO statement,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted. “Our position was shared with member states in advance.”
India reiterated its call for restraint and diplomacy. “We urge that channels of dialogue and diplomacy be utilised to work towards de-escalation,” the MEA stated. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also spoke to his Iranian counterpart, expressing global concerns and urging both nations to return to diplomatic efforts and avoid further escalation.
India’s reaction to the growing conflict has been notably cautious. On Friday, it had expressed being “deeply concerned” about the developments between Iran and Israel. A day earlier, India abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, reversing its previous support for a similar resolution six months ago.
In contrast, several other Asian countries reacted more forcefully to the Israeli strikes:
Japan’s foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya condemned Israel’s actions as “completely unacceptable,” particularly in light of ongoing diplomatic talks between Iran and the US.
China, which currently chairs the SCO, described the Israeli attacks as a violation of Iran’s sovereignty and called for restraint.
South Korea expressed “deep concern” and condemned actions that destabilize the region.
Indonesia, which does not maintain diplomatic ties with Israel, called the strikes “unlawful” and a violation of international law.
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim issued a strong condemnation, stating the attack was aimed at sabotaging US-Iran nuclear negotiations and deflecting attention from Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Other countries, including Vietnam, the Philippines, and Singapore, issued more muted responses, with Singapore simply urging restraint.
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Chhattisgarh court grants bail to two Kerala nuns in human trafficking-conversion case
Bilaspur (PTI): A special court in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district on Saturday granted bail to three persons, including two nuns from Kerala, arrested on charges of human trafficking and forced religious conversion, lawyers said.
Principal District and Sessions Judge (NIA court) Sirajuddin Qureshi had reserved the order on their bail pleas after a hearing on Friday.
The court has granted conditional bail to the trio, defence lawyer Amrito Das said.
Catholic nuns Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, both from Kerala, along with Sukaman Mandavi, were arrested at the Durg railway station on July 25, following a complaint from a local Bajrang Dal functionary, who accused them of forcibly converting three girls from Narayanpur and trafficking them, a railway police official had said.
Following the bail hearing on Friday, Das had said that the prosecution had not asked for the trio's custody for interrogation, and the alleged victims had been sent back to their homes.
