Swaraj warns "conflagration' if world doessn't act on Pak-backed terror
United Nations, Sep 29 : "If we do not act now, we will have to deal with conflagration later," India's External Affairs Minister warned Saturday as she renewed India's calls for international action against terrorism with a scathing attack on Pakistan's support for terror.
Speaking in Hindi at the UN General Assembly, Swaraj said, "The demon of terrorism now stalks the world, at a faster pace somewhere, a slower pace elsewhere, but life-threatening everywhere,"
"In our case, terrorism is bred not in some faraway land, but across our border to the west," she added.
"The killers of 9/11 met their fate; but the mastermind of 26/11 Hafiz Saeed still roams the streets of Pakistan with impunity."
She accused Pakistan of "duplicity" and "hypocrisy," citing the shelter it gave Osama bin Laden.
"What America perhaps could not comprehend was that Osama would get sanctuary in a country that claimed to be America's friend and ally: Pakistan. Eventually, America's intelligence services discovered the truth of this hypocrisy, and its special forces delivered justice," she said.
She called for going beyond listing terrorists for sanctions by the UN and taking on their protectors, a direct reference to Pakistan.
Calling for international action against terrorists and nations protecting them, she said, "Each year, for last five years, India has been arguing from this podium that lists are not enough to check terrorists and their protectors. We need to bring them to accountability through international law."
She called for the early adoption of "one of the necessary measures in a long running war," the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, which was proposed by India in 1996 and has been stalled because of UN members can't agree on a definition of terrorism.
The convention would outlaw terrorism under all guises and legally require nations to not aid terrorists.
Swaraj said, "On the one hand, we want to fight terrorism; on the other, we cannot define it. This is why terrorists with a price on their head are celebrated, finances and armed as liberation heroes by a country that remains a member of the United Nations. Cruelty and barbarism are advertised as heroism."
She drew attention to Pakistan, printing postage stamps glorifying terrorists - one of the factors that led to India calling off a meeting between her and Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Swaraj called accusations by Pakistan that India was "sabotaging the process of talks" between them "a complete lie."
"We believe that talks are the only rational means to resolve the most complex of disputes," she reiterated.
Many Indian governments under different parties tried to hold talks and pursue a peace process, but "if they stopped, it was only because of Pakistan's behaviour," she said.
She recalled that in December 2016, "I personally went to Islamabad and offered a comprehensive bilateral dialogue. But soon after, Pak-sponsored terrorists attacked our air force base in Pathankot on 2nd January."
"Please explain to me how we could pursue talks in the midst of terrorist bloodshed," she asked.
In a reply to Pakistan's accusations of human rights violations by India, she asked, "Who can be a greater transgressor of human rights than a terrorist?"
She said, "Those who take innocent human lives in pursuit of war by other means are defenders of inhuman behaviour, not of human rights. Pakistan glorifies killers; it refuses to see the blood of innocents."
"It has become something of a habit with Pakistan to throw the dust of deceit and deception against India in order to provide some thin cover for its own guilt," Swaraj said, recalling last year's embarrassing episode for Pakistan when its Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi displayed a picture at the General Assembly of an injured Palestinian girl claiming she was a Kashmiri.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
