NATO holds emergency talks after missile lands in Poland
Brussels (AP): Ambassadors from the 30 NATO nations gathered in Brussels Wednesday for emergency talks after Poland said that a Russian-made missile fell on its territory, killing two people, and US President Joe Biden and his allies promised support for the investigation into the incident.
The blast came as Russia launched widespread aerial strikes across Ukraine and immediately raised concern and confusion about whether Russia might be broadening the war it launched against Ukraine in February, potentially dragging NATO into the conflict.
But three US officials said preliminary assessments suggest the missile was fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian projectile, and Biden said it was "unlikely" that it was fired from Russia.
NATO chief spokeswoman Oana Lungescu described the blast as a "tragic incident."
Poland said late on Tuesday that it was considering calling for emergency consultations under Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty, which provides for such talks if one of the 30 allies considers that its territory might be under threat.
But Wednesday's meeting did not appear to be Article 4 consultations.
With key questions remaining unanswered, a firm statement of support for Ukraine and for the Polish investigation would appear the most likely outcome from Wednesday morning's meeting, echoing a joint statement overnight from NATO and G7 leaders.
"We offer our full support for and assistance with Poland's ongoing investigation. We agree to remain in close touch to determine appropriate next steps as the investigation proceeds," the leaders said, on the sidelines of G20 talks in Indonesia.
"We reaffirm our steadfast support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the face of ongoing Russian aggression, as well as our continued readiness to hold Russia accountable for its brazen attacks on Ukrainian communities," they said.
Since President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into Ukraine, NATO has sought to avoid being dragged into a wider war.
The world's biggest security alliance has declined to send troops into Ukraine and has refused Kyiv's requests to police a no-fly zone over its cities, which might require allies to shoot down Russian fighter jets or target air defense systems in Russian territory.
While some of NATO's member countries are providing weapons and other support, NATO as an organisation does not.
The military alliance has focused on building up its forces in member countries near Russia and Ukraine's borders to dissuade Putin from targeting them next.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia triggered urgent Article 4 consultations.
These are launched when "the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the (NATO) parties is threatened."
In the unlikely event that Poland considered itself to be under attack, the government in Warsaw together with its allies could, only after those consultations and other meetings, activate Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.
This collective defense clause requires every member of the 30-nation military alliance to come to the assistance of any ally under attack.
Article 5 has only ever been used once; by the United States in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
It was the rallying call that saw NATO and its international partners deploy to Afghanistan for almost two decades in a security operation aimed at keeping the Taliban out of power.
Activating it in the case of nuclear-armed Russia would only be a last resort.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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