A day after Israeli attack on Doha, PM Modi condemns violation of Qatar's sovereignty
New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday condemned the violation of Qatar's sovereignty in the wake of Israel's air strikes on Doha targeting Hamas leaders that triggered fears of further escalation of the already fragile situation in the region.
The prime minister's rare criticism directed at Israel came after he spoke to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and conveyed India's "deep concern" over the attacks in Doha.
Israel carried out the air strikes on Qatari capital Doha on Tuesday in the latest in a series of attacks it launched against Syria, Iran and Lebanon.
The attack on Doha triggered global outrage.
"Spoke with Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani and expressed deep concern at the attacks in Doha," Modi said on social media.
"India condemns the violation of the sovereignty of the brotherly State of Qatar. We support resolution of issues through dialogue and diplomacy, and avoiding escalation," he said.
The prime minister said India "stands firmly" in support of peace and stability in the region, and against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The prime minister's rebuke came days after India joined other member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in strongly condemning the military strikes by Israel and the US on Iran.
The SCO summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin on September 1 also condemned actions that have led to numerous casualties among the civilian population and a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
PM Modi was among the leaders who attended the SCO summit.
"Reiterating their deep concern over the continuing escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the member states strongly condemn the actions that have led to numerous casualties among the civilian population and a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip," the SCO declaration said.
It said the SCO leaders noted that the only possible way to ensure peace and stability in the Middle East is through a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian question.
"Member States strongly condemned the military strikes by Israel and the US against the Islamic Republic of Iran in June," it said.
"Such aggressive actions against civilian targets, including nuclear energy infrastructure, which resulted in the death of civilians, are a gross violation of the principles and norms of international law and the UN Charter, and an infringement on the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran," it said.
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Uttarakhand Assembly passes censure motion against opposition over women's reservation bill
Dehradun (PTI): The Uttarakhand Assembly passed a censure motion against the Congress and other opposition parties on Tuesday for allegedly blocking the passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Parliament.
The motion, which expressed the House's formal disapproval of the opposition's conduct, triggered a massive uproar by Congress members, leading to the adjournment of the House sine die.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Subodh Uniyal moved the censure motion, citing the "uncooperative attitude" of opposition parties toward the bill seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies.
Addressing a special daylong session convened specifically to discuss "Nari Samman -- Rights in Democracy", Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the bill's passage would have benefitted every political party.
Dhami noted that after delimitation, the number of Assembly seats in the hill state would have gone up to 105, with 35 reserved for women. He added that the number of Lok Sabha seats from Uttarakhand would have risen from five to seven or eight.
"The opposition fears that if women from ordinary households enter politics, the shops of dynastic politics run by certain parties will shut down," the chief minister claimed.
He compared the opposition's conduct in Parliament to the assembly in Mahabharat where Draupadi was insulted. Dhami further likened the opposition's behaviour to the "arrogance of Ravan".
The chief minister highlighted his government's initiatives, asserting that Uttarakhand was the first state to implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to protect women's rights. He said the UCC freed Muslim women from practices like "halala", "iddat", polygamy and child marriage.
Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya questioned the technical feasibility of the bill, calling the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) claims of providing reservation by 2029 "misleading".
He argued that the bill is linked to census and delimitation processes. The Congress leader said the 2026 census would conclude by 2027 and the final data publication would take two more years.
"The delimitation process will take another six years. The actual implementation of this bill is not possible before 2034," Arya said, describing the move as a strategy to protect the BJP's "political ground".
The session also saw high drama outside the Assembly gates, where Congress MLA Virendra Jati staged a protest, demanding the payment of "outstanding" dues to farmers by sugar mills.
Jati arrived at the Assembly's main gate with a tractor-trolley loaded with sugarcane and dumped it on the road. The move brought the traffic to a halt, prompting traffic and security personnel to intervene and clear the area.
Women Congress workers also staged a demonstration against the "anti-people policies" of the state government.
