BRICS emerged as important platform for dialogue, discussion on key global issues: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): India values close cooperation within BRICS which has emerged as an important platform for dialogue and discussion on a range of key issues concerning global developmental agenda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.
Modi made comments in a statement before embarking on a two-day visit to the Russian city of Kazan to attend the 16th summit of the BRICS grouping.
"The expansion of BRICS with the addition of new members last year has added to its inclusivity and agenda for the global good," he said.
Being hosted by Russia, the summit is being seen as an attempt by non-Western powers to project their clout amid the conflict in Ukraine and the escalating situation in West Asia.
Modi is set hold a series of bilateral meetings including with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the margins of the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa).
It will be the first summit of the grouping after it was expanded at its summit in Johannesburg last year.
"India values the close cooperation within BRICS which has emerged as an important platform for dialogue and discussion on issues concerning the global developmental agenda, reformed multilateralism, climate change, economic cooperation, building resilient supply chains, promoting cultural and people to people connect, among others," Modi said in his departure statement.
Modi said his visit to Kazan will further reinforce the 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' between India and Russia.
The prime minister visited Moscow in July during which he held summit talks with President Putin.
"Building upon the annual summit held in July 2024 in Moscow, my visit to Kazan will further reinforce the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia," Modi said.
"I look forward to meeting other leaders from BRICS as well," he said.
In a post on 'X', Modi said he was looking forward to extensive discussions on a wide range of subjects at the summit.
The BRIC, as a formal grouping, started after the meeting of the leaders of Russia, India and China in St. Petersburg in 2006. It was agreed to expand BRIC into BRICS with the inclusion of South Africa in 2010.
Last year's expansion was the first such exercise since 2010. The new members included Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
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Punjab govt gives nod to prosecute Gurmeet Singh in 2015 sacrilege cases
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab government has granted sanction to prosecute jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Singh in the 2015 sacrilege incidents that had triggered protests and left two agitators dead in police firing, official sources said on Tuesday.
The move came days after the Supreme Court vacated the stay imposed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the trial in three sacrilege cases.
The top court on October 18 had passed the order on a plea of the Punjab government challenging the order of the high court, which had stayed the trial in the three cases registered in Faridkot.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who holds the Home portfolio, approved the sanction on Monday evening, the sources said.
The chief of the Sirsa-headquartered sect is serving a 20-year sentence given in 2017 for raping two of his disciples. The Dera chief and three others were also convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist more than 16 years ago.
Singh, who is serving sentence in Sunaria jail in Haryana's Rohtak district, was granted a 20-day parole on October 2.
The sacrilege incidents related to the theft of a 'bir' (copy) of the Guru Ganth Sahib from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala gurdwara, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters in Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala and torn pages of the holy book found scattered at Bargari, had taken place in Faridkot in Punjab in 2015.
These incidents had led to anti-sacrilege protests in Faridkot. In the police firing at anti-sacrilege protesters in October 2015, two persons were killed in Behbal Kalan while some persons were injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot.
Punjab Police special investigation team (SIT) led by Additional Director General of Police SPS Parmar in 2022 had indicted the Dera Sacha Sauda chief as one of the main conspirators in the three sacrilege incidents.
The state government's sanction is required to prosecute anyone under Section 295 A (hurting religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The high court in March this year had stayed the trial against the Dera chief in sacrilege cases after he challenged the validity of a September 6, 2018 notification of the state government withdrawing the consent given to the CBI to probe these cases and sought a direction to the central probe agency to investigate.
In 2015, the then SAD-BJP government had handed over the three sacrilege cases to the CBI for probe.
Later, the previous Congress-led Punjab government, however, had handed over the probe to a special investigation team of the Punjab Police in September 2018 after the state Assembly passed a resolution withdrawing consent to the CBI to investigate these cases, noting lack of progress in the investigation.
In the monsoon session of the Punjab assembly last month, CM Mann had said that his government was firmly committed to ensuring exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.
The Congress had questioned the state government for the delay in granting prosecution sanction against Singh in the sacrilege cases.
