Complaint filed against Azad, Soz for army remarks
New Delhi, June 29 : A criminal complaint was filed on Friday against Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad for allegedly making "seditious statements against the Indian Army".
Azad had said more civilians were being killed in army operations in Jammu and Kashmir than terrorists, the complaint filed here by advocate Shashi Bhushan in the Patiala House Court said.
Apart from him from the Congress, another senior leader Saifuddin Soz has also been named in the compliant. The matter was likely to come up for hearing on Saturday.
Bhushan in his complaint accused the two leaders of "making seditious statement in order to incite disaffection in the mind of the people against the Indian Army and Government of India".
The advocate has sought action against the politicians for offences like sedition, criminal conspiracy and spreading of rumour about army/navy/air force official which could cause mutiny -- under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
He claimed that the alleged remarks were painting the Army as killers of innocents which was "nothing less than waging war against the country".
The remarks cause "grave consequences" and "emboldens terrorists for making more attack on the Indian establishment", added the advocate in his complaint.
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MK Stalin urges PM Modi to intervene after Saudi cancels 52,000 private Hajj seats
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene after Saudi Arabia abruptly cancelled approximately 52,000 Hajj seats allocated to private tour operators. The move has triggered widespread anxiety among Indian Muslim pilgrims preparing for the upcoming pilgrimage.
In his letter, Stalin expressed deep concern over the “sudden reduction” in India’s Hajj quota for private operators, describing the development as a matter of urgent concern. He emphasized that many pilgrims, including those from Tamil Nadu, had already made full payments and were left in distress due to the uncertainty caused by the cancellation.
"I request that the matter may be taken up with the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia urgently and seek an expeditious remedy,” Stalin wrote, expressing hope that PM Modi’s intervention would help restore the cancelled quota and provide reassurance to affected families.
India had signed a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia in January 2025, finalising a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for Hajj 2025. This was split in a 70:30 ratio between State Hajj Committees and private operators—allocating 1,22,517 seats to the former and 52,507 to the latter.
However, Saudi Arabia has now reduced the private Hajj quota by nearly 80 per cent, affecting close to 52,000 Indian pilgrims. The decision reportedly stems from revised policies and stricter timelines for private tour operators, which several failed to meet despite repeated reminders.
In a partial relief, the Saudi government has agreed to India's request to reopen the Hajj Portal for Combined Hajj Group Operators (CHGOs), allowing an additional 10,000 pilgrims to register under the private category.
