EU parliament slams BJP’s ‘nationalist rhetoric’, passes resolution on Manipur violence
India says 'internal matter'
New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France coincided with the European Parliament adopting a motion on the violence in Manipur, India. The motion expressed condemnation for the nationalist rhetoric employed by key members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and called for the European Union (EU) to prioritize human rights and democratic values in its engagement with India. The EU Parliament's resolution highlighted concerns over violence, loss of life, property destruction, and violations of human rights in Manipur, particularly affecting minorities, civil society, human rights defenders, and journalists.
While the Indian government maintained that the issue was an internal matter, the EU Parliament underscored allegations of harassment, challenges faced by women, and accusations against the BJP of divisive ethnonationalistic policies. The resolution cited instances of violence along ethnic and religious lines, leading to casualties, displacement, and destruction of property and places of worship. It also acknowledged past secessionist insurgencies in Manipur, accompanied by human rights abuses.
The EU Parliament called on India and local authorities to facilitate unhindered humanitarian aid, allow independent investigations, refrain from inflammatory statements, and play an impartial role in mediating tensions. Additionally, the resolution urged the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the region and the restoration of internet services. It proposed joint efforts between the EU and India to address human rights issues, including those pertaining to ethnic and religious minorities, freedom of religion, and belief. The establishment of a regular EU-India Human Rights Dialogue at the highest level with defined criteria and benchmarks for progress was also recommended.
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Death toll from Israeli strikes in northeast Lebanon rises from 8 to 24, Lebanese news agency says
Deir al-Balah, Nov 1: Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 24 people in northeastern Lebanon, the country's news agency said, raising the death toll from eight there.
It was the latest deadly toll in the area since the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah escalated last month.
Israel's military has said that its operation in Lebanon is targeting Hezbollah's military infrastructure.
Lebanon's state National news Agency reported four airstrikes in different villages across country's northeast, saying rescuers were still searching for survivors in Younine, a town in the Bekaa Valley, from the rubble of a targeted house.
Hussein Haj Hassan, a Lebanese lawmaker representing the region in Baalbek-Hermel region, said that 60,000 people have already fled their homes in the area due to Israeli bombardment.
