Hotline between India, China would save time: Sitharaman
Chennai, June 8: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said a hotline between the decision makers of India and China would enable sorting out of the problems at the ground level faster.
Referring to the China-India border stand-off that went on for about 72 days last year over the Chinese construction of a road in Doklam, she called for forums that ensure greater interaction, while noting the hotline will cut time in reaching the empowered decision makers during a crisis.
The minister was speaking at a seminar on Trends and Transformations in China's Geo-Politics, Strategy, Society and Business here organised by the Chennai Centre for China Studies and National Maritime Foundations.
Emphasizing that there was increased engagement with China, Sitharaman said India's participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation gives both nations an opportunity to engage further.
She said engagement between the leaders of the two nations would benefit the countries in the long run and vigorous engagement is possible even at informal meetings.
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Muslim leaders submit memorandum to JPC member Imran Masood against Waqf Bill
Jaipur (PTI): A delegation of Muslim leaders associated with the Congress met party MP Imran Masood, who is a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, in Ajmer on Sunday and submitted a memorandum against the provisions of the bill.
The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 8 and referred to a joint parliamentary panel after a heated debate. The 31-member panel will submit its report by the next session of Parliament.
While the government has asserted that the proposed law did not intend to interfere with the functioning of mosques, the opposition called it targeting of Muslims and an attack on the Constitution.
The delegation of Muslim leaders met Masood, who was on a visit to Ajmer, and said the members of the community are opposed to the amendments because Waqf is a religious matter of the Muslims.
"We will not allow the government to interfere in our religious matters. The Constitution allows us to function according to our religion. The truth is that the government's intentions are not right," stated the memorandum addressed to the JPC's head Jagdambika Pal.
"Waqf is a completely religious matter and interference in it will not be right," it said.
The delegation included Ghulam Mustafa Chishti, Muzaffar Bharti, Rab Nawaz Jafri, Manzoor Ali, Ashraf Buland Khan, Ajmat Khan and Wahid Mohammad.
