India lambasts Pakistan at UN for supporting terrorism
United Nations, Sep 29 : India on Saturday lambasted Pakistan for extending continued support to terrorism on Indian soil and blamed Islamabad for sabotaging the talks process.
In her address to the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also urged the UN to adopt the India-initiated Comprehensive Convention on International terrorismn (CCIT) at the earliest so that this global scourge can be defined in definite terms as Pakistan calls terrorists freedom fighters.
"In our case, terrorism is bred not in some faraway land, but across our border," Sushma Swaraj said
"Our neighbour's expertise is not restricted to spawning grounds for terrorism; it is also an expert in trying to mask malevolence with verbal duplicity," she said.
Sushma Swaraj said that the charge that India has sabotaged the talks process is a lie
"We believe that talks are only rational means to resolve the most complex of disputes," she said.
"Talks with Pakistan have begun many times. If they stopped, it was only because of their behaviour."
Sushma Swaraj said that those who take innocent human lives in pursuit of war by other means are defenders of inhuman behaviour, not of human rights.
"Pakistan glorifies killers; it refuses to see the blood of innocents," she said in an acerbic attack.
She also urged the UN for an early adoption of the CCIT that was introduced by India to the world body in 1996.
"Till today, that draft has remained a draft, because we cannot agree on a common language," Sushma Swaraj said.
"On the one hand, we want to fight terrorism; on the other, we cannot define it while in Pakistan terrorists are called freedom fighters," she added.
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Over 350 illegal religious structures removed along Nepal border
Lucknow, May 11 (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday said that more than 350 unauthorised religious sites, including madrasas, mosques, mazars and Eidgahs, have been identified and subjected to sealing or demolition in recent days, an official statement issued here said.
Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's clear directive that no religious encroachment will be tolerated, the administration in districts such as Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj has launched a sweeping campaign, it said.
The authorities have systematically identified illegal structures and taken strict action, continuing operations even on Sunday.
The chief minister has made it clear that encroachment in the name of any religion will not be allowed and all violators, especially those running unrecognised religious institutions, will face legal consequences, the statement said.
On May 10 and 11, 104 madrasas, one mosque, five mazars and two Eidgahs built illegally on public and private land were identified in Shravasti. All were issued notices and sealed, it said.
One illegal madrasa on public land was demolished and two unrecognized madrasas on private land were sealed, the statement added.
In Bahraich, officials identified 13 madrasas, eight mosques, two mazars and one Eidgah illegally constructed on government land.
After issuing notices, five were sealed and 11 were demolished, including eight madrasas, two mosques and one mazar, the statement said.
In Siddharthnagar, the authorities identified four mosques and 18 madrasas and one more madrasa for illegal construction. Notices were issued to these structures. Five madrasas were sealed and nine were demolished. In total, action was taken against 23 illegal structures in the district, it said.
In Maharajganj’s Nautanwa tehsil, Parsamalik village, an unrecognized madrasa operating on Maktab land was shut down based on a report submitted by the District Minority Welfare Officer.
The building’s keys were handed over to the local police station in-charge. So far, 29 madrasas and five mazars constructed through encroachment on public and private land have been demolished in the district.
In past two days in Lakhimpur Kheri, two mosques, one Eidgah on public land along with eight madrasas on private land were found to be illegally constructed.
Of the 13 structures identified, one was served a notice, nine were sealed and three have been demolished so far, the statement said.
The district authorities in Pilibhit have identified an illegal mosque built on public land in Bharatpur village, covering an area of 0.0310 hectares.
According to the district magistrate, a notice has been issued to the parties involved, seeking a response within 15 days. Action against the illegal construction will be taken after the notice period ends, it said.
On Sunday, an under-construction madrasa on public land in Virpur Semra village, Tulsipur tehsil, was demolished in Balrampur. So far, 30 madrasas, 10 mazars and one Eidgah have been demolished in the district.
Ten of them were built illegally on public land, while 20 were constructed without authorization on private land, the statement said.
