Modi-Xi meeting has 'failed' to deliver on substantive issues: Owaisi
Hyderabad (PTI): AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping has "failed" to answer the critical questions that Indians were looking for.
The Hyderabad MP in a post on 'X' said: "The @PMOIndia meeting with Chinese President today has failed to answer the critical questions that Indians have been looking for. On the top of that list is China’s support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and the extension of CPEC into Afghanistan. We have not heard a word on the sharing of hydrological river data by China."
Owaisi said the border situation in Ladakh is also such that "our brave soldiers can’t patrol the buffer zones and our graziers are denied access to so many areas after 2020".
He claimed on resumption of rare earths supply and other critical items, China has made no promise, adding nor has it said that it will import more goods from India.
"These are the issues that matter to Indians, not the photo op, the colour of jacket or the length of the carpet. Sadly, Modi-Xi meeting has failed to deliver on substantive issues," the AIMIM chief said.
PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday agreed to work towards a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable" solution to the India-China border issue and pledged to expand trade and investment ties recognising the role of the two economies to stabilise global trade.
In their wide-ranging talks, the two leaders largely focused on boosting trade and investment ties, a move that came against the backdrop of disruptions in global trade triggered by US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs including a whopping 50 per cent on Indian goods.
In the meeting held on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, PM Modi underlined the importance of peace and tranquility on the border areas for the continued development of India-China ties and said that New Delhi is committed to advancing the relations based on "mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity".
The two leaders vowed to expand bilateral trade and investment ties, reduce trade deficit and agreed to expand common ground on bilateral, regional, and global issues and challenges like terrorism and fair trade in multilateral platforms, according to an Indian readout.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
