Pinarayi Vijayan writes to Madhya Pradesh CM over arrest of Kerala priest
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has drawn the attention of his Madhya Pradesh counterpart, Mohan Yadav, to the reported arrest of a Kerala priest in the Jhabua area of the state.
Vijayan urged Yadav to ensure that Father Godwin, who was reportedly arrested for alleged religious conversion, is not subjected to any harassment.
In his letter, Vijayan noted that Father Godwin is a native of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala and has been engaged in several charitable activities in Madhya Pradesh.
"I request you to kindly look into the matter personally and ensure that Father Godwin is not subjected to any kind of harassment and that there is no arbitrary action on the part of any officials," the CM said in his letter, according to a statement from his office.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
