VHP threatens agitation if militant tag not removed
New Delhi, June 15: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Friday demanded an apology from the CIA for classifying it along with Bajrang Dal as "militant religious outfits" and threatened global protests if the tag is not removed.
In a statement, the VHP called the classification in the CIA's World Factbook "objectionable", "disrespectful" and "non-factual".
It said the CIA, which was responsible for the creation of Osama Bin Laden, had no rights to comment on the saffron outfit that worked for India's welfare.
VHP leader Surendra Jain said there were "vested interests" behind the move and the CIA's "anti-India mindset" could be seen from the fact that some parts of Jammu and Kashmir were shown in Pakistan in the maps used in the Factbook.
He urged the Indian government to take up the matter with the US government in order to pressurise the CIA to "rectify the errors" in the Factbook.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
