Jaishankar holds bilateral talks with U.S. counterpart Rubio, NSA Mike Waltz after Quad ministerial
Washington (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday attended the maiden Quad ministerial of the new Trump administration along with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the United States, besides holding meetings with newly-appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
Quad is a grouping of four countries aimed at maintaining peace and law and order in the Indo-Pacific region.
In less than an hour after entering the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department as the secretary of state, Rubio, 53, held his first multilateral with his Quad counterparts Jaishankar, Penny Wong from Australia and Japan's Iwaya Takeshi.
The four leaders posed for a group picture at the State Department towards the end of the hour-long meeting. However, they did not take any questions. A readout of the meeting is expected later.
The meeting was to reaffirm the importance of working with allies across the world on things that are important to America and Americans, Rubio told NBC News earlier in the day.
"Attended a productive Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting today in Washington DC. Thank @secrubio for hosting us and FMs @SenatorWong and Takeshi Iwaya for their participation," Jaishankar posted on X after the ministerial.
He added, "Significant that the Quad FMM took place within hours of the inauguration of the Trump administration. This underlines the priority it has in the foreign policy of its member states. Our wide-ranging discussions addressed different dimensions of ensuring a free, open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
"Agreed on the importance of thinking bigger, deepening the agenda and intensifying our collaboration. The meeting today sends a clear message that in an uncertain and volatile world, the Quad will continue to be a force for global good."
Soon after the Quad ministerial, Rubio had his first bilateral with Jaishankar, which lasted for more than an hour.
India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, was also present in the meeting.
Rubio and Jaishankar appeared before a pooled press for a photo session after the meeting, shaking hands and smiling at the cameras.
"Delighted to meet @secrubio for his first bilateral meeting after assumption of office as Secretary of State. Reviewed our extensive bilateral partnership, of which @secrubio has been a strong advocate.
"Also exchanged views on a wide range of regional and global issues. Look forward to closely working with him to advance our strategic cooperation," Jaishankar said in a post on X.
Jaishankar, 70, who is here at the invitation of the US government to attend the presidential inauguration, also had a meeting with the US National Security Advisor (NSA) Mike Waltz at the White House.
"Great to meet NSA @michaelgwaltz again this afternoon. Discussed strengthening our friendship to ensure mutual benefit and enhance global stability and prosperity. Looking forward to working together on an active and outcome oriented agenda," the external affairs minister said on X after the meeting.
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Supreme Court extends stay on court-monitored survey of Shahi Idgah mosque complex in Mathura
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended its stay on the Allahabad High Court's order that permitted a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex in Mathura.
The complex is located adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, a site of significant religious importance for Hindus.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan said it will defer the hearing on the plea of the ‘Committee of Management of Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah’ against the court-monitored survey of the mosque complex in the week commencing April 1.
The CJI said there were three issues pending now with the apex court and they are “the issue of an intra-court appeal (against consolidation of lawsuits filed by the Hindu litigants), the other one is the Act (challenge to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991) itself. List in the week commencing April 1.”
The bench said in the meanwhile the interim order of the Allahabad High Court staying the court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex will continue to operate.
The top court, on January 16 last year, had first stayed the operation of the December 14, 2023 order of the high court.
The high court had allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex and agreed to the appointment of a court commissioner to oversee it.
The Hindu side claims the premises hold signs suggesting that a temple once existed at the site.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for the Hindu parties, had said the appeal of the mosque committee was filed against the December 14, 2023 order of the high court and connected orders in the matter had become infructuous.
"All these petitions have become infructuous as the high court has pronounced its order later," he said.
Jain referred to the subsequent order of the high court by which it rejected a plea of the Muslim parties challenging the maintainability of 18 cases related to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura, and ruled that the religious character of the mosque needs to be determined.
The high court had dismissed the Muslim side's contention that the suits filed by the Hindu litigants relating to the dispute over the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple and the adjacent mosque violated the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991 and therefore were not maintainable.
The 1991 Act prohibits changing the religious character of any shrine from what existed on the day of the country's Independence. It exempted only the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute from its purview.
In Mathura, a suit was filed in the court of Civil Judge Senior Division (III) for shifting the Shahi Idgah mosque, claiming that it was constructed on a part of the 13.37 acre land of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust.
The Hindu side had requested the high court to conduct the original trial like it had done in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute.
While allowing the plea for a court-monitored survey, the high court had said that no harm should be caused to the structure during the exercise which it indicated could be overseen by a three-member commission of advocates.
