UN chief spoke with India, Pak officials not PMs on rising tensions: official
United Nations: UN chief Antonio Guterres has not spoken with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, but discussed with officials from India and Pakistan the heightened tensions arising after the Pulwama terror attack, a top official has said.
Tensions escalated between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in Kashmir which killed 40 CRPF personnel and was claimed by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
After the suicide attack, India carried out air strikes against the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot in Pakistan on February 26.
The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial confrontation and captured Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was handed over to India on Friday.
"We're fully aware of the situation. The Secretary-General has had no calls with those two Heads of Governments as far as I'm aware, but he's had contacts with both sides to express, I think, his concern and the need to do as much as anyone can to de-escalate the tensions," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Tuesday.
Dujarric was asked if the UN chief spoke with the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan on the rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.
Last week, Dujarric said Guterres was following with "deep concern" the escalating situation between the two countries, calling on both sides to urgently take steps to lower tensions through "meaningful mutual engagement".
The UN chief is "obviously, following the situation as we see it even today with deep concern, and his message, both publicly and privately, to both sides is to urgently take steps to lower tensions through meaningful, mutual engagement and meet their responsibilities to maintain peace and security in the region," he said on Wednesday.
When asked if the Secretary General was planning to get involved to try and mediate a de-escalation, Dujarric had said that "as always", the UN chief's good offices are always "available should both parties or all parties, depending on the situation, agree to do that".
In the days following the Pulwama attack, Guterres repeatedly stressed on the importance for both sides to exercise maximum restraint and take immediate steps to de-escalation.
Guterres reiterated his strong condemnation of the terrorist attack against Indian security forces and said it was "essential that there be accountability under international law and the perpetrators of terrorist acts be brought swiftly to justice".
The UN Security Council in a press statement had also "condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly" suicide bombing in Pulwama.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
