Delhi Confidential: Seed of distrust
Utsav In Moscow
The Manezhnaya Square in Moscow, adjacent to the Kremlin Wall, is bustling with Indian song and dance performances these days as part of the nine-day Bharat Utsav, which kicked off Saturday. Besides Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar, several senior functionaries from the Capital are participating, including Chief Secretary Dharmendra and Tourism Secretary Niharika Rai. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta recently met Sergei Cheremin, Minister of the Moscow City Government, and exchanged views on enhancing ties between the two cities, in terms of urban management, tourism and transport.
Marathi & MVA
Wading into the Hindi-Marathi language row in Maharashtra, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said the attacks on Hindi-speaking people by MNS workers is 'dadagiri (bullying) against Hindus'. Talking about the reunion of the Thackeray cousins — MNS's Raj Thackeray and Sena (UBT)'s Uddhav Thakeray — he said if the two join hands for the upcoming Mumbai civic polls, it will give a political advantage to the ruling Mahayuti alliance. A tie-up between MNS and Sena (UBT) will harm the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi as the Congress and NCP will not join hands with them, said the minister.
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Business Standard
20 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Delhi HC upholds Celebi security ban, cites national security threat
The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed Turkey-based company Çelebi Airport Services Private Limited's plea challenging the Indian government's decision to revoke its security clearance. The court said that 'once national security considerations are found to exist, it was not for the Court to 'second guess' the same.' 'As per settled law, once national security considerations are found to exist, on the basis of which the security clearance has been cancelled/revoked, it is not for the Court to 'second guess' the same,' the order said. Justice Sachin Datta upheld the revocation of security clearance of the Turkey-based firm by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) in the interest of national security. On perusal of the relevant information, it transpires that there are compelling national security considerations involved, which impelled the Indian government to revoke the security clearance, the court said. The court further noted that impelling geopolitical considerations, impinging upon the safety of the country, were also involved. '…the executive wing and not the judicial wing has the knowledge of India's geopolitical relationships to assess if an action is in the interest of India's national security,' the order stated. There was a considerable body of judicial dicta to the effect that the State is well within its rights to take pre-emptive measures to protect and preserve national security, the single-judge bench of the High Court said. 'No doubt, the principles of natural justice are sacrosanct; however, it is a compelling constitutional truth that security of the realm is the precondition for enjoyment of all other rights. The State/respondents are indeed justified in taking prompt and definitive action so as to completely obviate the possibility of the country's civil aviation and national security being compromised,' the court said. In its petition to the Delhi High Court, Çelebi Airport Services had said that public perception cannot be grounds for revocation of security clearance. The ground-handling company also submitted that it had been given no reason or opportunity for a hearing. 'We have been carrying the operations for 17 years without blemish. Then we received a letter on May 15 cancelling the security clearance. We were given no reason and no opportunity for hearing. It is because of public perception that the shareholding of the company is of Turkish nationals. But public perception cannot be grounds (for revocation of security clearance). There are 14,000 employees working. The entire business goes for a toss,' Çelebi's lawyers had told the court. Çelebi had also argued that the Indian government's decision to revoke its security clearance was 'arbitrary and devoid of specific reasons.' The Ministry of Civil Aviation, acting through the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), withdrew Çelebi's clearance on 15 May 2025, invoking national security grounds. The move came amid mounting diplomatic tensions after Turkey supported Pakistan during hostilities involving Operation Sindoor. At least seven airports in the country cancelled the services of Çelebi and its subsidiaries. Çelebi challenged the contract cancellations before the High Courts of Madras, Bombay and Gujarat, besides challenging the security revocation before the Delhi High Court. While the pleas are pending in the Gujarat and Bombay High Courts, the Madras High Court had in June granted interim protection to Çelebi Ground Services Chennai under Section 9 (interim protection to parties) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Background Çelebi, a wholly owned Indian subsidiary of Turkish parent company Çelebi Aviation Holding, argued that the government's order lacked any prior notice or opportunity to respond. The company described the justification as 'vague' and 'unsubstantiated,' asserting that such actions jeopardise foreign investor confidence and threaten the livelihoods of Indian employees. The company also clarified that while it has Turkish ownership, operational and managerial control of its Indian entity is handled by an India-based team, and that it has maintained a clean track record for over a decade at major airports. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central government, expressed national security concerns over the firm's presence, and said, 'The enemy can try 10 times and succeed once; a country has to succeed all the time.' 'In cases of civil aviation and national security, there cannot be a doctrine of proportionality,' he added. He also submitted that the individuals employed by the company in question, who are deployed at airports, have access to every corner of the airport as well as the aircraft. 'The government had inputs that it would be hazardous in this scenario, in which the country is in, to leave this activity in the hands of this company,' he said. Mehta maintained that the revocation was rooted in concerns over national security under the Aircraft Security Rules, particularly Rule 12. Rule 12 of the Indian Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023, grants the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) the power to suspend or cancel security clearances and security programmes. Following the revocation of clearance, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) also terminated its contracts with Çelebi, and in Mumbai, Indothai, a domestic operator, was brought in to take over the firm's ground-handling services.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Reductive perspective': Indian-origin woman who slammed Zohran Mamdani's glorification now calls Mira Nair 'Hinduphobic'
An Indian-origin New Yorker, a critic of Mamdani, said his mother Mira Nair is Hinduphobic. An Indian-origin Hindu woman, Indu Viswanathan, who found New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani 's glorification after his surprising primary win nauseating, said Mamdani's mother Mira Nair is Hinduphobic. Viswanathan said in Nair's movies, the Hindu characters are riddled with prejudice and there is no exploration of Hindu identity or society in a complex or humanized way. "If she's not flattening Hindu characters and the richness of Hindu philosophy, she's erasing Hindu perspectives and voices entirely. When she speaks publicly, she reflects the same reductive perspectives on Hindus and Hinduism," she wrote. "Hindu characters in her films often play roles of gatekeepers of patriarchy, bigotry, or repression, while liberation is shown through Western ideals or rejection of Hindu norms. Her films rarely feature devout or joyful Hindu spiritual life, nor showcase the diversity or depth of Hindu theology," the post read. Earlier, Vishwanathan accused Mamdani of distorting facts, manipulating identity politics and cited his statement that there are no more Muslims left in Gujarat, as an example. "Mamdani's lie isn't accidental or something that can be dismissed. It is central to the larger fabrication of his own victimhood status in the world," she said adding that there are over 7 million Muslims in Gujarat. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 40분 후, 영어가 다르게 보일 겁니다. 직접 확인해보세요 스티븐영어 지금 시작하기 Undo "And if he's willing to erase 7 million members of his own community of Gujarati Muslims for political expediency in New York, what does that mean for 200,000 Hindus living in New York? What does it mean for the 5 million Jews living here? Shouldn't we all be concerned when a public figure casually erases entire communities to score rhetorical points?" she wrote. Since the election and after Andrew Cuomo conceded the election to Mamdani, Mamdani has been at the center of many racial, political attacks. Republicans called for deporting him as he became a US citizen only in 2018. Mamdani also drew flak for identifying himself as Black in the application form of Columbia University, where he didn't get the chance to study.
Indian Express
28 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Minister Ashish Shelar slams BJP MP over remarks against Marathi people
BJP leader and Minister Ashish Shelar on Friday responded to remarks made by its party MP Nishikant Dubey, who had said that the Thackerays (Uddhav and Raj) would be 'thrashed repeatedly' if they stepped outside Maharashtra and accused Marathi people of surviving on 'our money'. Without naming Dubey, Shelar said in the Legislative Assembly that no one should question the contribution of the Marathi community. 'Some MP from Jharkhand has commented on the work done by Marathi people. I won't name him—he is not a member of this House. But the Mahayuti and BJP are very clear: anyone can speak within the limits of law, but no one has the right to question the deeds and contribution of Marathi people,' he said. Shelar added, 'The whole nation knows our contribution to the GDP. We made the country's first film and established the first navy. Marathi people do not live on alms given by anyone.' Nishikant Dubey, BJP MP from Godda in Jharkhand, had earlier said, 'If the Thackerays step out of Maharashtra—and come to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh or Tamil Nadu—they will be thrashed repeatedly. You people (Marathi) are surviving on our money. What kind of industries do you have? If you are brave enough to beat Hindi speakers, then you should also beat those who speak Urdu, Tamil, and Telugu.' Shelar told the House that while he was refraining from naming the MP, he felt compelled to respond. 'It is not just about politics–it is about respect for the people of this state,' he said. Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray also hit out at Dubey. 'No one knows these people here and they should not speak anything about us. They have no stature, and one should not pay attention to what these people say.'
