External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India takes a strong position on terrorism because “we are big victims of terrorism.”

Mr Jaishankar’s remarks came at a time when there is an ongoing war between Israel and Hamas and New Delhi abstained from a UN resolution that did not condemn Hamas terror attacks. He also stressed the need to take a “consistent position” on terrorism.

“Today, a good government and strong governance stand up for its people. Just as good governance is necessary at home, right judgements are necessary abroad. We take a strong position on terrorism because we are big victims of terrorism. We will have no credibility if we say that when terrorism impacts us, it’s very serious; when it happens to somebody else, it’s not serious. We need to have a consistent position,” Mr Jaishankar said while speaking at a Town hall in Bhopal yesterday.

India abstained from voting on the Jordanian resolution which called for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists in Gaza. However, it is pertinent to note that India was in favour of the Canadian resolution which condemned the terrorist attacks by Hamas.

The Jordanian-led draft resolution was adopted by the General Assembly, with 120 votes in favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions. The 45 nations that abstained from voting on the resolution included Iceland, India, Panama, Lithuania and Greece.

The resolution was adopted during the UN General Assembly’s emergency special session on the Israel-Palestine crisis. The UNGA also demanded “continuous, sufficient and unhindered” provision of lifesaving supplies and services for civilians trapped inside the enclave.

Notably, expressing deep concerns over the deteriorating security situation and the astounding loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, India at the UN urged both parties to “de-escalate, eschew violence.”

India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yojna Patel on Friday (local time) in her remarks at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Emergency Special Session on the Israel-Hamas war said, “India is deeply concerned at the deteriorating security situation and the astounding loss of civilian lives in the ongoing conflict. The escalation of hostilities in the region will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis. It is necessary for all parties to display the utmost responsibility.”

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages. Over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7. More than 1,400 people were killed in the Hamas attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, EAM Jaishankar in Bhopal further highlighted how India’s image has changed across the globe.

“So, how do you have a government that stands for what is necessary and in the best interest of its people? A strong government and good government are two sides of one coin. In the last few decades, India’s image in the world has changed a lot. The way we handled the pandemic when developed nations were too stressful; as some had a totally collapsed public health response. We made, ‘Made in India’…’Invent in India’ vaccine, we had a COWIN platform as well,” the EAM said.

“Similarly, when every other country looks after the welfare of its people and its economic interests, the same countries in Europe are saying don’t buy oil from Russia; they were themselves taking it and they made such a schedule that impacts their own population in the least possible way,” he said.

Mr Jaishankar also talked about the digital consumption of data in India and added, “Our digital consumption of data in this country has doubled in the last 5 years. Five years ago, for the 5G either you went to Europe or China. Europe was costly and China, you very well know…”

“In the last five years, we have made our own 5G technology…Today we have fought covid, we deployed 5G; whatever has happened in last few weeks, the Chandrayan mission…it has left an impression on the entire world,” he stressed.

With the AAP government in Punjab approaching the Supreme Court against Governor Banwarilal Purohit withholding approval to three bills, the governor on Sunday informed the chief minister that he will examine all the bills on merit in the larger interest of the welfare of the people of the state.

In a letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the governor noted that he had given his nod to 22 bills out of 27 passed by the Assembly after Mann took charge and said he would convey his decision on the rest of the bills separately in the coming days.

The AAP government had, on October 20, cut short its two-day Punjab Assembly session and Mr Mann had announced that his government will approach the Supreme Court against the governor withholding his approval to the three bills which were slated to be tabled in the House.

Official sources said the state government has moved the Supreme Court against the governor but the matter is yet to be listed for hearing.

In his latest missive, Purohit wrote, that “serious doubts” have been raised about the proprietary and constitutionality of the summoning of the Punjab assembly as well as the continuation of the session “in violation of the various provisions of Constitution of India as well as the rules of procedure and conduct of business by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha” “… still I have, in consultation with all the concerned and in the larger interest of the welfare of the people of Punjab, decided to examine all the bills on merits as well as in terms of various provisions of the Constitution of India,” he said.

“I will convey to you my decision on each and every bill separately in the coming days,” said Mr Purohit.

The governor further wrote, “I may point out that after your taking over as Chief Minister of Punjab, I have already given assent to 22 bills out of 27 bills passed by Punjab Vidhan Sabha.” “The rest of the five bills passed by the Assembly as well as three money bills sent by the Government recently are under my consideration and I will take a decision after due consideration on them in the coming days. I will convey my decision to you accordingly” said Mr Purohit.

The ongoing tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the Bhagwant Mann government had flared up after Mr Purohit withheld his approval to the three Bills – the Punjab Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Indian Stamp (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2023.

Mr Purohit had earlier stated that the October 20-21 session – being projected as an extension of the Budget session – was “bound to be illegal” and any business conducted during it “unlawful”.

Before the House was adjourned sine die on October 20, Mr Mann had slammed Purohit for raising questions over the legality of the session called by his government.

It is the second time in the year that the AAP government is approaching the Supreme Court. Earlier, the Punjab government had moved the SC after it accused the governor of not “reverting” to the cabinet’s decision of summoning the budget session in March.

In his previous communication on October 19, Purohit had asked the Bhagwant Mann government to call either the Monsoon or Winter session and also said that if the Mann government continued with the “patently illegal session” (October 20-21), he would be compelled to consider an appropriate course of action including to report the matter to the President.

The Raj Bhavan had earlier called the similar special sitting in June as “patently illegal”.

Mr Purohit’s response had come after the chief minister urged him to sign the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, aimed at ensuring a free-to-air telecast of ‘Gurbani’ from the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

It was one of the four bills passed during the June 19-20 session.

The three other Bills were the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Punjab Affiliated Colleges (Security of Service) Amendment Bill, 2023.

While the Punjab Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was for replacing the governor with the chief minister as the chancellor of state-run universities, the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was to pave the way to bring about an independent mechanism for selection and appointment of suitable persons to the Director General of Police post.

These bills are still with the governor awaiting his approval.

A mob looking for Israelis and Jews overran an airport in Russia’s Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Sunday, after rumours spread that a flight was arriving from Israel.

In ?? Makhachkala, locals storm the airport after a plane from Tel-Aviv arrives. They check passports, looking for Israelis. The police don’t interfere. #Israel #IsraelPalestine pic.twitter.com/2mnTBiq1kK

— olexander scherba?? (@olex_scherba) October 29, 2023

The violence in the mostly Muslim region, which erupted amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, prompted Israel to call on Russia to protect its citizens.

Dozens of protesters, many of them chanting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) broke through doors and barriers, with some running onto the runway and others, according to videos posted on social media, and Russia’s RT and Izvestia media.

AFP could not immediately verify the videos.

Shortly afterwards, Russia’s aviation agency Rossavitsia announced that it had closed the airport to incoming and outgoing flights and that the security forces had arrived on site.

“The situation is under control, law enforcement is working at the scene,” said a statement from the government of Russia’s Dagestan Republic posted on Telegram.

Rossavitsia announced later on Sunday that the airport had been “freed” from the mob and would remain closed until November 6.

Earlier several local Telegram channels showed photos and videos of dozens of men waiting outside the airport to stop cars, with some of them attempting to break down security barriers.

One protester could be seen in the videos holding a sign reading “Child killers have no place in Dagestan”.

Other videos showed a crowd inside an airport terminal trying to break down doors as staff members tried to deter them.

Hamas stormed across the Gaza border on October 7 in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping 230 others, according to Israeli officials.

In relation, Israel has relentlessly bombed the coastal strip, killing more than 8,000 people, half of them children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Calls for calm

A statement Sunday evening from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said: “Israel expects the Russian authorities to protect all Israeli citizens and all Jews, and to act decisively against the rioters and against incitement to violence against Jews and Israelis.”

Earlier Sunday, Akhmed Dudayev, the minister of information in Dagestan’s neighbour Chechnya, warned on Telegram against “provocations” and called for calm in the face of rising tensions in the Caucasus.

The Dagestan government posted on Telegram telling the mob “not to continue illegal acts and not to interfere with the work of airport employees”. 

The statement added: “It is not easy for each of us to stand and watch the inhumane massacre of a civilian population — the Palestinian people.

“At the same time, we urge residents of the republic not to succumb to provocations of destructive groups and not to create panic in society.”

The Flightradar website, indicated that a Red Wings flight out of Tel Aviv had landed at Makhachkala at 7:00 pm (1600 GMT).

The independent Russian media outlet Sota said it was a transiting flight that had been due to take off again for Moscow two hours later.

Chechnya and Dagestan are two volatile republics in the Russian Caucasus, both of which have mainly Muslim populations.

Earlier on Sunday, the RIA Novosti news agency reported that a Jewish centre in another North Caucasus republic — Kabardino-Balkaria — had been set on fire in the city of Nalchik.