MEA denies 'secret memo' against Hardeep Nijjar, slams 'fake narratives' by Pakistan

-

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied reports that the Indian government issued a secret memo against Hardeep Singh Nijjar a couple of months before the Khalistan supporter was killed by unknown gunmen in Canada.

“We strongly assert that such reports are fake and completely fabricated. There is no such memo. This is part of a sustained disinformation campaign against India. The outlet in question is known for propagating fake narratives peddled by Pakistani intelligence. The posts of the authors confirm this linkage,” the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

“Those who amplify such fake news only do so at the cost of their own credibility.”

Several media reports had claimed that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a secret memo in April 2023 directing Indian consulates in North America to initiate a crackdown against Khalistan supporters in Western nations.

The document allegedly named a number of Khalistan supporters including Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a citizen of Canada.

Reportedly titled “Action Points on Khalistan Extremism”, the document names various Khalistani groups that it accuses of spreading “anti-India propaganda” and committing “arson and vandalism” against Indian interests in North America.

The memo allegedly directed consular staff to work with Indian intelligence agencies and implied that banned Khalistani terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International is connected to Nijjar and a number of other “suspects”.

Nijjar was killed by unidentified gunmen outside a gurudwara in the Canadian city of Vancouver last June. The incident sparked a diplomatic tiff between India and Canada after the Canadian government claimed that Indian intelligence agencies were responsible for the murder.



from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/5gZnSsz
Ajeyo Basu

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Both COVID-19 vaccine doses needed for good protection against B16172 variant

-
It’s been a concerning few weeks in the UK, with the B16172 variant first taking hold and then spreading to become dominant. This more infectious form of the virus, initially identified in India, is what we’re now going to have to live with – unless it is out-competed by another variant in the future. Worryingly, experts had predicted that B16172 might be able to escape some of the effects of vaccines, which if true would threaten to derail the UK’s plans to finish lifting restrictions from the end of June. However, Public Health England (PHE) has looked at the ability of various variants to evade immunity and says that the UK’s vaccines remain effective against the variants circulating, including B16172. On the surface, this looks like good news. But delve a bit deeper, and things get more complicated, says Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia. PHE’s research found a little drop-off in protection against B16172 among people who were fully vaccinated.
Read more

New coronavirus variant emerge in India: How should our COVID response change?

-
Image
After genome sequencing of over 10,000 COVID-19 cases in India, researchers have discovered a new variant with two new mutations which may be better at evading the immune system. In 15-20 percent of samples from the Indian state of Maharashtra (the state accounting for 62 percent of cases in the country) a new, double mutation in key areas of the virus has been detected. These are now known as the E484Q and L452R mutations. What makes the variant different? Both these mutations are concerning because they are located in a key portion of the virus – the spike protein – that it uses to penetrate human cells. Spike proteins attach via a “receptor binding domain”, meaning the virus can attach to receptors in our cells. These new mutations include changes to the spike protein that make it a “better fit” for human cells. This means the virus can gain entry more easily and multiply faster. Given what we have seen with other similar mutations , it might also make it harder for our immu
Read more

120 flights delayed, 30 trains running late; Delhi fog & cold wave continue to give shiver to travellers

-
Arrival and departure of 120 flights, both domestic and international, to Delhi airport were affected due to dense fog and cold wave conditions on Wednesday, according to Delhi Airport FIDS (Flight Information Display System). As per the Delhi Airport FIDS, a total of 53 flights, including 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures and three international arrivals scheduled are cancelled and not operating due to fog and other operational reasons from and to Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the national capital on 17 January. #WATCH | Delhi: Several flight operations delayed at IGI airport due to low visibility amid fog. pic.twitter.com/hG1DUKllEt — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2024 Visuals from the Delhi airport showed passengers waiting outside, checking update of their scheduled flights. There were also some people waiting for flight of their families, friends and loved ones to arrive, which got delayed due to fog. #WATCH | Delhi | Pas
Read more