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We won’t let in any more Rohingya refugees, they are a burden on us, a threat to our security: Bangladesh Minister Obaidul Quader

OpIndia Staff
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We won’t let in any more Rohingya refugees, they are a burden on us, a threat to our security: Bangladesh Minister Obaidul Quader

Bangladesh declared on 7th February that it would not permit the entry of any more Rohingya refugees from Myanmar since harbouring the vast majority of them has already jeopardised the country’s security. Obaidul Quader, the minister for road transport and bridges, who is also general secretary of the Awami League, stated, “We will not allow any more Rohingya to enter the country. They have already become a burden for us.”

“We won’t allow any Rohingya to enter the country afresh. Once we opened the border liberally but there is no opportunity to show that generosity again. Rohingyas have become a burden for us. The amount of international aid for the Rohingya has decreased significantly. How long would we carry this burden in this situation,” he asked while addressing a press conference organised at Setu Bhaban (Bridges Building) in the capital’s Banani area.

He added, “This is an internal problem of Myanmar. Conflict with the Arakan Army is their domestic issue. What they would do with their internal affairs is up to them. We will talk to those who are concerned so that we don’t have any panic or concern for their (Myanmar) problem.”

The minister informed that his nation is in negotiations with China and India to make sure that Bangladesh is not impacted by the domestic strife in neighbouring Myanmar, “We are holding talks with China and India, in particular. Our foreign minister has gone to India. We are also discussing with China. The Myanmar ambassador to Bangladesh was summoned. The envoy said Myanmar will take back those who fled to Bangladesh due to the conflict.”

As fighting between Myanmar’s rebel forces and its junta regime intensified, several hundred more people, mostly from the Chakma ethnic group and some Rohingya have gathered on the Myanmar border to enter Bangladesh, per Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Bangladesh’s refugee relief and repatriation commissioner based in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh, according to him is “overburdened” by Rohingya.

He highlighted, “It has been seven years and we have not been able to repatriate them. Keeping Rohingya Muslims in Bangladesh has become a threat to our security, law and order. It is creating a vulnerable situation for cross-border crime.” He pointed out. “The aid agencies that were providing financial support previously are also pulling back and it is creating a lot of economic stress for Bangladesh.”

He urged humanitarian groups such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to offer sustenance and medical aid to individuals ensnared in the violence in Myanmar as a result of the continuous fighting. He conveyed, “It will ensure that people do not have to cross the border and come into Bangladesh. It will also reduce the pressure on us.”

A request for a reaction to the minister’s remarks was not immediately answered by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR). The organisation had earlier proclaimed, “Over the years, Bangladesh has generously provided sanctuary to those fleeing violence. UNHCR is in constant contact with the Bangladesh authorities and continues to advocate for civilians fleeing violence to have access to safety.”

Shariful Islam, a spokesman for Bangladesh’s Border Guard noted that at least 327 border troops and police from Myanmar, some of whom had been shot had fled to Bangladesh during the last several days due to the rising level of violence. The nation summoned Myanmar’s ambassador on 6th February in protest at the growing violence along the border that has killed two people on the Bangladeshi side, including a Rohingya.

Bangladesh has little chance of repatriating the Rohingya from the world’s largest refugee settlement across the border to Rakhine since Myanmar’s military rulers regard them as foreign interlopers and have refused them citizenship. About a million Rohingya refugees reside in Cox’s Bazar, a border province of Bangladesh after a majority of them escaped a military crackdown in 2017 during an ongoing decade-long conflict. Bangladesh govt has shifted some of the refugees to Bhasan Char, and over 30,000 Rohingya refugees live in modern facilities built on the newly-formed Island.

Punjab: 32-year-old woman mauled to death by 20 stray dogs in Kapurthala

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: 32-year-old woman mauled to death by 20 stray dogs in Kapurthala

In Punjab’s Kapurthala, a 32-year-old woman was mauled to death by a pack of 20 stray dogs in Passan Kadim village on Wednesday (7th February). The mangled body of the victim woman, Pari Devi, was found near a village field in Sultanpur Lodhi.

According to her family, the woman went to graze animals and had been untraceable since Tuesday evening. Gurdev Singh, the village sarpanch, stated that the woman’s body had wounds from multiple bites on the head and face.

According to police sources, another woman from the same area was also attacked by a dog and suffered serious injuries. The victim is being treated at the Civil Hospital. “Last week, a minor boy was mauled to death by a stray dog in the village. These dogs are habitual of feeding on animal carcasses. They attack pedestrians and people riding two-wheelers,” said a villager. According to an HT report, the villagers have asked the district administration to find an effective solution for the stray dog menace.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal has promised financial assistance to the deceased’s family and directed the competent department to drive out stray dogs from the village.

The Deputy Commissioner met with the officials and asked them to take all necessary steps to combat the stray dog issue.

The Deputy Commissioner also instructed the SDMs, veterinary officers, and other officials to devise a comprehensive strategy to combat the stray dog problem. “All possible help will be provided to people and we will find a proper solution to this problem,” DC Panchal said.

One dead in attack on security forces as Pakistan goes to polls, security experts call elections a ‘sham’ staged by Pakistan Army

OpIndia Staff
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One dead in attack on security forces as Pakistan goes to polls, security experts call elections a ‘sham’ staged by Pakistan Army

Voting has begun in Pakistan for the national and provincial assemblies. The polling process, with more than 128 million voters, began at 8 am (local time) and will continue till 5 pm (local time), Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

Pakistan’s Caretaker Interior Ministry has established a control room to monitor the overall situation in Pakistan during the general elections, Pakistan Today reported.

Yet an attack has already claimed one life. A security personnel was killed in an attack on a security forces vehicle in Pakistan’s Dera Ismail Khan. Assailants attacked the vehicle which was on election duty, Samaa TV reported citing sources.

Pakistan’s caretaker Interior Ministry has announced the temporary suspension of mobile services across Pakistan. Citing the “deteriorating security situation,” the ministry emphasized the need to safeguard against potential security threats.

In a statement, the ministry said, “Recent surge in terrorist activities resulting in precious lives have stirred security environment in the country.” Therefore, it added, “need has arisen to take measures to safeguard against” security threats.

The Islamic country has announced the closure of its borders with neighbouring Afghanistan and Iran to ensure security.

The decision is aimed at maintaining stability during the polling process.

More than 17,000 candidates are contesting in the polls in which voters will elect 266 candidates to the Pakistan National Assembly, who will later, by a majority vote, elect the next prime minister, according to Dawn.

Voters will elect 266 candidates to the Pakistan National Assembly, who will later, by a majority vote, elect the next prime minister.

Several security experts feel that this is a sham election where the Army continues to call the shots and one of the largest political parties the PTI has most of its leadership in jail.

Defence expert Brigadier (Retd) Anil Gupta has termed the elections in Pakistan “purely a sham” and stressed that Pakistan Army wants to bring back Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif. He said that Pakistan army is once again trying to mainstream terrorist organisations.

Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria has said the Pakistan general elections are the most predictable, the most rigged.

“These elections on February 8 are not just the most predictable, but also the most rigged, because it’s clear for everyone in Pakistan, if you see the commentary that is coming from within Pakistan, that the election results are clear, that the army in various ways is doing pre-election engineering, it will probably do some election engineering and post-election engineering to get a government that it wants in place,” Bisaria said.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Nawaz Sharif will be the prime ministerial candidate for the party if the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz secures a majority in the elections.

Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that as per his experience from campaigning all over the country, PML-N is “not even reaching 100 seats by far.”

Imran Khan, founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and considered one of the most popular leaders in the country, is incarcerated in Adiala jail on multiple charges.

The cricketer-turned-politician has been disqualified from contesting the polls and has been sentenced to 10 years in the cypher case, 14 years in the Toshakhana case, and seven years in the ‘un-Islamic’ marriage case.

(With agency inputs)

Gujarat ATS to investigate terror angle in Mufti Salman Azhari provocative speech case, funding sources to be looked into too

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat ATS to investigate terror angle in Mufti Salman Azhari provocative speech case, funding sources to be looked into too

In a major development in the Mufti Salman Azhari hate speech case, it has been reported that Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) will investigate a terror angle in the event.

Speaking to IndiaTV, Gujrat ATS SP Om Prakash Jat said that the event in a school compound in Junagadh on 31st January was organised as an ‘anti-drug awareness’ program. “This event was presented as an ‘anti-drugs awareness’ program, however, Maulana Salman Azhari in a planned manner delivered an inflammatory speech with the purpose of inciting communal hatred between two religious communities. Not only in Junagadh, but he (Azhari) also gave a similar provocative speech in the Samiyakhali police station area in Kutch,” Jat said.

The Gujarat ATS SP further informed that accused Mufti Azhari has a controversial history adding that multiple cases are lodged against him in various states. “In Karnataka, there are five FIRs against him and in Maharashtra as well…nearly double in Gujarat. So he has a history…We have also taken cognisance a Sufi Khanqah Association leader Mohammad Kausar Hasan Siddiqui’s allegation that Mufti Azhari has links with foreign terrorist organisations,” SP Jat said adding that the Sufi Khanqah president’s allegations that Mufti Azhari is working on the agenda of Ghazwa-e-Hind will also be investigated.

It is pertinent to note that Sufi Khanqah Association’s president Sufi Mohammad Kausar Hassan Majidi had on 5th February welcomed the arrest of Mufti Azhari. Raising concerns over Azhari’s activities, he said that Azhari has been following the pattern of Tablighi Jamaat and escalating communal tensions between Hindus and Muslims. He also accused Azhari of engaging in activities in sync with the “Ghazwa-e-Hind project”. The Sufi Khanqah Association head also added that Mufti Azhari received his education in Egypt and alleged that he is aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood ideology. Majidi accused Azhari of aiming to establish a system similar to Hamas in India to advance the Ghazwa-e-Hind project. He also pointed out that multiple cases against Azhari were filed in Hubli and Dharwad in Karnataka for trying to incite riots.

The Gujarat ATS officer further informed that an investigation will be launched into the financing of Al-Amaan Education and Welfare Trust run by Azhari as well as his activities and then further action will be taken.

When asked if the Gujarat ATS is not going to limit its probe to hate speech but will investigate radicalisation and alleged indirect support to terror activities, the ATS officer said, “Since he [Azhari] is an accused in this offence, his activities in addition to his Trust’s activities and financing will be investigated in detail,” SP Jat said adding that more stringent sections might be added in the case depending upon the findings of the investigation.

SP Om Prakash Jat also lauded the Maharashtra government, police and ATS for their crucial role in ensuring Mufti Azhari’s arrest and investigation as he recalled the day when a Muslim mob gathered outside Ghatkopar Police Station demanding the immediate release of Salman Azhari.

Notably, Mufti Azhari was granted bail by the Junagadh court in the hate speech case. Meanwhile, Kutch Police (East) is set to formally arrest him in another hate speech case filed against him in Samakhiyali.

On Wednesday, the Junagarh Local Crime Branch did not seek an extension of Azhari’s custody, however, it opposed the bail plea of the accused since an investigation is still ongoing in the matter. It further stated that it was in the process of gathering information about Rs 52 lakh put in the bank account of Azhari’s Al-Amaan Education and Welfare Trust and that it may require his custody in the days to come. Azhari, Yousuf Malek, and Azim Odedara, who were all arrested in the same case on Monday, were granted bail by the court.

On 31st January, Mufti Salman Azhari made derogatory remarks against the Hindu community during his 56-minute-long speech in Junagadh city of Gujarat. In the contentious video that went viral on social media, the radical Islamic preacher was heard saying, “The final battle of Karbala is yet to come… a moment of silence, then there will be noise again. The dogs are having their time today. Our time will come tomorrow.”

Before his ‘dog reference’, Salman Azhari spoke in the context of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha at Ayodhya and the legal battle surrounding the disputed Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi.

“If you keep idols inside a mosque, then, it will not become an idol-worshipping place (referring to temples),” he had stated. Azhari defended the tendency of Islamic invaders to appropriate religious structures of non-Muslims and pagans.

“You have kept one idol ( at Ram Mandir) but there were 360 idols at Kaaba. Even then, the Kaaba belonged to the Muslims. This did not stop the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj,” he continued. “…Dear Muslims, the revolution will begin from your homes. They (Hindus) do not dare to convert your mosques to idol-worshipping places (referring to temples). You have yourself abandoned the mosques,” Azhari further added.

As reported earlier, a second FIR against Azhari was registered in Samiyakhali in Kutch on 6th February after it came to light that Mufti Azhari had delivered a provocative speech in Samiyakhali before the viral Junagadh speech. Notably, the organiser of the event, identified as Mamad Khan Mori in Samakhiyali, Kutch, who sought permission for the event named “Dharmik Takrir”, has also been booked in the matter. The police and ATS are investigating the matter jointly.

Maharashtra: Former Vandre West MLA and ex-State Minister Baba Siddique leaves Congress

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Former Vandre West MLA and ex-State Minister Baba Siddique leaves Congress

On Thursday, February 8, former Maharashtra minister, and former Vandre West MLA, Baba Siddique has resigned from the Congress party with immediate effect. Baba Siddique had been associated with the Congress for 48 years. This is the second high profile resignation from Congress party in Mumbai after the recent exit of Milind Deora.

Siddique was the MLA from Vandre West for three consecutive terms in 1999, 2004 and 2009, and had also served as a Minister of State for Food & Civil Supplies, Labour and FDA, and had also served as a Municipal Corporator earlier for two consecutive terms during the 1990s.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Siddique wrote, “I joined the Indian National Congress party as a young teenager and it has been a significant journey lasting 48 years. Today I resign from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress Party @INCIndia with immediate effect.”

Siddique added that he would have liked to express a lot more, but didn’t go into details.

This is the second high profile resignation from Congress party in Mumbai after Milind Deora left the party in January to join Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction).

On January 14, Milind Deora resigned from the party and said that he was ending the 55-year relationship of his family with the grand old party and also expressed gratefulness to those who worked with him in the party. He joined the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) later in the day.

Milind Deora, the son of once Congress stalwart late Murli Deora, emerged victorious in the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency during the 2004 and 2009 elections. However, in the subsequent polls of 2014 and 2019, he lost against Arvind Sawant, a leader associated with Shiv Sena (Undivided).

‘Don’t want to go to a city where you’ll be mugged’: Rise in theft cases on London streets makes Delhi feel safer for Indian businessmen

OpIndia Staff
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‘Don’t want to go to a city where you’ll be mugged’: Rise in theft cases on London streets makes Delhi feel safer for Indian businessmen

London has turned into a playground for thieves and it’s making Delhi look like paradise. Indian businessmen in the UK capital have claimed that it is safer for them to walk around in the Indian national capital than in London amid growing cases of theft of luxury watches in posh parts of the city.

They said “you are likely to be mugged” in London more than in the UK thereby discouraging them from visiting the city.

A renewable energy entrepreneur and member of FICCI executive committee, Devin Narang reportedly said the rising theft of Rolex watches on the streets of London was one of the biggest concerns of India’s business elite.

The issue was reportedly raised during UK’s Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy’s visit to New Delhi on 5th February to discuss post-Brexit trade deal talks.

Lammy said the issue had been raised several times during his short stay in India. He reportedly said that “security and fighting crime” would be key priorities for his Labour party.

“People are being mugged in the heart of London – in Mayfair,” Narang said adding that all CEOs in India have had an experience of physical mugging and the police not responding.

He further said, “Indians do carry expensive things, but the police not responding is a matter of concern. London is a walking city. You don’t want to look over your shoulder all the time. You don’t want to go to a city where you’re likely to be mugged in the streets. It doesn’t make you feel comfortable. You can walk anywhere in Delhi and you won’t be mugged.”

He said that he understood that attacks often took place in Mayfair, citing cases of people having expensive bags stolen or watches being cut off wrists in the streets.

As per reports, the Met police last month revealed that it had deployed officers undercover posing as victims to catch robbers attempting to steal Rolex and Patek Philippe watches in central London.

Two operations were conducted in late 2022 and 2023 across South Kensington, Chelsea, Soho and Mayfair deploying potential targets wearing expensive brands.

A video reportedly showed opportunistic criminals trying to mug them being apprehended by other covert officers nearby. Both operations led to more than 20 convictions.

As per data, 29,000 watches have been reported stolen in the past five years. One in five of the thefts involved violence.

Between April and September 2022, around 300 luxury watch robberies were reported stolen across Westminster, Kensington, Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham with a total value of abour 4 million pounds.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights between 11 pm and 4 am were identified as the most frequent times of theft.

Mufti Azhari granted bail by Junagadh court, but no relief yet as Kutch police are set to arrest him in another FIR for provocative speech

OpIndia Staff
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Mufti Azhari granted bail by Junagadh court, but no relief yet as Kutch police are set to arrest him in another FIR for provocative speech

On Wednesday (7th February), a Junagadh court granted bail to Mufti Salman Azhari who was arrested recently for hate speech. However, Azhari’s troubles are yet to end as Kutch Police (East) is set to formally arrest him in another hate speech case filed against him in Samakhiyali. Reports say that the accused is being brought to Kutch by the police to arrest him formally.

Notably, two other accused in the first FIR, namely, Muhammad Yusuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara were taken to Junagadh district jail until they completed their bail formalities, while Azhari was transferred to Rajkot’s central jail. After obtaining a transit remand from the Junagadh court, Mufti Azhari was arrested by a team of Kutch (East) Local Crime Branch (LCB) officers.

“Our team is bringing the accused to Kutch and he will be arrested formally,” Kutch (East) police SP Sagar Bagmar said.

On Wednesday, the Junagarh LCB did not seek an extension of Azhari’s custody, however, it opposed the bail plea of the accused since an investigation is still ongoing in the matter. It further stated that it was in the process of gathering information about Rs 52 lakh put in the bank account of Azhari’s Al-Amaan Education and Welfare Trust and that it may require his custody in the days to come. Azhari, Yousuf Malek, and Azim Odedara, who were all arrested in the same case on Monday, were granted bail by the court.

FIR against Salman Azhari in Kutch

As reported earlier, the second FIR against Azhari was registered in Samiyakhali in Kutch on 6th February after it came to light that Mufti Azhari had delivered a provocative speech in Samiyakhali before the viral Junagadh speech. Notably, the organiser, identified as Mamad Khan Mori in Samakhiyali, Kutch, who sought permission for the event named “Dharmik Takrir”, where Salman Azhari gave an inflammatory speech in Kutch, has also been booked in the matter. The police and ATS are investigating the matter jointly.

In the video from Kutch for which the second FIR has been filed, Salman Azhari was heard saying, “We believe that if they desecrate a mosque, a ‘Ghulam’ of Prophet Muhammed will come who will purify the mosque and Azaan will echo in the air. Today is the day of these dogs, tomorrow will be ours.” He then continued to praise the Muslim community of the country for becoming “aware” of the religion. Chants of “Nara-e-Takbir, Allah Hu Akbar” were also heard in the video.

According to Superintendent of Police Sagar Bagmar of Kutch (East), both accused have been booked under Sections 153B and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He said, “We have registered an offence after the video of his hate speed went viral on social media. At present, the Mufti is in the custody of Junagadh Police. We will apply for a transfer warrant to bring him here.”

“Final battle of Karbala…”: inflammatory speech and arrest of Salman Azhari

On 31st January, Mufti Salman Azhari made derogatory remarks against the Hindu community during his 56-minute-long speech in Junagadh city of Gujarat. In the contentious video that went viral on social media, the radical Islamic preacher was heard saying, “The final battle of Karbala is yet to come… a moment of silence, then there will be noise again. The dogs are having their time today. Our time will come tomorrow.”

 Before his ‘dog reference’, Salman Azhari spoke in the context of the Ram Mandir Pran Prathishtha at Ayodhya and the legal battle surrounding the disputed Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi.

“If you keep idols inside a mosque, then, it will not become an idol-worshipping place (referring to temples),” he had stated. Azhari defended the tendency of Islamic invaders to appropriate religious structures of non-Muslims and pagans.

“You have kept one idol ( at Ram Mandir) but there were 360 idols at Kaaba. Even then, the Kaaba belonged to the Muslims. This did not stop the Islamic pilgrimage of Hajj,” he continued. “…Dear Muslims, the revolution will begin from your homes. They (Hindus) do not dare to convert your mosques to idol-worshipping places (referring to temples). You have yourself abandoned the mosques,” Azhari further added.

US: Indian student found dead in Indiana; fifth such incident this year, second from same university

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US: Indian student found dead in Indiana; fifth such incident this year, second from same university

In the fifth such incident this year, 23-year-old Indian student Sameer Kamath was found dead in Warren County, Indiana in the United States.

Kamath was a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering at Purdue University. “Sameer Kamath, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, was found dead in Warren County, the mechanical engineering head Eckhard Groll announced to the ME community, Tuesday afternoon,” the newspaper of Purdue University, ‘The Exponent’ reported.

It reported citing a press release from Warren County Coroner, Justin Brummett, Kamath (23) was found at about 5 pm (local time) on Monday at NICHES land trust, a nature preserve, at Crow’s Grove.The forensic autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon (local time) in Crawfordsville, the release stated.

Kamath was from Massachusetts and received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He came to Purdue in the summer of 2021. He graduated from the department with a Master’s Degree in mechanical engineering, according to the summer commencement program.

He was slated to graduate from the doctoral program at Purdue University in 2025, the paper stated citing his LinkedIn profile. Further investigation is underway in the case. The Warren County Coroner said that more information will be shared when more information is available.

Notably, this is the fifth incident of Indian students found dead in the US, this year so far. Shreyas Reddy, who was a student at the Linder School of Business, was found dead in Cincinnati, Ohio last week. But, the cause of his death remains unknown.

This was the third death of an Indian student within a span of a week. Prior to him, Vivek Saini and Neel Acharya were also found dead in the same week.

Notably, Neel Acharya was also a student at the Purdue University. His body was found at the campus on January 30. Another Indian student Vivek Saini was brutally killed with repeated blows from a hammer by a homeless man inside a store in Lithonia, Georgia, US on January 29. Earlier on January 20, Akul Dhawan, an 18-year-old Indian-American student, was found dead near the University of Illinois. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Skyrocketing public debt’: Maldives at ‘high risk’ of external and overall debt distress, says IMF

OpIndia Staff
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‘Skyrocketing public debt’: Maldives at ‘high risk’ of external and overall debt distress, says IMF

 Amid rising fiscal deficits and public debt, Maldives remains at “high risk” of external and overall debt distress, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said in its report.

This comes after an IMF mission led by Piyaporn Sodsriwiboon visited Male from January 23-February 6 to discuss recent economic developments and the country’s policy priorities.

The report has highlighted that the Maldivian economy expanded by 13.9% in 2022 and is estimated to grow by 4.4% in 2023

“Following the pandemic-induced contraction, the Maldivian economy expanded by 13.9% in 2022 and is estimated to grow by 4.4% in 2023. As tourist arrivals are expected to rise further, growth is projected at 5.2% in 2024,” the report stated.

The global financial agency further pointed out that, amid elevated fuel prices and strong import demands, the current account deficit in 2024 is projected to remain ‘large’.

“Without significant policy changes, the overall fiscal deficits and public debt are projected to stay elevated, and the Maldives remains at high risk of external and overall debt distress. Amid elevated fuel prices coupled with continued strong import demands, the current account deficit in 2024 is projected to remain large, albeit gradually narrowing over the medium term.

The Maldives is highly vulnerable to climate change risks, with potentially severe economic costs due to floods and rising sea levels,” the report added.

According to the IMF, sustained fiscal consolidation, accompanied by tighter monetary and macro-prudential policies, is needed to reduce vulnerabilities and restore the sustainability of public finance and debt.

The Maldives is also “highly vulnerable” to climate change risks, with potentially severe economic costs due to floods and rising sea levels, as per the report.

The Global Financial Agency has suggested strengthening institutions to support climate adaptation and mitigation efforts that can help enable access to additional climate financing and deliver on the climate pledges.

Earlier on Monday, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu addressed the parliament in a session completely boycotted by the opposition.

Muizzu “underscored the necessity for the Maldives to fortify its military capabilities across terrestrial, aerial, and maritime domains as part of a comprehensive defence strategy.”

The President also said that the “Maldivian government has officially communicated that it will not renew the agreement enabling foreign nations to measure and map the Maldivian oceans and coastlines.”

Muizzu also stated that diplomatic negotiations were underway for the withdrawal of Indian troops. He detailed that, as agreed in the last negotiations, the military personnel on one of the three aviation platforms would be withdrawn before March 10, 2024, and the military personnel on the remaining two platforms would be withdrawn before May 10, 2024.

Notably, the removal of Indian troops in the Maldives was the main campaign of Muizzu’s party. Currently, there are around 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, stationed in the Maldives.

The second meeting of the high-level core group between the Maldives and India took place in New Delhi last week. The third meeting is expected to take place later this month. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘You distorted news to suit your narrative’: Mumbai Police debunks Saket Gokhale over misleading claims made against ED

OpIndia Staff
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‘You distorted news to suit your narrative’: Mumbai Police debunks Saket Gokhale over misleading claims made against ED

The Mumbai Police on Wednesday debunked TMC MP Saket Gokhale for making misleading claims over “factually inaccurate” news published in a news daily against the Enforcement Directorate.

“The News report quoted by you is factually incorrect and we have communicated to the editor of the newspaper concerned. You have distorted the news further with your insinuations to suit your narrative. Your apparently motivated act has legal consequences, please note,” the official X handle of Mumbai Police tweeted in response to Gokhale’s insinuations against the ED.

Gokhale had shared an image of the article insinuating that the ED was using gangs to allegedly extort money for BJP funds. The article was published in the Mumbai tabloid Mid-day which cited Crime Branch officials stating that files recovered from arrested men, who are suspected of extorting Rs 100 crores, may have been used in collusion with some individual from the Enforcement Directorate.

“They had OVER 200 confidential investigation files belonging to the ED with them & used those. How were these copies leaked by the ED to a criminal gang? Or is the ED targeting companies & then handing over their files to criminal gangs to outsource extortion of money for BJP funds?” Gokhale had tweeted.

However, the Mumbai Police debunked Gokhale’s tweet, stating that he had distorted the news with further insinuations to suit his narrative. It further added that they had communicated about the factual inaccuracy of the article to the editor of the newspaper concerned.

The case pertains to the recovery of Rs 13.63 crore in cash and valuables by Mumbai Police Crime Branch from Khar resident Hiren Bhagat, the sixth accused in the Rs 164 crore extortion bid against a city developer. The gang threatened the developer with arrest in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) case intending to extort money. The crime branch additionally found documents linked to various cases under investigation by the ED and the Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing at accused Hiren Bhagat’s residence. Reportedly, the accused were using ED’s name to extort money from their victims.

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