Author: Sarita Jena

In Kolkata, the state assembly is urging the Indian government to encourage airlines to start direct international flights to Europe and the US. Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya mentioned that working together with the Centre could help solve travel problems for people in the region and boost tourism.

The assembly passed this proposal unanimously. Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition, promised that BJP members would join any effort to talk to the aviation minister about this important issue. However, he criticized the ruling Trinamool Congress for not providing land needed to improve some state airports, including Hasimara and Kalaikunda, which belong to the Indian Air Force.

Bhattacharya explained that many travelers from Kolkata and eastern India have to stop in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Dubai, or Singapore to travel to Europe or the US since the last direct flight to Europe was stopped in 2022. She believes that new flights would greatly benefit students, businesspeople, and tourists.

Recently, there has been some good news. Malaysia Airlines started flying to Kolkata again after 18 years. The airline is now running five weekly flights to Kuala Lumpur, using a Boeing 737-800. The inaugural flight was packed, showing there is a strong demand for travel to Kolkata.

This renewed service is part of a collaboration with IndiGo, expanding travel choices for people between Malaysia and 16 destinations in India. Kolkata Airport announced this exciting development on social media, celebrating the new connection.

The Supreme Court recently finished defamation proceedings against Indian Union Minister L Murugan over comments he made back in 2020. Murugan claimed that the Murasoli Trust, linked to the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party in Tamil Nadu, was using land without permission.

Justices Bhushan R Gavai and KV Viswanathan decided to close the case after Murugan stated he did not intend to hurt the trust or its members. He explained that his remarks were made while serving as a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is in the Opposition in Tamil Nadu.

The Murasoli Trust, which operates a newspaper and a news channel and includes Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin as one of its managers, accepted Murugan’s explanation. The court praised the trust’s willingness to move on and ended the criminal case against Murugan.

Murugan sought help from the Supreme Court after the Madras High Court rejected his request to dismiss the case in September 2023. This politician and former BJP state president had made the contested comments during a press conference in 2020.

Murugan’s lawyer, K Parmeshwar, said that when Murugan was vice-chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, he received complaints that the Murasoli Trust’s building was on land meant for Scheduled Castes (SC) in Tamil Nadu. Parmeshwar insisted that Murugan’s comments were not meant to damage the trust’s reputation and were made while he held a political position.

The Supreme Court had advised the trust to consider Murugan’s clarification. Senior advocates for the trust said they were okay with accepting his explanation and didn’t want to press on with the case anymore. They suggested that Murugan publish his clarification in newspapers as a sign of goodwill.

The defamation case began in 2021 when DMK leader RS Bharathi accused Murugan of suggesting that the trust was operating illegally. Bharathi noted that the trust had been at the same location for over 35 years and had never had issues regarding its property rights.

Earlier, the Madras High Court did not rule in Murugan’s favor, arguing that the statements made should be evaluated considering a regular person’s understanding of them. The court mentioned that even if Murugan felt he had not spoken against the trust, his remarks could still cause people to question the trust’s property rights.

Murugan defended himself by saying he was protected under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which supports freedom of speech. The High Court indicated that a thorough examination of the facts was necessary during the trial while urging the special court to speed up the process.

In Malta, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken are getting ready to talk about the war in Ukraine. This meeting is part of a yearly event with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where representatives from 57 countries gather to discuss important issues.

This year, the war in Ukraine is the main topic. While the meeting will also confirm agreements on important jobs in OSCE, it’s a significant moment because of the upcoming leadership of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Some of his advisers suggest ideas that would give parts of Ukraine to Russia, which makes the situation even more complicated.

Western countries want to show their support for Ukraine, while Russia is expected to criticize OSCE for favoring NATO and the European Union. Lavrov mentioned last year that he thinks OSCE is losing its purpose by aligning too closely with Western powers.

It’s Lavrov’s first visit to the European Union since Russia started its large-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022. In the past, Russia has blocked many important decisions in OSCE. However, this year, the block on the OSCE budget is due to a disagreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Recently, an agreement was made to fill four top positions in OSCE, including the secretary-general, which will go to Feridun Sinirlioglu from Turkey. Finland will also take over the chairmanship for the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, a major agreement from the Cold War that started the OSCE.

On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, shared that the Uttar Pradesh police stopped his convoy at the Ghazipur border. He wanted to visit Sambhal, a place affected by recent violence, but the police wouldn’t let him go. Rahul claimed that he was being denied his right to meet the people impacted by the violence.

Rahul mentioned he was even willing to travel to Sambhal alone with just the police. However, the authorities told him to come back in a few days. “I have the right as the Leader of the Opposition to go there, but they are stopping me,” he said at the Ghazipur border. “This is not just unfair; it goes against the Constitution. We just want to see how people are doing and understand what happened.”

Priyanka Gandhi, a Congress MP, also spoke out, saying that Rahul has the right to meet the victims of the violence. She explained that what happened in Sambhal was wrong, and the police shouldn’t prevent him from visiting.

On the other hand, Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister, Brajesh Pathak, accused the Congress leaders of trying to make political gains from the situation. He urged politicians to avoid worsening the law and order in the state. “Your visit is disturbing the peace,” he said. He also mentioned that some cartridges were found, hinting at larger issues related to the violence.

The Sambhal violence resulted in four deaths and many injuries after protesters clashed with officials surveying a mosque site. The survey was ordered because of a local court decision regarding a claim that a temple was demolished to build the mosque.