The US State Department has released an annual human rights assessment report that has found “significant abuses” in India’s northeast state, Manipur, last year and attacks on minorities, journalists, and dissenting voices in the rest of the country. 

More than 60,000 people ended up getting displaced between May and November in Manipur last year, and the report revealed that the rest of the country had multiple instances in which the government and its allies tried to pressure or harass media outlets that were critical of the government.

In Manipur, the Meitei majority and the Kuki-Zo tribes have been engaged in violent clashes since a previous court ruling a year ago that gave the recommendation the Kuki minority privileges to also be granted to Meitei.

The report also gave an example of the Income Tax Department’s searches at BBC offices in 2023 after the company released a documentary critical of PM Narendra Modi. The Government of India said that the search was not vindictive.

Religious minorities in the country have also reported persecution, including calls for violence and dissemination of false information, according to the US assessment. For the first time, Reports without Borders placed India at number 161 out of 180 nations in its 2023 report on press freedom.

Various Human Rights organizations have also alleged that under PM Modi, the situation has actually gotten worse like there has been an increase in hatred speeches; Kashmir, which has the majority of Muslims, lost its special status, a citizenship law that United Nations labeled as “fundamentally discriminatory” and Muslim properties have been demolished in an effort to remove the illegal building. 

While the US report covered topics that have recently come up, political observers claim Washington is being cautious in its public criticism of India as it believes the country will serve as a check on China’s aggression.

The Supreme Court on 22nd April 2024 permitted a 14-year-old alleged rape survivor to undergo medical termination of her almost 30-week-old pregnancy. With this, the top court has aside the Bombay High Court’s order declining the plea for medical termination of pregnancy of a minor rape survivor. 

A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has directed the dean of the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital (LTMGH) at Mumbai’s Sion to set up a team of doctors immediately to terminate the pregnancy of the minor. While reading the order, CJI read the report submitted by the dean of LTMGH, who said that a team of six doctors examined the minor, “While a certain degree of risk is involved, the medical board has opined that the threat in carrying out the termination is not higher than than the risk in full delivery…,” CJI stated as quoted by LiveLaw.

The CJI further added, “The medical board at Sion has opined that continuation of pregnancy against will of minor may impact negatively on the physical and mental well-being of the minor.”

While passing the order, CJI also added, “Post-termination, if any medical care is needed, this may be ensured in the interest of the minor,”

Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, the upper limit for termination of pregnancy is 24 weeks for married women as well as those in special categories, including a rape survivor and other vulnerable women, such as differently abled and minors.

Earlier on 19th April, the top court had ordered her medical examination on the plea moved by the victim’s mother challenging the Bombay High Court decision declining to allow the termination of the pregnancy owing to the advanced stage. Additionally, it had sought a report from Mumbai’s Sion hospital about the girl’s possible physical and psychological condition if she decides to undergo medical termination of pregnancy or if she is advised against it.

A senior State Department official stated that the United States of America (USA) had urged Pakistan to “prioritize and expand economic reforms” so it could address the “economic challenges” confronting the cash-strapped country during meetings with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. 

US State Department’s Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel stated this was communicated to Aurangzeb during his meeting with Assistant Secretary Donald Lu and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Horst.

Patel said in a press briefing, “During the meetings from our end, we encouraged Pakistan to prioritize and expand economic reforms to address its own economic challenges.”

Aurangzeb is the currency in the USA’s capital to hold talks with the IMF for a new bailout package and attend World Bank meetings. US Diplomat Lu has been at the center of the cipher controversy in which former PM Imran Khan was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment along with ex-foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Just two weeks before the ouster of the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insa government in April 2022 through a vote of no confidence, Khan had brandished a piece of paper- allegedly a full copy of a diplomatic cipher – at a public rally in Islamabad, claiming it as a proof of a conspiracy against his government due to a foreign power.

Patel has stated that Pakistan’s minister of finance is in the US for a series of meetings not only within the US government interagency but is also engaging with non-governmental organizations. 

The State Department official has also said that Pakistan is still a crucial partner for the USA. He added, “Particularly, it’s a country we have an immense security cooperation with, and we, of course, are looking to continue to collaborate and work with the Government of Pakistan,” 

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Sanjay Singh has stated on a microblogging website that ‘Preparations are being made by the Enforcement Directorate to arrest MLA Amanatullah Khan.’

Without giving any more details, Sanjay Singh stated the agency was fabricating a baseless case against MLA Amanatulah Khan. The AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan on Thursday showed up before the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in Delhi Waqf Board, according to officials. 

The deposition of the 50-year-old legislator from the Okhla assembly seat comes after the Supreme Court last week refused to entertain his anticipatory bail application in the case related to alleged irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board during his chairmanship. The Apex Court asked him to join the investigation on the 18th of April.

Speaking to reporters before coming to the ED Office, Khan claimed he followed the rules when he was the chairman of the Waqf Board and did everything after taking a legal opinion as per the new Act that came in 2013, he stated. The money laundering case against Khan comes from the CBI and three Delhi Police complaints.

The ED, who did on the premises of the legislator, has claimed Khan acquired huge proceeds of crime in cash through illegal recruitment of staff in Delhi Waqf Board and invested those to purchase immovable assets in the name of his associates. The ED had alleged in a statement that illegal recruitment of the staff took place in the Waqf Board, and illegal personal gains were mde by leasing Waqf Board properties during Khan’s chairmanship during 2018 and 2022. 

Khan, the ED stated “”acquired huge proceeds of crime out of the said criminal activities in cash and this cash amount was invested in purchase of various immovable properties in Delhi in the name of his associates.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has urged Iran and Israel to “calm down” amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Tehran launched more than 300 missiles at the other country over the weekend in response to a suspected Israel strike that ended up killing seven Islamic Revolutionary Guards. Indian authorities are closely monitoring the situation and remain in touch with citizens currently in the region.

Jaishankar told reporters, “We have been telling them not to allow this (the situation) to escalate and that this is a crucial region for the global economy…our effort has been to tell both of them to calm down. So yesterday, I made a phone call to both, not only Iran (Foreign Minister) Hossein Amir-Abdollahian but also I called up my Israeli counterpart (Israel Katz),” and he further added, “A large part of India’s shipping passes through this region and also, oil comes from there. This is an enormously sensitive region. So we are very concerned when there is this kind of escalation and hostilities,”

In a separate post, he also stated “Just concluded a conversation with Israel FM Israel Katz. Shared our concern at the developments yesterday. Discussed the larger regional situation. Agreed to stay in touch.”

Iran ended up launching more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel in an unprecedented attack in a major escalation of the long-running covert war between the regional enemies. The Israeli military stated that 99% of the launches were intercepted. At the same time, 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles were taken down before they even reached Israel. However, a few of the missiles did get through and injured 12 people. Iran had repeatedly threatened to retaliate against Israel for a deadly April 1 air strike on its consulate building in in Damascus.