India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, terming the comments as “unworthy” to even respond to such “malicious and false propaganda”.

In her reply to Zardari’s comments on the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj slammed the Pakistan foreign minister’s statement as “frivolous, baseless and politically motivated”, saying that the Indian delegation considers it “unworthy to even respond to such malicious and false propaganda.”

Kamboj was speaking at the UN Security Council open debate on ‘Women, Peace and Security.’

The diplomat said that she would rather focus on the topic at hand as it was critically important to strengthen our collective efforts to accelerate the full implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda…” we respect the topic of the debate and recognise the importance of time. As such, our focus shall remain on the topic.”

Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari referred to Jammu and Kashmir in his remarks to the Council debate held under Mozambique’s Presidency for this month, on the eve of International Women’s Day.

India-Pakistan ties have been at an all-time low since 2019 when the Centre abolished Article 370 which formerly bestowed special status upon the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Islamabad is seeking its restoration and considers the Kashmir issue, a burning point between the two nations.

Making matters worse, in December last year, Bilawal Bhutto sparked a row when he called PM Modi the “butcher of Gujarat”.

Earlier, before the revoking of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the Indian Air Force on February 26, 2019 launched targeted airstrikes inside Pakistan targeting terrorist training camps of terror outfit of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Balakot region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

India’s response came after 41 CRPF men were killed in a suicide bombing in Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14, 2019.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Wednesday, alleged that senior party leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister has been denied the ‘Vipassana’ cell in Tihar jail and is being kept with “criminals”.

In a statement, AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that a request for Manish Sisodia to be lodged in the Vipassana cell of Tihar jail was approved by the court, however, despite the court’s approval, the former deputy CM of Delhi is being kept with “criminals” in jail number 1.

Bharadwaj demanded an answer from the Centre regarding the refusal to grant the Vipassana cell to Sisodia.

According to officials, Manish Sisodia, who was arrested in connection with the purported Delhi excise policy scam, is currently lodged in Tihar Jail Number-1—a special cell meant for a single inmate who is a senior citizen.

Sisodia was allowed to carry a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, spectacles and medicines to jail by the court. The court had also issued directions to the Tihar Jail authorities to consider the AAP leader’s request to allow him to do Vipassana meditation.

On Monday, a Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court sent Sisodia to 14-day judicial custody.

Manish Sisodia was arrested by the CBI after he was questioned by the probe agency in the now-reverted liquor policy last Sunday.

The CBI court on Saturday heard the bail application filled by Manish Sisodia where the former AAP Minister alleged that the probe agency was asking him the same questions over and over causing him mental harassment. The Rouse Avenue court had extended Sisodia’s custody till Monday, March 6.

Sisodia had also approached the Supreme Court for respite in the case, however, the Apex Court dismissed his plea noted that the AAP leader already had ample legal remedies available before approaching the Supreme Court.

As per reports, the Central Bureau of Investigation had also alleged AAP leader of not cooperating with the investigation and giving evasive replies during the investigation. Sisodia’s legal aid had also cited that the custody of AAP leader will serve no purpose as recoveries have already been made in the case.

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had called on the CBI to probe into the now-scrapped liquor policy last year after which Manish Sisodia was alleged to be the key accused for corruption in liquor policy scam by the probe agency in the case.

After being arrested by the CBI in the now-reverted liquor policy, Sisodia resigned from his ministerial post from Delhi cabinet.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chadrashekar Rao’s (KCR) daughter K Kavitha, Wednesday, dubbed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons against her in the purported Delhi liquor policy scam as “tactics of intimidation” against her father KCR and his Bharatiya Rashtriya Samiti (BRS) party.

Taking to twitter, the BRS MLC said she wants the ruling BJP at the Centre to know that such “tactics of intimidation” against KCR and the BRS party will not deter their efforts to “continue to fight to expose your failures and raise voice for a brighter and better future for India.”

Kavitha has been summoned for questioning by the financial probe agency on March 9 in connection with an alleged money laundering cased linked to the Delhi liquor policy case.

Kavitha stressed that their only demand is that the long-pending Women’s Reservation Bill is tabled in the Parliament to provide women their due share in the nation’s politics, adding that Bharath Jagruthi, along with opposition parties and women’s organisations from all across the country, will come together on March 10 at Jantar Mantar, for a one-day peaceful hunger strike, demanding the BJP government to introduce and pass the Women’s Reservation Bill.

The BRS leader said she will fully cooperate with the investigation agencies but will due to prefixed appointments and the March 10 Dharna, will seek legal opinion on the date of attending the summon.

Kavitha reiterated that Telangana never has and nor “bow down” before “power mongers” of the “oppressive anti-people regime” in New Delhi and “will fearlessly and fiercely fight for the rights of the people.”

Reports quoting sources said the K Kavitha has been summoned by the ED for questioning on March 9 in connection with the probe agency’s ongoing investigation in the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam. They said that Kavitha will likely be confronted by Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandra Pillai, who was arrested on Monday night in the case.

According to the ED, Pillai is one of the key-accused in the purported scam involving payments of huge kickbacks and formation of the biggest cartel of the South Group which, according to the probe body, comprises Telangana MLC Kavitha, Sarath Reddy (promoter of Aurobindo Group), Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy (MP, Ongole), his son Raghav Magunta, and others. The South Group was being represented by Pillai, Abhishek Boinpalli and Butchi Babu.

The ED which probes financial crimes, has claimed that its investigations have revealed that Pillai along with his associates was coordinating with various persons to execute a political understanding between the South Group and a leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Pillai has been accessory and was involved in the kickbacks from the South Group and the recoupment of the same from the businesses in Delhi.