New Delhi: Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma On Monday he said he was ready to be arrested. Emim chief Asaduddin Owaisi A police complaint has been lodged over a now-deleted video of a controversial video of the Assam Bharatiya Janata Party.The BJP leader also said he knew nothing about the video, adding that he would continue to fight against Bangladeshi infiltrators.“I am ready to go to jail, what can I do? I don’t know anything about any video. If he files a case against me, arrests me; what objection do I have? I have no objection. But I stand by my words, I am against Bangladeshi infiltrators and I will continue to oppose them,” Assam chief minister told news agency ANI.His remarks came after All India Muslim Congress president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi lodged a formal complaint with the Hyderabad city police seeking criminal action against Sarma over a “now-deleted video” that allegedly depicted violence against Muslims and described it as “genocidal hate speech”.Owaisi said in a post on “I have lodged a formal complaint with @CPHydCity requesting criminal action against Himanta Sarma following a violent video (now deleted) showing him shooting Muslims. Unfortunately, genocidal hate speech has become the norm.”He also attached a copy of the complaint, stating that the images and phrases used in the video, including “no mercy” and “no mercy,” were intended to outrage religious sentiments, promote communal hatred and incite violence.According to the complaint, the video was uploaded from the official X account of the Assam BJP on February 7 and was deleted a day later, but the video is still circulating on social media. Owaisi argued that law enforcement agencies have an obligation to take action in hate speech cases even in the absence of a formal complaint.Owaisi also raised the issue at a public rally in Zaheerabad on Sunday while campaigning for the Telangana municipal elections slated for February 11. Shifting the focus from local civic issues to what he called a crisis of national dignity, Owaisi accused the BJP of spreading communal hatred and urged voters to strengthen AIMIM as an antidote to regionalism.Addressing supporters, Owaisi highlighted the relief work of AIMIM in incidents like Jainoor violence and Medak town clashes and accused both the Congress and BRS governments of inaction. He said municipal elections are crucial for day-to-day governance and appealed to voters to support AIMIM candidates for inclusive development and effective grassroots leadership.
Subsequently, AAP leaders, including Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Cabinet Ministers Mohinder Bhagat, Ravjot Singh, MLA Amansher Singh and other leaders and party members were detained by the Chandigarh police.A heavy police presence was deployed outside the Punjab MLA’s hotel in Sector 4 to prevent protesting AAP leaders and workers from reaching Bajwa’s residence. AAP had called for a protest outside his house in Sector 8.The AAP also arranged for a traditional wedding band to play their instruments during the protest against Public Works Minister Harbhajan Singh’s remarks at a rally.While accusing Singh of indulging in corruption, Bajwa said the Congress party would “blame him” after forming the government.“Jehra pehle band vajaanda reha, ehda band asin vajaavange (we will take him (Harbhajan Singh) to challenge the former bandh player),” Bajwa said.The Public Works Minister said on Monday it was unfortunate for a senior party leader to make such remarks. He said he was proud to be a “son of Bandwal”. AAP accused the Congress party of having an “anti-Dalit” mentality and asked Bajwa to apologize within 24 hours, failing which strict legal action would be taken.Finance Minister Cheema said Singh was a man who rose out of poverty, worked hard to clear the civil services examination and became an excise officer.However, Congress leaders on Sunday dismissed the allegation and accused the AAP of trying to “distort facts” and “misusing Dalit sensitivities” for political gain by raising false charges against Bajwa.Congress leader Aruna Chaudhary has said that AAP is trying to create controversy out of an irrelevant issue. 
She also marked 100 ‘Vayu Rakshak’ vehicles for stricter monitoring and enforcement of pollution control norms. Addressing an event at the Delhi Secretariat, Gupta said the government is working towards comprehensive city-wide monitoring and long-term policy actions to address the pollution problem at its source. “Our aim is to ensure that Delhi has at least one air quality monitoring station for every 25 sq km area so that we get complete and accurate data on pollution levels and its sources,” she said. The six new monitoring stations set up by the Council for Air Quality Management (CAQM) are located at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology West Campus (Dwarka), CWD Akshardham, Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in Delhi Cantt and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Swimming Pool Complex at Tartola Gardens. Gupta said that Delhi currently has 46 air quality monitoring stations, and 14 more monitoring stations will be added in the next phase to ensure full coverage of residential areas, industrial areas, transportation corridors and green belts. “Pollution is not a seasonal issue and requires 365-day attention, continuous monitoring, and continuous action,” she said, adding that air safety personnel will be deployed for year-round supervision and enforcement. The chief minister claimed that the government is working to strengthen pollution control in various sectors, including transport, roads, waste management and greening. “Clean air is a right and we are committed to achieving it with care and long-term planning,” she said. Highlighting the work carried out, she said the city has the highest number of electric buses in the country, with 4,200 vehicles currently in operation. “By 2028, this number will increase to 14,000 vehicles, which will significantly reduce vehicle emissions,” she said. Gupta stressed that pollution checking infrastructure is being upgraded, autonomous vehicle testing stations are being built and a new electric vehicle policy for private cars is being formulated. She termed the declaration of a large part of the Delhi Ridge as forest land a historic step. She said protecting green spaces is crucial to improving Delhi’s environmental health and ensuring long-term sustainability. Gupta criticized previous approaches, saying earlier governments viewed pollution as a short-term problem. Referring to measures such as smoke towers and odd-even schemes, she said these were “superficial solutions” that failed to fundamentally address the pollution problem. Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also addressed the event, outlining further steps taken by the government to strengthen pollution control and enforcement. “To ensure strict monitoring, 100 ‘Vayu Rakshak’ vehicles will be deployed across Delhi to check industrial, vehicular, hotel and institutional pollution,” Sirsa said, adding that 100 resident surveyors will also be appointed to conduct physical inspections throughout the year. He said the government has strengthened coordination among Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), CAQM and the Center to enable systematic monitoring and data-based policy planning. Sirsa claimed that Delhi has also made progress in waste management, with around 85 per cent (approximately 12,500 metric tonnes) of the waste generated daily in the city currently being processed for energy production. Talking about the garbage left behind, he said the current government inherited three garbage dumps covering an area of 202 acres and about 60 meters high. “In just one year, about 45 acres of garbage have been cleared and the height of the remaining dumps is being reduced,” he said. He also claimed that successive governments have failed to address the core causes of pollution, instead resorting to blame.“Everyone knows the causes are road dust, vehicle emissions and mountains of garbage, but no serious work is being done,” said Sirsa. 
The region, located on one of the world’s busiest trade routes between the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal, has attracted growing strategic interest from the Gulf monarchies.The agreement comes six weeks after Israel recognized Somaliland. Somaliland is a self-proclaimed republic that broke away from Somalia in 1991, but Mogadishu still claims it as part of its sovereign territory.Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalem Fichi and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman signed a “military cooperation agreement” on Monday, the Somali Defense Ministry said in a post on X.“This agreement further strengthens defense and military cooperation between the two countries while covering various areas of mutual interest,” the statement added.
