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It is better to be safe than sorry, the Delhi high court remarked on Monday, as it heard a petition by Turkey-based company Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd against the revocation of its security clearance in the wake of the country’s support to Pakistan amid tensions with India.

On May 15, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked Celebi’s security clearance, citing “national security”, days after Turkey backed Pakistan and condemned India’s strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The security clearance to the company was given in November 2022. 

“The rule is better safe than sorry,” a single bench of justice Sachin Datta told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi who appeared for the aviation firm. 

Celebi operated in the Indian aviation sector for more years, offering its services at nine airports and employing over 10,000 people. It handles around 58,000 flights and 5,40,00 tonnes of cargo annually in India, PTI quoted its website as saying.

The court’s remarks came as Mr Rohtagi said public perception cannot be used to take away employment. “We are not a rogue company,” he said

No reason mentioned, no opportunity of hearing given. It appears that it is because of public perception because the shareholding of this company is of Turkish nationals,” he added. 

The lawyer said his client has been operating in India for 17 years. “My lords, there is a procedure that must be followed. One cannot trample my business with a two-line letter without notice,” he said. 

The bench, however, observed that a prior notice may prove counter-productive amid apprehensions over the nation’s security. If such a notice is served, then it may hasten one to do what is apprehended, it said.

Appearing for the Centre, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the petitioner deals with operations at airports. “Every such person knows the nook and cranny of aircraft and airports. Passenger’s luggage is not cargo. All flights are passenger-cum-cargo,” he said.

“We are dealing with the most delicate subject of civil aviation and national security and sovereignty of the nation,” he added. 

Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has said her party will skip the all-party international delegation on Operation Sindoor, since the Centre had not consulted her party before naming three of its leaders as the country’s representatives. Ms Banerjee, however, said this is not a boycott and she would reconsider the matter if the government reaches out.

“We will definitely send a representative if they inform us. Why wouldn’t we? There is no point of controversy here. We are fully with the government,” Ms Banerjee told reporters today as she headed for the hill town of Darjeeling to escape the heat. 

“We have made it clear that we are endorsing all steps taken by the Union government to combat terrorism, safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, and protecting the national interest… If any delegation is going, which I think should go, my party can only decide who to assign for the delegation. The Union government cannot unilaterally decide,” said Abhishek Banerjee, the number two in the party after Ms Banerjee.

Mr Banerjee, however, attended the foreign ministry’s briefing in Delhi for leaders who are part of the seven delegations the government is sending out. So did Trinamool’s Sagarika Ghose, who is also part of another delegation. 

The matter apparently boiled over after cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan was named by the Centre, leaving aside his more senior party colleagues. He was supposed to be part of a delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha that is set to go to Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and Singapore.

Mr Pathan opted out, leading to a BJP attack on Trinamool, accusing it of “partisan politics”.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the BJP’s BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya said, “It sends a subliminal message that Mamata Banerjee and her party are unwilling to speak out against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism”.

T-72 tanks had rolled up to the Line of Control and took part in the May 7 Operation Sindoor that had destroyed terror bases in 9 locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, an officer of the Indian army has told NDTV in an exclusive interview. The tanks – and the BMP-2 armoured personnel carriers – still deployed along the LoC — indicate the high prepared status of the army despite the ongoing ceasefire with Pakistan.

Speaking to NDTV, a Colonel, whose name is not being revealed due to security concerns, said they were put in position ahead of Operation Sindoor to take on specific targets marked out by the army. 

In the operation, their key role was to destroy the routes through which terrorists could infiltrate into India – as a pre-emptive measure.

“We also hit enemy posts which were facilitating infiltration. We know which posts are used as bases for infiltration by the enemy. An informed call was taken — and the targets were hit,” he told NDTV.
Given their deadly accuracy, the tanks, he said, were used sparingly to prevent escalation.

Tuhin Sinha, the party’s spokesperson, told NDTV that Mr Gandhi is repeatedly misrepresenting the minister’s remarks. “Rahul Gandhi seems to be operating at the behest of certain powers.”

Doubling down on his attack on External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today reiterated his earlier claim that the Centre informed Pakistan “at the start” of Operation Sindoor and said this wasn’t a “lapse”, but a “crime”. This drew a sharp response from the government, which called it “an utter misrepresentation of facts”. The BJP has said the Leader of Opposition’s misrepresentation of the minister’s remarks “reeks of malafide intent” and questioned the timing of this charge.

On Saturday, Mr Gandhi shared a video of Dr Jaishankar interacting with the media. “At the start of the operation, we have sent a message to Pakistan, saying we are striking at infrastructure and we are not striking at the military, so the military has an option of standing out and not interfering in this process. They chose not to take good advice.” Sharing the video, Mr Gandhi said in a post, “Informing Pakistan at the start of our attack was a crime. EAM has publicly admitted that GOI did it. Who authorised it? How many aircraft did our airforce lose as a result?” he asked.

Reposting the video today, Mr Gandhi said the External Affairs Minister’s “silence isn’t just telling – it’s damning”. “So I’ll ask again: How many Indian aircraft did we lose because Pakistan knew? This wasn’t a lapse. It was a crime. And the nation deserves the truth,” he said.

Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera repeated Mr Gandhi’s allegations during a press briefing and questioned the “relationship” the External Affairs Minister and Pakistan, due to which he informed them “beforehand”. “This is not diplomacy, this is espionage. Everyone heard what the External Affairs Minister said. A cover-up is being done.” Mr Khera also asked if this information helped terrorists Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed escape India’s airstrikes on terror bases. “This statement suggests that the terrorists must have fled their bases. Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and External Affairs Minister must answer why this was done,” he said.

The External Affairs Ministry has said the minister’s remarks were being falsely represented. “EAM had stated that we had warned Pakistan at the start, which is clearly the early phase after Op Sindoor’s commencement. This is being falsely represented as being before the commencement. This utter misrepresentation of facts is being called out,” the ministry has said.

The government has also pointed to a statement by Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations, during the briefing on Operation Sindoor. “…even though we did attempt to reach out and communicate our compulsions to strike at the heart of terror to my counterpart in the immediate wake of Operation Sindoor, the request was brusquely turned down with an intimation that a severe response was inevitable and in the offing. We were, of course, prepared,” Lt General Ghai said.

On a question regarding India’s losses during the conflict, Director General Air Operations Air Marshal AK Bharti had said, “We are in a combat scenario. Losses are a part of combat. The question to be asked is, have we achieved our objectives of decimating the terrorist camps? The answer is a thumping yes. All I can say is that we have achieved our objectives that we selected and all our pilots are back home.” 

The fact-check wing of the Press Information Bureau has said that the minister was being misquoted. Calling out a social media post, PIB FaceCheck said, “The social media post falsely implies from External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar’s statement that India informed Pakistan before the start of #OperationSindoor. EAM is being misquoted and he has not made this statement. Remain vigilant and avoid falling for deceptive information.”

The BJP launched a scathing counter-attack on Mr Gandhi in response to his remarks. Tuhin Sinha, the party’s spokesperson, told NDTV that Mr Gandhi is repeatedly misrepresenting the minister’s remarks. “Rahul Gandhi seems to be operating at the behest of certain powers. Why is he pinning down the External Affairs Minister at a time when he is abroad? Why is he doing this at a time when our diplomatic missions are going abroad? This reeks of notoriety.”

Mr Sinha said the DGMO’s remarks at the briefing leave no doubt in anyone’s mind. “Only somebody with a juvenile, vile intent can repeatedly question the External Affairs Minister when the doubts have been allayed time and again. That makes me question his and the Congress party’s intent,” he said. “The facade of standing with the government that Rahul Gandhi put up for three weeks (after the Pahalgam attack) has gone for a toss. He is back to his vile ways.”

agdeep Dhankhar said this morning he was reminded of “something very critical in the country, and that is not for oneself … we must believe in protocol”.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday echoed Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and said adherence to protocol was fundamental, as he lamented the absence of the vice-president’s portrait next to those of the president and the prime minister.

He said he was also a “sufferer” of protocol in a way. “You must have seen the photograph of the president and the prime minister, but not of the vice-president. Once I demit office, I’ll ensure that my successor has a photograph.” Mr Dhankhar’s remarks on protocol came after Chief Justice of India (CJI) Gavai on Sunday expressed his displeasure that Maharashtra’s chief secretary, its director general of police or the Mumbai Police commissioner were not present to receive him during his first visit to the state after being elevated to the top judicial post.

CJI Gavai, who took oath on May 14, was in Mumbai for a felicitation programme by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.

Hours after the CJI’s remarks, all three top officials were present when CJI Gavai visited Chaityabhoomi, the cremation place of BR Ambedkar, in Dadar to pay respect to the iconic social reformer and the chief architect of India’s Constitution.

Addressing an event in Delhi on Monday, Mr Dhankhar said this morning he was reminded of “something very critical in the country, and that is not for oneself … we must believe in protocol”.

“The Chief Justice of the country and the protocol are placed very high. When he indicated this, it was not personal, it was for the position he holds. And I am sure this will be kept in mind by one and all,” Mr Dhankhar said at a book launch event.

The vice-president asserted, “But I am really beholden to the present CJI for inviting attention to the people in the bureaucracy. Adherence to protocol is fundamental.” 

On May 15, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security revoked Celebi’s security clearance, citing “national security”, days after Turkey backed Pakistan and condemned India’s strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country.

It is better to be safe than sorry, the Delhi high court remarked on Monday, as it heard a petition by Turkey-based company Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd against the revocation of its security clearance in the wake of the country’s support to Pakistan amid tensions with India.

On May 15, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) revoked Celebi’s security clearance, citing “national security”, days after Turkey backed Pakistan and condemned India’s strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. The security clearance to the company was given in November 2022. 

“The rule is better safe than sorry,” a single bench of justice Sachin Datta told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi who appeared for the aviation firm. 

Celebi operated in the Indian aviation sector for more years, offering its services at nine airports and employing over 10,000 people. It handles around 58,000 flights and 5,40,00 tonnes of cargo annually in India, PTI quoted its website as saying.

The court’s remarks came as Mr Rohtagi said public perception cannot be used to take away employment. “We are not a rogue company,” he said. 

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