Good morning,
We are covering the arrest of a Delhi journalist under the Official Secrets Act, the United Nations report on Indian migrants crisis and the Army admitting its troops erred in the encounter of three J&K youths.
Big Story
The Akali Dal, one of the BJP's oldest allies, are set to meet to take a decision on its alliance. This after Akali MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who resigned from the Cabinet, said the Prime Minister's assurance on three farm Bills and Minimum Support Price (MSP) regime was too little and too late.
And it is not without reason that farmers in Punjab and Haryana have taken to the streets fearing that the proposed farm laws will ring in the end of the MSP regime. Data shows the number of wheat farmers who availed the MSP has doubled in the last five years, while the number of such paddy farmers has increased by 70 per cent during the same period.
From The Front Page
The Army said its probe into the encounter of three youths at Shopian in July has “prima facie” found that its troops exceeded powers under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. Last month, their families came forward to say the youths were cousins — one of them was reportedly 16 years old — who had gone to Kashmir for work.
Paytm was taken off Google's Play Store for several hours for violating its gambiling policies after it announced a fantasy cricket league on the lines of fantasy sports platform Dream11, which is also Indian Premier League’s title sponsor. It was restored only after removing the cash rewards component for playing the league.
The Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested a city-based strategic affairs analyst and author under the Official Secrets Act alleging that he had been found in possession of defence-related classified papers.
The Pandemic
There is a possibility that the ongoing Parliament session will be curtailed, with more than 30 MPs, including Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Prahlad Patel, testing positive over the last week. The positive test of a BJP MP who was the party's lead speaker for the Covid debate in Rajya Sabha has further rattled parliamentarians.
In a report that has upset India, the United Nations has said that the internal migration of more than 100 million people during the lockdown deprived them economically, exposed them to indebtedness and police brutality, and stigmatised them.
After the issue of poor availability and black marketing of oxygen in some states was raised in Parliament, the Ministry of Home Affairs has asked states not to block movement or supply of oxygen as it is essential to fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
Beyond Covid-19
Since India and China have agreed to dial down tensions along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, during the Moscow event recently, the two parties on Friday met in New Delhi to chalk out the dates for the next Corps Commander-level meeting.
A huge commotion over Minister of State, Finance, Anurag Thakur’s remarks against the Gandhi family and the charitable trusts run by them prompted Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House four times and later seek an apology from the minister.
ICYMI
- “The Supreme Court staying something is like a nuclear missile. But we had to step in because nobody was taking any action,” Justice D Y Chandrachud has said on the row over the Sudarshan News show.
- Nearly two weeks after AAP leader Sanjay Singh was booked for promoting enmity, UP Police has invoked sedition charge against the Rajya Sabha member.
- A study has found that the retreat of glaciers in the Himalayan Hindu Kush region is now affecting the surface water and groundwater availability in the region.
- The CPI(M) on Friday referred to the Opposition’s protest against Kerala minister K T Jaleel over the gold smuggling case as an “anti-Quran” agitation.
- Actor Kangana Ranaut’s claims for Rs 2 crore compensation for the partial demolition of her Pali Hill property were “baseless” and “bogus”, the BMC has told Bombay High Court.
And Finally...
Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare review: The Konkona Sen Sharma-starrer blows off, with a great deal of flair, feeling and courage, the layers of repression and hypocrisy that surrounds us. You can draw a broad thematic connection between the director’s previous film Lipstick Under My Burkha and this one, which can be seen both as a worthy follow-up, and a terrific companion piece.
Delhi Confidential: On the eve of International Coastal Clean-Up Day, celebrated in 100 countries since 1986, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday announced that eight Indian beaches have been recommended for the international eco-label – Blue Flag certification – given to the world’s cleanest beaches.
Until tomorrow,
Leela Prasad G and Liu Chuen Chen
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