CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 November 2020
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) PM laments ‘politics’ over Pulwama attack.
Barely a few days after Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhary admitted, in the National Assembly, his country’s role in the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October has said that the truth about the attack has come out in the neighboring country’s parliament. Modi also lamented that some forces indulged in dirty politics for political gains and said that all should refrain from politics, which can affect the morale of the country’s security forces. The real face of such people has been exposed after the truth was accepted in the Parliament of our neighbouring country, he said, addressing Ekta Parade at Statue of Unity, Kevadiya, on the occasion of Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary. The country can never forget that some people were not saddened at the sacrifice of the security personnel during the Pulwama attack. At that time, these people were only doing politics. PM Modi has requested them not to do such politics in the interest of the nation.
B) Kamal Nath moves SC against EC’s decision to revoke his ‘star campaigner’ status.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s decision to revoke his ‘star campaigner’ status for violations of the model code during the campaign for the by-polls in 28 assembly constituencies in the State. Senior lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said that the senior Congress leader has challenged the ECI’s decision on various grounds and an urgent hearing on the plea would be sought. The poll panel on Friday took note of alleged breach of ethical and dignified behaviour and revoked the star campaigner status of the Congress leader. While the political party pays for the expenditure of a star campaigner, the candidate pays for the expenditure of other campaigners. In the order, the poll panel said, for repeated violation of Model Code of Conduct and for completely disregarding the advisory issued to him, the Commission hereby revokes the status of leader of political party (Star Campaigner) of Kamal Nath, Ex-Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh, with immediate effect for the current Bye-elections of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh. It said no permission will be granted by authorities to Nath as a star campaigner. However, if any campaign is done by Kamal Nath from now onwards, the entire expenditure related to travel, stay and visit will be completely borne by the candidate in whose constituency he carries out campaigning.
C) Sitharaman wanted me out of Finance Ministry, says former Finance Secretary Garg.
Subhash Chandra Garg, the former Finance Secretary who was shunted out of the Finance Ministry within three weeks of Modi-2.0 government’s first Budget last year, on 31 October has alleged that new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman got him transferred out. Garg, who took voluntary retirement soon after being moved from the Finance Ministry, where he handled the Department of Economic Affairs to the Power Ministry, said Sitharaman, unlike her predecessor Arun Jaitley, had a very different personality and knowledge endowment. Garg said that he did not share a good and productive working relationship with Sitharaman, who came to the Finance Ministry with some pre-conceived notions about me. She did not seem to have confidence in me. She was not quite comfortable working with me as well, he said, adding that differences over whether RBI should give surplus as dividend to the government, and dealing with problems of non-banks had surfaced within months of her takeover.
D) Rajasthan government introduces Bills to negate impact of Centre’s farm laws.
The Rajasthan government on 31 October has introduced 3 bills in the Assembly to negate the impact of the farm laws enacted by the Centre recently. The move comes after the Punjab Assembly earlier this month adopted a resolution against the farm laws and unanimously passed four Bills to counter the Centre’s contentious legislations. Rajasthan’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal introduced the Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020, and the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020. He also introduced the Code of Procedure (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020 on the first day of the Assembly session. A number of provisions to protect the interests of farmers, including sale or purchase of a crop under farming agreement on a price equal or greater than minimum support price and imprisonment of three to seven years for harassment of farmers, have been included in the Bills.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) France church attack: Assailant’s family demands answers.
A third suspect is in French custody on 31 October in connection with an Islamic extremist knife attack that killed three people in a Nice church, as the family of the suspected Tunisian assailant demanded to see video footage of what happened. Investigators in France, Tunisia and Italy are trying to determine the motive of chief suspect Ibrahim Issaoui and whether he acted alone and whether he premeditated Thursday’s attack on the Notre Dame Basilica. Authorities have labeled the attack, which took place amid growing tensions around cartoons published by a French newspaper mocking the Prophet Muhammad, an act of Islamist terrorism. Issaoui, who transited through Italy last month route to France, is in critical condition in a French hospital after being wounded by police as they arrested him. A 35-year-old man who had met with Issaoui in Nice was arrested overnight, a judicial official said Saturday. A 47-year-old man who had met with Issaoui the night before the attack was already in custody, bringing the number of detained suspects to three. Their connection to the attack remains unclear. A previously unknown Tunisian extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack, and Tunisian and French authorities are investigating whether the claim is legitimate. In Issaoui hometown of Sfax, his family expressed shock and appealed for peace. But they also expressed bewilderment that this young man who drank alcohol and showed no outward signs of radicalism would flee to France and attack a church.
B) Actor Sean Connery, who played James Bond, passes away.
Scottish movie legend Sean Connery, who shot to international stardom as British agent James Bond and went on to dominate the silver screen for four decades, has died aged 90. Connery was raised in near poverty in the slums of Edinburgh and worked as a coffin polisher, milkman and lifeguard before his body-building hobby helped launch an acting career that made him one of the world’s biggest stars. He will be remembered first as British agent 007, the character created by novelist Ian Fleming and immortalized by Connery in films starting with “Dr. No” in 1962. As Bond, his debonair manner and wry humour in foiling flamboyant villains and cavorting with beautiful women belied a darker, violent edge, and he crafted a depth of character that set the standard for those who followed him in the role.
