NATIONAL NEWS
A) As WhatsApp moves court against new IT rules, govt claims they are meant only for tracing messages linked to ‘very serious offences’
WhatsApp has moved the Delhi High Court against India’s new and stricter IT Rules that require instant messaging platforms to aid in identifying the ‘originator’ of messages. The petition challenging the constitutional validity of the rules, which come into force on May 26, was filed on May 25. Requiring messaging apps to ‘trace’ chats is the equivalent of asking us to keep a fingerprint of every single message sent on WhatsApp, which would break end-to-end encryption and fundamentally undermines people’s right to privacy, a WhatsApp spokesperson said. The spokesperson added that the messaging platform had consistently joined civil society and experts around the world in opposing requirements that would violate the privacy of its users. ‘The Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021’ were notified on February 25, giving social media platforms three months to comply. The rules state that intermediary providing messaging services will enable the identification of the first originator of the information on its computer resource following a judicial order passed by a court of competent jurisdiction or an order passed under section 69 by the Competent Authority as per the Information Technology Act. The government, meanwhile, has said it respects the right to privacy and the requirement of tracing origin of flagged messages under the new IT rules is for prevention and investigation of very serious offences related to the sovereignty of India or public order. In a statement, the IT Ministry termed WhatsApp’s last moment challenge to the intermediary guidelines as an unfortunate attempt to prevent norms from coming into effect. The UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada require social media firms to allow for legal interception, it said, adding, What India is asking for is significantly much less than what some of the other countries have demanded. Therefore, WhatsApp’s attempt to portray the Intermediary Guidelines of India as contrary to the right to privacy is misguided, the official statement said.
B) Govt cites national security to deny RTI request on Twitter notice.
The Union government has cited national security concerns to deny a Right to Information request seeking details of last month’s notice sent to Twitter directing it to block certain tweets. It said its notice was empowered by a legal provision allowing information to be blocked if it harmed the country’s sovereignty, defence, foreign affairs or public order. In response to an April 23 notice from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Twitter blocked 50-odd tweets on the Modi government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, including tweets by a West Bengal Minister, Congress leaders, and a film maker. Bihar-based RTI activist Kanhaiya Kumar filed an RTI application three days later, asking about the legal provisions under which the tweets were blocked. In its response on Wednesday, the MeitY said that Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2009 empowered the government to block information from public access in the interest of the country’s sovereignty, integrity, defence, security, friendly relations with foreign States, public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognisable offence relating to the above. Kumar asked for a copy of the notice sent to Twitter and sought details of the Twitter handles, specific tweets and the total number of posts for which action was sought via the notice sent to Twitter. He sought a copy of all correspondence between Twitter and the government on the matter, a copy of the action taken report submitted by Twitter in response to the notice, and a copy of all file notings related to the issue. He further asked for information on whether a similar notice directing blocking of posts was sent to other social media platforms. The MeitY refused to provide any information in response to these questions, saying that as Section 69A of the IT Act and its matters are related to National Security, sovereignty and integrity, it attracted the provisions of Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act. This clause allows for the exemption of information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence. The Ministry response comes even as Twitter continues to defy the Centre’s latest notice to remove its manipulated media tag from BJP leaders’ tweets referring an alleged Congress toolkit on the government’s handling of the pandemic.
C) IMA sues Baba Ramdev for Rs.1,000 crore over disparaging remarks on allopathy.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has served a defamation notice on Baba Ramdev for making disparaging remarks against allopathy and allopathic doctors, and has demanded an apology from him within 15 days, failing which it said it will demand a compensation of Rs. 1,000 crore from the yoga guru. The six-page notice served on behalf of IMA (Uttarakhand) secretary Ajay Khanna by his lawyer Neeraj Pandey describes the remarks by Ramdev as damaging to the reputation and the image of allopathy and around 2,000 practitioners of it who are part of the association. Terming the remarks of the yoga guru a criminal act under Section of 499 of the Indian Penal Code, the notice demanded a written apology from him within 15 days of its receipt, or else a compensation of Rs. 1,000 crore will be demanded from him at the rate of $50 lakh per member of the IMA. The notice has also asked Ramdev to make a video clip contradicting all his false and defamatory allegations, and circulate it on all the social media platforms where he had uploaded his earlier video clip levelling the allegations. It has also asked the yoga guru to withdraw a misleading advertisement from all platforms endorsing Coronil kit, a product of his firm, as an effective medicine for Covid-19, failing which an FIR and a criminal case will be lodged against him by the IMA.
D) In major lapse, U.P. villagers who got Covishield in first dose vaccinated with Covaxin in second dose.
Twenty villagers in the eastern Uttar Pradesh district of Siddharthnagar were administered Covishield vaccine in their first dose and Covaxin in the second. The incident took place during a vaccination drive in a primary health centre in Barhni block. Ramsurat, a resident of Audahi Kala village, said he received Covishield on April 1. However, he was given a shot of Covaxin for his second dose on May 14. They did not check anything. The ASHA [worker] was standing elsewhere, he told reporters. Ramsurat said he is now afraid of possible side-effects. While 18 persons were from his village, the two others were from another village. A probe is being carried out. Chief Medical Officer Siddharthnagar Sandeep Chaudhary said a clarification was being sought from officials on the ground after a probe was conducted into the lapse. Action would be taken accordingly. It is a lapse because there is no guideline by the government of India that a cocktail [of vaccines] can be administered, the CMO said. While he said the 20 people did not face any problems, he was monitoring the issue.
E) Farmers hold nationwide protests, reiterate demands for repeal of three farm laws.
Nationwide demonstrations were held by farmers who burnt effigies of the Narendra Modi government and raising black flags to mark six months of their sit-in agitation at Delhi’s borders demanding the withdrawal of the three farms laws and the guarantee of Minimum Support Price (MSP). The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a coalition of hundreds of farmer unions, had given a call to observe a Black Day on May 26 across the country to mark six months of the farmers’ protest. Twelve Opposition parties had on Sunday issued a statement in support of the call. Led by the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) national president Ashok Dhawale, several leaders of the outfit held a Black Flag demonstration and burnt the effigy of the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in New Delhi. Among others, AIKS general-secretary Hannan Mollah and finance secretary P. Krishan Prasad were also present at the demonstration. Farmers, including women, also held black flags, raised slogans and burnt effigies of the Modi government at the Singhu and Ghazipur borders in Delhi.
F) Ignorant bigots in power destroying Lakshadweep, says Rahul; 8 local BJP leaders resign.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday threw his weight behind the people of Lakshadweep as he accused ignorant bigots in power of destroying the islands, PTI reported. His statement came a day after the Congress demanded the immediate removal of Lakshadweep administrator Praful Patel, alleging that he was not only destroying the peace and culture of the islands, but also harassing the people by imposing arbitrary restrictions. Lakshadweep is India’s jewel in the ocean. The ignorant bigots in power are destroying it. I stand with the people of Lakshadweep, Rahul Gandhi tweeted on Wednesday. The Congress has also alleged that the Administrator is allowing liquor on the islands, which is prohibited till now, and has brought in the Prevention of Anti-Social Activity (PASA) Act with the objective of harassing locals, besides taking away powers of panchayats, and was carrying out demolitions under new provisions brought in by him. Meanwhile, at least eight office-bearers of the Lakshadweep BJP unit have resigned from the party in protest against Patel’s arbitrary actions. The Lakshadweep unit of the BJP had written to Prime Minster Narendra Modi on April 20, conveying their grievances against Patel.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) Los Angeles Mayor may be next U.S. Ambassador to India: report.
U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly preparing to name Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the next Ambassador to India. Mr Garcetti is a long-time political ally of the President. News of his imminent nomination was reported by Axios, which had, earlier in May, reported that Mr. Garcetti was being considered for the New Delhi job. Mr. Garcetti, a co-chair for the Biden campaign, was considered for a Cabinet post, according to Axios, but did not make it due to sexual harassment allegations against his former aide Rick Jacobs came to light. Two-term Mayor Mr. Garcetti is now approaching the end (December 2022) of his second term as Mayor of the country’s second largest city, a post he has held since 2013. The U.S.-India relationship enjoys bipartisan support in the U.S. with ties in trade, defence and the COVID-19 response growing across the Trump and Biden administrations. The two countries have also had to navigate their relationship in the context of growing Chinese assertiveness and aggression. The next U.S. Ambassador to India will inherit these issues as well as having to work with India in other forums such as the Quad. Mr. Biden is expected to send the Senate a number of Ambassadorial nominations next week.
B) Defiant Lukashenko defends plane diversion, blasts critics acted lawfully to protect our people, says Belarus President.
A defiant President Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday defended Belarus’s diversion of a European flight and arrest of a dissident on board, lashing out at critics at home and abroad. In his first public statement since the Ryanair flight was diverted and Opposition journalist Roman Protasevich arrested on Sunday, Mr. Lukashenko dismissed the international outcry the incident provoked. He acted lawfully to protect our people, Mr. Lukashenko said in an address to Parliament, the Belta state-run news agency reported. The criticism was nothing more than another attempt by his opponents to undermine his rule, he said. Our ill-wishers at home and abroad have changed their methods of attacking the state, Mr. Lukashenko said. They have crossed many red lines and crossed boundaries of common sense and human morality. Mr. Lukashenko often dubbed Europe’s last dictator is facing some of the strongest international pressure of his 26-year rule of ex-Soviet Belarus. The strongman and his allies are already under a series of Western sanctions era brutal crackdown on mass protests that followed his disputed re-election to a sixth term last August. European leaders are now accusing authorities in Minsk of essentially hijacking the passenger flight, and they agreed this week to cut air links with Belarus and told airliners to avoid the country’s airspace. The Belarusian Opposition has called for further and stronger measures, and the UN Security Council was set to meet behind closed doors later on Wednesday. The Athens-to-Vilnius flight was diverted over a supposed bomb scare, with Mr. Lukashenko scrambling a MiG-29 fighter jet to accompany the aircraft. Belarus has released a transcript of communications between Minsk air traffic control and the Ryanair flight, in which the crew was told you have a bomb on board and urged to land in Minsk. Mr. Lukashenko denied that the fighter jet had forced the airliner to land, calling such claims an absolute lie.
