NATIONAL NEWS

Lakhimpur Kheri | Supreme Court wants U.P. to dispel impression of ‘dragging its feet’

The Supreme Court on Wednesday found it hard to dispel the impression that the Uttar Pradesh Government is dragging its feet in the Lakhimpur Kheri case in which a Union Minister’s son is accused of mowing down protesting farmers. A three-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, discovered from a status report filed by the Government just minutes before the hearing that only four of 44 witnesses to the brutal incident have given their statements to the judicial magistrate so far. The incident, which allegedly involves the convoy of Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra Teni, occurred on October 3. A statement recorded by a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is valuable later during trial as corroborative evidence. It can be used to bolster the prosecution case against the accused. Any delay in recording statements under Section 164 CrPC creates room for influencing the witnesses. Senior advocate Harish Salve, for U.P., said he was instructed that the delay occurred due to the Dussehra holidays. The courts had been closed for the festival. What is the connection between Dussehra vacation and criminal courts? Chief Justice Ramana shot back.  Justice Surya Kant stated, Why have the statements of only four witnesses been recorded out of 44? Your Special Investigation Team is the best person to know who can be browbeaten? The State’s Additional Advocate General, Garima Parshad, said the police had not wasted time and, in the meanwhile, reconstructed the crime scene. Chief Justice Ramana addressed Parshad, The reconstruction of the crime is different from recording the Section 164 CrPC statements of witnesses. Our question is why were they not taken all this while? Justice Hima Kohli, on the Bench, told the State we think you are dragging your feet… Please dispel the impression. Chief Justice Ramana told Salve, Please tell them to start on the Section 164 statements. The senior lawyer urged the court to adjourn the case to next week. He promised that things would be cleared up by then. He said that in the last hearing on October 8, the court voiced doubts whether the State was going soft on the accused. How many of the accused have been arrested? the CJI asked. Salve said ten have been arrested in the case of the farmers’ deaths. He highlighted that there were two crimes involved. One was regarding the running over of farmers and the other concerning the lynching of three people in the ensuing violence. He submitted that the second incident was more difficult to investigate as it was a mob that was involved. The court observed that the case needed to be bifurcated. The Bench, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the Lakhimpur Kheri events, said it would first focus on the farmers deaths. How many of the 10 accused persons in this case are in judicial custody and police custody? the CJI asked. When Salve said four were in police custody, the court asked about the remaining six accused. Parshad informed that they were earlier in police custody and then sent in judicial custody.

Priyanka Gandhi stopped from proceeding towards Agra: Lucknow Police 

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was on Wednesday stopped by Uttar Pradesh Police from going to Agra to meet the family members of a man who died in police custody and was later taken to the police lines. The police said the Congress general secretary was stopped at the Lucknow-Agra expressway as the Agra district magistrate had requested not to allow any political personality to go there following the man’s death. She has neither been taken into custody nor arrested. Because of the massive crowds, the movement of traffic was being hampered and she was first asked to either go to the party office or her residence but when she did not agree, she was sent to the police lines, Lucknow police commissioner D.K. Thakur said. A Congress spokesman had claimed that Priyanka Gandhi has been taken into custody while she was going to Agra to meet the family members of the sanitation worker who had died in police custody. To a query from newspersons in Kushinagar on Priyanka Gandhi being stopped from going to Agra, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier in the day said, Law and order is supreme and no one will be allowed to play with it. While being taken to the police lines, Priyanka Gandhi told newspersons that she will definitely go to Agra. The Congress spokesman had alleged that Priyanka Gandhi was made to stop at the expressway for about two hours and later taken into custody, A similar confrontation had occurred early this month when the Uttar Pradesh Police had prevented the Congress leader from visiting the families of farmers killed in Lakhimpur Kheri. She was taken into preventive custody for over 48 hours before being allowed to visit the families along with Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

Aryan Khan moves Bombay High Court after special court rejects bail 

Actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan on Wednesday moved the Bombay High Court after a special court under the Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act rejected his bail in the case of the busting of a drug racket on a cruise on October 2. The appeal of Aryan Khan (23) in the High Court is expected to be heard on Thursday. Khan, who is lodged at the Arthur Road Jail, was arrested on October 3 by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after the cruise raid. Special Judge V.V. Patil also rejected the bail pleas of Arbaaz Merchant, 26, and Munmun Dhamecha, 39 arrested with him. Khan had sought bail through senior advocate Amit Desai on the grounds that there has been no recovery of possession of contraband found from him. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, for the NCB, has opposed Khan’s bail, saying, Mr. Khan has a role in illicit procurement and consumption of contraband. It is prima facie revealed that he used to procure contraband from Merchant and the sources connected to him from whose conscious possession six grams of charas was recovered. On October 2, the agency seized 13 grams of cocaine, five grams of MD (mephedrone), 21 grams of charas, 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy) and ₹1,33,000 in cash at the International Cruise Terminal, Mumbai.

BJP open to tie-up with Amarinder Singh, says party leader 

The BJP on Wednesday appeared open to an alliance with the yet to be formed political party of former Punjab Chief Minister Captain (retd.) Amarinder Singh, a day after the latter made an overture. BJP general secretary and party’s Punjab in-charge Dushyant Gautam said Capt. Singh was a patriot and the BJP was open to tie-ups with nationalist forces. On Tuesday, Capt. Singh stated that he would soon announce his own political party and was hopeful of a seat arrangement with the BJP if the farmers’ issue was resolved in their interest. On his condition of resolving farmers’ issues, Gautam noted that Capt. Singh had not spoken about ending the farmers’ agitation. He talked about farmers’ issues. We are committed to it and are working for the welfare of farmers. If the time comes, both will sit together and discuss farmers’ issues, he observed. Our main agenda is nationalism and keeping the nation first. All those parties who want to form alliances with us on this agenda are welcome. Capt. Singh was once a soldier and his stand on the issues of national security should be praised. He was a soldier. He knows about the threats to the country and how to secure it. He is patriotic. And whenever it is a matter of national security and security at the borders, we have appreciated his stand, Gautam remarked, adding that nationalists were not untouchables to the BJP. Senior sources in the party disclosed that one could anticipate a move towards resolving the long-running agitation of farmers against the three controversial farm laws. Several options are being mulled in terms of a way out, including a new expanded committee of stakeholders to hold talks with farmers go into the nitty gritties of the demands by farmers, a source explained. Interestingly, Capt. Singh had met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval after he quit as Chief Minister. At that time, it was said he had spoken of the security challenges in the border State post the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Supreme Court debates shifting from virtual to physical hearings twice a week 

The Supreme Court’s decision to shift gears from virtual to physical hearings twice a week became a hot point of debate on the very first day of the court’s re-opening after Dasara holidays on October 20, 2021. Several senior lawyers across the spectrum, including senior advocate Kapil Sibal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, urged Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana to not make physical hearings mandatory. Sibal said physical hearings should not be made a hard-and-fast rule. The senior lawyer said some cases had records which ran into 50 to 60 volumes, and allowing just one briefing lawyer inside the courtroom would affect proper legal representation of the matter. The CJI said the court was forced to modify its standard operating procedure (SOP) to make physical court mandatory on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The first full physical hearing in the Supreme Court would start from October 21, a Thursday. The CJI said certain sections had been clamouring that the court was shirking from physical hearings. According to the modified SOP, lawyers have an option to opt either physical or virtual mode on Tuesdays. The Chief Justice said some of his colleagues still had reservations about physical hearings. Sibal said several High Courts continued to hold hybrid hearings. He said physical hearings should be given further thought and any positive action on it should be deferred to after Deepavali. The Chief Justice explained that a committee of Supreme Court judges set up by former Chief Justice S.A. Bobde decided the issue of physical hearings. Sibal’s request had to be put before this committee. Sibal said he and other lawyers could meet the committee this week. The CJI agreed to place the issue before other judges later in the day.

Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments 

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,41,08,367 with the death toll at 4,52,684. Fully vaccinated travellers, coming from a country with which India has reciprocal arrangements for mutual acceptance of WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines shall be allowed to leave the airport and need not undergo home quarantine and testing from October 25, according to the revised guidelines for international arrivals released on Wednesday. They will, however, have to produce a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report. If partially or not vaccinated, the travellers need to undertake measures which include submission of sample for post-arrival COVID-19 test at the point of arrival after which they will be allowed to leave the airport, home quarantine for seven days, re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India and if negative, further self monitor their health for next seven days. These guidelines for international arrivals supersede of all guidelines issued on the subject on and after February 17, 2021, the Union Health Ministry said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

UAE assures energy supplies to India for its growing demand

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday vowed to meet India’s growing energy demand, saying it will remain the nation’s trusted partner of choice. Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber said the UAE is investing across its energy supply chain to remain a reliable energy provider to India and the world. Stating that the energy demand is outpacing supply, he said the present global scenario calls for continued investment across the entire energy sector to avoid a deeper supply crunch. Speaking virtually at the 5th India Energy Forum by CERAWeek, he said India’s economy is returning to robust, almost double-digit growth as the world recovers from the pandemic. He acknowledged the challenges facing the energy sector during this phase and explained how the UAE is responding to remain a long-term and reliable energy provider to India and the world. This recovery comes with challenges, particularly for the energy sector, as we are seeing energy demand outpacing supply. It is clear that while the world rightly embraces the energy transition, we will need oil and gas for many decades to come. The current demand dynamic is, therefore, a wake-up call to continue to invest across the entire energy sector to avoid a deeper supply crunch, he said. This, he said, is the approach being taken in the UAE. We are investing across our energy supply chain and increasing our oil and gas capacity to ensure we remain a reliable, responsible energy partner to the world and India in particular. The minister said India is one of the UAE’s closest friends and one of its most important trading partners and the strategic ties between both countries have strengthened in recent years.

 

Alignment of U.S. and Indian interests ‘makes a great difference’, says Biden’s envoy nominee to Beijing – the vie

U.S. President Joe Biden’s nominee for the post of Ambassador to Beijing, Nicholas Burns, said the alignment of U.S. and Indian interests in the Indo-Pacific makes a great difference in terms of the challenges posed by China. Mr. Burns was answering a question on the U.S.’s opportunities and constraints in collaborating with different countries while dealing with Beijing. The comparative advantage that we have versus China is that we have treaty allies. We have partners who deeply believe in us and the Chinese really do not, Mr. Burns said, highlighting U.S. President Joe Biden’s emphasis on treaty partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, such as with Japan, Australia, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. He also mentioned India, which is not a treaty partner with the U.S., but a ‘Major Defence Partner’ and a country that regularly holds bilateral and multilateral security exercises with the U.S. As you know — and I think every administration since President [Bill] Clinton has been working on this — we have a newfound security partner in India, that makes a great difference to have Indian and American interests aligned as they clearly are, strategically, in the Indo-Pacific, Mr. Burns said. As a foreign services officer, Mr. Burns had played a key negotiating role in the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement. He held senior positions in both Democrat and Republican administrations — a point that came up during his hearing. Currently Mr. Burns is a professor at the Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Giving credit to former President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for reinvigorating the Quad grouping of countries, Mr. Burns said President Biden had organised two leader-level meetings of the Quad already. He also said the U.S.’s newly launched security partnership with the U.K. and Australia (AUKUS) was transformational. Overall, Mr. Burns said he would support the Biden administration’s policy of vigorously competing with China in some areas (economy, infrastructure, technology) and cooperating in other areas (such as climate action), while also holding China accountable for its actions in the Indo-Pacific. Mr. Burns also supported the U.S. speaking out against human rights abuses in China, and said that genocide was occurring in Xinjiang.

NATIONAL NEWS

Singhu murder: Congress questions Union Minister’s meeting with Nihang leader

Photographs of a meeting between Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar and Baba Aman Singh, leader of the ‘Nihang’ sect, whose members have confessed to killing a young man at the Singhu border in Haryana’s Sonipat, has created a flutter in political circles. The Agriculture Ministry, however, made it clear that the meeting that was held in July this year was not an official meeting and took place at the residence of Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary. The photographs of the meeting show Tomar, Choudhary, Gurmeet Singh Pinki — a Punjab police officer who was dimissed from service and convicted for murder — and Baba Aman Singh together. The photograph was taken at a meeting, which took place in July at Kailash Choudhary’s residence, it was a courtesy meeting… As a politician, Tomar meets with a lot of people and his doors are always open to religious leaders, a senior official told The Hindu. Asked whether the meeting was in relation to the farmers’ protests, the official denied any connection. With the photographs going ‘viral’ on social media platforms, the Congress hit out at the BJP, demanding an explanation. Punjab’s Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa on Tuesday said there appeared to be a deep-rooted conspiracy to defame the ongoing farmers’ agitation against Centre’s farm laws. Randhawa said the government will get to the bottom of the case and identify and expose the conspirators behind the incident. In view of the recent disclosures about one of the ‘Nihang’ leaders having already been in touch with the government of India, Minister for Agriculture N.S. Tomar in particular, the lynching incident has now taken an entirely different turn. The same Nihang leader is now defending the main accused for the killing of the victim (Lakhbir Singh). The victim belonged to village Cheema Kalan in Tarn Taran and was very poor. We need to find out who lured him to Singhu border and who paid for his travel as he could not even afford his meals, said the Deputy Chief Minister. He added that he had instructed the local administration to find out under what circumstances Lakhbir was taken from his home to the Singhu border. Randhawa also asked in what capacity the Nihang leader had met the Minister and whether he was mandated to do so by the farmers’ organisations spearheading the campaign against three black farm laws. This has raised genuine doubts and suspicion among the minds of people, which will need to be cleared and the Punjab government will do everything to reach to the root of the conspiracy and expose and punish the culprits, he said. Incessant rain claims 11 more lives in Uttarakhand; Nainital cut off from rest of State. Eleven more deaths were reported in Uttarakhand on Tuesday as incessant rains continued to lash various parts of the state, especially the Kumaon region, razing houses to the ground and leaving many trapped in the debris. This takes the toll in rain-related incidents across Uttarakhand to 16, with five deaths reported on Monday. Nainital was cut off from the rest of the state, with three roads leading to the popular tourist spot blocked due to a series of landslides.

Sizeable number of eligible COVID-19 vaccination beneficiaries have not received their second dose, says Health Ministry

A good number of COVID-19 vaccination beneficiaries have not received their second dose and the States have been asked to focus on this, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has said. He reviewed the progress of vaccination with senior health officials of States and Union Territories (UTs) earlier this week. The country launched the vaccination programme on January 16. Bhushan noted that the nation was close to administering a billion doses. Many States had adequate doses to vaccinate those awaiting the second dose. The Central Government is in a position to provide additional vaccine doses to the States/UTs so that they can complete the second dose vaccination. We also need to improve the momentum of the vaccination drive, he stressed. The Health Ministry stated that the government had advised the States and the UTs to identify and prioritise districts having low coverage for focused action and explore requirements for mobilisation efforts, address local challenges, look for the need for additional COVID-19 vaccination centres, and improve the access in rural areas. They were also requested to share their strategies to enhance second dose coverage. The Ministry pointed out that it was now in the process of reviewing international travel guidelines in consultation with all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Bureau of Immigration, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of External Affairs. The States and the UTs have been requested to share their suggestions or feedback.

Central Vista architect may be used by A.P. for tri-city spread

The Andhra Pradesh government is likely to rope in the architect of the Central Vista in New Delhi, Bimal Patel, for its tri-city spread of government offices and Assembly buildings, with the executive branch being settled in the port city of Visakhapatnam. The Andhra Pradesh government plans to shift its executive wing, including the Chief Minister’s Office, to Visakhapatnam. There is a court case with regard to some plans that need to be sorted out but the tri-city plans are still on, said a senior State official. The land acquired in Amaravati would be used to set up Assembly buildings and the Andhra Pradesh High Court would come up in Kurnool. The Andhra Pradesh government has shortlisted Bimal Patel’s firm for the project, as the company’s experience in public buildings is commendable, said the source. Speaking to The Hindu, Patel observed that as of now, we are doing a guest house project for the government of Andhra Pradesh. Government officials in Andhra Pradesh said court cases needed to be settled before anything could go ahead formally. Patel, a leading architect, especially in the space of public buildings and projects, is the man behind the Central Vista project redrawing the Parliament building and much of office space of the Central ministries. He had designed the Ahmedabad riverfront project, and is currently involved in the redevelopment of Sabarmati Ashram, which was established by Mahatma Gandhi. The capital of Andhra Pradesh had earlier been finalised as Amaravati and extensive land acquisition via land pooling had taken place. The election of Jagan Mohan Reddy as Chief Minister in 2019, however, led to a change of plans and a slew of legal challenges and counter challenges, including one on the new government’s plans to divide the capital into three areas. On the question of why Visakhapatnam was chosen by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government as the site of a new capital, a senior YSRCP leader said the city had both an airport and a seaport, offices of major Public Sector Undertakings and a potential to become a metropolis.

Worth a lesson for law students on how long a civil case could drag on, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has signed off a hard-fought, five-rounder litigation which dates back half a century regarding a debt of ₹3,000. We wish this will be the knock-out round, Justice V. Ramasubramanian, who authored the judgment for a Bench led by Justice Hemant Gupta, conveyed the top court’s fervent hope in the very first paragraph of the 22-page verdict. The court compared the habit of the litigants to bounce back after every failed round to King Vikramaditya’s relentless pursuit to capture the ghost, Betal. Not to be put off by repeated failures, the appellants herein, like the tireless Vikramaditya, who made repeated attempts to capture Betal, started the present round and hopefully the final round, Justice Ramasubranian observed while tracing the labyrinthine history of the case. The dispute dates back to 1971 between Rama Rani Devi and Sasadhar Biswas before the Munsif court in West Bengal. The subject of their dispute was the ₹3,000 Biswas owed Devi. In 1974, the Munsif directed Biswas to pay Devi the amount in six equal installments. However, the Munsif’s decree was not honoured. Devi moved the court for execution of the decree through attachment and sale of 7,450 sq.ft. belonging to Biswas to realise her debt. The civil court agreed. However, Biswas challenged the sale proclamation of the land by the civil court, saying there was material irregularity and fraud in it. But his challenge was dismissed in 1975. An auction sale was held in 1979. Two brothers, Sachindra Nath Mukherjee and Dulal Kanti Mukherjee became the highest bidders. They deposited ₹5,500, as the highest bid amount, in court. Biswas, in July 1980, reached a compromise with the brothers, who agreed to revoke the auction provided he pay them their entire money by December 1980. Biswas deposited ₹3,700 but the brothers had paid ₹5,500 in the auction. The brothers and Biswas had a falling out. The former went to court against Biswas. After several twists and turns, the dispute reached the Supreme Court in 1992 and is dismissed against Biswas. Justice Ramasubramanian said the dispute had exhausted the gunpowder in this first round. But the litigants had no intention to stop. The second round was kick-started with a suit to declare the auction sale void. However, this effort was aborted later. The third round was concerned about the issuance of the sale certificate. This came to an end in 2001. The fourth round followed shortly when the auction purchasers moved the civil court for delivery of possession of the land. This round went on till 2006 until the Supreme Court put its foot down and dismissed a review petition challenging the delivery of the property. But it seems the litigants were in no mood to give up. In the fifth and present round, the Biswas family members raised the ‘bogey’ of jurisdictional error to avoid delivery of the property to the Mukherjees. It had been over four decades since the Mukherjee brothers paid ₹5,500 for the property in the auction held in 1979.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

India, Israel, UAE, U.S. decide to launch quadrilateral economic forum

India, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the United States have decided to launch a new quadrilateral economic forum. Quadrilateral builds on ongoing cooperation between U.S., Israel and UAE after the Abraham Accords last year. This QUAD grouping had decided to establish an international forum for economic cooperation and discussed possibilities for joint infrastructure projects expanding economic and political cooperation in the Middle East and Asia. India, the United States, Israel and the UAE have decided to form a forum for future economic cooperation and to explore possibilities of joint infrastructure projects in the fields of Transportation, Technology, Maritime security, Economics, Trade as well as for additional joint projects.

N. Korea test-fires submarine-launched ballistic missile, S. Korea says

North Korea fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) off its east coast on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, pulling Japan’s new prime minister off the campaign trail and overshadowing the opening of a major arms fair in Seoul. The U.S. military’s Indo-Pacific Command condemned the launch as destabilising, but judged it did not pose an immediate threat to the United States or its allies. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Pyongyang to comply with Security Council resolutions that ban ballistic missile launches. Deputy U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq said Gutierrez called for North Korea to swiftly resume diplomatic efforts for peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. South Korean and U.S. officials were investigating if the missile was a smaller, previously unseen version displayed last week at an exhibit in Pyongyang, a South Korean military source told Reuters, citing ongoing analysis. They were also examining whether the missile was fired from North Korea’s experimental Gorae-class submarine, he added, speaking on condition of anonymity. The launch, reported by officials in South Korea and Japan, followed a meeting of U.S. and South Korean envoys in Washington on Monday to discuss the nuclear standoff with the North. North Korea has persisted with military development despite international sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile was launched about 10:17 a.m. from the sea in the vicinity of Sinpo, where North Korea keeps submarines as well as equipment for test firing SLBMs.Our military is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States, to prepare for possible additional launches, its statement said. It was not immediately clear if the missile was fired from a submarine or from a submersible test barge, as in most previous tests. A military source said it flew about 430 km to 450 km (267 to 280 miles) to a maximum altitude of 60 km (37 miles). North Korea’s last SLBM test was in October 2019, when a Pukguksong-3 missile was fired from an underwater platform, flying 450 km to a maximum altitude of 910 km

NATIONAL NEWS 

Lakhimpur Kheri violence: Farmers block trains in Punjab, Haryana

Farmers in Punjab and Haryana squatted on rail tracks on Monday morning as part of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) six-hour ‘rail roko’ protest demanding the dismissal and arrest of Union Minister Ajay Mishra in connection with the Lakhimpur Kheri violence. The six-hour ‘rail roko’ protest affected 130 locations in the Northern Railway zone and hindered the running of 50 trains, said its chief public relation officer (CPRO). In the North Western Railway (NWR), rail traffic was affected in some sections in Rajasthan and Haryana with two trains cancelled, 13 partially cancelled, and one diverted due to the protest. Farmers have claimed that Ashish Mishra was in one of the vehicles at the time of violence, an allegation denied by him and Ajay Mishra who say they can produce evidence to prove he was at an event at that time. Ashish Mishra was arrested in the case on October 9. Protests were held at many places, including Punjab’s Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Moga, Patiala and Ferozepur and Haryana’s Charkhi Dadri, Sonipat, Kurukshetra, Jind, Karnal and Hisar. Protesting farmers, including women, raised slogans against the BJP-led government and demanded the arrest of Ajay Mishra. Security was deployed at railway stations in the wake of the ‘rail roko’ protest. Farmers sat on rail tracks in several sections, including the Ferozepur-Fazilka section in Ferozepur city and the Ferozepur-Ludhiana section at Ajitwal in Moga, officials said. In a statement, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions spearheading the agitation against the Centre’s three agri laws, had said protests will be intensified until justice is secured in the Lakhimpur Kheri case. Meanwhile, the police have arrested one more of the key witnesses/accused, a BJP worker who had escaped from Ashish Mishra’s jeep moments after it mowed down farmers.

No jobs in Bihar, workers forced to face bullets: RJD

Opposition RJD has blamed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the death of the State’s migrant workers in Jammu and Kashmir. Leader of Opposition and party leader Tejashwi Yadav on Monday said people were forced to migrate since there were no jobs in the State. Daily wage workers Raja Reshi Dev and Joginder Reshi Dev were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam district, while another migrant, Chunchun Reshi Dev, was grievously injured. A total of 11 civilians have died in targeted shooting in the Union Territory. Kumar has spoken to Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and announced a compensation of ₹2lakh each to the families of the victims. Double engine government’s double whammy, won’t provide employment in Bihar and if you go out to earn a living you will be killed, Yadav tweeted. The cost of a Bihari’s life, he alleged, was pegged at mere ₹2 lakh. Nitish Kumar and his incompetent government are also equally guilty of the brutal murder of Biharis. If the NDA government had really done anything seriously on employment generation as per their claim of ‘good governance’ in the last 16 years, then crores of Biharis would not have been forced to migrate and die every year, he stated. The RJD has demanded that all the migrant workers from Bihar who are living under distress in J&K should be brought back. They should also be paid ₹ 10,000 a month to compensate them for loss of livelihood. RJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Manoj K Jha observed, The Chief Minister’s silence speaks volumes. What stops him from speaking out against the union government. Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) president Chirag Paswan too sought to corner Kumar on the issue. He remarked, My question to Nitish ji is that if there were ample job opportunities in Bihar, would the sons of Bihar be forced to face terrorists’ bullets in Kashmir? The Janata Dal (U) shot back, saying J&K was not under the jurisdiction of Kumar. Party secretary general K.C. Tyagi accused the RJD of politicising a sensitive issue to divert the attention from its own family feud. The Chief Minister has spoken to the Lt Governor. All the migrant workers from Bihar and U.P. have been directly connected to the local police stations. The Bihar government is doing all that it could do within its powers, he added.

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, 4 others get life term in 19-year-old murder case

A special CBI court on Monday sentenced Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and four others to life imprisonment in the 19-year-old murder case of sect manager Ranjit Singh. The court in Panchkula had convicted Ram Rahim and four others — Krishan Lal, Jasbir Singh, Avtar Singh and Sabdil — in the murder case on October 8. The court has sentenced five to life imprisonment, said CBI special prosecutor H.P.S. Verma. Gurmeet Ram Rahim is currently lodged in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail.  Former Dera manager Ranjit Singh, who was also a follower of the sect, was shot dead on July 10, 2002 at Khanpur Kolian village in Haryana’s Kurukshetra. He was murdered for his suspected role in the circulation of an anonymous letter, which narrated how women were allegedly being sexually exploited by the sect head at the Dera headquarters. According to the CBI charge sheet, the Dera chief believed that Ranjit Singh was behind the circulation of the anonymous letter and hatched a conspiracy to kill him. In 2017, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping two disciples. He is currently lodged in Rohtak’s Sunaria jail.

Casteist remarks: Yuvraj Singh arrested, released on bail

Cricket Yuvraj Singh was on October 17 arrested by the Haryana Police and released on interim bail as per a High Court order in a case pertaining to offensive remarks against the Scheduled Castes on a social media platform. Confirming the arrest, Nitika Gahlaut, Hansi Superintendent of Police, said that the cricketer was arrested and released on bail as per a High Court order. A First Information Report was registered against Singh on February 14 at Hansi’s City Police Station for allegedly making offensive remarks against the Scheduled Castes on a social media platform during a live video chat with fellow cricket players. The case was registered under Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, among others, on the complaint of Rajat Kansal, a Dalit rights activist. Kansal had then told The Hindu that Singh had made unsavoury comments against the Scheduled Castes talking about fellow cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal in June 2020. He said the video went viral on the social media platforms and crores of people across the world watched it. Singh had expressed regret for the comments after the controversy and apologised for unintentionally hurting public sentiments. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed that in case Singh was arrested on joining the probe, he should be released on interim bail on furnishing bail and surety bonds. Kansal, however, alleged that the cricketer was given VIP treatment by the police during interrogation. He said that he had made an appeal before the Supreme Court against the grant of interim bail to the cricketer by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

77% of consumers surveyed want to travel within the next year

The United Airlines said on Monday that its trans-Atlantic bookings for November had surpassed 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic, following the US government announcement to allow fully vaccinated foreign visitors. This indicates not only a pent-up demand for travel, but the need for simplified travel rules in order to boost demand. A survey conducted by global travel technology company Amadeus among 9,074 consumers across France, Germany, India, Spain, Russia, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and the US showed that nearly 77% of travelers surveyed agreed that they were eager to travel and intended to do so in the next year. As many as 50% of the respondents said they will be traveling for business before the end of the year. Of these, 72% of Indian travelers said they wanted to travel in the next one year. The study also found that 35% of the respondents agreed that the current international restrictions and guidelines around where and how to travel were confusing and unclear, thereby making them less likely to book and travel, and another 27% said they will not be traveling because of these reasons. 37% of travelers in India and 40% of those in Singapore felt the same. But most are likely to travel domestically or to short-haul international destinations, rather than flying to a far-flung country. For example, Spanish (64%), British (56%) and German (62%) respondents said they expect to travel to Europe for leisure. Similarly, Singaporean travelers surveyed were the most likely to travel within Asia (excluding the Middle East) for leisure (55%) in the next year and US travelers surveyed were likely to travel within North America for leisure (53%). Technology and innovation seem to be key in building travel confidence and the recovery of the travel industry, found the survey. Only 3% of respondents said their decision to plan a holiday wouldn’t be influenced by technology. The top five technologies that would boost confidence to travel in the next 12 months included : mobile applications that provide on-trip notifications and alerts (44%), self-service check-in (41%), contactless mobile payments (41%), automated and flexible cancellation policies (40%), and mobile boarding (40%).

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell dies of COVID-19 complications

Colin Powell, the first black United States’ Secretary of State and top military officer, died on Monday at the age of 84 from COVID-19 complications, his family said in a statement. He was fully vaccinated, Powell’s family said. As a four-star Army general, he was chairman of the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush during the 1991 Gulf War in which U.S.-led forces expelled Iraqi troops from neighboring Kuwait. Powell, a moderate Republican and a pragmatist, later served as Secretary of State under President George W. Bush.

Kushinagar airport: Sri Lankan delegation of over 100 people to land first

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Kushinagar International airport, which has been built as part of efforts to connect Buddhist pilgrimage sites. An inaugural flight from Colombo carrying a Sri Lankan delegation of over 100 people, including Buddhist monks and five ministers, and holy Buddha relics will land in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate an international airport there on Wednesday. The airport has been built as part of efforts to connect Buddhist pilgrimage sites. Modi will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of 12 development projects worth over ₹180 crore in the poll-bound state. In a tweet, Modi said, Tomorrow (Wednesday) is a special day for our infrastructure and civil aviation sector. The Kushinagar International Airport will be inaugurated, with the inaugural flight landing from Colombo, whose passengers include a group of respected monks. This airport will benefit UP (Uttar Pradesh) and Bihar. Kushinagar is a sacred Buddhist site where Lord Buddha is believed to have delivered his last sermon and attained salvation or Mahaparinirvana. Modi will also participate in an event marking Abhidhamma Day at the Mahaparinirvana Temple there, pay his respects to the reclining statue of Lord Buddha and plant a Bodhi tree sapling. Abhidhamma Day symbolises the end of three-month rainy retreat—varshavaas or vassa—for the Buddhist monks. The monks stay at one place in vihara and monastery and pray during this period. The highlight of the event is the Exposition of Holy Buddha Relic being brought from Waskaduwa Sri Subuddhi Rajvihara Temple, Sri Lanka by the Mahanayaka of the temple. In 1898, Archaeologists from the Archaeological Survey of India excavated a large mound in the estate of British landowner, William Claxton Peppe in Piprahwa, Sidharthnagar district U.P (Uttar Pradesh). It is 160 km from Kushinagar, a culture ministry statement said.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Global Hunger Index | Only 3.9% children malnourished, says government

The value of a key indicator used in the Global Hunger Index is ‘inflated’ as there are only 3.9% anganwadi children found to be undernourished, the Government said on Sunday. The real time data of beneficiaries registered on the Anganwadi platform include 7.79 crore children aged between 6 months to 6 years as per real-time Poshan Tracker data [as on 16-10-2021]. Corresponding number of undernourished children reported on Poshan Tracker is 30.27 lakh which comes to only 3.9%, according to a reply from the Ministry of Women and Child Development to a report in The Hindu, Global Hunger Index not based on an opinion poll, published on October 17. It said, These beneficiaries are representative of the poorest strata of society and the low levels of undernourishment in them surely reflects that the Indian data is highly inflated due to wrong methodology. The GHI 2021 ranked India at 101 position out of 116 countries. The index is based on four indicators — under-nourishment, wasting, stunting and under-five mortality. Of these, India’s performance is shown to deteriorate only for undernourishment, which is what the Government has challenged. According to FAO’s data, which is used in the Index, the prevalence of undernourishment in India rose from 14% in 2017-2019 to 15.3% in 2018-2020 which the Government has called exaggerated.

Kerala landslide toll touches 18 amid heavy downpour

Torrential rain pummelled southern and central Kerala districts throughout Saturday, triggering landslips and floods which left many dead and wreaked havoc across Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who chaired a review meeting in the evening, described the situation as grave and promised all-out efforts to rescue people stranded in cut-off locations. Indications are that the weather situation will not worsen, Vijayan said. Higher education institutions which were slated to function from Monday will reopen only on Wednesday, in view of the rainfall situation, it was decided at the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. The Sabarimala pilgrimage will be avoided till Tuesday, in view of the forecast that the rain will continue till then. The National Disaster Response Force has deployed 11 teams for search, rescue and relief operations in the state.

Singhu border murder: Three accused sent to police remand 

Three people allegedly involved in the lynching of a labourer at a farmers’ protest site near Singhu border were remanded to six days in police custody on Sunday as the Haryana Police set up two Special Investigation Teams to probe the incident. So far, four people have been arrested in connection with the gruesome killing. Narain Singh, a member of the Sikhs’ Nihang order, was arrested on Saturday from near Amritsar. Two more Nihangs, Govindpreet Singh and Bhagwant Singh from Fatehgarh Sahib, surrendered on the same day before the Sonipat Police in connection with the lynching. The three accused were produced before a court in Sonipat, which remanded them to six days in police custody. The police sought remand of the accused on the ground that they have to reconstruct the scene of the crime, recover weapons and clothes of the accused, besides interrogating them in detail about the entire incident. One SIT headed by IPS officer Mayank Gupta, who is the Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kharkhoda, Sonipat, will investigate the videos of the incident which were circulating on social media. The second SIT led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sonipat, Virender Singh will carry out the overall probe into the case. The victim’s family had earlier questioned the attackers’ claim that he committed sacrilege and demanded a high-level probe into the case. The mortal remains of the victim, Lakhbir Singh, were cremated at his native village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district amid tight security in the presence of his family members on Saturday evening. Sarabjit Singh was the first to be arrested on Friday for the brutal killing of Lakhbir Singh. He was produced before a Sonipat court on Saturday and remanded in police custody for seven days. Hours later, Narain Singh was arrested by the Amritsar Rural police at Amarkot village in Amritsar district, police had said. He was brought to Sonipat by the Haryana Police early Sunday. Narain Singh while talking to the media before his arrest in Amritsar, was unrepentant and said that Lakhbir Singh had been punished for sacrilege. According to the Sonipat police earlier, Sarabjit Singh claimed that a few more people were involved in the killing. The case has sparked outrage and triggered calls for action to clear the protest sites on Delhi’s borders where farmers have been camping since last November to press for the scrapping of the Centre’s three agri laws. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha had, however, issued a statement on Friday distancing itself from the incident and said that it wanted to make it clear that both the parties to the incident, the Nihang group and the victim, have no relation with the Morcha.

Sonia’s firm stand seeks to formalise Rahul’s role

Sonia Gandhi’s assertion of being a full time, hands-on Congress president was, perhaps, aimed at achieving two immediate objectives. First, it was a clear message to the group of 23 (G-23) leaders — the group that is seeking internal reforms and a visible and effective leadership — that she is still the boss. Second, and more importantly, it was meant to convey her endorsement of some of the recent decisions taken by the party that had clear imprints of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Whether it was the elevation of Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Punjab Congress chief or unseating of Amarinder Singh as Punjab Chief Minister or the induction of former JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, several decisions, which are believed to be driven by the Gandhi siblings, have come under scrutiny. In our party, at the moment, there is no president. So, we don’t know who is taking these decisions — senior G-23 leader Kapil Sibal’s comments at a press conference had thrown an open challenge to the Gandhis. Gandhi’s sharp rebuttal at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on October 16 seems to have had the desired effect. Inside the CWC, G-23 leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma reiterated their faith in her leadership and were satisfied with the concession of holding the organisational elections (a key G-23 demand); at a press conference outside, general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal took on journalists who had asked in what capacity Gandhi was trying to resolve the leadership crises in Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Punjab. We will take decisions as per our party interests. The entire Congress, its rank and file, support Shri Rahul Gandhi for his commitment and dedication to fight on principles. I want to tell you one more thing. Every single decision of the party is taken by honourable Congress president, Smt. Sonia Gandhi. She is competent, capable and nobody can question her leadership, he told reporters on Saturday. Gandhi’s statement at the CWC sought to formalise the informal arrangement: Gandhi would be central to decision-making whether or not he enjoys any formal position. In fact, on Saturday evening, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who had been delaying if not avoiding an expansion of his Cabinet to accommodate supporters of arch rival Sachin Pilot, called on Mr. Gandhi to discuss the issue.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Liz Truss, Nick Carter to visit India; Afghanistan and Indo-Pacific top agenda 

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and outgoing Chief of Defence Staff General Nick Carter will visit India this week even as the Indo-U.K. naval exercises involving the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) in the Bay of Bengal gets under way from October 21-27, and ahead of a pending visit by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, sources said here. While the strategic purpose of the visits is to discuss the U.K.’s Indo-Pacific strategy and the newly announced Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) alliance, both sides are also expected to focus on the situation in Afghanistan, amidst the perception in Delhi that the British government had played a major role in talks with the Taliban that led to them taking control of the country. The visits, beginning October 22, are also being scheduled ahead of the upcoming Climate Change COP26 summit opening in Glasgow on October 31-November 1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is likely to visit Italy for the G-20 summit on October 30-31, is yet to decide on his plans for COP26, said officials. Gen. Carter is expected to meet CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs. He is also likely to call on NSA Ajit Doval, who as The Hindu had earlier reported, is planning to host a regional conference on Afghanistan in November, and invitations have gone out to several countries, including China and Pakistan for it. New Delhi has been seeking space on events in Afghanistan, given the Taliban control and close links to Pakistan, and discussions with the British military leadership will focus on countering the regional terror threat and terrorism emanating from Afghanistan. Gen. Carter raised eyebrows in Delhi for comments he made in an interview on August 18, just days after the Taliban takeover of Kabul, where he called the militant group country boys. He claimed that the Taliban would recognise the need for an inclusive government, and would allow women to work, particularly in the fields of education, health and government. He later said not just he but everybody had got it wrong on Afghanistan. The comments — and his frequent meetings in Kabul, Islamabad and Doha in the last few months — had been noted by South Block, and Doval and Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla are understood to have raised them with the U.K. officials. In addition to the role in the AUKUS alliance that will enable a fleet of nuclear propelled submarines for the Australian navy, a strategy paper for the Indo-Pacific will also be discussed in Gen. Carter’s meetings with officials, and a roundtable with strategic thinkers.

 

China tested ‘nuclear capable hypersonic missile’, says report

China has denied reports that it tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile earlier this year, insisting instead that it was a routine spacecraft check. The initial report in the Financial Times newspaper prompted concern in Washington, where US intelligence was reportedly caught by surprise. Hypersonic missiles can fly in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound. Concern has been growing around China’s nuclear capabilities. On Monday, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing that a routine test had been carried out in July to verify different types of reusable spacecraft technology This was not a missile, this was a spacecraft, he said. This is of great significance for reducing the cost of spacecraft use. Mr. Zhao added that many countries had carried out similar tests in the past. When asked if the Financial Times report was inaccurate, he replied yes. The report on Saturday quoted five unnamed sources who said a hypersonic missile had been launched in the summer. It flew through low-orbit space before cruising down and narrowly missing its target, the report said. The test showed that China had made astounding progress on hypersonic weapons and was far more advanced than US officials realised, the report read. On Monday, US disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said the US was very concerned, adding that Washington had held back from pursuing military applications for this technology. However, he said both China and Russia had been very actively pursuing military uses, which meant the US having to respond in kind. We just don’t know how we can defend against that technology, neither does China, neither does Russia, he told reporters in Geneva. Earlier, Mike Gallagher, a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, had warned that if Washington stuck to its current approach it would lose a new Cold War with China within a decade. Relations between the US and China are tense, with Beijing accusing President Joe Biden’s administration of being hostile. A number of Western countries have also expressed concern at China’s recent displays of military might.

NATIONAL NEWS 

I am a full-time president of the INC: Sonia Gandhi

In a clear message to the Group of 23 letter writers who had sought internal reforms in the Congress, party president, Sonia Gandhi, on Saturday, reminded that she was a full-time, hands-on president and there was no need for colleagues to speak to her through the media. Revival of the organisation required unity, discipline, self- control and keeping party’s interest paramount, she stated. Her comments are being seen as a direct rebuttal of senior leader Kapil Sibal’s remarks that in our party, at the moment, there is no president. Senior G-23 members such as Shashi Tharoor had talked about the need for a permanent president to revive the party. Though it is yet to be officially announced, the party is learnt to have discussed and fixed an election schedule of September 2022 to elect new office-bearers, including a new party chief. I am, if you will allow me to say so, a full-time and hands on Congress president,  Gandhi observed. In the past two years, a large number of young colleagues have taken leadership roles in taking party policies and programmes to the people, she asserted. I have always appreciated frankness. There is no need to speak to me through the media. So let us all have a free and honest discussion. But what should get communicated outside the four walls of this room is the collective decision of the CWC, she noted. Talking about the party’s revival, a key theme raised by the G-23, she said, The entire organisation wants a revival of the Congress. But this requires unity and keeping the Party’s interests paramount. Above all, it requires self-control and discipline. Gandhi said that the party had always stated on its position on a numerous issues from  the farmers’ agitation, relief provision during the pandemic, issues concerning youth and women, atrocities on Dalits, Adivasis and minorities, price rise, and the destruction of the public sector—the party had never shied away from raising issues of public importance. Never have we let issues of public importance and concern go unaddressed. You are aware that I have been taking them up with the Prime Minister as have Dr. Manmohan Singh and Rahul ji. I have been interacting with like-minded political parties regularly. We have issued joint statements on national issues and coordinated our strategy in Parliament as well, she remarked. In her opening remarks, Gandhi also spoke about the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, the farmers’ agitation, inflation, foreign policy and the continuing border stand-off with China, targeted killing in Jammu and Kashmir and the disinvestment process.

Rains in Kerala force Met to issue red alerts

As torrential rains continue to lash Kerala under the influence of a low pressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea, the India Meteorological Department extended the red alert to six districts, namely, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad, as per the latest weather update. Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad are on orange alert for isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall. Northern districts Kannur and Kasaragod are on yellow alert today for isolated heavy rainfall. The Lakshadweep islands also are on yellow alert. Thodupuzha town the administrative capital of Idukki district has gone under water flowing incessant rains. Several districts of Kerala are on yellow alert on Sunday following freak rains. Around 30 houses were damaged in Kollam due to heavy rains and strong winds that lashed across the district during the last 24 hours. Though relief camps have been arranged in all taluks and opened in some; affected people are yet to move in. The district was by and large spared of extreme or heavy rainfall till the evening with light to moderate rain being the norm through the day. A bout of heavy rainfall in Kothamabgalam taluk that lasted all of 15 minutes in the morning was the only such instance to be reported at the emergency operations centre (EOC) being set up at the district collectorate. Neither any casualty nor large scale damage to properties was reported from the district except for partial damage to two houses at Muvattupuzha and North Paravur taluks. However, the real picture about the extent of damage, if any, is likely to emerge later as the authorities giving all their attention to relief and rescue measures as of now.

Rahul Dravid to coach Indian Team

Cricketer Rahul Dravid has agreed to become the coach of the Indian cricket team after  BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah held a meeting and persuaded him to the become the coach of the Indian team. Ending months of speculation on who will coach the Indian team, Dravid’s appointment puts a lid on the speculation. The tenure of the current ccoach Ravi Shastri, comes to an end after the T20 World Cup. While it was widely reported that Dravid remains the frontrunner for the post of interim coach for the upcoming home series with New Zealand, Dravid has confirmed he will be the next head coach of the Indian team. He will be stepping down as head coach of NCA soon, said a top BCCI officialIf media reports are to be believed, there remains the matter of inviting formal applications and Dravid applying for the post. It is also learnt that Dravid will draw a salary of Rs 10 crore and will be given a two-year contract. While Vikram Rathour is likely to continue as the batting coach, former Mumbai pacer Paras Mhambrey will take over from Bharat Arun as the bowling coach.  Mhambrey has been Dravid’s deputy at the NCA and has worked extensively with India A and Under-19 bowlers. A decision is awaited on the fielding coach for the Indian team. The BCCI had always indicated its preference for an experienced player to mentor and several seasoned players, including the Australians, had shown interest in taking up the job. The BCCI had earlier also indicated its preference for Anil Kumble, who was forced to quit over differences with skipper Virat Kohli, to take over the role but the cricketer had recused himself. Kumble is currently the head coach of the IPL franchise Punjab Kings. It may be recalled that iconic former captain Dhoni was last month was brought in as mentor of India’s 15-member T20 World Cup squad by the BCCI, a move that everyone by surprise.

Two people shot at in Kashmir

A gol-gappa hawker from Bihar was shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar today; a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh was also shot at by terrorists, leaving him critically injured, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The attacks are the eighth in the spate of killings that have shaken the Valley. Terrorists fired at two non-local labourers in Srinagar and Pulwama. Arbind Kumar Sah from Banka in Bihar died in Srinagar and Sagir Ahmad from Uttar Pradesh is critically injured in Pulwama. Areas have been sealed and searches are on, the police said in a tweet. The terrorists shot the gol-gappa hawker at point-blank range, sources said. A spate of targeted civilian killings in Kashmir has led to the exodus of several Kashmiri Pandits living in transit camps. Dozens of families – many government employees who returned to the valley after being given jobs under the Prime Minister’s special employment scheme for Kashmiri migrants – have quietly left their accommodations. Strongly condemn the killing of street vendor Arbind Kumar in a terror attack in Srinagar today. This is yet another case of a civilian being targeted like this. All Arbind Kumar did was come to Srinagar in search of earning opportunities and it’s reprehensible that he was murdered, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted. Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference leader Sajad Lone tweeted, This is pure terror. Yet again a non-local vendor shot and killed in Idgah. What a shame. How cowardly can it get. The police had launched a massive crackdown and detained some 900 people across Jammu and Kashmir for their suspected links with separatists. The targeted killings have sparked massive outrage and the police are under pressure to prevent these attacks.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

China’s media hail Bhutan deal as ‘breakthrough’ in border talks

Bhutan and China signed the settlement at a videoconference on Thursday. China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Wu Jianghao stated the MoU will make a meaningful contribution to speeding up the negotiation on demarcation and promoting the process of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated in an announcement. The assertion additionally quoted Bhutan Foreign Minister as saying Bhutan will work with China to implement the MoU, unswervingly push forward the negotiation on demarcation, and be committed to strengthening bilateral relations. While Bhutan’s Foreign Ministry issued a quick press launch on the settlement, neither facet has launched particulars on the roadmap. The Chinese state media did, nonetheless, hail the MoU as the primary breakthrough within the border talks, which started in 1984, with 20 rounds held. Wang Shida, a South Asia scholar on the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a think-tank affiliated to the Ministry of State Security, instructed the party-run Global Times the MoU is a milestone and would help break the deadlock. The boundary issue between China and Bhutan is special because it not only relates to Bhutan but also has become a negative factor for China-India ties, he stated. If China and Bhutan make progress in solving boundary disputes, India will have fewer chances and excuses to make trouble on border areas.

Sri Lanka eyeing green agriculture

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a task force on ‘green agriculture’, his office said on Saturday, while Sri Lanka’s farmers continue protesting his government’s abrupt ‘organic fertilizer only’ policy shift since May this year. The ‘Presidential Task Force’ will be responsible for looking into the requirement of fertilizers and improving the quality of organic fertilizer produced in the country, a statement from the Presidential Media Division said, listing the panel’s 14 members, a majority of whom are private sector representatives. No farmers’ organisation was part of it. The move comes about five months after the government banned all chemical fertilizers, shifting immediately to organic fertilizers. Agriculture experts have slammed the move as ill-advised and unscientific, while farmers anticipate that the drastic policy change could slash their yield. Paddy farmers anticipate a 25% production slump, while growers of tea, which is a key foreign exchange earner for Sri Lanka, fear a likely 40 – 60% fall in output. The ruling administration sought to justify the decision by citing President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s poll pledge in 2019, and an urgent need to bring down the country’s import bill as the economy reels under the impact of the pandemic. Until now, Sri Lanka spent an estimated $300-$400 million annually on fertilizer imports. If the government’s policy shift took the country by shock, the newly appointed panel has drawn attention for its composition. It is striking that even now the task force has no scientists who study and research agriculture, said Saman Dharmakeerthi, Professor of Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya. The danger with the heavy private sector presence is that they might promote anything they produce and insist that farmers use them, he added.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Mutilated body of man found near farmer protest site at Singhu border

An unidentified man was on Friday found dead with his wrist severed and body tied to a police barricade near the farmers’ protest site at the Singhu border in Haryana’s Sonipat. The police said a First Information Report was lodged against unidentified men in this connection. Hansraj, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Detective Dept., Sonipat, told reporters that a police officer found the body tied to the barricade around 5 a.m. He said the hands and the legs of the body were chopped off and there were no clothes on it except for an underwear. The spot at Singhu border where a mutilated body of a man was found. The people at the spot were questioned regarding the incident but no concrete information could be gathered. The deceased is unidentified. An FIR has been registered against unknown people, added Hansraj. However, a video that has surfaced shows a group of Nihangs standing over the man as he lies on the ground in deep shock and pain with his wrist cut and bleeding profusely, raising suspicion that the murder could be related to an incident of blasphemy. The Nihangs, surrounding him, could be heard asking his name and native village, but none comes forward to help him. We are looking into this video and many other videos doing the rounds on social media, apparently related to the incident. It is a matter of investigation, said Hansraj. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has condemned the murder and mutilation of the man.  In a statement issued after an emergency meeting of farm union leaders, the SKM said that a Nihang group at the scene has claimed responsibility, saying that the incident took place because of the deceased’s attempt to commit sacrilege with regard to the Sarbaloh Granth. The SKM added that it has been reported that this deceased was staying with the same group of Nihangs for some time. The SKM identified the dead man as Lakhbir Singh, son of Darshan Singh, hailing from Cheema Kala village in Tarn Taran district, part of the Police Station Sarai Amanat Khan. Samyukt Kisan Morcha condemns this gruesome killing and wants to make it clear that both the parties to this incident, the Nihang group and the deceased person, have no relation with Samyukt Kisan Morcha, said the statement. The SKM added that while it is against sacrilege of any religious text or symbol, that does not give anyone the right to take the law into their own hands. The group of farm unions demanded that the culprits be punished according to law after investigating the allegation of murder and conspiracy behind sacrilege. SKM leaders said they would cooperate with the police and administration in any lawful action.

SAD, AAP hit out at Centre for decision to enhance BSF’s powers, call it an attack on federalism 

The Ministry of Home Affairs’ decision to enhance the powers of the Border Security Force (BSF) to arrest, search and seize within 50 km from the international boundary in Punjab has created a furore among political parties in the State. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) accused the Centre of impugning the rights of Punjab and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) termed it a direct attack on the federal structure of the country. SAD leaders and workers on Thursday staged a protest near the Governor House against the decision. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that the BJP and the Congress have both colluded to hatch the anti-Punjab conspiracy. Badal said this was the second time that the Centre had impinged on the rights of the State in quick succession. The Centre has discriminated against the farmers of the State by bringing in the three farm laws. Now it is effectively taking control over law and order over half of the State by extending the jurisdiction of the BSF, he observed. He termed the move an attack on the federal structure of the State. The SAD will fight to right this wrong as we stand for a genuine federal structure. He charged Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi with selling off the interests of the State and the government of not mounting an effective opposition to the new measure, which was condemnable. Leader of the Opposition Harpal Singh Cheema of the AAP stressed that Channi should convene an all-party meeting on the BSF issue and call for a delegation to meet the representatives of the Central government. He demanded a special session of the Assembly to condemn and pass a resolution seeking a rollback of the decision. An unannounced emergency-like situation had been created by the BJP government. Earlier also, the Union government had enacted agriculture laws without the consent of the states on the issue of agriculture under their jurisdiction, thus robbing them of their rights, Cheema added in a statement.

Family objects to Manmohan Singh being photographed inside AIIMS during Mandaviya’s visit 

The family of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is upset about him being photographed when Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya called on him at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). In a statement on Friday, Dr. Singh’s daughter, Daman Singh, said her mother had objected to the presence of a photographer during the Minister’s visit to the former prime minister’s room but her objections were ignored. My father is being treated for Dengue at AIIMS. His condition is stable but his immunity is low. We have restricted visitors due to the risk of infection. It was nice of the Health Minister to visit and express his concern. However, my parents were in no state to be photographed at the time, she stated. My mother insisted that the photographer should leave the room, but she was completely ignored. She was very upset. My parents are trying to cope in a difficult situation, she added. After calling on Dr. Singh on Thursday, the Minister reportedly posted a few photos of his visit to the former Prime Minister’s hospital cabin in his Twitter handle. However, following a social media backlash, Mandaviya removed the photographs from his handle. But there has been no official statement on the issue, neither from the AIIMS nor the Health Ministry. Following fever and complaints of severe weakness, Dr. Singh, 89, was admitted to the AIIMS on Wednesday. His condition was said to be stable.

Senior Maoist leader RK dead 

The CPI (Maoist) received a major setback as one of their senior most leader and central committee member Akkiraju Hargopal alias Ramakrishna alias RK passed away in the forests of South Bastar on October 14. Confirming the death of one of its members Akkiraju Hara Gopal aka Ramakrishna (RK), CPI (Maoist)’s Central Committee announced on Friday that he died around 6 a.m. on October 14. In this October 20, 2004 photo, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) State secretary, Ramakrishna, (RK) is surrounded by PLGA men before he leaves Manjeera Guest house for historical peace talks with the andhra Pradesh government. The outlawed party’s Central Committee said RK died due to kidney failure and other ailments. He suddenly developed kidney-related complications. Immediately medical treatment was started with dialysis when his kidneys failed, triggering other health complications, a statement in the name of Central Committee’s spokesperson Abhay said. Despite extending ‘good medical treatment’, he could not be saved, it said. Tributes were paid to him by conducting his final rites in the presence of revolutionary cadre, it said, describing his death as an irreparable loss to the party. RK, who joined the Maoist movement in the late 1970s in Kondapalli Seetha Ramaiah’s outfit PWG (People’s War Group), was the chief advisor of the organisation’s Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC). He also had led the peace talks during the time of then Andhra pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy in September 2004. The Maoist leader was from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. He played a pivotal role in strengthening the base of the CPI (Maoist) in Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) in various positions during his long underground life spanning three to four decades. His son Prithviraj alias Munna was killed in a major exchange of fire with the police at Ramaguda in the AOB area in 2016.

Delhi Police register case after AIIMS doctor alleges she was raped by her senior colleague 

The Delhi Police have lodged a case after a doctor working at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi alleged that she was raped by one of her senior colleagues during a birthday party inside the campus, officials said on Friday. The accused is at large and efforts are on to nab him, they said. The incident took place on September 26 during a birthday party of one of their colleagues, they added. The police received information about the incident on October 11 at the Hauz Khas police station, officials said, adding that the Medico Legal Case (MLC) was also done. According to the police, when their team reached the hospital and met the victim, she told them that on September 26, one of her senior colleagues allegedly raped her after she went to his room for the birthday celebration. Based on her statement, a case was registered under sections 376 (Punishment for rape) and 377 (Unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code at the Hauz Khas police station, said Benita Mary Jaiker, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South). During investigation, the statement of the victim was recorded before a magistrate under section 164 CrPC, and raids are being conducted at some hideouts of the accused. Technical surveillance has also been mounted but the accused is still at large, she said.

One killed, 16 injured after vehicle runs into religious procession in Chhattisgarh 

One person was killed and 16 others were injured when an SUV ran into a religious procession at Pathalgaon in Jashpur district of Chhattisgarh on Friday afternoon, police said. The incident took place when residents of Bazarpara locality had taken out a procession for the immersion of Goddess Durga idols, an official said. The deceased man was identified as Gaurav Agrawal (21). Two occupants of the vehicle, Bablu Vishwakarma (21) and Shishupal Sahu (26), natives of Singrauli in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, were later arrested from the outskirts of the town while the vehicle itself was found burning, he said. Locals claimed that the two were smuggling ganja and set the SUV on fire themselves to destroy evidence as they were being chased. Tension prevailed in the town and a large number of people gathered outside the Pathalgaon police station. Terming the incident as sad and heart-wrenching, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said the accused were immediately arrested and action has also been taken against some police officers who were prima facie found at fault.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

More than 30 killed in deadly suicide attack on Shia mosque in Kandahar 

A suicide bomber attacked a Shia mosque in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar during Friday prayers, Taliban officials said, killing more than 30 people and injuring 74 others. The assault came just a week after a suicide attack on Shia worshippers at a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz, which was claimed by the Islamic State group. There has not yet been any claim of responsibility for the assault in Kandahar, the spiritual heartland of the Taliban. Our initial information shows it was a suicide bomber who blew himself up inside the mosque. We have launched an investigation to find out more, a local Taliban official said. Last Friday, an Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) suicide bomber targeted a Shiia mosque in Kunduz, killing scores of people. The group, a bitter rival of fellow Sunni Islamist movement the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attacks against Shia worshippers, whom it regards as heretics. Bangladesh PM says culprits behind attacks on Hindu temples won’t be spared  Some Hindu temples in Bangladesh were vandalised by unidentified miscreants during Durga Puja celebrations, prompting the government to deploy paramilitary force in 22 districts after four people were killed and many others injured in riots, media reports said on Thursday, October 14, 2021. According to media reports, three people were killed during clashes between Muslim bigots and the police at Hajiganj sub-district in Chandpur, bordering Cumilla on Wednesday while the fourth one succumbed to his wounds later. Authorities enforced a ban on rallies in Haziganj where officials confirmed the deaths of four people in gunshots, adding that two others were critically injured in the clashes. The police said that a couple of their officials were injured as the mob attacked them and vandalised their and local administrators’ cars. They, however, did not explain if the casualties were caused due to the police actions but media reports said that the police opened fire on a mob of over 500 people. According to the officials, the police were alerted about an alleged blasphemy incident at a Durga Puja pavilion in Cumilla, about 100 kms from here, after which a probe was launched. However, violence erupted as bigots attacked temples in parts of Cumilla, neighbouring Haziganj, northwestern coastal sub districts of Hatia and Banskhali while social media was used largely to instigate the communal tensions. Hindu religious leaders called the violence as part of a plot to upset the Durga Puja celebrations and demanded action against the bigots and protection of Hindu temples and establishments. The police said that they have so far detained 43 people in connection with the violence. People who posted the first video on the Cumilla puja venue on social media were also under custody. Ruling Awami League general secretary and road transport minister Obaidul Qader said that fanatic elements staged attacks on Hindu temples at 10 to 12 places with a political motive. But our government led by (Prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina will not let them proceed with their evil design, he told reporters visiting a Puja pavilion at the Ramkrishna Mission here. The religious affairs ministry issued an emergency notice, urging members of the public not to take the law into their hands as it reiterated calls to maintain communal harmony and peace, it said. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised that the culprits would be brought to book. The incidents in Cumilla are being thoroughly investigated. Nobody will be spared. It doesn’t matter which religion they belong to. They will be hunted down and punished, she said, according to PTI. Hindus make up some 10% of Muslim-majority Bangladesh’s 169 million population. In the past several years, there have been reports of sporadic violence, mostly sparked by rumours spread on social media.

Bhutan, China sign MoU for 3-step process to expedite boundary talks. 

During a meeting held via video on Thursday, China and Bhutan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a Three-Step Roadmap to help speed up boundary talks that have been delayed. The MoU is of historic significance and is the result of years of joint efforts and sincere cooperation between the two sides. The Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, Wu Jianghao, and the Foreign Minister of Bhutan, Lyonpo Tandi Dorji, signed the MoU on the Three-Step Roadmap for Expediting the Bhutan-China Boundary Negotiations at the virtual signing ceremony. Wu said China and Bhutan are friendly neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. The traditional friendship between the two peoples goes back to ancient times. It is expected that the MoU will make a meaningful contribution to speed up the negotiation on demarcation and promote the process of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries, Xinhua News Agency reported.  China will follow Xi Jinping Thought on diplomacy, follow the neighborhood diplomacy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and be a good neighbor, friend and partner of Bhutan on the principles of equality and peaceful coexistence, Wu said. Foreign Minister of Bhutan, Lyonpo Tandi Dorji said that Bhutan will work with China to implement the MoU, unswervingly push forward the negotiation on demarcation and be committed to strengthening bilateral relations, Xinhua reported.