Newsletter 21 Jan

National

‘Boosting Friendship’: PM Modi and Nepal PM KP Oli Jointly Inaugurate 2nd Integrated Check Post

PM Modi and Nepal PM Oli to jointly inaugurate the 2^nd Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Jogbani-Biratnagar, built with Indian assistance to facilitate trade and people’s movement.

The 1^st was built at the Raxaul-Birgunj border in 2018.

The Nepal PM said that the time is ripe for resolving all pending issues “through dialogue in the lasting interest of our two countries”.

The Indian government had committed to building as many as 50 K houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts, of which 45,000 have already been built.

The Republic of India and the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal initiated their relationship with the 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship and accompanying secret letters that defined security relations between the two countries, and an agreement governing both bilateral trade and trade transiting Indian territory.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will arrive in India on 24 Jan, he’ll meet PM Modi on 25 Jan. He’s coming here as Republic Day chief guest.

CAA Row will continue..!!!

Home Min. Amit Shah in public rally in Lucknow, “I challenge Rahul, Akhilesh, Mamata and Mayawati for a discussion on CAA with me in public forum”. He further affirmed that “Protest as much as you want, the CAA won’t be withdrawn.”
Home Affairs (S), G Kishan Reddy: It (NPR) is a constitutional obligation on states, they should not object to this. We will continue to sensitize
them, disclosing information for NPR is voluntary.
‘Muslims ruled India for years, why ask for papers?’ says AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi.
CAA not aimed at taking away anybody’s citizenship, appeal to students to explain this to those misleading public: HRD Minister Pokhriyal
Even on 4o^th day of protest, an attempt has been made to end the Shaheen Bagh impasse. A delegation from Shaheen Bagh will meet Delhi Lt. Governor Anil Baijal.
Protestors refuged to close protest, and said to wait for decision of SC.
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken cognizance of complaint of viral videos of children participating during protest against CAA at Shaheen Bagh. Commission has sought a report on it within 10 days from District Magistrate, South East Delhi.
In Lucknow, women continue to protest at Ghanta Ghar against CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Police have registered 3 FIRs in connection with the ongoing protest.
Senior INC leader, Digvijaya Singh: We’re against CAA, NRC, and NPR. These are against constitution. We’re against center’s divisive policy. No one has the right to ask for proof of citizenship from people who chose to live here.
Likewise, Kapil Sibbal said that PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah are a drag on Indian democracy.
Bengaluru: Protest held against CAA and NRC at Chandni Chowk, Shivajinagar.
Pavan K. Varma, National Gen Secy of Janata Dal (United): I’ve written to CM Nitish Kumar today asking him how JD(U) has formed an alliance with BJP for Delhi Elections, given his own views on BJP and the massive national outrage against divisive CAA, NPR and NRC scheme.

Ministry of Civil Aviation has received advisory from Ministry of Health Welfare on Novel Coronavirus in Wuhan of China. Health screening of passengers coming from China to Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai to be undertaken at pre-immigration counters installed with thermal cameras.

Thermal screening facilitated at Delhi’s IGI Airport for the passengers coming from China, in the light of Novel coronavirus outbreak in China’s Wuhan.

Researchers have been unable to trace the source of 2019-novel coronavirus outbreak which has infected close to 220 people in Wuhan, China and claimed four lives so far.

They are transmitted from animals to humans but the source has not been identified yet. Virus can lead to illness like cough and fever to severe respiratory problems, kidney failure and even death.

On Jan 20, China confirmed that 2019-nCoV can transmit between humans. The WHO has said it is contemplating to declare an international health emergency in wake of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

SC urges Parliament to rethink whether Speaker has power to disqualify legislators

The issue came up before a Bench headed by Justice R Fali Nariman while deciding a petition regarding disqualification of Manipur Forest and Env Min T Shyamkumar.
INC leader Shyamkumar had won from Andro seat in 2017 assembly elections. INC, the single largest party with 28 seats, had, however, fell three seats short of the required number to achieve a majority in the 60-member assembly.
The BJP with 21 seats formed an alliance with other parties taking its tally to 30 seats, but with one short of the majority mark.
Shyamkumar later joined the BJP without resigning from Congress and helped BJP form a coalition government.
Last year the court had upheld the decision of former Karnataka Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar to disqualify 17 rebel Congress-JDS MLAs under the anti-defection law and allowed them to contest the by-elections in the state.

Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in Srinagar, under Central Govt program to reach the people for explaining them to benefits of 370 abrogation, he said Under ‘Himayat’ program, Rs. 16 crore has been granted for JnK and 12,000 young people have been trained. AIIMS being established in Samba and Awantipora.

JnK, Local women participate in huge numbers for Jammu and Kashmir province battalion recruitment drive in Doda district. Danish Rana, IPS Chairman, Recruitment Board says, “Enthusiasm in the women is commendable despite cold weather and rain, they appeared for the tests”.

Mani Shankar Aiyar, INC leader in Malappuram, Kerala: There are traitors like the ones we are seeing now, but then in every society there are traitors, these are not representatives of the people, if they were, they would have been elected many years ago.

How many elections we’ve had in JnK? Some of these people are those who were elected and have now decided to betray the cause for which they stood. They are sending 36 union ministers to JnK, look at these cowards, 31 are going to Jammu & only 5 to Kashmir.

Delhi: Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjyot Singh Bhalla informed senior advocate HS Phoolka today, that he (Bhalla) has received a letter where death threat was given to Phoolka, who is representing victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots in various matters.

In response, senior advocate HS Phoolka said, “I’m not going to be distracted by it but writing threat letter to a judge is very serious matter. I’ll meet Chief Justice of high court, asking for strict action.”

The 1984 anti-Sikh riots, also known as the 1984 Sikh Massacre, was a series of organized pogroms against

Sikhs in India in response to the assassination of Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards.

The ruling INC had been in active complicity with the mob, as to the organization of the riots. Government estimates project that about 2,800 Sikhs were killed in Delhi and 3,350 nationwide, whilst independent sources estimate the number of deaths at about 8,000–17,000.

'India Needs Investment': IMF's Gita Gopinath On Snub To Jeff Bezos

Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund said in an interview that India needs a lot of investment and it is important to encourage it, in reference to the government’s cold-shoulder to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos during his visit last week.

Jeff Bezos, during a 3-day visit to India that featured no meeting with any minister or government official, promised to invest $1 billion in India.

She further added, “we need to revive domestic investment in India, consumption spending is weak. So I think the environment has to be created for greater investment because that’s what will raise the capital stock and raise India’s potential growth.”

She has also opposed the demonetization program of Govt, and got support from INC leader, and former FM P Chidambaram.

The snub to the Amazon boss was linked by many to criticism of PM Modi and the government in the Washington Post, owned by Jeff Bezos.

RPF Unearthed the Fake e-Ticketing Gang

Railway Protection Force (RPF) DG: We’re a step ahead in operation against e-ticketing racket. We’ve unearthed an organized gang. Its kingpin is probably sitting in Dubai. We’re investigating the members of the gang, the manner in which the money is going to banks and some companies.

According to DG, those arrested in this connection had hacked the railway website and forged its ticket booking software to book e-tickets.

The e-ticketing racket has its roots in Dubai, Pakistan and Bangladesh. One Hamid Ashraf, the alleged kingpin of the e-ticketing racket busted by the RPF, was earlier arrested by the CBI.

Due to the illegal booking of tickets, the Indian Railways incurred losses running in several crores.

The cash generated by selling e-tickets were routed to Dubai, Pakistan and Bangladesh through the Hawala network and used in anti-India activities.

During the operation, the RPF also seized software for creating fake Aadhar and pan cards and other government documents.

Security

Post Arrest Impact of JnK Cop Devinder Singh

The arrest of senior Davinder Singh, who was accompanying two wanted terrorists to Jammu, has also brought him under the scanner for his alleged links with 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

As per a media report, Singh was named by Afzal Guru, who was hanged on 9 Feb 2013, in a letter that he wrote to his lawyer Sushil Kumar from Tihar jail.

In the letter, Afzal alleged that Singh and other officers from the JnK police not only tortured him and extorted money, but also introduced him to one of the men who later attacked Parliament.

Afzal also claimed that it was Singh who asked him to arrange for a car and a place to stay for the attacker.

International

Nepal: 8 tourists from Kerala found dead in a hotel room of a resort in Daman. SP Sushil Singh Rathore of District Police Office, Makwanpur says, “We are yet to identify the name of the deceased. They were using gas heater in the room, suffocation might have caused their death.”

Kerala Tourism Minister K Surendran on casualty said as soon as the shocking news of the death of 8 tourists from Kerala reached us, the state police chief was instructed to contact the Nepal police and take necessary action.

As per Pak Media, PM Imran Khan has left for Davos to attend the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum.

On the sidelines, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders including the US President Donald Trump.

Political

In coming assembly polls, in an unprecedented development, ruling AAP party has blamed that BJP by putting 40 dummy candidate ahead to CM and party head, Arvind Kejriwal while filling nomination.

It is notable that yesterday also CM conducted huge road show for filing nomination and due to delay he couldn’t file the nomination.

However, BJP rejected the claim by saying he sees BJP everywhere, filling nomination is right of every citizen.

A 2-member committee of Shiromani Akali Dal, comprising senior leaders Balwinder Singh Bhunder and Prem Singh Chandumajra to visit MP tomorrow to help people of Sikh community who’ve been declared illegal occupants of land in notified scheduled tribe block in Sheopur dist’s Karahal

States

Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes bill to establish three capitals

The state government plans to build three capitals-executive capital in Visakhapatnam, legislative in Amaravati and judicial in Kurnool.

The Bill will be moved in the Legislative Council on Tuesday but the government may face an uphill task to see it through as the ruling YSR Congress is having just nine members in the 58-member Upper House.

He also debunked former CM, Chandrababu’s claim that Amaravati was a self-financing project. Earlier, the Leader of Opposition said he was “pleading with folded hands” not to change the state capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.

Huge protest broken out due this decentralizing capital, Amravati, as Former CM is blamed by ruling MLAs for indulging in various project during their speech in Assembly.

Chandrababu Naidu, who was detained outside the state assembly has been released in Mangalagiri town. Chandrababu Naidu, along with his convoy has left for his residence.

Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena: When alliance govt is formed, be it NDA or UPA, setting up of co-ordination committee, eases working of govt. Our 3 parties have different ideologies but, govt runs on Common Minimum Program (CMP). Committee will look into CMP and also controversial issues.

Haryana HM, Anil Vij said on reports of him asking CM ML Khattar to remove CID chief Anil Kumar Rao: He is not giving me intelligence inputs despite asking for it repeatedly. It can pose a major threat to tranquility and harmony in the state… I have no dispute with the CM.

Root of problem is website of state Govt which says, CID chief will report to CM not HM.