More than a month after he first announced to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) his decision to quit as party president, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday changed the status on his Twitter handle to a member of the Congress and MP.
Congress veterans are now exploring options for a way out of the crisis as the party has to get ready for the Assembly elections in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Haryana.
India says Iran oil imports not stopped
Indicating that there is still some confusion in India’s position on stopping oil imports from Iran in line with sanctions by the United States, the government said on Wednesday that it does not propose to cancel trade, including oil imports, from Iran.
Replying to a direct question on whether the government would “withdraw or discontinue” trade with Iran, Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan said, “No.”
Amarnath Yatra: Rail, road traffic curbs rile Kashmiris
For the first time, the Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered stopping of traffic on the 97-km national highway and halting train services in south Kashmir during daytime till the 45-day Amarnath Yatra concludes in the State, evoking sharp reactions.
According to an official handout of the Railways, no train will be available between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Qazigund to Banihal. “Before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m., trains will be available between Baramulla and Banihal. After completion of the yatra, trains will be available all day,” the spokesman said.
Twitter storm over Army note on pensions
The Army came in for sharp criticism from the veteran community on social media on Wednesday over its stand on taxing disability pension after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman put out an unsigned note of the force which said some “unscrupulous personnel” were exploiting the disability benefits. Parts of the note were later tweeted by the Army’s Additional Director-General of Public Information (ADG PI).
“ADGPI at its worst possible. Campaigning against its own,” said Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) on Twitter.
Editorial | Power play: on Karnataka political crisis
With two MLAs of the Congress resigning from the Karnataka Assembly, it is clear that horse-trading to pull down the State government is under way. The BJP is not just waiting in the wings; it is actively trying to reenact a script it has perfected over a decade and more. The resignations of Vijayanagar MLA Anand Singh and Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi can only be seen as a replay of a strategy the BJP used earlier, luring Opposition MLAs to resign from the Assembly, thereby forcing by-elections. The BJP’s confidence in winning the by-polls stems from its spectacular showing in the Lok Sabha election.
Comment | A scheme for farmers that has not reached most farmers
The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan), a cash transfer programme that draws on major initiatives by two State governments, has a long way to go in terms of both its implementation and scope of coverage. Even as the cropping season is under way, the scheme’s support has not reached farmers in most of the country’s regions.
Launched by the Centre at the end of its previous tenure and made effective retrospectively from December 1, 2018, the measure is a necessary state response to assuage agrarian unrest.
Items not declared? You can still pay GST
The Finance Ministry on Wednesday issued a slew of clarifications regarding the filing of annual returns under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in a bid to ease taxpayers’ concerns.
Notable among the clarifications are that taxpayers can still pay tax and interest on items that were not declared earlier, and regarding the source of data that must be provided in the annual return.
The Ministry clarified that the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Act provides an opportunity for self-correction to all taxpayers in case they have not paid tax on some transactions, or have erroneously been granted a refund.
Pakistani authorities announced a crackdown on Wednesday against Hafiz Saeed, leader of the group blamed for the deadly attacks on Mumbai in 2008, amid growing international pressure to act against militant groups.
Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism Department said it had launched 23 cases against Saeed and 12 aides for using five trusts to collect funds and donations for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), blamed by India and the U.S. for the attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people.
Bangladesh sentences nine to death for 1994 attack on PM Hasina
A Bangladesh court on Wednesday sentenced nine members of the main opposition party to death and handed life terms to another 25 for attempting to kill Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 25 years ago, a government lawyer said.
Thirteen people were also jailed for 10 years for their part in the attack on a train carrying Hasina in 1994, prosecutor Aminul Islam said.
At that time, Hasina was opposition leader and her arch rival, Khaleda Zia, was prime minister. Now Zia and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are the opposition.
2019 Cricket World Cup | With basic target achieved, India readying for steep road ahead
Virat Kohli’s men did what they were expected to do as a first step in the World Cup — qualify for the semifinals. Given the squad’s pedigree, a last-four berth was the most basic requirement and the Men in Blue seized that with aplomb, barring a solitary loss to England.
The remaining yards, though, would be the most difficult. Every joust during the next fortnight under English skies finally reflecting summer’s warmth, will be invested with a certain value. Even the last league match against Sri Lanka at Headingley here on Saturday, will have its consequences in terms of influencing the playing eleven for the semifinal and, hopefully, the summit clash at Lord’s on July 14.