QBullet: PM Modi in China; ‘Review Management of Shrines,’ Says SC
Here are the top headlines of the day.
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1. Modi to Attend SCO Summit in China, Hold Meeting With Xi Jinping
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on 9 June. The two will meet on the sidelines of the 9-10 June Shanghai Cooperation Summit (SCO), that will be held in the Chinese coastal city of Qingdao.
In his address at the two-day SCO summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will arrive in Qingdao on Saturday, is likely to articulate India's position on dealing with major challenges facing the world including ways to tackle terrorism, and boosting trade and investment in the region.
The summit in this eastern Chinese port city is taking place under the shadow of Washington's pull out from the Iran nuclear deal, its sanctions regime against Russia, and frictions with China over the trade tariffs.
Follow live updates from the SCO meet on The Quint
2. SC asks Centre to Review Management of Religious Shrines
In a bid to ensure hassle-free access of pilgrims to important religious shrines without getting exploited by local people and touts, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to review the management of all such holy places to make it visitor friendly and curb malpractices.
While hearing a PIL on alleged lack of basic facilities for visitors in Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri, a vacation bench of Justices AK Goel and Ashok Bhushan expanded the ambit of the petition and decided to examine the management policy of all important shrines in the country to ensure that their religious sanctity is maintained and to prevent their commercialisation.
“We only want that lakhs and lakhs of devotees who visit the places of worship of importance are not exploited and there are no encroachment, malpractices and misuse of funds," the bench said. The apex court directed the Centre to set up a committee to review the management practices of all important shrines in the country and file a report before it.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. RSS on Pranab ’s Morphed Photo: Frustrated Forces Doing Dirty Tricks
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has lashed out at the forces circulating fake photos of Pranab Mukherjee standing with folded hands at its event in Nagpur. In an official statement released, the RSS said, “Some divisive political forces posted a morphed photo of former President Dr Pranab Mukherjee standing with folded hands during the recitation of Sangh Prarthana in Nagpur yesterday. These frustrated forces are doing all such dirty tricks to defame RSS.”
Earlier in the day, Sharmistha Mukherjee targeted the BJP and RSS for a viral photoshopped image of her father and former President Pranab Mukherjee doing the RSS’ salute along with its chief Mohan Bhagwat. Sharmistha, the president of the Delhi Congress women’s wing, alleged the right-wing organisations’ dirty tricks departments were at work in full swing.
Her comments come a day after she warned her father that his visit to the RSS headquarters would fuel rumours and fake news.
(Source: The Indian Express)
4. No Bogus Voters in MP: Election Commission Probe
Based on the reports submitted by two teams constituted to probe the Congress’s allegations that there were at least 60 lakh bogus voters listed in Madhya Pradesh, the Election Commission has not found any substance in the charges.
A delegation of Congress leaders, led by Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia, had recently met the Election Commission to raise the issue.
Subsequently, the electoral body constituted two teams for verification. While one team covered the Assembly constituencies of Narela and Bhojpur, the other examined the records of the Hoshangabad and the Seoni-Malwa Assembly constituencies. The teams reached Madhya Pradesh on 4 June.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. Maha Police Claim to Have Unearthed Maoist Plots to Kill PM Modi, CM Fadnavis
The Maharashtra police claim to have unearthed Maoists’ plots to purportedly assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a “Rajiv Gandhi-type incident” during one of his road shows and targeting state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for initiating operations against rebels.
In a submission before a local court on Thursday, the Pune police said it had found a letter in the computer of Delhi-based activist Rona Jacob Wilson, one of the five accused of inciting violence in Bhima Koregaon, detailing a plan to kill the PM.
The letter addressed to one “comrade Prakash” by another person identified by the letter R, and sent last April, raised concerns over the Modi-led BJP winning 15 states and talks of procuring weapons and ammunition worth Rs 8 crore. “We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident,” the letter read, adding, “targeting his (Modi’s) road shows could be an effective strategy.”
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. New Bunkers, Battalions, Bulletproof Ambulances Part of Rajnath’s J-K Outreach
Union home minister Rajnath Singh did not say whether the government would continue its suspension of security operations in Kashmir beyond Ramzan, but announced several efforts to reach out to the people of the region during the last day of his two-day tour on Friday.
He announced new plans to set up two border battalions and five Indian Reserve Battalions, in which 60 percent of the posts will be reserved for people who live in border areas.
Such regions will also be given several bulletproof ambulances and the government will build more than 14,000 bunkers for people to take shelter in during episodes of violence between India and Pakistan.
The minister also announced an increase in the financial compensation to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh for persons killed during cross-border firing on the International Border and the Line of Control.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
7. CBSE Paper Leak: School Loses Affiliation
The Central Board of Secondary Education cancelled the affiliation of Mother Khazani Convent School on Friday. On 1 April, Delhi Police had arrested two teachers of this private school in Alipur in northwest Delhi along with the economics tutor of a private coaching centre for their involvement in the leak of the Class XII economics exam paper.
The cancellation notice is yet to be uploaded on the CBSE website, but a senior official confirmed the step. “Yes, the board has cancelled the affiliation of the school, two of whose teachers have been arrested for leaking the economics paper,” the official said.
(Source: The Times of India)
8. Soon, Delhi to Meerut Will Take You Less Than 60 Minutes in a Train
The high-speed Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor that will link Delhi and Meerut will have aerodynamic, state-of-the-art trains that will offer business class luxury to commuters, apart from a reserved coach for women. The 82-km distance between the two cities will be covered in around an hour.
The RRTS project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2024, has already got the nod of Uttar Pradesh government and is awaiting the approval of Delhi government. It is being executed by the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC). The service will start at Delhi’s Sarai Kale Khan and stop at Meerut’s Modipuram, going via New Ashok Nagar, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad and Modinagar. The line will have 24 stations, three of them in Delhi.
The train has a designed speed of 180 kmph, but the average speed is expected to be kept at 100 kmph.
(Source: The Times of India)
9. Karnataka Cabinet: Kumaraswamy Retains Finance, Dy CM Assigned Home
Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy allocated portfolios to his ministers on Friday night, keeping Finance with himself, while giving Home department to his deputy G Parameshwara. The Karnataka CM retained 11 portfolios even as he allocated the portfolios after intense bargaining between the coalition partners, reports PTI.
CM Kumaraswamy will be in charge of Finance, Energy and Excise department apart from the ones which were not assigned to anybody. The Deputy CM takes charge of the Bengaluru development ministry – which controls both the Bengaluru Development Authority and the local corporation – and the Home portfolio.
HD Revanna, older brother of Kumaraswamy, has been allotted the public works department which he had held twice in previous governments too. Congress leader KJ George has been given Heavy Industries portfolio along with the Sugar department. Congress’ DK Shivakumar has been allotted two portfolios.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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