6 Stories You May Have Missed Amid Lok Sabha Election Fever
From BJP owning up to NamoTV to SC verdict on electoral bonds scheme, here are the stories you likely missed.
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Have you been caught up with news on the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls? Do you want to read something else? Then look no further, here’s a list of stories you may have missed on Thursday, 11 April, amid the election fever.
1. ‘NaMo TV Run by BJP’: IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya Confirms
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday, 10 April, admitted that the NaMo App, which includes the NaMo TV feature, is run by the party’s IT Cell.
“NaMo TV is a feature of NaMo app which is run by BJP IT cell. (The) Party has taken slots on DTH for which provisions are there to show it,” Amit Malviya, the head of BJP IT Cell told The Indian Express.
Malviya’s statement comes after the Election Commission said the ban on the release of the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during poll season also applies to the broadcasting of NaMo TV.
Read the full story here.
2. EU, UK Delay Brexit Till 31 October
Britain and the European Union agreed early on Thursday, 11 April, to extend the deadline for Brexit to Halloween, giving six months for Britain to come up with a deal that allows them to exit the EU without economic chaos.
The new, 31 October, cutoff date averts a precipitous and potentially calamitous Brexit that had been scheduled for Friday, 12 April. At an emergency summit in Brussels, leaders of the EU deliberated and settled on October, with the possibility of an earlier Brexit if Britain ratifies a withdrawal agreement. The latter is a key request made by Theresa May.
"Please, do not waste this time," European Council President Donald Tusk pleaded, saying that the extension was given “to find the best possible solution” to its Brexit impasse.
Read the full story here.
3. CJI to Pronounce Order on Electoral Bond Scheme on Friday
The Supreme Court Thursday reserved its order on a PIL challenging the government's electoral bond scheme for political funding. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it would pronounce its order on Friday, 12 April on the plea filed by NGO, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The decision, however, will be an interim order, and not a final decision on the constitutionality of the electoral bonds scheme.
The NGO, which has challenged the validity of the scheme, has sought interim relief including that either the issuance of electoral bonds be stayed or the names of the donors be made public to ensure transparency in the poll process.
Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, supported the scheme saying the purpose behind it is to eliminate the use of black money in elections.
Read the story here.
4. SC Slaps Rs 20 Lakh Fine on WB Govt for Ban on ‘Bhobishyoter Bhoot’
The Supreme Court slapped a ban of Rs 20 lakh on the West Bengal government on Thursday, 11 April, for imposing a “virtual ban” on a Bengali film Bhobhishyoter Bhoot, directed by acclaimed film-maker Anik Dutta.
A bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud said the fine amount shall be given to producers and cinema hall owners as “compensation” for violation of their right to freedom of speech and expression.
The film had released in February, but a day later, it was taken off screens for “political reasons”. When they approached the owners of the cinema halls, they were told that this was being done on the basis of verbal orders from “higher authorities.” On 15 March, the Supreme Court had asked the chief secretary and principal secretary of the West Bengal government to ensure that director Anik Dutta’s movie Bhobishyoter Bhoot is screened.
Read the full story here.
5. Sudanese Officials Say Army Forced President to Step Down
Two senior Sudanese officials say that the army has forced longtime President Omar al-Bashir to step down but the circumstances of the apparent ouster remain unclear.
Sudan's armed forces were to deliver an "important statement" and asked the nation to "wait for it" on Thursday, 11 April, state TV reported.
There had been mass street protests against the rule of the president, who has been in power for 30 years. The army announcement raised expectations it was a sign al-Bashir was relinquishing power or was being removed by the military.
The circumstances of al-Bashir's apparent ouster and his current whereabouts remained unclear, however.
Read the full story here.
6. Julian Assange Arrested in UK, Ecuador Withdraws Asylum Status
Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange was, on Thursday, arrested after staying in Ecuador's embassy in London for seven years as the South American country withdrew the asylum granted to him.
Scotland Yard confirmed the arrest and said its officers had executed a warrant against Assange dating back to June 2012 for breach of bail conditions in the UK.
The 47-year-old Australian-born has been holed up in a back room of the Ecuador embassy in central London for nearly seven years since his arrest on sexual assault charges in Sweden.
He claimed asylum on the grounds that he feared ultimate extradition to the US, where he faces a possible death sentence or torture for Wikileaks' alleged leak of American secrets.
"He (Assange) has been taken into custody at a central London police station where he will remain, before being presented before Westminster Magistrates' Court as soon as is possible," a Metropolitan Police statement said.
Read the full story here.
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