QBullet: Advani to Face Court in Babri Case; PM Modi Meets Merkel

The Quint’s roundup of headlines from the national dailies.

Senior BJP leader LK Advani. (Photo: Reuters) 

1) Advani to Face Court in Babri Masjid Case

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, and Union Minister Uma Bharti, are expected to appear before a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court here on Tuesday in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

On 25 May, the court summoned the leaders to appear before it in person on 30 May for the framing of charges against them.

The BJP leaders had moved court seeking exemption from appearance but the court said they would be allowed no such relaxation.

This is the first time that the leaders would appear before a court in connection with the Babri Masjid demolition case after the Supreme Court in April restored the criminal conspiracy charges framed against them, overruling the Allahabad High Court judgment that dropped the charges.

(Source: The Hindu)

Also Read:
Ayodhya DeQoded: Ram Lalla and a Contrived Miracle
SC Order in Babri Case Works in Favour of BJP and Sangh Parivar

2) PM Modi Meets Chancellor Merkel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met German Chancellor Angela Merkel upon arriving in Germany, the first stop in his six-day Europe tour.

They interacted at the Schloss Meseberg's garden before a private dinner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the meeting a "very good interaction".

The two leaders enjoyed the sunshine with a walk in the grounds of Schloss Meseberg, an 18th century Baroque castle in the Brandenburg district of Germany which is the official state guest house of the German Chancellor.

Read the full story on The Quint.

3) West Bengal, Kerala Object to Ban on Sale of Cattle for Slaughter

Defying the Centre’s decision to ban sale and purchase of cattle for slaughter at animal markets, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that her government would “not accept this order” and would “challenge it legally and constitutionally”.

Banerjee called it a “deliberate attempt to encroach on the state’s powers”. “It is absolutely unconstitutional, undemocratic and unethical. It is also an attempt to destroy the federal structure of the country.”

Banerjee also questioned the timing of the notification.

Why did they choose the month of Ramzan to announce this decision? Who are they to decide who will eat what, and who will wear what? They have no right to tape people’s mouth. It is time to tape the mouths of those who made this law because they are not abiding by the Constitution. Stay within your limit… don’t cross your limit.

(Source: Indian Express)

Also Read: Shashi Tharoor: Centre’s Beef With Beef Defies ‘Live and Let Live’

4) Cyclone Mora Nears, NDMA Asks State Govts to Monitor Situation

The Indian Navy's Eastern fleet ships have been put on the highest state of readiness so that help can be extended promptly in case cyclone ‘Mora’ hits parts of Bangladesh.

The cyclone has been heading towards North and North East direction from its present position in Bay of Bengal.

The India Meteorological Department made a forecast that it will hit Chittagong in Bangladesh by Tuesday.

A senior Navy official said:

It is likely to turn into deep depression and make a landfall in Bangladesh by Tuesday afternoon or evening. Indian Navy Eastern Fleet ships are at the highest state of readiness to render assistance if required. 

Read the full story on The Quint.

5) 9 Lakh Chemists Across India on Strike

Over 9 lakh chemists across the country will shut shop on Tuesday observing a day-long nationwide strike to protest against stringent regulations on the sale of medicines in the country and the squeeze on margins of retailers.

However, emergency service pharmacies in and around hospitals will remain open, Sandeep Nangia, president, Retail Distributors Chemists Association.

Drug retailers have long been demanding a hike in retailers margins, which is currently fixed at 16 percent.

Retailers argue the margin is inadequate as the government and the regulator want them to maintain a certain infrastructure and facility including air conditioning etc.

(Source: The Times of India)

Also Read: Combiflam, D Cold Total Among 60 Drugs Found to be ‘Substandard’

6) PSUs Told to Pay for Govt's 3rd Anniversary Events

The Centre has asked PSUs and government entities to pick up the tab for functions to mark three years of the Modi government across 543 districts where events called "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas Sammelan" are being held from 27 May to 18 June.

According to an official communication to 45 such entities, the objectives of these programmes have been set out as informing the public about the good governance outcomes of the government.

An official website meant for the programmes gives details of places where these events will be held. It also mentions that oil and gas PSUs, including the Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, will host 223 events across the country. The next set of PSUs in terms of the number of events are from the power sector.

(Source: The Times of India)

Also Read:
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7) Drop Names of My Officers From FIR: NHAI Chief to Uttarakhand

Days after Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari asked Uttarakhand Chief Minster Trivendra Singh Rawat to reconsider the demand for a CBI probe into an alleged scam in farmland acquisition for widening of National Highway 74, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) Chairman Y Malik has asked state Chief Secretary S Ramaswamy to “remove” the names of NHAI officials from an FIR on compensation paid for the acquired land.

In a letter to the Uttarakhand government on 26 May, Malik wrote that “dragging NHAI officers in such incidents is bound to be counter-productive” and the Authority might find it “extremely difficult to post and retain officers” in the state.

In the FIR, allegations have also been raised against officials for allegedly changing land use from agriculture to non-agriculture on an earlier date so that a higher compensation amount could be paid for the acquired land.

(Source: Indian Express)

Also Read: NHAI to Invite Bids to Operate Highways Under New TOT Model

8) Kashmir Problem to be Solved Soon: Rajnath

Despite the unrest in Kashmir snowballing, Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that the problem would be solved soon without any compromise with Pakistan.

He did not elaborate how the Kashmir problem would be solved. Singh said certain forces were trying to misguide the Kashmiri youths but this would be checked.

“Kashmir is ours and so are the Kashmiris,” he said at a programme to highlight achievements of the Modi government in the past three years.

He did not dwell long on Kashmir, but went on to highlight the successes of the BJP-led central government .

(Source: Hindustan Times)

9) No One From My Family Could Influence FIPB, Says Chidambaram

Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said his son Karti had never met any officer connected with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) and had no links with the applicant company INX Media, against which the Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case.

According to the CBI, Mr Karti allegedly received money from INX Media, through Chennai-based Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd, to help it wriggle out of a possible probe into the use of foreign funds it had got from three Mauritius-based investors in 2007.

Karti Chidambaram was never a director or shareholder of Advantage Strategic Consulting Pvt Ltd (ASCPL). The promoters/directors of ASCPL have, on more than one occasion, made it clear that ASCPL is their company and they alone are responsible for the business of that company.

P Chidambaram

He said the ASCPL promoters/directors were business friends of his son.

(Source: The Hindu)

Also Read: Exclusive | India Not Better or Stronger Than In 2014: Chidambaram

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