QBullet: “I Condemn” on Kashmiris’ Lips; Nitish Stern on Tejashwi
Here’s a look at what’s making headlines.
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1. ‘I Condemn’: Kashmir Reacts in Anger and Shame Over Amarnath Pilgrim Attack
I CONDEMN — most social media profile pictures of young Kashmiris carried this two-word message a day after militants killed seven pilgrims returning from the Himalayan shrine of Amarnath.
The Valley rife with a long separatist movement hung its head in shame and anger because, as netizens put it, the attack on the centuries-old pilgrimage is against Kashmiri ethos and tradition.
“Shame Shame Shame,” wrote a youth on social media, condemning the militants.
“Killing of seven #AmarnathYatris in south Kashmir is inhuman and barbaric. This is an act of cowardice, a terrorist attack. May good sense prevail,” wrote Ubaid Shafi, another netizen.
The outpouring of condemnation touched people from all walks of life.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. SC Orders Window on Cattle Rules
The Supreme Court on Tuesday halted the Centre's notification banning cattle and buffalo sale for slaughter at animal markets, extending "throughout the country" the interim stay imposed by the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on May 30.
It added that whenever the Centre came out with an amended notification, sufficient time should be provided so that any aggrieved party could challenge it in court before its implementation.
The bench of Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice DY Chandrachud passed the order after the Centre said it was "reconsidering" the 23 May notification in the light of objections from various stakeholders.
(Source: The Telegraph)
3. Nitish Talks Tough on Graft Charges, But Gives Time to Deputy
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is understood to have sent a message loud and clear to his deputy Tejashwi Prasad Yadav that he must resign from the cabinet on his own and explain to the people the corruption allegations against him, but gave some breathing space by not setting a deadline.
Nitish's tough talk came in his speech to party leaders at a meeting of the Janata Dal United's state executive committee today. "Tejashwi must explain to the people the charges of corruption he is facing as the CBI has filed an FIR against him," a senior JDU leader, who spoke to The Telegraph under cover of anonymity, quoted Nitish as saying.
"Nitish," the leader said, "categorically stated that he (Tejashwi) must resign from the cabinet by himself but gave him time as he didn't set a deadline."
(Source: The Telegraph)
4. Vice-Presidential Election: Why Gopalkrishna Gandhi Got the Nod; Non-Political Career, Chennai Link
An “informal” consensus on former West Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi’s name as the joint Opposition nominee for Vice President’s elections had in effect been achieved even before Tuesday’s meeting. What moved all 18 parties on Tuesday to sign the proposals were two facts, apart from his surname, according to Opposition leaders: the fact that he has never been in active politics and, unlikely as it may sound, that he lives in Chennai.
The fact that he comes from Tamil Nadu — C Rajagopalachari is the former bureaucrat’s maternal grandfather, and Mahatma Gandhithe paternal grandfather — was also kept in mind.
While the DMK is firmly in the Opposition camp, the AIADMK is still aligned with the NDA, and Opposition leaders hope Gandhi’s Chennai connection will not go unnoticed in the AIADMK camp.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Centre’s Only Job is to Divide People on Communal Lines: Mamata Banerjee
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday expressed grief over the Amarnath terror attack and said that the BJP-led Central government cannot give protection to the people of the country as its only job is to divide the country on communal lines.
Mamata also slammed the Central government for “playing with fire and creating unrest in Darjeeling,” and asserted that peace will soon be restored in the Hills.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. Border Crisis with China Not a First, Says Foreign Secy Jaishankar
Playing down differences with China and the military standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at Doklam, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said the situation there had occurred before and could be “handled.”
“It is not the first time that it has happened,” he said, responding to questions about the situation in the tri-junction area, after delivering a lecture at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. “How do you handle it is a test of our maturity. I see no reason, having handled so many situations in the past, that we will not handle this,” he added.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. SC Dilutes Booze Sale Ban Along Highways Within Municipal Limits
The Supreme Court paved the way on Tuesday for states to denotify highways passing through municipal limits to allow liquor vends to resume business.
The SC bench had banned liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways, an order which came into effect on April 1.
However, on Tuesday , the bench came around and said it never meant to ban the sale of liquor on roads passing through cities. “What was intended to be directed by the judgment was so long as the road remains a highway , it gets covered by the judgment (banning liquor vends within 500 metres of it). If it is no longer a highway , the order will not apply ,“ the bench said.
“If a state has the authority to denotify a highway to municipal road, then we will test whether it is doing so to violate the SC order. If they had denotified highways outside city limits, then we would have taken umbrage. But they have done so within city limits,“ the bench said, observing that it would dismiss the appeal against the HC order while delivering the detailed judgment.
(Source: Times of India)
8. Kerala Proposes ‘Stray Dog Zoos’
The Kerala government is planning “stray dog zoos” to keep them off the streets in the State. The State government informed a Supreme Court Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra that it had asked all district panchayats to keep aside two to three acres and notify them as ‘stray dog zoos’.
The State government, represented by senior advocate V. Giri, was responding to a question from the Supreme Court on the construction of shelter homes for the stray dog population, which has increased aggressively over the years and become a dangerous presence on the streets, especially after dark.
However, the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and activists refused to be convinced by the solution Kerala has arrived at concerning stray dogs.
(Source: The Hindu)
9. Cops Gear up for Makeover With Utility Belts, Special Lathis
Soon, Delhi cops will get protective gear and equipment in line with their counterparts from the US and European countries. Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik has finalised a plan to procure a range of items like fibreglass helmets, polycarbonate shields and batons for his men.
Apart from these, the city policemen will get utility belts, which will help them carry handcuffs, radio sets, magazines, among others, easily . A total of 10,000 such belts will be procured.
The department is procuring 7,135 body protectors, 5,717 helmets, 5,274 body shields and 10,500 polycarbonate lathis. Special commissioner Dependra Pathak confirmed the development. These will protect cops not only from stone pelting, but also from cane and knife attacks. They will also help them dodge projectiles during riots, say cops.
(Source: Times of India)
More from The Quint:
Exclusive: Basirhat Riot Victim’s Son Denies BJP’s Claim to Him
Amarnath Yatra Attack: What a Mature Response Could Look Like
Could an Indo-Pacific ‘Quad’ Counter China’s Rising Aggression?
Amarnath Yatra Attack: Conspiracy Theory Sours Kashmir’s Shock
Amarnath Yatra Is Usually a Watertight System. What Went Wrong?
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