QBullet: Kovind’s Road to Delhi; Modi Didn’t Talk H1B, Says Sushma
Here’s a look at what’s making headlines.
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1. Kanpur to Delhi via Patna: Ram Nath Kovind’s Road to Rashtrapati Bhawan
Despite being a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, a former BJP spokesperson and the Bihar governor, Kovind was never an integral part of the Lutyen’s Delhi community. Little did Kovind know back then that he would someday occupy Rashtrapati Bhawan – one of the most important political landmarks on the Indian landscape – located between his former South Avenue and North Avenue residences.
Kovind’s journey from South Avenue to the presidential office was hardly sensational. When Shah announced his candidature, thousands frantically scoured Google to understand who he was. He wasn’t a very familiar face to politicians outside the BJP either.
The Kanpur-born politician’s CV has quite a few highlights. A law graduate, he cleared the civil services examination but did not join it. He, instead, worked as a personal associate for Morarji Desai before the latter became Prime Minister.
In fact, it was Kovind’s modest background that worked for him. “Shri Ram Nath Kovind, a farmer’s son, comes from a humble background. He devoted his life to public service and worked for the poor and the marginalised,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about him on June 19. Incidentally, Kovind had known Modi since his days as the BJP’s sangathan mantri (organisational secretary).
Source: Hindustan Times
2. If Personal Data Can be Surrendered to Private Players, then Why Not to the State, Asks SC
If 99 percent of citizens are "unconcerned" about sharing personal data with private players like Apple, how is it qualitatively different if the State has the same information, Supreme Court judge, Justice DY Chandrachud, asked on Thursday.
"Most citizens are unconcerned about where or how their personal data is used. You say there are 35 crore Internet users and 18 crore telephone users, but 99% of people are not concerned...When you operate your iPad with your thumbprint, your data is public and there it is..." Justice Chandrachud, who is part of the Chief Justice of India JS Khehar-led nine-judge Bench, orally observed.
The questions from the Bench came on the second day of the hearing on the reference whether right to privacy is a inviolable fundamental right under the Constitution.
Source: The Hindu
3. PM Didn't Utter H1B: Sushma
Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj today confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not directly referred to India's concerns over proposed cuts in a key American visa scheme when he met US President Donald Trump last month, though he discussed the "spirit" behind those visas.
Sushma was responding to MPs' questions whether Modi had articulated to Trump India's concerns over the possibility of the tightening of norms for the issuance of H1B work visas by the US.
The Prime Minister had visited Washington last month and met Trump. Modi's silence on H1B visas and the race crimes against the Indian-origin community contrasted sharply with the US President's insistence on "fair" trade with India during media statements after the meeting.
Source: The Telegraph
4. NPF asks Members Not to Back Zeliang
The ruling Naga People's Front in Nagaland today warned its legislators of disqualification if they voted for the motion of confidence to be moved by Chief Minister TR Zeliang, an "expelled" member of the party, in the Assembly tomorrow.
Zeliang, 65, who had rebelled against party president Shürhozelie Liezietsu, was sworn in as the chief minister yesterday.
Governor PB Acharya dismissed Shürhozelie after he failed to turn up for the trust vote yesterday. Shürhozelie, who is not an MLA, was attending a funeral in Kohima around the time the Assembly convened for the trust vote.
Altogether 48 MLAs, including Speaker Imtiwapang Aier, were present in the House. There are 47 NPF, four BJP and eight Independent MLAs in the House of 59. One seat is vacant. The whip was issued by the chief whip of the NPF, Kiyanilie Peseyie, this afternoon.
Source: The Telegraph
5. Pakistan Summons Indian Envoy Over Ceasefire Violations Across LoC
Pakistan on Thursday summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner to its Foreign Office and condemned the ceasefire violations that had allegedly caused the death of two civilians.
On Wednesday night, the Pakistani military released a video, claiming that it had destroyed an Indian post in retaliation and killed five Indian soldiers.
“Despite calls for restraint, India continues to indulge in ceasefire violations. To date in 2017, the Indian forces have carried out 594 ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary,” the statement added.
Source: The Hindu
6. China to Blame for Stand-Off, All Nations with India: Sushma
Blaming China for trying to change the status of the India-Bhutan-China trijunction, minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj on Thursday ruled out unilateral withdrawal of Indian troops as is being insisted on by an increasingly belligerent Beijing.
Responding to queries during question hour in the Rajya Sabha, Swaraj said China's attempt to build a road through Bhutan posed a security challenge to India. She ruled out meeting Beijing's demand for a pullout of Indian troops as a condition for deescalation on the Doklam plateau. The external affairs minister referred to China's insistence and said: “India wants that all troops are removed from the trijunction point before discussing the issue together. All countries, including Bhutan, are with us.“
“Their (China's) intention was to reach the trijunction so that they could unilaterally end the status of the trijunction. It was only then that India came into the picture. If China unilaterally changes the trijunction point, then India's security is challenged,“ she said.
Source: Times of India
7. Nitish’s Anti-Graft Joust a Charade, Says Lalu Man Shivanand; Beckons More GA Trouble
An open letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by former JD (U) Rajya Sabha MP Shivanand Tiwary, and his Facebook post on Thursday, calling Kumar’s policy of zero-tolerance of corruption ’a charade’, has once again set sparks flying within the ruling Grand Alliance (GA) in Bihar.
Tiwary’s son, Rahul Tiwary, is a sitting RJD MLA from Shahpur (Bhojpur) in Bihar. The veteran leader’s stinging Facebook post, draws its significance from the fact he is now regarded as close to the top RJD leadership.
The post comes at a time when GA partners, the RJD and JD (U), are locked in a war of attrition over the latter’s demand that RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, either come clean on the CBI’s FIR against him in the ‘land for railway hotels’ lease scam from his father’s days as railways minister (2004-09) or resign.
Source: Hindustan Times
8. Ahead of 2018 Panchayat Polls: BJP Lines up Cultural, Sports Events to Woo Bengalis
The state BJP has decided to organise cultural and sports activities across the state to woo Bengalis ahead of next year’s Panchayat elections. The party’s Yuva Morcha and Mahila Morcha have been given the responsibility of organising sports and cultural activities respectively. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the events have been organised to mark centenary celebrations of RSS ideologue Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.
“Our youth wing and women’s wing will organise various sports and cultural activities to celebrate 100 years of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya. The people of Bengal love sports and cultural programmes and such events will help us reach out to them,” Ghosh told The Indian Express. Asked about reports that the party was also planning to organise a fish festival, Ghose said, “There is no such plan.”
Source: The Indian Express
9. IGI Metro Arbitration Order Totally Wrong: Sreedharan
Calling the recent arbitration award which requires Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to pay Rs 2,782.33 crore to Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra), as “totally wrong“, former DMRC managing director E Sreedharan has said that the way the project was handled by RInfra was “atrocious“.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday , he said there was no reason why the arbitration award, decided by a three-member tribunal after a three-year hearing, should have gone against DMRC. “I started the airport line and I have a great grievance against Reliance for the way they handled the project, delayed it and then ran away midway , and that company got the award,” he said, expressing surprise. He clarified that he was speaking in his personal capacity and not as principal advisor to DMRC.
“DMRC has taken the issue to court and I have no doubt that it will win the case,“ said Sreedharan.
“We respectfully disagree with the views of Sreedharan, expressed in his personal capacity. At present, the matter is sub judice in the high court,” a DAMEPL spokesperson told TOI.
Source: Times of India
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