QBullet: AAP’s ‘Guarantee’ for Delhi; India Test Fires K-4 Missile
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1. Water, Power, Pollution Fight in AAP ‘Guarantee’
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, 19 January, released a “guarantee card” ahead of the 8 February state Assembly polls, promising that the government’s flagship schemes (free water, electricity and bus rides) will continue if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is re-elected.
Kejriwal made at least eight new commitments, including deploying ‘mohalla marshals’ in residential areas, reducing pollution to a third, and making bus rides free for students.
Releasing the “Kejriwal ka guarantee” card, the party chief said these would be distributed in every household in Delhi so that people did not fall for the “lies” that he alleged were being spread by opposition parties.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
2. India Successfully Tests Its 3,500 km-Range K-4 Missile
The Indian strategic forces got a major boost on Sunday, 19 January, after the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) tested a 3,500-kilometre range submarine-launched K-4 ballistic missile off the Vizag coast, with the nuclear weapon meeting all its target objectives, officials with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The three-metre-tall missile carries a nuclear warhead of over one tonne with a circular error probability (CEP) far lower than that of Chinese ballistic missiles. Only the US, Russia and China have submarine-launched ballistic missiles of 3,500-kilometre range. The INS Arihant is already equipped with a 700-kilometre range B-02 nuclear missile, with the second nuclear submarine INS Arighat on way to becoming operational.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
3. Govt Moves to Limit Duty-Free to 1 Bottle, Slash No of Cigarettes
The commerce and industry ministry has proposed to reduce the number of alcohol bottles and cigarette packets a passenger can buy at duty-free outlets when returning from an overseas trip, while also seeking a cut in the value of goods and gifts one can get in without paying duty, currently set at Rs 50,000.
Even as the number of alcohol bottles is proposed to be halved from two, the number of cigarette sticks that could be bought was earlier reduced from 200 to 100. A further reduction is proposed.
Although a final decision is yet to be taken, the move has triggered criticism as flyers shop for their favourite brands at duty-free shops, which are not just seen to be genuine, but also cost less.
(Source: The Times of India)
4. Not Implementing CAA Will Be Unconstitutional, Says Nirmala Sitharaman
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has termed the move by some opposition-ruled states to not implement the Citizenship Amendment Act as unconstitutional and said everyone in the country had an obligation to implement the act. She also asked those opposing the law to not spread “panic and anxiety by spreading falsehood”.
Sitharaman, who was speaking at an interactive session on the controversial legislation organised by Chennai Citizen’s Forum on Sunday, 19 January, added that the government was willing to hold discussions with those having apprehensions about the legislation.
“We are ready to hold discussions with those having any apprehension that this law would deprive them of their citizenship,” Sitharaman said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. Citizenship Act Not Necessary, CAA, NRC India’s Internal Matter: Sheikh Hasina
In her first remarks on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has termed the contentious law and the National Register of Citizenship (NRC) as an “internal matter” of India but at the same time, said the act was “not necessary”.
“We don’t understand why (the Indian government) did it. It was not necessary,” Hasina told Gulf News in an interview on Saturday, 18 January.
The Awami League party chief’s remarks came weeks after Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen said that the two laws are India’s “internal issues”, but said any “uncertainty” in the country is likely to affect its neighbours.
(Source: The Indian Express)
6. Taking Punjab’s Lead, All Cong States May Pass Resolutions Against CAA
Signalling a step up in the political battle over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and to erase confusion over the comments of senior functionaries that not implementing the law might be “unconstitutional”, Congress on Sunday, 19 January, said all states where it is in office should follow the example of the party government in Punjab and pass anti-CAA resolution in their respective assemblies.
The message was beamed by senior Congress functionary Ahmed Patel, who said, “After Punjab, we are thinking about bringing a resolution against the CAA in states like Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh. It would be a clear message to the central government to reconsider the Act.”
(Source: The Times of India)
7. Amid Bandh Over Sai Baba Birthplace Row, Shirdi Temple Remains Open
A tussle between two towns in Maharashtra, about 270 km apart, over the origins of 19th-century spiritual figure Sai Baba has culminated in a bandh being called in the temple town of Shirdi on Sunday, 19 January.
“While the protest is for tomorrow (Sunday), if a solution is not found we will go in for an indefinite bandh,” senior BJP leader and MLA from Shirdi, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, said on Saturday.
The local MLA, and others from various protesting groups, said the bandh will not affect pilgrims and only business establishments in Shirdi will be asked to down shutters. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of representatives from both the sides in Mantralaya on Monday to put an end to the controversy.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. Govt Seeks to Bring States on Board for Piped Gas Project
The government has roped in states to expedite projects worth about Rs 90,000 crore to directly supply piped natural gas to about 40 million households, and it has nudged Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) to set up a Rs 250-crore gas equipment manufacturing unit to halt the influx of Chinese meters, people familiar with the development said.
For the first time, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas will hold a conference of all stakeholders, including state governments, this week to resolve the contentious issue of land rights, a state subject, which is a major roadblock in creating underground pipeline infrastructure for city gas distribution (CGD) projects, a person with knowledge of the matter said on condition of anonymity.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. JD(U), Akalis on Board, BJP Eyes Pacts With LJP and JJP
Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday, 19 January, finalised pre-poll alliances with Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) and Akali Dal while talks were still on to bring Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and Dushyant Chautala’s Jannayak Janta Party on board.
JD(U) Delhi in charge Sanjay Kumar Jha confirmed that BJP had allotted it two seats — Burari and Sangam Vihar, with a sizeable Poorvanchali population. Sources said the party could field former MLA SCL Gupta from Sangam Vihar and Shailendra Kumar from Burari.
“We will contest the election with all our strength and win both seats. The model of Bihar’s development under the leadership of Nitish Kumar is attracting people and they will vote for JD(U).
(Source: The Times of India)
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