QWrap: The BJP-PDP Breakup, Arvind Kejriwal Ends His Dharna & More

Here are the top five headlines of the day.

(Photo: Lijumol Joseph/The Quint) 

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

1. J&K Govt Collapses After BJP Pulls Out of Alliance With PDP

The three-year Jammu and Kashmir government, wracked by bitter political feuds and worsening security challenges, collapsed today with the BJP pulling out of its alliance with the PDP, setting the stage for yet another round of governor's rule.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav made the surprise announcement after the party high command summoned its Jammu and Kashmir ministers for emergency consultations in New Delhi. A few hours later, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti submitted her resignation to Governor NN Vohra amid a swirl of political activity in Srinagar and New Delhi.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah, whose party is the third biggest in the assembly, captured the drama with one sentence, "I wish Mehbooba Mufti had resigned herself... instead of the having the rug pulled from under her feet."

Catch the live updates here.

2. Rahul 3.0: Congress President’s Big Hits & Important Misses

In 2017, Rahul Gandhi was well-received at Berkley, Princeton and later in Gujarat, where a series of strategic political moves succeeded in restricting the BJP to under 100 Assembly seats. That it was Prime Minister Modi’s home-state meant additional bragging rights.

But if the Congress party has to go beyond moral victories, it will need a lot more than just bragging rights. In the six months since taking charge as the Congress president, Rahul Gandhi has made good on his party’s past mistakes, but that’s not to say he hasn’t made any of his own.

Watch the full video here.

3. AAP Protest: Kejriwal Calls Off 9-Day Sit-in After L-G’s Letter

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called off the party's sit-in at L-G Anil Baijal's residence after the latter requested him to meet all the officers at the Secretariat to iron out the differences between the concerned parties.

Baijal on Tuesday wrote to the chief minister asking him to meet officers urgently to address the concerns of both sides through dialogue.

Baijal shot off a letter to Kejriwal in response to his deputy Manish Sisodia's communication in which the latter had asked for a meeting between the government and bureaucrats to end the impasse.

Catch the live updates here.

4. 710 Fires in 2018 Already: Is Mumbai Compromising on Fire Safety?

Over 300 Mumbaikars have lost their lives in fires over the last six years. Seven among them were firemen. A recent RTI query has highlighted the shocking numbers that raise an important question – is Mumbai compromising on fire safety norms?

There have been over 29,000 instances of fire across the city since 2012. A whopping 710 cases have been recorded till May 2018 alone. Be it slums, heritage buildings or skyscrapers, none of these buildings are completely fireproof. “Old buildings don’t come under the purview of Maharashtra Fire Prevention Act,” Prabhat Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer, Mumbai, told The Quint.

Watch the full report here.