QWrap: PM Modi Speaks Out on Lynching; Bollywood’s 6-Month Report

Here are the top stories for the day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

(Photo: Twitter @PMOIndia)

1. Modi on Lynchings and Gau Rakshaks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally during the centenary celebrations of the Sabarmati Ashram, said that killing people in the name of “Gau Bhakti” is “not acceptable”.

Modi’s message comes a day after India saw nation-wide protests called #NotInMyName condemning the lynching of 16-year-old Junaid Khan.

Killing people in the name of ‘Gau Bhakti’ (cow worship) not acceptable. This is not something Mahatma Gandhi would approve.

PM Narendra Modi

Read the full story here.

2. China Waiting for India to “Correct Its Mistakes”

Chinese foreign ministry said that the re-opening of the Nathu La pass depends on whether the Indian side would “correct mistakes in time”.

The pass allows India’s officially-organised pilgrims entry into Tibet.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat will visit Sikkim on 29 June in the backdrop of a standoff between Indian troops and Chinese army along the Sino-India border in the sensitive sector, which is threatening to further strain the bilateral ties.

Read the full story here.

3. Breaking Down the ‘One’ Tax - GST

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is all set to roll out on the midnight of 30 June. Amid all the fanfare and headlines spread across front pages, if you’re itching to ask some basic questions but are too embarrassed, here’s your one-stop shop.

1. What Is GST?

GST or Goods and Services Tax is a single indirect tax that is expected to replace the existing system of multiple indirect taxes – making way for a pan-India, comprehensive system.

Read the full story here.

Congress, DMK to Boycott GST Session

Congress has decided to not attend midnight session convened to mark the GST implementation on 30 June in Parliament, said Rajya Sabha MP Satyavrat Chaturvedi.

This development comes despite the NDA having invited Manmohan Singh to share the stage with PM Narendra Modi at the session.

Read the full story here.

4. Swachh Bharat Kahan Hai

Practice what you preach. Well, this clearly does not apply to the ministers from the ruling government.

On one hand, we have the BJP government harping about the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan, a primary part of which focuses on curbing open defecation.

On the other hand, we have union ministers leading by example as they take to urinating in open.

A recent picture doing the rounds on social media shows Union Minister for Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh, urinating in public as his security guards stand by.

Read the full story here.

5. What Do the Critics Say? Bollywood’s Half-Year Report Card

We’ve reached the halfway mark of a truly miserable 2017, as far as Bollywood is concerned. 57 films have found pan-India theatrical releases in the first 26 weeks of this year – that’s roughly two films every Friday – and yet the task of selecting merely five of the best so far is an excruciating one.

While the box-office hasn’t been set on fire either – the year’s biggest Hindi language hit is still the dubbed version of Baahubali: The Conclusion; even the customary Salman Khan Eid release, Tubelight, hasn’t quite set cash registers ringing.

While individual critic reviews obviously differ, it is (at least) this writer’s opinion that Hindi cinema is, as it has been for several years, lagging far behind the so-called ‘regional’ cinema.

However, the ambit of this piece is restricted to the glittery, showy entity known as Bollywood, so, without further ado, check out the five (actually, six) best Hindi films of 2017 so far.

Video Producer: Sonal Gupta
Video Editor: Mohd Irshad Alam