Headlines from today’s papers.
BJP ‘well-wishers’ should avoid making ‘petty’ statements, Modi tweets
Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi took to social media to voice his disapproval of “petty” statements made by those claiming to be the party’s “well-wishers” and asked them to refrain from doing so. A tweet from Modi’s official Twitter account read, “Petty statements by those claiming to be BJP’s well wishers are deviating the campaign from the issues of development & good governance. I disapprove any such irresponsible statement & appeal to those making them to kindly refrain from doing so.” The tweet came a day after Modi shared the stage with Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam in Mumbai, who called Muslims “traitors” and said they would be taught a lesson once Modi comes to power. It also came a day after the BJP disassociated itself from Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia’s alleged hate speech on Saturday, also targeting Muslims.
Supreme Court to hear curative petition seeking decriminalisation of gay sex
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a curative plea in open court from gay rights activists regarding the validity of the Delhi High Court’s verdict decriminalising gay sex in private between consenting adults. The Supreme Court in December last year had set aside the Delhi High Court’s 2009 judgement and tossed the ball in the Parliament's court to amend the law. However, a bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justices RM Lodha, HL Dattu and SJ Mukhopadhaya will consider the curative petition, which is the last available judicial resort for overturning a verdict. The curative plea will be heard next week by when Justice Lodha would have taken charge as the new CJI.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hits out at allegations against husband
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, came out strongly against opposition parties for making “false allegations” against her entrepreneur husband Robert Vadra. Priyanka said that Robert Vadra was being targeted for political gains and that she felt pained, but vowed to fight back. Speaking in Hindi while campaigning for her mother in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, Priyanka said, "Many things are being said about my family, my husband. I feel sad the way humiliating things are being said. The more I will be humiliated, more will be my determination to fight." The Congress backed Priyanka’s remarks, saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party constantly targeted Robert Vadra without any proof.
SC rejects BCCI panel, asks Mudgal committee to continue investigation
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s suggestion to form a new three-member committee to investigate corruption in the Indian Premier League, which included former India all-rounder and BCCI-contracted commentator Ravi Shastri, former CBI director RK Raghavan and former judge JN Patel. The apex court instead asked the Justice Mudgal committee if it would be willing to further investigate their own report submitted to the court in February, which named 13 people, including former BCCI president N Srinivasan. According to reports, the Mudgal panel has accepted the court’s request. The court will make a formal announcement regarding the panel’s composition, its terms and modalities of operations, on Tuesday.
C-130 J crash due to ‘wake turbulence’, report suggests
The crash of an Indian Air Force C-130 J aircraft last month, which killed five crew members, is believed to have been caused by the transporter inadvertently flying into the wake of the lead plane during a tactical training mission, leading to a loss of control at low altitude, according to a report in the Indian Express. The preliminary findings have ruled out any technical fault and suggested that the aircraft failed to adopt a flight path. An error of judgement by the pilot has not been ruled out.
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BJP ‘well-wishers’ should avoid making ‘petty’ statements, Modi tweets
Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi took to social media to voice his disapproval of “petty” statements made by those claiming to be the party’s “well-wishers” and asked them to refrain from doing so. A tweet from Modi’s official Twitter account read, “Petty statements by those claiming to be BJP’s well wishers are deviating the campaign from the issues of development & good governance. I disapprove any such irresponsible statement & appeal to those making them to kindly refrain from doing so.” The tweet came a day after Modi shared the stage with Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam in Mumbai, who called Muslims “traitors” and said they would be taught a lesson once Modi comes to power. It also came a day after the BJP disassociated itself from Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Pravin Togadia’s alleged hate speech on Saturday, also targeting Muslims.
Supreme Court to hear curative petition seeking decriminalisation of gay sex
The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a curative plea in open court from gay rights activists regarding the validity of the Delhi High Court’s verdict decriminalising gay sex in private between consenting adults. The Supreme Court in December last year had set aside the Delhi High Court’s 2009 judgement and tossed the ball in the Parliament's court to amend the law. However, a bench of Chief Justice P Sathasivam and Justices RM Lodha, HL Dattu and SJ Mukhopadhaya will consider the curative petition, which is the last available judicial resort for overturning a verdict. The curative plea will be heard next week by when Justice Lodha would have taken charge as the new CJI.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra hits out at allegations against husband
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, daughter of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, came out strongly against opposition parties for making “false allegations” against her entrepreneur husband Robert Vadra. Priyanka said that Robert Vadra was being targeted for political gains and that she felt pained, but vowed to fight back. Speaking in Hindi while campaigning for her mother in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, Priyanka said, "Many things are being said about my family, my husband. I feel sad the way humiliating things are being said. The more I will be humiliated, more will be my determination to fight." The Congress backed Priyanka’s remarks, saying that the Bharatiya Janata Party constantly targeted Robert Vadra without any proof.
SC rejects BCCI panel, asks Mudgal committee to continue investigation
The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s suggestion to form a new three-member committee to investigate corruption in the Indian Premier League, which included former India all-rounder and BCCI-contracted commentator Ravi Shastri, former CBI director RK Raghavan and former judge JN Patel. The apex court instead asked the Justice Mudgal committee if it would be willing to further investigate their own report submitted to the court in February, which named 13 people, including former BCCI president N Srinivasan. According to reports, the Mudgal panel has accepted the court’s request. The court will make a formal announcement regarding the panel’s composition, its terms and modalities of operations, on Tuesday.
C-130 J crash due to ‘wake turbulence’, report suggests
The crash of an Indian Air Force C-130 J aircraft last month, which killed five crew members, is believed to have been caused by the transporter inadvertently flying into the wake of the lead plane during a tactical training mission, leading to a loss of control at low altitude, according to a report in the Indian Express. The preliminary findings have ruled out any technical fault and suggested that the aircraft failed to adopt a flight path. An error of judgement by the pilot has not been ruled out.
