Above the Fold: Top stories of the day
1. The Lok Sabha passed the Goods and Services Tax bill, which allows for a national sales tax. It will now have to pass through the Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority.
2. The US ambassador to India described the "chilling effects" of the Indian government's crackdown on NGOs.
3. The Centre has diluted provisions of the Whistle Blowers Protection Act of 2011.
The Big Story: Salman is convicted for culpable homicide
Salman Khan has been convicted of all charges in the 2002 hit-and-run case but got interim bail almost immediately after the verdict was pronounced by sessions judge DW Deshpande in Mumbai on Wednesday. The judge rejected the defence's contention that the death of a pavement dweller had occurred due to a crane dropping the car on him as it cleared the wreckage after Khan's vehicle crashed into the pavement in a Mumbai suburb.
This vindicates the testimony of the sole eye witness in this case, constable Ravinder Patil, who died of TB, after being abandoned by his own employer, the Mumbai Police.
Bollywood has closed ranks around one of its own getting convicted for a crime and Twitter was abuzz with all manners of justifications for Khan. Priya Dutt and Milind Deora of the Congress and Hema Malini of the Bharatiya Janata Party – all Members of Parliament with connections with the entertainment industry – told journalists or tweeted before the sentencing that they hoped that the actor would not be punished too harshly.
The reaction to Khan’s sentencing has to do with the fact that show business is considered to be a planet unto itself, made up of unique and exceptional creatures who have slipped off restrictions that bind normal people.
The Big Scroll
Plenty of reactions to the news on Twitter, from the good to the bad to the ugly. After all, this is a man adored by his fans, so much so that they are willing to forgive his excesses. Which in turn is used by the movie business to justify their support for him.
As the actor was sentenced, a restaurant in Mumbai named after him decided to stay closed for the day. Meanwhile, here's a look at a documentary that tries to answer what makes Khan the star that he is.
Politicking & Policying
1. Mamata Banerjee may ask the Centre for special assistance for the backward regions of Bengal.
2. The Rajya Sabha has passed a landmark land swap deal with Bangladesh even as the Asom Gana Parishad is protesting Assam's inclusion in the deal.
3. The Pakistan Army has accused India of fomenting terrorism in Pakistan.
Punditry
1. In the Business Standard, Shyam Ponappa accuses the government of of not seeing the big picture when problem solving.
2. In the Hindu, Dhiraj Nayyar, advises Modi to be radical in policy reform and sprightly in execution.
3. In the Indian Express, Alistair Mcmillan comments on how the diffused UK electorate is in many ways similar to the Indian one.
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1. The Lok Sabha passed the Goods and Services Tax bill, which allows for a national sales tax. It will now have to pass through the Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority.
2. The US ambassador to India described the "chilling effects" of the Indian government's crackdown on NGOs.
3. The Centre has diluted provisions of the Whistle Blowers Protection Act of 2011.
The Big Story: Salman is convicted for culpable homicide
Salman Khan has been convicted of all charges in the 2002 hit-and-run case but got interim bail almost immediately after the verdict was pronounced by sessions judge DW Deshpande in Mumbai on Wednesday. The judge rejected the defence's contention that the death of a pavement dweller had occurred due to a crane dropping the car on him as it cleared the wreckage after Khan's vehicle crashed into the pavement in a Mumbai suburb.
This vindicates the testimony of the sole eye witness in this case, constable Ravinder Patil, who died of TB, after being abandoned by his own employer, the Mumbai Police.
Bollywood has closed ranks around one of its own getting convicted for a crime and Twitter was abuzz with all manners of justifications for Khan. Priya Dutt and Milind Deora of the Congress and Hema Malini of the Bharatiya Janata Party – all Members of Parliament with connections with the entertainment industry – told journalists or tweeted before the sentencing that they hoped that the actor would not be punished too harshly.
The reaction to Khan’s sentencing has to do with the fact that show business is considered to be a planet unto itself, made up of unique and exceptional creatures who have slipped off restrictions that bind normal people.
The Big Scroll
Plenty of reactions to the news on Twitter, from the good to the bad to the ugly. After all, this is a man adored by his fans, so much so that they are willing to forgive his excesses. Which in turn is used by the movie business to justify their support for him.
As the actor was sentenced, a restaurant in Mumbai named after him decided to stay closed for the day. Meanwhile, here's a look at a documentary that tries to answer what makes Khan the star that he is.
Politicking & Policying
1. Mamata Banerjee may ask the Centre for special assistance for the backward regions of Bengal.
2. The Rajya Sabha has passed a landmark land swap deal with Bangladesh even as the Asom Gana Parishad is protesting Assam's inclusion in the deal.
3. The Pakistan Army has accused India of fomenting terrorism in Pakistan.
Cartoon
#SalmanKhan held guilty of all the charges in 2002 hit-&-run case. My #cartoon on #SalmanGuilty #SalmanKhanConvicted pic.twitter.com/dzk97M3ke5
— MANJUL (@MANJULtoons) May 7, 2015Punditry
1. In the Business Standard, Shyam Ponappa accuses the government of of not seeing the big picture when problem solving.
2. In the Hindu, Dhiraj Nayyar, advises Modi to be radical in policy reform and sprightly in execution.
3. In the Indian Express, Alistair Mcmillan comments on how the diffused UK electorate is in many ways similar to the Indian one.
