The big news: Arun Jaitley claims Congress manifesto is unimplementable, and 9 other top stories
Other headlines: An ISRO scientist dismissed NASA’s concerns about Mission Shakti, and WhatsApp launched a new fact-checking service to fight fake news.
A look at the headlines right now:
- Some ideas presented in Congress manifesto are ‘positively dangerous’, says Arun Jaitley: The Congress promised 34 lakh government jobs, income support and universal healthcare.
- NASA chief says India’s anti-satellite test created dangerous debris in space: However, ISRO scientist Tapan Misra claimed that the debris would burn out in six months and that the organisation would not do anything to “shame India”.
- WhatsApp launches new fact-checking service to fight fake news ahead of elections: Users can send a message to the Checkpoint Tipline, which will respond by classifying it as true or false, said the company.
- Modi holds rally with Nitish Kumar in Bihar, says Congress and terrorists worried about chowkidar: The prime minister claimed that the Congress had coined the term ‘Hindu terror’ to prevent fair investigations into the activities of terrorist groups.
- Supreme Court strikes down RBI circular on defaulting firms, calls it unconstitutional: The RBI’s 2018 order directed banks to classify a loan account as stressed if there was even a day of default.
- Election Commission squad seizes copies of book on Rafale deal in Chennai, inquiry ordered, say reports: The poll body said it had not ordered any action against the book on the alleged Rafale scam.
- Shatrughan Sinha takes a jibe at Narendra Modi, refers to him as ‘outgoing Sirji’: The rebel BJP leader, who is expected to join the Congress later this week, said the prime minister’s speeches lack content and depth.
- Election Commission pulls up aviation, railways ministries over alleged code of conduct violations: Meanwhile, the CPI(M) complained to the poll panel that Modi is trying to rouse communal passions, and a former Navy chief said he will approach the EC against Adityanath’s remark calling Army ‘Modiji ki Sena’.
- Mayawati’s affidavit before SC justifies expenses incurred in building statues, calls it ‘will of the people’: The BSP chief also claimed that the plea against the statues is politically motivated and serves no public purpose.
- Muslims won’t get BJP tickets in Karnataka because they don’t trust us, claims senior party leader: Meanwhile, in an alleged effort to pacify her supporters, former minister Ananth Kumar’s wife Tejaswini, who was denied a Lok Sabha ticket from his Bengalaru South constituency, was made the state BJP vice president.