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In a pre-dawn operation, the Enforcement Directorate searched Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik‘s Mumbai residence and brought him in for questioning at its office before arresting him in connection with a 1999 land deal with Haseena Parkar, sister of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. His arrest drew furious reactions from ruling allies Shiv Sena and Congress, who targeted the BJP-ruled Centre. The MVA alliance said they will not seek Malik’s resignation and will be holding protests across the state. Here we explain what is the ED’s case against him, and what links with the underworld has it accused him of.
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In an interview with The Indian ExpressManipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who is spearheading the BJP’s campaign in the upcoming state assembly elections, spoke on a range of issues including AFSPA and arrests under UAPA.
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Fintech company BharatPe has terminated the services of Madhuri Jain Grover, the company’s former head of controls and wife of co-founder Ashneer Grover, over alleged “misappropriation of funds” and that she used company funds to purchase beauty products and pay for family trips to the US and Dubai, sources told The Indian Express, Late Wednesday, Madhuri posted a series of tweets and videos apparently showing BharatPe employees partying at the workplace and accused them of being “chauvinistic” and “passing judgement” on her.
Ahead of the annual meeting of its highest decision-making body next month, the RSS is likely to discuss the government’s push to raise the marriage age of women, which it believes should be left to society to decide. Sources said the Sangh has a similar opinion on the issue of marital rape and believes it should be left to the family to decide how to deal with it. And on the hijab controversy, it believes that it should have been handled at the local level.
Ahead of the Assembly elections next year, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced a job guarantee scheme for urban areas, under which employment will be provided for up to a hundred days in a year. The state government will bear an additional expense of Rs 800 crore on this, he said. However, Gehlot did not elaborate on how the scheme will be implemented.
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Halfway through the UP polls, the BJP and BSP appear to have reached an unusual common ground. First, senior BJP leader Amit Shah said in an interview that Mayawati remained “relevant” contrary to political predictions, and that the BSP would also get Muslim support apart from its core Jatav votes. Then Mayawati thanked Shah for his “greatness”, and said the Samajwadi Party was wrong in claiming that the Muslim vote would be cornered by it. An analysis of the candidates fielded by the BSP, in fact, shows that the party may damage the SP on more seats than it will do the BJP.
Next to almost every question in his poll affidavit, including one about his assets, AAP candidate Vijay Kumar Gautam has filled in ‘Laagu Nahi’ (not applicable). With 31 per cent of the total 624 candidates in the fourth phase of the UP assembly polls holding assets over Rs 1 crore, Gautam is the exception. In the affidavit, he has declared that he has neither moveable nor immovable assets. But this doesn’t seem to bother him. “The voter has evolved. Gone are the days when votes could be bought,” says Gautam, who is fighting from the Khaga seat in the Fatehpur district near Prayagraj.
Former Indian ambassador to Russia DB Venkatesh Varma on the Russia-Ukraine crisis and India’s stance: “Russia has not covered itself in glory. But that is no reason to doubt the merits of our long-standing relations with it — just as we held our noses and deepened our relations with the US during its decade-long intervention in Iraq.”
Some of the initial digital currency experiments globally are running into hurdles and may serve as lessons for the Reserve Bank of India, which plans to launch its own central bank digital currency (CBDC) next fiscal. For instance, a digital currency that is being used by seven Caribbean nations experienced glitches that have kept it offline for more than a month. We explain the need for CBDCand the glitches being faced.
And finally
Since making his first-class debut for Punjab in the 2011-12 season, Baltej Singh Dhanda has played only 15 matches. Out of those, six came in the 2019-20 season. At 31, the second-most senior player in the side after Gurkeerat Singh Mann has finally found his second wind. A stress fracture and 10 dormant seasons later, the seamer bagged his maiden five-wicket haul against Himachal Pradesh in the first match of the ongoing season and is hungry for more in the next few games.
Delhi Confidential: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai has announced “Tungabhadra Aarti”, which will be along the lines of Ganga Aarti. He has laid the foundation stone for the construction of 108 yoga mantapas, which is part of the Tungabhadra Aarti project at Harihara in Davangere district. Those close to the Chief Minister say the move will not only make Tungabhadra Aarti as famous as Ganga Aarti, but also please the party’s Hindu vote-bank ahead of Assembly elections next year.
In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we first look at the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, then we go back to school with a 7-year-old in Delhi, and finally, we take a look at 16-year-old Praggnanandhaa’s victory against the world chess No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.
Until tomorrow,
Leela Prasad G and Rachel Philipose
Express Cartoon by EP Unny.
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