QBullet: Govt Ends Ceasefire in J&K; 4 CMS Meet PM over AAP Tussle
Read The Quint’s morning news wrap here.
1. Forces Showed Restraint, Terrorists Didn’t, J&K Ceasefire Over: Government
A day after Eid, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday, 17 June, announced the withdrawal of suspension of security operations in J&K, which was declared for the month of Ramzan, and blamed “violence and killings” by “terrorists” for the decision.
Singh said in a series of posts on his official Twitter handle that the government’s decision on 17 May to halt security operations was aimed at providing the “peace loving people of J&K” with a “conducive atmosphere to observe Ramzan”.
“It was expected that everyone will cooperate in ensuring the success of this initiative. While the Security Forces have displayed exemplary restraint during this period, the terrorists have continued with their attacks, on civilians and SFs, resulting in deaths and injuries,” he posted.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Four CMs Meet PM Modi, Request to Resolve AAP-Governor Tussle
Chief ministers from four states met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Niti Aayog governing council meeting on Sunday, 17 June, and requested him to resolve the tussle between Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal and the AAP government.
“I along with the Hon’ble CMs of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala have requested Hon’ble PM today to resolve the problems of Delhi government immediately (sic),” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted after meeting with Modi.
On Saturday (16 June) evening, Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh’s Chandrababu Naidu, Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan, and Karnataka’s HD Kumaraswamy rallied behind Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who has been camping at the L-G office for the last seven days.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Delhi Police Block AAP’s March to PM Modi’s House; Kejriwal Assures IAS Officers of Safety
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders accompanied by thousands of party workers marched towards the prime minister’s residence on Sunday, 17 June, to support the ongoing sit-in protest at lieutenant governor Anil Baijal’s office by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ministers.
The marchers walked from Mandi House in central Delhi before being stopped by police near the Parliament Street police station. AAP supporters demanded that the ongoing IAS officers’ strike be brought to an end and the doorstep ration delivery scheme be approved by the L-G.
Five Metro stations were shut as a precautionary measure ahead of the march.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Time to Eye Double-Digit Growth, Modi Tells CMs
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, 17 June, told nearly two dozen chief ministers and his cabinet colleagues in New Delhi that the challenge before the government was to take the country’s economic growth rate to double digits and augment incomes in the agriculture sector for which many important steps would have to be taken with the states’ participation.
Modi said the Indian economy “has grown at a healthy rate of 7.7 percent” in the fourth quarter of 2017-18 but the challenge now is to take this growth rate to double digits, vice-chairman of the federal think tank Rajiv Kumar said quoting the PM.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
5. Will Contest 55-60 Seats in Madhya Pradesh Polls, Says BSP
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is planning to contest elections in 55-60 of the 230 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh and is in the process of selecting candidates, according to state party president Narmada Prasad Ahirwar.
The BSP currently has four seats in the Assembly, from the Chambal and Rewa division.
“Behenji (BSP chief Mayawati) has instructed us to be prepared to contest 55-60 seats and we are in the process of identifying them and selecting our candidates,” Ahirwar told reporters on Sunday, 17 June.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. US Team of Experts in Delhi to Discuss Key Military Agreement
As part of preparations for the 2+2 dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers of India and the US in Washington next month, a team of specialists from the Pentagon will be meeting their counterparts on the Indian side in Delhi from Monday, 18 June, to negotiate the text of a “foundational” military communications agreement.
Official sources told The Indian Express that the US team, which will include lawyers, and policy and technical experts, is scheduled to meet the Indian experts from Monday to Wednesday. They said that the US officials will try and address Indian observations on the draft Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) submitted earlier.
(Source: The Indian Express)
7. DU First Cutoff Likely on Monday, Set to Defy Gravity
Brace for even higher cutoffs this year. While DU colleges, likely to declare the first list late on Monday (18 June) night, are yet to analyse the application and registration data provided to them by the university, initial study reveals that the competition could be stiffer than in 2017.
The university has declared that, this time around, there will be only five cutoff lists. There will be a centralised counselling list after the fifth one is declared, where the university will try to fill the vacant seats.
(Source: The Times of India)
8. On 12 June, Nirav Modi Travelled on Indian Passport
Jeweller Nirav Modi, the main accused in the Rs 13,000 crore PNB fraud, travelled on his Indian passport as recently as 12 June, when he took a Eurostar high-speed train from London to Brussels.
A source said Modi avoided taking a flight on 12 June from London, choosing to travel by rail instead. Indian officials have verified this from European immigration authorities who captured Modi's passport details on his trip to Brussels.
Though Modi's passport was revoked on 24 February, the Central Bureau of Investigation moved the Interpol on 11 June for a red corner notice. The agency did so after a chargesheet was recently filed against Modi.
(Source: The Times of India)
9. Germany vs Mexico: Mexico Stun Holders Germany 1-0
Defending champions Germany crashed to defeat in their first game at the World Cup on Sunday as an enterprising Mexico refused to be intimidated and came away 1-0 winners in a thrill-packed Group F opener.
A shaky warm-up campaign had called into question the dominant form the Germans showed in qualifying, but experience and records were on their side, having won every opening game at major tournaments since Joachim Low took over as coach in 2006.
(Source: Reuters)
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