QWrap: CBI Chief Alok Verma Reinstated; 10% Quota Bill in LS
From SC’s verdict on CBI director Alok Verma to 10% Quota Bill being tabled in LS –here are the top news of the day.
1. CBI Director Alok Verma Reinstated by Supreme Court
Exiled CBI Director Alok Verma was reinstated by the Supreme Court today, setting aside the Central government’s October order to divest him as the chief of the investigating agency. However, the top court ruled that Verma cannot take any major policy decisions till the selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviews the probe report against him and decides on his continuation. Here's what went down at the apex court today!
Reacting to the verdict, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley defended his government's decision saying it was in accordance with the recommendation of the Central Vigilance Commission.
Catch all the live updates here.
2. Bharat Bandh: Buses Vandalised, Trains Stopped
Buses vandalised, tyres burnt, trains stopped, autos kept off roads as the 48-hour long Bharat Bandh called by central trade unions against "anti-labour policies" of the Central government hit normal life in parts of the country on Tuesday, 8 January. The strike has so far had the most impact in states with a strong presence of the Left like Kerala and West Bengal.
Catch all the live updates here.
3. Claims of Connection with Gandhis ‘Totally Preposterous’: Haschke
Guido Haschke, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland deal, told The Quint's Poonam Agarwal that the budget note mentioning 'AP' and 'Fam' is Christian Michel's figment of imagination. Haschke and Michel had worked together for the Italian company AgustaWestland to secure the purchase of 12 VVIP helicopters by India.
Watch the full interview here.
4. A Birthday That Never Came: Bulandshahr Cop’s Family Grieves
“What enmity did the mob have with my husband? From where did they get the courage to shoot him in cold blood?”
Police inspector Subodh Kumar's wife mourns for her husband whose life was cut short in the line of duty on 3 December, when a mob turned violent and attacked policemen at the Chingrawati police chowki in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district after alleged cow slaughter in a nearby village.
Watch the full video here.
5. 10% Quota for EWS: Modi Govt’s Masterstroke, or Desperate Move?
The Central government tabled the proposed legislation to provide 10 percent reservation in jobs and education for "economically weaker" sections of the upper caste in the Lok Sabha today. The Quint's editorial director Sanjay Pugalia analyses whether the move is a masterstroke or an act of desperation by the Modi government to stay in power?
Watch the full video here.
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