QBullet: Rahul, Akhilesh’s Bromance; FIR Against Kejriwal Urged
The Quint brings to you a collection of the most important news stories from the previous day.
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1. Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav United Show: 'We Are Two Wheels of Cycle'
Projecting a united front at their first joint press conference and roadshow here on Sunday, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav said they were like the “two wheels of a cycle” (the SP’s poll symbol) and the “confluence of Ganga and Yamuna”.
“Our alliance is like the confluence of the Ganga and the Yamuna, out of which the Saraswati of development will flow… We have similarities and differences. We want to contest the elections on similarities, and will also have to agree to some compromises,” said Rahul, addressing the hour-long press conference. “Yeh dil ka alliance hai, mil ke jeetenge (It is an alliance of hearts, we will win together).”
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. Agencies Vet Vijay Mallya Emails for Proof of 'Undue Favours'
Investigative agencies are trawling through 1.5 lakh emails of Vijay Mallya, chairman of the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, to gather possible evidence of any “undue favours” that may have been given to his firm, said two people familiar with the investigation.
These emails, which Mallya sent to senior company officials, political leaders and bankers, may form a part of the CBI’s chargesheet – which is expected in the next few months – on the Rs 6,900 crore loan default by Kingfisher Airlines. Most of the loans were granted to Kingfisher Airlines between 2006 and 2009, when Vijay Mallya was a Member of Parliament.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. File FIR Against Kejriwal for Bribery Remarks: EC to Goa CEO
The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday directed the Chief Election Officer (CEO) of Goa to file an FIR against AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for violating the model code of conduct (MCC).
At a rally in Goa earlier this month, Kejriwal had asked voters to accept money from other parties, but to vote for the Aam Aadmi Party. He was subsequently censured by the EC.
“Being Chief Minister of Delhi and a star campaigner of AAP in Goa, he is expected to conduct in an exemplary manner in election campaigns in a law abiding manner so as to be a role model for others to emulate, but he has on several occasions again violated provisions of MCC by breaking his assurance to EC,” the EC order said.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Follow Our Order, Raise Cash Limit for Candidates: EC to RBI
The Election Commission and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) were embroiled in a rare clash with the EC asserting its constitutional mandate to insist that the central bank enhance the cash withdrawal limit for candidates in forthcoming elections.
The EC took serious exception to RBI's communication on Friday that it did not think increasing cash withdrawal limit was desirable or possible. “It appears that the RBI had not realised the gravity of the matter,“ the EC wrote to the central bank.
The possibility of the election watchdog using its power under Article 324 of the Constitution to issue a directive to RBI to ensure compliance unless the central bank acts soon cannot be ruled out.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Govt Appoints 20 Judges, but Skips Collegium List for Allahabad HC
The standoff between the government and the Supreme Court collegium over appointment of judges to Allahabad High Court continues with the Centre skipping a list of at least 24 recommendations made by the collegium.
But in three separate notifications on 13 and 14 January, the government appointed 20 judges for two HCs – 16 additional judges of Allahabad HC whose terms were coming to an end were made permanent and four new judges were appointed for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana HC.
In a rare move earlier this month, the government had referred 19 recommendations for Allahabad HC back to the apex court collegium for its reconsideration for the second time over some 'procedural' issues. This was the third time that the government had deferred their appointments cleared by the SC collegium.
(Source: The Times of India)
6. Court to Cabbies, America Walls up Against Visa Ban
The US tech industry closed ranks and was joined by Hollywood and academia as America's liberal constituency fought in courts and demonstrated at airports against President Trump's executive order barring entry to refugees and citizens from several Muslim countries.
White House chief of staff Reince Priebus reversed a key part of the order on Sunday, saying green cardholders from the affected countries could return to the US.
However, he added that Pakistan may be included in the list of banned countries in the future. “You can point to other countries that have similar problems, like Pakistan... Perhaps we need to take it further,“ Priebus said. This is the first time the Trump administration has acknowledged considering putting Pakistan in the list.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. SM Krishna's Parting Shot at Congress: Sidelined Due to Age
Announcing his exit from the Congress on Sunday, former external affairs minister and Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, 85, accused the party of sidelining him because of his age.
“Age should not be a criterion for deciding the utility of a person. There is a way of getting rid of political leaders, and the Congress should learn to be graceful in what they do. They could have called me and given me a graceful exit,’’ he said. “I am hurt the most by the fact that my age has been made a reason, and a loyal worker has been sidelined. This has affected me,’’ he said.
(Source: The Indian Express)
8. BJP, BSP Dismiss Alliance; See Each Other as Part of It
The BJP and the BSP dismissed the Congress-SP joint campaign in Lucknow Sunday, each accusing the other of being part of or behind the alliance. The BJP, which described Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav as two princes, called it an alliance between criminal and corrupt elements while BSP chief Mayawati called it unholy.
“The way Rahulji praised Mayawati, it shows the BSP too is part of this alliance. But they will not be able to stop the BJP from forming a government,” said Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJP state chief.
And Mayawati said, “Although the alliance is being publicised as one meant to stop the BJP from coming to power, it is not. It is an unholy alliance made at the behest of the BJP to stop the BSP from coming to power,” she said in a statement. She said the SP leadership is “in the grip of CBI” and “the tacit understanding between the BJP and SP is not hidden from anyone”.
(Source: The Indian Express)
9. Demonetisation Impact on Q3 Earnings Not as Bad as Feared
The impact of demonetisation on corporate earnings may have been overestimated, December quarter earnings data shows.
More than 58 percent of the top firms that have reported their financial results for the three months ended 31 December exceeded or met analysts’ estimates. A Mint analysis of 94 of the BSE500 companies shows that 55 have reported earnings that met or beat estimates.
The ratio is little changed from the September quarter, when more than 58% of these firms met or beat estimates.
(Source: Livemint)
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