1. Jaitley Says Electoral Bonds Can’t Be Used to Trace Donors. Really?
Thank you, Ministry of Finance! For confirming The Quint’s story that electoral bonds do carry a ‘hidden unique alphanumeric serial number’ in your press release. But your clarification still contains several contradictions.
The Quint’s exposé showed that the government misled the public by saying that a political donor’s identity would remain confidential if they made donations through electoral bonds.
In January 2018, when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched the electoral bonds, he promised that no donor to any political party need fear being tracked or harassed by anyone in power.
Unfortunately, that has turned out to be untrue.
Here is the point-by-point rebuttal to the clarification issued by the Ministry of Finance.
2. Exclusive | Akhilesh Yadav on Opposition Unity, BJP’s Indignity
President of the Samajwadi Party (SP), the youngest chief minister to have held office in Uttar Pradesh and a meticulous politician – Akhilesh Yadav has a rebuttal to every question posed to him, be it against his own party or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In an exclusive interview with The Quint’s Editorial Director, Sanjay Pugalia, Yadav spoke on a range of issues – from demonetisation, development to gau raksha.
Watch the full interview here.
3. Modi Garlands Lingayat Statue in London
Ahead of the upcoming Karnataka elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Basaveshwara on the banks of the River Thames on Wednesday, 18 April, as part of his ongoing UK tour. Modi garlanded a statue of the 12th-century Lingayat philosopher and social reformer.
Land for the statue was secured by the Basaveshwara Foundation on the river’s Albert Embankment during the tenure of Neeraj Patil, the former Mayor of the London borough of Lambeth and the chairman of the Basaveshwara Foundation.
Following the ceremony, the Prime Minister tweeted, “On his Jayanti, I bow to Bhagwan Basaveshwara. He has a special place in our history and culture. His emphasis on social harmony, brotherhood, unity and compassion always inspires us. Bhagwan Basaveshwara brought our society together and gave importance to knowledge.”
Read the full story here.
4. ‘Internet Did Exist During Mahabharata’: Tripura CM Doubles Down
Newly elected Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb hit out at “narrow-minded” people for finding it difficult to believe that internet and satellite technology existed during the time of Mahabharata.
A day after he made the bizarre comment, the Tripura chief minister went a step further to defend it in the face of criticism.
“Narrow minded people find it tough to believe this. They want to belittle their own nation and think highly of other countries. Believe the truth. Don’t get confused and don’t confuse others,” Deb said.
Watch his full comment here.
5. Tamil Nadu Governor Apologises for Patting Journalist’s Cheek
A press meet called by Banwarilal Purohit on Tuesday, 17 April, turned controversial after senior journalist Lakshmi Subramanian tweeted a photo of the Tamil Nadu Governor patting her cheek.
Subramanian’s tweet garnered mixed reactions. While some trolled the journalists, others echoed her allegation that Purohit’s move was both patronising and non-consensual.
In response to a public outcry over his act, the Governor tendered a written apology. He said he had patted her as a ‘gesture of appreciation’ for the question she had posed and also considering her as his granddaughter.
Read the full story here.
(The Quint is now on WhatsApp. To receive handpicked stories on topics you care about, subscribe to our WhatsApp services. Just go to TheQuint.com/WhatsApp and hit send.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)