Video Editor: Varun Sharma
1. CBI Row: Alok Verma Resigns; Court Dismisses Rakesh Asthana’s Plea
Former CBI Director Alok Verma, who was ousted by a high-powered committee, asked the government on Friday, 11 January, to treat him "deemed superannuated" with immediate effect.
Refusing to take on his new assignment as DG, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards, Verma wrote to Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training, stating the selection committee has not provided him an opportunity to explain the details as recorded by the CVC before arriving at the decision of transferring him.
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the pleas filed by Special Director Rakesh Asthana and Deputy SP Devender Kumar seeking quashing of the FIR filed against them. The court asked the CBI to finish the investigation within 10 weeks.
(Catch all the updates here)
2. Ram Rahim Convicted for Scribe’s Murder, Sentencing on 17 January
All four accused, including Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, were convicted in the journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati murder case by a special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday, 11 January. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on 17 January.
Chhatrapati was shot at in October 2002 after his newspaper, Poora Sach, published an anonymous letter that narrated how women were being sexually exploited by Gurmeet Ram Rahim at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.
(Read the full story here)
3. Women Astronauts, Gaganyaan & More: ISRO Declares Major Plans
India’s first human space flight could possibly include women astronauts, the chief of India’s space agency hinted on Friday, 11 January.
ISRO Chief K Sivan held a press conference at the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on Friday, to brief the media on the space organisation's plans for the year.
(Watch the full video here)
4. BJP National Commission Meeting Commences on Friday
Party President Amit Shah inaugurated the Bharatiya Janata Party’s national council meeting on Friday, 11 January, at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. PM Modi is scheduled to deliver the concluding speech on Saturday, 12 January, at the meeting which is being attended by thousands of delegates.
In his inaugural address, Shah touched upon the achievements of the Modi government. He said that the 2019 election is a battle of ideologies and a crucial one for country’s youth and poor.
(Catch all the live updates here)
5. Andhra to Get Special Status If Cong Wins: Rahul Gandhi in Dubai
During his maiden visit to the UAE, Congress President Rahul Gandhi addressed a gathering of Indian workers at the Labour Colony in Dubai. He, along with senior leader Sam Pitroda, met with the business leaders at a breakfast, hosted by Sunny Varkey.
He will also interact with the student communities during his visit to the UAE. He landed at Dubai airport on Thursday, 10 January, the party said.
(Catch all the live updates here)
6. Movie Reviews: ‘The Accidental PM’ & ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’
It's the season of political films – and among the big releases on Friday, 11 January, are the Anupam Kher and Akshay Khanna-starrer 'The Accidental PM' and Vicky Kaushal-led ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, respectively.
In politics, as in cinema, facts are often sacrificed at the altar of entertainment and drama. And it looks like ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, based on Sanjaya Baru's book on the Manmohan Singh-led UPA regime, is a potent cocktail of both.
Aditya Dhar’s film ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’, as the name suggests, deals with this chapter in the history of Indo-Pak ties. How does the director keep the audience hooked to the movie when we already know the trajectory of the story?
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