1. Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017: EC Announces Poll Dates
The Chief Election Commissioner announced that the Gujarat Assembly elections will be held on 9 and 14 December, and the results will be announced on 18 December.
The elections to the Legislative Assembly in Himachal Pradesh are set to be held on 9 November, and the results will be announced on the same day as that of Gujarat.
A total of 182 seats are up for grabs in the Gujarat state Assembly.
The Quint spoke to Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel, who has a non-bailable warrant issued against him.
Emphasising that the non-bailable warrant did not affect him, Patel told The Quint that it would instead brew trouble for the BJP.
I want them to arrest me. Let them come and arrest me. Once they put me behind bars, it will be fun. It works in my favour if they come after me.Hardik Patel, Patidar leader
Read the full story here.
2. ‘Noida School Defended Man Who Sodomised My 11-Yr-Old Son’: Mother
A gruesome case of child sexual abuse came to light after an 11-year-old school boy in the National Capital told his mother that he had been sodomised by an employee of his school.
The boy alleged on 22 October that he had been abused inside the premises of the Kaushalya World School in Greater Noida by a school administrator – identified as Ashok Mishra – on a number of occasions over the last four years.
The child’s mother told The Quint that she informed the police immediately. But the Kaushalya World School authorities tried to defend the accused, she alleged.
Read the full story here.
3. Sushma Swaraj Discusses Pak Terrorism, H1B Visa With Rex Tillerson
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his ongoing visit to India, on Wednesday, 25 October. He also met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Modi reportedly shared resolve expressed by Tillerson on taking steps towards “accelerating and strengthening content, pace and scope of bilateral engagement”. He affirmed that India-US partnership is not just for mutual benefit but also impacted global stability.
Strengthening cooperation in strategic areas of defence, counter-terrorism, security, energy, and trade were discussed during the meeting between Swaraj and Tillerson.
Before setting out for India, Tillerson met Pakistani PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other top leaders in Pakistan, where he urged them to step up their efforts to eradicate militants and terrorists operating within the country.
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4. President’s Praise for Tipu Sultan Leaves Karnataka BJP Red-Faced
President Ram Nath Kovind’s statement praising Tipu Sultan during his address in Karnataka’s Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, 25 October, has left several BJP leaders red-faced.
In his speech, Kovind said that Tipu Sultan died a heroic death while fighting the British. He also mentioned Tipu Sultan’s contribution to the invention of Mysore rockets. “He was also the pioneer in the development and use of Mysore rockets in warfare. This technology was later adopted by the Europeans,” read the president’s speech.
While the Congress has welcomed the President’s statement, several leaders of the BJP, who have been opposed to celebrating the legacy of Tipu Sultan, are upset.
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5. Texas Cops Arrest Adoptive Father of Indian Girl Sherin Mathews
Wesley Mathews, the adoptive father of the missing three-year-old Indian girl, Sherin Mathews, was arrested after he confessed to removing the child’s body from their home after the child had choked on her milk and died.
Wesley Mathews, 37, was charged on Monday, 23 October, with first-degree felony injury to a child, a crime punishable by life imprisonment.
Read the full story here.
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