News18 Daybreak | Emergency Congress Legislature Party Meeting to Take Place in Karnataka Today and Other Stories You Need to Watch Out For
Emergency Congress Legislature Party meeting to take place today
Three days after the political drama began in Karnataka over accusation of poaching of MLAs, an emergency legislature party meeting called by the Congress will take place today. CLP leader Siddaramaiah has also issued a whip to the MLAs making it mandatory for all the eighty MLAs to be present.
In the past two days, the Congress leaders who had allegedly been in a resort in Mumbai, the supposed epicenter of BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’, made their appearances refuting allegations of poaching.
Meanwhile, Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy lamented over the ongoing row “I am unfortunate to have led the coalition government twice. Even back then, there were speculations about the government falling. The same continues now”. Meanwhile, BJP MLAs continue to be holed up in the Gurugram resort in “an effort to thwart any poaching attempts" by the Janata Dal (Secular) – Congress coalition government.
PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate Vibrant Gujarat summit today, Uzbekistan President will be key guest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the ninth edition of Vibrant Gujarat Investor's Summit at Mahatma Mandir today. Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, who is on his second visit to India in the last four months, will attend the summit as a key guest. Indian business tycoons expected to attend the summit include Mukesh Ambani, Uday Kotak, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Gautam Adani, Adi Godrej and Pankaj Patel. Last month, United Kingdom and the United States pulled out of the summit due to lack of satisfactory “commercial outcomes”. ““We partnered in 2015 and 2017 and the money and resources we put into did not fetch the commercial outcomes the way we wanted. We have now decided to use that money in better way,” a UK official had said. Pakistan will also remain absent from the event.
SC to hear plea of first women to offer prayers in Sabarimala
Earlier this month, two women who scripted history by becoming the first women between the ages of 10-50 years to enter Sabarimala temple, moved the Supreme Court for protection. The Chief Justice of India agreed to hear Kanaka Durga and Bindu Ammini’s plea last week. Days after 44-year old Kanakadurga was attacked by her mother-in-law for entering the shrine. She was later taken to the hospital. The SC hearing will take place today. Sabarimala’s Lord Ayyappa shrine has been mired in controversy after the Supreme Court issued a verdict striking down the temple’s ‘ban’ on the entry of women between ages 10 and 50 years. Despite, right-wing groups vehemently protesting the order several women took on the arduous challenge and offered their prayers inside the temple.
Controversial Collegium pick, Dinesh Maheswari and Sanjiv Khanna to be swor in today
Justice Dinesh Maheswari and Justice Sanjiv Khanna will be sworn-in today as Supreme Court judges a day after President Ram Nath Kovind approved their appointment. Last week witnessed disquiet among section of judges over the Collegium’s selection. On December 12, the Collegium, consisting of the top five SC judges, had recommended Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Justice Rajendra Menon and Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog for elevation to the top court. But a new Collegium soon reversed the decision and chose to elevate Maheswari and Khanna. The ceremony will take place at 10.30 am at Chief Justice’s court.
What You May Have Missed
Asthana, three others ousted as CBI Special Director in surprise move by govt
Rakesh Asthana, number 2 to former CBI chief Alok Verma, was moved out of the premier investigating agency today, just a week after the removal of his boss. The unprecedented public rivalry between the officers -- involving tit-for-tat corruption allegations and a bribery case against Mr Asthana -- had engulfed the country's premier investigating agency in a huge controversy over the last months.
Several other members of Mr Verma's team, including AK Sharma and Manish Sinha, have also been moved out. Sources said the churn is meant to clear the decks for the appointment of a new chief. A special panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet on January 24 to pick Mr Verma's successor.
The tension between the two officers peaked after Mr Verma's team filed a police case against Mr Asthana, accusing him of taking bribes from a businessman on the agency's radar. In October, both were sent on forced leave as the Prime Minister intervened in the massive infighting that made headlines for several days.
In letters to the government, Mr Asthana alleged that it was his boss who took bribes and framed him. When the police case was filed, he retaliated by taking the CBI to court and requested that the case against him be cancelled. After the Delhi High Court rejected his appeal, Mr Asthana had appealed for a correction in the judgment.
Meghalaya miners tragedy: Skeletons detected day after body of miner found
Skeletons have been found inside the flooded illegal mines in Meghalaya's East Jaintia Hills, a day after the body of one the 15 trapped miners was detected. According to sources, the high sulphur content caused the bodies to decompose fast. The body of victims has been pulled up to 100 feet from the original position at 210ft from main shaft. Officials have said that any attempt to retrieve the decomposed body to the surface will lead to the total disintegration of body parts.
Navy divers are waiting for advice from forensic experts.
Mayawati lashes out at Media, says she will induct nephew Akash into BSP movement
Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Thursday issued a press briefing slamming the media for unfavorably targeting her nephew Akash and calling him her successor. “Some media outfits and personnel are trying to malign mine and my party’s image at the behest of BJP and other opposition parties. Media also showcased my birthday wrongly, like the cake loot incident,” said Mayawati. In the briefing Mayawati also announced that she will be inducting her nephew Akash into the BSP "movement" to give him a chance to learn the ropes. she said the rise in the BSP's popularity after its alliance with the Samajwadi Party has created unrest among some parties and leaders.
Ram Rahim, three others sentenced get life sentence for murdering journalist
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, along with three others, were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murdering journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati. The journalist was killed in Haryana's Sirsa city in 2002 after his newspaper published a letter alleging sexual exploitation of women by the self-styled godman. The Dera Sacha Sauda chief was already serving a 20-year jail term after being convicted in two cases of rape.
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, along with three others, was on Friday sentenced to life imprisonment by a special Panchkula court for the murder of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.
Ram Rahim and the three others, who were convicted last Friday in the case, appeared before the court through video conferencing."All four have been sentenced to life imprisonment," CBI counsel H P S Verma said. On January 11, Special CBI Court Judge Jagdeep Singh had convicted the self-styled godman and Kuldeep Singh, Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal in the 17-year-old murder case.
All the four were convicted under Section 302 (murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. Nirmal Singh and Krishan Lal were also convicted under the Arms Act.
Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is currently serving a 20-year prison term in Rohtak's Sunaria jail for raping two of his women followers.The journalist was killed in Haryana's Sirsa city in 2002 after his newspaper published a letter alleging sexual exploitation of women by the self-styled godman. Chhatrapati was shot outside his house in October 2002 after his newspaper 'Poora Sach' published an anonymous letter narrating the alleged sexual exploitation of women followers by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.
The Dera chief was named as the main conspirator in the case