The Evening Wrap

Talks with China going on smoothly, India will never bow down: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on April 28 said talks between India and China are going smoothly and in a good environment, and India will never bow down.

Singh, who is campaigning in Ahmedabad, said India has become a powerful country from a military standpoint and wants to maintain good relations with its neighbours, when asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s accusation against the Narendra Modi government over Chinese aggression.

Talks between India and China are going on smoothly and in a good environment over whatever issues there are, he said.

“I understand that we should wait for the outcome of the talks. But I want to assure the countrymen that India has not bowed down anywhere, nor will it ever bow down,” he said.

Singh also expressed confidence that India’s defence exports, which crossed the ₹21,000 crore mark in the financial 2023-24, will increase going forward.

“In 2014, we exported ₹600 crore defence items, but now the figure has crossed ₹21,000 crore, and I can say that it is going to increase,” he said.

The Minister said the Modi government is committed to ensuring that defence items, whether missiles and other weapons, bombs or tanks, should be made in India and by Indians.

“Today, we have achieved defence production worth more than ₹1 lakh crore,” he said.

Prajwal Revanna ‘sex scandal’ | Karnataka government announces SIT probe

The Karnataka government on April 27 announced a Special Investigation Team to probe an alleged sex scandal involving incumbent Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, grandson of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda. He is the National Democratic Alliance’s candidate in Hassan for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

A pen drive with thousands of sex videos featuring multiple women, allegedly recorded by the politician himself, had been doing the rounds ahead of elections in the constituency.

Meanwhile, sources in the Karnataka State Commission for Women said that a victim had come forward and lodged a complaint with them that multiple members of the politician’s family had sexually abused her and there was a threat to her life. The complaint has now been forwarded to the State police chief, sources said.

“The government has decided to form a SIT to probe the Prajwal Revanna sex videos case. The Karnataka State Commission for Women had sought a SIT probe into the case and based on their appeal the SIT has been formed,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah posted on X.

Sources in the police claimed that Prajwal Revanna had left the country and is abroad.

The SIT will be headed by B. K. Singh, Additional Director General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, the sources said. B. K. Singh headed the SIT that successfully cracked the murders of Gauri Lankesh and M. M. Kalburgi.

Earlier, Nagalakshmi Chowdhury, chairperson, Karnataka State Commission for Women, had written to the Karnataka State Police Chief Alok Mohan seeking a SIT probe into the scandal.

One killed, three injured in gunfight between village volunteers in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district

One person was killed and three others injured in a gunfight between village volunteers of two warring communities in ethnic strife-torn Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on April 28, police said.

Dozens of gunmen had attacked Koutruk in Imphal West district on April 28 morning from elevated hilltops of neighbouring Kangpokpi district prompting village volunteers deployed in the fringe village to retaliate, the police said.

Exchange of fire gradually spread to adjacent villages of Kadangband and Senjam Chirang, they said.

Koutruk village has been witness to intense gunfights between village volunteers of two warring communities since ethnic violence broke out on May 3, 2023. It has been identified as one of the most vulnerable areas for gun attacks.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic strife between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis since May 3, 2023.

Meanwhile, denouncing the killing, the Kangpokpi district-based Committee on Tribal Unity has called for a 12-hour shutdown in the district from noon of April 28.

Village defence guard member killed in shootout with militants in Jammu’s Udhampur: police

A member of the Village Defence Guards (VDG) — armed civilians manning villages in border areas in Jammu and Kashmir to ward off militants attacks — was killed in an exchange of fire with militants in Jammu’s Udhampur on April 28.

A police spokesperson said that a face-off had ensued between a police party and a group of hiding terrorists at Chochru Gala heights in Udhampur around 7:45 a.m. “One VDG member of the J&K Police was injured in the initial exchange of fire,” the spokesperson said.

The injured VDG member later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. He has been identified as Mohammad Shareef, 48, a resident of Lower Ponar, Basantgarh, Udhampur.

“More reinforcements have already reached the spot and the whole area has been cordoned off,” the police said.

On April 26, the Army had trained the VDGs in weapon handling and firing in Poonch’s Mendhar, Harni and Jaran wali Gali areas. The training came in the wake of militants killing an Army jawan’s brother in Rajouri’s Thanamandi area.

Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar stage dharna against Centre’s ‘meagre’ drought relief to Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar along with their Cabinet colleagues and Congress leaders staged a dharna in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue on the Vidhana Soudha premises on April 28 against the “meagre” amount released by the Centre as drought relief.

The Centre on April 28 announced release of ₹3,454 crore as drought relief while the State had sought ₹18,173 crore. This followed the Centre’s assurance to Supreme Court based on a petition filed by the Karnataka government seeking early release of drought relief. Though Karnataka had requested drought relief in October, the Centre had not released the relief forcing the State Government to knock on the doors of Supreme Court. Congress government has said that the sum is too meagre and continuing its protest.

At the protest, Siddaramaiah slammed the Centre and said the sum is a testimony to the continued injustice meted out to the State by the Centre.

Stating that the drought relief was not alms sought by the State Government, Shivakumar said that the drought relief was for farmers’ welfare, and that their fight for higher compensation will continue before the court and the people.

“People are struggling to get work due to prevailing drought. The number of man days under NREGA has not been increased... The Centre has not respected what it owes us in a federal structure.”

“Karnataka sought drought relief in September. Since then, more than ₹50,000 crore losses have been reported. Amid all this, we have given ₹2,000 as initial drought relief per farmer. Karnataka had to go to the Supreme Court to get drought relief, that too a pittance,” said Shivakumar, adding that the Centre has to pay compensation for losses since September too.

Poll roundup:

• The Election Commission of India on April 28 asked the Aam Aadmi Party to modify the content of its Lok Sabha campaign song as per the Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 and ECI guidelines and resubmit after modification, for the certification. “The phrase “jail ke jawaab me hum vote denge” showing an aggressive mob holding the photo of Arvind Kejriwal showing him behind bars, casts aspersions on the Judiciary. Further, the said phrase appears several times in the advertisement which contravenes the provisions of ECI Guidelines and Rule 6(1\(g) of Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994,” said the ECI. Senior AAP leader Atishi said, “It is probably the first time that the EC has imposed a ban on a party’s campaign song.” According to the EC, she said, the song shows the ruling party and investigation agencies in a bad light.
• Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned from his post on April 28. In his letter to AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely said all his decisions have been vetoed by the AICC Delhi in-charge. He said that he was against a partnership with the AAP which came to power levelling false and fabricated corruption charges on the party. Lovely said he has only resigned as chief of the Congress’ Delhi unit and is not joining any other political party. His clarification came after Congress ex-MLA Asif Mohammad Khan claimed that the BJP would field Lovely from the East Delhi constituency, replacing Harsh Malhotra. “I have only resigned as Delhi Congress chief and I am not joining any political party,” he said at a press conference at his residence.
• After snapping ties with the BJP, the Akali Dal is all set to contest the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat on party symbol for the first time since 1996 as it braces for a showdown with its former ally which has used star power to clinch the seat on numerous occasions. The Shiromani Akali Dal had joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1996. As part of the seat-sharing arrangement for the 13 Lok Sabha constituencies of Punjab, the BJP used to contest from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. The SAD walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in 2020 over the now-repealed farm laws. The Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD has placed its bet on the party’s senior vice president and veteran leader Daljit Singh Cheema from the seat.

In Brief:

Chasing a target of 201, Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Faf du Plessis (24), Virat Kohli and Will Jacks played some scintillating shots to take their team past the line during their IPL 2024 match against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on April 28. RCB chased down the target in just 16 overs. Virat Kohli (70 not out) and du Plessis added 40 runs in just 3.5 overs. With the dismissal of Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli was joined by Will Jacks, who started on a slower note and settled to smash all the bowlers around the park.

Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.