Kejriwal, Kavitha to stay in judicial custody till May 7
A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader K. Kavitha in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam till May 7. Special judge for CBI and ED matters Kaveri Baweja extended their custody after they were produced before the court through video conference on expiry of their remand. Meanwhile, Mr. Kejriwal has been administered a “low dose” of insulin after his blood sugar level spiked, officials of Tihar jail in New Delhi said on April 23.
My 90-second speech angered Congress, INDIA bloc: PM Modi at Rajasthan rally
Prime Minister on April 23 charged that it is difficult to follow one’s faith under the Congress rule. “Even listening to Hanuman Chalisa becomes crime under Congress rule,” he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also charged that the Congress wanted to extend reservation on the basis of religion and give the right given to Dalits, backward and tribals to Muslims. Referring to the ‘redistribution of wealth’ remarks made by him at a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on April 21, the Prime Minister said “When I came to Rajasthan the day before yesterday, I had presented some truths before the country in my 90-second speech. This has created panic in the entire Congress and INDI alliance.”
At Dhamtari rally, PM Modi says he will “root out” Naxalism from Chhattisgarh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23 alleged that Congress encouraged violence to hide its corruption, and promised that he would “root out” Naxalism from Chhattisgarh. Mr. Modi was speaking at a campaign rally in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamtari district, part of the Mahasamund Lok Sabha constituency.
The Supreme Court on April 23 asked Patanjali Ayurved, a company co-founded by self-styled yoga guru Baba Ramdev, if its apology published in newspapers was as big and expensive as its usual “front page” advertisements for herbal drugs. Patanjali, Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna are facing contempt action from the Supreme Court for publishing objectionable and misleading advertisements about their ayurvedic products.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the party is exploring legal remedies as the Election Commission of India is not acting on the complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “redistribution of wealth” remarks. Ms. Shrinate said institutions like the ECI need to have complete faith of the people and they should work to restore that trust if it is shaken. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi made hate speeches in Rajasthan. My colleagues met the EC on Monday and we have pressed charges against him. As they are not acting upon our complaint, we are looking at legal remedies,” she told PTI.
Observing the issue as “serious”, the Supreme Court on April 22 held that denying childcare leaves to a mother who is taking care of a child with disabilities, would violate the constitutional duty of the State to ensure equal participation of women in the workforce. A Bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice J.B. Pardiwala also directed setting up of a committee headed by the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh to take a policy decision on the issue of grant of childcare leaves (CCLs) to the working women having children with disabilities.
Delhi Riots 2020 | High Court denies bail to accused in UAPA case
The Delhi High Court has refused to grant bail to an accused in a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case linked to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 communal riots here, saying a violent public demonstration goes beyond the constitutional right to protest and becomes an offence punishable under law. A Bench headed by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait, in its order uploaded on April 23, said there was enough material to indicate that the accused Salim Malik, who allegedly instigated the locals in the name of religion to destroy harmony, was a co-conspirator in a “deep-rooted conspiracy”.
Australian journalist leaves India over visa issues
An Australian journalist on April 23 claimed that she was forced to leave India after the government refused to extend her work visa contending that her reportage had “crossed a line”. Avani Dias, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said she had to leave India on April 19, the day the Lok Sabha elections started after the government objected to her reporting on the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting ‘crossed a line’,” Ms. Dias said on X.
Ban on MDH, Everest masala | India seeks details from food regulators of Singapore, Hong Kong
India, the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, has sought details from food safety regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong, which has banned certain spices of Indian brands MDH and Everest due to quality concerns. The commerce ministry has also directed Indian embassies in both Singapore and Hong Kong to send a detailed report on the matter.
After mass arrests at Columbia University, pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. college campuses
Columbia canceled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public on April 22 as some of the most prestigious U.S. universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas. More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbia’s green were arrested last week, and similar encampments have sprouted up at universities around the country as schools struggle with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining safe and inclusive campuses.
Russian drone attack injures nine in Ukraine’s Odesa, officials say
Russia launched a drone attack on Ukraine that injured nine people in the Black Sea port of Odesa, four of them children, and also targeted Kyiv, the capital, Ukraine’s military officials said early on April 23. The injured children, which include two infants, have been hospitalised, as well as three of the injured adults, the Governor of the Odesa region, Oleh Kiper, said on the Telegram messaging app. Several residential buildings in the city were damaged and caught fire, he said. At least 14 apartments were damaged, the City Administration added.
Top U.N. officials call on U.K. to reconsider plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda
Two United Nations top officials called on the U.K. to reconsider its plan to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda on April 23, warning the move would harm human rights and refugee protection. In a joint statement, Filippo Grandi, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on the U.K. to take practical measures to address irregular flows of migrants and refugees.
Extreme weather may pose risk to inflation, says RBI Bulletin
Extreme weather conditions may pose a risk to inflation, along with prolonged geopolitical tensions that could keep crude oil prices volatile, the Reserve Bank’s April Bulletin said on April 23. The retail based on the Consumer Price Index has eased to 4.9% in March after averaging 5.1% in the preceding two months.
