OUTRAGE IN GULF OVER BJP LEADERS’ HATE REMARKS, PARTY ACTS AGAINST THEM

New Delhi faced a chorus of diplomatic outrage from Gulf countries and the ruling BJP Sunday cracked down on two of its leaders over their derogatory references to Islam and the Prophet. While Qatar, Kuwait and Iran summoned India’s ambassadors to their countries, calls emerged on social media across several nations for a boycott of Indian products.

On Sunday, the BJP suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal over their comments while the party issued a statement asserting that it “respects all religions” and “strongly denounces insults of any religious personality”.

Welcoming the action against the ruling party’s leaders, Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Indian Ambassador Deepak Mittal was summoned and handed an “official note, expressing the disappointment of the State of Qatar. The statement added that Qatar is “expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Govt of India, pointing out that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate.” It also said the “insulting remarks would lead to incitement of religious hatred, and offend more than two billion Muslims around the world”.

The controversy comes at a time when Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is on an official three-day visit to Qatar.

In response to what it said were “concerns” raised by Qatar “with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality”, the Indian embassy in Qatar said Ambassador Mittal “conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Govt of India. These are the views of fringe elements”.

Kuwait’s foreign ministry, too, handed Indian Ambassador Sibi George an official note with its “categorical rejection and condemnation of the insulting statements” of the Prophet “issued by one of the officials in the ruling party”.

Pakistan, too, reacted angrily, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemning the “hurtful comments”. “Have said it repeatedly India under Modi is trampling religious freedoms & persecuting Muslims… World should take note & severely reprimand India,” he tweeted.

Oman’s Grand Mufti Ahmed bin Hamad al-Khalili tweeted, “The insolent and obscene rudeness of the official spokesman for the ruling extremist party in India against the Messenger of Islam, peace be upon him, and his pure wife, Mother of the Believers Aisha, may God be pleased with her, is a war against every Muslim in the east and west of the earth, and it is a matter that calls for all Muslims to rise as one nation.”

OPPN MAKES THE MOST OF MODI GOVT’S DISCOMFITURE

Hours after the BJP suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma and expelled from the party Delhi unit’s media department head Naveen Kumar Jindal for objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammad, the Congress on Sunday said the ruling party’s statement that it was against any ‘ideology which insults or demeans any sect or religion’ was a “blatantly counterfeit pretence” and a “sham attempt at damage control.”

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav asked the BJP to take “legal action” against Nupur Sharma.

Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said, “The placatory expulsion of two key members and spokespersons of the BJP from its primary membership, done obviously under duress of threats from external powers, exposes the much touted muscular posturing and positioning of the BJP and the Modi Govt. Is the BJP sincere in course correcting? Is the BJP trying to atone for its immeasurable sins or is it more chameleon-like posturing?”

“Will the mob-lynching of our Constitutional ethos cease? Is repentance by the BJP and its leadership possible? A short statement by the BJP is unlikely to heal the millions of wounds inflicted on the ethos of Indianness,” Surjewala said.

Taking a dig at Sharma, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said he has sympathies for Nupur Sharma as she faced action for the hate that the BJP spread day in and day out. “This is injustice. This is doublespeak,” he tweeted.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said to feed “their domestic audience” with hate, the BJP had “put at risk thousands of Indians working in Middle East countries, damaged long standing relationships India has had and destroyed Indian businesses”.

Referring to Nupur Sharma’s remarks that among the first telephone calls that she had received after the controversy broke out was from the office of Home Minister Amit Shah, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted: “FRINGE is MAINSTREAM. Backed by none less than Amit Shah. Is this why cops still haven’t arrested anyone? Suspension is a sham. Chhota Savarkars were smug because of govt support. 20 crore Indian Muslims’ religious beliefs were insulted. Rather than addressing their concerns, Modi et al were more afraid of a foreign backlash. Very unfortunate.”

AMARNATH YATRA: SECURITY FORCES CONCERNED OVER 'STICKY BOMBS', REWORKING SOP

With the Amarnath Yatra around the corner, security forces in Jammu and Kashmir are concerned over terrorist groups possessing 'sticky bombs' -- explosives that can be attached to vehicles and detonated remotely -- and are reshaping their standard operating procedure for the pilgrimage, officials said on Sunday.

According to them, interrogation of arrested terrorists and their sympathisers and other evidence suggest that while some "sticky bombs" have been recovered by security forces, many of them may have found their way into terror groups in Kashmir Valley.

Amarnath Yatra will begin on June 30. About three lakh pilgrims are likely to take part in it and it’s expected to end on August 11.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / June 6

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Sunday 4,518

Active Cases 25,782(+1,730)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,24,701 (5)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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PUTIN WARNS US AGAINST SENDING UKRAINE LONGER-RANGE MISSILES

At least five missiles hit the Ukraine capital, Kyiv - it was the first shelling reported in the city in more than a month. The strikes came as President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would hit targets it had so far avoided if Western nations began delivering longer-range missiles to Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden last week said Washington would supply Ukraine with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, after he received assurances from Kyiv that it would not be used to target Russian territory.

If longer-range missiles are supplied, “we will strike at those targets which we have not yet been hitting,” Putin told the Rossiya-1 state television channel in an interview. Putin did not identify the targets Russia would strike, but said the “fuss” around Western arms supplies was designed to drag out the conflict. Speaking about the drones delivered by Western states to Ukraine, Putin said Russian air defences were “cracking them like nuts”.

BORIS JOHNSON'S FUTURE AS BRITISH PM HANGS IN BALANCE OVER PARTYGATE

Boris Johnson still faces a precarious future as the British Prime Minister over the fallout of the partygate scandal as a latest opinion poll on Sunday forecast a bruising for his Conservative Party in a by-election scheduled later this month.

More than 40 of his Tory MPs have publicly called for Johnson's resignation as the party leader over the scandal of COVID law-breaking parties under his premiership at Downing Street, an issue which remains in the spotlight since the scathing findings of leadership failures in an inquiry by top civil servant Sue Gray.

A survey of voters in Wakefield, who go to the polls for a by-election on June 23 to elect a new MP, suggests the Tories could lose by as much as 20 points.

The polling by JL Partners for The Sunday Times puts the Opposition Labour Party on 48 points compared with 28 points for the Conservatives, a 19-point drop on the winning Tory performance two-and-a-half years ago.

Such a result is bound to intensify calls for Johnson's resignation as Wakefield is part of the so-called "Red Wall" -- traditionally Labour-supporting areas in the north of England, the Midlands, and Wales which had switched their support to the Tories under Johnson in the December 2019 general election.

QUEEN’S ‘SURPRISE’ CAPS OFF JUBILEE EVENTS

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II made a surprise appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on Sunday, as part of the final day of celebrations to mark her historic 70-year reign. She had skipped events on Friday and Saturday after experiencing ‘discomfort’. She was flanked by three generations of her family — Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, as well as Prince William and Catherine and their three children. ‘When it comes to how to mark 70 years as your Queen, there is no guidebook to follow. It really is a first. But I have been humbled and deeply touched that so many people have taken to the streets to celebrate my Platinum Jubilee,’ she said in a statement.

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PM MODI: ETHANOL TARGET MET, ZERO EMISSION NEXT GOAL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India had achieved the target of 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol five months ahead of the deadline.

Addressing the ‘Save the Soil’ programme organised by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev at the Vigyan Bhawan in new Delhi to mark the World Environment Day, the PM said the milestone would serve the larger national goal of net zero emissions. “The ethanol-blending percentage stood at a mere 1.5 per cent in 2014,” he said.

Appreciating the ‘Save Soil Movement’, the PM cited Swachh Bharat Mission or the waste-to-wealth related programme, reduction of single-use plastic, ‘one sun one earth’ or ethanol-blending programme as examples of multi-dimensional efforts by India for preservation of environment. “India’s efforts to protect the environment have been multifaceted. India is making this effort even when its role in climate change is negligible. Large modern countries of the world are not only exploiting more and more resources of the earth, but maximum carbon emission goes into their account,” he said.

The PM said the average carbon footprint of the world was about four tonnes per person per annum compared to just about 0.5 tonnes per person per annum in India. The ‘Save Soil Movement’ is a global movement to increase awareness about deteriorating soil health and to bring about a conscious response to improve it.

India’s forest cover had grown by over 20,000 sq km in last eight years and there was a record growth in wildlife numbers too, he said.

INSPIRED BY INDIA’S EFFORTS TO CURB CARBON EMISSIONS: BILL GATES

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Sunday said he is inspired by India’s leadership and efforts to curb carbon emissions. He said collective global action to address climate change is needed more than ever and India’s role and leadership are crucial in ensuring that “we reach our climate goals”.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement’, a global initiative, Gates stressed the need for innovative technologies and participation from all to eliminate greenhouse gases. “Ensuring that these innovative technologies are widely adopted will not only require large investments and partnerships between private and public sectors but also demand from individuals. “Individual actions will send market signals that will encourage govts and businesses to invest in these innovations and create the breakthroughs we need,” he said.

Gates congratulated PM Narendra Modi for taking a lead in the global initiative of citizen action to promote pro-climate behaviours.

Several other dignitaries attended the programme.

Professor Cass Sunstein, the author of Nudge Theory, said India and PM Modi have been the world leaders with respect to environmental protection, climate change and human behaviour and “many of us are looking at India for inspiration and ideas”.

Head of United Nations Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, said, “With more than one billion people, and home to a thriving generation of innovation and entrepreneurship, India is central to global environmental action.”

ARVIND KEJRIWAL: BJP CAN’T HANDLE KASHMIR; PANDITS FORCED TO LEAVE VALLEY

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday claimed Kashmiri Pandits were being forced to leave the Valley due to the targeted killings of minorities and demanded the Centre put forth an action plan to stop such incidents.

Addressing the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) ‘Jan Aakrosh Rally’ at Jantar Mantar here, he said this showed the BJP could not handle Kashmir and only knew how to do dirty politics.

The Chief Minister also hit out at Pakistan, accusing it of supporting terror activities in Kashmir. “I want to tell Pakistan to stop its petty tactics. Kashmir was ours and will always be part of India...if India decides, then Pakistan will not exist,” he said at the rally held against the targeted killings in Kashmir.

Kejriwal said he would seek time from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the issue and know the Centre’s plan to stop the killings in Kashmir. — TNS

SHARAD PAWAR PARTY LEADER'S BIG CLAIM ON NEXT MAHARASHTRA CM

NCP leader Dhananjay Munde suggested that the next chief minister of Maharashtra will be from the Sharad Pawar-led party.

Speaking at a public meeting in Parbhani city on Saturday, Dhananjay Munde said the social justice department in the incumbent Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt became prestigious because of his efforts.

"If a question arises tomorrow regarding whom to hand over the social justice portfolio......whoever would be the next chief minister....and the CM will be ours (NCP's) only. The CM will say that let the social justice portfolio remain with us (NCP). This department has earned so much reputation," Dhananjay Munde said.

A 46-KM DEMO DRONE FLIGHT

In what potentially lays the ground for postal delivery by drones, Gurugram-based drone startup TechEagle delivered a parcel this week in Gujarat under a pilot project in collaboration with India post.

The drone flight delivered a parcel in the Kutch region of Gujarat, travelling a distance of 46 km in less than 30 minutes. In a statement, TechEagle said that this was five times faster than the speed of surface transportation. Notably, the drone delivery was among the longest single delivery flights made by a drone in the country. It travelled when the wind speed was up to 30 kph.

Last month, the company launched a hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone called ‘VertiplaneX3’ with a payload capacity of 3 kg, a range of 100 km and a top speed of 120 kph. The VTOL drone has the capability to take off and land vertically like a helicopter from a small area of 5mx5m.

BLACK MONEY ACT ORDER AGAINST ANIL AMBANI: OFFSHORE ASSETS RS 800 CRORE

Alleging detection of undeclared offshore assets and investments, the Mumbai unit of the Income Tax Investigation Wing passed a final order in March 2022 against Anil Ambani, Chairman of the Reliance (ADA) Group, under the 2015 Black Money Act (BMA).

The Black Money Act order was filed following the issuance of notices to the industrialist on a web of alleged undeclared offshore assets, the first in 2019.

The order lists offshore entities and details of transactions in linked bank accounts adding up to over Rs 800 crore. This figure, sources said, was calculated on the basis of the current rupee-dollar exchange rate.

NADAL WINS 14TH FRENCH OPEN TITLE, TAKES GRAND SLAM TALLY TO 22

Rafael Nadal regained his aura of invincibility on clay on Sunday by brutally crushing Casper Ruud to lift the French Open trophy for an incredible 14th time and widen the gap at the top of the men's all-time list of Grand Slam winners.

Norwegian Ruud became the latest victim in a long line of challengers who have unsuccessfully tried to defeat the Spaniard in the Roland Garros final since Nadal won his maiden title on the red clay in 2005.

There was a sense of deja vu as the Spaniard, who turned 36 on Friday, completed a 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 thrashing on a balmy afternoon in Paris to maintain his 100% success rate in the championship round at the claycourt major.

In the past 12 months Nadal contemplated retirement due to his battle with a chronic foot problem, was forced to spend six weeks on the sidelines after suffering a stress fracture on a rib in March and was unsure if he would be able to compete in Paris after struggling with his foot in Rome.

Ramraj Cotton

Rumours that the 'king of clay' was making his final appearance at Roland Garros kept circulating during the past fortnight.

"I don't know what can happen in the future but I am going to keep fighting to try and keep going," Nadal said in his victory speech on Court Philipp Chatrier, getting the afternoon's biggest round of applause from the stands.

The win means Nadal is now halfway through the calendar Grand Slam for the first time in his career after also winning the year's opening major at the Australian Open.

Nadal passed fellow Spaniard Andres Gimeno as the oldest Roland Garros men's singles champion. The result once again demonstrated that even when he is less than 100% fit, he is still a mountain too steep to conquer on the red clay of Roland Garros.

The win also gave Nadal a record-extending 22nd Grand Slam title and put him two clear of world number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Swiss Roger Federer in the men's race for the most major titles.

ROOT TON LEADS ENG TO WIN OVEN NZ AT LORD’S

Joe Root made a superb unbeaten century to guide England to an impressive five-wicket victory over New Zealand on a gloomy fourth morning of the first Test at Lord’s on Sunday. Former captain Root became the 14th batsman to pass 10,000 Test runs and finished on 115 not out after sharing a sixth-wicket partnership of 120 with Ben Foakes, whose 32 not out was also crucial for England to reach their victory target of 277.

New Zealand’s seamers, previously so potent through the Test, found no swing on a cold morning and failed to test the batsmen as the pair picked off the runs with little alarm after England had resumed at 216 for five, needing 61 for victory.

Root compiled his 26th Test century, and first in the fourth innings, a reminder of the crucial role he still has to play for the side after reluctantly resigning the captaincy this year.

Scores: New Zealand 132 and 285 lost to England 141 and 279/5

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Almost all our faults are more pardonable than the methods we resort to hide them. - Francois de La Rochefoucald

OFF TRACK

The man walked over to the perfume counter and told the girl he'd like a bottle of an expensive for his wife's birthday.

"A little surprise, eh?" smiled the girl.

"You bet," answered the customer. "She's expecting a diamond."