LOGJAM IN PARLIAMENT: PROCEEDINGS IN BOTH HOUSES WASHED OUT FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE DAY

Proceedings in both the Houses of Parliament remained disrupted for the third consecutive day, as Congress blamed the government for the situation because of its “obstinacy” of not accepting the Opposition’s demand for a discussion on price rise and hike in GST on food items, but BJP lashed out at its opponents claiming that they are showing “destructive attitude” towards democracy.

When the Lok Sabha met in the morning, Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members that he would give them an opportunity to raise the issues during the Zero Hour.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said it was not right for the members to enter the well of the House and protest despite the Speaker assuring them that they will be allowed to raise the issues later.

As the din continued, Birla adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm but the opposition resumed its protests when the House met again. The House was then adjourned till 4 pm.

PV Midhun Reddy, who was in the chair, took up matters of urgent public importance under Rule 377 when the proceedings resumed. After a few members spoke amid the din, the Chair adjourned the House for the day.

In Rajya Sabha, too, proceeding washed out completely and was adjourned for the day amid continued protest by the Opposition parties led by the Congress over price rise and levy of GST on daily essentials.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Opposition has been demanding an urgent discussion on inflation and hike in GST rates but is being denied. “This morning in the Rajya Sabha the Opposition led by the Congress demanded an URGENT debate on price rise and senseless GST rates on food items. This was denied. The House was adjourned till 2 pm. Modi Sarkar’s obstinacy continues. Business in Parliament is suffering,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.

However, Union Minister and leader of Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal slammed the Congress for disrupting proceedings in the House. He said, “Congress has a destructive attitude towards democracy. It was exposed from Jairam Ramesh’s tweet that Congress was successful in not allowing the House to function.”

The Minister said, the government is not running away from debate on price rise and GST and the issues can be taken up in Parliament once Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recovers from Covid-19.

Ahead of the day’s proceedings, the BJP on Wednesday hit out at the Opposition, accusing it of “disrespecting Parliament, bringing down its productivity”.

While majority of the opposition has been active in the protests, Union minister Smriti Irani reserved special treatment for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he “never posed a question in the House and always disrespected parliamentary proceedings”. “A gentleman whose entire political history has been dotted with showing disrespect to parliamentary procedure is adamant to bring down the productivity of Lok Sabha,” Irani said.  “He has less than 40% attendance in Parliament. Today, the person who has been politically unproductive is dedicating himself to ensure there’s no debate in Parliament,” she claimed.

PRESIDENTIAL POLLS: COUNTING BEGINS AT 11 AM

India will today know who will succeed incumbent Ram Nath Kovind to become the country's 15th President, as counting of votes for the presidential election begins at 11am at the Parliament House in new Delhi.

Kovind's tenure is ending on July 24 and the new president will take oath on July 25.

With ballot boxes from all states having reached the Parliament House, poll officials are ready for the counting in room number 63, the strongroom of Parliament where the boxes are guarded behind a round the clock security.

Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody, who is the Chief Returning Officer for the poll, will oversee the counting, the result of which is likely to be declared by the evening.

MAHARASHTRA POLITICAL DRAMA: SC MAY REFER IT TO CONSTITUTION BENCH

Noting that many constitutional questions have arisen in the petitions relating to the Maharashtra political crisis culminating in a change in government in the state, the Supreme Court on Wednesday said the issue might need to be considered by a five-Judge Constitution Bench.

After hearing senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Harish Salve and others representing the rival Shiv Sena factions for more than an hour, a three-judge Bench led by CJI NV Ramana posted the petitions for further hearing on August 1.

The Bench asked the Maharashtra Speaker not to deal with disqualification petitions till further orders.

While hearing multiple petitions filed by rival factions of Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde on various issues, it also directed Legislative Secretary to keep all the records in safe custody.

The Bench directed the parties to file by next Wednesday their respective replies along with the issues they wanted to top court to decide.

The petitions related to disqualification proceedings, election of new Speaker, recognition of party whip, floor test and the formation of a new government led by Shinde.

PM WRITES TO VACCINATORS LAUDING THEIR EFFORTS AS INDIA CROSSES 200-CRORE VACCINE DOSES LANDMARK

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to all vaccinators lauding their efforts as India crossed the COVID-19 vaccination milestone of administering 200 crore doses to its citizens. Modi has asserted that the coming generations will be proud of India’s achievement in fulfilling its resolve at a time of crisis following the pandemic outbreak.

Vaccinators, healthcare workers and support staff, and frontline workers have played a crucial role in protecting the people of the country, he wrote. “Saving lives is crucial, especially during a once-in-a-century global pandemic. Our vaccinators, healthcare workers and support staff, and frontline workers have played a critical role in protecting Indians,” the Prime Minister wrote in the letter.

From the coldest mountains to the hottest deserts, from faraway villages to dense forests, the COVID-19 vaccination programme has left none behind and showed that New India excels in last-mile delivery, Modi said in the letter.

“The scale and speed that India imparted to the world’s largest vaccination programme have been spectacular and this has happened due to the efforts of people like you. On this historic occasion, I applaud your contribution to India’s COVID-19 vaccination programme and appreciate you for being at the forefront of such a crucial, life-saving mission.

“The achievement of 200 crore vaccine doses showcases the strength of the democratic, compassionate and service-oriented ethos of our nation. The story of India’s courage to deliver during a crisis will be cherished by generations to come. My best wishes to you and your family! Jai Hind!” Modi said.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on yet another milestone of administering 200 crore vaccinations in India. Taking to Twitter, Bill Gates expressed gratitude for the continued partnership with Indian vaccine manufacturers and the government for mitigating the impact of COVID-19.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / July 20

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Tuesday  20,557

Active Cases 1,45,654 (+2,000)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,25,825 (32)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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WICKREMESINGHE ELECTED LANKAN PRESIDENT, TO SERVE TILL NOVEMBER 2024

Ranil Wickremesinghe was on Wednesday elected as Sri Lanka's new President by Parliament, in a rare move that could provide continuity for ongoing discussions with the IMF for a bailout for the cash-strapped nation but a development likely to anger anti-government protesters who have been demanding his resignation from office for weeks.

The 73-year-old Acting President and six-time former prime minister secured 134 votes in the 225-member House while his nearest rival and dissident ruling party leader Dullas Alahapperuma got 82. the voting by secret ballot took place amidst tight security.

In his address soon after his victory was announced by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, President Wickremesinghe said: "The people are not asking us for old politics. I request Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and other opposition parties including former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena to work together," Wickremesinghe said. "We were divided for the last 48 hours. That period is now over. We have to work together now.”

Wickremesinghe was sworn-in as acting president on July 13 after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives and then to Singapore from where he resigned in the face of public revolt against his government's mishandling of the country's economy.

The anti-government protesters had also called for the resignation of Wickremesinghe, who was appointed prime minister in May. Protesters burnt down his private home and also stormed his prime ministerial office in Colombo in demonstrations against his leadership. His election has been received with disappointment — he is seen as a Rajapaksa proxy who will do everything to protect the family, and perhaps even enable Gotabaya’s return to the country.

Wickremesinghe, who has been leading the crucial talks with the IMF, last week said that negotiations were nearing conclusion, and discussions for assistance with foreign countries was also progressing.

The new President will have a mandate to serve out the rest of Rajapaksa's term, which ends in November 2024.

SUNAK AND TRUSS IN THE FINAL STAGE OF LEADERSHIP CONTEST

Former finance minister Rishi Sunak and foreign secretary Liz Truss will battle it out to become Britain's next prime minister after they won the final lawmaker vote, setting up the last stage of the contest to replace Boris Johnson.

Sunak has led in all rounds of the voting among Conservative lawmakers, but it is Truss who seems to have gained the advantage so far among the 200,000 members of the governing party who will ultimately choose the winner.

The final stretch of a weeks-long contest will pit Sunak, a former Goldman Sachs banker who has raised the tax burden towards the highest level since the 1950s, against Truss, a convert to Brexit who has pledged to cut taxes and regulation.

Whoever triumphs when the result is announced on Sept. 5 will inherit some of the most difficult conditions in Britain in decades. Inflation is on course to hit 11% annually, growth is stalling, industrial action is on the rise and the pound is near historic lows against the dollar.

Britain under Johnson, and aided by Truss, also took a hard line against Brussels in its post-Brexit negotiations around Northern Ireland, drawing legal action from the European Union and threatening future trade ties.

PAYBACK? ERDOGAN KEEPS PUTIN WAITING ‘AWKWARDLY’ IN FRONT OF MEDIA

For 50 seconds Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin — looking embarrassed — was reportedly kept waiting in front of the media by Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan ahead of their meeting in Iran Tuesday.

A viral clip of the incident shows a fidgety Putin waiting in a room full of reporters to meet Erdogan, who shows up nearly a minute later.

Joyce Karam, a senior correspondent at the UAE publication The National, shared the video on social media, saying Putin looking “frazzled” in front of cameras displayed “how much has changed after Ukraine.”

This incident took place ahead of a meeting where the two leaders were meant to discuss the easing of Black Sea exports of Ukrainian grain, the blockage of which is causing food shortages around the world. This was their meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine in February.

Putin is notorious for keeping world leaders waiting when they come to see him. Some in the Turkish media speculated if Erdogan had kept Putin waiting as “payback” for a 2020 meeting in Moscow when he was left waiting by the Russian President for about two minutes before a meeting.

Turkey’s T24 website, posting about the incident, asked in the headline: “Was it revenge?”

THE REST

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FIRE ON BOARD AIRCRAFT CARRIER INS VIKRAMADITYA, NO CASUALTIES REPORTED

A fire broke out on board India's lone aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya on Wednesday when it was operating off the strategic Karwar base in Karnataka, officials said.

They said all personnel on board the warship were safe.

In a statement, the Navy said a board of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the fire incident.

The aircraft carrier was carrying out sea trials after it underwent a refit.

The Indian Navy is set to commission its second aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, next month.

INS Vikramaditya is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier purchased by India from Russia in 2013 under a $2.3 billion deal.

SONIA GANDHI SET TO APPEAR BEFORE ED FOR QUESTIONING

The Congress will hold protests across the country against the questioning of its chief Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday, the opposition party said while slamming the agency’s action against its top leadership as “political vendetta”.

The Congress president is set to appear before the ED on Thursday in a money laundering case related to the National Herald-AJL case and top Congress leaders will converge at the AICC headquarters for the protests.

Similar protests were held when her son and former party president Rahul Gandhi was quizzed by the agency in June in the case.

“”The entire Congress family is standing firmly with its President Sonia Gandhi and tomorrow a protest against the dictatorial rule of BJP will be lodged in the whole country,” the party said on its Twitter handle. Congress leaders and workers will also be staging such protests outside offices of the Enforcement Directorate in different state capitals, they said.

ALT NEWS’ MOHAMMED ZUBAIR WALKS OUT OF TIHAR JAIL AFTER SC GRANTS HIM BAIL

Alt News Co-founder Mohammed Zubair was Wednesday evening released from Tihar jail after he was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court earlier yesterday.

The top court had granted him interim bail in six cases filed against him across Uttar Pradesh for alleged hate speech. In its order, the apex court stated that there was no justification in keeping Zubair in continued custody. Of the six cases – two are registered in Hathras, one each in Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Lakhimpur Kheri and Sitapur districts. One case in Chandauli, where a chargesheet has already been filed, has also been transferred for trial before the Chief Judicial Magistrate in Delhi’s Patiala House Court.

Following the Supreme Court order, a Delhi court issued release warrants in seven cases filed against Zubair in UP and Delhi, his lawyer said.

The Supreme Court also transferred the investigation in six FIRs in Uttar Pradesh to the Special Cell of the Delhi Police as all the cases pertain to the same tweets allegedly deemed offensive.

10% QUOTA FOR AGNIVEERS IN CENTRAL FORCES: GOVT IN RS

The government has given "in-principle approval" for 10 per cent reservation in the Central Armed Police Forces like the Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force for 'Agniveers' after their service in the military, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai also said that a whopping 30.41 lakh candidates appeared against 60,210 posts of constables in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

10 per cent of vacancies for ex-Agniveers in the recruitment to the post of constables (general duty) and rifleman in the CAPFs and the Assam Rifles. Relaxation in upper age limit and exemption from the physical efficiency test will also be given,” he said, replying to a written question.

NSE CASE: EX-MUMBAI TOP COP SENT TO 9 DAYS' ED CUSTODY

A Delhi court on Wednesday sent former Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey to nine days' custodial interrogation by Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to alleged illegal phone tapping and snooping of stock exchange employees.

Special Judge Sunena Sharma allowed ED to quiz Pandey after the agency said he was required to be confronted with other accused in the case.

Pandey told the court that he never did any phone tapping or live monitoring.

ED had earlier arrested former NSE MD Chitra Ramakrishnan on July 14 after conducting her interrogation which was permitted by the court, where she was produced from jail on an order passed by the judge earlier.

DELHI HIGH COURT STAYS GUIDELINES BARRING HOTELS, RESTAURANTS FROM LEVYING SERVICE CHARGE

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday stayed the recent guidelines prohibiting hotels and restaurants from levying service charges automatically on food bills.

Justice Yashwant Varma, while dealing with petitions by the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Associations of India challenging the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)’s July 4 guidelines, said the issue requires consideration and directed the authority to file its reply.

“The matter requires consideration. Consequently, until the next date of listing the directions as contained in paragraph seven of the impugned guidelines of July 4, 2022, shall remain stayed,” the court ordered.

The court said that the stay is subject to the members of the petitioners ensuring that the levy of service charge in addition to the price and taxes and obligation of the customer to pay the same is duly and prominently displayed on the menu or other places.

“If you don’t want to pay, don’t enter the restaurant. It is ultimately a question of choice. I have stayed the paragraph 7 guidelines subject to these two conditions,” the court said.

PASSPORT INDEX: INDIA RANKS 87TH WITH ACCESS TO 67 COUNTRIES

Japan has taken the top spot in the Henley Passport Index for 2022, with the country's passport providing its holders access to 193 destinations. Next in line are Singapore and South Korea, whose passports provide access to 192 countries, followed by Germany and Spain, with their passports having a visa-free score of 190.

Among other top-ranked countries are mostly European nations, the US and the United Kingdom.

The Henley Passport Index is a ranking of all the world's 199 passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

India, along with Mauritius and Tajikistan, has been ranked 87th, with its passport providing access to 67 countries.

Meanwhile, Pakistani passport continues to be the fourth-worst in the world, not changing its position from a year ago and providing access to only 32 destinations. In the newly-unveiled ranking, Pakistan is ranked only higher than conflict-ravaged Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, which occupies the bottom spot

INDIAN COMPANIES PICK UP TEAMS IN S AFRICA’S T20 LEAGUE

Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries and India Cements-backed Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd on Wednesday said they were buying a franchise each in Cricket South Africa's new T20 League, as Indian Premier League-style tournaments attract the attention of Indian firms.

This is the second instance in two months that Indian groups have acquired teams in an international T20 league, after conglomerates such as the Adani group, Reliance, GMR, Capri Global and the Knight Riders Group, which operates the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, picked up franchises in the UAE-based International League T20.

Based in Cape Town, Reliance's new franchise will take forward the Mumbai Indians brand, the company said in a statement. While Chennai Super Kings Cricket will have its base in Johannesburg. The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg, known as the Bullring, will be the home ground of the franchise.

Cricket South Africa on Wednesday said that apart from RIL and Chennai Super Kings Cricket, there were owners from four other IPL teams who had successfully bid for franchises in the new Twenty20 tournament. It did not specify the names.

Reports suggest that Lucknow Super Giants owners RP-Sanjiv Goenka group, Sunrisers Hyderabad owners Sun TV Network, Rajasthan Royals owners Royals Sports Group and Delhi Capitals co-owners JSW Sports have bid for the Durban, Gqeberha, Paarl and Pretoria franchises each.

The interest in IPL-style T20 tournaments globally by Indian companies comes as the Indian property grows from strength-to-strength, prompting a wider embrace by international cricket boards.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Mistakes should be examined, learned from, and discarded; not dwelled upon and stored. - Tim Fargo

OFF TRACK

One day, John Smith decided to go to a new golf course where no one knew him, just to get away and see if he could do better elsewhere. He hired a caddy to guide him around the course. After another day of slices, duff shots and misread putts, he was obviously upset. He turned to the caddy and said, "You know I must be the worst golfer in the world."

The caddy replied, "I think not sir, I have heard there is a guy named John Smith from across town who is the worst player ever!"