AMIT SHAH IN KASHMIR, GOES AFTER ‘THREE FAMILIES’

Addressing his first public rally in the Valley since the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Union Home Minister Amit Shah Wednesday ruled out any dialogue with Pakistan, even as he went all out to target the “three families that ruled Kashmir for seventy years”.

Shah announced that the elections to the J&K Assembly would be held as soon as the Election Commission completes the process of revision of electoral rolls in the Union Territory.

“Some people are giving me suggestions that I should talk to Pakistan, those who have ruled here for seventy years are giving me suggestions,” Shah told the rally. “But I am clear, I don’t want to talk to Pakistan. I would talk to Gujjars and Paharis of Baramulla. I will talk to the youth of Kashmir. They (Pakistan) have spread terrorism here. What good have they done for Kashmir.”

The rally was held at Baramulla, where multi-tier security arrangements were made with traffic to the town restricted from Sangrama, about 10 kms away. The rally was attended by over 10,000 people, most of whom were from the border areas of Tangdhar, Uri and Bandipore. Some of them were govt employees, who accused their senior officials of “forcing” them to attend it.

Shah used a large part of his 25-minute speech to slam the “three families that have ruled Kashmir for 70 years”. While the BJP leaders have often hit out at the families of Abdullahs and Muftis, it was for the first time that Shah brought Gandhis too in the line of his attack.

“I saw a tweet of Mehbooba (Mufti) ji. She had said that Home Minister should go back only after giving account of what they have given to Kashmir,” Shah said. “Mehbooba ji, listen with open ears and eyes, what we have done, I will give its account but what you and Farooq (Abdullah) sahib have done, you should give that account later… I have come here to ask you, Mehbooba and Farooq sahib, tell us how much investment has come to Kashmir in 70 years, how many industries have been set up, how many factories have been opened and how many youth have been given employment. (There has been an investment of) only 15,000 crore in 70 years. In three years, Modi ji brought an investment of 56,000 crore”.

The Home Minister said the Modi govt’s “achievement” was to take democracy to the grassroots in J&K. “Before that democracy was limited to 87 legislators, six parliamentarians and three families – Mufti family, Abdullah family and Gandhi family,” he claimed. “We have taken it to villages, to 30000 panches and sarpanches.”

US ENVOY VISITS POK, CALLS IT 'AZAD J&K'

The MEA has not reacted so far to US ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome’s visit to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) this week with the US embassy in Islamabad highlighting it with a series of tweets over the three days that he was in the disputed region.

In April, the MEA had not taken kindly the PoK visit of US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, describing her as a practitioner of “narrow-minded politics”. This was the first official US delegation to PoK in three years.

However, the difference is that Omar directly touched on the human rights issue in J&K as well as Article 370. But the US envoy’s visit was aimed at restoring Pakistani heritage and cultural sites as well as highlighting the American aid for the victims of the 2005 earthquake and the recent floods in Pakistan.

Blome throughout mentioned PoK as AJK (Azad Jammu and Kashmir), which is anathema to New Delhi.

The PoK visit adds to US-UK’s attempt to mend fences with Pakistan, which had been kept at an arm’s distance by the Trump administration for “not being sincere in combating terrorism.

CONGRESS, TMC FUME OVER PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES REJIG

In the latest reconstitution of the parliamentary committees announced Tuesday, opposition parties Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC) were removed from chairmanship of key panels, leaving the ruling BJP and its allies at the helm of six major panels — Home Affairs, Information Technology, Defence, Health and Family Welfare, External Affairs and Finance.

While the principal opposition party, Congress, retained the chairmanship of one panel — Science and Technology, Environment and Forests — the second largest opposition party, TMC, got none.

Trinamool lost the key food and consumer affairs panel, which will now be headed by BJP MP Locket Chatterjee.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader in Lok Sabha, said the govt was uncomfortable with the issues being raised in the standing committees and hence, this reconstitution to eliminate opposition from key posts was done to muzzle their voices.

“While there is no rule that opposition leaders have to be at the helm of the panels, it’s a well-settled convention in our parliamentary norm. Since the time allotted during the sessions are inadequate, standing committees are mini parliaments comprising opposition members to scrutinise all policies. Now the opposition has been deliberately expunged and decimated. I have written to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister [V. Muraleedharan] regarding this,” he said.

Notably, the Congress has 31 MPs in the 245-member Rajya Sabha and 53 in the 543- member Lok Sabha making it the principal opposition party and the TMC, with its 13 MPs in Upper House and 23 in the Lower House, is the second largest opposition party.

TMC’s Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, said: “This is absolutely unprecedented and it shows the high-handedness of the authorities who have willfully deprived the TMC from heading any standing committees. This is also politically motivated.”

TRS MORPHS INTO BRS, GOES NATIONAL

Seeking to expand its electoral footprint beyond Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Wednesday changed its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Over two decades after the founding of the party with the objective of carving out a separate Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, the party adopted a unanimous resolution at its general body meeting, rechristening it as BRS. Now, the goal is to take on the BJP and emerge as a national force to reckon with, bringing together like-minded parties. The decision was announced by TRS chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in the presence of special invitees, including former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.

Rao released a letter that has been sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI) informing it of the development.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / Oct 5

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Tuesday 2,459

Active Cases 33,318 (-1,280)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,28,733 (8)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

IN BREAK WITH THE WEST, OPEC AND RUSSIA TO CUT OIL OUTPUT

As the EU pushed ahead on Wednesday with an ambitious but untested plan to limit Russia’s oil revenue, Western efforts to drain funding from President Putin’s war machine were facing a hurdle from Opec Plus, the group led by Saudi Arabia and that includes Russia. At a meeting in Vienna on Wednesday, OPEC+ agreed to steep oil production cuts, curbing supply in an already tight market, causing one of its biggest clashes with the West.

Opec’s de-facto leader Saudi Arabia said the cut of 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of output — equal to 2% of global supply — was necessary to respond to rising interest rates in the West and a weaker global economy. It is the biggest cut since the height of the Covid pandemic in 2020. The move would reinforce the perception that Russia and Saudi Arabia are working closely together to manage oil markets.

However, Saudi Arabia rebuffed criticism, saying the West was often driven by “wealth arrogance” when criticising the group.

The move drew a swift rebuke from US President Biden, who had made a controversial trip to Saudi Arabia in July in part to lobby for a boost in oil production. “The president is disappointed by the shortsighted decision by OPEC+,” NSA Jake Sullivan and top economic advisor Brian Deese said in a statement.

If the global price of oil remains high, it would complicate the EU’s effort to impose a price cap on Russian oil that was expected to gain final approval on Thursday, after EU negotiators reached an agreement on the measure as part of a fresh package of sanctions against Moscow. Under the plan, a committee including representatives of the EU, the G7 nations and others that agree to the price cap would meet regularly to decide on the price at which Russian oil should be sold, and that it would change based on the market price.

PUTIN ASSERTS CONTROL OVER UKRAINE N-PLANT

Russian President Putin ordered his govt on Wednesday to take control of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest. However, the boss of Ukraine’s state energy agency announced he was taking over the plant, which has become a focus of international concern due to the possibility of a nuclear disaster after shelling in the area. Russia captured the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in March, but Ukrainian staff have continued to operate it.

The plant is located Zaporizhzhia, one of four regions that Putin formally incorporated into Russia on Wednesday in a move condemned by Kyiv as an illegal land grab. Putin later signed a decree that designated the ZNPP “federal property”. Russia’s nuclear power operator Rosenergoatom said that it would conduct an assessment of how to repair damage to the plant’s infrastructure.

THE REST

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JIBES GALORE AT RIVAL SHIV SENA DUSSEHRA RALLIES

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday bitterly traded charges and used caustic terms like "traitors" and "betrayer" as rival Shiv Sena groups headed by them held Dussehra rallies in Mumbai in what was a parallel show of strength by the rivals after the change of govt three months ago.

Thackeray made a 43-minute-long speech at Shivaji Park ground in central Mumbai, where his party has been holding the Dussehra rallies since its inception in 1966, while Shinde addressed the crowd for an hour and a half at a bigger ground at Bandra Kurla Complex in the suburbs.

Shinde asserted his rebellion was not an act of "betrayal", but a "revolt" and asked Uddhav Thackeray to kneel down at party founder Bal Thackeray's memorial in Mumbai and apologise for going against his ideals and aligning with the Congress and the NCP.

Shinde said voters in the state elected the Shiv Sena and the BJP in the 2019 assembly elections, but Thackeray "betrayed" the people by joining hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) govt.

The Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena has often targeted rebels as "traitors". "We did not do gaddari (betrayal), but this (rebellion) was gaddar (revolt). We are not gaddar (traitor), but soldiers of Balasaheb (Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray). You sold Balasaheb’s principles. Who are the real traitors who betrayed Hindutva for the sake of power?” Shinde said.

Shinde’s rally was attended by Jaidev Thackeray, brother of Uddhav Thackeray, and his estranged wife Smita Thackeray. Nihar Thackeray, grandson of late Bal Thackeray, also attended the rally besides Champa Singh Thapa, a long-time personal aide of the Sena founder.

Thackeray, who started his speech ahead of Shinde, mounted a scathing attack on the chief minister and his supporters, saying their reputation as "traitors" will never be washed away.

"As time changes, Ravan's face also changes. Today, it is the traitors (who are Ravan). When I was unwell and underwent a surgery, I had given the responsibility to him (Shinde). But he conspired against me thinking I will never stand up on my feet again," the former chief minister said.

"There is a limit to lust for power... After the act of treachery, he now wants the party, its symbol and also wants to be called the party president," Thackeray said, targeting his one-time trusted aide who served under him in the MVA cabinet.

Shinde said, ”They call me 'Katappa'. I want to tell you, that even 'Katappa' had self-respect, and did not have double standard like you.”

MOHAN BHAGWAT BATS FOR 'EQUALITY AMONG HINDUS'

RSSchief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said scare-mongering was being done by some that there was a danger to minorities, but asserted that this is neither the nature of the Sangh nor of Hindus.

"The Sangh resolves to stand on the side of brotherhood, amity and peace," Bhagwat said at the RSS Dussehra rally in Nagpur.

Raising concerns over inequality among Hindus, he said 'unless temples, water sources and cremation grounds are open to all Hindus, till such time the talk of equality will be a mere pipe dream'.

"Now, when the Sangh is receiving the affection and confidence of people and also has become strong, the concept of Hindu Rashtra is being taken seriously," he said. "Many people agree with the concept, but are opposed to the word 'Hindu' and they prefer to use other words. We don't have any issue with that. For the clarity of concept -- we will keep emphasising the word Hindu for ourselves," he said.

Acclaimed mountaineer Santosh Yadav was the chief guest at the function. She is the first woman in the world to climb the Mount Everest twice.

FIVE DEAD, 8 INJURED IN PILE-UP ON MUMBAI'S BANDRA-WORLI SEA LINK

A speeding car rammed into an ambulance and other vehicles parked on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link as they were preparing to take victims of an earlier accident to a hospital.

The accident took place around 3 a.m. between pole numbers 76 and 78 on the south-bound stretch of the sea link bridge, which connects Bandra in western suburbs to Worli in south Mumbai.

Thirteen people, including a woman and a Sea Link employee, were injured and five of them were later declared dead during treatment.

ALTNEWS' PRATIK-ZUBAIR, HARSH MANDER ON NOBEL PEACE PRIZE SHORTLIST

Co-founders of fact-checking website AltNews Pratik Sinha and Mohammed Zubair and Indian author Harsh Mander are among the favourites to win this year's Nobel Peace Prize, according to shortlists released ahead of the announcement.

The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on October 7 in Oslo, Norway. Time magazine, in a report, compiled a list of ”some of the favourites to win, based on nominations that were made public via Norwegian lawmakers, predictions from bookmakers, and picks from the Peace Research Institute Oslo.”

The list includes journalists Sinha and Zubair, who "have relentlessly been battling misinformation in India”. The Time report said that the duo has ”methodologically debunked rumours and fake news circulating on social media and called out hate speech”.

The Time list of favourites also includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the UN Refugee Agency, Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the WHO, Russia's jailed opposition leader and anti-corruption activist Alexey Navalny and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunburg.

BORDERS BLUR IN KARTARPUR AS BEDI, INTIKHAB CATCH UP OVER SOME JAZZ

“When saints go marching in…” The jazz of Louis Armstrong floats in Kartarpur on the Ravi river’s west bank outside Lahore. A great Indian Sikh spinner, a respected Pakistani Muslim captain and a legendary African-American musician's songs, have found a way to mingle at the fabled shrine.

“I could see tears welling up in his eyes when I sang that song,” says Intikhab Alam says about meeting his old friend Bishan Singh Bedi at Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara on Tuesday. “We both go a long way and that song, too, plays a role in it. In fact, we all cried when we met.”

Bishan Bedi’s wife Anju, too, was left in tears. “Intikhab, Shafqat Rana (a Pakistan international from the 1960s), Bishan, all holding hands and crying. It was some sight. Right through Bishan’s illness and recovery, Intikhab would call every third day. So would Zaheer Abbas, who is not well these days. All the Pakistani players who live in England, like Mushtaq Mohammad, are all his buddies and would keep calling. Intikhab has been a great, true friend and Bishan has always been much loved in Pakistan,” she says.

The song connection dates back to the 1970s during Kerry Packer’s rebel league that changed the cricketing world. Intikhab and Bedi were in the Rest of the World team. “We had a Sunday club during that tournament. We had players from so many different countries. Someone would dance, someone would sing or play an instrument and so on. I used to sing this song the way Armstrong sang or tried to, and Bishan loved it. I guess he still does,” says Intikhab, a jazz lover who had picked up the song during his playing days in Scotland.

The meeting in Kartarpur was Bedi’s great desire.

CHANCE FOR INDIA HOPEFULS TO IMPRESS IN SOUTH AFRICA ODIs

A new-look India team, led by Shikhar Dhawan, will be hoping to make a statement and be in the reckoning for next year's 50-over World Cup when the three-match ODI series against South Africa begins in Lucknow on Thursday.

In the absence of big guns like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin, who are off to Australia for the T20 World Cup, the Indian selectors opted for a fresh squad that includes Mukesh Kumar and Rajat Patidar, who earned maiden call-ups.

The squad also features a few T20 World Cup reserve players.

Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, who is part of the reserves named for the T20 World Cup, will serve as Dhawan's deputy in the series.

Right-arm pacer Deepak Chahar and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, the other players from the standby list, have also been included in the ODI team for the matches against South Africa.

Dashing opening batter Shubman Gill, who has impressed in limited opportunities in ODIs, is likely to resume his partnership with Dhawan at the top.

INDICATORS

(Indian Markets were closed yesterday on account of Dussehra)

Nasdaq 11,149 (-28) Dow 30,274 (-42), S&P 3,783 (-8)

(US$-Rs. 81.46 GBP-Rs. 92.77, Euro-Rs. 80.72, UAE Dhm-Rs.22.17, Can$-Rs. 59.95, Aus$- Rs. 52.88

GBP 0.87 /US$, Euro 1.00 /US$, Jap.Yen 144.50 /US$, Aus$ 1.53 /US$, Sing 1.42 /US$, Bang Taka 99.33 /US$, Can$ 1.35 /US$, Mal Ring 4.64 /US$,

Pak Re 225.91 /US$, Phil Peso 58.70 /US$, Russian Rouble 58.75 /US$, NZ$ 1.74 /US$, Thai Baht 37.53 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 36.50 /US$)

Bitcoin - USD 20,139

Dollar Index 111.12 Brent Crude 93.37 BDI 1,788

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,865 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,210 / 4,775, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 67,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Give me a Team full of passion and I will beat any team full of talent. - Michael Jordan

OFF TRACK

Morty was in his usual place in the morning sitting at the table, reading the paper after breakfast. He came across an article about a beautiful actress that was about to marry a football player who was known primarily for his lack of IQ and common knowledge.

He turned to his wife with a look of question on his face. "I'll never understand why the biggest jerks get the most attractive wives."

His wife replies, "Why thank you, dear!"