INDIA, PAKISTAN CLASH OVER KASHMIR IN US, RWANDA AND KAZAKHSTAN

India and Pakistan have clashed over the issue of Kashmir at three international forums spread as far apart as New York, Kigali (Rwanda) and Astana (Kazakhstan).

In Astana, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said it was unfortunate that Pakistan misused the ongoing CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) conference to “propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country and distract from the theme and focus of today’s discussions and cooperation among the member states’’.

In his address, Sharif said that he was ”willing” to engage with India, but asserted that the onus remains on New Delhi to take the necessary steps ”for meaningful and result-oriented engagement”. He also accused India of human rights violations in Kashmir.

Hitting back, Lekhi said Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on India's internal affairs. "Pakistan's remarks today constitute gross interference in India's internal affairs, sovereignty and territorial integrity...,” she said.

In Rwanda, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh exercised his right of reply against remarks made by a Pakistani delegate on the issue of Kashmir at an Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Both he and Lekhi said it was unfortunate that Pakistan has once again chosen to misuse the platform to “propagate false and malicious propaganda against India and distract from today’s discussion’’.

Harivansh called on Pakistan to immediately cease anti-India cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism.

At the United Nations, India dismissed as “frivolous and pointless’’ an attempt by Pakistan to raise the Kashmir issue during the emergency debate on the Ukraine issue. Speaking after the UNGA had voted on the issue, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Munir Akram said he looked forward to “similar concern and condemnation about the attempts by India to formalise’’ annexation of Kashmir.

India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj replied by stating that statements “by one delegation to misuse this forum and make frivolous and pointless remarks against my country deserve our collective contempt and sympathy for a mindset which repeatedly utters falsehoods.’’

“We call on Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism so that our citizens can enjoy the right to life and liberty,’’ she also said.

INDIA 'SERIOUSLY INVESTIGATING' CHILDREN'S DEATHS LINKED TO COUGH SYRUP: EAM JAISHANKAR TO GAMBIA

New Delhi is "seriously investigating" the deaths of 69 children in Gambia in the wake of a report that provisionally linked the fatalities to Indian-made products, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told his Gambian counterpart on Thursday.

Health authorities announced a production halt at domestic company Maiden Pharmaceuticals' factory in Sonepat in northern India on Wednesday after a WHO report said its cough and cold syrups might be linked to the deaths of 69 children in Gambia.

The matter "is being seriously investigated by appropriate authorities," Foreign Minister Jaishankar said in a tweet.

The deaths, the worst involving drugs made in India, are a blow to an industry whose exports more than doubled in the last decade to hit $24.5 billion in the fiscal year through March.

SPLIT 1-1 VERDICT IN KARNATAKA HIJAB CASE; MATTER REFERRED TO CJI

Two judges on a Supreme Court bench on Thursday delivered opposing verdicts in the hijab controversy, and asked the Chief Justice to constitute an appropriate bench to adjudicate in the case that stemmed from a ban on wearing the Islamic head covering in Karnataka schools.

While Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed the appeals challenging the March 15 judgment of the Karnataka High Court which had refused to lift the ban, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia held there shall be no restriction on the wearing of hijab anywhere in the schools and colleges of the state.

Justice Gupta said permitting a community to wear its religious symbols to schools will be an “antithesis to secularism”, but Justice Dhulia insisted wearing the Muslim headscarf should be simply a “matter of choice”.

The split verdict held off a permanent resolution of the vexed row over hijab as both judges suggested placing the matter before a larger bench for adjudication.

Writing a separate 73-page judgment, Justice Dhulia said, “By asking the girls to take off their hijab before they enter the school gates, is first an invasion on their privacy, then it is an attack on their dignity, and then ultimately it is a denial to them of secular education.”     

Justice Gupta, who wrote a contrary verdict, answered the 11 questions framed by him for consideration in the matter and said the constitutional goal of fraternity will be defeated if the students are permitted to carry their apparent religious symbols with them to the classroom.

Justice Gupta also noted that some of the appellants had also made a comparison with the rights of the followers of the Sikh faith by arguing that since ‘Kirpan’ is allowed in terms of Explanation I to Article 25, therefore, the students who want to wear headscarf should be equally protected as in the case of the followers of the Sikh religion.

He said the issue in these appeals is not the essential religious practices of the people following Sikh faith. “The essential religious practices of the followers of Sikh faith cannot be made basis of wearing of hijab/headscarf by the believers of Islamic faith,” Justice Gupta said.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / Oct 13

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Wednesday 2,780

Active Cases 26,509 (+217)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,28,847 (6)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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UKRAINE’S NATO ENTRY COULD LEAD TO WORLD WAR III: RUSSIA

Russian missiles have pounded more than 40 Ukrainian cities and towns over the past 24 hours, as Nato allies meeting in Brussels unveiled plans on Thursday to jointly beef up Europe’s air defences with Patriot and other missile systems. “We are living in threatening, dangerous times,” said German defence minister Christine Lambrecht at a signing ceremony where Germany and more than a dozen of European Nato members committed to jointly procuring weapons for a “European Sky Shield” to better protect their territory.

Moscow renewed warnings that more military aid for Kyiv agreed earlier this week at the Nato meeting made members of the US-led military alliance “a direct party to the conflict,” and said admitting Ukraine to the alliance would trigger a World War. “Kyiv is well aware that such a step would mean a guaranteed escalation to a World War Three,” deputy secretary of Russia’s security council Alexander Venediktov told the state TASS news agency on Thursday.

Nato is not likely to quickly allow Ukraine to join, not least because its membership during an ongoing war would put the US and allies into direct conflict with Russia under the alliance’s collective defence clause.

SAUDI ARABIA, US CLASH OVER REASON FOR OIL CUT

Saudi Arabia pushed back on Thursday against US threats to punish the kingdom for agreeing with Russia to cut oil output, saying the decision last week was based purely on economic reasons.

The Saudi foreign ministry, in an unusual statement, said theJoe Biden administration had urged the kingdom to delay the production cuts for one month. Such a delay could have prevented price hikes at the gas pumps that might harm Democratic candidates in US midterm polls on November 8. But the Saudis said that they had disregarded the US request because they feared that such a delay “would have had negative economic consequences. ”

The White House pushed back against that on Thursday, saying it presented the Saudis with an analysis that showed the cuts could hurt the world economy.

GENERAL HEADSCARF BAN AT WORK OK: EUROPE COURT

EU companies can ban headscarfs as long as it is a general prohibition that does not discriminate against employees, Europe’s top court said on Thursday, the latest ruling on an issue that has divided Europe for years. The case concerned a Muslim woman who was told she could not wear a headscarf when she applied to do a six-week work traineeship at a Belgian company.

The firm said it has a neutrality rule, meaning no head covering is allowed on its premises, whether a cap, beanie or scarf. The woman took her grievance to a Belgian court, which subsequently sought advice from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The CJEU said there should not be any direct discrimination in such a ban. “The internal rule of an undertaking prohibiting the visible wearing of religious, philosophical or spiritual signs does not constitute direct discrimination if it is applied to all workers in a general and undifferentiated way,” judges said. The CJEU had last year said EU firms could ban employees from wearing a headscarf under certain conditions, if they needed to do so to project an image of neutrality to customers. In Germany, headscarf bans for women at work have been contentious for years.

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MALLIKARJUN KHARGE VS SHASHI THAROOR

Mallikarjun Kharge, the frontrunner in the Congress leadership race, said on Thursday that he may not consult the Nehru-Gandhi family on every decision, but would seek their “guidance” and “suggestions”, pointing out that Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have the experience of helming the party.

He said there was nothing to be ashamed about in seeking their counsel as he believed in a collective approach, not an individualistic style of functioning.

Asked how a non-Gandhi presidency would work, he said: “Without the Gandhis, you can’t (operate)… you have to take their guidance. They have sacrificed for this country. Even the positions (they have taken)… When Mrs (Sonia) Gandhi got a majority, many people asked her to lead the government. She didn’t. Here, we people are fighting for small elections, and small positions…”

Kharge was noncommittal on whether his presidency would see elections to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) after 25 years, saying he would be guided by the spirit of consensus. The priority for him, he said, is to implement the organisational reforms announced at the chintan shivir in Udaipur.

Kharge’s challenger, Shashi Tharoor, meanwhile, alleged that it was not a level playing field. The Tharoor camp had earlier approached the election authority headed by Madhusudan Mistry, drawing attention to some state party presidents violating guidelines by openly endorsing Kharge’s candidature. Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Congress headquarters, Tharoor said: “I have nothing against (Madhusudan) Mistry. We all know there are some deficiencies in the system. After all, elections have not been held for 22 years. We got a list (of PCC delegates) on September 10 and we got another list last Wednesday. The first list did not have telephone numbers… Then we got the telephone numbers but there was a difference in the two lists… Such gaps were there. I am not complaining that it is being done deliberately. The problem is that elections were not held for several years, so some mistakes crept in.”

He said while Mistry and his team were trying to hold a “fair and free election”, it “is clear that there are some deficiencies in the system.”

AAP MAKES THE MOST OF ITS GUJARAT CHIEF’S DETENTION IN NEW DELHI

AAP Gujarat unit chief Gopal Italia was on Thursday detained for more than 2.5 hours by the Delhi Police after he appeared before the National Commission for Women (NCW) in connection with his alleged comments amid protests by party members outside the women’s panel’s office in New Delhi.

Italia claimed that he was “threatened and treated indecently” by NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma after he appeared before her “as he is a Patidar and his community members have come out in support of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party” ahead of state Assembly elections.

The NCW chief denied the allegations, saying Italia was given “enough time” to reply on his abusive tweet but his oral and written statements were completely contradictory.

Reacting to police action against the AAP leader, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Italia’s detention had triggered massive anger in the Patel community across Gujarat.

Taking to Twitter, the AAP national convenor also asked why “entire BJP” was after Italia. He later said the Delhi Police was “forced to release” Italia following pressure from the people of Gujarat.

Meanwhile, a photograph of Italia has gone viral on social media. The politician can be seen behind bars. While the detention actually took place on Thursday, the photograph being shared is from May this year when Italia was actually in prison.

UP POLICE RAID IN UTTARAKHAND LEAVES ONE DEAD, 6 COPS INJURED

A woman shot dead Wednesday evening in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district during clashes with an Uttar Pradesh Police team, which reached there looking for a man accused of illegal sand mining, was identified Thursday as the wife of a local BJP leader.

The incident at Bharatpur village in Udham Singh Nagar district, in which six UP Police personnel were injured, including two with gunshot wounds, triggered a war of words between police forces of the two BJP-ruled states.

Uttarakhand Police said it was not kept in the loop about the operation, but the UP Police said it had alerted the Udham Singh Nagar police before mounting the operation.

The woman shot dead was identified as Gurpreet Bhullar, wife of local BJP leader and block chief Gurtej Bhullar.

GST REGIME GRAPPLES WITH CLASSIFICATION DISPUTES

The GST regime completed five years in July this year, but the industry and tax authorities are still untangling classification disputes triggered by the complexities in the indirect tax regime rate structure.

Should a frozen paratha be taxed at the same GST rate as a roti or a chapati? Companies in the business say the rate can’t be higher since the principal ingredient for both is whole wheat flour. But after fighting for over 20 months, the producer, in this case, Vadilal Industries Ltd, has been told that paratha would attract 18 per cent. The chapati, however, attracts only 5 per cent GST.

On September 15, in a fresh ruling, Gujarat’s Appellate Authority for Advance Ruling (AAAR) made a clear distinction between packed /frozen parathas and rotis.

The latest ruling marks a distinction from an earlier 2018 order of Maharashtra’s AAR, wherein it was held that various types of Indian breads are called by different names, and classification should not merely be guided by nomenclature. This was cited by Vadilal when it appeared before the appellate authority in Gujarat.

The roti versus packaged paratha debate is just one of the many disputes that are testing the GST’s robustness in India’s food industry. Tax authorities and manufacturers have previously sparred over Marico’s Parachute — whether it was hair oil or just coconut oil, Fryum — if it’s a papad or not, Nestle’s KitKat —biscuit or chocolate, and Dabur’s Lal Dant Manjan — tooth powder or a medicinal drug.

TACKLING STUBBLE BURNING, THROUGH PADDY STRAW PELLETISATION PLANTS

Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday released CPCB guidelines for the grant of one-time financial support for promoting establishment of paddy straw based pelletisation and torrefaction plants. These plants, once set up, would utilise a sizeable portion of the unmanaged paddy straw and help address the issue of crop residue burning and the resultant air pollution, Yadav said

The government has taken various steps to tackle the issue of stubble burning and a large quantity of paddy straw is now being managed through in-situ and ex-situ management options, he added

Statutory directions have been issued to thermal power plants to co-fire biomass-based pellets, torrefied pellets/briquettes (with focus on paddy straw) with coal (up to 5-10%) and to industries operating in NCR other than GNCT of Delhi to switch over to PNG or biomass fuels during 2022.

These have led to a large demand for biomass-based pellets, though supply is on the lower side due to slow or limited growth of aggregators and suppliers. Thus, CPCB guidelines would bridge a crucial gap in the biomass supply chain, officials said

GANGULY BREAKS SILENCE ON BCCI EXIT

After reports of his exit kicked up a storm, former Indian skipper and BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has broken his silence on the impending departure from the post of top cricket administrator of the country.

Ganguly made the remarks at an event in Kolkata on Thursday, saying that everyone has to face rejections at some time or the other, saying that quick success never happens, highlighting the likes of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar in a philosophical comment.

"No one can continue as the administrator throughout his life. All have to face rejections some time or the other. When you look at quick success it never happens. Remember, one does not become Narendra Modi or Sachin Tendulkar or an Ambani overnight," Ganguly remarked.

Ganguly also hinted that he would soon be seen in a new role, saying that he would be “starting from zero” in that role too. "A time comes when everyone has to make a fresh beginning from zero. My career as a cricket administrator might have ended here. Probably I can be seen in a new role now. There too I will be starting from zero," he said.

However, Ganguly refrained from outing any details of why ultimately, he had to give up the top cricket administrator post.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Self-respect is the root of discipline; the sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself. - Abraham J. Heschel

OFF TRACK

The poor country pastor was livid when he confronted his wife with the receipt for a $250 dress she had bought.

"How could you do this!" he exclaimed.

"I don't know," she wailed, "I was standing in the store looking at the dress. Then I found myself trying it on. It was like the Devil was whispering to me, 'Gee, you look great in that dress. You should buy it.'"

"Well," the pastor persisted, "You know how to deal with him! Just tell him, "Get behind me, Satan!"

"I did," replied his wife, "but then he said 'It looks great from back here, too!'"