CONG RESOLVES DEADLOCK: SIDDA IT IS, AND DKS TO BE HIS ONLY DEPUTY

Siddharamaiah is set to take oath as the next chief minister of Karnataka and state Congress chief DK Shivakumar as his deputy.

Congress sources said a decision to this effect was reached on Wednesday night following parleys at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

The party is learnt to have agreed to just one deputy CM as insisted upon by Shivakumar.

Siddharamaiah has yet again emerged on top of the Karnataka power game having held sway since his entry to the Congress in 2006. He had quit the JD (S) after the party supremo promoted his son HD Kumaraswamy over Siddharamaiah and the latter saw restricted chances for growth.

Siddharamaiah was the CM in 2013 also when the Congress had mustered a majority after 14 years since 1999. He went on to complete his term of five years, something only the Congress party’s late Devraj Urs had earlier done from 1972 to 1977.

Siddaramaiah met Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot to stake claim to form the government shortly after he was formally elected the leader of the Congress Legislature Party on Thursday evening. He will take oath in Bengaluru on Saturday, in an event likely to be attended by leaders of several opposition parties.

KIREN RIJIJU MOVED OUT OF LAW MINISTRY

Kiren Rijiju who, as Union Law Minister, became the vocal face of what was seen as the Government’s protracted pushback against the higher judiciary, was moved out of the Law Ministry Thursday and replaced by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and MoS Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal. It is the first time that teh Union law Minsiter does not have a Cabinet rank.

Rijiju, 51, was allocated the Ministry of Earth Sciences portfolio. And hours after Meghwal was given independent charge of the Ministry of Law and Justice, Union Minister of State for Law and Justice SP Singh Baghel was moved to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as MoS.

Rijiju’s exit comes amid a deepening stand-off between the judiciary and the executive. He had taken on the judges, rather brusquely, on several key issues from appointments to judicial accountability.

Rijiju’s remarks against the collegium system and his calling some retired judges as being part of an “anti-India” trying to make the judiciary play the role of the Opposition party evoked criticism from several quarters, especially the Opposition.

It was during his time as law minister that in an unprecedented move, the Supreme Court initiated contempt action against the government for delay in appointment of judges.

PM MODI TO INAUGURATE NEW PARLIAMENT BUILDING ON MAY 28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the New Parliament building on May 28, the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a statement on Thursday. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met Modi on Thursday to invite him to inaugurate the New Parliament Building, it said.

“Construction of the New Parliament Building is complete now and the new building symbolises the spirit of self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat),” the Lok Sabha statement said.

The new building, which sits next to the existing Parliament House, will be able to accommodate 888 MPs in the Lok Sabha and 300 in the Rajya Sabha, up from the existing capacities of 543 and 250, the Lok Sabha statement said.

MODI KEY LEADER, MUST OUTLINE G20 AGENDA AT HIROSHIMA: JAPAN ENVOY

Underlining that India is a “vital partner” and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “the key leader”, Japan’s ambassador to India, Hiroshi F Suzuki, said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants Modi to explain to G7 leaders, at the meeting in Hiroshima, what he — as the “voice of the Global South” — intends to put on the agenda for the G20 summit regarding global challenges including food security.

Modi is headed to Hiroshima for the G7 summit to be held between May 19 and 21, where the Russia-Ukraine war impacting the rules-based order and food security, and the issue of nuclear non-proliferation are expected to dominate the agenda.

Suzuki, when asked about differences between India and Japan on the Russia-Ukraine war, said: “Japan fully understands where India stands in the context of Russian invasion into Ukraine.” While India has not condemned the Russian invasion explicitly, walking the fine diplomatic tightrope between the US-led West and Russia, Japan has condemned it and joined the sanctions imposed on Moscow.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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RUSSIA FIRES 30 MISSILES AT UKRAINE, 29 SHOT DOWN

Explosions and the whoosh of air defence missiles being launched rattled Kyiv early Thursday in the latest of a series of Russian aerial assaults on the Ukrainian capital this month. Air defences intercepted 29 of 30 missiles fired at Ukraine overnight, the military said.

The early morning duel in the sky over Kyiv between air defenses and missiles was the ninth attack on the capital this month, in what one Ukrainian official called an “unprecedented” string of strikes. The city was targeted with several cruise missiles, almsot all of which were shot down by air defenses, local officials said.

Kyiv in particular has been subject to attack after attack in recent weeks, after a period of relative calm, testing the limits of the capital’s air defenses. Thursday’s assault came after Russian and US officials had said earlier this week that a Patriot missile system shielding the city from ballistic missiles had been damaged in an earlier barrage, though US officials said the system remained operational.

Meanwhile, The Ukrainian military and Russia’s Wagner private army both reported further Russian retreats on the outskirts of Bakhmut on Thursday, as Kyiv pressed on with its biggest advance for 6 months ahead of a planned counteroffensive. Ukraine’s gains have been accompanied by a deepening public split within Russia's forces between Wagner, which has led the Bakhmut campaign, and the regular Russian military. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin says his forces inside Bakhmut itself are still advancing, on the cusp of pushing Ukrainian troops out of their last foothold in the built-up area on the city’s Western outskirts. But he accuses commanders of Russia’s regular forces of abandoning vital ground.

‘TURN-OVER-RIOTERS’ DEADLINE UP; COPS AT IMRAN’S HOME WAIT FOR RAID ORDER

Pakistani police kept up their siege around the home of Imran Khan as a 24-hour deadline given to the former premier to hand over suspects allegedly sheltered inside expired on Thursday. The siege and the authorities’ demand for the suspects, wanted in violent protests over Khan’s recent detention, have angered the former PM’s many followers and raised fears of renewed clashes between them and security forces.

Khan accused Pakistan’s ruling party of trying to foment trouble between his supporters and the army, without offering any evidence of his claim. “My arrest … they want to eliminate me and ban the PTI. . . Efforts to eliminate PTI have been under way for over a year now,” Khan told a group of journalists at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore which had been surrounded by Punjab police.

The popular opposition leader was freed from custody over the weekend and returned to his home. Supporters have been staying there with him, along with private guards. Police surrounded the residence on Wednesday, saying they want 40 suspects involved in May 9 riots handed over.

Hours after the expiry of the ultimatum, Hassan Javed, a senior police official, said that officers were waiting for a signal from the government to launch the raid.

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A WORD ABOUT LAW MINISTER ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL

A defining image of Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal dates back to 2015. As the BJP’s Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha at the time, Meghwal used to cycle to Parliament in his trademark Rajasthani turban, kurta-pyjama and a sleeveless jacket. A banner on his cycle, with the BJP’s colours in the background, would proclaim that he was the MP from Bikaner.

This symbolic image helped lend Meghwal an image of simplicity and humility – two traits that have stuck with him till this day.

Meghwal is seen as a low-profile, dedicated party man, who enjoys Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s confidence.

Meghwal’s appointment also comes ahead of the Assembly polls in Rajasthan, his home state. Considered the BJP’s Scheduled Caste face in the state, his appointment to the high-profile job is expected to consolidate the party’s support base among the community.

SUPREME COURT REFUSES TO LIFT STAY ON BIHAR CASTE SURVEY

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to overturn the Patna High Court’s interim order suspending the Bihar government’s caste survey.

The first round of caste survey in Bihar was conducted between January 7 and 21. The second round started on April 15 and was supposed to continue till May 15.

A bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Rajesh Bindal said it would have to examine if the exercise being carried out is a census in the garb of survey. Justice Bindal orally remarked during the hearing that a lot of documents show the exercise is census only. “We are making it clear, this is not a case where we can grant you interim relief,” the bench said.

The apex court noted that the high court had posted the hearing of the main petition on July 3. “We direct that this petition be listed on July 14.

AFTER KARNATAKA, BRS EYES CONG AS A RENEWED THREAT IN TELANGANA

Already wary of the rise of the BJP in Telangana, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) is now preparing to face a resurgent Congress party in the state, especially after its Assembly poll victory in neighbouring Karnataka. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, who addressed party MPs, MLAs, and MLCs at the party headquarters in Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday evening, ended up underlying this new threat when he asked his colleagues not to be overconfident or complacent, and to rededicate themselves to working hard in their respective constituencies, even as he downplayed the Congress win in Karnataka. Sources said KCR also criticised the Congress at the meeting, stating that the party had ruined the country during its years at the helm.

KCR’s reaction should be seen in the light of the celebrations by the state Congress on May 13, hailing the party’s victory in the Karnataka Assembly election, in which the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee’s (TPCC) described the result as a turning point for the party and vowed a repeat in Telangana.

SC STAYS WEST BENGAL GOVT ORDER BANNING ‘THE KERALA STORY’;  FILM TO ADD ANOTHER DISCLAIMER

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the West Bengal government’s order banning the screening of the film, The Kerala Story, observing that fundamental right to free speech can’t be made dependent on public display of emotions and Section 6(1) of the West Bengal Cinemas (Regulation) Act, 1954, under which it was banned, “cannot be utilised to put a premium on public intolerance”.

A three-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud also asked the Tamil Nadu government to provide adequate security to cinema halls which screen the film, and to those who want to watch it.

“Prima facie, we are of the view at this stage that the prohibition which has been imposed by the state of West Bengal suffers from overbreadth,” said the bench, which included Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala.

Recording the Tamil Nadu government’s counter-affidavit, stating that there is no direct or indirect ban on the film in the state, the court said: “We direct that adequate security shall be provided for every cinema hall and requisite arrangements shall be made to ensure the safety of moviegoers who wish to see the film in any theatre in the state”.

After the ruling, TMC said if any issue arises due to the showing of the film, the opposition should not blame the ruling party. The party maintained that the ban on the screening of the film was imposed apprehending tensions among communities.

The bench also decided the content of the disclaimer, which has to be inserted at the start of the movie, before 5 pm on May 20. The disclaimer shall say that there is no authentic data to back up the suggestion that the figure of conversion is 32000 or any other figure; and that the film represents a fictionalised version of events.

US COURT APPROVES EXTRADITION OF 26/11 ACCUSED RANA TO INDIA

Almost 15 years after armed terrorists from Pakistan attacked Mumbai, a US court has approved the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Hussain Rana to India for his alleged involvement in the 26/11 attack.

A judge in US District Court Central District of California has ruled that extradition of Rana to India was under the jurisdiction of a treaty signed between the two countries in 1997.

Rana has the option of appealing against the ruling.

Rana, along with David Coleman Headley, alias Daood Sayed Gilani, another Pakistani-origin US-based terrorist, is convicted of planning and scouting the locations for the attacks carried out on November 26, 2008. Gilani is lodged for 35 years in a federal prison in Chicago, US.

India had filed a complaint on June 10, 2020 seeking the provisional arrest of Rana with a view towards extradition. The Biden administration had supported and approved the extradition of Rana to India.

Headley, however, cannot be extradited as he has entered into a plea bargain with the US Department of Justice.

AFTER 3 DEATHS, SUPREME COURT SUGGESTS MOVING CHEETAHS TO RAJASTHAN

The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed serious concern over the death of three cheetahs translocated from South Africa and Namibia to Kuno National Park (KNP) of Madhya Pradesh in less than two months and asked the Centre to rise above politics and consider shifting them to Rajasthan.

A bench of justices BR Gavai and Sanjay Karol told the Centre that from reports of experts and articles, it appears that KNP does not seem to be sufficient for such large number of cheetahs and the Union government may consider shifting them to other sanctuaries.

CHINA USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO DRIVE NARRATIVE IN INDIA: REPORT

The Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) has published a report on how China is using social media to drive its narrative in India and distort facts about the border dispute.

CSEP, based in New Delhi, is an independent, public policy think tank with a mandate to conduct research and analysis on critical issues facing India and the world.

Communist Party of China’s external messaging targeting Indian audiences on traditional and new media platforms has come after President Xi Jinping in 2013 had said “tell China’s story well”.

Social media was used during the India-China border crises in 2017 and 2020. China is reaching out directly to Indian audiences through global social media platforms such as Twitter and YouTube. “By embracing new media platforms, the Communist Party is now able to reach out to audiences in India directly and insert itself into domestic political debates as seen during the border crises,” the report said.

INTERNATIONAL CREDIT CARD SPENDS OUTSIDE INDIA WILL ATTRACT 20% TCS

Foreign currency payments through international credit cards will count toward an individual’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) account and attract 20% tax collected at source (TCS), officials said.

However, if these purchases are made in India, and done in Indian rupees, they will not be counted against LRS and not face any TCS.

The decision invited criticism and faced backlash from the travel and tourism industry in particular.

Experts said the changes for credit card spends will likely add to the compliance burden of banks and financial institutions. They also pointed out that if the move is intended to track overseas transactions, the TCS rate of 20% is probably too high and could have been instead at 1-2%.

Also, TCS being a direct tax levy collected by the seller of specified goods from the buyer and deposited to the government, it could add to the burden of a traveller at the time of purchase of a tour package. While taxpayers can claim refunds on the TCS levy at the time of filing their returns, this could result in their funds being locked until the refund is initiated by the tax department, experts pointed out.

Supreme Court advocate Deepak Joshi said the authorities would have to issue a clarification about the different kinds of credit card use. “If it’s used in a hospital abroad, TCS will not apply at a higher rate. So how will the banking company know at the point of sale whether TCS has to be collected or not?” Joshi said.

IPL MATCH 65: VIRAT KOHLI MAULS SRH WITH SIXTH IPL HUNDRED

Virat Kohli levelled with Chris Gayle in the tally for most IPL hundreds, scoring his sixth as Royal Challengers Bangalore downed Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Hyderabad yesterday.

Earlier, Heinrich Klaasen had also registered his first triple figure score in the IPL, amassing 104 off 51 deliveries to propel Hyderabad to 186/5 in their quota of 20 overs.

Coming in to open alongside Faf du Plessis (71 off 47), Kohli (100 off 63) was on the offensive from the word go. The duo stitched together a 172-run stand for the first wicket off 107 deliveries. RCB reached the target with 4 balls and 8 wickets to spare.

All10 teams have now played 13 matches each and each has just one match to go before the play-offs. Here are the current standings:

Team / Points / NRR

Gujarat Titans  18  0.835

Chennai Super Kings 15  0.381

Lucknow Super Giants  15  0.304

Royal Challengers Bangalore 14  0.18

Mumbai Indians  14  -0.128

Rajasthan Royals  12  0.14

Kolkata Knight Riders    12  -0.256

Punjab Kings  12  -0.308

Delhi Capitals  10  -0.572

Sunrisers Hyderabad  8  -0.558

League Matches Remaining: PBKS vs RR, DC vs CSK, KKR vs LSG, MI vs SRH, RCB vs GT

INDICATORS

Sensex 61,432 (-129), Nifty 18,130 (-52)

Nasdaq 12,689 (+188) Dow 33,536 (+116), S&P 4,198 (+39)

US$-Rs. 82.59, GBP-Rs. 102.72, Euro-Rs. 89.21, UAE Dhm-Rs. 22.49, Can$-Rs. 61.25, Aus$- Rs. 54.77

GBP 0.80 /US$, Euro 0.92 /US$, Jap.Yen 138.06 /US$, Aus$ 1.50 /US$, Sing 1.34 /US$, Bang Taka 106.12 /US$, Can$ 1.34 /US$, Mal Ring 4.52 /US$, Pak Re 284.62 /US$, Phil Peso 55.85 /US$, Russian Rouble 80.09 /US$, NZ$ 1.60 /US$, Thai Baht 34.30 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 36.66 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 26,875, Dollar Index 103.37, Brent Crude 75.94, BDI 1,425

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,960 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 6,120 / 5,610, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 74,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats. - Howard Aiken, IBM engineer

OFF TRACK

Out in space two alien forms are speaking with each other.  

The first spaceman says, "The dominant life forms on the earth planet have developed satellite-based weapons."  

The second alien asks, "Are they an emerging intelligence?"  

The first spaceman says, "I don't think so...They have all the weapons aimed at themselves."