MAHA SPEAKER CROWNS SHINDE AS BOSS OF REAL SHIV SENA, UDDHAV FUMES

In a big political win for Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Wednesday held that the Shiv Sena faction led by him was the "real political party" when rival groups emerged in June 2022, and did not disqualify any MLA from the two camps, a verdict that adds another chapter in the Sena legacy war.

In his 105-minute-long reading of the key points of the much-awaited ruling on the cross-petitions by Shiv Sena factions seeking disqualification of each other's MLAs following a split in the party in 2022, Narwekar also rejected the Uddhav Thackeray faction's petition to disqualify 16 MLAs of the ruling group, including Shinde.

The ruling cemented Shinde place in the top job, 18 months after his rebellion, and added to his political heft in the ruling coalition which also consists of the BJP and the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in summer and assembly elections in Maharashtra, which are due in the second half of 2024.

Narwekar said no party leadership can use provisions of 10th schedule of Constitution (anti-defection law) for dissent or indiscipline within a party.

In his order on disqualification petitions filed by Shinde-led Sena and the rival faction of Thackeray against each other's MLAs, Narwekar said Sunil Prabhu of the Sena (UBT) ceased to be the whip from June 21, 2022, (when the party split) and legislator Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde group became the authorised whip.

”All the petitions seeking disqualification of MLAs are rejected. No MLA is being disqualified,” Narwekar said.

The speaker also held that the Shiv Sena pramukh (chief) did not have the power to remove any leader from the party. He also did not accept the argument that the will of the party chief and the will of the party were synonymous.

The 1999 party constitution submitted to the Election Commission was the valid constitution for deciding the issues, and the Thackeray group's contention that the amended constitution of 2018 should be relied on was not acceptable, he added. The 1999 constitution made the Rashtriya Karyakarini (national executive) the supreme body, he said.

MURDER OF DEMOCRACY, WILL MOVE SUPREME COURT: UDDHAV THACKERAY

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday said Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s decision holding that the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the real Shiv Sena was a murder of democracy, and his party will move the Supreme Court against it.

Thackeray said the apex court had given clear guidelines, but those were ignored by the Speaker while giving his ruling on disqualification petitions filed by the rival Sena factions.

The original case was about disqualification under the anti-defection law, but not one lawmaker from either side was disqualified, he said.

“The foundation on which the order stands is wrong. This is a murder of democracy and an insult to the Supreme Court,” he said, adding that neither the apex court nor the people will accept this decision.

His party will approach the Supreme Court against the ruling, and will also examine if a contempt petition can be filed against the Speaker, Thackeray said. He would request the apex court to give its decision on the case before the elections, he added.

CONGRESS LEADERS DECLINE RAM TEMPLE CONSECRATION INVITE

The Congress on Wednesday announced that party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have “respectfully declined” the invitation to attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, alleging that it has been made into a “political project” by the BJP and the RSS for “electoral gain”.

In a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned the motive behind the inauguration of the “incomplete” temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS.

“Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country. Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain,” Ramesh said.

The BJP called the Congress’s move yet another “evidence” of the party being allegedly “anti-Hindu”.

BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said, “Congress took no steps over the last few decades for a temple in Ayodhya. They denied the existence of Lord Ram and delayed the hearing in the Supreme Court. So, the Congress party officially stating that it is not going to attend Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) should come as no surprise.”

BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill charged, “First Stalin’s DMK spoke of finishing Sanatana Dharma. Then Sharad Pawar’s NCP declared Lord Ram a meat eater. Today, Congress party declined the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha. This is not a coincidence but a well-thought plan by INDI Alliance to hurt the beliefs of Indians,” adding that “’Nafrat ka samaan’ is sold at ‘Mohabbat ki Dukan’ spoken of by Rahul Gandhi”.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said that “Ram Rajya of Treta Yug” was back in India today under PM Modi’s rule and that those who will not attend the consecration ceremony will “repent” for the rest of their life. “Ravana had also lost his mind in Treta Yug,” he said.

MANIPUR APPROVES VENUE FOR RAHUL’S YATRA, BUT…..

The Manipur government, on Wednesday, approved the venue for the flagging off of the proposed January 14 Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra “with limited number of participants.”  The approval by the Manipur government came eight days after the Congress approached it for flagging off the yatra from Hapta Kangjeibung ground there.   

The order issued by the Imphal East district magistrate’s office said, “Only flagging off of the Yatra with limited number of participants is hereby allowed on January 14 to prevent any untoward incident and disturbance in law and order. The number and name of the participants shall be provided in advance to this office to enable this office to take up all necessary precautionary measures”.

The Congress is yet to take a final call on the flagging off of its yatra in the wake of the state government decision to allow the rally with limited number of participants. AICC Mallikarjun Kharge and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are slated to be present on the occasion and participate in the yatra.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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US & UK FORCES REPEL ‘LARGEST ATTACK’ BY HOUTHIS IN RED SEA

The US and Britain said that their warships on Tuesday had shot down one of the largest barrages yet of drones and missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen toward commercial ships in the Red Sea, highlighting the Iranian-backed militia’s escalating effort to disrupt global commerce in protest of Israel’s war against Hamas.

F/A-18 fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower and four other warships intercepted “a complex attack” involving 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile, the US military’s Central Command said in a statement. No injuries or damage were reported, the command said. Grant Shapps, UK defence secretary, said that the Diamond, a British Navy destroyer, had also responded to repel the Houthis’ “largest attack” since they began targeting ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis have carried out 26 attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since Nov 19, as per the US military.

The US and a dozen allies issued an ultimatum to the Iranbacked Houthis last week to cease their near-daily attacks that have disrupted shipping in the crucial sea lanes that connect the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal. The Houthis have promised to attack ships until Israel stops the war in Gaza.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday declined to say what actions might be coming. “What I can tell you is that, as we made clear, and many other countries made clear, there’ll be consequences for the Houthis’ actions,” he said.

OVER 50 COUNTRIES GO TO POLLS THIS YEAR

From Russia and the UK to India,El Salvador and South Africa, the presidential and legislative contests have huge implications for human rights, economies, international relations and prospects for peace in a volatile world. In some countries, the balloting will be neither free nor fair. And in many, curbs on opposition candidates, weary electorates and the potential for manipulation and disinformation have made the fate of democracy a front-and-centre campaign issue.

A possible rematch in the US between President Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump looms large in the election calendar; a Trump victory in November is perhaps the greatest global wildcard.

Taiwan’s elections for president and the 113-member legislature take place Saturday under intense pressure from China, which makes the outcome important to much of the AsiaPacific region, as well as to the US.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest-serving female leader, won a fourth successive term in an election that opposition boycotted and preceded by violence.

Another leader seeking to retain power is El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who has won widespread support since using emergency powers for an aggressive crackdown on ultra-violent street gangs. A Supreme Court filled by his party’s appointees cleared Bukele to run on February 4 despite a constitutional ban on presidents serving two consecutive terms.

Pakistan’s February 8 parliamentary election is being contested under the eye of the country’s powerful military. Former PM Imran Khanis imprisoned, and election officials blocked him from running. His rival, three-time PM Nawaz Sharif was allowed on the ballot after his corruption convictions were overturned.

June elections for the parliament of the 27-nation EU will be a sign of whether traditional parties can see off populist rivals, many of which are sceptical of military support for Ukraine. In former EU member Britain, an election this year will pit the governing Conservatives against the center-left Labour Party, which is firmly ahead in opinion polls as it seeks to regain power after 14 years.

There’s little doubt about who will win Russia’s presidential election in March. President Vladimir Putin faces only token opposition in his bid for a fifth term.

THE REST

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ALL STATES, UTS TO GET EQUAL CHANCE TO DISPLAY TABLEAUX DURING REPUBLIC DAY PARADE: GOVT

All the states and union territories will get equal opportunity to display their tableaux in the next three Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path, under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the Ministry of Defence and governments concerned, said senior government officials on Wednesday.

The clarification over the new selection process for the tableaux comes amid criticism from states with the opposition in power, including Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah (Congress) and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (AAP), over the rejection of their tableaux.

According to the officials, the three-year rolling plan for the display of tableaux on Republic Day happened last year, following a consultative process for their selection between defence secretary Giridhar Aramane and senior officials of the states and union territories. They also said that after four meetings held by an expert committee, the tableaux of 16 states and union territories were selected for display during the Republic Day celebrations, while emphasising that the selection was “transparent” and “consultative”, and provides everyone with an “equal opportunity”.

According to the MoU provisions, the three-year plan was finalised so that every state and union territory gets a chance — on a rotational basis.

The officials, meanwhile, also said that 30 agencies for design and fabrication of tableaux through an open selection process and the states have been asked to engage these agencies. To encourage ‘Nari Shakti’, majority of the marching contingents will see participation of women, said the officials, adding that up to 75 per cent of participants in the marching contingents at the parade will be women this year.

KUKIS SAY CM BIREN SINGH ‘OPENING A NEW FRONT’, ‘MAY ESCALATE CONFLICT’

The suggestion that the government could review the Scheduled Tribes status of Kukis in Manipur has drawn strong reactions from the Kuki-Zomi organisations in the state, including a threat that attempts to “use the State machinery to target” the community will further escalate the conflict.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh had said that the government may consider setting up a committee to discuss the ST status of Kukis in the state. This was in response to queries on a representation made to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs by the Meitei leaders for the exclusion of Kukis from the state’s ST list, on the grounds that “they are not original inhabitants of Manipur”.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a Kuki-Zomi organisation based in Churachandpur, lashed out at the CM for “opening a new front” in the ongoing conflict.”

MODI ASKS GLOBAL MAJORS TO INVEST IN ‘PILLAR OF STABILITY’ INDIA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called upon global companies to invest in India which the world sees as a “pillar of stability” in an increasingly uncertain world.

Describing India as a friend “who can be trusted as a partner, a voice that believes in global good”, Modi told a large number of global and domestic industry CEOs, and foreign dignitaries at the Tenth Vibrant Gujarat Summit in Ahmedabad on Wednesday that in a world surrounded by uncertainties, India’s priorities were very clear.

Modi said the Indian economy is showing resilience because of the decade-long focus on structural reforms which in turn have increased the Indian economy’s capacity and competitiveness. The government has aided this process by massive structural reforms that have made India an attractive destination for investment. The banking system today is the strongest in the world.

He said India would be among the world’s top three economies in a few years from its position as the eleventh largest economy a decade back. “It is my guarantee that this will happen,” the PM declared to applause.

NEW YORK COURT ASKS FOR PROOF AGAINST NIKHIL GUPTA

A New York Court has ordered the US government to respond to a motion filed by Nikhil Gupta’s lawyers, seeking material relating to the charges against him. Gupta has been accused by the US authorities of plotting to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.

In November last year, the US Department of Justice, in an indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, claimed that an Indian official was working with Gupta, an Indian citizen, in the foiled plot to kill Pannun.

EU CARBON TAX: INDIA FLAGS RISK OF TRADE INFO GETTING COMPROMISED

India has flagged concerns relating to sensitive and confidential trade data of its exporters getting compromised while complying with the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) — the world’s first system that imposes carbon emission tariffs on iron, steel, aluminium and cement, among other such items imported into the 27-nation bloc.

Indian manufacturing exports in sectors such as steel, oil refining and cement align extremely favourably with global cost competitiveness benchmarks and the concerns flagged by Indian exporters pertain to sensitive trade secrets in these segments getting compromised.

While the CBAM is set to come into effect from 2026, the transition period requiring exporters to submit data to EU authorities began October 1, 2023. The CBAM requires EU importers to submit nearly 1,000 data points and methods used in production by exporters. While the EU says the data collection is aimed at ascertaining carbon emission, Indian exporters fear losing competitive edge by revealing such crucial information.

X SHEDS OVER 1,000 STAFF TASKED WITH STOPPING ABUSIVE CONTENT

Elon Musk's X has shed more than 1,000 staff globally from teams responsible for stopping abusive content online, according to new figures released by Australia's online watchdog. Australia's eSafety Commission said these "deep cuts" and the reinstatement of thousands of banned accounts had created a "perfect storm" for the spread of harmful content.

The regulator has in recent months zeroed in on X -- formerly known as Twitter -- previously saying Elon Musk's takeover coincided with a spike in "toxicity and hate" on the platform.

"To take 80 percent of these specialist engineers away, it would be like Volvo -- known for its safety standards -- eradicating all of their designers or engineers," says Safety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, a former Twitter employee "You've got a perfect storm. You're drastically decreasing your defences, and you're introducing repeat offenders back onto the platform."

RAHUL DRAVID'S SAYS IPL PERFORMANCE WILL COUNT FOR T20I WORLD CUP

Head coach Rahul Dravid on Wednesday admitted that Indian players will not get too many chances to play as a group ahead of the T20I World Cup, and said they needed to remain mentally flexible ahead of the marquee event in June. The three-match series against Afghanistan beginning in Mohali today will be India's final T20i assignment ahead of the global showpiece. In that context, Dravid said the management will also have to depend a bit on the IPL 2024 for the team selection.

"After the last T20i World Cup (2022) we prioritised the ODI World Cup. But we don't have that many T20i games after that (ODI WC)," said Dravid in his pre-match conference. "So, this T20i WC is slightly different in the sense that (there's) not a lot of time to prepare for that. We have to rely on the cricket that we have and also a little bit on the IPL."

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads? - Albert Camus

OFF TRACK

Three gentlemen were traveling by car from Hyderabad to Bangalore. They stop at a roadside dhaba for some tea.

“I’ll have a cup of tea without any milk in it,” ordered one.

“Make mine without sugar,” said the second gentleman.

“And you saab?” queried the waiter of the third.

“Get me your special tea. And be sure the glass is absolutely clean!”

In a short while the waiter was back with the order. “Which one,” he asked, “wanted the clean glass?”