CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI TO BE NEW PUNJAB CM; TO TAKE OATH TODAY

The Congress picked Charanjit Singh Channi as the next chief minister of Punjab on Sunday, a day after Amarinder Singh resigned following a bitter power tussle in the party.

AICC general secretary Harish Rawat said in a tweet, "It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. #CharanjitSinghChanni has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab."

Channi was neither the Congress high command’s first choice nor the unanimous choice of the Congress Legislature Party. His elevation, as the state’s first Dalit CM, capped a day of hectic and desperate lobbying by several senior leaders with an unusual Sikh versus Hindu CM narrative thrown into the mix.

After the decision was taken, however, several leaders said that the appointment of a Dalit in a state with nearly 32 per cent Dalit population was a “sound political decision” — given that all opposition parties have been wooing the community. While the Akali Dal has tied up with BSP and promised to make a Dalit the Deputy CM, AAP is banking heavily on this votebank. The BJP had also spoken about making a Dalit the Chief Minister if voted to power.

With Channi’s elevation, the high command has also ensured that state Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu is kept under check while allowing him to emerge as the party’s Jat face.

And yet, the decision on Channi came after every Congress leader of some stature in Punjab had entered the fray through the day. Sources said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s initial choice was former PPCC president Sunil Jakhar before the Sikh versus Hindu hurdle came up.

Sidhu was not agreeable either to giving Jakhar the top job, perhaps fearing that the veteran would emerge as a new power centre.

As a compromise formula, the leadership then turned to veteran leader Ambika Soni who said the CM should be a Sikh as Punjab is the only state where a person from the community can become the CM.

The CLP meeting, which was to take place at 11 am, was cancelled even as Soni’s Sikh pitch set the cat among the pigeons. Some leaders claimed she was batting for Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

Sidhu, it is learnt, opposed Randhawa’s elevation but told the high command that he would have no issues if a Dalit became the next CM. Channi then became a compromise candidate.

JAISHANKAR, SAUDI FM TALK COVID CURBS, AFGHANISTAN

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his visiting Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in New Delhi yesterday. The first ministerial visit from Saudi Arabia to India since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic took place against the backdrop of both countries having to witness the developments in Afghanistan from the sidelines.

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek on Friday, Foreign Ministers of China, Russia, Pakistan and Iran had a meeting to the exclusion of India, the other major country in the grouping. That these countries intend to control events in Afghanistan was apparent from Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi' five-point proposal on coordination and cooperation among the four countries for the next stage.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia has remained out of the picture whereas its much smaller neighbours UAE, Qatar and Bahrain played a leading role in evacuations and have also been sending humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Both ministers discussed all issues related to their bilateral relationship and regional and international issues of mutual interest, said an MEA statement. They also exchanged views on developments in Afghanistan besides other regional issues and discussed bilateral cooperation at multilateral forums such as UN, G-20 and the GCC.

Drawing on the Strategic Partnership Council Agreement signed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Saudi Arabia in 2019, they discussed further steps to strengthen their partnership in trade, investment, energy, defence, security, culture, consular issues, healthcare and human resources.

The MEA said Jaishankar urged Saudi Arabia to further relax restrictions on travel from India. Thousands of Indian expatriates stranded here have been urging the MEA to find a solution to their woes.

NAGALAND’S NEW ‘OPPOSITION-LESS’ GOVERNMENT

A month after the Opposition joined hands with the government in Nagaland, the state’s legislators have decided to call the new formation the United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

“The nomenclature of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) for the Opposition-less government in Nagaland has been unanimously approved by the legislators and party leaders of NDPP, BJP, NPF and Independent MLAs,” chief minister Neiphiu Rio tweeted.

On July 19, the Opposition party, Naga People’s Front (NPF), submitted a letter to chief minister Rio requesting for an all-party government to help reach an early settlement of the Naga political problem. In August, the Rio-led People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) — which comprises the National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), with the support of the BJP and two Independents — passed a joint five-point resolution with the NPF, saying that the political parties shall “aim at promoting the Naga Peace Talks with a positive approach in the greater interest of achieving peace”.

The Naga movement is considered India’s longest-running insurgency. In 1997, the Centre signed a ceasefire agreement with the largest Naga rebel group, National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM). In 2015, renewed negotiations for a solution to the Naga political problem began between the NSCN-IM and the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Since then, seven other Naga armed outfits, under the banner of the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) have joined the talks. While formal talks are said to have concluded in October 2019, they are yet to yield a final agreement with the NSCN-IM holding on to its demands for a separate Naga flag and Constitution.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 3,12,119

New Cases in last 24 hours: 30,803

Recovered in last 24 hours: 43,238

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -12,731

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 296 (4,45,165)

Daily Tests (Saturday): 15,59,895

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 2.0%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 45.1% / 15.3%

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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BRITAIN'S LOVE OF FRANCE "INERADICABLE": BORIS JOHNSON UNDERPLAYS DIPLOMATIC ROW

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday played down the diplomatic rift with Paris over a new security pact with Australia and the US, saying his country's "love of France is ineradicable".

Speaking to journalists as he flew to New York, Johnson insisted Britain and France have a "very friendly relationship", which he described as being of "huge importance".

The security agreement, and Australia's related decision to tear up a multibillion-dollar deal for French submarines in favour of American nuclear-powered vessels, has sparked outrage in Paris, with President Emmanuel Macron recalling France's ambassadors to Canberra and Washington in an unprecedented move.

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said over the weekend that Britain was a "third wheel" in the affair, and accused London of "constant opportunism".

France has cancelled a meeting set for this week between its Defence Minister Florence Parly and her British counterpart Ben Wallace.

But Johnson downplayed France's concerns. He said the pact, dubbed AUKUS, was "not in any way meant to be zero-sum, it's not meant to be exclusionary". "It's not something that anybody needs to worry about and particularly not our French friends," he said.

KABUL’S DIKTAT FOR WOMEN WORKERS IN GOVT: ‘STAY HOME’

Women employees in the Kabul city government have been told to “stay home”, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men, the interim mayor of Afghanistan’s capital said on Sunday, detailing the latest restrictions on women by the new Taliban rulers.

The decision to prevent most female city workers from returning to their jobs is another sign that the Taliban, who overran Kabul last month, are enforcing their harsh interpretation of Islam despite initial promises that they would be tolerant.

IMRAN KHAN DOES A U-TURN, AFTER PRAISING TALIBAN, HE DEFENDS JOE BIDEN

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan defended US President Joe Biden’s decision for the botched pullout of American troops from Afghanistan, insisting that it was a “sensible” move and Biden is being “unfairly criticised” for it. "There was so much unfair criticism of President Biden, and what he did was the most sensible thing to do," Khan told a Russian news channel on September 17.

Khan’s defence of the American President comes a month after he blamed the US for expecting Pakistan to “clean up the mess” it leaves behind in Afghanistan. “Pakistan is just considered only to be useful in the context of somehow settling this mess which has been left behind after 20 years of trying to find a military solution when there was not one,” Khan told reporters in Islamabad in early August before Kabul fell to the Taliban.

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YOGI RELEASES REPORT CARD, SAYS UP UNDER BJP HAS BEEN RIOT-FREE

Claiming the state has remained riot-free since 2017, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while patting his own back, yesterday said his tenure was “memorable”, which was devoted to good governance and people.

Addressing a press conference on the occasion of completion of his four-and-a-half-year term in the office, Adityanath said his government had struck at the root of the mafia and paved the way for a safer and secure state.

“We have put criminals in jail, confiscated their properties and not a single communal riot has taken place in Uttar Pradesh in the past four and a half years. Our priority was security for women and we set up the Anti-Romeo squad, pink booths for women and launched the third phase of ‘Mission Shakti’ to empower women on all fronts,” the CM said.

Adityanath said while previous governments built houses for themselves, his government built houses for the poor. “We have given a sense of stability to the state administration, unlike previous government which had turned transfers into an industry. We encouraged officers to work better and be more responsive toward the public,” he said. Claiming his government gave jobs to 4.5 lakh youths, the CM said a transparent system for doing business in the state was set up, which led to improvement in rankings and investments started pouring in.

He got prompt rejoinders from the opposition parties:

“The BJP government made Uttar Pradesh No.1 in malnutrition, crime against women, kidnappings, murders, and atrocities against Dalits.” —Priyanka Gandhi, Congress leader

“The 16-page booklet published by the BJP government is 16 aane lies. It seems the BJP government in UP has published a textbook of ‘international training centre for lies.” —Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi party chief

KEJRIWAL PROMISES U’KHAND MORE JOBS, 300 FREE POWER UNITS

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced a slew of promises to the people of the poll-bound Uttarakhand. He said every unemployed youth would be provided job and 300 free electricity units would be provided to every household, if AAP comes to power.

Addressing a press conference at Haldwani, along with APP chief ministerial face for the forthcoming Assembly election in Uttarakhand, Col (retired) Ajay Kothiyal, Kejriwal said Rs 5,000 per month would be given as allowance to one unemployed person from a family till he was provided job. The Delhi CM also announced that the AAP government would create one lakh government jobs within six months of assuming office. “We have planned to generate more jobs by creating mohalla clinics and schools,” said Kejriwal.

He further announced that 80 per cent of the jobs in both private and government sectors would be reserved for locals. Also, a job portal would be created for job seekers. “The government will create a separate ministry, which would be assigned the task of creating jobs and stopping migration,” he said.

FARMERS ON KUNDLI-SINGHU BORDER REFUSE TO MEET PANEL

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) Sunday did not attend a meeting called by a high-powered committee formed by Haryana government to make efforts to clear the blockade on National Highway-44 on Kundli-Singhu border. The SKM said that “the farmers are not the ones who have barricaded the roads or blocked them” and accused the Haryana government of “misinterpreting the Supreme Court order” to “drag farmers into meetings”.

The Haryana government had earlier this week formed the committee comprising Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeev Arora as chairperson and DGP and Additional DGP (Law and Order) as members to hold talks with farmer leaders and discuss modalities to reopen the NH-44 stretch at the Kundli-Singhu border. The panel was formed a day after Sonipat Deputy Commissioner Lalit Siwach held a meeting with farmers’ representatives and told them that while taking up a writ petition, the Supreme Court has asked the district administration to provide a way to the common people in the public interest.

While the farm unions skipped it, Arora held a meeting with the local industrialists and heard their grievances regarding the blockade. “It was our first meeting. We will continue the process and make efforts again till a solution is found to reopen the road. It will be a continuous process. We are confident that some solution will be found out”.

On farmers’ contention that they have not blocked the road but it’s the Delhi Police, which has put up barricades, Arora said: “These things will be cleared only when the talks are held. We just know that we came here for a meeting and those who were invited to it, did not come to attend it”.

NEW RAJASTHAN LAW FACES QUESTIONS OVER VALIDATING CHILD MARRIAGES

The controversy over a new state law pertaining to the registration of marriages is roiling Rajasthan. While the Congress-led government has said there was nothing new but a technical change made to an older piece of legislation, the opposition is convinced it validates the social evil of child marriage.

The Rajasthan Compulsory Registration Of Marriages (Amendment) Bill passed by the state Assembly on Friday tweaked Section 8 of a 2009 Act. This clause now states that "if the bride is under 18 and the bridegroom is under 21", their parents must register the marriage within 30 days of the event. In the 2009 version, the age criterion was 21 years for both.

The opposition had staged a walkout from the Assembly over the change. "By amending the marriage registration Act, they have opened the floodgates by saying that if the bride is below 18 and the groom below 21, their marriage can be registered by just application," said Rajendra Rathore, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly. "This will increase and give validation to what is a social evil. How can the government do it?"

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's government, however, said the Opposition was completely misinterpreting the amendment. Besides the fact that the Supreme Court has ruled in 2006 saying all marriages, including those involving underage persons, must be registered, it says entering the ritual in a public record makes it easier to act against child marriages since documentary evidence is now made available.

The government insists there is no "validation" involved whatsoever. District collectors have powers to act against the social evil and the latest amendment, it says, safeguards the minors' interests, especially in cases where the girl is widowed.

W.H.O. TO TAKE CALL ON COVAXIN ON OCT 6

The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) of the World Health Organisation would be meeting on October 6 to make its recommendations on Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin on emergency use listing.

Bharat Biotech is expected to give a presentation on the vaccine’s safety and efficacy data of clinical trials (phase 1-3 trial results and post marketing) and risk management plans and other implementation considerations, according to the SAGE draft agenda.

FOREIGN TOURISTS MAY BE ALLOWED TO VISIT INDIA SOON

With the number of Covid-19 cases seeing a decline, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has been holding deliberations with stakeholders on the expected date and modalities for opening up of the country for foreign tourists.

Senior MHA officers are working on it and a formal announcement on permitting foreign tourists to visit India may come within the next 10 days, officials said. They said a decision had been taken to issue first five lakh tourist visas free of cost in an attempt to revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors. These will be issued till March 31, 2022, or till the number reaches five lakh, whichever is earlier. The financial implication on this account would be Rs100 crore.

The possible conditions with which tourists would be allowed  are being discussed. The opening up is likely to be phase-wise to see the response and implications.

IPL 2021, MATCH 30: GAIKWAD, BRAVO LEAD CSK FIGHTBACK VS MUMBAI

Ruturaj Gaikwad excelled with bat, and Dwayne Bravo with ball, as Chennai Super Kings fought back from a precarious position to trounce Mumbai Indians by 20 runs in the opening match of the second phase of the Indian Premier League, in Dubai, on Sunday.

Gaikwad (88 off 58) batted through the innings to lift Chennai Super Kings from a precarious 7 for 3 (and then 24/4) to 156 for 6. Bravo scored 23 off 8 balls as CSK recovered to put up a fighting total.

Mumbai Indians were also off to a poor start and reduced to 37 for 3 by the sixth over. Missing their skipper Rohit Sharma, who was forced to sit out due to an injury, Mumbai Indians managed to make only 136/8 in their 20 overs.

KOHLI TO STEP DOWN AS RCB CAPTAIN AFTER IPL 2021

Virat Kohli will step down as captain of his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of the ongoing season, the Indian batting maestro announced on Sunday, two days after deciding to quit national T20 captaincy following next month's World Cup.

"This will be my last IPL as captain of RCB. I'll continue to be an RCB player till I play my last IPL game. I thank all the RCB fans for believing in me and supporting me," Kohli said in a video statement issued by RCB.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved. - George MacDonald

OFF TRACK

Two confirmed bachelors sat talking. Their conversation drifted from politics to cooking. "I got a cookbook once," said the first, "but I could never do anything with it."

"Too much fancy cooking in it, eh?" asked the second.

"You said it. Every one of the recipes began the same way - 'Take a clean dish and....'"