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Shiv Sena (UTB)’s Anil Parab Defeats BJP’s Candidate in Mumbai Council Polls

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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab defeated BJP’s Kiran Shelar in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections on Monday, securing victory in the Mumbai Graduates constituency.

Parab garnered 44,784 votes, while Shelar received 18,772 votes.

Out of the 67,644 voters who participated in the June 26 polling, 64,222 votes were deemed valid, with the winning quota set at 32,112 votes. Parab’s 44,784 first preference votes ensured his election.

In other news, Congress re-nominated MLC Pradnya Satav as its candidate for the July 12 biennial elections to the Maharashtra Legislative Council from the MLA quota. The deadline for filing nominations for the 11 Upper House seats is Tuesday, July 2.

These elections aim to fill the seats that will become vacant on July 27 due to the retirement of current members. MLAs will cast their votes in this election.

Out of the 11 retiring MLCs, two are from Congress. Given Congress’s current assembly strength, the party can secure only one Upper House seat. Pradnya Satav, the widow of late Congress MP Rajeev Satav, was previously elected unopposed to the council in 2021 following a by-poll after the death of Congress MLC Sharad Ranpise.

The ruling BJP has nominated five candidates, including former state minister Pankaja Munde, who recently lost the Lok Sabha elections from Beed in central Maharashtra. The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), a Congress ally, supports Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) candidate Jayant Patil.

With 14 vacancies in the 288-member assembly, the electoral college stands at 274, and the winning quota is 23. These biennial elections precede the assembly polls scheduled for October.

Delhi High Court All Set to Hear Arvind Kejriwal’s Plea on Tuesday

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Dhruv
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A Delhi Court is set to hear Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against arrest in the excise policy case on Tuesday. Kejriwal has accused the CBI of acting with ‘malice’ and fabricating a basis for his arrest. The plea, filed on Monday, also highlighted that the agency has failed to present any new evidence after June 4 to justify the investigation or arrest.

The Bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna will hear the matter on Tuesday.

Delhi Court to Hear Kejriwal’s Plea Against Arrest on Tuesday, CM Alleges ‘CBI Acted with Malice’

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal approached the Delhi High Court on Monday against his arrest by the CBI in the excise policy case, alleging that the CBI acted with malice and created a false basis for the arrest.

In his plea, Kejriwal argued that there was no proper justification for his arrest, especially given that the investigation has been ongoing for two years. He claimed that the arrest was based on material already in CBI’s possession before June 4, which he argued is illegal as it involves re-evaluation, not permitted by law.

Kejriwal also noted that the CBI has not presented any new material obtained after June 4 to justify his arrest and that his arrest was based on his responses, which is not a valid ground.

The CBI received permission to investigate under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, only on April 23. Kejriwal stated that no evidence obtained after April 23 has been shown to justify the arrest under Section 41 (1)(b)(ii).

On June 29, the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi sent Kejriwal to judicial custody in connection with the excise policy case. The CBI alleged that during his police custody remand, Kejriwal did not cooperate with the investigation and gave evasive replies contrary to the evidence on record.

The CBI claimed Kejriwal could not provide a proper explanation for the enhancement of the profit margin for wholesalers from 5% to 12% under the new excise policy of Delhi 2021-22, nor for why the Cabinet approval for the revised excise policy was hurriedly obtained during the peak of the second wave of COVID-19.

The CBI further alleged that Kejriwal evaded questions regarding his associate Vijay Nair’s meetings with various liquor business stakeholders and demands for illegal gratification, as well as his own meetings with Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy and others. Kejriwal also could not explain the transfer and utilization of ₹44.54 crore in Goa Assembly Elections by his party during 2021-22.

The CBI stated that further custodial interrogation of Kejriwal is not required at this stage but alleged that he may influence witnesses and tamper with evidence due to his influential position.

On June 26, the trial court’s vacation judge sent Kejriwal to a three-day custodial remand of the CBI. During this period, Kejriwal addressed the court, asserting his and his party’s innocence and accusing the CBI of defaming them through the media.

Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari, representing Kejriwal, opposed the CBI’s remand application, arguing that the CBI had already filed four chargesheets and that arresting Kejriwal at this stage was unnecessary. He also questioned the timing of Kejriwal’s arrest, suggesting it was done to influence the bail decision.

On June 26, the CBI arrested Kejriwal after the vacation judge of the Delhi Court allowed the agency to examine him in the courtroom before his formal arrest. The court has asked the CBI to present the material justifying Kejriwal’s arrest.

The Delhi High Court recently stayed Kejriwal’s bail order, stating that the trial court should have recorded its satisfaction with the fulfillment of the twin conditions of section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before granting bail.

Delhi Terminal 1 Likely to Be Closed For a While

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Dhruv
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Delhi airport’s primary domestic terminal is expected to remain closed for several weeks after a canopy at Terminal 1 (T-1) collapsed last week, according to sources cited by Reuters on Monday.

Last Friday, a section of the roof, canopy, and several beams at Terminal 1 collapsed due to heavy rains in the national capital, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries. This incident also led to the cancellation and rescheduling of several flights.

Delhi Airport comprises three terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3. The recently expanded Terminal 1, with a capacity to handle 40 million passengers annually, is used by budget carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet for domestic flights.

The temporary closure of Terminal 1 is expected to increase the load on the other two terminals, which also handle domestic flights. According to a source at GMR Airports Infrastructure, which operates the airport, the closure could last a few weeks if the damage is minor, but it may extend beyond a month if the problem is more severe. The source emphasized that the terminal will not reopen until all necessary checks are completed.

GMR, in a statement, said it was “too early” to determine when Terminal 1 could resume operations.

Delhi airport handles 1,400 flights daily across its three terminals. Flight operations from Terminal 1 were already limited to less than 15% of the total as they were gradually resuming after recent expansions and refurbishments.

Over the past three days, approximately 21,690 passengers from IndiGo and 925 from SpiceJet have been affected, with around 90 flights moved to other terminals. Refunds have been processed for 9,972 passengers, including 9,431 from IndiGo and 541 from SpiceJet, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu visited the Delhi airport’s Operations Control Centre (AOCC) today to oversee ongoing operations. He held a meeting with senior officials from various aviation bodies, including the DGCA, BCAS, and DIAL, to manage the transition of flights from Terminal 1 to Terminals 2 and 3 and ensure smooth operations.

On the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Naidu stated, “Inspected the AOCC at IGI Airport. I convened with senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, DGCA, BCAS, DIAL, and airline operators to review current operations and passenger handling following the transition of flights from T1 to T2 and T3.”

India Rejects US Report on Religious Freedom

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Dhruv
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The Ministry of External Affairs has rejected the US State Department’s 2023 religious freedom report on India, which highlighted issues of hate speech and religious conversions. In a statement on Friday, India described the findings as “deeply biased” and “visibly driven by vote-bank considerations.”

“We have noted the release by the US State Department of its report on International Religious Freedom for 2023. As in the past, we therefore reject it,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday.

Jaiswal stated, “The report is a mix of imputations, misrepresentations, selective usage of facts, reliance on biased sources, and a one-sided projection of issues. This extends even to the depiction of our constitutional provisions and duly enacted laws of India.”

He added that the report selectively picked incidents to advance a “preconceived narrative” and seemed to challenge the integrity of certain legal judgments pronounced by Indian courts. “In some cases, the very validity of laws and regulations are questioned by the report, as is the right of legislatures to enact them,” Jaiswal said.

Criticizing the US over the report, Jaiswal remarked, “The United States has even more stringent laws and regulations and would surely not prescribe such solutions for itself.”

He also noted that in 2023, India officially raised numerous cases in the US involving hate crimes, racial attacks on Indian nationals and other minorities, vandalization and targeting of places of worship, violence and mistreatment by law enforcement authorities, as well as the political space given to advocates of extremism and terrorism abroad.

“However, such dialogues should not become a license for foreign interference in other polities,” Jaiswal concluded.

Maldives Minister Gets Suspended For Black Magic On President

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Dhruv
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Maldives Minister Fathimath Shamnaz Ali Saleem has been suspended after being arrested along with her two siblings on charges of performing “black magic” on President Mohamed Muizzu, according to local media reports.

Saleem, the state minister for Environment, Climate Change, and Energy in the Maldives, was arrested on June 23 along with two other suspects and remanded in custody for seven days.

According to the Maldives-based Sun, Shamnaz, who was once listed as a political appointee on the Environment Ministry’s website, has now been moved to the list of former political appointees.

“Police were investigating a case involving Shamnaz and two other individuals,” Chief Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner of Police Ahmed Shifan told Sun.

The Maldives government has yet to make an official statement on the matter. Shamnaz previously served as a member of the Male City Council alongside President Muizzu when he was the city’s mayor.

After Muizzu’s election to the presidency last year, Shamnaz resigned from the council, was appointed state minister at Muliaage, and was later transferred to the Environment Ministry. Her role is crucial in a nation grappling with the severe impacts of the climate crisis, with UN environmental experts warning that rising sea levels could make the Maldives nearly uninhabitable by the end of the century.

In a related incident in April 2023, a 62-year-old woman on Manadhoo was fatally stabbed by three neighbors who accused her of practicing black magic, as reported by the Mihaaru news website. An extensive investigation found no evidence to support the claim that the victim was involved in sorcery.

In another incident in 2012, during a crackdown on an opposition political rally, police claimed the organizers threw a “cursed rooster” at officers raiding their offices.

While sorcery is not a criminal offense under the penal code in the Muslim-majority Maldives, it carries a six-month jail sentence under Islamic law. Traditional ceremonies aimed at winning favors and cursing opponents are widely practiced across the archipelago.

37 KM to Added to Overall Metro Network This Financial Year

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Dhruv
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While presenting the additional budget during the monsoon session on Friday, Deputy CM and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar announced that the state government plans to expand the metro network by 37 km in the current financial year.

The Metro 3 project, executed by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (Phase I) from Aarey to BKC, is nearing completion and will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on July 13. During the inauguration, Modi will also perform the bhoomi poojan for the Vadhavan port, which is expected to create about 10 lakh jobs in the state.

Pawar informed the assembly that 127 km of the 449 km of new metro network sanctioned for Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur is already operational. An additional 37 km will become operational later this financial year.

The MMRDA is expected to complete the Worli-Sewri connector by 2025. This connector will link the Bandra Worli Sealink and coastal road to the MTHL and serve as an important route to the Navi Mumbai International Airport. Currently, 57% of the work is complete.

Pawar also announced Thane’s first coastal road, stretching 13.45 km from Balkum to Gaimukh, at a cost of ₹3,364 crore. This project, anticipated to be finished by May 2028, is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in Thane city.

Additionally, the government plans to construct Unity Mall in Ulwe, Navi Mumbai, which will provide a platform for women self-help groups and artisans to display and sell their products. Currently, these products are marketed through Umed Mart, an e-commerce platform, and exhibitions.

Pawar also revealed plans to establish a gems and jewellery park on a 25-acre plot in Mahape, Navi Mumbai. This park will host 2,000 micro, small, and medium enterprises with an investment of ₹50,000 crore and will generate one lakh jobs.

Nifty Rises 7% in June; Largest Monthly Gain Since December

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Dhruv
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The bulls have completely taken over the Indian market, leaving no room for the bears to make a move. Record highs, significant milestones, and new benchmarks have become commonplace during this bullish phase.

Leading Indian indices have been consistently breaking their previous records daily, extending the period of sustained positive momentum. In today’s trading, the Nifty 50 surpassed 24,100 points for the first time, hitting a new record high of 24,174 points.

In the previous session, the index crossed the 24,000 mark for the first time and continued its momentum into today’s session. June ended with the index gaining 6.57%, marking its highest monthly increase in 2024 and the largest since December 2023.

This momentum highlights strong investor confidence and optimism, fueled by positive economic indicators, expectations of policy continuity, and renewed foreign inflows.

Remarkably, the index reached new record highs 12 times in June alone, bringing the total record attempts for 2024 to 38. June also saw significant volatility, with the index fluctuating by 2,608 points.

It took just 23 sessions for the Nifty 50 to rise from 23,000 to 24,000, marking the second-fastest 1,000-point rally.

The rally in private banks, supported by heavyweights like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, and ICICI Bank, along with a resurgence in IT stocks, has maintained the index’s strong bullish momentum throughout most of June.

Additionally, strong participation from FMCG stocks led the Nifty FMCG index to record its largest monthly gain in 2024, rising by 4.90%.

This surge follows the new coalition government’s focus on the rural economy, marked by the release of a ₹2,000 installment for farmers, financial assistance for building 30 million new houses in rural and urban areas, and a recent increase in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 14 Kharif crops for the 2024–2025 season.

Delhi Airport Terminal 1 Suspends Operations

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Dhruv
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On June 28, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) suspended all flight operations from Terminal 1 until further notice after a canopy collapse caused by torrential rains resulted in one death and six injuries. While the cause of the collapse is still under investigation, a DIAL spokesperson indicated that the persistent heavy rainfall over the past few hours is likely to blame.

DIAL has established a technical committee to investigate the incident and will release a report as soon as possible. “As a precautionary measure, all flight operations from Terminal 1 have been suspended until further notice. Airlines will reschedule these flights to operate from Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 until the affected areas are restored,” the spokesperson said.

DIAL is collaborating with various agencies, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Delhi Police, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), to assess the situation and resume operations.

Terminal 1 is used for domestic flights operated by IndiGo and SpiceJet. Earlier in the day, IndiGo announced on social media that all flights from Delhi airport’s Terminal 1 were canceled until 12 a.m. on June 29, with arriving flights being redirected to Terminal 2 or Terminal 3. SpiceJet also stated that all affected flights departing from Terminal 1 are being reallocated to Terminal 3, and passengers have been informed via SMS and email.

According to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Safdarjung, the city’s main weather station, recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall, while Lodhi Road saw 192.8 mm, Mausam Bhavan 150.4 mm, Ridge 106.6 mm, Palam 106.6 mm, and Ayanagar 66.3 mm in the past 20 to 30 hours. The IMD classifies very heavy rain as rainfall between 124.5 and 244.4 mm in a day and confirmed later in the morning that the monsoon had arrived, with the downpour starting around 3 a.m. on Friday.

CM Mann Says Kejriwal Won’t Ever Back Down

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Dhruv
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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated on Thursday that AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal will not bow down, regardless of the atrocities committed against him. Mann’s statement came a day after the Delhi chief minister was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with a corruption case related to the alleged excise scam.

Mann also shared a picture of Kejriwal in a post on X, saying, “This picture represents the struggle against dictatorship. Arvind Kejriwal will not bow down no matter how much atrocities you commit. The CBI’s arrest following bail in the ED case is a blatant misuse of the CBI at the behest of the BJP,” Mann posted in Hindi.

Following the arrest on Wednesday, a Delhi court sent Kejriwal to three-day CBI custody after hearing arguments on the probe agency’s application, during which Kejriwal asserted his innocence.

AAP has alleged that central probe agencies are acting with ill intent and political malice against its leaders at the BJP’s behest.

Rahul Dravid Consoles Virat Kohli After Getting Out

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Dhruv
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Virat Kohli is out. Cheaply. Again. The master of India’s semi-final faced a rare failure in an ICC knockout game, getting dismissed for nine against England in Guyana. Kohli appeared scratchy, unassured, and completely out of control, continuing his barren run in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He was scoring at a run-a-ball before being bowled by England’s Reece Topley. The sound of timber was met with stunned silence as India lost their first wicket early, and Kohli made the long walk back to the pavilion.

On a surface that stayed low and was two-paced, Kohli struggled. He hit a six off Topley, a pick-up shot over cow corner, which seemed like he was finding his rhythm. But when he attempted the same shot on the next ball, it crashed onto his leg stump. Clearly upset, Kohli practiced the shot again as he walked off. Any chance for redemption would have to wait until the next game, assuming India advanced.

The biggest takeaway, however, were the visuals from the dressing room. Sitting between Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, Kohli cut a dejected figure until Rahul Dravid approached him. The outgoing India head coach rested his hand on Kohli’s knee in consolation. Kohli will indeed be disappointed. This is not what the world is used to seeing from him, especially in ICC tournaments. He was India’s highest run-scorer in the 2014, 2016, and 2022 T20 World Cups, and in last year’s 50-over World Cup as well. Seeing Kohli struggle so much is sad and heartbreaking.

This is Kohli’s fifth single-digit score of the tournament. He was dismissed for 1 against Ireland, 4 against Pakistan, and two ducks against the USA and Australia. Even against Afghanistan, he looked far from his free-flowing best, scoring 24 off 24. His only convincing innings came against Bangladesh, where he hit 37 off 28 balls. Still, the ‘this is it’ factor was missing.

While Kohli fans are devastated seeing their KING dismissed cheaply, Rohit Sharma has kept India going on probably the toughest pitch India have batted on in this World Cup. The India captain was batting on 37 off 26 balls, taking India to 65/2 in 8 overs before rain caused another interruption. India suffered another blow when Rishabh Pant was out for 4 off 6 balls, but Suryakumar Yadav’s promising start – unbeaten on 13 off 7 – will calm the team’s collective nerves.

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