Morning Digest: July 08, 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi meets party workers, at AICC headquarters in New Delhi on July 4, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Congress to move Supreme Court after Gujarat High Court refuses to stay Rahul Gandhi’s conviction

The Congress on July 7 announced that it will move the Supreme Court after the Gujarat High Court refused to stay Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in the Modi surname case and pointed out that no court had ever handed out the maximum punishment in the 162-year history of the Indian Penal Code.

BBC gets fresh summons over Modi documentary

Delhi’s Rohini Court on July 7 issued fresh notices to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Wikimedia Foundation and U.S.-based digital library Internet Archive in a defamation case over the two-part documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Central forces pour in as West Bengal gets set to vote in panchayat polls

West Bengal is set to go to the polls on July 8 to elect 73,887 panchayat representatives, in a high-stakes contest that is being seen as a critical indicator during the run-up to next year’s general election. Though 822 companies of Central forces were set to be deployed in the polls, only 585 had arrived in the State by Friday afternoon.

Centre holds back-door talks with Kuki groups in New Delhi

The Central government has assured Kuki groups that those guilty of committing violence in Manipur will face the law, but made it clear that a political solution can only be achieved after normalcy returns in the State. Members of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum and the Manipur Tribal Forum Delhi met Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Kumar Deka on July 7 at North Block, the Home Ministry’s offices in the capital.

Dutch Prime Minister announces resignation after ruling coalition fails to agree on migration policy

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced his resignation and that of his Cabinet on July 7, citing irreconcilable differences within his four-party coalition about how to rein in migration. The decision by the Netherlands’ longest-serving premier means the country will face a general election later this year for the 150-seat lower house of Parliament.

Words like fake, false, misleading in IT Rules problematic: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court on Friday said words such as “fake, false and misleading” that are part of the new Information Technology (IT) Rules are “problematic”. The court went on to say, “Analysts may have their own figures. Is it fake news? I want to know what happens to editorial content online. You may find any editorial extremely hard-hitting. For example, India’s relations with China. Words like fake, false, misleading are used in amendment. We are concerned about authority conferred on FCU.”

‘Assets worth only ₹80 lakh seized’: CM accuses Modi, BJP of spreading lies about Sisodia

Hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it had provisionally attached assets worth over ₹52.24 crore belonging to former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others in the Delhi excise policy case, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the value of the confiscated assets belonging to Mr. Sisodia was only ₹80 lakh.

J&K to implement ‘land to landless’ scheme despite local opposition

The Lieutenant Governor’s administration on July 7 hardened its stand over the implementation of ‘land to landless’ scheme in J&K, as several political parties continue to oppose any move to settle “outsiders” in the Union Territory (UT). 

Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah presents ‘guarantee Budget’ with promise of welfare for all

For promoting inclusive development, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday presented a Budget with focus on welfare for the benefit of the common man by relaunching several discontinued schemes and offering interest-subsidy loans for people at the margins.

Death toll in rain-related incidents in DK, Udupi districts rises to nine

The death toll in rain-related incidents in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in a week rose to nine on Friday. Meanwhile, schools and pre-university colleges in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts continued to remain closed on the third consecutive day on Friday, as the India Meteorological Department had issued orange alert to the coastal belt.

U.S. destroys last of its declared chemical weapons, closing a deadly chapter dating to World War I

Workers at the Blue Grass Army Depot destroyed rockets filled with GB nerve agent that are the last of the United States’ declared chemical weapons, and completing a decadeslong campaign to eliminate a stockpile that by the end of the Cold War totalled more than 30,000 tons, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell announced.

Verstappen dominates British Grand Prix practice

Red Bull’s Formula One leader Max Verstappen completed a British Grand Prix practice double at Silverstone on Friday with Ferrari close and Williams’ Alex Albon looking surprisingly quick.

AAP, Congress communicate on next Opposition meeting, Ordinance

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national general secretary Sandeep Pathak on July 7 told The Hindu that the party has communicated to the Congress to declare its support for AAP’s fight against the Delhi Ordinance. 

Rahul Gandhi defamation case | How definite is ‘Modi’ as a ‘collection of persons’? 

The fight for relief in the Rahul Gandhi criminal defamation case in the Supreme Court will revolve around the question whether the term ‘Modi’ is an identifiable and definite group or collection of persons. Mr. Gandhi, who faces a two-year sentence for criminal defamation, has argued that “authentic literature shows that the word ‘Modi’ does not indicate any definite or clearly identifiable or determinate group of persons”.

Sri Lanka see off sorry West Indies in qualifier dead rubber

Sri Lanka maintained their unbeaten record at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier as Pathum Nissanka’s hundred helped secure an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies on Friday. The defeat brought an end to a miserable tournament for the Caribbean side, after previous losses to Zimbabwe, the Netherlands and Scotland.