ED says Kejriwal sees himself as a special person, accuses him of remarks ‘slapping the system’
The ED on May 16 accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of making public utterances, which amounted to a “slap on the system”, on the very first day after he came out on interim bail granted to him by the Supreme Court in the liquor policy case for campaigning in the Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Kejriwal’s lawyers retorted that they could, in turn, file an affidavit in the Supreme Court objecting to remarks reportedly made by a top Government Minister about the bail order.
BJP will end reservation if it comes to power: Arvind Kejriwal
AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 16 said the BJP will change the Constitution and end reservation if it comes to power after the Lok Sabha polls. Mr. Kejriwal also reiterated his claim that Home Minister Amit Shah will be made the next prime minister and Yogi Adiyanath will be removed as Uttar Pradesh chief minister if the BJP returns to power. “The people of BJP have always been against reservation. They will change the Constitution and end reservation of SC/ST/OBC after coming to power,” he said at a joint press conference along with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav here.
Nearly 67% voter turnout in first four phases of Lok Sabha elections: ECI
The cumulative turnout in the first four phases of the Lok Sabha elections has been recorded at 66.95%, the Election Commission said on May 16, adding 45.10 crore of the nearly 97 crore electors have voted so far in the ongoing electoral exercise. In a statement, the poll panel urged electorate to come out and vote in large numbers in the coming phases. According to the poll authority, the updated voter turnout in the fourth phase of polling held on May 13 was 69.16%, 3.65 percentage points higher than the corresponding phase in the 2019 parliamentary polls.
Amit Shah’s ‘apolitical’ Kashmir visit comes amidst high turnout in Lok Sabha polls, Jamaat’s peace overtures
The BJP has downplayed the upcoming two-day visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the Kashmir valley as “apolitical”, even though it comes in the midst of the ongoing Lok Sabha election and is triggering jitters among the regional parties, the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party. The unscheduled visit also comes against the backdrop of recent peace overtures by the banned socio-religious group Jamaat-e-Islami.
Adverse events found in participants of Covaxin study
Female adolescents and those with comorbidities are at a higher risk of adverse events after receiving Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine against COVID-19, according to a report published in Springer Nature recently. The report said that nearly a third of the participants of an observational study on the vaccine reported adverse events of special interest. The one-year follow-up study titled ‘Long-term safety analysis of the BBV152 coronavirus vaccine in adolescents and adults: Findings from a one-year prospective study in North India’, conducted by a team of researchers at Banaras Hindu University, also said that serious adverse events many occur in 1% of BBV152 recipients, and that extended surveillance is warranted following the administration of the vaccine.
Kejriwal mum on Swati Maliwal ‘assault’ issue, Akhilesh Yadav says other matters more important
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal refused comment on the Swati Maliwal ‘assault’ at a joint press conference in Lucknow on May 16 where Akhilesh Yadav said there are “more important things” to discuss. AAP leader Sanjay Singh, also present at the press conference here, said there should be no politics on the issue. When Mr. Kejriwal was asked a question over the alleged assault of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Maliwal, Mr. Yadav took the microphone, and said, “There are more important things than that”. Meanwhile, the National Commision of Women has summoned the aide of Mr. Kejriwal on May 16 over the allegations of assault of Ms. Maliwal. The hearing of Bhibhav Kumar is scheduled for May 17 at 11 a.m., according to the summon.
Arrested Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam remanded to six-day ED custody
Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam, who was arrested by the ED in connection with its probe into a money laundering case, was on May 16 remanded to the custody of the central agency for six days, lawyers said. The ED sought a 10-day remand for Mr. Alam. Mr. Alam’s lawyer Kishlay Prasad said that his six-day remand will start on May 17.
Delhi excise policy case | HC seeks CBI’s stand on BRS leader K. Kavitha’s bail plea
The Delhi High Court on April 16 sought the stand of the CBI on BRS leader K. Kavitha’s bail plea in a corruption case in connection with the alleged excise policy scam. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued notice to the CBI on the plea and listed the matter for further hearing on May 24 along another petition by Ms. Kavitha seeking bail in the ED money laundering case.
Search and rescue operation called off at Ghatkopar hoarding collapse site: NDRF
“The Brihnmumbai Municipal Corporation has announced to call off the search and rescue operation at the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse site in Mumbai,” an official of the National Disaster Response Force said on May 15. “The operation went on for 66 hours after a giant 120 feet x 120 feet hoarding collapsed on a petrol pump in the Chheda Nagar area during gusty winds on Monday evening,” the official said.
Slovakia PM Robert Fico shooting: Minister says ‘lone wolf’ charged
The Slovak Interior Minister said on May 16 that a “lone wolf” has been charged in the shooting that seriously wounded Prime Minister Robert Fico and prompted soul-searching among leaders in the deeply divided society. Mr. Fico was in serious but stable condition on May 16, a hospital official said. Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok said on May 15 that an initial investigation found “a clear political motivation” behind the attack on Mr. Fico while he was attending a government meeting in a former coal mining town. However, he said on May 16 that the suspect charged was a lone wolf who “did not belong to any political groups.”
World court opens hearings on Israeli military’s incursion into Rafah
The United Nations’ top court on May 16 opened two days of hearings into a request from South Africa to press Israel to halt its military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population has sought shelter. It is the fourth time South Africa has asked the International Court of Justice for emergency measures since the nation launched proceedings alleging that Israel’s military action in its war with Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide.
Imran Khan appears before Pakistan’s top court via video link; hearing ends without him speaking
Incarcerated former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 16 appeared before the Supreme Court via a video link in a case about changes in the anti-corruption laws but did not get to speak as a petitioner in the matter. However, a leaked image of the 71-year-old founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party’s image showing him attending the court hearing has prompted the Supreme Court administration to initiate a probe to find out the source for the leak, The News International reported citing sources.
Once I’m done, I’ll be gone; you won’t see me for a while: Kohli
Well aware that he “can’t keep going forever”, Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli wants to give everything he has to his cricket career because he once he is done, he says he would be “gone” and won’t be seen “for a while.” Kohli’s appetite for runs and centuries has already got him a record eighth ton in the IPL this season and he continues to lead the scoring charts with a mind-boggling 661 runs from 13 games for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. In a video posted by RCB on social media, the 35-year-old said the desire to live a regret-free life keeps him going.
