‘BJP wanted...

She further stated: “These people want to kill everyone or put them behind bars who speak against them. If they were confident that they would win with peoples’ votes, what was the need to terrorise people?” Banerjee said.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she remarked: “The BJP is so anxious about their performance in the current polls that they have been making dangerous statements. I do not want to repeat those comments here and pronounce the divisions.” She alleged that PM Modi was dividing the people. “I am sad over the words uttered by the Prime Minister and Home Minister. In the coming days, they will have to pay for this. One cannot conduct elections or uphold humanity by sowing seeds of division,” she mentioned.

Banerjee once again asserted that the BJP would not get 200 Lok Sabha seats. She said: “BJP claimed to secure 200

Paar in the 2021 Assembly elections but could not even cross 80. This time, they are claiming to cross 400 seats. After seeing the impact in the first phase of polls, their heart rate has gone up. They have understood that people will not be fooled by their trickery and propaganda. They are not clearing MGNREGA dues but have money to spend on propaganda.”

She alleged that Modi exists only in publicity. “I call him Prachar Babu (publicity master). Whenever you watch television at the time of breakfast or lunch, Prachar Babu appears. Now he is dictating what the people will eat. Prachar Babu said nobody will be able to eat fish, eggs and meat. What people will eat is their individual rights and the Constitution of India has given equal rights to all. The BJP is now changing the Constitution,” she stated.

She further pointed out: “We want roti, kapda and makan for the people. One cannot be a leader by spending crores on advertisements or by dividing the country. If Prachar Babu comes to power again there will be no elections. They will take away everybody’s rights.”

Referring to Calcutta High Court’s judgment on the cancellation of jobs, Banerjee said: “If they (Court) had pointed out where the mistakes had taken place, we could have rectified them. People can make mistakes. I cannot take everything as these things are

taken care of by the Education department. A one-sided judgment threw 26,000 youths out of job. They have said that the salaries drawn for 8 years should be returned. I ask those who delivered the judgment what they would have done if the jobs of their children would have gone.” In an apparent condemnation of the judgment Banerjee said: “Some people are fed up with the state government’s money. They would take all benefits from the government and would take security cover. With the striking of a pen, all jobs have been cancelled. Those who have performed jobs for 8 years, wouldn’t they have social prestige? Who will take responsibility if someone commits suicide?”

Alleging that BJP might have influenced the verdict, Banerjee said: “Based on BJP’s directions, over 26,000 people have been asked to return their salaries of the past 8 years along with interest. How is this possible? They got jobs in 2016 but this development took place during the 2024 polls.” She attacked Suvendu Adhikari without taking his name: “The traitor talked about explosives a few days ago and the jobs of 26,000 people were cancelled. How did the traitor know about this before the verdict was out? If BJP hadn’t dictated this verdict themselves, how did they know about this on Saturday – two days before the verdict came out? Now, he is celebrating that our youth have lost their jobs.”

Pointing out that it would have an adverse impact on education, Banerjee said: “Who would teach in schools? Where these schools will get teachers from. Will BJP and RSS teach the students?” She alleged that Adhikari is the biggest thief and also claimed that jobs were sold in Purulia but she would not take the name of the accused. She raised questions on how Adhikari gets protection from Court after a woman, wife of his security, lodged an FIR against Adhikari.

Congress...

claiming the Congress’ manifesto vowed to “seize two-thirds of personal assets for redistribution to the impoverished under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Wealth Redistribution Scheme.” He also cited an article from a prominent newspaper as the source of such “misinformation,” declaring these assertions as completely untrue and asserting that the Congress’ manifesto contains no such pledge.

Chakravarty called these rumours a deliberate fabrication intended to incite

professional classes against the Congress and manipulate their voting choices.

He urged the Election Commission to take immediate action to halt the spread of these harmful rumours and announced plans to file a complaint with the Delhi Police under relevant sections of the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as notifying Meta India’s authorities.

2G case verdict...

Admitting the Central Bureau of Investigation’s appeal, the high court had said there were “some contradictions” in the trial court’s judgement which require “deeper examination”.

A special court had on December 21, 2017, acquitted Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in the CBI and ED cases related to the 2G spectrum allocation. On March 20, 2018, the CBI had approached the high court, challenging the special court’s judgement.

The CBI had alleged there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer in allocation of licences for 2G spectrum which were scrapped by the top court on February 2, 2012. WITH AGENCY INPUTS

Heatwave...

station’s maximum temperature reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in plains, 37 degrees in coastal regions, and 30 degrees in hilly areas, with a deviation from normal by at least 4.5 degrees. A severe heatwave is declared when the temperature exceeds the normal by more than 6.4 degrees. With El Nino conditions present but diminishing, the IMD had previously cautioned about extreme heat during the April-June period, coinciding with the Lok Sabha elections, raising concerns about the population’s vulnerability to heatwaves.

The first phase of elections occurred on April 19, with the second phase scheduled for April 26. The Met Office predicts an increase in heatwave days in April, expecting four to eight days as opposed to the typical one to three days. The entire April-June period could see ten to 20 heatwave days, exceeding the usual four to eight days.

Regions such as Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Bihar, and Jharkhand may experience an elevated number of heatwave days, with some areas potentially facing over 20 such days.

The severe heat poses a risk of straining

power grids and causing water shortages across India.

Global weather agencies, including the IMD, anticipate the development of La Nina conditions later in the year, which typically results in abundant rainfall during the monsoon season, contrasting with the drier conditions associated with El Nino. The IMD’s midApril forecast predicts above-normal cumulative rainfall for India’s 2024 monsoon season, with the onset of La Nina conditions by August-September being a significant influence.

The monsoon season is vital for India’s agriculture, with over half of the net cultivated area relying on it. It also plays a crucial role in replenishing reservoirs essential for drinking water and power generation throughout the nation.

Patanjali...

The court, seeking to verify the prominence of the apology’s publication, requested the actual printed apologies for review. Although not immediately available, the documents were promised to be submitted within two days.

The court will further examine the apology’s publication on April 30.

The court also emphasised the need for vigilance against deceptive advertising , urging both the Central government and state regulatory bodies to take proactive measures. The court’s remarks came during a hearing concerning Patanjali Ayurved Ltd alleged misleading advertisements, highlighting a broader issue with several FastMoving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies.

The bench, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, scrutinised a letter from the Ministry of Ayush dated August 2023, which instructed licensing authorities not to enforce rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The court questioned the rationale behind the Ministry of Ayush’s decision to suspend the enforcement of rule 170. The court also criticised the Indian Medical Association (IMA) for its members’ purported unethical practice of prescribing costly medicines in exchange for kickbacks. The bench said there are several other FMCG companies going that way and the Centre has to respond as to what it has done about this.

“We can’t let the public be taken for a ride,” the bench observed, adding, “If this (misleading advertisements) is happening, the Union of India needs to activate itself and so do the state licensing

authorities”.

“You can’t just shrug your shoulders and say I have conveyed the complaint to the state authority and it is for them to do what they are doing,” the bench said.

The bench told the IMA’s counsel that while the association is pointing fingers at Patanjali, “the other four fingers are also pointing at you (IMA)”.

“It is not going to be all just that there are FMCGs. There is you and your members who are prescribing medicines on the strength of recommendations made for which there is valuable consideration from what we understand,” the bench said, adding, “If that is happening, why should we not turn the beam on you?”

The IMA’s counsel said he would look into this issue.

During the session, Justice Amanullah remarked on the irony of a news channel reporting on the court’s proceedings while simultaneously airing the very advertisements in question. The case, which includes an intervention application demanding a penalty of Rs 1,000 crore from the IMA for its lawsuit, is set to continue on April 30.

The court has also broadened its investigation in the Patanjali Ayurved case, expressing concern over deceptive advertisements by FMCG firms.

The court has requested reports from three government ministries on measures taken to address advertisements that mislead consumers and potentially harm their health.

The court is scrutinising the enforcement of laws and regulations related to objectionable advertisements, particularly those affecting vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. The ministries of consumer affairs, broadcasting, and technology have been asked to detail actions taken to prevent consumer law violations.

This hearing is part of a larger case involving accusations by the Indian Medical Association of a defamatory campaign against Covid vaccinations and modern medicine, prompted by misleading claims in Patanjali Ayurved Ltd advertisements. Previously, Ramdev and Balkrishna had presented an unconditional apology to the court for these overstated product efficacy claims.

India ranks...

The Indian Army has emphasised the strength and balance of its troop

deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), particularly following the 2020 border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.

SIPRI, an independent institute established in 1966, specialises in research on conflict, armaments, arms control, and disarmament. It is renowned for its comprehensive database on military expenditure, which serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and the public.

The United States maintained its position as the top military spender, with a budget of $916 billion in 2023, marking a 2.3 per cent increase from 2022. The most significant growth in the US defence budget was allocated to research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT&E).

Ukraine experienced a 51 per cent surge in military spending, reaching $64.8 billion and becoming the eighthlargest spender globally. The country’s military burden stood at 37 per cent, accounting for 58 per cent of its total government expenditure. Despite this, Ukraine’s military spending was 59 per cent of Russia’s, but with additional military aid, the combined spending nearly matched that of Russia.

Russia’s military expenditure rose by 24 per cent to an estimated $109 billion, while China, the second-largest spender, increased its military budget by 6 per cent to $296 billion. China’s spending accounted for half of the total military expenditure in the Asia and Oceania region, prompting several neighbouring countries to raise their own defence budgets in response.

Collectively, the 31 NATO member countries accounted for 55 per cent of the world’s military expenditure in 2023, totaling $1,341 billion.

SC to...

errors cannot be entirely excluded. Earlier on April 16, the apex court criticised the disparagement of EVMs and the suggestion to revert to ballot papers, highlighting the complexity of India’s electoral process and warning against undermining the system.

The ongoing seven-phase Lok Sabha elections commenced on April 19, with the second phase scheduled for April 26.

ADR’s plea includes a request for the EVM vote count to match the verifiably “recorded as cast” votes and for voters to be able to confirm via the VVPAT slip that their vote, as documented on the paper slip, has been “counted as recorded”.