‘The Hindu’ News : The Evening Wrap 23 May 2024

The Evening Wrap

23 May 2024

Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu.

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MEA ‘processing’ cancellation of Prajwal Revanna’s diplomatic passport
The Ministry of External Affairs has received a request from the Government of Karnataka to cancel the diplomatic passport of alleged sex-offender Prajwal Revanna and the matter is now being “processed”, said an official source on Thursday.

The confirmation was communicated to The Hindu after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging for the cancellation of the passport of Hassan MP and JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna.

“MEA has received a letter from the Karnataka government for cancellation of diplomatic passport in respect of MP Prajwal Revanna. This is being processed,” said the source to The Hindu.

Revanna earned notoriety after hundreds of pornographic videos were circulated that showed him forcing himself on women of varying ages. According to reports, Revanna left the country after the scandal erupted using a diplomatic passport.

The MEA had earlier informed that a passport could be revoked if a requisite judicial order was obtained in this regard from a court. “As far as the matter of revoking a diplomatic passport of a person is concerned, it comes under the Passport Act of 1967. And as per its provisions, a direction should come from the court. Only then it can be revoked,” said official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on May 2 during an official briefing.

If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately: Deve Gowda to Prajwal Revanna
Former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda on Thursday, May 23, issued a warning to his grandson Prajwal Revanna, asking him to return to India, surrender to the police, or face his anger and that of all family members.

Deve Gowda, who issued the warning through his letter posted on X (formerly Twitter), said, “I have issued a warning to Prajwal Revanna to return immediately from wherever he is and subject himself to the legal process. He should not test my patience any further.”

In the letter with the title “My Warning To Prajwal Revanna”, Deve Gowda said, “This is not an appeal that I am making, it is a warning that I am issuing. If he does not heed to this warning, he will have to face my anger and the anger of all his family members. The law will take care of the accusations against him, but not listening to the family will ensure his total isolation. If he has any respect left for me, he has to return immediately.”

“I spoke to the media about Prajwal Revanna on May 18, when I was headed to the temple to offer pooja. It took me some time to recover from the shock and pain he has inflicted on me, my entire family, my colleagues, friends and party workers. I have already said that he should be given the harshest punishment under the law if found guilty,” stated the two-page letter.

Stating that his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has advocated this line since the day the alleged abuse case broke, the former Prime Minister said, “People have used the harshest words against me and my family in the last few weeks. I do not wish to stop or criticise them.”

Pointing out that he cannot convince people that he was unaware of Prajwal’s activities, he said, “I cannot convince them that I have no desire to shield him. I cannot convince them that I am not aware of his movements, and that I was not aware of his foreign trip. I believe in answering my conscience. I believe in God and I know the almighty knows the truth.”

He said he will “not comment on political conspiracies, exaggerations, provocations and falsehoods that have been maliciously spread in recent weeks. I am very sure people who have done it will have to answer God and pay for it heavily one day. I place my truth and my burdens at the feet of the Lord.”

He has also said that he will ensure that there will be no interference in the enquiry against Prajwal from him or his family members. “There is no emotion in this regard in my mind whatsoever, there is only the cause of justice for those who have suffered as a result of his alleged actions and misdeeds. It is of utmost importance to me to earn back the trust of the people. They have stood by me for over sixty years of my political life and am deeply indebted to them. As long as I am alive, I will never let them down,” he added.

Being rich enough to pay through medical school no excuse to skirt rural service, says Supreme Court judge
Supreme Court judge Justice P.S. Narasimha said travelling in and serving rural India is a beautiful experience, and being rich enough to pay through a private medical school is no excuse to skirt public service in rustic parts of the country. The oral observation from Justice Narasimha, leading a Vacation Bench also comprising Justice Sanjay Karol, was hearing a petition assailing a Karnataka government notification requiring medical students to complete a year’s compulsory public rural service before registering with the Karnataka Medical Council.

Justice Narasimha asked whether “people in private institutions” owed no responsibility towards nation-building. “Merely because you go and study in a private hospital or law college, you have an exemption from working in rural areas? What gives you the exemption?” Justice Narasimha asked the petitioners.

Justice Narasimha said it was a “beautiful thing that you go somewhere else and work. You travel across India and work in different rural areas… that is a beautiful thing to do.”

The State government scheme had made medical graduates, postgraduates and even super-speciality candidates to render one year of compulsory public rural service. This requirement had to be fulfilled to obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) and permanent registration with the Karnataka Medical Council.

The petition had argued that medical candidates enrolled in private institutions constitute an intelligible differentia under Article 14 of the Constitution and should not be subjected to compulsory service requirements.

Why are you targeting my old, ailing parents: Arvind Kejriwal to PM Modi
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on May 23 claimed that his old and ailing parents were being targeted to “break” him and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi by doing this has “crossed all limits”.

Addressing a virtual press conference, Kejriwal, who is also the AAP national convener, said he has a message for Prime Minister Modi. “I have a message and appeal for PM Modi. You arrested my MLAs but I did not break. You arrested my Minister but you could not make me bow. You arrested me and I was harassed in jail,” he said.

“But today you crossed all limits. To break me you targeted my old and ailing parents. My mother is suffering from multiple ailments. The day I was arrested (March 21), she had returned from hospital. My father is 85 years old and has hearing issues. Do you think my parents are guilty? Why are my parents being harassed? God will not forgive you,” Kejriwal, who was arrested in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case, said.

Earlier in the day, sources had said the Delhi Police may not visit Kejriwal’s residence to question his parents in connection with the alleged assault on AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal at the Chief Minister’s residence on May 13.

On Wednesday, Kejriwal had said police were going to question his old and ailing parents the next day. Chief Minister Kejriwal’s close aide Bibhav Kumar has been arrested in the assault case.

In his first reaction on Maliwal’s alleged assault, Kejriwal on Wednesday said he expects a fair investigation into the matter and that justice should be served in the case.

Pune porsche car crash: Police question grandfather of minor accused
The Pune police are on May 23 questioning the grandfather of the 17-year-old boy, who allegedly crashed his high-end car into a motorbike killing two persons in the city, an official said.

The boy’s grandfather was summoned by the police in connection with an offence registered against the juvenile’s father, the staff members and the owner of two liquor serving establishments in Mundhwa area, a crime branch official said. “The minor’s grandfather is currently being grilled by the sleuths of crime branch at the Pune police commissionerate,” he said.

A Porsche car, allegedly driven by the 17-year-old, who the police claim was drunk at the time, fatally knocked down two motorbike-borne software engineers at Kalyani Nagar in the city in the early hours of Sunday. The boy’s father, Vishal Agarwal (50) has already been arrested under the Juvenile Justice Act and remanded in police custody for handing over his car to his underage son, and thus exposing him to danger.

Apart from the boy’s father, the police have arrested two employees and owner of two liquor serving establishments — Cosie restaurant and Hotel Blak Club hotel in Mundhwa. According to police, the teenager, before the accident, had allegedly consumed alcohol at the hotel.

The boy was earlier granted bail on a surety of ₹7,500 and an assurance from his grandfather to keep him away from bad company. “His grandfather has given an assurance that he will keep the Child-in-Conflict with Law (CCL) away from any bad company and he will concentrate on his study or any vocational course which is useful for his career. He is ready to abide by the condition imposed on him. Therefore, it is just and proper to release the CCL on bail,” said the order passed by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Sunday.

However, following an outcry over his quick bail, the JJB on Wednesday remanded the boy to the observation home till June 5.

China’s military surrounds Taiwan as ‘punishment’
China on May 23 encircled Taiwan with naval vessels and military aircraft in war games aimed at punishing the self-ruled island after its new President vowed to defend democracy.

The two days of drills are part of an escalating campaign of intimidation by China that has seen it carry out a series of large-scale military exercises around Taiwan in recent years.

The latest show of force is a “strong punishment for the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence’ forces,” China’s military said as the drills got underway.

China— governed by the Communist Party since 1949— claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its rule, by force if necessary.

May 23 and May 24 drills involve aircraft and ships surrounding the island to test their combat capabilities, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said.

Taiwan responded by deploying air, ground and sea forces, with the island’s defence ministry vowing to “defend freedom”. Taiwan’s presidential spokeswoman also condemned China’s “provocative military behaviour”.

The drills come after Lai Ching-te was sworn in as Taiwan’s new President this week and made an inauguration speech that China denounced as a “confession of independence”.

“In the face of the many threats and attempts of infiltration from China, we must demonstrate our resolution to defend our nation,” Lai said in his speech while hailing a “glorious” era of democracy.

China warned of strong reprisals to Lai’s speech, in which he also vowed to continue building Taiwan’s defence capabilities. It had previously branded Lai a “dangerous separatist” who would bring “war and decline” to the island.

The drills, which began at 7:45 a.m. (2345 GMT May 22), are taking place in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south and east of the island, PLA Eastern Theater Command Naval Colonel Li Xi said.

As the “Joint Sword-2024A” drills were launched, commentary on state Chinese broadcaster CCTV declared them “a powerful disciplinary action” against Taiwanese separatism.

China’s military put out a series of posters touting what it called its “cross-strait lethality”. They featured rockets, jets and naval vessels next to blood-stained text.

“The weapon aimed at ‘Taiwan independence’ to kill ‘independence’ is already in place,” it declared.

Beijing, which split with Taipei at the end of a civil war 75 years ago, regards the island as a renegade province with which it must eventually be reunified. China has stepped up pressure on the democratic island of 23 million people, periodically stoking worries about a potential invasion.

A Chinese military expert told CCTV that the drills were partly aimed at rehearsing an economic blockade of the island.

Poll roundup:
Outgoing Hazaribagh MP and senior BJP leader Jayant Sinha on May 23 responded to the show cause notice issued to him by BJP state general secretary and Rajya Sabha member Aditya Sahu. On May 21, BJP had issued a show-cause notice and directed him two responds within two days asking him why he did not take part in the election campaign for BJP candidate Manish Jaiswal nor visited the booth to cast his vote on the day of polling on May 20. In the response letter which he posted on social media X, Sinha alleged that he was being unjustly targeted. He clarified his stand stating that he did vote through the postal ballot process, so therefore, it was for Sahu to allege that he did not exercise his responsibility to vote. Sinha, the son of former Union Minister Yashwant Sinha said that he was surprised to receive the letter through the media. In the response, he recalled that he had already had a discussion with party president J P Nadda and had requested that he be relieved from electoral duties.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on May 23 claimed that the condition of poor people belonging to the upper castes was not good and Brahmins in particular were being harassed under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. Addressing an election rally in Mirzapur in support of BSP candidate Manish Tiwari, Mayawati said atrocities being committed against minorities under the guise of Hindutva have peaked in the state. Mayawati said the BJP was following wrong policies just like the Congress and expressed confidence that due to the casteist, capitalist, and communal policies of the BJP and its allies, the NDA won’t be able to retain power at the Centre, provided the election is fair and the voting machines are not tampered with.
In Brief:
At least seven persons consisting of two women and five men, were killed and 48 injured following an explosion and major fire in the Dombivali boiler blast incident, said Thane Municipal Corporation, on May 23. A reactor exploded at Amudan Chemical Company located in Phase 2 of Dombivli MIDC area around 1.40 pm. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took to X and said, “Arrangements have been made for treatment of injured and more ambulances have been kept ready. I had a conversation with the Thane collector and they are also reaching on the spot…Teams of NDRF, TDRF, and fire brigade have been called.”

Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.

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