Morning digest: June 15, 2022

Nominations for Presidential elections to begin on Wednesday

With the nomination process for the presidential election set to begin from Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat set up a special cell for the poll on Tuesday. Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody has been appointed returning officer for the July 18 presidential election. He will also head this cell.

Two LeT militants killed in encounter in J&K

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, police said. The encounter broke out between the militants and security forces at Kanjiular in Shopian after the personnel launched a cordon and search operation in the area, they said.

Prophet remarks | Former judges write to Supreme Court against U.P. demolitions

Six former judges of the Supreme Court and various High Courts and six senior advocates have appealed to the Supreme Court to take  suo motu cognisance of the recent acts of bulldozing residences of those who protested in Prayagraj against the objectionable remarks made by certain BJP spokespersons.

Rahul Gandhi summoned for a third time on June 15

Amid heavy police deployment and detentions to prevent protests by Congress workers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned former Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the second day in a row in connection with a money laundering case linked to the National Herald newspaper. The former Congress chief has been summoned for a third time on Wednesday, said ED sources.

U.P. Police may not act against minors accused in Prayagraj

Police on Tuesday said they could take a more relaxed approach against minors accused of violence during a protest last Friday in Prayagraj against comments on the Prophet Muhammad made by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson. No innocent person will be arrested, Senior Superintendent of Police-Prayagraj, Ajay Kumar said.

Ranchi Police release posters of violence accused, removes them later

Days after violence had broken out in Ranchi after Friday’s prayer meeting on June 10 which had claimed two lives and injured over 20 persons, the police on Tuesday released posters of those indulged in violence seeking information about them from public but later removed them.

China lifts two-year COVID-19 visa ban on Indians; to allow return of stranded professionals, families

China has announced plans to provide visas to Indian professionals and their families stranded in India for over two years following the strict visa restrictions imposed by Beijing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gyanvapi dispute: plaintiff moves court for FIR against masjid panel

One of the Hindu plaintiffs in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath Temple dispute on Tuesday moved the district court in Varanasi seeking an FIR against the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee for allegedly trying to erase symbols of Hinduism from inside the premises.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee places Beant Singh assassin Dilawar Singh’s portrait in Golden Temple Museum

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee — the body responsible for the management of Gurdwaras — on Tuesday placed a portrait of the assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in the central Sikh Museum, situated inside Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) complex in Amritsar.

India must insist on return to status quo on border in talks with China, says Shyam Saran

Former National Security Advisory Board Chairman says multiple rounds of talks prove Chinese encroachment occurred in 2020, regardless of govt. statements.

FIR against TV journalist Navika Kumar for remarks made by Nupur Sharma in news debate

Senior TV journalist Navika Kumar has been named in a First Information Report (FIR) registered in Maharashtra’s Parbhani district against now-suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who had allegedly made objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammad during a news debate hosted by Ms. Kumar, police said on Tuesday.

Unemployment has decreased, says latest labour force survey

Data show rate of joblessness fell to 4.2% in 2020-21, compared with 4.8% earlier.

Buddhist rally in Ladakh for building monastery called off

A clash between Muslims and Buddhists of the Ladakh Union Territory (UT) was averted on Monday after a march by a monk towards Kargil town to set up a monastery was called off on the intervention of the administration.

Boy trapped in 80-foot-deep borewell rescued after 104 hours in Chhattisgarh

Following a rescue operation that lasted for over 104 hours and involved at least 500 people, Rahul Sahu, a 10-year-old disabled child from Janjgir-Champa district who fell into an 80-foot-deep borewell on June 10, was rescued late on June 14. 

U.K. cancels first flight to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda

A last-minute intervention by the European Court of Human Rights — which decided there was “a real risk of irreversible harm’’ to the asylum seekers involved — forced the cancellation.

Air Marshal Vibhas Pande takes over as chief of IAF Maintenance Command in Nagpur

Air Marshal Vibhas Pande on Tuesday assumed charge as the 37th Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the IAF’s Maintenance Command headquartered in Nagpur. Air Marshal Pande succeeded Air Marshal Shashiker Choudhary, who superannuated on May 31 after 38 years of distinguished service in the Indian Air Force (IAF), a defence release said.

SIT probing Sidhu Moosewala murder case making steady progress: ADGP Pramod Ban

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the murder case of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala is making steady progress, Additional Director General of Punjab Police Pramod Ban said on Tuesday.

UEFA Nations League | Ruthless Hungary hand dismal England a historic 4-0 home defeat

England suffered its worst home loss since 1928 with a 4-0 loss to Hungary in the Nations League on Tuesday.