QBullet: Najeeb Wins ‘Jung’ Against Kejriwal; Guj Looks For New CM

1. Najeeb Wins “Jung” in Latest Bout Against Kejriwal

The Delhi High Court ruled against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday after it upheld Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung's claim that the L-G is the administrative head of Delhi and all decisions taken by its ministers must first be communicated to him.

This decision has come as a blow to the Aam Aadmi Party which has seen itself being caught in the middle of a growing power struggle with the central government over Delhi's rule.

The court also ordered to shut down two high-profile probes set up by the Kejriwal government into alleged irregularities in granting CNG fitness certificates and in the running of the state cricket body.

AAP reacted strongly to the verdict with Delhi's Home Minister Satyendar Jain saying the government will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.

Powers of Governor cant negate powers of responsible government; not meant to be a blanket clause to disregard advice of Ministers, Para 139

Also Read: AAP vs Najeeb Jung: What Does the Constitution Say?

Source: Hindustan Times

2. Made in India F-16s For the World if IAF Says Yes: Lockheed Martin

American manufacturer of defence equipment, Lockheed Martin on Thursday offered the Indian Air Force (IAF) an offer it may find hard to resist.

In recent communications, the aircraft maker has conveyed that it's ready to close down its original production line in Fort Worth, Texas and set up a new one in India if it wins a significant order for a fleet of fighter aircraft from the IAF.

Besides supplying the military jets to the IAF, the Indian production line will also be used as a hub to export the F-16s.

The offer we have given to the Indian government is unmatched and from our side unprecedented.

Randall L Howard, F16 Business Development head at Lockheed Martin.

Lockheed Martin has produced more than 3,600 units of this highly successful jet to date and is in active service for many of the world's premiere defence forces.

Source: Hindustan Times

Also Read:

With the F-16 Deal Stalled, Are Days of US-Pakistan Bonhomie Over?
Pakistan's Bid to Buy F-16s From Jordan Will Require US Approval

3. Terrorists Can't be Martyrs: Rajnath Singh

In an apparent attempt at slamming Pakistan for its recent comments calling Burhan Wani a ‘martyr', India's Home Minister Rajnath Singh at the SAARC platform denounced such “glorification and patronisation of terrorism” on Thursday.

Rajnath also used the meeting in Pakistan to seek the “strongest” action against countries that back terrorism.

One country's terrorist cannot be a freedom fighter for anyone... I also speak for the entire humanity, not just for India or other SAARC members, in urging that in no circumstances should terrorists be eulogised as martyrs.

Singh told SAARC Home Minister's conference

Singh's comments come on the heels of the Nawaz Sharif government declaring Burhan Wani a “martyr”, and announcing 19 July as ‘Black Day' to express solidarity with the people of Kashmir.

Source: The Times of India

Also Read: Five Times Rajnath Singh's Speech Targeted Pakistan on Terror

4. Patels Flex Muscles as BJP Looks for New CM for Gujarat

The search for Chief Minister Anandiben Patel's successor is proving to be an uphill task for the Gujarat BJP as the party is seeing an increased push by the Patel community to replace the outgoing CM with one of their own.

Amit Shah, Dinesh Sharma and joint General Secretary (organisation) V Satish who met some 15 senior ministers and state BJP leaders were made aware of the traditionally powerful Patel community's demands on Thursday.

Patel leaders and Anandiben's supporters claim that Nitin Patel's name is final. In view of the current situation in Gujarat, they hope that the BJP will yield to Patel power.

A senior Cabinet minister to The Indian Express

Over the last two days, the Patel lobby has been working overtime, pushing the theory that without a Patel CM, “restless Patels would desert the BJP”.

Patel leaders who visited Shah on Thursday argued that there was no non-Patel face which would be acceptable to Patels as the CM.

Also Read: After Anandiben's Resignation, Amit Shah Chosen to Pick Successor

Source: The Indian Express

5. BJP Sets Stage for New Tussle as Jaitley Hints at GST Rate Higher Than 18%

The Narendra Modi led NDA government is set for a new tussle with the Congress after it indicated on Thursday that the standard rate for GST is set to be higher than the maximum rate of 18 percent sought by the chief opposition party.

Jaitley said that an “unreasonable cap” on the standard rate of tax could burden the Centre with compensation that will have to be paid to states for any potential revenue loss suffered by them, thus jeopardising the fiscal consolidation roadmap of the Central government.

Jaitley, speaking to the media, also revealed that the government will have to decline Congress' other request of introducing the two upcoming central GST Bills as financial bills, rather than money bills.

The Constitutional provision in Article 110 and 117 as to what is a money bill and what is a finance bill is absolutely clear. The word used in Article 110 is ‘shall be,' that is what shall be deemed as a money bill, so I can't convert a constitutional requirement into my own option. That's the option that I don't have.

Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister

Source: The Indian Express

Also Read:

Here's How the GST Bill Will Affect YOU, the Consumer
Before Your Bills Get Shorter, GST Has to Cross These 12 Hurdles

6. It Pays to Be A Gau Rakshak In Gujarat

The stock of Gau Rakshaks in Gujarat has fallen after the Una dalit thrashing, but as an Indian Express report reveals, it wasn't always the case in the state.

No less than 31 cow vigilantes are rotting in police custody in Gujarat after a political storm erupted over the flogging of Dalits in Una. However, for many years the state policy remained to reward these Rakshaks for their “contribution” to the cause of Gau Raksha.

Estimated on the basis of FIRs lodged by them under the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act and the cattle heads they “saved”, these cow vigilantes were thanked for saving cows from minority communities across the states.

Taxi driver Sandip Gadhvi, 35, says he has been into “cow protection” for 12 years and runs two gaushalas. He puts his score at 285 FIRs and 29,000 heads of cattle saved, and has been felicitated for his “services” by the Gauseva and Gauchar Vikas Board (cow care and grazing land development board, or GGVB) of Gujarat's Department of Agriculture and Co-operation.

Source: The Indian Express

Also Read: Dalits Protest in Ahmedabad; Man Who Attempted Suicide On Una Dies

7. Bulandshahr Gang Rape: How Lack of Lighting on Highways is Causing Pain

Amid ambitious plans by the the road transport and highway ministry of laying 40 kilometre of roads every day in 2016-17, one infrastructural issue that still remains ignored is the lighting of these highways.

In the aftermath of the Bulandshahr gangrape, the police has faced a lot of flak for not being able to provide complete protection to the citizens of the country, but does the onus for such incidents fall solely on them?

High crime rate on highways that leads to such ghastly incidents often stem from the fact that there is inadequate lighting measures on our highways; a reason that also leads to near absence of police petrol vehicles on these roads.

Also Read: Akhilesh Orders IG Meerut to Head Bulandshahr Gangrape Probe

Source: The Times of India

8. This Is a PM-Mukt Parliament: Jairam Ramesh

Led by senior party leader, Jairam Ramesh, the Congress on Thursday cornered the Prime Minister over his absence in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The party accused him of being in contempt of Parliament by not being present in either the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday or in the Lok Sabha during the passage of the GST Bill.

It is a matter of regret that the Prime Minister could not spare even five minutes to be present during the passage of the legislation which he had labelled as progressive and revolutionary...This is a PM-mukt Parliament.

Jairam Ramesh

Congress' accusations may hold merit, as a quick look at the Parliament's attendance records from the past reveals this to be the first occasion in independent India's history when the Prime Minister was not present during the passage of a Constitution amendment Bill. Interestingly, this was the 122nd such amendment to a constitutional bill.

Source: The Hindu

9. Centre Backs New Parliament Across Rajpath

The Centre has decided to back Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's proposal for the building of another Parliament, behind Vayu Bhawan on Rajpath.

Mahajan had written a letter to Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu in December, in response to which the ministry has reportedly suggested that the two buildings – the old and new complex – can be connected via a tunnel across Rajpath.

In Mahajan's letter, she had written that the nearly 90-year-old Parliament building can no longer support the growing demands for more space and is showing signs of “distress”.

She suggested that either the new site be built within the existing complex, or a new building altogether be built across Rajpath.

The second option, in her mind, would provide more flexibility for space as well as design.According to officials, building a new complex could take up to six years or more.

Source: The Times of India

Also Read:
Here's Why Lok Sabha Speaker Proposed a New Parliament Building
Is Bad Vaastu Behind Move To Construct A New Parliament Building?

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