QBullet: Yadav Pari-War, Defence Reforms And More

1. Tatas Now File Court Caveats Against Legal Action By Mistry

Less than 24 hours after the Tata Sons board “replaced” Cyrus Mistry as chairman, interim chairman Ratan Tata, Tata Sons and Tata Trusts rushed to the Bombay and Delhi High Courts and the National Company Law Tribunal to file caveats against any legal action Mistry might initiate. The Tata Trusts, of which Ratan Tata is lifetime chairman, controls 66% in Tata Sons and were the moving force behind the removal of Mistry , whose father Pallonji holds 18.5%.

Mistry's office issued a statement saying, “A caveat is a notice filed by a party fearing legal action seeking notice before action. Tatas have filed caveats seeking notice from Cyrus Mistry fearing legal action. Cyrus has not filed any caveats. He has already made a statement that such concerns are misplaced at this stage.“

Also Read:

This is Why Ratan Had to Say Tata to Cyrus Mistry

How To Remove A Chairman: The Tata Sons Way

(Source: The Times of India)

2. Akhilesh Missing in Show of Unity

There is no ‘matbhed' (difference of opinion) or ‘manbhed' (ill feelings) in the Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh satrap Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Tuesday, as he struggled to contain an acrimonious family feud that has pushed the party to the brink of a split.

Mulayam and his brother Shivpal addressed a press conference in an apparent show of unity but the absence of Chief Minister Akhilesh raised more questions than what the party patriarch answered.

Soon after, Akhilesh brought down the facade of unity once again when he reportedly said that he will neither take back Shivpal into his cabinet nor agree to work with Amar Singh – blamed by a section in the party for the crisis. “Amar Singh is to blame. He is misusing my father's trust,” a TV channel quoted Akhilesh as saying. The chief minister also said he “will not split the party” but fight till the end.

Read The Quint's full report on the family feud here.

Also Read:

Constitutional Crisis in UP? It All Depends on SP Camps' War Plans

No Truce in Sight in SP, Is Akhilesh Waiting for a Hard Bargain?

(Source: Hindustan Times)

3. Kalikho Pul Left Explosive Secret Notes, Can Rock Politics: Ex-Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa

Days after he resigned as governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa has claimed that former chief minister Kalikho Pul, who was found hanging in his Itanagar home on 9 August, left behind “secret notes” running into 60 pages with content so “explosive” that its revelation can cause “tremors in Indian politics”. Rajkhowa says he has not seen the notes himself.

“A lot is to be found there. He (Pul) has commented about colleagues who are supposed to have betrayed him. I am told it has been circulating on social media that he gave comments about all kinds of corruption… he mentioned how certain politicians, their fathers and forefathers who didn't have good financial backgrounds, became crorepatis,” Rajkhowa said.

Also Read: Arunachal Pradesh: Turning the Clock Back on the Political Crisis

(Source: The Indian Express)

4. BJP to Strike While the Iron Is Hot

Amid an intensive power struggle within the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP plans to strike at the base of the Yadav clan, their home district Etawah. On 27 October, BJP president Amit Shah will hold a rally in Etawah.

Interestingly, it comes at a time when the BJP has emerged as the common point in the allegations and counter allegations between the sparring Yadav cousins Shivpal and Ramgopal.

“Through a rally in their bastion, we will tell people that while you (SP) are fighting to save your family, the BJP is fighting to develop UP,” BJP state general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak told The Hindu.

Also Read: Samajwadi Party's Self-Destruction Timeline: All You Need To Know

(Source: The Hindu)

5. In Posters Pasted on Gujranwala Streets, Lashkar Claims Responsibility of Uri Attack

Posters have appeared in Gujranwala town announcing that the Lashkar-e-Taiba will be holding last rites in absentia for one of the four terrorists who attacked the Indian Army's 12 Brigade at Uri, killing 20 soldiers and sparking off the worst India-Pakistan crisis in years. The posters are the first hard evidence for Indian allegations that the attacks were carried out by a Pakistan-based jihadist group – until now been denied by Islamabad.

The posters name one perpetrator as Gujranwala resident Muhammad Anas, who operated under the alias Abu Siraqa. They invite local residents to join namaaz prayers for the Lashkar-e-Taiba's “lion-hearted holy warrior Abu Siraqa Muhammad Anas, who sent 177 Hindu soldiers to hell at the Uri Brigade camp in Occupied Kashmir, and thus drank from the glass of martyrdom”.

Also Read:

Exclusive: Huge Loss of Weapons in Uri Attack, Intel Assets Safe

Uri Attack Exclusive: Two Porters ‘Guided' 4 Terrorists to Army HQ

(Source: The Indian Express)

6. In the Race to Succeed? TCS, JLR CEOs Now on Tata Group Board

In a move that is being read as a sign that N Chandrasekaran of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Ralf Speth of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) could be strong contenders for the position of chairman of Tata Sons, the two were elevated to board positions at the group's holding company.

Chandrasekaran, 53, popularly called ‘Chandra', is the MD & CEO of TCS, the largest private sector company in India by market value, while the 61-year-old German is CEO of JLR, one of the most recognised automobile companies globally.

Also Read: From Ratan Tata To Cyrus Mistry And Back

(Source: The Times of India)

7. Another Valley School Set Ablaze, Count Goes Up to 19 in 3 Months

The building housing Middle School Saderkote in North Kashmir's Bandipore district was set on fire late on Monday night, becoming the 19th government school in the Valley to be burnt since the protests began after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far. While police have registered cases in all the incidents, no arrests have been made.

Also Read:

The Quint's Exclusive Coverage on Current Situation in Kashmir

Over 300 Terrorists Have Infiltrated Kashmir Post Wani: IB Sources

(Source: The Indian Express)

8. It's Evil to Seek Votes in the Name of Religion, Says SC

The Supreme Court said on Tuesday it would not go into the larger debate on what Hindutva was but asserted that asking for votes in the name of religion was “evil” and “not permissible”.

The court, which is revisiting its 1995 judgment that held Hindutva was a way of life and not a religion, said it would only examine whether candidates could be disqualified if their supporters invoke religion or caste to seek votes.

“It is difficult to define religion. There will be no end to this,” the seven-judge bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur said, an observation that comes a few months ahead of five state elections.

Also Read: From Ram Temple to Modest Museum in Ayodhya, BJP Still Sees Gains

(Source: Hindustan Times)

9. Will Correct Disparity in Military, Civilian Officers' Rank Structure: Parrikar

The government has assured the military that any disparity in rank structure of its officers with those in civil administration will be removed, slipping into damage control after a defence ministry letter downgraded the status of soldiers.

Any discrepancy in the ranks would be corrected in a week, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Tuesday, a day after Hindustan Times website broke the story about the changes in rank equation that have left the military fuming. The ministry had conveyed the changes in an 18 October letter.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a naval commanders' conference, the minister said, “Military officers will be on same platform as their civilian counterparts.”

Also Read: Ex-Servicemen Train Guns on Disability Pension Cut

(Source: Hindustan Times)

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