Morning Brief: Indebted To Congress, Not People: Kumaraswamy; Bypolls To Four Lok Sabha, 10 Assembly Seats Today; India, Russia Conclude Negotiations For S-400 Deal

Good morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news and views brief for today.

Indebted To The Congress, Not The People: Kumaraswamy

In a controversial statement late on Sunday, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said that he is not indebted to the six and a half crore people of the state, but to the Congress party. Talking to the media after garlanding former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's portrait on his death anniversary, he said his government would not take any decision without consulting the Rahul Gandhi-led party. In an interview with the Mint just weeks ahead of the elections, Kumaraswamy had labelled the Congress party as a threat to democracy in India. On the question of a farm-loan waiver, over which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called a state-wide bandh, the Chief Minister said he would announce the government’s decision on the issue within a week and urged the farmers not to commit suicide.

Bypolls To Four Lok Sabha, 10 Assembly Seats Today

In a crucial test for the joint opposition, four Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats will go to bypolls today. The Lok Sabha seats that will go to polls include Uttar Pradesh’s Kairana, Maharashtra’s Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia, and Nagaland. In Kairana, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party hope to repeat the success of the Gorakhpur and Phulpur by-elections, in which the BJP had to suffer defeats. While the Shiv Sena is contesting against the BJP in Palghar, the former and the Congress have not fielded their candidates in the Bhandara-Gondiya seat. In Nagaland, the contest will be between the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party and the Naga People's Front. The ten assembly seats going to polls today include Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh, Palus-Kadegaon in Maharashtra, Sahkot in Punjab, Maheshtala in West Bengal, Gomia and Silli in Jharkhand, Jokihat in Bihar, Ampati in Meghalaya, Chengannur in Kerala and Tharali in Uttarakhand.

India, Russia Conclude Negotiations For S-400 Systems

India and Russia have concluded price negotiations for S-400 air defence missile systems. India is set to buy four S-400 systems for the Indian Air Force in a deal worth nearly Rs 40,000 crore. However, a law passed by the US Congress that seeks to sanction countries engaged in transactions with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia is preventing the two countries from moving ahead. While New Delhi and Moscow are looking at ways to evade the US law, the Trump administration is urging the US Congress to provide a waiver so that its sanctions on Russia do not impact India. Without a waiver, any significant purchase of military equipment from Russia would attract sanctions.

Trial Of Satellite-Based System For Unmanned Crossings Complete: ISRO

The Indian Railways has completed the year-long phase one of the trial of the satellite-based system for unmanned crossings and its performance has been satisfactory, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said. Using integrated circuit chips developed by ISRO on train engines and the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, road users were informed about an approaching train through hooters installed at the crossings. Space Applications Centre director Tapan Misra said that system functioned smoothly under all conditions. The Research Designs & Standards Organisation has submitted a report on the functioning of the system suggesting some modifications.

At Least 119 Naxals, 65 Terrorists Killed Till May This Year

In the first five months of the year, security forces deployed in the different parts of the country have killed at least 119 Naxals and 65 terrorists. In comparison, 136 Maoists were killed in the whole of 2017. Incidents of Naxalism have come down 36.6 per cent between 2014 and 2017 and the number of civilians and paramilitary deaths in Naxal violence have decreased 55.5 per cent. While 6,524 incidents of Naxalism were reported between 2010 and 2013, the number came down to 4,136 between 2014 and 2017. In Jammu and Kashmir, security forces neutralised 619 terrorists between 2014 and 2017 against 471 between 2010 and 2013. The Home Ministry has said that there has been "visible improvement" in the security scenario.

ED To Seek Immediate Confiscation Of Nirav Modi's Assets

The Enforcement Directorate will move a special court in Mumbai to seek permission for “immediate confiscation” of about Rs 7,000 crore assets of Nirav Modi under the recently promulgated Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance. The agency will ask the Supreme Court to declare Modi as a “fugitive” based on the charge sheet filed before the special court on 24 May in the over $2 billion Punjab National Bank fraud case. The 12,000 page charge sheet lists 24 accused, including Modi, his father, brother Neeshal Modi, sister Purvi Modi, brother-in-law Mayank Mehta. The court has already issued a warrant against Modi and the ED has also approached the Interpol for a red corner notice against the absconding diamantaire.

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