Morning Brief: Khalistan Extremists 'Deep Assets' Of Canadian Intel Agencies—India; Seven Killed In Kashmir Terror Attack; CJI Chandrachud Triggers Yet Another Far-Left Meltdown

Dear reader, here’s a roundup of what’s making headlines this morning.

India Cranks Up The Heat On Trudeau

New Delhi has launched a new pushback against Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's propaganda against India. As he returned to India after New Delhi rejected Ottawa's allegations linking him to the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Indian High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma accused some G7 countries of being involved in extrajudicial killings on foreign soil in an interview.

Verma went on to claim that Khalistan separatists are continuously "encouraged " and are "deep assets" of the Canadian intelligence agency.

Verma said that Trudeau has "destroyed the relationship" with India. He clarified that Indian diplomats have not engaged in any illegal activities while monitoring Khalistani groups, stating, “It is all overt. There’s nothing covert.” He explained that they read newspapers and social media posts in Punjabi to gather information. Verma added, “I, as High Commissioner of India, had never done anything… That’s my national interest. That’s my core concern with Canada, which is trying to tear up Indian territory.”

Seven Workers Of Infra Company Killed In Kashmir Terror Attack

Seven employees of an infrastructure company were killed in a terror attack on a camp for workers on the Srinagar-Leh highway. Five others were injured when suspected militants opened fire during dinner on Sunday evening.

The attack targeted workers involved in constructing the Z-Morh tunnel, being build to provide all-year connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg. Injured workers reported that two assailants cut the electricity before opening fire.

Reports say that this is the first significant attack in the Kashmir Valley targeting construction workers of a large infrastructure project and occurred in a region that has seen minimal militant presence over the past decade. The victims included workers from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu, and a doctor from Budgam.

CJI Chandrachud Triggers Yet Another Far-Left Meltdown

Another far-left meltdown is brewing over Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud's comments, this time on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue.

Speaking in Pune, he revealed that he prayed for a solution to the longstanding dispute, emphasising that "God will always find a way" for those with faith. "I sat before the deity and told him he needs to find a solution," the Chief Justice has been quoted as saying.

This remark comes just weeks after he hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence for Ganesh Puja, a move that caused a major uproar in the far-left ecosystem, from which many of his most dedicated supporters emerged in the past.

Other Developments

India-China Talks Make Progress Ahead Of BRICS Summit

India and China have made progress in their discussions over patrolling points in the Ladakh sector, with negotiations intensifying in the last two weeks. Key issues concerning patrolling in the Depsang and Demchok areas were thoroughly examined by both sides. The immediate goal is to achieve troop disengagement, which is seen as a positive development ahead of the upcoming BRICS summit in Russia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to attend the summit in Kazan from Tuesday to Thursday. This follows a prior commitment by both nations to expedite their efforts toward complete disengagement in Ladakh after a previous dialogue was stalled during the 2023 BRICS summit in Johannesburg.

India's 5G Speed Drops Amid Soaring Data Consumption

Despite being one of the fastest countries to roll out 5G and the highest consumer of data globally, India has experienced a significant decline in its average median data speeds. According to the Business Standard, India dropped from 12th place among 112 countries in April-June to 26th in July-September. Overall median download speeds fell by 15 percent, dropping from 107.03 megabits per second (mbps) to 91.7 mbps during this period. This represents the lowest speed recorded since October 2023. Additionally, upload speeds also declined by 11 percent during the same timeframe.

India Pauses Fresh FTA Negotiations 

India has paused all new free trade agreements (FTAs) while it reassesses its negotiating strategy for more meticulously planned pacts. The goal is to avoid unintended concessions and prevent third-country goods, primarily from China, from entering through partner countries. The government also aims to reject strict sustainability rules and achieve a more balanced give-and-take in negotiations. Reports reveal that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the new FTA strategy are ready, and the Commerce Department is drafting a Cabinet note.

A detailed analysis of past FTAs, including recent ones with the UAE and Australia, has been conducted to pinpoint areas for improvement. While negotiations are temporarily on hold for agreements with Peru and Chile, discussions continue with partners like the UK and the EU, where talks have made significant progress.

From The States

Jharkhand: Discord In INDI Alliance Over Seat-Sharing

Chinks began to appear in the INDI alliance parties shortly after announcing a seat-sharing agreement for Jharkhand. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) openly criticised the seat distribution as “unilateral.” Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress are facing a deadlock over constituency allocations, particularly regarding the Congress's demand to allocate more seats to the RJD from the JMM's quota.

CM Hemant Soren stated that his party and the Congress would contest 70 of the 81 seats, leaving the remainder for other coalition partners. RJD MP Manoj Jha expressed that the allocation of “less than 12-13 seats” was unacceptable. According to reports, the JMM was to receive 50 seats, with the remaining 31 allocated to the Congress, while the RJD was expected to take its share from the Congress's allotment.

Maharashtra: Minority Pilgrimage Sites Added To CM Scheme Before Polls

The Mahayuti government in Maharashtra has expanded the CM Tirth Darshan Yojana to include minority pilgrimage centers ahead of the elections.

Notable additions include popular dargahs in and around Mumbai, such as Haji Ali Dargah, Haji Malang Dargah in Kalyan, and Diwanshah Dargah in Bhiwandi. The list also features holy sites for Parsis, Buddhists, and the Jain community.

Under this scheme, the state government provides Rs 30,000 per person for seniors aged 60 and above to visit one pilgrimage site, provided their annual family income does not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. This decision is seen as a significant outreach effort by the Mahayuti to win the support of minority communities during the elections, with 95 holy places from Maharashtra and 15 from outside the state added to the scheme.

Maharashtra: All Eyes On MVA As It Struggles To Nail Seat Sharing

All eyes are on the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as the unlikely alliance of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (Sharad Pawar) struggles to nail down seat-sharing for the upcoming polls. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai stated that the coalition would resolve these matters soon and plans to hold a joint press conference on Monday.

Tensions have escalated between Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) regarding seat distribution, leading to the cancellation of Congress's scheduled Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting. Reports reveal that during a recent visit to Delhi, Congress presented an assessment to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, suggesting that his party's strength in Maharashtra is closer to 80-85 seats, not the 100 they currently seek. The Congress leader expressed confidence in addressing the situation peacefully.

Stay tuned for more insights throughout the day.