Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 15 said that the country had been pushed towards black money in elections after the Supreme Court scrapped the electoral bonds scheme, and that on honest reflection, “everyone will regret it”. In his first detailed take on the electoral bond scheme after its scrapping, Mr. Modi in an interview to news agency ANI said that the scheme should also be viewed a success story as it had shown who made contributions to political parties.
Modi and Shah visiting TN to make up for the loss that awaits them in the North, says Stalin
DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on April 15, in an interview with The Hindu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had been visiting southern States, particularly Tamil Nadu, to make up for the loss awaiting them in the northern States that used to be their stronghold. Mr. Stalin said the purpose of this election was to decide who should not come to power rather than who should come to power.
Largest ever seizure of inducements before general elections: Election Commission
The Election Commission (EC) on April 15 said it was on track to seize the largest amount of inducements, including drugs and cash during an election in the last 75 years. Even before polling begins for the Lok Sabha elections, it has seized ₹4,650 crore, an amount which is higher than that recovered in the 2019 elections. During the 2019 general elections, ₹3,475 crore had been recovered by the EC.
The Madras High Court on Monday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to explain the rationale behind its insistence that denial of pre-certification for election advertisements can be challenged only before the Supreme Court and not any other court. Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice J. Sathya Narayana Prasad granted time till Wednesday for the ECI counsel to take instructions after senior counsel R. Shunmugasundaram for DMK argued that the ECI had no right to take away the writ jurisdiction of the High Courts.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the Narendra Modi-led government had ended the Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the 1,600 km India-Myanmar border to thwart a “conspiracy” to change the demography of Manipur. “No matter how hard anyone tries, we will not let anyone divide Manipur,” he said at a campaign rally in support of the BJP’s Inner Manipur candidate in Imphal.
The Taliban is in “continuous contact” with the Hindus and Sikhs of Afghanistan who were forced to flee and had their homes taken by warlords, said a senior official of the outfit’s ‘Justice Ministry’ on Monday. In a written statement to The Hindu, the representative said the Taliban will respect the property rights of the minority communities of Afghanistan and that they are “particularly committed” to defending the rights of Hindus and Sikhs in the country.
Singapore PM Lee to step down on May 15, hands over power to deputy Lawrence Wong
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday that he will step down on May 15 after two decades at the helm, and hand power to his deputy Lawrence Wong. Mr. Lee, 72, will formally advise the city-state’s president to appoint Mr. Wong, who is currently deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, to succeed him, his office said in a brief statement. Mr. Wong, who has the unanimous support of lawmakers in the long-ruling People’s Action Party, will be sworn in at the national palace later the same day, it said.
Europe joins U.S. in urging restraint by Israel after Iranian attack
Israel’s European allies urged the administration on April 15 to show restraint over Iran’s weekend missile and drone attack, calling on Israeli leaders to step away from “the edge of the cliff” of escalation in West Asia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war Cabinet, which is empowered to decide on the country’s response, was set to convene on April 15 afternoon, a government source said.
Former England spinner Derek Underwood passes away
Derek Underwood, England’s best spinner in the post-World War II era, who gave a torrid time to the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, passed away at Kent on April 15. He was 78. Underwood, a practitioner of slow left-arm orthodox spin, was highly regarded by his contemporaries because of his pin-point accuracy, something which made him ‘Deadly’ on uncovered pitches of the 60s and 70s.
IPL-17: RCB vs SRH | Sunrisers win by 25 runs in highest-scoring match in T20 history
Travis Head’s destructive hundred fused splendidly with skipper Pat Cummins’ resolve as Sunrisers Hyderabad registered a well-crafted 25-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a high-scoring affair. Head’s maiden T20 hundred (102, 41b, 9x4, 8x6) and Heinrich Klaasen’s pillaging 67 (31b, 2x4, 7x6) drove Sunrisers to a record-breaking 287 for three, also going past their own 277/3 against Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad this March 27.
