The Evening Wrap: PM Modi arrives in Warsaw on first leg of two-nation visit to Poland and Ukraine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 21 arrived in Poland on the first leg of his two-nation visit during which he will also travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and share perspectives with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Poland is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in the past 45 years. During his stay in Poland, Modi will meet President Andrzej Sebastian Duda and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “My visit to Poland comes as we mark 70 years of our diplomatic relations. Poland is a key economic partner in Central Europe,” he said. “Our mutual commitment to democracy and pluralism further reinforces our relationship. I look forward to meeting my friend Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda to further advance our partnership,” Modi said in his departure statement earlier in the day. “I will also engage with the members of the vibrant Indian community in Poland,” Modi said. Modi’s discussions with the Polish leadership during his visit will allow the two sides to exchange views at the top level on a variety of subjects and it will be a kind of real “useful exchange” of views, Indian Ambassador to Poland Nagma Mohamed Mallick said. From Warsaw, Modi will travel to Kyiv on the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since the country became independent in 1991. “From Poland, I will be visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine,” he said. “I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict,” he said. “As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region,” he added. Modi said he was confident that his visit to Warsaw and Kyiv “will serve as a natural continuation of extensive contacts with the two countries and help create the foundation for stronger and more vibrant relations in the years ahead”. The Prime Minister will travel to Kyiv from Poland in a ‘Rail Force One’ train that will take around 10 hours. The return trip will also be of the same duration. Modi’s visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow which triggered criticism from the US and some of its Western allies. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has been calling for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. At least 151 sitting MPs and MLAs face cases of crimes against women, 16 charged with rape: ADR As many as 151 sitting MPs and MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women in their election affidavits, with West Bengal having the highest number of lawmakers facing such cases, according to a recent report by a poll rights body. For the report, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) examined 4,693 out of 4,809 affidavits of sitting MPs and MLAs submitted to the Election Commission of India during elections between 2019 and 2024. The organisation identified 16 MPs and 135 MLAs facing cases related to crimes against women. West Bengal tops the list with 25 sitting MPs and MLAs facing charges related to crimes against women, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 21 and Odisha with 17, according to the report that comes amid the nationwide protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in a State-run hospital in Kolkata and sexual assault of two children in Thane. According to the report, there are 16 sitting MPs and MLAs who have declared cases related to rape under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 376, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and can be extend to life imprisonment. Of these, two are MPs and 14 MLAs. The charges include repeated offenses against the same victim, further underscoring the gravity of these cases. Among political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of representatives (54 MPs and MLAs) with declared cases related to crimes against women, followed by the Congress with 23 and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 17, according to the report. Both BJP and Congress have five sitting lawmakers each facing rape charges. The ADR has issued strong recommendations in response to these findings. It stressed on the need for political parties to refrain from giving tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds, especially those with charges of rape and other crimes against women. The report called for the fast-tracking of court cases against MPs and MLAs, ensuring professional and thorough investigations by police. The ADR urged voters to avoid electing candidates with such charges. Badlapur sexual abuse: Supriya Sule seeks Fadnavis’ resignation; Anil Deshmukh demands clearing of Shakti bill to ensure strict punishment NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule on August 21 targeted the Maharashtra Government over the Badlapur sexual abuse case and demanded the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a protest organised to condemn the Badlapur incident, she accused the Eknath Shinde-led dispensation of not being serious about the issue of women’s safety, and alleged that while the government was busy breaking parties, it had no time for common people. A massive protest broke out in Badlapur town in Thane district on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) after a large number of people blocked railway tracks and ransacked the school, where two kindergarten girls were sexually abused by an attendant last week. The protesters demanded strict punishment against the accused, who was arrested on August 17. The State Government on Tuesday (August 21, 2024) ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior Inspector of Police, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of the two girls. Sule said, “Had action been taken by the Education Minister immediately after the incident at the school, the need for an agitation would not have arisen. It shows that this government is not at all serious about the safety of women. The government is busy breaking the houses, parties, using the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate.” The Baramati MP criticised Fadnavis over the incident and asked what happened to the Shakti Act that was brought earlier. “Home Minister, who spends more time in Delhi than in Mumbai, should give a clarification on this incident and as a moral responsibility, he should resign,” she demanded. Questioning the delay in registering an FIR, Sule sought to know why inquiry was not launched to probe the police’s inaction. “Had there been no agitation by people, this incident would not have come to light,” the NCP (SP) working president said. The law and order situation in the State was crumbling and offences against women were on the rise, she alleged. “The Badalpur school incident should have been looked into more sensitively,” she added. Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh demanded the clearance and implementation of the Shakti bill with provisions for the death penalty for atrocities against children and women, referring to the Badlapur school incident. Both the House of Maharashtra legislature had passed the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Special Court & Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020, three years ago when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power. Addressing a press conference, Deshmukh said, “When I was the Home Minister, I had formed a 21-member committee of legislators from all parties to draft the Shakti bill on the lines of an act in Andhra Pradesh. “The bill was approved by the cabinet headed by Uddhav Thackeray and passed in the State Legislature. It is pending before the Central Government for approval.” The NCP (SP) leader said the committee had drafted the Shakti bill after consultations with all stakeholders. He said a “Shakti Act” would be sufficient to ensure the death penalty for the culprit in the Badlapur case, he said. Alleged sexual abuse of two young girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district has triggered an uproar and a slugfest between the ruling Mahayuti and the Opposition bloc MVA. The ex-Home Minister said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the Badlapur incident should look into the reason behind the “12-13 hour delay” in the registration of the FIR. Sheikh Hasina faces 33 cases, including murder, after ouster from Bangladesh A case has been filed against Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 86 others on charge of attacking a procession in Sylhet city which left several people shot and injured during the recent mass protests on August 4, taking the number of cases against her after her ouster to 33. Juber Ahmed, acting president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s Sylhet city unit, filed the case with the court of Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Suman Bhuiya. Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana is also an accused in the case. According to the case statement, the accused attacked a peaceful rally, brought out by Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its associate organisations in Sylhet City’s Bandarbazar area on August 4, which left several shot and injured, The Daily Star newspaper said. Awami League’s general secretary and former road transport minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former law minister Anisur Rahman, and former advisor to the prime minister Salman F Rahman were among people named in the case. With this case, Hasina is now facing 33 cases against her, including 27 for murder, four for crimes against humanity and genocide, and one for abduction, the paper said. Hasina fled to India on August 5 after resigning from her post amidst unprecedented anti-government student-led protests. The Hasina-led government was replaced by an interim government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser. Bangladesh’s interim government has said it will try those involved in the killings during the recent mass movement of the students against the Hasina-led government in the International Crimes Tribunal. Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July. On Tuesday, she along with five other was implicated in a case lodged over the murder of private company employee Firoj Talukder in indiscriminate shooting from a helicopter by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) during recent anti-discrimination students’ movement. Earlier Hasina, her son Sajeeb, daughter Saima and sister Rehana and 17 others were sued in a case filed over the killing of a fruit seller in the capital’s Jatrabari on August 5. In Brief: Jay Shah, the incumbent secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has emerged as the front-runner to succeed Greg Barclay as the International Cricket Council (ICC) chair in December. Shah’s expected candidature received a major boost with the ICC through a media release on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) night confirming Barclay’s decision to step down from his post at the annual conference in November. [logo] The Evening Wrap 21 August 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( PM Modi arrives in Warsaw on first leg of two-nation visit to Poland and Ukraine Prime Minister [Narendra Modi on August 21 arrived in Poland]( on the first leg of his two-nation visit during which he will also travel to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and share perspectives with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Poland is the first trip by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in the past 45 years. During his stay in Poland, Modi will meet President Andrzej Sebastian Duda and hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “My visit to Poland comes as we mark 70 years of our diplomatic relations. Poland is a key economic partner in Central Europe,” he said. “Our mutual commitment to democracy and pluralism further reinforces our relationship. I look forward to meeting my friend Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda to further advance our partnership,” Modi said in his departure statement earlier in the day. “I will also engage with the members of the vibrant Indian community in Poland,” Modi said. Modi’s discussions with the Polish leadership during his visit will allow the two sides to exchange views at the top level on a variety of subjects and it will be a kind of real “useful exchange” of views, Indian Ambassador to Poland Nagma Mohamed Mallick said. From Warsaw, Modi will travel to Kyiv on the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine since the country became independent in 1991. “From Poland, I will be visiting Ukraine at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This is the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine,” he said. “I look forward to the opportunity to build upon earlier conversations with President Zelenskyy on strengthening bilateral cooperation and share perspectives on peaceful resolution of the ongoing Ukraine conflict,” he said. “As a friend and partner, we hope for an early return of peace and stability in the region,” he added. Modi said he was confident that his visit to Warsaw and Kyiv “will serve as a natural continuation of extensive contacts with the two countries and help create the foundation for stronger and more vibrant relations in the years ahead”. The Prime Minister will travel to Kyiv from Poland in a ‘Rail Force One’ train that will take around 10 hours. The return trip will also be of the same duration. Modi’s visit to Kyiv comes nearly six weeks after his high-profile trip to Moscow which triggered criticism from the US and some of its Western allies. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has been calling for resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. At least 151 sitting MPs and MLAs face cases of crimes against women, 16 charged with rape: ADR As many as [151 sitting MPs and MLAs have declared cases related to crimes against women]( in their election affidavits, with West Bengal having the highest number of lawmakers facing such cases, according to a recent report by a poll rights body. For the report, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) examined 4,693 out of 4,809 affidavits of sitting MPs and MLAs submitted to the Election Commission of India during elections between 2019 and 2024. The organisation identified 16 MPs and 135 MLAs facing cases related to crimes against women. West Bengal tops the list with 25 sitting MPs and MLAs facing charges related to crimes against women, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 21 and Odisha with 17, according to the report that comes amid the nationwide protests over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in a State-run hospital in Kolkata and sexual assault of two children in Thane. According to the report, there are 16 sitting MPs and MLAs who have declared cases related to rape under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 376, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and can be extend to life imprisonment. Of these, two are MPs and 14 MLAs. The charges include repeated offenses against the same victim, further underscoring the gravity of these cases. Among political parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has the highest number of representatives (54 MPs and MLAs) with declared cases related to crimes against women, followed by the Congress with 23 and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with 17, according to the report. Both BJP and Congress have five sitting lawmakers each facing rape charges. The ADR has issued strong recommendations in response to these findings. It stressed on the need for political parties to refrain from giving tickets to candidates with criminal backgrounds, especially those with charges of rape and other crimes against women. The report called for the fast-tracking of court cases against MPs and MLAs, ensuring professional and thorough investigations by police. The ADR urged voters to avoid electing candidates with such charges. Badlapur sexual abuse: Supriya Sule seeks Fadnavis’ resignation; Anil Deshmukh demands clearing of Shakti bill to ensure strict punishment NCP (SP) leader [Supriya Sule on August 21 targeted the Maharashtra Government over the Badlapur sexual abuse case]( and demanded the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a protest organised to condemn the Badlapur incident, she accused the Eknath Shinde-led dispensation of not being serious about the issue of women’s safety, and alleged that while the government was busy breaking parties, it had no time for common people. A massive protest broke out in Badlapur town in Thane district on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) after a large number of people blocked railway tracks and ransacked the school, where two kindergarten girls were sexually abused by an attendant last week. The protesters demanded strict punishment against the accused, who was arrested on August 17. The State Government on Tuesday (August 21, 2024) ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior Inspector of Police, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of the two girls. Sule said, “Had action been taken by the Education Minister immediately after the incident at the school, the need for an agitation would not have arisen. It shows that this government is not at all serious about the safety of women. The government is busy breaking the houses, parties, using the Income Tax Department and Enforcement Directorate.” The Baramati MP criticised Fadnavis over the incident and asked what happened to the Shakti Act that was brought earlier. “Home Minister, who spends more time in Delhi than in Mumbai, should give a clarification on this incident and as a moral responsibility, he should resign,” she demanded. Questioning the delay in registering an FIR, Sule sought to know why inquiry was not launched to probe the police’s inaction. “Had there been no agitation by people, this incident would not have come to light,” the NCP (SP) working president said. The law and order situation in the State was crumbling and offences against women were on the rise, she alleged. “The Badalpur school incident should have been looked into more sensitively,” she added. Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh demanded the clearance and implementation of the Shakti bill with provisions for the death penalty for atrocities against children and women, referring to the Badlapur school incident. Both the House of Maharashtra legislature had passed the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Special Court & Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020, three years ago when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power. Addressing a press conference, Deshmukh said, “When I was the Home Minister, I had formed a 21-member committee of legislators from all parties to draft the Shakti bill on the lines of an act in Andhra Pradesh. “The bill was approved by the cabinet headed by Uddhav Thackeray and passed in the State Legislature. It is pending before the Central Government for approval.” The NCP (SP) leader said the committee had drafted the Shakti bill after consultations with all stakeholders. He said a “Shakti Act” would be sufficient to ensure the death penalty for the culprit in the Badlapur case, he said. Alleged sexual abuse of two young girls at a school in Badlapur in Thane district has triggered an uproar and a slugfest between the ruling Mahayuti and the Opposition bloc MVA. The ex-Home Minister said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing into the Badlapur incident should look into the reason behind the “12-13 hour delay” in the registration of the FIR. Sheikh Hasina faces 33 cases, including murder, after ouster from Bangladesh A [case has been filed against Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina]( and 86 others on charge of attacking a procession in Sylhet city which left several people shot and injured during the recent mass protests on August 4, taking the number of cases against her after her ouster to 33. Juber Ahmed, acting president of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s Sylhet city unit, filed the case with the court of Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Suman Bhuiya. Hasina’s sister Sheikh Rehana is also an accused in the case. According to the case statement, the accused attacked a peaceful rally, brought out by Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its associate organisations in Sylhet City’s Bandarbazar area on August 4, which left several shot and injured, The Daily Star newspaper said. Awami League’s general secretary and former road transport minister Obaidul Quader, former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former foreign minister Hasan Mahmud, former law minister Anisur Rahman, and former advisor to the prime minister Salman F Rahman were among people named in the case. With this case, Hasina is now facing 33 cases against her, including 27 for murder, four for crimes against humanity and genocide, and one for abduction, the paper said. Hasina fled to India on August 5 after resigning from her post amidst unprecedented anti-government student-led protests. The Hasina-led government was replaced by an interim government, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was named its Chief Adviser. Bangladesh’s interim government has said it will try those involved in the killings during the recent mass movement of the students against the Hasina-led government in the International Crimes Tribunal. Over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July. On Tuesday, she along with five other was implicated in a case lodged over the murder of private company employee Firoj Talukder in indiscriminate shooting from a helicopter by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) during recent anti-discrimination students’ movement. Earlier Hasina, her son Sajeeb, daughter Saima and sister Rehana and 17 others were sued in a case filed over the killing of a fruit seller in the capital’s Jatrabari on August 5. In Brief: Jay Shah, the incumbent secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has [emerged as the front-runner]( to succeed Greg Barclay as the International Cricket Council (ICC) chair in December. Shah’s expected candidature received a major boost with the ICC through a media release on Tuesday (August 20, 2024) night confirming Barclay’s decision to step down from his post at the annual conference in November. Today’s Top Picks [[Chandrayaan’s Pragyan rover offers evidence of magma ocean on young moon] Chandrayaan’s Pragyan rover offers evidence of magma ocean on young moon]( [[Madras Day | What ₹200 can get you in these iconic Chennai markets] Madras Day | What ₹200 can get you in these iconic Chennai markets]( [[The Science Quiz | The science of spice and vice versa] The Science Quiz | The science of spice and vice versa]( [[Commerce Minister Goyal warns rapid e-commerce growth could cause social disruptions, hit millions of retail stores and jobs] Commerce Minister Goyal warns rapid e-commerce growth could cause social disruptions, hit millions of retail stores and jobs]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [click here]( Manage your newsletter subscription preferences [here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](