The Evening Wrap: Mobile internet, broadband, VPNs banned for 5 days in Manipur

Amid ongoing protests demanding the restoration of peace in the strife-torn Imphal Valley, the Manipur Government imposed a temporary internet ban in the State, along with curfews in three districts preventing people from coming outside their houses. The Manipur Government’s Home Department released an order to “curb/temporarily suspend internet and mobile data services including Lease Lines, VSATs, Broadbands and VPN services” in the State for five days from Tuesday 3 p.m. to Sunday 3 p.m. The order stated that order is justified by satisfying conditions like an apprehension of “some anti-social elements” using social media to share images, hate speech and hate video messages to incite “the passions of the public”. It also says that inflammatory material and false rumours might be shared through social media, SMS and dongle services, which could lead to an “imminent danger of loss of life and/or damage to public/private property, and widespread disturbances to public tranquillity and communal harmony.” “To thwart the design and activities of anti-national and anti-social elements and to maintain peace and communal harmony and to prevent any loss of life or danger to public/private property, it has become necessary to take adequate measures to maintain law and order in the public interest, by stopping the spread of disinformation and false rumours, through various social media platform such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. on various electronic equipment like a tablet, computer, mobile phone etc. and sending bulk SMS, for facilitating and/or mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators, which can cause loss of life and/or damage to public/private property by indulging in arson/vandalism and other types of violent activities,” it said. The curfews were placed in three districts of Manipur -- an indefinite curfew in Imphal East and Imphal West, whereas prohibitory orders under Section 163 (2) of BNSS were imposed in Thoubal. Doctors continue protests despite Supreme Court’s directive; Bengal government appeals to hold talks Protesting resident doctors in West Bengal refused to budge despite an appeal by the Supreme Court to resume work by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The resident junior doctors from multiple government medical colleges took out a procession to Swasthya Bhawan and held protests after they were not allowed to enter the Health Department headquarters. While they continued their protests, officials from Nabanna (State Secretariat) appealed to them to hold talks and negotiate to end the month-long logjam. Trinamool MLA Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “The Principal Health Secretary sent an email from Nabanna to the protesting junior doctors at 6.10 p.m. We were ready to allow 10 or more of them to hold talks with us. However, we did not receive any response from them. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was waiting at Nabanna till 7.30 p.m. to hold talks with the doctors, but the doctors did not come.” Responding to the claims by government officials, the protesting doctors said, “We want to keep all channels for negotiations and talks open. But the way they wrote the email and the language they used was an insult to us. The way the email came to us, it was not an official email; it was a mail from the Health Secretary, we are not in any position to officially respond to it. If there is any positive response from the government to our five demands, we are ready to consider their appeal to hold talks.” They added that they will continue with their peaceful sit-in protests in front of the Health Department headquarters. The five-point demands of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) include finding and punishing all possible culprits involved in the rape and murder as well as alleged tampering of evidence; disciplinary action against former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Kumar Ghosh; resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal; increased security for healthcare workers; and an end to the alleged ‘threat culture’ in hospitals and medical colleges across West Bengal. The doctors marched with dummy brains, eyes, and brooms to gift to the Health Department officials. A protesting doctor at the march said, “We hope they put their brains to use. And we hope they use it to serve us justice and not use it to harass us more.” With brooms in their hands, the doctors screamed that they were on a “Swastha Bhawan Safai Abhijan” (Health Department Cleaning Drive). They said they believe that there is a huge rot in the system which goes up to the highest officials and are hence demanding the resignation of the Health Secretary, Director of Health Services, and Director of Medical Education. The junior doctors also raised concerns over an accusatory social media post by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, questioning why a seriously injured young man had to travel 30 km from Konnagar to Kolkata for a CT scan. “Why there is no minimum CT scan facility in the nearby super-speciality hospital? If the government genuinely cares about providing medical services to poor people in districts, why are district hospitals and primary health centres not being revamped?” the resident doctors asked. In his post on X, Banerjee wrote that a young boy from Konnagar lost his life due to prolonged bleeding after an accident, which he touted as a “consequence of the ongoing protest by doctors in response to the R.G. Kar incident”. SEBI Chairperson Buch accused of conflict of interest by Congress; Mahindra Group denies claims The Congress on Tuesday claimed that SEBI chairperson Madhabi Buch had a 99% stake in a firm that provided consultancy services to the Mahindra and Mahindra Group, and her husband received ₹4.78 crore as income from the conglomerate while she was adjudicating cases of the same group. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware that Buch owns 99% of Agora Advisory Private Limited and is receiving significant fees from listed entities, including Mahindra and Mahindra. The Mahindra and Mahindra Group dismissed the allegations as “false and misleading in nature”. The group categorically stated that it had not requested SEBI for any preferential treatment at any point. “We maintain the highest standards of corporate governance,” a spokesperson of the Mahindra and Mahindra Group said. Putting out a fresh set of “revelations” on the issue of conflict of interest involving the SEBI chairperson, Ramesh said on X, “Our questions are directed pointedly at the non-biological PM who appointed her in the first place -- Is the Prime Minister aware that Madhabi Buch owns 99% of Agora Advisory Private Limited and is receiving significant fees from listed entities, including Mahindra & Mahindra? What kind of consultancy services does Agora Advisory Private Limited provide, and are they financial? Is the prime minister aware of Buch’s ties to a conflicted entity?” he asked. “Is the Prime Minister aware that Madhabi Puri Buch’s spouse is receiving a substantial income from M&M Limited after his retirement?” Ramesh asked. Earlier, at a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the recent Hindenburg report had alleged that SEBI Chairperson Buch held 99% shares in a company called ‘Agora Advisory Private Limited’. Agora Advisory is a private entity incorporated on May 7, 2013 and it claims to provide various types of advisory or consultancy services, Khera said. “Although, in her response, Madhabi Buch had claimed that the two consulting firms set up by her in Singapore and India -- one of which is Agora Advisory Private Limited in India -- became ‘immediately dormant on her appointment with SEBI’, the reality is that as of March 31, 2024, she still owns 99% stake in the Indian entity which has been actively providing advisory/consultancy services till date,” Khera said. “This isn’t just a case of willful concealment; it’s a case of willful lying. In my last press conference, I had mentioned that it is not merely a conflict of interest, it is a case of corruption. Today’s revelations prove that it is not just corruption -- it is a criminal conspiracy, absolutely brazen and shameless in its execution,” he alleged. Khera said Buch’s “99 per cent stake” in Agora Advisory Private Limited raises questions about whether all companies were taking consultancy or advisory services from Agora Advisory Private Limited and why. “Were any of them under SEBI’s scanner? Today, we have found the missing pieces of this puzzle,” Khera claimed. The Congress leader said Buch received a total of ₹2.95 crore through Agora Advisory Private Limited from 2016-17, 2019-2020, to as late as 2023-24, as a full member of SEBI and later as its chairperson, with 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 being the exception years. The list of companies that availed consultancy service from Agora Advisory Private Limited -- Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, Dr. Reddy’s, Pidilite, ICICI, Sembcorp and Visu Leasing and Finance, he said. “All of the above are listed companies that are regulated by SEBI. Any income that Buch’s ‘Agora Advisory Private Limited’ received from them amounts to conflict of interest and violates Section 5 of SEBI’s Code on Conflict of Interest for Members of the Board,” he said. “Strangely, of the total 2.95 crores received by Agora Advisory Private Limited, 2.59 crores has come from one entity alone -- the Mahindra & Mahindra Group...If this was not shocking enough, the SEBI Chairperson’s husband - Mr. Dhaval Buch received 4.78 Crores as income in a personal capacity from the Mahindra & Mahindra Group,” he alleged. Khera alleged that this happened at a time when his wife, a long-time member of SEBI, was adjudicating cases of the same group. “The year of settlements and the year of receipt of income by Dhaval Buch serendipitously coincide,” Khera added. In its statement, the Mahindra and Mahindra Group said it hired Dhaval Buch in 2019 specifically for his expertise in supply chain and sourcing, soon after he retired as Unilever’s Global Chief Procurement Officer. “He has spent most of his time at Bristlecone, a subsidiary which is a supply chain consulting company. Mr. Buch is currently on the Board of Bristlecone. He joined Mahindra Group almost three years before Ms. Madhabi Puri Buch was appointed as SEBI Chairperson,” the Group said. It said compensation has been specifically and only for Buch’s supply chain expertise and management acumen, based on his global experience at Unilever. The Mahindra and Mahindra Group also said that none of the five SEBI orders or approvals referenced in the allegations are relevant, and three out of the five do not pertain to the company or any of its subsidiaries. “One was a fast-track rights issue, which did not require any approval from SEBI. One was an order was issued in Mar 2018, well before Mr. Dhaval started working with the Mahindra Group,” the company said. We will think of scrapping reservation when India is a fair place: Rahul Gandhi in U.S. The Congress Party will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place, which is not the case right now, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition said. Gandhi made these remarks while talking to students at the prestigious Georgetown University. “We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place. And India is not a fair place,” Gandhi told students at the university here in response to a question on reservation and how long it would continue. “When you look at the financial numbers, the tribals get 10 paise out of 100 rupees; Dalits get 5 rupees out of 100 rupees, and OBCs get a similar number. The fact of the matter is that they’re not getting participation,” Gandhi said. “The problem is that 90% of India is not able to play. Go through the list of every single business leader in India. I’ve done it. Show me the tribal name. Show me the Dalit name. Show me the OBC name. Out of the top 200, I think there’s one OBC. They’re 50% of India. But we’re not treating the symptom,” he said. “That’s the problem. Now, it [reservation] is not the only tool. There are other tools,” he said. “There are many people who come from the upper caste who say, look, what have we done wrong? Why are we being punished? So, then you think about increasing dramatically the supply of some of these things. You think about decentralising power. You think about involving many more people in the governance of our country. You think of opening up. With all due respect, I don’t think any of you are ever going to become Adani or Ambani. There’s a reason for that. You can’t. Because those doors are closed. So the answer to people in the general caste is you open those doors,” Gandhi said. When asked about the Uniform Civil Code, Gandhi said he would comment on it only after he knows what is BJP’s proposal. “BJP is proposing a Uniform Civil Code. We haven’t seen it. We have no idea what they’re talking about. For us to comment on it doesn’t make sense. When they pull it out, then we’ll have a look and we’ll comment on it,” he said. Gandhi also said members of the INDIA coalition had differences but agreed on a lot of things. “We agree that the Constitution of India should be defended. Most of us agree on the idea of the caste census. We agree that two businesspeople, namely Adani and Ambani, shouldn’t run every single business in India. So, for you to say that we don’t agree, I think, is inaccurate,” he said. “Second thing is that all coalitions... A certain amount of to and fro will always take place. That is perfectly natural. There’s nothing wrong with it. We have run governments again and again which have been successful using coalitions. So we are pretty confident that we can do it again,” he said. Driver arrested after crash involving car owned by BJP leader Bawankule’s son Police have arrested the driver of a luxury car, owned by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s son Sanket, after it hit several vehicles in Nagpur city, an official said on Tuesday. The person driving the Audi car, Arjun Hawre, was arrested on Monday night and later released on bail, a senior police official told PTI. “No action has been taken so far against Sanket Bawankule and two other occupants who reportedly escaped from the scene at Mankapur bridge,” an official from Sitabuldi police station said on Monday. After the incident took place in the early hours of Monday, a case of rash driving and other offences was registered on the complaint of Jitendra Sonkamble, whose vehicle was hit by the Audi car, he said. The occupants of the Audi car were returning from a beer bar in Dharampeth when the incident took place, the official said adding the medical examination will include blood tests for alcohol detection. “We are checking the CCTV footage to ascertain the chain of events, after which further action on all aspects, including other occupants, will follow,” he said. The car owned by Sanket Bawankule hit several vehicles in Ramdaspeth area, after which Hawre and one more occupant — Ronit Chittamwar — were apprehended by police. The luxury car first collided with complainant Sonkamble’s car and then with a moped, leaving two youth riding it injured, the official said. “The Audi car struck some more vehicles moving towards Mankapur area. At T-Point there, the vehicle hit a Polo car. Its occupants chased the Audi and stopped it near Mankapur bridge. Two occupants, identified as driver Arjun Hawre and Ronit Chittamwar, were stopped by those in the Polo car,” he said. The duo was taken to Tehsil police station, from where they were handed over for further probe to Sitabuldi police, he said. After the incident, Chandrashekhar Bawankule admitted the Audi car was registered in the name of his son Sanket Bawankule. In Brief:Sitaram Yechury in ‘critical’ condition, on respiratory support at AIIMS: CPI(M) CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, who is undergoing treatment for acute respiratory tract infection at All India Institute of Medical Science, is in a ‘critical condition’, a communication from the party’s Polit Bureau informed on Tuesday. The 72-year-old was admitted to AIIMS on August 19 for the treatment of a pneumonia-like chest infection. “Comrade Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist), is in the intensive care unit of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, being treated for an acute respiratory tract infection. He is on respiratory support. A multi-disciplinary team of doctors is closely monitoring his condition, which is critical at this time,” the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said in a statement. Supreme Court stays criminal defamation proceedings against Shashi Tharoor The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed further proceedings against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on the basis of a criminal defamation complaint over his alleged “scorpion on Shivling” remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tharoor had appealed a Delhi High Court decision refusing to give him relief. The High Court had directed him to appear before a trial court on September 10, which will not be required now. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and R. Mahadevan issued notice to the Delhi government and the complainant in the case. The notice is returnable in four weeks. Delhi court grants interim bail to Engineer Rashid ahead of Kashmir Assembly polls A Delhi court on Tuesday granted interim bail till October 2 to Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid in a terror funding case.Rashid was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a terror funding case and has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019. Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Baramulla. Rashid leads the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP). Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 10 September 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]( Mobile internet, broadband, VPNs banned for five days in Manipur Amid ongoing protests demanding the restoration of peace in the strife-torn Imphal Valley, the [Manipur Government imposed a temporary internet ban in the State]( along with curfews in three districts preventing people from coming outside their houses. The Manipur Government’s Home Department released an order to “curb/temporarily suspend internet and mobile data services including Lease Lines, VSATs, Broadbands and VPN services” in the State for five days from Tuesday 3 p.m. to Sunday 3 p.m. The order stated that order is justified by satisfying conditions like an apprehension of “some anti-social elements” using social media to share images, hate speech and hate video messages to incite “the passions of the public”. It also says that inflammatory material and false rumours might be shared through social media, SMS and dongle services, which could lead to an “imminent danger of loss of life and/or damage to public/private property, and widespread disturbances to public tranquillity and communal harmony.” “To thwart the design and activities of anti-national and anti-social elements and to maintain peace and communal harmony and to prevent any loss of life or danger to public/private property, it has become necessary to take adequate measures to maintain law and order in the public interest, by stopping the spread of disinformation and false rumours, through various social media platform such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. on various electronic equipment like a tablet, computer, mobile phone etc. and sending bulk SMS, for facilitating and/or mobilisation of mobs of agitators and demonstrators, which can cause loss of life and/or damage to public/private property by indulging in arson/vandalism and other types of violent activities,” it said. The curfews were placed in three districts of Manipur -- an indefinite curfew in Imphal East and Imphal West, whereas prohibitory orders under Section 163 (2) of BNSS were imposed in Thoubal. Doctors continue protests despite Supreme Court’s directive; Bengal government appeals to hold talks [Protesting resident doctors in West Bengal refused to budge]( despite an appeal by the Supreme Court to resume work by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The resident junior doctors from multiple government medical colleges took out a procession to Swasthya Bhawan and held protests after they were not allowed to enter the Health Department headquarters. While they continued their protests, officials from Nabanna (State Secretariat) appealed to them to hold talks and negotiate to end the month-long logjam. Trinamool MLA Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “The Principal Health Secretary sent an email from Nabanna to the protesting junior doctors at 6.10 p.m. We were ready to allow 10 or more of them to hold talks with us. However, we did not receive any response from them. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was waiting at Nabanna till 7.30 p.m. to hold talks with the doctors, but the doctors did not come.” Responding to the claims by government officials, the protesting doctors said, “We want to keep all channels for negotiations and talks open. But the way they wrote the email and the language they used was an insult to us. The way the email came to us, it was not an official email; it was a mail from the Health Secretary, we are not in any position to officially respond to it. If there is any positive response from the government to our five demands, we are ready to consider their appeal to hold talks.” They added that they will continue with their peaceful sit-in protests in front of the Health Department headquarters. The five-point demands of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) include finding and punishing all possible culprits involved in the rape and murder as well as alleged tampering of evidence; disciplinary action against former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Kumar Ghosh; resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal; increased security for healthcare workers; and an end to the alleged ‘threat culture’ in hospitals and medical colleges across West Bengal. The doctors marched with dummy brains, eyes, and brooms to gift to the Health Department officials. A protesting doctor at the march said, “We hope they put their brains to use. And we hope they use it to serve us justice and not use it to harass us more.” With brooms in their hands, the doctors screamed that they were on a “Swastha Bhawan Safai Abhijan” (Health Department Cleaning Drive). They said they believe that there is a huge rot in the system which goes up to the highest officials and are hence demanding the resignation of the Health Secretary, Director of Health Services, and Director of Medical Education. The junior doctors also raised concerns over an accusatory social media post by Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, questioning why a seriously injured young man had to travel 30 km from Konnagar to Kolkata for a CT scan. “Why there is no minimum CT scan facility in the nearby super-speciality hospital? If the government genuinely cares about providing medical services to poor people in districts, why are district hospitals and primary health centres not being revamped?” the resident doctors asked. In his post on X, Banerjee wrote that a young boy from Konnagar lost his life due to prolonged bleeding after an accident, which he touted as a “consequence of the ongoing protest by doctors in response to the R.G. Kar incident”. SEBI Chairperson Buch accused of conflict of interest by Congress; Mahindra Group denies claims The Congress on Tuesday claimed that SEBI chairperson [Madhabi Buch had a 99% stake in a firm that provided consultancy services to the Mahindra and Mahindra Group]( and her husband received ₹4.78 crore as income from the conglomerate while she was adjudicating cases of the same group. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aware that Buch owns 99% of Agora Advisory Private Limited and is receiving significant fees from listed entities, including Mahindra and Mahindra. The Mahindra and Mahindra Group dismissed the allegations as “false and misleading in nature”. The group categorically stated that it had not requested SEBI for any preferential treatment at any point. “We maintain the highest standards of corporate governance,” a spokesperson of the Mahindra and Mahindra Group said. Putting out a fresh set of “revelations” on the issue of conflict of interest involving the SEBI chairperson, Ramesh said on X, “Our questions are directed pointedly at the non-biological PM who appointed her in the first place -- Is the Prime Minister aware that Madhabi Buch owns 99% of Agora Advisory Private Limited and is receiving significant fees from listed entities, including Mahindra & Mahindra? What kind of consultancy services does Agora Advisory Private Limited provide, and are they financial? Is the prime minister aware of Buch’s ties to a conflicted entity?” he asked. “Is the Prime Minister aware that Madhabi Puri Buch’s spouse is receiving a substantial income from M&M Limited after his retirement?” Ramesh asked. Earlier, at a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the recent Hindenburg report had alleged that SEBI Chairperson Buch held 99% shares in a company called ‘Agora Advisory Private Limited’. Agora Advisory is a private entity incorporated on May 7, 2013 and it claims to provide various types of advisory or consultancy services, Khera said. “Although, in her response, Madhabi Buch had claimed that the two consulting firms set up by her in Singapore and India -- one of which is Agora Advisory Private Limited in India -- became ‘immediately dormant on her appointment with SEBI’, the reality is that as of March 31, 2024, she still owns 99% stake in the Indian entity which has been actively providing advisory/consultancy services till date,” Khera said. “This isn’t just a case of willful concealment; it’s a case of willful lying. In my last press conference, I had mentioned that it is not merely a conflict of interest, it is a case of corruption. Today’s revelations prove that it is not just corruption -- it is a criminal conspiracy, absolutely brazen and shameless in its execution,” he alleged. Khera said Buch’s “99 per cent stake” in Agora Advisory Private Limited raises questions about whether all companies were taking consultancy or advisory services from Agora Advisory Private Limited and why. “Were any of them under SEBI’s scanner? Today, we have found the missing pieces of this puzzle,” Khera claimed. The Congress leader said Buch received a total of ₹2.95 crore through Agora Advisory Private Limited from 2016-17, 2019-2020, to as late as 2023-24, as a full member of SEBI and later as its chairperson, with 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 being the exception years. The list of companies that availed consultancy service from Agora Advisory Private Limited -- Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, Dr. Reddy’s, Pidilite, ICICI, Sembcorp and Visu Leasing and Finance, he said. “All of the above are listed companies that are regulated by SEBI. Any income that Buch’s ‘Agora Advisory Private Limited’ received from them amounts to conflict of interest and violates Section 5 of SEBI’s Code on Conflict of Interest for Members of the Board,” he said. “Strangely, of the total 2.95 crores received by Agora Advisory Private Limited, 2.59 crores has come from one entity alone -- the Mahindra & Mahindra Group...If this was not shocking enough, the SEBI Chairperson’s husband - Mr. Dhaval Buch received 4.78 Crores as income in a personal capacity from the Mahindra & Mahindra Group,” he alleged. Khera alleged that this happened at a time when his wife, a long-time member of SEBI, was adjudicating cases of the same group. “The year of settlements and the year of receipt of income by Dhaval Buch serendipitously coincide,” Khera added. In its statement, the Mahindra and Mahindra Group said it hired Dhaval Buch in 2019 specifically for his expertise in supply chain and sourcing, soon after he retired as Unilever’s Global Chief Procurement Officer. “He has spent most of his time at Bristlecone, a subsidiary which is a supply chain consulting company. Mr. Buch is currently on the Board of Bristlecone. He joined Mahindra Group almost three years before Ms. Madhabi Puri Buch was appointed as SEBI Chairperson,” the Group said. It said compensation has been specifically and only for Buch’s supply chain expertise and management acumen, based on his global experience at Unilever. The Mahindra and Mahindra Group also said that none of the five SEBI orders or approvals referenced in the allegations are relevant, and three out of the five do not pertain to the company or any of its subsidiaries. “One was a fast-track rights issue, which did not require any approval from SEBI. One was an order was issued in Mar 2018, well before Mr. Dhaval started working with the Mahindra Group,” the company said. We will think of scrapping reservation when India is a fair place: Rahul Gandhi in U.S. The [Congress Party will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place]( which is not the case right now, Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition said. Gandhi made these remarks while talking to students at the prestigious Georgetown University. “We will think of scrapping reservations when India is a fair place. And India is not a fair place,” Gandhi told students at the university here in response to a question on reservation and how long it would continue. “When you look at the financial numbers, the tribals get 10 paise out of 100 rupees; Dalits get 5 rupees out of 100 rupees, and OBCs get a similar number. The fact of the matter is that they’re not getting participation,” Gandhi said. “The problem is that 90% of India is not able to play. Go through the list of every single business leader in India. I’ve done it. Show me the tribal name. Show me the Dalit name. Show me the OBC name. Out of the top 200, I think there’s one OBC. They’re 50% of India. But we’re not treating the symptom,” he said. “That’s the problem. Now, it [reservation] is not the only tool. There are other tools,” he said. “There are many people who come from the upper caste who say, look, what have we done wrong? Why are we being punished? So, then you think about increasing dramatically the supply of some of these things. You think about decentralising power. You think about involving many more people in the governance of our country. You think of opening up. With all due respect, I don’t think any of you are ever going to become Adani or Ambani. There’s a reason for that. You can’t. Because those doors are closed. So the answer to people in the general caste is you open those doors,” Gandhi said. When asked about the Uniform Civil Code, Gandhi said he would comment on it only after he knows what is BJP’s proposal. “BJP is proposing a Uniform Civil Code. We haven’t seen it. We have no idea what they’re talking about. For us to comment on it doesn’t make sense. When they pull it out, then we’ll have a look and we’ll comment on it,” he said. Gandhi also said members of the INDIA coalition had differences but agreed on a lot of things. “We agree that the Constitution of India should be defended. Most of us agree on the idea of the caste census. We agree that two businesspeople, namely Adani and Ambani, shouldn’t run every single business in India. So, for you to say that we don’t agree, I think, is inaccurate,” he said. “Second thing is that all coalitions... A certain amount of to and fro will always take place. That is perfectly natural. There’s nothing wrong with it. We have run governments again and again which have been successful using coalitions. So we are pretty confident that we can do it again,” he said. Driver arrested after crash involving car owned by BJP leader Bawankule’s son [Police have arrested the driver of a luxury car]( owned by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s son Sanket, after it hit several vehicles in Nagpur city, an official said on Tuesday. The person driving the Audi car, Arjun Hawre, was arrested on Monday night and later released on bail, a senior police official told PTI. “No action has been taken so far against Sanket Bawankule and two other occupants who reportedly escaped from the scene at Mankapur bridge,” an official from Sitabuldi police station said on Monday. After the incident took place in the early hours of Monday, a case of rash driving and other offences was registered on the complaint of Jitendra Sonkamble, whose vehicle was hit by the Audi car, he said. The occupants of the Audi car were returning from a beer bar in Dharampeth when the incident took place, the official said adding the medical examination will include blood tests for alcohol detection. “We are checking the CCTV footage to ascertain the chain of events, after which further action on all aspects, including other occupants, will follow,” he said. The car owned by Sanket Bawankule hit several vehicles in Ramdaspeth area, after which Hawre and one more occupant — Ronit Chittamwar — were apprehended by police. The luxury car first collided with complainant Sonkamble’s car and then with a moped, leaving two youth riding it injured, the official said. “The Audi car struck some more vehicles moving towards Mankapur area. At T-Point there, the vehicle hit a Polo car. Its occupants chased the Audi and stopped it near Mankapur bridge. Two occupants, identified as driver Arjun Hawre and Ronit Chittamwar, were stopped by those in the Polo car,” he said. The duo was taken to Tehsil police station, from where they were handed over for further probe to Sitabuldi police, he said. After the incident, Chandrashekhar Bawankule admitted the Audi car was registered in the name of his son Sanket Bawankule. In Brief: Sitaram Yechury in ‘critical’ condition, on respiratory support at AIIMS: CPI(M) CPI(M) General Secretary [Sitaram Yechury, who is undergoing treatment for acute respiratory tract infection at All India Institute of Medical Science, is in a ‘critical condition’]( a communication from the party’s Polit Bureau informed on Tuesday. The 72-year-old was admitted to AIIMS on August 19 for the treatment of a pneumonia-like chest infection. “Comrade Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist), is in the intensive care unit of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, being treated for an acute respiratory tract infection. He is on respiratory support. A multi-disciplinary team of doctors is closely monitoring his condition, which is critical at this time,” the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said in a statement. Supreme Court stays criminal defamation proceedings against Shashi Tharoor The Supreme Court on Tuesday [stayed further proceedings against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor]( on the basis of a criminal defamation complaint over his alleged “scorpion on Shivling” remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tharoor had appealed a Delhi High Court decision refusing to give him relief. The High Court had directed him to appear before a trial court on September 10, which will not be required now. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and R. Mahadevan issued notice to the Delhi government and the complainant in the case. The notice is returnable in four weeks. Delhi court grants interim bail to Engineer Rashid ahead of Kashmir Assembly polls A Delhi court on Tuesday [granted interim bail till October 2 to Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid]( in a terror funding case.Rashid was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a terror funding case and has been lodged in Tihar jail since 2019. Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, defeated former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Baramulla. Rashid leads the Awami Ittehad Party (AIP). Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today’s Top Picks [[Air India-Vistara merger: What’s in store for flyers? | In Focus podcast] Air India-Vistara merger: What’s in store for flyers? | In Focus podcast]( [[Mpox: a disease at our doorstep] Mpox: a disease at our doorstep]( [[Daily Quiz: On Paralympics] Daily Quiz: On Paralympics]( [[TH10 SREEPARNA Govt. launches website with technical terms in 22 official Indian languages] TH10 SREEPARNA Govt. launches website with technical terms in 22 official Indian languages]( 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](