| 14 June 2023
1. In a recent interview, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey made a sensational claim that the Indian government had threatened to shut down the microblogging platform during the year-long farmers' protests over the three farm reform laws. According to Dorsey, the government ordered Twitter to restrict accounts and even threatened to raid the homes of its employees. The Indian government has denied these allegations, stating that Twitter behaved as if Indian laws did not apply to it. Opposition parties have criticized the government, accusing it of suppressing dissent and intimidating protesters.
2. Cyclone 'Biparjoy' has weakened from an extremely severe cyclone to a very severe cyclonic storm, according to the India Meteorological Department. However, the cyclone still carries the potential for extensive damage and is expected to impact Gujarat's Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Jamnagar districts the most. The cyclone is predicted to cross Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat and the adjoining Pakistan coasts on June 15, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds, and the risk of flooding. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have initiated evacuation efforts in the affected areas.
3. The Kerala High Court has delivered a significant ruling stating that live-in couples cannot seek divorce as the law does not recognize such relationships as marriage. The court emphasized that only marriages solemnized according to personal or secular laws can be considered a legal union. The ruling came in response to an interfaith couple's appeal for divorce, who had been living together since 2006 but were unable to get divorced as their marriage was not solemnized under the Special Marriage Act. The court clarified that Indian divorce law recognizes only marriages conducted under specific legal frameworks.
4. The Congress party has raised questions about whether BJP leaders, including Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, sought the help of Kuki militants during the 2017 Manipur election. The controversy emerged after a 2019 letter from a Kuki militant leader, addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, surfaced. The letter claimed that Sarma and ex-BJP general secretary Ram Madhav had sought assistance from the rebels during the assembly polls. The BJP came to power in Manipur for the first time in 2017. The meeting between Sarma and Kuki rebel groups has further intensified the controversy.
5. A political controversy has erupted in Maharashtra after the Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, released a full-page advertisement featuring photos of Prime Minister Modi and Shinde himself, but not of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis. The advertisement cited a survey claiming that Shinde was the most popular choice for the state's top political job. However, it did not feature pictures of Sena founder late Bal Thackeray, leading to criticism from within the party. Shinde later downplayed the ad, stating that both he and Fadnavis were working together. Opposition parties have called the survey false and criticized the advertisement.
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