| 15 June 2023
1. Cyclone Biparjoy is anticipated to make landfall near Jakhau port in the Kutch district of Gujarat today. The cyclone has led to heavy rainfall and strong winds in parts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the Kutch and Saurashtra regions.
According to the IMD, Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds ranging from 125-135 kmph, gusting to 145 kmph. The cyclone is independent of the monsoonal flow, which means it will not have a negative impact on the monsoon season. Weather experts predict that after making landfall, the cyclone will weaken and move as a depression over south-southwest Rajasthan, bringing heavy rainfall to Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh over the next four days.
In preparation for the cyclone, authorities have evacuated around 50,000 people from vulnerable areas in Gujarat and deployed disaster management personnel for relief and rescue measures. The government has also deployed teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other departments in different coastal districts.
2. Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji, a member of the DMK party, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the early hours of Wednesday in connection with a cash for jobs scam in the transport department. Balaji is the first member of the MK Stalin government to face investigation by a central probe agency.
The alleged scam took place during 2011-2015 when Balaji was associated with the AIADMK, BJP's ally in Tamil Nadu, and held the transport portfolio. He has been accused of being involved in a criminal conspiracy to obtain illegal gratification from candidates seeking employment in the transport corporation. The ED filed a case of money laundering in 2021 based on three Tamil Nadu Police FIRs registered in and after 2018.
Following the arrest, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin withdrew general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), joining the list of opposition-ruled states that require permission from the state government for CBI investigations. Opposition parties, including Congress and AAP, have condemned Balaji's arrest and called it political harassment and vendetta by the central government.
3. A village in the Khamenlok area of Manipur was attacked by suspected miscreants, resulting in the death of nine people and injury to 10 others. Ethnic violence has been ongoing in Manipur since early May, triggered by a high court ruling regarding the demand for granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community.
The armed miscreants surrounded the Kuki village in the Khamenlok area, leading to a gun battle between the two sides. Three persons were reported missing as well. The area is located along the borders of Imphal East district, predominantly inhabited by the Meitei community, and Kangpokpi district, predominantly inhabited by the Kuki tribe.
In response to the fresh violence, curfew relaxation hours have been curtailed in Imphal East and Imphal West districts. Curfew remains in force in 11 out of 16 districts in Manipur, and internet services are suspended throughout the state. The clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities have claimed more than 100 lives and left 310
others injured over the past 40 days. Army and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to restore peace in the state.
4. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, along with Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, has been named as an accused in a defamation case filed by the Karnataka unit of the BJP. The case is related to allegations made in an advertisement published on May 5, 2023, where the accused allegedly made baseless allegations against the BJP.
The complainant, a BJP state secretary, claimed that the allegations were made in the advertisement under the title "Corruption Rate card," accusing the previous BJP government of demanding "40% commission" for approving development projects. A special MP-MLA court has issued summons to Rahul, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar, citing a prima facie case of criminal defamation. The case has been scheduled for a sworn statement by the complainant and witnesses on July 27, 2023.
5. Senior parliamentarian Sharad Pawar is expected to present a common minimum programme during an opposition party meeting scheduled for June 23 in Patna. The meeting is part of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's efforts to unite anti-BJP parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. This development follows Pawar's recent appointment of his daughter Supriya Sule as the working president of his Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Nitish Kumar has clarified that he will not be the prime ministerial candidate for the united opposition, leaving Pawar as one of the contenders if the Congress fails to secure a majority in the event of the BJP losing the polls. The Patna meeting will focus on deciding a common agenda for the opposition parties, addressing issues such as inflation, unemployment, communal harmony, misuse of government agencies, and subversion of democracy. The opposition parties are also likely to discuss the formation of a team of senior leaders to mobilize support nationwide.
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