In what could be termed one of the biggest political surprises in the history of Maharashtra politics, the BJP on Thursday announced that it will support rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde as the new Chief Minister, who took oath in a simple ceremony in the Raj Bhavan on Thursday evening, officiated by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Former Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, who all believed was set to become Chief Minister for the third time, joined him as Deputy Chief Minister. The trust vote of the new government will be held on Saturday. At a press conference prior to the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Fadnavis announced that the BJP would support Mr. Shinde as Chief Minister and claimed that he would not be the part of the Cabinet. Hours after his announcement, sensing discontent within the State unit of the party, BJP national president J.P. Nadda said the party had taken a decision to support Mr. Shinde, and Mr. Fadnavis too would join the government. Union Home Minister Amit Shah too tweeted saying that Mr. Fadnavis would join the government. Mr. Fadnavis replied to him saying he would follow the orders as an honest party worker. "I will obey the order of a party which gave me the top most post," he tweeted. Initially, only two chairs were kept at the Darbar Hall where the swearing-in ceremony took place. Following tweets from the BJP's central leadership, three chairs were placed. Mr. Shinde took the oath invoking Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray and his mentor the late Anand Dighe. This was followed by sloganeering from his supporters. Mr. Fadnavis too was greeted by loud sloganeering as he asked people to remain calm to continue with the oath taking. Following the ceremony, slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram, Bharat Mata ki Jai' and praising King Shivaji were shouted by supporters of both the leaders. Mr. Shinde, who revolted against former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 20, was joined by around 39 Sena MLAs and 11 independents. The rebel MLAs had demanded that Mr. Thackeray quit the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and snap ties with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to return to the path of Hindutva. Earlier in the day, Mr. Shinde returned to Mumbai from Goa where all rebel MLAs have been kept. He visited 'Sagar', the official residence of Mr. Fadnavis. Later, both, along with BJP leaders, visited the Governor to stake claim to form the government. Mr. Thackeray had resigned as the Chief Minister on Wednesday night. Centre asks States to increase vaccine coverage as COVID-19 cases rise again The Union Health Ministry has directed the States to accelerate vaccination coverage against COVID-19 following a rise in cases reported from several parts of the country. Over 3.66 crore first doses of COVID vaccines have been administered in the 12-14 years age group, the ministry said in a report and advocated increased vaccination coverage in children and the elderly population. Further, the ministry also advised States to follow the 'Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in context of COVID-19' issued on June 9. The revised surveillance guidelines call for sewage and wastewater surveillance, which may provide early warnings on a potential local surge of COVID-19. States were also asked to initiate random RT-PCR screening of about 2% of international passengers in each incoming flight, and genomic sequencing of all positive specimens. These measures are aimed at the long-term integration of COVID-19 surveillance within the existing Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) mechanism. 6 killed, dozens missing as massive landslide blocks river's flow in Noney, Manipur A massive landslide at a railway construction site in Manipur's Noney district caused the death of at least six people and dozens were also reported missing. The incident took place at Tupul yard railway construction camp on Wednesday night. "Six bodies have been retrieved so far and dozens are feared trapped under the debris," officials said, adding rescue operations are under way. The massive debris has blocked the Ijei river, creating a reservoir that may inundate low-lying areas. An advisory issued by Noney Deputy Commissioner asked the public to take precautionary measures and ensure that children do not come near the river. "Whoever can evacuate are also advised to evacuate. Public are further advised to stay alert and be prepared for any assistance in case of rain condition deteriorate further," the advisory said. Travellers have been advised to avoid National Highway 37 due to multiple road blockages. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the incident. He said a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has reached the landslide site while two more teams are on their way. Governor La Ganesan condoled the deaths and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. "The Governor of Manipur is deeply shocked to hear the sad news of landslide due to intermittent rain in the State...he conveys deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prays to God for speedy recovery of the injured persons," a statement from Raj Bhavan at Imphal said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "The news of a tragic landslide near Tupul Yard railway construction camp in Noney District, Manipur is extremely distressing. My condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured." Zubair moves Delhi High Court against police remand The Delhi High Court, on Friday, will hear a plea by Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair challenging his police remand in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity. The petition, which challenges the trial court's June 28 order granting four days of custody of Mr. Zubair to the Delhi Police, is listed for hearing before Justice Sanjeev Narula. Mr. Zubair's advocate Vrinda Grover mentioned the petition before Justice Narula who agreed to list it on Friday. The Alt News co-founder was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets and was sent to one-day police custody by the trial court on the same day. After being produced on the expiry of his one-day custodial interrogation, his custody was extended by another four days by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria. As per the trial court's order, Mr. Zubair would be next produced before it on July 2 upon the expiry of the four-day police remand. Earlier this month, a case against Mr. Zubair was registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, language, etc.) and 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Police said the case was registered on the complaint of a Twitter user who accused him of hurting religious sentiments. Police, while seeking an extension of Mr. Zubair's custody by five days, had told the trial court that the accused was allegedly following a trend where he used religious tweets in an effort to get famous and that there was a deliberate effort to create social disharmony and hurt religious feelings. The investigating agency had also said that the accused joined the probe but did not cooperate and various material from his phone was deleted. Udaipur murder | Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot meets family of tailor; says NIA should file charge sheet soon Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on June 30 visited the house of Kanhaiya Lal who was brutally killed by two men in Udaipur. The Chief Minister spoke to the family members and relatives of Lal. Mr. Gehlot was accompanied by party's State chief Govind Singh Dotasra, Revenue Minister Ramlal Jat, DGP M. L. Lather and other leaders and officials during his visit to Lal's house at sector 14 in Udaipur, officials said. "The National Investigation Agency (NIA) should take up this case in a fast track court. The charge sheet should be filed as soon as possible so that punishment can be awarded," Mr. Gehlot told reporters after meeting Lal's family members in Udaipur. In Brief ISRO launched three foreign satellites in precise orbit from the spaceport in Sriharikota onboard PSLV-C53, with the space agency's trusted launch vehicle once again living up to its reputation of being a reliable rocket. This is the agency's second successful commercial mission in a week, The four-stage, 44.4 metre tall PSLV-C53 that blasted off from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, placed the three Singapore satellites--DS-EO, NeuSAR and SCOOB-1 in an intended orbit of 570 km. China's President Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the British handover of the city that his rule has transformed from a global hub known for its political freedoms to one that is much more tightly controlled by the Communist Party. This is the leader's first trip outside of mainland China in nearly 2.5 years. Under Xi Jinping's leadership, China has reshaped Hong Kong, cracking down on protests, imposing a strict national security law used to silence dissent, introducing a more "patriotic" curriculum in schools, and revamping election laws to keep opposition politicians out of the city's Legislature. The changes have all but eliminated dissenting voices in a place once known for its vibrant political debate and have driven many to leave. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow

The Evening Wrap

30 JUNE 2022


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Eknath Shinde sworn in as Maharashtra's new CM, Fadnavis takes charge as Deputy CM

The trust vote of the new government will be held on Saturday.

At a press conference prior to the swearing-in ceremony, Mr. Fadnavis announced that the BJP would support Mr. Shinde as Chief Minister and claimed that he would not be the part of the Cabinet. Hours after his announcement, sensing discontent within the State unit of the party, BJP national president J.P. Nadda said the party had taken a decision to support Mr. Shinde, and Mr. Fadnavis too would join the government. Union Home Minister Amit Shah too tweeted saying that Mr. Fadnavis would join the government. Mr. Fadnavis replied to him saying he would follow the orders as an honest party worker. "I will obey the order of a party which gave me the top most post," he tweeted.

Initially, only two chairs were kept at the Darbar Hall where the swearing-in ceremony took place. Following tweets from the BJP's central leadership, three chairs were placed. Mr. Shinde took the oath invoking Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray and his mentor the late Anand Dighe. This was followed by sloganeering from his supporters. Mr. Fadnavis too was greeted by loud sloganeering as he asked people to remain calm to continue with the oath taking. Following the ceremony, slogans of 'Jai Shree Ram, Bharat Mata ki Jai' and praising King Shivaji were shouted by supporters of both the leaders.

Mr. Shinde, who revolted against former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 20, was joined by around 39 Sena MLAs and 11 independents. The rebel MLAs had demanded that Mr. Thackeray quit the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and snap ties with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to return to the path of Hindutva. Earlier in the day, Mr. Shinde returned to Mumbai from Goa where all rebel MLAs have been kept. He visited 'Sagar', the official residence of Mr. Fadnavis. Later, both, along with BJP leaders, visited the Governor to stake claim to form the government. Mr. Thackeray had resigned as the Chief Minister on Wednesday night.

Centre asks States to increase vaccine coverage as COVID-19 cases rise again

The Union Health Ministry has directed the States to accelerate vaccination coverage against COVID-19 following a rise in cases reported from several parts of the country. Over 3.66 crore first doses of COVID vaccines have been administered in the 12-14 years age group, the ministry said in a report and advocated increased vaccination coverage in children and the elderly population.

Further, the ministry also advised States to follow the 'Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in context of COVID-19' issued on June 9. The revised surveillance guidelines call for sewage and wastewater surveillance, which may provide early warnings on a potential local surge of COVID-19.

States were also asked to initiate random RT-PCR screening of about 2% of international passengers in each incoming flight, and genomic sequencing of all positive specimens. These measures are aimed at the long-term integration of COVID-19 surveillance within the existing Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) mechanism.

6 killed, dozens missing as massive landslide blocks river's flow in Noney, Manipur

A massive landslide at a railway construction site in Manipur's Noney district caused the death of at least six people and dozens were also reported missing. The incident took place at Tupul yard railway construction camp on Wednesday night.

"Six bodies have been retrieved so far and dozens are feared trapped under the debris," officials said, adding rescue operations are under way. The massive debris has blocked the Ijei river, creating a reservoir that may inundate low-lying areas.

An advisory issued by Noney Deputy Commissioner asked the public to take precautionary measures and ensure that children do not come near the river. "Whoever can evacuate are also advised to evacuate. Public are further advised to stay alert and be prepared for any assistance in case of rain condition deteriorate further," the advisory said.

Travellers have been advised to avoid National Highway 37 due to multiple road blockages. Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over the incident. He said a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has reached the landslide site while two more teams are on their way.

Governor La Ganesan condoled the deaths and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. "The Governor of Manipur is deeply shocked to hear the sad news of landslide due to intermittent rain in the State...he conveys deepest condolences to the bereaved families and prays to God for speedy recovery of the injured persons," a statement from Raj Bhavan at Imphal said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "The news of a tragic landslide near Tupul Yard railway construction camp in Noney District, Manipur is extremely distressing. My condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones and prayers for speedy recovery of those injured."

Zubair moves Delhi High Court against police remand

The Delhi High Court, on Friday, will hear a plea by Alt News co-founder Mohammed Zubair challenging his police remand in a case related to an alleged objectionable tweet he had posted in 2018 against a Hindu deity.

The petition, which challenges the trial court's June 28 order granting four days of custody of Mr. Zubair to the Delhi Police, is listed for hearing before Justice Sanjeev Narula.

Mr. Zubair's advocate Vrinda Grover mentioned the petition before Justice Narula who agreed to list it on Friday. The Alt News co-founder was arrested by the Delhi Police on June 27 for allegedly hurting religious sentiments through one of his tweets and was sent to one-day police custody by the trial court on the same day.

After being produced on the expiry of his one-day custodial interrogation, his custody was extended by another four days by Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria.

As per the trial court's order, Mr. Zubair would be next produced before it on July 2 upon the expiry of the four-day police remand.

Earlier this month, a case against Mr. Zubair was registered under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, language, etc.) and 295A (deliberate and malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Police said the case was registered on the complaint of a Twitter user who accused him of hurting religious sentiments.

Police, while seeking an extension of Mr. Zubair's custody by five days, had told the trial court that the accused was allegedly following a trend where he used religious tweets in an effort to get famous and that there was a deliberate effort to create social disharmony and hurt religious feelings.

The investigating agency had also said that the accused joined the probe but did not cooperate and various material from his phone was deleted.

Udaipur murder | Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot meets family of tailor; says NIA should file charge sheet soon

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on June 30 visited the house of Kanhaiya Lal who was brutally killed by two men in Udaipur. The Chief Minister spoke to the family members and relatives of Lal.

Mr. Gehlot was accompanied by party's State chief Govind Singh Dotasra, Revenue Minister Ramlal Jat, DGP M. L. Lather and other leaders and officials during his visit to Lal's house at sector 14 in Udaipur, officials said.

"The National Investigation Agency (NIA) should take up this case in a fast track court. The charge sheet should be filed as soon as possible so that punishment can be awarded," Mr. Gehlot told reporters after meeting Lal's family members in Udaipur.

In Brief

ISRO launched three foreign satellites in precise orbit from the spaceport in Sriharikota onboard PSLV-C53, with the space agency's trusted launch vehicle once again living up to its reputation of being a reliable rocket. This is the agency's second successful commercial mission in a week, The four-stage, 44.4 metre tall PSLV-C53 that blasted off from the second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre, placed the three Singapore satellites--DS-EO, NeuSAR and SCOOB-1 in an intended orbit of 570 km.

China's President Xi Jinping arrived in Hong Kong to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the British handover of the city that his rule has transformed from a global hub known for its political freedoms to one that is much more tightly controlled by the Communist Party. This is the leader's first trip outside of mainland China in nearly 2.5 years. Under Xi Jinping's leadership, China has reshaped Hong Kong, cracking down on protests, imposing a strict national security law used to silence dissent, introducing a more "patriotic" curriculum in schools, and revamping election laws to keep opposition politicians out of the city's Legislature. The changes have all but eliminated dissenting voices in a place once known for its vibrant political debate and have driven many to leave.

Evening Wrap will return tomorrow