Morning briefing: Army rebuts Rahul Gandhi's Agniveer compensation claim; Plea in SC on Bengal Guv harassment case, more
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The controversy surrounding the Agnipath scheme for short-term induction of soldiers intensified on Wednesday, with Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi releasing a video purportedly of a father of an Agniveer, who said that the family had not received any compensation or help from the Centre after his son was killed in a landmine explosion in Naushera in Jammu & Kashmir in January. The army, however, clarified that this was not the case, and the chunk of the compensation was paid to the next of kin of Agniveer Ajay Kumar and the rest would be disbursed shortly. Sharing the clip on X, Gandhi said: “Defence minister Rajnath Singh lied in Parliament about the assistance given to the family of the martyred Agniveer. Martyr Agniveer Ajay’s father has himself told the truth and exposed their lies. The defence minister should apologise to the Parliament, the country, the army and the family of the martyr.” Dig deeper
More news | Portions of Rahul Gandhi's speech in Lok Sabha expunged; RSS slams Congress MP
A woman staff member of the West Bengal Raj Bhawan has petitioned the Supreme Court challenging the immunity granted to the governor under Article 361 of the Constitution, citing her allegations of sexual harassment against governor CV Ananda Bose. The petitioner has urged the court to clarify whether acts of sexual harassment and molestation can be considered part of the governor’s official duties, thereby entitling him to immunity under Article 361. It sought to highlight the potential injustice faced by victims, questioning if they must wait for the governor to leave office before seeking justice. Dig deeper
More news | Bengal Governor files defamation case against chief minister Mamata Banerjee
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Trending
Radhika Merchant’s looks from her pre-wedding celebrations have shelled out some major fashion goals, and her attire at the recently-concluded mameru ceremony is no different. With this ritual, her wedding ceremonies were kicked off at Antilia, and she was seen wearing a custom Manish Malhotra with ‘Durga-shloka’ embroidered on the borders. Not just that, she teamed up her gorgeous outfit with her mom Shaila Merchant’s jewellery - not just any but the one that she reportedly wore at her own mameru. Manish Malhotra took to X to share a series of photos that show Radhika in her stunning outfit. Dig deeper
Business News
The Indian stock market may gain as much as 20% for the entire year owing to government spending and continued momentum in corporate earnings, as per market watchers. A survey by Bloomberg revealed that upcoming budget will likely boost consumer spending and infrastructure building as more than half of the 24 respondents estimated that the NSE Nifty 50 Index may advance up to 26,000 points by the end of 2024. One predicted that the index can climb even more. The benchmark index has risen 12% so far this year to a record. Dig deeper
Global Matters
The campaigning for the general elections in the United Kingdom came to an end hours before the voting was set to take place across the entire country on July 4. These elections will likely end the current reign of the Conservative Party. While UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak eyes another term in office, the opposition Labour Party is expecting a landslide victory. PM Rishi Sunak asserted that the Conservative Party is still “fighting hard” while one of his closest allies conceded defeat saying that the Tories are heading for a “landslide defeat” in the elections. Dig deeper
Entertainment Focus
Junaid Khan, who has been receiving appreciation for his performance in his recently released debut film Maharaj, has spoken about "his biggest critic at home". In an interview with India Today, Junaid shared that his father, Aamir Khan, mother, Reena Dutta and sister, Ira Khan, are "very supportive and very encouraging even in their criticism". He said, "We don’t really talk about films so much. But I know that Ira (my sister) unconditionally supports me. I'm blessed because I come from a very supportive family. Also, they don't shy away from saying it like it is. Even Papa (Aamir) will say, 'Look, I feel this, but you should do what you want.' The same is with mom. So, yeah, I think everybody is very supportive and very encouraging even in their criticism.” Dig deeper
Lifestyle and Health
Karan Johar's latest film, 'Kill,' starring Lakshya Lalwani, is all set for its big release on July 5. Ahead of this highly anticipated premiere, the makers hosted a star-studded screening in the city on Wednesday. The event was nothing short of glamorous affair with A-listers like Varun Dhawan, Vicky Kaushal, Janhvi Kapoor, Khushi Kapoor, Ananya Pandey, Shanaya Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Jackky Bhagnani, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Sanya Malhotra, Ayan Mukerji, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vedang Raina, and many more gracing the occasion. With a cluster of Bollywood celebs, the evening turned into a treasure trove of fashion inspiration. Dig deeper
Sports Goings
It has been nearly five days since that fateful day at the Kensington Oval in Barbados when the Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team ended a 13-year-long wait for a World Cup trophy, beating South Africa in the final to lift the T20 World Cup 2024. But the excitement around Indian cricketers refuses to subside. Quite understandable. It was after 11 years that India finally got their hands on an ICC trophy. And this after numerous heartbreaks. Dig deeper
