Daily wrap: India denies Trump's Kashmir claim; Boris Johnson to be new UK PM

Boris Johnson to become UK PM after winning Conservative’s leadership race

Boris Johnson was elected as the Conservative Party leader and Britain’s new Prime Minister, his party announced on Tuesday (July 22). Johnson, the former foreign secretary, secured 92,153 votes against 46,656 of his rival Jeremy Hunt in the battle for 10 Downing Street, which was triggered last month when a Brexit-battered Theresa May announced her resignation amid a mounting rebellion from within the party. The 55-year-old Brexit hardliner was the front-runner in the race ever since a group of Tory MPs put their hat in the ring for the first phase of the leadership election within the Conservative parliamentary party.

PM Modi made no request to mediate: Jaishankar on Trump’s claim

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made no request to US President Donald Trump to mediate on the Kashmir issue with Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (July 23) amid a massive controversy over the US leader’s claim. He said that all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan can be discussed only bilaterally. “I would like to categorically state that no such request has been made by the Prime Minister to the US President,” he said after the Congress and other opposition parties raised the issue in the House.

Also read: President does not make up things, says Trump’s advisor

Struck an understanding with US, will bring Taliban for talks: Imran Khan

Pakistan has struck an understanding with the US after a long time and the relationship has been reset, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday, following his meeting with President Donald Trump. Khan, who is on a three-day official visit to the US, met Trump at his Oval Office on Monday. “We wanted to actually reset our relationship based on understanding that we are all on the same page. We want peace in Afghanistan. Pakistan will do everything to help the Taliban come on the dialogue table so that there is peace. I think we struck that understanding today,” Khan told Fox News, the favourite TV channel of Trump.

RTI Amendment Bill 2019 is a direct attack on India’s federalism

The Union government has usurped the power of the legislature by amending the Right to Information Act 2005. The RTI Amendment Bill 2019 also takes away the authority of States to decide the term of a State Information Commission. It has replaced the term clause with an expression “as may be prescribed by the Centre.” This means that a State government can appoint a Commissioner, but Centre will decide on their status and term. This affront on India’s federalism was cleared by the Parliament despite opposition and criticism. The Centre muscled the Bill through the Lok Sabha using its numerical strength and the debate is still on in Rajya Sabha.

NRC official refutes reports of Rohingya migrant’s inclusion in draft

Assam coordinator of National Register of Citizens (NRC), Prateek Hajela has termed media reports of inclusion of a Rohingya migrant in the draft NRC as false and baseless. Reports on inclusion of a Rohingya migrant in the draft NRC were published in some dailies on Sunday (July 21) and Monday (July 22). In a press communique on Monday, Hajela said, “The media reports have referred to one person named Alam Hussain Mazumdar who was arrested in Cachar recently on various charges and has been mentioned as an illegal Rohingya migrant.”

Also read: SC extends Assam NRC deadline to Aug 31, rejects pleas for re-verification

Karnataka stalemate ends, coalition govt falls by 6 votes

Bringing the curtains down on the political drama which started on July 1, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy lost the trust vote on Tuesday (July 23). The ruling coalition managed to garner 99 votes against the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s 105. In the 224-member assembly, 20 legislators (15 resigned, two independent and two Congress absent, and one Bahujan Samaj Party MLA) abstained from voting. The Chief Minister moved the confidence motion on July 18 after 15 MLAs resigned from the Assembly earlier this month. In his farewell speech, Kumaraswamy clarified on a host of issues including his stay in a private hotel and the lack of reach of farm loan waiver. The Chief Minister will resign later in the day.