Daily wrap: 10 Cong MLAs join BJP in Goa; Cabinet nod for water tribunal

After Karnataka, BJP strikes in Goa: 10 Congress MLAs join ruling party

As many as 10 MLAs of Congress have deserted the party in Goa and joined the ruling BJP, which has effected another defection following Karnataka. The group, led by Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, met Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar in the evening and gave him a letter, informing him about their breaking away from the party. The MLAs include Atanasio Monserratte, Jeniffer Monserratte, Francis Silveira, Philip Nery Rodrigues, Cleaofacio Dias, Wilfred DSa, Nilkant Halarnkar and Isidor Fernandes. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant was present when the group arrived at the Assembly complex around 7.30 pm. Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo was also present.

Governance comes to a standstill as political crisis grips Karnataka

Even as the political crisis in Karnataka worsened with the number of MLA resignations reaching 18 as of Wednesday, the crisis has taken a toll on administration and governance in the state. Work has come to a standstill in the departments of education, water resources department, agriculture and civic administration due to the instability of the government. While there has been a drinking water crisis in the state due to a weak southwest monsoon this year, the drought relief work, which was earlier postponed due to the Lok Sabha elections, were further delayed. Farmers wait for the government to take action against erring sugarcane companies for not paying them on time, but the government hasn’t offered a solution yet.

Cabinet nod for single tribunal to resolve inter-state water disputes

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday (July 10) gave its nod to set up a single, permanent tribunal to adjudicate all inter-state river water disputes, subsuming existing nine, with an aim to resolve grievances of states in a speedy manner. Briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the Cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said there are nine tribunals functioning at the moment. He said it has taken anything from “17 to 27 years to resolve disputes by these tribunals”.

Al Qaeda chief threatens India over Kashmir

A day after Union minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told the Lok Sabha that there was a 43 per cent fall in infiltration after the Balakot air strike, terror group Al Qaeda’s Chief, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has told the “Mujahideen in Kashmir” to inflict “unrelenting blows” on the Indian Army and government in Jammu and Kashmir. The message was released by the outfit’s media wing on Wednesday (July 10), as per the Foundation for Defence of Democracies’ (FDD) Long War Journal. In the video, al-Zawahiri also brought to light Pakistan’s involvement in fuelling cross-border terrorism in Kashmir in the message titled “Don’t Forget Kashmir,” released by As Shabab.

Article 370 temporary provision in Constitution: Govt tells RS

The government on Wednesday said Article 370, which provides for special status to Jammu and Kashmir, is a temporary provision in the Constitution and Article 35A, which gives special rights to the natives of the state, was added through a Constitution order issued by the President of India. Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy told Rajya Sabha that at present, Article 370 is contained as a temporary provision with respect to Jammu and Kashmir in Part XXI (Temporary, Transitional and Special Provisions) of the Constitution

Here’s why K’taka speaker rejected resignations of 8 rebel MLAs

The Karnataka speaker KR Ramesh Kumar’s rejection of the resignations of eight of the 13 Congress and JD(S) legislators on July 9, came as a surprise to many who hadn’t anticipated that a minor glitch as a letter’s format could render a resignation invalid, especially when it has the power to topple a government. But the speaker’s order has made it clear, that politics or not, the rules of the constitution have to be followed, literally in letter and spirit.

World Cup 2019: India’s dream comes to an end

India’s famed top-order imploded on a day when it mattered most as a gritty New Zealand survived a swift counter attack from Ravindra Jadeja to win an exciting World Cup semi-final by 18 runs, here on Wednesday. Indian top-order had one failure due and much to their horror, the semi-final proved to be their dooms day. Jadeja (77 off 59 balls) used every ounce of his ‘bits and pieces’ skill but the ‘men in blue’ could only get as far as 221 in 49.3 overs in pursuit of 240.