Senior IAS Officer, Ex RJD MLA Arrested In Bihar Tender 'Scam' Case

A senior bureaucrat and a former RJD MLA have been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate for their involvement in an alleged tender scam in the Bihar power ministry. 

Sanjeev Hans, an IAS officer from the Bihar cadre, was the principal secretary of the state energy department but was transferred to the general administration department in August after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out the first round of searches in this case. Officials said Gulab Yadav, a former MLA from Jhanjarpur, was a close associate of Hans.

The ED had carried out multiple raids at premises linked to Hans and Yadav and the last round of searches was conducted on Thursday. Hans was arrested from Patna on Friday while Yadav was taken into custody from Delhi under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The money laundering case by the agency is based on a first information report registered by Bihar police. 

Hans had also been accused of sexually exploiting a woman on the pretext of helping her get a post on a government panel but the case had been quashed by the Patna High Court in August. 
 

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India Star To Miss New Zealand Series Due To 12th Board Exam

Harmanpreet Kaur was on Thursday retained as India captain for the three Women's ODIs against New Zealand while the selectors also picked four uncapped players for the series starting October 24. Days after India's early exit from the T20 World Cup, questions were raised about Harmanpreet's future as captain after another failure in an ICC event. However, the selectors have decided to stick with her for the moment. The games against New Zealand in Ahmedabad will also mark the start of preparations for the ODI World Cup which India hosts next year.

Wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh, 21, was not available for the series as it was coinciding with her 12th standard board exams, said the BCCI in a statement.

Asha Sobhana was not considered due to injury while all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been rested.

The uncapped players who were part of the India A squad in Australia recently have been given an opportunity and they include Tejal Hasabnis, Sayali Satgare and Priya Mishra.

Pacer Saima Thakor, who has played in the WPL, is another uncapped member of the squad.

Smriti Mandhana, who was off coloured in the T20 World Cup, has been named vice-captain. Batter Uma Chetry, who has played four T20 Internationals, is also part of the team and could make her ODI debut in the series.

All three games will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedbad.

India's squad for the three ODI series against New Zealand: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, D Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Sayali Satgare, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh Thakur, Tejal Hasabnis, Saima Thakor, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil.

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Opinion: Nijjar Row: How US Backing Has Emboldened A Beleaguered Trudeau

Coincidences are rare in diplomacy. It may be significant to keep a note of that as the issue of the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar blows up between India and Canada. The timing of the allegations, each time, from Canada and the escalation of the row despite Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's domestic political troubles indicate that the actions may have been carefully thought through rather than being just a diversionary tactic, which it initially appeared to be. Here's why.

America Has Canada's Back

In the latest round of allegations, Canadian foreign minister Melanie Joly said about the Nijjar killing investigation that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) “gathered information that established linkages between the investigation and agents of the Government of India". It was this message that the Deputy Commissioner of Federal Policing, Mark Flynn, wanted to communicate to his Indian counterpart last week. When the attempts were unsuccessful, he met with officials of the Indian government, along with National Security and Intelligence Advisor (NSIA) Nathalie Drouin and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs David Morrison over the weekend.

The Canadian government's decision to expel the diplomats has been based on the RCMP's findings and was taken within a day of the stated meeting, where the NSIA was present along with his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, as reported by a US publication. What explains the hurry to present the evidence to India and then immediately act on it with expulsion? Could this have been prompted because the Indian enquiry committee looking into similar allegations by the US was visiting Washington DC just a day after Canada's action?

Now, turn the clock back to September last year when Justin Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament that Indian government agents possibly had a hand in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia. Many were taken aback by the public announcement by Trudeau on a sensitive issue.

That Trudeau may have wanted to create a distraction from domestic issues only partly explained his action. What seemed more probable was the fact that he was possibly aware of the parallel investigations underway in the US. That Canada was sounded out by the US on the issue is now quite evident, even though what we know now is only that a Five Eyes country alerted Ottawa. Within 10 days of Trudeau's Parliament statement, the US released details of their investigations against Indian national Nikhil Gupta and an Indian government employee referred to as 'CC1' by the US Department of Justice, who plotted the foiled assassination bid on Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, another Khalistani extremist who lives in New York.

The unfolding of the events in September 2023 and today should give a clear sense that there is much greater coordination on this matter between the US and Canada than what meets the eye. Having America's backing on the issue can explain the steps that Canada has taken and the ones it has indicated when Joly did not rule out sanctions by saying that “everything is on the table”.

Foreign Interference

India has repeatedly raised the issue of Khalistan with Canada as a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. With the killing of Nijjar, Canada is using the argument of sovereignty. The issue is also being conflated with the overarching concern over foreign interference.  As a result, the matter has gained traction not just with the public but also politically from an otherwise adversarial opposition, the Conservatives. Pierre Poilievre said, “Any foreign interference from any country, including India, is unacceptable and must be stopped.”

A Parliamentary Committee report identified India as the second most significant foreign threat to Canada following China. The National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians report said, “In addition to interference against Canadian democratic processes and institutions by the PRC, India and to a limited extent Pakistan, other countries, notably Iran engaged in episodic foreign interference directed towards suppressing dissidents and critics in Canada. Known as 'transnational repression,' these activities represent one of the most egregious forms of foreign interference.”

The issue of foreign interference could be a prickly matter for any sovereign nation but more so for Canada and the US in the recent past with their concerns about China and Russia. Hence, this issue is one that generates fear or worry, and thus has the power to mobilise both public and political opinion around India.

Another Five Eyes country, Australia, had earlier reported about a "nest of spies" that was discovered by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization in 2020. Australian news channel ABC reported that “National security and government figures have now confirmed to the ABC that India's foreign intelligence service was responsible for the 'nest of spies', and 'a number' of Indian officials were later removed from Australia by the Morrison government.”

With these two broad factors – US backing and foreign interference – closely associated with the Nijjar killing, the Justin Trudeau government is making drastic and dramatic moves, but perhaps with the knowledge that any backfire will be cushioned.

(Maha Siddiqui is a journalist who has extensively reported on public policy and global affairs.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

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Not Only Rain, Technology Ruined India vs NZ 1st Test Day 1 - Here's How

The rain played spoilsport in more ways than one on Day 1 of the first Test between India and New Zealand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Consistent rain throughout the day led to play being called off without a ball being bowled or even the toss taking place on Day 1. However, even though the rain stopped at times, there was another technological issue that further held back play. The hawk-eye system – crucial in the working of the Decision Review System (DRS) – could not be formatted into the ground due to the rain.

As revealed by former India cricketer-turned-pundit Saba Karim on air, the hawk-eye system can only be implemented and formatted into the ground once the covers are removed. Rain prior to the game, as well as during Day 1, meant that the formatting process could not take place. The formatting takes about an hour and a half, as per Saba Karim. At no point during the day did the covers stay removed for such a long duration, making start of play next to impossible.

The inability to put in the hawk-eye system led to play being called off earlier on Day 1. While not much rain is predicted in the late hours of Wednesday, October 16, rain is expected to play spoilsport in Day 2 as well. At least two hours of rain is predicted by Accuweather.com at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday, October 17.

Saba Karim made a comment on Jio just now.

A) Hawk Eye is not ready. Apparently they need to format it a day before the game. Since it rained yesterday, they didn't get time. So today, once the covers come off, they will require 90-120 minutes post that to start.

B) The super… pic.twitter.com/wSCbfeH7gb

— Kartik Kannan (@kartik_kannan) October 16, 2024

40% precipitation is expected, while cloud cover is predicted to be a constant throughout Day 2 as well. In fact, rain is predicted on all five days of the Test match.

India come into the three-match home series as firm favourites, sitting comfortably at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. New Zealand, on the other hand, are sixth, and have never won an away Test in WTC history.

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"Babar Sells Cricket, Sponsors Are...": Ramiz Raja On Star Batter's Axing

Babar Azam's removal from Pakistan's Test squad for the second match against England sent shockwaves across the cricketing fraternity. The superstar batter paid the price of a string of inconsistent performances as the newly constituted Pakistan Cricket Board national selection committee sprung into action. Pakistan great Ramiz Raja, however, isn't impressed with the selectors' decision, calling it a' knee jerk reaction'. For Ramiz, Babar's absence from the team makes no sense as he isn't just an important player for the team but also a brand which brings Pakistan cricket money.

"I think it was a knee-jerk reaction [by the] new selectors. The general opinion was that he needed rest and he was taken out of the squad completely," Ramiz said in a chat on Sky Cricket.

"We need to understand that he sells cricket for Pakistan. There's always this debate that is happening right now in Pakistan - whether there's going to be another failure for Babar Azam or whether he's going to make a comeback. And that keeps things interesting," he added.

Ramiz Raja Blackmailing PCB?

"Pakistan's cricket team relies heavily on Babar Azam's prowess to attract sponsors. Unfortunately, aside from him, there's a lack of marketable talent and superstar appeal in the current Test squad."pic.twitter.com/XpCvFI0CFp

— Imran Siddique (@imransiddique89) October 15, 2024

Babar isn't the only Pakistan star who was dropped, with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah also suffering the same fate. In the trio's absence, Ramiz feels Pakistan's XI against England for the second Test doesn't even have a 'sellable commodity', which isn't a good thing from the sponsorship perspective.

"Right now, I don't see any sellable commodity in this Pakistan team ... sponsors are a little wary as well because a) Pakistan have been on the losing sequence and b) There are no real superstars playing in this Test match now."

At the time of toss in the second Test, Pakistan skipper Shan Masood also spoke about the three star players' absence, admitting that certain matters are beyond his control.

"I think firstly playing a Test match for Pakistan is a huge opportunity for anyone who wants to be a cricketer so we're all excited and there's some rejuvenated energy in the camp," Shan Masood said.

"There's stuff we can't control but we can control what we do on the field," he said on the team selection. We're very positive about this. We're happy the spinners have some conditions were we can show we have some decent spinners," he added.

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US Man Stuck In Denmark After Contracting 'Super Virus' On Cruise

A Colorado man fell seriously ill while on a cruise with his wife to celebrate their wedding anniversary after contracting a super virus. Guy Matlock, 64, was on a 14-day cruise in northern Europe with his wife, Adrien, marking their 37th wedding anniversary and their first time travelling outside the United States. Unfortunately, on the sixth day of the trip, Mr Matlock began showing flu-like symptoms that quickly escalated into more severe illnesses, according to his daughter, Moriah, who spoke to KDVR.

"They pulled into port as soon as possible... He was diagnosed with flu A, pneumonia, and sepsis, which essentially turned into a super virus that started attacking his major organs," Moriah said.

Mr Matlock soon went into cardiac arrest and suffered lung failure, which led to brain damage. He is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Copenhagen, where he remains partially conscious and reliant on a ventilator to breathe. Though he is stable enough to be flown back to the US, he is not yet fully conscious, Moriah added.

The family is now raising funds for a costly medical evacuation to bring him back home. The cost of such a medical evacuation can be as high as $150,000. Meanwhile, Adrien has stayed in Copenhagen to be by her husband's side, while their children, who had flown to Denmark on emergency passports, have since returned to Colorado.

"It's very isolating to be in a foreign country where you don't know the language and there are so many cultural differences," Moriah told KDVR.

"His brain isn't getting enough stimulation because he hears the different languages and isn't able to process them."

Describing the emotional toll, Moriah told WJTV, "No one can express the sorrow of seeing someone so strong in such a weakened state. A person who has always been your rock is now unable to even breathe on his own."

The family has set up a GoFundMe page, which had raised just over $47,840 by Tuesday.

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How Far Can Trudeau Go As Personal Electoral Gain Trumps Diplomatic Ties

It is not uncommon to see a country's election campaigns politicise various global issues, but what is rather unusual and perhaps unique in the case of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, is "how far he can go" for personal electoral gains. His attempts have reached a level where actual diplomatic relations are seeing a fallout over "the politics of vote-bank".

India and Canada are in the midst of the worst-ever diplomatic spat in the history of bilateral ties between the two nations. India has recalled its high commissioner to Canada and expelled six top diplomats from Canada yesterday. Canada mirrored India's move. The reason - Justin Trudeau's proximity to the Khalistan separatist movement and his sympathy towards declared terrorists and extremists who spread hate, violence, and extremism on Canadian soil - all to appeal to his vote bank.

Mr Trudeau, who is seeking another term as Canada's prime minister, but facing one setback after another politically in his country, has repeatedly supported the Khalistani separatist movement and allowed space for them to operate by calling it "freedom of speech" in his country.

The Prime Minister of Canada has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with terrorists, extremists and separatists by attending Khalistan rallies in Canada. By doing so, Canada's Prime Minister has directly violated India's national security concerns whilst also violating India's sovereignty and territorial integrity by supporting those who want another nation to be carved out of India - terming all this as "free speech in Canada."

"Celebration and glorification of violence should not be a part of any civilized society. Democratic countries which respect the rule of law should not allow intimidation by radical elements in the name of freedom of expression," India had said about Trudeau's attendance at the Khalistan rally.

Citing his concern over grave situation and rapidly deteriorating ties, while also seeing a rise in extremist elements in Canada, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said earlier this year that "By allowing political space to Khalistani separatist elements, the Canadian government (led by Justin Trudeau) is repeatedly showing that its vote bank is more powerful than its rule of law."

Speaking to Press Trust of India, Mr Jaishankar had said, "India respects and practices freedom of speech, but that does not equate with freedom to threaten foreign diplomats, extend support to separatism or allow political space to elements advocating violence and terror."

Mr Jaishankar had also wondered how people with "dubious backgrounds are being allowed to enter and live in Canada", referring to select Khalistani separatists among the Sikh migrants from Punjab.

"In any rules-based society, you would imagine that you would check people's background, how they came, what passport they carried etc," he said, adding that "If you have people whose presence there is itself on very dubious documents, what does it say about you? It actually says that your vote bank is more powerful than your rule of law."

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TRUDEAU'S LATEST ATTEMPT

India and Canada have been dealing with an unprecedented diplomatic crisis after Justin Trudeau alleged that Indian government agents were involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada. India has rejected Canada's allegations, terming it "absurd" and "politically motivated."

Losing electoral ground fast in the last few months since key ally, Jagmeet Singh withdrew support to his party, Justin Trudeau has likely pacified his "vote bank" late on Monday as he doubled down on accusations of India "supporting criminal activity against Canadians" and "coercive behaviour targeting South Asian Canadians".

In his latest allegations, Mr Trudeau called the Indian High Commissioner a "person of interest" in the "murder" investigation of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar. India trashed Mr Trudeau's allegations, describing them as "preposterous imputations."

On its part, India - which has yet to respond to these latest comments - has set up a high-level committee to investigate the allegation.

However, calling out "the political agenda of Justin Trudeau's government" in a strongly worded rebuttal, India issued a statement saying, "The Government of India strongly rejects these preposterous imputations and ascribes them to the political agenda of the Trudeau Government that is centered around vote bank politics."

"Since Prime Minister Trudeau made certain allegations in September 2023, the Canadian government has not shared a shred of evidence with the Government of India, despite many requests from our side. This latest step follows interactions that have again witnessed assertions without any facts. This leaves little doubt that on the pretext of an investigation, there is a deliberate strategy of smearing India for political gains," India's statement read.

"Prime Minister Trudeau's hostility to India has long been in evidence. In 2018, his visit to India, which was aimed at currying favour with a vote bank, rebounded to his discomfort. His Cabinet has included individuals who have openly associated with an extremist and separatist agenda regarding India. His naked interference in Indian internal politics in December 2020 showed how far he was willing to go in this regard. That his government was dependent on a political party, whose leader openly espouses a separatist ideology vis-a-vis India, only aggravated matters," Centre's statement further read.

TRUDEAU'S POLITICAL SETBACKS AHEAD OF CANADA ELECTIONS

In the last few months, Justin Trudeau has faced a series of political setbacks. What has been alarming for him is that he has lost the support of his key ally, Jagmeet Singh's party. Singh openly professes for 'Khalistan'.

Doubts about the leadership of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau intensified after his ruling Liberal Party suffered two humiliating losses in a special election, but despite that, the unpopular leader is determined to cling to office ahead of a looming national vote.

The loss, following a defeat in Toronto in late June, reinforced the perception that Liberal prospects in the next national election are dim. The mandate for Trudeau's minority government expires at the end of October 2025, but an early election has become increasingly likely.

Although polls indicate the Liberals will lose badly to the official opposition right-of-center Conservatives in the next election amid unhappiness over inflation, healthcare and a housing crisis, Trudeau and his closest aides say he is going nowhere and has time to help the party recover.

According to a survey by global market research and public opinion firm IPSOS, only 26 per cent people see Justin Trudeau as a good PM - he found himself to be 19 per cent less than Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party.

Facing being ousted from the post of Prime Minister, Mr Trudeau has made a series of allegations against India to polarise the electorate whilst catering to his vote bank in a desperate attempt to get all the support he can for him to remain prime minister.

THE INDIAN DIASPORA

The Indian diaspora in Canada is about 1.8 million strong and there are another one million Non Resident Indians residing in the country. The Indian diaspora, mostly of Sikh ethnicity, is considered an influential bloc in Canada's politics.

Ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September last year of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
 

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