Daily Briefing: Mehul Choksi arrested in Belgium; Waqf Act fallout

Big Story

No one rests easy in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, where violence erupted on April 11, leaving at least three dead. A 32-year-old Pinki Das mourns the death of her husband and father-in-law, hacked to death by a mob. About 20 km away, in another village, Selima Bibi wants justice for her 21-year-old husband, allegedly killed in a police firing.

Quick context: At the heart of the violence is the contentious Waqf Amendment Act, which the President approved earlier this month. The Act gives the government more say in regulating Waqf parties. Detractors argue it impinges upon Muslim rights.

Blame game: Predictably, the political knives are out. The Trinamool Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of fuelling communal divisions with the Waqf legislation. The BJP, in turn, has trained its guns on Mamata Banerjee’s government over the collapse of law and order. Inside the TMC, however, concerns are growing. Some party leaders worry the controversy could alienate Hindu voters.

Only in Express

India is looking to make the most of the 90-day pause on US tariffs, hoping to negotiate a trade deal by the end of May. Officials are optimistic, suggesting that India is better placed than rival countries to absorb US imports and close the trade deficit.

The government may also need to look inward to help the domestic economy respond to global exigencies. This is where V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, steps in. At the latest Idea Exchange session, Nageswaran discussed the game plan in the face of US tariffs and the private sector’s role in India’s growth. Read.

From the Front Page

Capital dreams: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s dream project to make Amaravati the state capital is fast gathering pace. The state government plans to acquire another 30,000-40,000 acres of land for infrastructure projects, including an international airport.

Red flag: The Indian Express‘s review of centrally-run premier institutions points to glaring gaps in the appointments to top posts. At least 13% of such institutes, including IITs and IIMs, operate without permanent leadership.

Must Read

Quid pro quo: The US and Iran are back in talks over the former’s controversial nuclear programme. A successful deal may end US economic sanctions, a prospect quickly gaining traction in Iran as it faces internal and external pressures. Middle East expert Bashir Ali Abbas examines the many challenges impeding the deal.

Innovate: The government is ready to take on a wave of deep-tech startups that aim to develop cutting-edge technology in India. In an interview with The Indian Express, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Ajay Kumar Sood, speaks about space start-ups as a template and the need to think beyond manufacturing.

Looking South: Almost two years since the alliance broke down, the AIADMK is back in the NDA fold. The BJP, on its part, has shifted gears from building its party under K Annamalai to now piggybacking the AIADMK to break new ground in the South. Read contributing editor Neerja Chowdhury’s analysis of the BJP’s gamble ahead of the crucial elections in Tamil Nadu next year.

And Finally…

Recent cheating scandals have rocked the game of chess, whether it is Hans Niemann’s unexplained last-minute withdrawal from the Paris Freestyle Grand Slam Tour or Kirill Shevchenko’s confession of hiding a phone in a toilet during play. Are these isolated incidents, or do they expose a systemic flaw in the battle of wits? Read on.

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

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