Daily briefing: Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha speech; what’s ailing the cheetahs; and more 

The Lok Sabha witnessed yet another day of high voltage drama on the second day of the debate on the no-confidence motion against the Centre. Here’s what happened:
👉🏼Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a no-holds-barred attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government, accusing the ruling party of setting the state and the country on fire with its politics of “hate” and “division”.

👉🏼Late at night, his remarks relating to Bharat Mata in Manipur were expunged from House records on the orders of the Chair — a decision that the Congress called “gross injustice”, accusing the government of “denigrating” Parliament.

👉🏼Things took an unexpected turn when some women MPs from the BJP lodged a complaint with Speaker Om Birla against Rahul for allegedly “blowing a flying kiss” to the treasury benches side, seeking “stringent action” for the “inappropriate gesture”.

⚡Only in the Express

Express Interview | Congress MP Manish Tewari talks about what the party hoped to achieve by moving the no-confidence motion against the Centre, PM Modi’s absence from Parliament on the first two days of discussion,  and the differences between the parties that make up the INDIA alliance. Read what he said.

📰 From the Front Page

For the first time since it was instituted in 1958, the country’s top annual science prize for best talent under 45, the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards, have been put on hold. The list of awardees for 2022 — for work done between 2017-21 — had been decided but was not announced on CSIR Foundation Day last year. Ten months on, there’s still no word from the Government.

Strict action will be taken against those issuing diktats against Muslims, Haryana’s Development and Panchayats minister and JJP leader Devender Singh Babli has told The Indian Express, in light of several gram panchayats signing resolutions to “boycott” members of the community and barring their entry into the villages.

👩‍💻*Must Read* 

In our Opinion section today, Amitabh Mattoo writes on the impact of Neelkanth Ganjoo’s killing on Kashmir: “Tragically, Ganjoo’s killing enlarged the growing gulf between the Kashmiri Pandits and the majority of Kashmiri Muslims. It increased the former’s sense of collective insecurity and eventually led to their exodus.”

Historical records suggest that the Gyanvapi mosque was built in the 17th century after destroying the original Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The Sangh Parivar, though not involved in the current phase of the dispute, had however raised a demand on Kashi as early as in 1959, even before it took up the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue. Here’s a look.

⌛*And Finally*

Six adult cheetahs — all relocated from Namibia and South Africa — and three cubs born in India have died since March this year. As September will mark the first birthday of India’s grand cheetah re-introduction project, here’s a look at the project and the issues ailing the cheetahs at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Delhi Confidential: The debate on no-confidence motion on Wednesday saw Lok Sabha members quoting the Ramayan to support their arguments. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi likened PM Modi to Ravan, BJP MP from Bihar’s Pataliputra, Ram Kripal Yadav, took an aim at the Opposition’s INDIA alliance by calling it a 10-headed Ravan.

🎧 In today’s episode of the 3 Things podcast, we look at why the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill 2023 is raising concerns, why countries are rushing back to the moon again, and highlights from yesterday’s no-confidence motion debate.

Until tomorrow,*

Rahel Philipose and Anamni Gupta