Daily Briefing: All eyes on CJP’s ‘Sansad Chalo March’ today; Parliament gears up for a stormy start

With that, let’s move on to the top stories from today’s edition:

• Sansad Chalo March today
• Parliament Monsoon session begins
• PV Sindhu’s comeback

🚨 Big Story

The Delhi High Court in a special hearing on Sunday ruled that the government’s action to move activist Sonam Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar to the Safdarjung Hospital was “not arbitrary,” and said the activist “will cooperate” with doctors attending to him. Wangchuk is currently on an indefinite hunger strike to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET-UG paper leak. The court refused to grant any interim relief to Wangchuk’s wife Gitanjali J Angmo, who had asked for her husband’s immediate discharge for him to be admitted to the private Medanta hospital.

The Delhi Police is all set to stop the protesters called on by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke, and activists led by Sonam Wangchuk’s wife Angmo for a protest march to Parliament on Monday demanding Pradhan’s resignation. CJP spokesperson Vijeta Dahiya said that the protesters were expected to leave Jantar Mantar for Parliament around 9 am on Monday. Around one lakh people are expected to join the protest march, he said. A day earlier, Dipke claimed the march would be the biggest in independent India, but appealed for a peaceful protest. The police, meanwhile, have made elaborate arrangements to block the march. Read the full story here.

As the CJP leaders and supporters prepare for the “Sansad Chalo March” to the Parliament today, the national capital remains under heavy security. Over 3,000 protesters have gathered at the protest site, while Delhi police have sealed off the routes leading to Parliament and imposed prohibitory orders. Follow here to receive the latest updates on the march led by the CJP today.

⚡ Only in Express

“For us, the most important thing is perhaps India’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union, which will change our approach to doing business with and in India. That it finally came into being after such a long time is a milestone.”

In our latest edition of Idea Exchange, Germany’s Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, speaks about the 75 years of diplomatic ties between India and Germany, migration, Europe’s security after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The conversation comes as Ackermann gears up to leave Delhi for Beijing after four years. Moreover, highlighting what still surprises him about India, the diplomat says: “India is a place that never stops surprising you. I will never say that I understand India. I understand parts of India, and I am emotional about them.”

📰 From the Front Page

Stormy start: The Monsoon Session of the Parliament is set to commence today on a stormy note. The Opposition is gearing up to corner the government over issues such as exam paper leaks, the protest by activist Sonam Wangchuk, the alleged theft of donations in the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, ethanol blending in fuel, and foreign policy. The session comes at a time when the contours of the Opposition itself have changed, with at least 37 MPs from four Opposition parties shifting their allegiance to the BJP-led NDA. The subsequent splits in Opposition parties have bolstered the ruling alliance’s numbers.

The Centre is all set to bring a Bill in the Rajya Sabha on the first day of the Monsoon Session that will make any obstruction or insult to the national song “Vande Mataram” a criminal offence — at par with the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana”. The Bill proposes to amend the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which makes desecration of or disrespect toward the country’s national symbols, including the national flag, the Constitution and the national anthem, a criminal offence, with a punishment of up to three years’ imprisonment as well as provisions for a fine.

Donation ‘theft’: The final report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe allegations of donation theft at the Ram temple in Ayodhya is here. The report points to clear evidence of administrative and supervisory lapses, even though the siphoning off of money was restricted to lower level staffers, and the scale limited to this group. It also mentions, according to sources, that standard operating procedures with regard to the counting room operations were not followed, and unqualified people were hired for operations. The Supreme Court will be updated about the report on July 20.

📌 Must Read

In our Opinion columns today, Gitanjali J Angmo, wife of activist Sonam Wangchuk, shares their devotion towards nation-building through education, which now stands interrupted. Calling the ongoing protests “the heartbreaking interruption of a life’s work,” Angmo writes: “I do not see a protester. I see an educator being pulled away from the work he was born to do. Today, that pain has deepened further. Instead of being allowed to recover in the care of those he trusts, he has been forcibly taken to Safdarjung Hospital, where we remain under heavy police presence, our movements severely restricted, making it feel less like medical care and more like detention.”

Space race: India’s first privately developed launch vehicle, Vikram-1, enabled the placement of several technology demonstration satellites in Low Earth orbit (LEO) on Saturday morning. The textbook launch from Sriharikota by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace — the country’s first space unicorn — makes India only the third country in the world to have private launch capability after the United States and China. The launch is significant, perhaps more for the region of space it aims for – the LEO – where more and more countries are now looking to reserve their place. Why is this crucial? Arav Shah explains.

⏳ And Finally…

A comeback: PV Sindhu’s magic was once again felt on Saturday, when she emerged victorious by putting every ounce and particle of strength and aggression into finally defeating Akane Yamaguchi – 21-17, 21-17 – to claim the Japan Open Super 750 title. Sindhu became the first Indian to win a major title in Japan, silencing the raucous rattlers of the home audience. However, it wasn’t an easy win. Yamaguchi gave Sindhu a tough time, with her tall tosses and relentlessness. This was Sindhu’s biggest Tour title after the World Tour Finals and China Open she won back in 2018 and 2016 respectively.

🎧 Lastly, don’t forget to tune in to today’s episode of our 3 Things podcast, where we discuss the removal of Sonam Wangchuk from his hunger strike at Jantar Mantar; the death of a 75-year-old tuberculosis patient in Jharkhand; and more.

That’s all for today. Have a wonderful day!

Until next time,
Ariba

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