Daily Briefing: Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia join Congress; Call Me Bae review; and more

🚨Big Story

‘Congress understood our pain’

With the Haryana Assembly elections approaching, Olympian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress party on Friday afternoon. Phogat will contest from the Julana assembly constituency in Jind district, while Punia has been appointed as the working chairman of the All India Kisan Congress. Here’s everything you need to know about the developments:

The reason to join Congress: Last year, Phogat and Punia led the protests against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP, who faced allegations of sexual harassment. During her induction into the Congress, Phogat expressed her satisfaction at joining a party that “understood our pain” during the wrestlers’ protests.

How did the BJP react: The BJP is treading carefully on the issue, aware that criticizing Phogat and Punia could backfire before the Haryana Polls. The saffron party has focused its criticisms on Congress, accusing them of “trapping” Phogat and Punia. Some leaders have even claimed that it confirms their belief that the Congress was behind the wrestlers’ protests.

Soldiering on: Sakshi Malik, the third prominent figure in the wrestlers’ protest alongside Phogat and Punia, hinted at her disappointment. She remarked, “Their decision to join the Congress is their personal choice. I too had received offers, but I wanted to take what I started to the end. Unless the (Wrestling) Federation is cleaned up and the exploitation of women ends, my fight will continue.”

📰 From the front page

A thaw in chill: A year after their relations hit a setback, India and the Maldives resumed high-level defense talks on Friday. The discussions focused on “ongoing defense cooperation projects” and “upcoming bilateral military exercises.” Tensions have persisted since President Mohamed Muizzu took office last year with his “India Out” campaign, which resulted in India withdrawing its military personnel from the Maldives earlier this year. Here’s a brief overview of the Delhi-Male defense cooperation.

👉 Big Picture: 

For 11 years, Harish Rana has remained motionless in bed, the only sign of life being an occasional cough. Doctors describe his condition as a “100% disability,” leaving him in a vegetative state with almost no chance of recovery. Despite this, the Supreme Court has rejected his family’s plea for passive euthanasia. Indian Express’s Videesha Kuntemalla visits their home to explore how the evolving laws surrounding death have impacted their lives.

Read our explainer to understand the ethical and legal debate surrounding passive euthanasia—the practice of withdrawing life-sustaining treatment to allow a person to die naturally.

📌 Express Opinion

‘The ability to forget caste indicates privilege and not the absence of caste’

In today’s Opinion section, columnist Sanjay Srivastava argues that there is no truly “caste-free” context in India and that caste identity is inherently tied to one’s opportunities and life chances.

🍿Web series review:

Dharmatic Production’s recently released show Call Me Bae is delightfully frothy, frivolous, and fun, just as it sets out to be. and while playing Bella aka Bae, the poor little rich girl, who discovers poverty quite soon after telling us about her swish homes and choppers, Ananya Panday has truly found her niche. The show strikes a self-aware tone that works well, but it falters when it shifts into an overly woke territory, ultimately biting off more than it can handle.

Until next time,

Aradhana Kalia

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