Daily Briefing: PM Modi reacts to Pannun ‘assassination’ plot; Sita’s Bihar connection; and more

Prime Minister Modi has reacted to the US allegations of an Indian national plotting to kill Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun at the behest of an Indian official. Playing down any impact this issue may have on India-US ties, the PM said India was committed to the “rule of law”. He added, if an Indian citizen “has done anything good or bad”, the government is “ready to look into it”.

Meanwhile, the family of Nikhil Gupta, the Indian accused in the case, have alleged violations of basic rights, denial of consular access and inappropriate diet at the Prague prison where he is currently detained. However, the Prison Service of the Czech Republic has denied the allegations. Read our report.

Only in the Express

The Bihar government has launched an ambitious Rs 72-crore development plan for Goddess Sita’s birthday place at Punaura Dham in Sitamarhi. What is Sita’s Bihar connection and how significant is she in the Bihari religious imagination? An expert explains.

From the Front Page

The Lok Sabha has passed three key Bills to completely overhaul and “indigenise” the country’s criminal laws. Here’s what you need to know.

Congress leaders President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior party leader Sonia Gandhi received invitations from a delegation on behalf of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for the Pran Pratishtha or consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Must Read

The Indian government intends to reap dividends of the impending Artificial Intelligence boom which it envisions will be a crucial economic driver. For this, as part of its mission to develop a ‘sovereign AI’, the Centre is looking to build computational capacity in the country and offer compute-as-a-service to India’s startups.

In our Opinion section today, Hilal Ahmed writes on the suspension of MPs from Parliament: “The intellectual bankruptcy of the political class does not allow it to generate new political ideas and imaginations. As a result, the level of legislative discussions is compromised and disruptions/suspensions become the acceptable norms of doing politics inside Parliament.”

From lack of clarity on seat sharing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to row over Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as the prime ministerial face, here are five takeaways from the INDIA bloc’s Tuesday meet.

And Finally…

A 48-year-old retired Army man, Francis Xavier Minz, working as a security guard at Ranchi airport, was approached by a CISF jawan who told him: ‘Arrey Francis sir, aap toh crorepati ban gaye’. His 21-year-old son, Robin, had been picked by Gujarat Titans for Rs 3.60 crore after an intense bidding war with Mumbai Indians. Read the story of ‘Ranchi’s Chris Gayle’.

Delhi Confidential: Bhopal MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, who is facing trial in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case on Wednesday participated in the debate on the three criminal law Bills. The Chair, however, had to interrupt her more than half-a-dozen times. Here’s why.

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things‘ podcast, we give you the latest update on the Gyanvapi mosque dispute, details of an environmental assessment report that exposes Uttarkashi tunnel collapse, and the story of five men who constructed fake toll booths in Gujarat.

Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta and Rahel Philipose

Business As Usual by EP Unny