Daily Briefing: Civilian ‘tortured’ in J-K’s Poonch; an interview with Justice Sanjay Kaul; and more

🚨 Big Story

Four days after a militant ambush on Army vehicles killed four Army personnel in Poonch, Army Chief General Manoj Pande reviewed the security situation in the sector on Monday and asked commanders on the ground to conduct operations in the “most professional manner”. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is also expected to visit Rajouri and Poonch beginning December 27. 

Meanwhile, one of the men who was allegedly picked up by security forces in Poonch has told The Indian Express that he and the other detainees were stripped, beaten and smeared with “chilli powder on the wounds” until they lost consciousness. Read his account here.

In our Opinion section today, Syed Ata Hasnain writes on why terrorist activity has shifted from Kashmir to Poonch-Rajouri: “An immediate drive to address the emotions prevailing among the local communities in the area of Pir Panjal South must be undertaken by direct contact and interaction.”

⚖️ Only in Express

“A weak opposition is also a problem… Now, the court cannot be placed to politically handle the government… The court cannot be the opposition.”

After a seven-year tenure, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul will retire today from the Supreme Court. Read his interview with The Indian Express.

📰 From the Front page

With PM Narendra Modi skipping Russia for the annual summit for the second year in a row, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday reached Moscow on a five-day visit to meet the Russian leadership. Here’s why this is significant. 

The Indian Navy, in view of the recent attacks on vessels in the Arabian Sea, has announced the deployment of guided missile destroyers “to maintain a deterrent presence”. It also said that its preliminary assessment pointed to a drone attack on the India-bound merchant vessel, MV Chem Pluto. Find out more here

👩‍💻 Must read

A lot of Indian politics is now about competitive welfarism, and it will be on full display during the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP will seek to ride its cultural nationalism push to a third straight term. Our chief of national political bureau explains why 2024 could be among India’s most consequential elections.

Anand Rathi, Founder and Chairman, Anand Rathi Group, in an interview with The Indian Express speaks about India’s potential to grow at 10% and the reforms needed to get there.

When Indian chess players landed in the Spanish coastal town of Sitges to compete in a Chess tournament, they were met with a different kind of challenge — robberies in their official accommodation, resulting in lost valuables and missing passports. Strangely, so far no players of any other nationality have complained of such break-ins.

⌛ And finally…

In an interview with The Indian Express, ISRO chief S Somnath talks about how sanctions on Russia helped India raise its “prestige and ability in launching such complex missions”, as some launches from Europe, which were to happen in Russia, came to India.

Delhi Confidential: The Orissa High Court has finally granted divorce  to Biju Janata Dal MP Anubhav Mohanty from his actor wife Varsha Priyadarshini, ending a long and bitter legal battle. Here’s what’s next for him.

🎧 From an uptick in women affected by the drug crisis in Punjab to the administration’s focus on apprehending end users as big fish remain elusive, in today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast we deep dive into an investigation by The Indian Express.

Until next time, 

Arushi Bhaskar and Sonal Gupta

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