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Mainstream newspapers Tuesday take different positions in reports on Narendra Modi government’s decision to allow 27 members of the European Parliament to visit Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP-Shiv Sena stalemate in Maharashtra and Delhi’s pollution levels post-Diwali.
EU MPs visit to J&K: While all mainstream papers carry this report, the headlines and approach vary. The Hindu writes: “Govt. signals shift in stand, allows EU MPs to visit Srinagar”, Hindustan Times focuses on PM Modi’s meeting with the EU leaders: “EU parliamentarians meet PM, begin J&K tour today”. The Indian Express focuses on the opposition: “EU MPs head to J&K today, angry Oppn tells Govt you didn’t allow us” and The Times of India simply reports: “Govt allows 27 European lawmakers to visit Kashmir”.
“A group of 27” EU MPs “will be the first foreign lawmakers to travel to Jammu and Kashmir,” writes TOI. HT’s lead, on the other hand, says the Modi government agreed “to host 23 members” of EU. Express, in its lede, writes that this permission was granted “weeks after a US Congressman was denied permission by the government”.
In another report, Express also reports that 22 delegates “belong to right-wing or far-right parties”. “They are broadly anti-immigration in UK, and against migration and belong to Marine Le Pen’s party in France, and the far-right and anti-establishment Alternative für Deutschland in Germany”.
Delhi air: Delhi air post-Diwali is never positive news except for TOI: “Delhi celebrates a quieter Diwali, cleanest in 4 years,” it reports. “The capital saw its cleanest post-Diwali day since 2015, with a drop in both air and noise pollution”.
HT disagrees completely in “‘Very poor’: Capital flouts cracker rules”. Its first line says “Thousands of people in the national capital violated time restrictions and burst banned fireworks, defying appeals from health experts, political leaders and the Supreme Court”. Hindu chooses a more balanced view: “…very poor to severe AQI” but the air is “cleaner compared with previous years”.
BJP-Shiv Sena: “Power tussle on as Sena-BJP hold firm on CM post” reports HT. Express adds that, “Sena drives a hard bargain, tells BJP: Rotate CM post, give it to us in writing”. Hindu and TOI simply note that the two parties met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari separately.
HT adds that the BJP will not “withdraw its claim on the chief minister’s post or agree to a rotation of the top job”.
Others: Newspapers also report on the killing of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a night raid by US special forces. Express is the only paper to highlight that Baghdadi’s likely successor was also killed in a separate airstrike.
HT turns to Nagaland and the “inconclusive” talks between “the Nationalist Social Council of Nagaland… and R.N. Ravi, the interlocutor of the Government of India and governor of Nagaland… even as both sides prepared for renewal of hostilities”.
Opinion
The Indian Express: In ‘Red flag at Infosys’, Express says that two years after the software company founder Narayan Murthy had raised concerns over “transparency” and “disclosure”, new issues of governance have arisen. The company had recently received two whistleblower complaints alleging “disturbing malpractices”. Despite the company bringing in auditors and legal support, US law firms have filed class-action suits in countries where Infosys lists and trades. Global investor Warren Buffet had once said the best way to change “fat cat corporations” is to “embarrass” them. Infosys, and the rest of corporate India, owe it to stakeholders as well as the broader economy to be responsible and boost growth, writes Express.
The Hindu: The death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, founder leader of the Islamic State (IS), is a “major setback” for the “dreaded” terrorist organisation, writes Hindu. With Baghdadi’s death, the IS is at its weakest but that does not mean the end of the group. Firstly, the IS is not completely leader-dependent. Secondly, the geopolitical conditions that led to its creation have not completely changed. When the leader of al-Qaeda (AQI) was killed in 2006, it was a setback for the group. But eventually the AQI morphed into a bigger organisation, the IS. With IS’ loss, global focus should be on “stabilising” Iraq and Syria. If not, Baghdadi’s death will “not mean much” for the global fight against terrorism.
Prime Time
On a day when the air quality in Delhi was ‘very poor’, BBC World declared that “there was hardly a cloud in the sky” and predicted bright sunshine in its evening weather report (7.58 pm).
Quite.
Elsewhere, the chill set in on news channels between supporters and detractors of the Modi government’s move to allow EU MPs visit to Jammu and Kashmir and the new two-child norm for government employees in Assam that drew sharp opposition from Badruddin Ajmal, All Indian United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief – he urged Muslims to have as many children as they liked. This created a furore on channels like Zee News, CNN News18 and NewsX.
It was #KashmirTruthTour (Times Now) against the #PopulationDebate on CNN News18 and NewsX while India Today could barely breathe on #DelhiChokes. NDTV 24×7 considered government formation in Maharashtra – “It is like a saas-bahu serial” commented journalist Arathi Jerath.
On the ‘Newshour with Navika Kumar’ (Times Now), the anchor was in a destructive mood: “Lutyens lobby has been outmanoeuvred by the Prime Minister Modi himself…(he has) completely demolished (them)…’’, she declared, referring to the EU MPs’ visit to Kashmir. She also challenged the ‘liberals’ to “speak up’’ on insults to actor Shah Rukh Khan.
Republic was on the same demolition mission with “ModiCheckmatesLobby” with anchor Arnab Goswami.
Zee News: ON AIUDF chief Ajmal’s criticism of Assam’s two-child policy, anchor Vishal Kalra asked, “Jansankhya ke naam par jihad kyun?” (Why jihad in the name of population?)
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy said, “The ratio of population increase in the Muslin families is more than the Hindu families… but Muslims who are educated are controlling their population. There is a clear difference between a Muslim family from Kerala and the same from Uttar Pradesh”.
Islamic Scholar Shoaib Alam Jamei had a unique solution: “The government should lead by example. Every MP and MLA with more than two children should be dismissed from their position.”
ABP news: The primetime debate took a heated turn when anchor Rubika Liyaquat asked: “Baghdadi is dead… When will terrorists in Kashmir, who are following his footsteps, die a similar death?”
Political analyst Nishant Verma responded: “The mentality of Ravana also hasn’t died yet, although he died some thousands of years ago.”
Kasmhiri journalist Majid Haidari added, “Nathuram Godse’s thinking also hasn’t died. In this country, mosques are demolished by chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’.”
Times Now: On the NewsHour, anchor Padmaja Joshi asked whether people were being bullied in the name of patriotism. On the #AnthemDebate, the discussion followed two Kannada actors heckled a family for not standing during the national anthem inside a movie hall in Bangalore. The family was asked if they were Pakistani terrorists.
Joshi said, “Patriotism is important, everyone says we respect the national anthem. But what everyone here is also concurring on is that abusive behaviour cannot be tolerated and ultimately you will have to leave it to the conscience of the people.”
CPI leader Dinesh Varshney agreed: “All of us agree with the Constitution of India and we always stand for the national anthem since childhood, but who has given the power to this actor to ask the ladies to leave the hall. Is he a policeman?’’
While advocate Ishkaran Bhandari said, “Not getting up during the national anthem, to me, is an anti-national mindset. But whether that mindset is punishable is a tricky question…”
CNN News18 debated the Assam government’s two-child policy – was it an “insult to religion”?
Zafar Islam, BJP spokesperson, said, “We must have a legislation in place to ensure that there is a population control mechanism in the country. Otherwise it will become a menace.”
Muslim scholar Shoaib Jamal said, “Islam also advocates women empowerment — the total fertility rate of Muslim women has sharply declined from 4.4 to 2.6 per cent….don’t make this a Hindu-Muslim topic.”