Morning Digest: India expels six Canadian diplomats, withdraws its High Commissioner over Nijjar murder; Chennai braces for heavy rains, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on October 15, 2024

In a dramatic turn of events, India on Monday (October 14, 2024) decided to withdraw its High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Verma and other senior diplomats stationed in Canada. Soon thereafter, India expelled six Canadian diplomats, including the chargé d’affaires Stewart Ross Wheeler. The developments came hours after the Canadian government declared the six Indian officials as “persons of interest” for their alleged role in the June 2023 killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.

As the diplomatic row between India and Canada escalated on Monday (October 14, 2024) over the death over pro-Khalistan figure and Canadian citizen in British Columbia last year, the U.S. State Department announced that an Indian investigation team would travel to Washington DC on October 15 to investigate a plot to kill a U.S. Citizen in New York.

The Pakistani capital will be in complete lockdown as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other leaders of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) arrive in Islamabad on Tuesday (October 15, 2024) to attend the Heads of Government (HoG) meeting.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has invited MLAs from all the three communities — Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga — of Manipur for a meeting on Tuesday (October 15, 2024). This is the first time the government has called such a meeting. The meeting is being convened by the Intelligence Bureau, a source said, and no formal agenda has been shared with the MLAs.

In light of the heavy rain forecast, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday (October 14, 2024) instructed the authorities to declare a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, and Chengalpattu districts on Tuesday (October 15, 2024).

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday (October 14, 2024) invited Chief Minister-designate Omar Abdullah to form the next government in J&K on October 16 in Srinagar. “I am pleased to invite you to form and lead the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. As separately settled, I shall administer Oath of Office and Secrecy to you, and to those recommended by you for induction as members of your Council of Ministers, at SKICC, Srinagar on 16 October, 2024 at 11:30 a.m.,” a letter of the L-G read.

One of the suspects in the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique, Pravin Lonkar, was produced in the Esplanade court in Mumbai on Monday (October 14, 2024). The court sent him to police custody till October 21 .He was arrested on Sunday (October 13, 2024), and it was the third arrest in the case.