Morning Digest | Left leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake is Sri Lanka’s President; PM Modi celebrates his return to power at U.S. diaspora event, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on September 23, 2024

Leftist leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake emerged winner in Sri Lanka’s presidential race, obtaining a mandate that signals a clean break from the island nation’s political establishment and ushers in unprecedented change. Mr. Dissanayake was officially declared President-elect by the Election Commission of Sri Lanka after it completed a second count of votes to add preference votes, an exercise undertaken for the first time in the country’s election history.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he has set very ambitious goals in his third term to make the country a developed nation and asserted that India today is a land of opportunities. “After going through this tough election process, this long election system, something unprecedented happened in India (this year). What happened… “Abkibaar Modi Sarkaar,” Mr. Modi said in his address to thousands of Indian Americans in New York.

PM Modi attends tech CEOs roundtable in New York

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a roundtable with the CEOs of leading American companies, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, to enhance cooperation between India and the US in cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computing and semiconductors.

Pushing Pakistan to the centre stage of the BJP’s campaign in Kashmir, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Home Minister Amit Shah railed against the neighbouring country and used it to attack the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress ahead of the second phase of elections in Jammu and Kashmir. 

National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval stayed back in India to deal with the security situation arising from the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir election and other “domestic issues”, officials said. The officials dismissed speculation that Mr. Doval dropped out of the visit due to a summons issued by a New York court, even as the Khalistan issue and allegations from Sikh groups against the government appeared to loom over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day U.S. visit.

Nearly 97.7% of all cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes in 2022 were reported from 13 States, with Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh recording the highest number of such crimes, according to a new government report. According to the latest government report under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the majority of atrocities against Scheduled Tribes (STs) were also concentrated in 13 states, which reported 98.91% of all cases in 2022.