Top news of the day: CBI makes first arrest in NEET-UG paper leak; Congress expresses displeasure over Emergency resolution, and more

CBI’s first arrest in NEET-UG paper leak case, Congress’ displeasure on Emergency resolution, and more in The Hindu’s top news of June 27, 2024.

The CBI has made first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case, taking into custody two persons from Patna, officials said on June 27. Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar allegedly provided safe premises to the aspirants before the examination where they were given leaked papers and answer keys, the officials said.

Expressing its displeasure on Speaker Om Birla bringing in a resolution against imposition of Emergency, Congress has said making political reference, that too on the day of assuming office, was “deeply shocking“ and “unprecedented in the annals of history of Parliament.” “Making of such a political reference from the Chair is unprecedented in the annals of history of Parliament. This coming from the Chair as one of the ‘first duties’ from a newly elected Speaker assumes even graver proportions,” the party’s general secretary K.C. Venugopal has written in a letter to Mr. Birla.

The government is fully committed to investigating the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished, President Droupadi Murmu said in her address to a joint sitting of Parliament. Addressing the 18th Lok Sabha for the first time, the President said her government is working to create an environment to enable youth of the country dream big and achieve them.

The people of India have given a clear and stable mandate to the Modi government for a third time, President Droupadi Murmu said on June 27 as she addressed a joint sitting of Parliament. The President also congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the high voter turnout recorded in the union territory in the recent Lok Sabha elections and lauded the Election Commission for holding the world’s biggest democratic exercise. Congratulating the new MPs in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, Ms. Murmu said she hoped they would act as the medium for fulfilling the aspirations of the people of India.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs held a protest against the arrest of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, on Parliament premises ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s address on June 27. The party MPs were seen holding placards that read, “Stop misusing ED and CBI”, and “Dictatorship will not work”. AAP leader Sandeep Pathak also said that the party MPs would boycott the President’s address to the joint sitting of Parliament. This will be the first Presidential address after the formation of the third NDA government.

A petition was moved in the Supreme Court on June 27 seeking a stay on the implementation and operation of three new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, scheduled to come into effect from July 1. The writ petition filed by Anjale Patel and Chhaya Mishra, represented by advocates Sanjeev Malhotra and Kunwar Sidharth, has urged the apex court to constitute an expert committee immediately to assess viability of the three new laws which overhauls the criminal procedure and justice system and replaces the Indian Penal Code, the Code Of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act.

The ‘Sengol’ found its prominence in Parliament on June 27 amid the ongoing political controversy ignited by Samajwadi Party MP R. K. Chaudhary’s recent comments calling it a symbol of monarchy. “The Constitution is the symbol of democracy. The BJP government, under PM Modi, installed the Sengol in Parliament. ‘Sengol’ means ‘Raj-Dand’ or ‘Raja ka Danda’. After ending the princely order, the country became independent. Will the country be run by ‘Raja ka danda’ or the Constitution? I demand that Sengol be removed from Parliament to save the Constitution,” said Mr. Chaudhary.