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Just days after the CBI raided Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar’s office, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) continued its attack on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

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The news cycle was dominated by a series of press conferences, first by AAP which continued to claim that the CBI raid was on the CM’s office and was conducted in order to obtain files which

detail corruption in the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), of which Jaitley was President till 2013, and later by the Congress which demanded a probe into the allegations against

Jaitley.

Senior ministers in the government, the DDCA as well as Jaitley himself rushed to deny the allegations calling them “diversionary tactics” to protect Rajendra Kumar and by implication,

Arvind Kejriwal. The allegations, according to Jaitley, detail irregularities that came about after his tenure at the DDCA was over.

A report in The Telegraph has questioned the BJP’s strategy in dealing with what are still just largely unsubstantiated allegations. It argues that by responding with such force and bringing

out the big guns like Smriti Irani and the Finance Minister himself, more attention was brought to the issue than it perhaps deserved.

There is also the question of whether Kejriwal is actually targeting Jaitley to divert attention from the alleged corruption in his own backyard. You can read that story on The Quint.

Amid reports that Rahul Gandhi would not seek bail in the National Herald case if jail time is ordered, Congress spokespersons said that the party would use all the legal remedies available.

This is the first time the party has spoken out, without rancour or rhetoric, about its strategy for the National Herald case, which will come up in the Delhi court on 19 December. There had

been talk of Rahul Gandhi going to jail, if the court so ordered, as a political move. His mother Sonia and Congress party treasurer Motilal Vora are also accused in the case.

Just a day after the Supreme Court stepped in and appointed retired Judge VK Singh Uttar Pradesh’s Lokayukta, the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court has objected to his appointment.

Justice Chandrachud, along with the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Leader of Opposition BSP’s Swami Prasad Maurya form the panel to select the ombudsman. Chadrachud has objected to VK

Singh’s name and had been assured by Akhilesh Yadav it would not be part of the list of names submitted to the SC.

The SC had to step in to appoint the Lokayukta, invoking its constitutional privilege after the state had failed to appoint an ombudsman despite repeated attempts.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, has just cleared what could be one of the largest arms acquisitions in India. The five S-400 Triumf

long-range air defence systems from Russia, which are surface-to-air missiles that combat drones, cruise missiles and other UAVs.

The deal will likely be announced during Prime Minister Modi’s Russia visit after discussions with Russian President Valdamir Putin. If announced, this will be as significant as the purchase

of 36 Rafale jets from France. Defence deals of this magnitude can be used to build strategic relationships according to The Hindu.

In a bizarre turn of events, Opposition BJP and rebel Congress MLAs on Thursday got together in a local hotel to “vote out” the Nabam Tuki-led Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh and to

“elect” a rebel Congress MLA as the new “chief minister”. The dramatic development came a day after they “impeached” Speaker Nabam Rebia in a make-shift “Assembly” premises in a community

hall.

The High Court has had to intervene and has put on hold all decisions by the Governor and the rebel assembly. However, Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa plans to contest the decision.

As the looming spectre of a wasted winter session haunts Parliament, Vice President Hamid Ansari has asked for more powers to deal with disruptive and errant MPs. The Vice President is

ex-officio chairman of the Upper House but does not enjoy the same disciplinary powers as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

On Thursday, he asked the Rules Committee of Parliament to allow the presiding officer to throw out members who are disrupting proceedings in the Rajya Sabha. The speaker of the Lok Sabha

already enjoys these powers.

Ansari had earlier come under criticism for not having enough control over proceedings.

A fortnight after Nitish Kumar promised prohibition in Bihar, the proposal has been watered down to exclude Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). There will be a ban on locally brewed and

spiced alcohol, but not on IMFL. However, even IMFL will be available only in government-run shops in urban areas and the earlier system of awarding licences to sell liquor will be done away

with.

So why the turnaround? It seems that Bihar administration admitted that complete prohibition will be near impossible to implement.

The plan to establish a viable breeding population of the Asiatic Lion outside Gir, in Kuno in Madhya Pradesh (MP) may come to naught. Replying to a query from Congress leader Kamal Nath,

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a written reply that it would take 25 years to complete a “long-term action” like translocating lions from the Gir sanctuary in Gujarat to MP.

In his reply, the minister also said that the Kuno National Park may not be the best location since it already has a population of tigers which will come into conflict with the lions.

Six years ago, Samuel John had a fight with his boss, the postmaster of the Tripunithara post office in Ernakulam district. Samuel had been a postman for six years, but had a friend deliver

letters on his behalf. When undelivered letters reached the postmaster, Samuel was summoned for his indiscretion.

Angry at being caught, he tore a letter and stormed out. Soon an FIR was launched against him, and now, for a fit of anger Samuel will spend two years in jail.

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