National News
2023 will be as much of a test for Oppn as for the BJP

Nine states — Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Telangana — and one Union Territory, Jammu and Kashmir, are slated to go to polls and these election results will have an impact on the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
The elections in J&K would be significant too as these would be the first after abrogation of Article 370.
Of all the states, the Congress is in power in two — Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh — while the BJP and allies have government in the four northeastern states, as well as in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. In Telangana, the BRS is in power and will face a more structured BJP in the state.
The state elections are crucial for the Congress as a win will give confidence to its cadres and also will place it in a leadership role in the opposition. The big major states which go to polls are these states where the BJP has big numbers among the MPs, be it Rajasthan, Karnataka, or Madhya Pradesh.
Karnataka
The year will start with major elections in Karnataka, held by the BJP. In the 2018 elections, no party got a majority, and BJP’s B.S. Yediyurappa was sworn in as Chief Minister but he had to resign after not being able to manage the numbers. The Congress and the JD-S coalition formed the government but after 14 months, Yediyurappa bounced back with help of defecting MLAs from both parties but later, he was removed and Basavaraj Bommai took over as Chief Minister.
The Congress wants to win back the state and during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, both the factions of ex-Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state chief D.K. Shivakumar showed united a face but the rivalry between two could harm the party prospects.
Rajasthan
This is another troubled state for Congress with two factions of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot have been at loggerheads since 2018 when Congress defeated the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government, becoming the single largest party with 100 seats in the 200-member house.
In 2023, there will be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress, but will depend on the how the parties go into the elections – whether divided or united. The state has a history of not repeating governments, and to break this chain, the Congress faces a big burden.
Chhattisgarh
After 15 years of BJP rule, the Congress managed victory in Chhattisgarh. There were three claimants of the Chief Ministership but the party settled for Bhupesh Baghel and the other group led by T.S. Singhdeo is now pushing for change.
A year ahead of the polls, Congress has appointed Kumari Selja as state incharge as the state has highest OBC population.
The unity in Congress will play a major role in determining if it holds its central Indian bastion.
Madhya Pradesh
This state will see whether veterans like Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh could defeat the BJP after losing power due to the revolt by Jyotiraditya Scindia in early 2020. The last elections in 2018 led the Congress emerging as the single largest party but a bit short of a majority in the 230-member house.
The Congress had won 114 seats and won power with the support of Samajwadi Party’s sole MLA, Bahujan Samaj Party’s 2 MLAs and 4 Independents. Kamal Nath took charge as the Chief Minister but 22 sitting MLAs from the Congress, loyal to Scindia, defected and joined the BJP. This led to the fall of the Congress government and BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chouhan returning as the CM again in 2020.
Telangana
The BJP in this state is hoping high as the party has replaced Congress in taking on TRS/BRS government in the state. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao won the second Assembly election in the newly-carved state in 2018, bagging 88 of the 119 seats. Defections later, took it past 100.
His Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), now called the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) is looking to come to power for a third consecutive term in the 2023 Assembly polls, but faces headwinds as the BJP is making a determined bid. Trouble is further arising after the name of KCR’s daughter K. Kavitha surfaced in the Delhi excise policy scam and allegations arose that the BJP is trying to topple government by poaching MLAs.
J&K
J&K could see first Assembly polls after Abrogation of article 370. The delimitation of the constituencies have put the BJP in strong position in Jammu region, while the Valley could see the PDP, the NC and Ghulam Nabi Azad’s party fight among themselves. If the opposition in the state does not unite, it could be another state where the BJP could gain power.
Crime
Punjab Police arrest man for sharing sensitive information with Pak on Op Sindoor

Chandigarh, June 3: Acting swiftly, Punjab Police have arrested Gagandeep Singh of Tarn Taran for sharing sensitive information concerning army movements during Operation Sindoor, Director General of Police Guarav Yadav said on Tuesday.
The accused had been in contact with the Pakistan’s ISI and Khalistani supporter Gopal Singh Chawla.
Investigations have revealed that he was engaged in sharing classified details, including troop deployments and strategic locations, posing a threat to national security, DGP Yadav wrote on the social media platform X.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Singh had been in touch with Pakistan-based Khalistani supporter Chawla for the past five years, through whom he was introduced to the Pakistani intelligence operatives.
He also received payments from operatives via Indian channels, the DGP said.
The police have recovered a mobile phone containing intelligence that Singh shared with Pakistan, as well as details of over 20 ISI contacts.
“Thorough financial and technical investigations are underway to trace other linkages and establish the full scope of this espionage network,” the DGP added.
A first information report (FIR) has been registered under the Official Secrets Act at the police station (city) in Tarn Taran town, and further investigation is in progress.
Earlier, Punjab Police arrested two people, including a 31-year-old woman, for their alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to an official posted at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Those arrested were identified as Gazala and Yameen Mohamad, both residents of Malerkotla in Punjab.
Police teams had recovered two mobile phones from their possession. Their arrest came days after Amritsar (Rural) Police arrested two people, Falaksher Masih and Suraj Masih, for their alleged role in leaking sensitive information and photographs of army cantonment areas and air bases to Pakistan’s intelligence agency.
DGP Yadav had said that the preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested accused had been receiving payments through online transactions in exchange for sharing classified information. They were in frequent contact with the handler and were involved in channelling funds to other local operatives as per his instructions.
Accused Gazala was arrested for leaking sensitive information regarding Indian Army movements to a Pakistan-based handler.
Based on disclosures made by her during interrogation, a second conduit identified as Yameen Mohamad was also identified and taken into custody.
Accused Gazala admitted that she was doing it in lieu of money, and the accused official has sent her Rs 30,000 in two transactions – Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000 – via UPI.
Crime
16 Bangladeshis, including 7 minors, apprehended in East Delhi

crime
New Delhi, June 2: In a drive against Bangladeshis illegally living in Delhi, the city police rounded up 16 persons, including seven children, from the Seemapuri area, an official said on Monday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara), Prashant Gautam, said the apprehended Bangladeshi nationals revealed that they had crossed into India approximately 18-19 years ago under the cover of darkness.
“They illegally entered India due to extreme poverty and a lack of livelihood opportunities in their native villages, located 40-50 km from the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal,” he said.
The DCP said the arrests were made by a joint team of the Foreigner Cell and special staff of Shahdara after receiving a tip-off last month.
Those arrested include four men and five women, he said, adding that after entering India they initially stayed in the Cooch Behar area.
DCP Gautam said that from there, they travelled by train to New Delhi in search of better employment opportunities.
“Eventually, they moved to Haryana and began working in the rural areas, particularly at brick kilns, where they were involved in brickmaking,” he said.
These kilns are located away from main villages and residential areas, which allowed them to live in hiding without attracting attention, he said.
“No government agency had conducted any verification or background checks on them during this time. The brick kiln owners, driven by the motive of engaging low-cost labour, employed them without documentation,” he said.
Over time, they settled in the area, raised families, and continued to live and work without legal status or scrutiny, he said.
DCP Gautam said that on May 30, the Foreigner Cell of the Shahdara District received information regarding the presence of illegal Bangladeshi nationals attempting to enter the Seemapuri area.
“The tip-off indicated that a group of individuals was moving across the Uttar Pradesh-Delhi border near Shaheed Nagar,” he said.
The arrests were made by a joint team of Foreigner Cell and Special Staff comprising SI Shaji John, ASI Gajender, ASI Johar, ASI Nazir, Head Constable Arun, Head Constable Siddharth, Head Constable Yoginder, Head Constable Amit, Head Constable Vijay, Head Constable Anuj, Woman Head Constable Geeta, Woman Head Constable Manju, Woman Head Constable Renu and Constable Aman led by Inspector Munish Kumar I/C Special Staff & Foreigner Cell under the supervision of Gurudev Singh, ACP/Operations.
National News
SC refuses to stay demolitions in Delhi’s Batla House, next hearing in July

suprim court
New Delhi, June 2: The Supreme Court on Monday did not pass any interim orders on staying the proposed demolitions in the national capital’s Batla House.
A Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma told the residents, who had received 15-day eviction notices and apprehended imminent demolition, that they are free to avail remedies available under the law.
The Justice Karol-led Bench directed that the matter be listed before the regular Bench for hearing in July.
The litigants claimed that they were “genuine residents” and “property owners” of Khasra Nos. 271 and 279 in Batla House. They stated that their homes fall within the area now sought to be demolished on the purported ground of being outside the PM-UDAY Scheme coverage, despite having valid title documents, proof of continuous possession since before 2014, and eligibility under the Recognition of Property Rights Act, 2019.
Any blanket demolition drive initiated without affording affected residents an adequate and meaningful opportunity of being heard would amount to a gross infraction of the principles of natural justice and a direct violation of fundamental rights enshrined under the Constitution of India, said the plea filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed.
Underscoring the need for a fair, humane, and judicious approach before any coercive action is undertaken, the plea stated that applicants have been residing peacefully in the area in question for several decades, forming a stable and law-abiding community.
It added that the 15-day eviction notices were mechanically applied to residents and properties which are neither part of Khasra No. 271 nor identified in any report as being outside the scope of regularisation.
In spite of their legitimate claims, these residents have been denied an opportunity to be heard, and are now at imminent risk of displacement, said the application filed before the top court.
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