The Evening Wrap: Ladakh activist Wangchuk ends 21-day fast

Educator and reformist Sonam Wangchuk, ended his hunger strike, which had entered the 21st day on March 26. He, however, insisted that his fight will continue. Earlier in the day, Wangchuk, who appeared frail in a video posted on the 21st day of fasting over the demand for Statehood for Ladakh, and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to “prove that they are statesmen”. “We need statesmen of integrity, farsightedness and wisdom in this country, and not just short-sighted characterless politicians. And I very much hope that PM Modi and Mr. Shah will soon prove that they are statesmen,” Wangchuk said. Wangchuk has grown visibly frail and his voice is also strained. He commenced his fast on March 6, after talks between the Union government and the Ladakhi leadership failed in February. Statehood for the newly-carved Union Territory of Ladakh, and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, are among the four demands the leaders of the Leh Apex Body and the KDA are pursuing with the Centre. However, several rounds of dialogue in the past year have failed to achieve any tangible result. Wangchuk also reminded Modi of the promises the BJP had made to the people of Ladakh. “PM Modi is a devotee of Lord Ram. He should follow his teaching of ‘one may lose one’s life but not break a promise’,” he said. He urged voters to “use their ballot power very carefully this time in the interest of the nation”. “Citizens are the kingmakers. We can compel a government to change their ways, or change the government if that doesn’t work,” Wangchuk said. BJP mulls legal action on tweet against Kangana; Congress backpedals, calls her ‘daughter of Himachal’ Congress social media in-charge Supriya Shrinate’s now deleted post commenting on actor Kangana Ranaut who is going to contest her maiden election from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh has triggered a political maelstrom. The Congress pointed to the explanation offered by Shrinate, with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu terming Ranaut “daughter of Himachal”, while the BJP went to the Election Commission demanding action against the Congress spokesperson and former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh mulling legal action against Shrinate. On Monday 25, minutes after social media post by Shrinate with objectionable references to Ranaut and the seat of Mandi went viral, she posted a video issuing clarification. Meanwhile, Ranaut had hit back saying that she had played various roles in movies and every woman deserved dignity. But the controversy continued to grow on as Shrinate’s clarification cut little ice. Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jairam Thakur, said the BJP was mulling legal action as the pejorative references had not just been about Ranaut but also the district of Mandi. Meanwhile, National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma has urged Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to “take action” against two of its leaders for using “derogatory” language against another woman. She said the NCW had written to the Election Commission seeking “stringent action against the party and the leader.” The Congress, meanwhile, is busy back-pedalling from a rather difficult position that it finds itself in. BRS leader Kavitha sent to judicial custody till April 9 by Delhi court Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts on March 26 sent Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha to 15 days judicial custody in connection with the Delhi Excise policy case. Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15 from her residence in Hyderabad and has been in the agency’s custody since then. On March 22, the Supreme Court denied her urgent relief on her plea challenging the arrest. On March 26, the ED requested the court to send her to 15 days of judicial custody. The agency claimed that the arrestee was highly influential and there was every likelihood that she would influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence if released; this could hamper the ongoing investigation. The ED also claimed that the accused needed to be interrogated further. “Investigation into economic crimes is more complex than the ordinary crimes as economic offenders are resourceful and influential persons having deep roots in the society and commit the said crimes in a carefully planned and meticulous manner, thereby rendering the investigation process a complicated exercise,” the ED claimed. The ED said their investigations revealed that Kavitha was involved in the payment of kickbacks to government functionaries to gain illegal benefits in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 formulation and implementation. Meanwhile, Kavitha said that the ongoing investigation does not revolve around money laundering but rather points to a “political laundering case.” She highlighted the alleged affiliations of the accused to the BJP, stating that one has joined BJP while another is set to get the party ticket, with the third accused allegedly contributing ₹50 crore through electoral bonds to BJP. Speaking to the media at the Rouse Avenue court complex in New Delhi before appearing at a court, she said that she would come out clean in the case. AAP’s PM residence gherao march | Many detained, party says Delhi has become ‘police State’ AAP leaders and workers took to the streets on March 26 against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, with many being detained at Patel Chowk as they tried to march towards the Prime Minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg raising slogans of “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Kejriwal Zindabad”. Claiming that the Delhi Police has turned the national capital into a “fortress”, Aam Aadmi Party Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai told a press conference that the way the BJP-led central government has imposed restrictions under section 144 “across the city”, it seems Delhi has become a “police state”. Rai asserted that the fight against the “dictatorship” in the country is the struggle of those who love democracy and the Constitution, and announced that preparations are now underway for a “maharally” at the Ramleela ground here on March 31. In this, lakhs of people will be present and prominent leaders of the INDIA bloc will raise their voice against Kejriwal’s arrest, Rai said. In view of the protest, security has been tightened around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, police said. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, in a post on X said that entry and exit gates at Lok Kalyan Marg metro station have been closed due to security reasons. Entry and exit have also been restricted at Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat metro stations, it added. DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar said, “there is no permission given to hold any kind of protest, we also got information that protesters will gather at Patel Chowk metro station, security has been beefed around the area.” Senior AAP leader Somnath Bharti, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla and Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains were among those detained by police. Crew of container ship that collided with Baltimore bridge all Indian, says shipping company The entire 22-member crew of the cargo ship that struck a major bridge in Baltimore early on March 26, causing it to snap and plunge into the river below are Indians, the company said. The Singapore-flagged container ship “Dali” collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore at approximately 1.30 a.m. local time. According to the vessel information provided by the Synergy Marine Group, the crew was “All Indian, 22 in total”. The “Dali” has a capacity of 10,000 TEU and onboard Units: of 4,679 TEU. Grace Ocean Private Ltd owns the vessel and the ship’s movement was outbound from Baltimore to Colombo. Owners and managers of the Singapore-flagged container ship “DALI” report that the vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore, whilst under pilotage with two pilots onboard, at approximately 01:30 local time on March 26, ship management company Synergy Marine Group said in a statement. It said: “All crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries. There has also been no pollution.” Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the “DALI” has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident Response service. The U.S. Coast Guard and local officials have been notified, and the owners and managers are fully cooperating with Federal and State government agencies under an approved plan. “We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” Maersk said in a statement. “We can confirm that the container vessel ‘DALI’, operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group, is time chartered by Maersk and is carrying Maersk customers’ cargo. No Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel,” the statement said. “We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed,” it said. It was unclear what caused the cargo ship to crash into the bridge in the major American city just outside of Washington. It was also not clear how many people might be in the water. Five Chinese dam workers, driver killed in attack in northwest Pakistan; China condemns attack Five Chinese nationals working on a major dam construction site were killed along with their driver on March 26 when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle in northwest Pakistan, officials said. Their vehicle plunged into a deep ravine off the mountainous Karakoram Highway after the bomber rammed his car into them and detonated his explosives, police said. Beijing has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan in recent years, but Chinese-funded projects have sparked resentment and their citizens have frequently come under attack. Images shared with AFP show smoke rising from the valley, near Besham city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “Five Chinese and their local driver were killed in the attack,” Muhammad Ali Gandapur, a senior provincial police official, told AFP. He said the vehicle was travelling between the Dasu hydroelectric dam site, under construction by the China Gezhouba Group Company, and the capital Islamabad. Zahid Khan, a senior local police official, told AFP that “a suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into theirs”. “The vehicle caught fire and plunged down the ravine,” he said. The attack on March 26 comes days after security forces killed at least seven militants as they attempted to storm the offices of Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan, considered a cornerstone of Chinese investment. Militants also killed one soldier as they attempted to storm a major naval air base in the country’s southwest, Pakistan’s military said on March 26. “The Chinese embassy and consulates in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist act, and express deep condolences for the victims of both countries and extend sincere sympathies to the families of the victims,” the embassy said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and as well as Pakistan’s Interior and Foreign Ministers arrived at China’s embassy in Islamabad within hours of the bombing. China on March 26 said it strongly condemned the attack. “The Chinese embassy and consulates in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist act, and express deep condolences for the victims of both countries and extend sincere sympathies to the families of the victims,” the embassy said in a statement. In Brief The Supreme Court has quashed the bail condition imposed by the Orissa High Court on a man that he shall not be involved in any political activity, saying it will breach his fundamental rights. A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and Sandeep Mehta passed the order on a plea filed by Siba Shankar Das, a former Mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation, against the January 18 order of the High Court. The High Court had dismissed his application seeking withdrawal of the bail condition which said that he “shall not create any untoward situation in public and shall not be involved in any political activities, directly or indirectly”. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 26 March 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Ladakh activist Wangchuk ends 21-day fast, urges PM Modi, Amit Shah to deliver on promises [Educator and reformist Sonam Wangchuk, ended his hunger strike]( which had entered the 21st day on March 26. He, however, insisted that his fight will continue. Earlier in the day, Wangchuk, who appeared frail in a video posted on the 21st day of fasting over the demand for Statehood for Ladakh, and its inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to “prove that they are statesmen”. “We need statesmen of integrity, farsightedness and wisdom in this country, and not just short-sighted characterless politicians. And I very much hope that PM Modi and Mr. Shah will soon prove that they are statesmen,” Wangchuk said. Wangchuk has grown visibly frail and his voice is also strained. He commenced his fast on March 6, after talks between the Union government and the Ladakhi leadership failed in February. Statehood for the newly-carved Union Territory of Ladakh, and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule, are among the four demands the leaders of the Leh Apex Body and the KDA are pursuing with the Centre. However, several rounds of dialogue in the past year have failed to achieve any tangible result. Wangchuk also reminded Modi of the promises the BJP had made to the people of Ladakh. “PM Modi is a devotee of Lord Ram. He should follow his teaching of ‘one may lose one’s life but not break a promise’,” he said. He urged voters to “use their ballot power very carefully this time in the interest of the nation”. “Citizens are the kingmakers. We can compel a government to change their ways, or change the government if that doesn’t work,” Wangchuk said. BJP mulls legal action on tweet against Kangana; Congress backpedals, calls her ‘daughter of Himachal’ [Congress social media in-charge Supriya Shrinate’s now deleted post commenting on actor Kangana Ranaut who is going to contest her maiden election from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh has triggered a political maelstrom.]( The Congress pointed to the explanation offered by Shrinate, with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu terming Ranaut “daughter of Himachal”, while the BJP went to the Election Commission demanding action against the Congress spokesperson and former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh mulling legal action against Shrinate. On Monday 25, minutes after social media post by Shrinate with objectionable references to Ranaut and the seat of Mandi went viral, she posted a video issuing clarification. Meanwhile, Ranaut had hit back saying that she had played various roles in movies and every woman deserved dignity. But the controversy continued to grow on as Shrinate’s clarification cut little ice. Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Jairam Thakur, said the BJP was mulling legal action as the pejorative references had not just been about Ranaut but also the district of Mandi. Meanwhile, National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma has urged Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to “take action” against two of its leaders for using “derogatory” language against another woman. She said the NCW had written to the Election Commission seeking “stringent action against the party and the leader.” The Congress, meanwhile, is busy back-pedalling from a rather difficult position that it finds itself in. BRS leader Kavitha sent to judicial custody till April 9 by Delhi court [Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Courts on March 26 sent Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader K. Kavitha to 15 days judicial custody in connection with the Delhi Excise policy case.]( Kavitha, daughter of former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on March 15 from her residence in Hyderabad and has been in the agency’s custody since then. On March 22, the Supreme Court denied her urgent relief on her plea challenging the arrest. On March 26, the ED requested the court to send her to 15 days of judicial custody. The agency claimed that the arrestee was highly influential and there was every likelihood that she would influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence if released; this could hamper the ongoing investigation. The ED also claimed that the accused needed to be interrogated further. “Investigation into economic crimes is more complex than the ordinary crimes as economic offenders are resourceful and influential persons having deep roots in the society and commit the said crimes in a carefully planned and meticulous manner, thereby rendering the investigation process a complicated exercise,” the ED claimed. The ED said their investigations revealed that Kavitha was involved in the payment of kickbacks to government functionaries to gain illegal benefits in the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22 formulation and implementation. Meanwhile, [Kavitha said that the ongoing investigation does not revolve around money laundering but rather points to a “political laundering case.”]( She highlighted the alleged affiliations of the accused to the BJP, stating that one has joined BJP while another is set to get the party ticket, with the third accused allegedly contributing ₹50 crore through electoral bonds to BJP. Speaking to the media at the Rouse Avenue court complex in New Delhi before appearing at a court, she said that she would come out clean in the case. AAP’s PM residence gherao march | Many detained, party says Delhi has become ‘police State’ [AAP leaders and workers took to the streets on March 26 against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest]( with many being detained at Patel Chowk as they tried to march towards the Prime Minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg raising slogans of “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Kejriwal Zindabad”. Claiming that the Delhi Police has turned the national capital into a “fortress”, Aam Aadmi Party Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai told a press conference that the way the BJP-led central government has imposed restrictions under section 144 “across the city”, it seems Delhi has become a “police state”. Rai asserted that the fight against the “dictatorship” in the country is the struggle of those who love democracy and the Constitution, and announced that preparations are now underway for a “maharally” at the Ramleela ground here on March 31. In this, lakhs of people will be present and prominent leaders of the INDIA bloc will raise their voice against Kejriwal’s arrest, Rai said. In view of the protest, security has been tightened around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, police said. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, in a post on X said that entry and exit gates at Lok Kalyan Marg metro station have been closed due to security reasons. Entry and exit have also been restricted at Patel Chowk and Central Secretariat metro stations, it added. DCP (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar said, “there is no permission given to hold any kind of protest, we also got information that protesters will gather at Patel Chowk metro station, security has been beefed around the area.” Senior AAP leader Somnath Bharti, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla and Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains were among those detained by police. Crew of container ship that collided with Baltimore bridge all Indian, says shipping company The [entire 22-member crew of the cargo ship that struck a major bridge in Baltimore early on March 26]( causing it to snap and plunge into the river below are Indians, the company said. The Singapore-flagged container ship “Dali” collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore at approximately 1.30 a.m. local time. According to the vessel information provided by the Synergy Marine Group, the crew was “All Indian, 22 in total”. The “Dali” has a capacity of 10,000 TEU and onboard Units: of 4,679 TEU. Grace Ocean Private Ltd owns the vessel and the ship’s movement was outbound from Baltimore to Colombo. Owners and managers of the Singapore-flagged container ship “DALI” report that the vessel collided with one of the pillars of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, Baltimore, whilst under pilotage with two pilots onboard, at approximately 01:30 local time on March 26, ship management company Synergy Marine Group said in a statement. It said: “All crew members, including the two pilots, have been accounted for and there are no reports of any injuries. There has also been no pollution.” Whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the “DALI” has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident Response service. The U.S. Coast Guard and local officials have been notified, and the owners and managers are fully cooperating with Federal and State government agencies under an approved plan. “We are horrified by what has happened in Baltimore, and our thoughts are with all of those affected,” Maersk said in a statement. “We can confirm that the container vessel ‘DALI’, operated by charter vessel company Synergy Group, is time chartered by Maersk and is carrying Maersk customers’ cargo. No Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel,” the statement said. “We are closely following the investigations conducted by authorities and Synergy, and we will do our utmost to keep our customers informed,” it said. It was unclear what caused the cargo ship to crash into the bridge in the major American city just outside of Washington. It was also not clear how many people might be in the water. Five Chinese dam workers, driver killed in attack in northwest Pakistan; China condemns attack [Five Chinese nationals working on a major dam construction site were killed along with their driver on March 26]( when a suicide bomber targeted their vehicle in northwest Pakistan, officials said. Their vehicle plunged into a deep ravine off the mountainous Karakoram Highway after the bomber rammed his car into them and detonated his explosives, police said. Beijing has poured billions of dollars into Pakistan in recent years, but Chinese-funded projects have sparked resentment and their citizens have frequently come under attack. Images shared with AFP show smoke rising from the valley, near Besham city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. “Five Chinese and their local driver were killed in the attack,” Muhammad Ali Gandapur, a senior provincial police official, told AFP. He said the vehicle was travelling between the Dasu hydroelectric dam site, under construction by the China Gezhouba Group Company, and the capital Islamabad. Zahid Khan, a senior local police official, told AFP that “a suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into theirs”. “The vehicle caught fire and plunged down the ravine,” he said. The attack on March 26 comes days after security forces killed at least seven militants as they attempted to storm the offices of Gwadar Port in southwest Pakistan, considered a cornerstone of Chinese investment. Militants also killed one soldier as they attempted to storm a major naval air base in the country’s southwest, Pakistan’s military said on March 26. “The Chinese embassy and consulates in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist act, and express deep condolences for the victims of both countries and extend sincere sympathies to the families of the victims,” the embassy said. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and as well as Pakistan’s Interior and Foreign Ministers arrived at China’s embassy in Islamabad within hours of the bombing. China on March 26 said it strongly condemned the attack. “The Chinese embassy and consulates in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist act, and express deep condolences for the victims of both countries and extend sincere sympathies to the families of the victims,” the embassy said in a statement. In Brief The [Supreme Court has quashed the bail condition imposed by the Orissa High Court on a man that he shall not be involved in any political activity, saying it will breach his fundamental rights](. A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and Sandeep Mehta passed the order on a plea filed by Siba Shankar Das, a former Mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation, against the January 18 order of the High Court. The High Court had dismissed his application seeking withdrawal of the bail condition which said that he “shall not create any untoward situation in public and shall not be involved in any political activities, directly or indirectly”. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [Sign up for free]( Today’s Top Picks [[What can microplastics do to the human body? | In Focus podcast] What can microplastics do to the human body? | In Focus podcast]( [[IS-Khorasan’s attacks in Russia, Iran point to an Islamic State resurgence | Analysis] IS-Khorasan’s attacks in Russia, Iran point to an Islamic State resurgence | Analysis]( [[Fighting every wildfire makes bigger fires more extreme, study says] Fighting every wildfire makes bigger fires more extreme, study says]( [[Watch | This Hyderabad cafe has a 20-foot tall coffee roaster] Watch | This Hyderabad cafe has a 20-foot tall coffee roaster]( Copyright© 2024, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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