The Evening Wrap: You are in charge, won’t interfere, Rahul tells Kharge

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has conveyed to newly-elected president Mallikarjun Kharge that he would not interfere in party matters, and the latter was free to make decisions independently, party sources have said. Gandhi, who took a break from his Bharat Jodo Yatra, was in the capital to witness Kharge taking charge as president. He did not meet party Chief Ministers, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan and Bupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh who had sought time from him. Gandhi also refused to be involved in the ongoing process to select the party’s candidates for the forthcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. He also did not call on Kharge privately. Though Gandhi had earlier said that he would report to the elected president of the party, ambiguity about his role continues to confuse party leaders. Gandhi appears eager to dispel this confusion and bring clarity -- that he wouldn’t be involved in decision making. If Gandhi insists on staying aloof from organisational matters, and charts an independent course of political action within the party, that could empower and burden Kharge at once. A senior Congress leader told The Hindu that though Gandhi appears firm about non-involvement at the moment, there would be pressure on him to change his mind. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamiah, tweeted that he met Gandhi, along with a picture, on Wednesday. Kharge on his part has told Congress leaders he would be treading according to guidance from the Gandhis. “He draws authority from the perception that the Gandhi family backs him,” a party functionary said. The new president has signaled to others that he was not in a hurry to make changes. All too familiar with the intrigues that his colleagues are capable of, Kharge appears cautious about acting autonomously or unilaterally, according to party leaders who interacted with him in recent days. Gandhi had stood his ground in the face of pressure to return as party president, paving the way for a non-Gandhi at the helm. If he disconnects himself from routine decisions of the party, leaders might face a hard time adjusting to the new reality. Such a stand by Gandhi will also loosen the involvement of his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the days ahead. In Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot, and in Chhattisgarh, T.S. Singh Deo are hoping that the central leadership will support their bids to replace the current Chief Ministers. Kharge will have his task cut out. Centre to form panels to hear appeals on social media posts Social media users will now have the option to appeal against the grievance redressal process of the platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, before an appellate panel formed by the government, with the Centre notifying the amendments to the IT intermediary rules on October 28. “The Central Government shall, by notification, establish one or more Grievance Appellate Committees within three months…,” according to the gazette notification. Each committee, which will have the power to overturn the content moderation decisions made by the social media platforms, will consist of a chairperson and two wholetime members appointed by the Central government, of which one will be a member ex-officio and two independent members. The new law comes on the back of multiple standoffs between the government and social media platforms over content moderation and takedown. In July, Twitter had moved the Karnataka High Court, seeking review and relief from “overbroad and arbitrary” content blocking orders from the government. As per the notification, any person aggrieved by a decision of the intermediary’s grievance officer may prefer an appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of communication from the Grievance Officer. Election Commission doesn’t have jurisdiction to regulate issues like freebies, says Congress The Congress on Friday said the Election Commission of India (ECI) does not have the jurisdiction to regulate issues such as freebies, and urged the panel to focus on ensuring free and fair polls through proper implementation of election laws. The poll panel on October 4 had proposed amending the model code to ask political parties to provide authentic information to voters on the financial viability of their poll promises, a move that came amid the freebies versus welfare measures debate that had triggered a political slugfest. Such issues are part of the dialectics of a vibrant democratic system and depend on wisdom, discernment and analysis of the electorate which should never be taken to be less than acute, the opposition party said. “It is really something which is to be decided, be it pre-election or post-election, be it by way of electoral punishment or electoral acceptance and reward that the electorate decides the wisdom of such poll promises or campaign assurances and equally decides their breach and non-compliance,” Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI). “Neither the Election Commission, nor the government, nor indeed even the courts, have jurisdiction to justiciate and regulate such issues. It would therefore be best for the commission to desist from doing so,” he said. The ECI had also said that empty poll promises have far-reaching ramifications, adding it cannot overlook the undesirable impact inadequate disclosures on election promises have on financial sustainability. In a letter to all recognised national and State parties, the commission had asked them to submit their views on the proposals by October 19. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told a press conference that the matter first came up when Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 16 raised the issue of “revris” (freebies), after which the EC took up the issue and wrote to parties seeking their response. She said the debate on the issue of “revris” in a democracy is distorted as it is the duty of any government to take care of the poor and oppressed classes, and evolve schemes for their upliftment. The Congress in its response to the ECI proposal has said that “the issue does not fall under the poll body’s jurisdiction” and asked “how can the Election Commission decide on the definition of freebies”. “It should first implement the existing poll laws properly and there are more burning issues that need to be taken care,” she said. Ramesh in the party’s response to the EC has noted that the commission has in the past demonstrated great wisdom and restraint in exercise of this power, choosing to circumscribe and limit campaign actions which tilt the field in favour of one party over the other. “However, such power has always been exercised and guided by the statutory context. In other words, electoral offences outlined in Chapter IXA of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, help the commission determine what is per se legal and illegal,” he said. In fact, the specific bans on communal rhetoric, hate speech, undue influence, among others, all flow from these statutes, Ramesh noted. “Thus, if the ECI were to consider such a ban it would necessarily need to pass parliamentary muster first. Furthermore, even in Part VIII of the Model Code of Conduct for the Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates, 2015, the ECI puts forth general guidelines which essentially call for making campaign promises in a responsible manner,” he said. European Union approves ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035 The European Parliament and European Union (EU) member countries have reached a deal to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2035. EU negotiators sealed on October 27 the first agreement of the Bloc's “Fit for 55” package set up by the Commission to achieve the EU’s climate goals of cutting emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade. The EU Parliament said the deal is a “clear signal ahead of the UN COP27 Climate Change Conference that the EU is serious about adopting concrete laws to reach the more ambitious targets set out in the EU Climate Law.” According to the Bloc’s data, transport is the only sector where greenhouse gas emissions have increased in the past three decades, rising 33.5% between 1990 and 2019. Passenger cars are a major polluter, accounting for 61% of total CO2 emissions from EU road transport. The EU wants to drastically reduce gas emission from transportation by 2050 and promote electric cars, but a report from the Bloc’s external auditor showed last year that the region is lacking the appropriate charging stations. “This is a historic decision as it sets for the first time a clear decarbonisation pathway — with targets in 2025, 2030 and 2035 and aligned with our goal of climate neutrality by 2050,” boasted Pascal Canfin, the chair of the environment committee of the European Parliament. U.S. House Speaker Pelosi’s husband violently assaulted at California home Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was “violently assaulted” after a break-in at the couple’s San Francisco home early on Friday, her office said in a statement. “The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation,” the statement said. “Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery.” The Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who is second in line to the presidency, was in Washington with her protective detail at the time of the assault, according to the U.S. Capitol Police. The circumstances of the attack were unclear, including how the intruder got into the home. A San Francisco Police Department spokesperson and a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Capitol Police, responsible for protecting Congress, said it is working with the FBI and the San Francisco Police on the investigation. The assault comes less than two weeks before the November 8 midterm elections, in which control of the House and the Senate is at stake. Republicans have been campaigning on concerns about violent crime, as well as inflation and other quality-of-life issues. As a Democratic leader in Washington and a longtime representative from one of America’s most liberal cities, Pelosi is a frequent target for Republican criticism and is often featured in attack ads. Her office was ransacked during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump, some of whom hunted for her during the assault. In brief The University Grants Commission (UGC) has warned students not to be misled by advertisements offering online PhD programmes by EduTech companies in collaboration with foreign institutes as these were not recognised by the regulatory body. The UGC said that such online PhD programmes were not recognised by it and asked aspiring students to verify the authenticity of PhD programmes as per UGC regulations 2016. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 28 OCTOBER 2022 [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]( You are in charge, won’t interfere, Rahul Gandhi tells Mallikarjun Kharge Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has conveyed to newly-elected president Mallikarjun Kharge that he would not interfere in party matters, and the latter was [free to make decisions independently]( party sources have said. Gandhi, who took a break from his Bharat Jodo Yatra, was in the capital to witness Kharge taking charge as president. He did not meet party Chief Ministers, Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan and Bupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh who had sought time from him. Gandhi also refused to be involved in the ongoing process to select the party’s candidates for the forthcoming Gujarat Assembly elections. He also did not call on Kharge privately. [Congress leader Rahul Gandhi interacts with Mallikarjun Kharge as the latter takes over as party chief at the AICC headquarters New Delhi on October 26, 2022. ] Though Gandhi had earlier said that he would report to the elected president of the party, ambiguity about his role continues to confuse party leaders. Gandhi appears eager to dispel this confusion and bring clarity -- that he wouldn’t be involved in decision making. If Gandhi insists on staying aloof from organisational matters, and charts an independent course of political action within the party, that could empower and burden Kharge at once. A senior Congress leader told The Hindu that though Gandhi appears firm about non-involvement at the moment, there would be pressure on him to change his mind. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamiah, tweeted that he met Gandhi, along with a picture, on Wednesday. Kharge on his part has told Congress leaders he would be treading according to guidance from the Gandhis. “He draws authority from the perception that the Gandhi family backs him,” a party functionary said. The new president has signaled to others that he was not in a hurry to make changes. All too familiar with the intrigues that his colleagues are capable of, Kharge appears cautious about acting autonomously or unilaterally, according to party leaders who interacted with him in recent days. Gandhi had stood his ground in the face of pressure to return as party president, paving the way for a non-Gandhi at the helm. If he disconnects himself from routine decisions of the party, leaders might face a hard time adjusting to the new reality. Such a stand by Gandhi will also loosen the involvement of his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the days ahead. In Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot, and in Chhattisgarh, T.S. Singh Deo are hoping that the central leadership will support their bids to replace the current Chief Ministers. Kharge will have his task cut out. Centre to form panels to hear appeals on social media posts Social media users will now [have the option to appeal against the grievance redressal process of the platforms]( such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, before an appellate panel formed by the government, with the Centre notifying the amendments to the [IT intermediary rules]( on October 28. [The new law comes on the back of multiple standoffs between the government and social media platforms over content moderation and takedown. File] “The Central Government shall, by notification, establish one or more Grievance Appellate Committees within three months…,” according to [the gazette notification](. Each committee, which will have the power to overturn the content moderation decisions made by the social media platforms, will consist of a chairperson and two wholetime members appointed by the Central government, of which one will be a member ex-officio and two independent members. The new law comes on the back of multiple standoffs between the government and social media platforms over content moderation and takedown. In July, [Twitter had moved the Karnataka High Court]( seeking review and relief from “overbroad and arbitrary” content blocking orders from the government. As per the notification, any person aggrieved by a decision of the intermediary’s grievance officer may prefer an appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of communication from the Grievance Officer. Election Commission doesn’t have jurisdiction to regulate issues like freebies, says Congress The Congress on Friday said the [Election Commission of India (ECI) does not have the jurisdiction to regulate issues such as freebies]( and urged the panel to focus on ensuring free and fair polls through proper implementation of election laws. The poll panel on October 4 had proposed amending the model code to ask political parties to provide authentic information to voters on the financial viability of their poll promises, a move that came amid the freebies versus welfare measures debate that had triggered a political slugfest. Such issues are part of the dialectics of a vibrant democratic system and depend on wisdom, discernment and analysis of the electorate which should never be taken to be less than acute, the opposition party said. “It is really something which is to be decided, be it pre-election or post-election, be it by way of electoral punishment or electoral acceptance and reward that the electorate decides the wisdom of such poll promises or campaign assurances and equally decides their breach and non-compliance,” Congress general secretary communications Jairam Ramesh wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI). “Neither the Election Commission, nor the government, nor indeed even the courts, have jurisdiction to justiciate and regulate such issues. It would therefore be best for the commission to desist from doing so,” he said. The ECI had also said that empty poll promises have far-reaching ramifications, adding it cannot overlook the undesirable impact inadequate disclosures on election promises have on financial sustainability. In a letter to all recognised national and State parties, the commission had asked them to submit their views on the proposals by October 19. Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told a press conference that the matter first came up when Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 16 raised the issue of “revris” (freebies), after which the EC took up the issue and wrote to parties seeking their response. She said the debate on the issue of “revris” in a democracy is distorted as it is the duty of any government to take care of the poor and oppressed classes, and evolve schemes for their upliftment. The Congress in its response to the ECI proposal has said that “the issue does not fall under the poll body’s jurisdiction” and asked “how can the Election Commission decide on the definition of freebies”. “It should first implement the existing poll laws properly and there are more burning issues that need to be taken care,” she said. Ramesh in the party’s response to the EC has noted that the commission has in the past demonstrated great wisdom and restraint in exercise of this power, choosing to circumscribe and limit campaign actions which tilt the field in favour of one party over the other. “However, such power has always been exercised and guided by the statutory context. In other words, electoral offences outlined in Chapter IXA of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, help the commission determine what is per se legal and illegal,” he said. In fact, the specific bans on communal rhetoric, hate speech, undue influence, among others, all flow from these statutes, Ramesh noted. “Thus, if the ECI were to consider such a ban it would necessarily need to pass parliamentary muster first. Furthermore, even in Part VIII of the Model Code of Conduct for the Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates, 2015, the ECI puts forth general guidelines which essentially call for making campaign promises in a responsible manner,” he said. European Union approves ban on new combustion-engine cars from 2035   The European Parliament and European Union (EU) member countries have reached a deal [to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2035](. EU negotiators sealed on October 27 the first agreement of the Bloc's “Fit for 55” package set up by the Commission to achieve the EU’s climate goals of cutting emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade. The EU Parliament said the deal is a “clear signal ahead of the UN COP27 Climate Change Conference that the EU is serious about adopting concrete laws to reach the more ambitious targets set out in the EU Climate Law.” According to the Bloc’s data, transport is the only sector where greenhouse gas emissions have increased in the past three decades, rising 33.5% between 1990 and 2019. Passenger cars are a major polluter, accounting for 61% of total CO2 emissions from EU road transport. The EU wants to drastically reduce gas emission from transportation by 2050 and promote electric cars, but a report from the Bloc’s external auditor showed last year that the region is lacking the appropriate charging stations. “This is a historic decision as it sets for the first time a clear decarbonisation pathway — with targets in 2025, 2030 and 2035 and aligned with our goal of climate neutrality by 2050,” boasted Pascal Canfin, the chair of the environment committee of the European Parliament. U.S. House Speaker Pelosi’s husband violently assaulted at California home Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was [“violently assaulted” after a break-in]( at the couple’s San Francisco home early on Friday, her office said in a statement. “The assailant is in custody and the motivation for the attack is under investigation,” the statement said. “Mr. Pelosi was taken to the hospital, where he is receiving excellent medical care and is expected to make a full recovery.” The Democratic speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, who is second in line to the presidency, was in Washington with her protective detail at the time of the assault, according to the U.S. Capitol Police. The circumstances of the attack were unclear, including how the intruder got into the home. A San Francisco Police Department spokesperson and a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Capitol Police, responsible for protecting Congress, said it is working with the FBI and the San Francisco Police on the investigation. The assault comes less than two weeks before the November 8 midterm elections, in which control of the House and the Senate is at stake. Republicans have been campaigning on concerns about violent crime, as well as inflation and other quality-of-life issues. As a Democratic leader in Washington and a longtime representative from one of America’s most liberal cities, Pelosi is a frequent target for Republican criticism and is often featured in attack ads. Her office was ransacked during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Republican then-President Donald Trump, some of whom hunted for her during the assault. In brief The University Grants Commission (UGC) has warned students [not to be misled by advertisements offering online PhD programmes by EduTech companies]( in collaboration with foreign institutes as these were not recognised by the regulatory body. The UGC said that such online PhD programmes were not recognised by it and asked aspiring students to verify the authenticity of PhD programmes as per UGC regulations 2016. 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