The Evening Wrap: India, U.S. take pride in their diversity, says PM Modi at White House

The societies and institutions of both the U.S. and India are based on democratic values and both countries take pride in their diversity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his ceremonial welcome at the White House ahead of his official talks with U.S. President Joe Biden. The constitution of both countries begins with “We the People, as President Biden just mentioned,” he said. Modi thanked Biden, his wife Jill Biden and the U.S. administration for the welcome and said this was the first time the gates of the White House were opened for Indian-Americans in such large numbers. “This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India. It is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin in the U.S.,” Modi said. He said that both countries take pride in their diversity, and “both of us believe in the fundamental principle of ‘In the interest of all, for the welfare of all’”. Biden, in his speech welcoming Modi, said that India-U.S. relationship was one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. He said that the decisions the two countries make today will determine the future of generations to come. The two countries are also working closely in expanding healthcare, climate change and issues arising out of Russia’s aggression on Ukraine, he added. “Welcome back to the White House,” Biden said amid cheers from the crowd gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. He also said that with India’s cooperation, QUAD has been strengthened for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. U.S., India to announce deals across sectors; pilot on domestic H1B visa renewal The U.S. and India will announce a series of agreements in defence cooperation, critical and emerging technology, health, environment and visas on June 22 in their joint statement as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden hold bilateral talks during Modi’s state visit to the U.S. Some of these deals such as India’s purchase of 31 armed MQ9-Reaper drones for upwards of $3 billion had already been all but confirmed. Now, senior administration officials confirmed this and other defence outcomes in a call with reporters on Wednesday. Among the big ticket defence deals is an agreement between General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the co-production in India of GE 414 jet engines for the Tejas Mk 2 light combat aircraft. After years of pandemic-induced visa slowdowns, the U.S. will announce a pilot program to renew visas domestically for certain petition-based temporary workers. This program could expand to cover H1b and L skilled visas by 2024 and to other categories eventually. It will also open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India will reopen its consulate in Seattle, and announce new consulates elsewhere. India is also set to announce that it will sign the U.S.-led Artemis Accords, a framework, so far, of 25 countries for space exploration and cooperation. The two countries will also announce a framework for human spaceflight this year and have agreed a mission to the International Space Station in 2024. In the field of critical and emerging technology, U.S. chip manufacturer Micron Technology will invest $800 million in India and government entities in India will contribute up to $ 2.75 billion for a semiconductor testing and assembly facility in the country, one official said. Applied Materials plans to establish a centre for semi-conductor innovation and commercialization in India and Lam Research will announce a training program for 60,000 engineers in India, as per an official. India and the U.S. will also deepen their maritime cooperation, with the U.S. joining the Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative. This, as per an official, will enable an easy sharing of threat assessments and create opportunities to cooperate beyond the bilateral relationship, such as with East African and Indian Ocean littoral states, including via peacekeeping initiatives, infrastructure and triangular development projects. Biden is also expected to raise the issue of democratic backsliding in India as per the administration officials. He has been asked in strong terms by his fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill to discuss democratic norms and human rights in India with Modi.. Manipur violence | Two soldiers injured in fresh firing; Congress says PM Modi should chair all-party meeting Two soldiers were injured when unknown gunmen fired at them at North Boljang in Manipur’s Imphal West district around 5 a.m. on June 22, officials said. They also said one INSAS light machine gun was recovered by the forces during initial search. The situation has been brought under control and combing operations were on to ferret out the gunmen. Meanwhile, the Congress party called the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the situation in Manipur as “too little, too late”. The party also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from such a serious meeting showed “his cowardice and unwillingness to confront failures”. Nevertheless, the party said that it would participate in the meeting. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said that Modi should preside over such a meeting, and that it should be held in Manipur. “The Prime Minister has not uttered a single word... The PM should find some time for our own State, Manipur, as well,” he added. AAP to walk out of Opposition meeting if Congress does not support fight against Centre’s ordinance AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on June 21 wrote a letter to the leaders of the non-BJP parties ahead of the Opposition parties meeting on June 23 and urged the parties to list the “unconstitutional” and “anti-Delhi” ordinance promulgated by the Central government as the first issue to be discussed at the meeting. He has also requested other parties to make their stand on this matter clear during the meeting. A day earlier, the AAP supremo said that Congress should make its stand clear on the subject. Despite Kejriwal’s request, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is yet to meet him to discuss the ordinance. In the letter, Kejriwal reiterated his stand that the ordinance is not a Delhi-centric problem and such ordinances can be passed by the central government in other States also. The meeting has been called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has not been invited to the meeting. Also, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary will skip it due to a family programme. Mayawati termed the meeting as more about joining of hands than hearts. Keeping in mind the preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections, it would have been better if these parties had tried to instil general confidence in the people with clear intentions, she said. ED has no authority to subject any person to custodial interrogation, argues counsel for Senthilbalaji’s wife Senior counsel N. R. Elango, appearing before the Madras High Court for arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji’s wife Megala, on June 22 questioned the authority the ED to insist upon custodial interrogation of her husband. He contended the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002 does not confer the powers of a Station House Officer on any official of the ED and it cannot seek custody of an arrested person. He took exception to the act of the ED in having approached the Principal Sessions Judge in Chennai after the Division Bench had on June 15 ordered shifting of the Minister from a government hospital to a private hospital for a bypass surgery. “This is the greatest illegality ever committed by the ED. They should not have approached the PSJ after High Court’s order and the PSJ ought not to have permitted custodial interrogation in the hospital itself,” he said. The counsel also said that no investigating agency could be allowed to subject a person to custodial interrogation beyond 15 days from the date of arrest, as held by the Supreme Court in 1992 in Anupam J Kulkarni case, irrespective of any reason be it a tsunami or a pandemic. Elango cited a host of Supreme Court verdicts to support his argument on the maintainability of the habeas corpus petition. He said, the arrest must be declared illegal and the Minister must be set at liberty since the ED officials had not informed the grounds of arrest to Senthilbalaji at the time of his arrest at 1:39 am on June 14 and had also not followed the procedures under Section 41A of Cr.P.C. before resorting to arrest. After hearing his arguments for over two-and-a-half hours, when the judges wanted to know whether Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, could present his counter arguments in the afternoon, the ASG expressed some difficulty and sought an adjournment to Monday for making his submissions. Then, Elango requested for an adjournment to Tuesday instead. The judges acceded to their request and adjourned further hearing to June 27. Two J&K doctors dismissed for fabricating evidence in 2009 ‘Shopian rape-murder’ case The Jammu and Kashmir administration on June 22 terminated services of two doctors for allegedly working with Pakistan-based groups and fabricating evidence in the 2009 “Shopian rape-murder” case, officials said. Two women were found dead in a stream in Shopian on May 30, 2009, leading to allegations that they were raped and murdered by security personnel. The incident sparked protests in Kashmir and brought it to a near standstill for 42 days. Later, the CBI took over the probe and found that the two women were never raped or murdered. The two doctors, Bilal Ahmad Dalal and Nighat Shaheen Chilloo, were dismissed from service for “actively working” with Pakistan and hatching a conspiracy with its assets in Kashmir to falsify the post-mortem report of the victims, who had unfortunately died due to accidental drowning on May 29, 2009, the officials said. The ultimate aim of the two doctors was to create disaffection against the Indian state by falsely accusing the security forces of rape and murder, they said. The two have been charge-sheeted by the CBI for fabricating evidence and twisting the accidental deaths due to drowning as rape and murder. Dalal was the first doctor to conduct an autopsy and Chilloo was a part of the second team of doctors that conducted post-mortem examination, the officials said. In brief The race against time to find a submersible that disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site entered a new phase of desperation on June 22 as the final hours of oxygen possibly left on board the tiny vessel ticked off the clock. Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the site of the disappearance, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in the urgent, international mission. But the crew had only a four-day oxygen supply when the vessel, called the Titan, set off around 6 a.m. on June 18. [logo] The Evening Wrap 22 June 2023 [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]( India, U.S. take pride in diversity, says PM Modi at White House [The societies and institutions of both the U.S. and India are based on democratic values and both countries take pride in their diversity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said]( during his ceremonial welcome at the White House ahead of his official talks with U.S. President Joe Biden. The constitution of both countries begins with “We the People, as President Biden just mentioned,” he said. Modi thanked Biden, his wife Jill Biden and the U.S. administration for the welcome and said this was the first time the gates of the White House were opened for Indian-Americans in such large numbers. “This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India. It is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin in the U.S.,” Modi said. He said that both countries take pride in their diversity, and “both of us believe in the fundamental principle of ‘In the interest of all, for the welfare of all’”. Biden, in his speech welcoming Modi, said that India-U.S. relationship was one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. He said that the decisions the two countries make today will determine the future of generations to come. The two countries are also working closely in expanding healthcare, climate change and issues arising out of Russia’s aggression on Ukraine, he added. “Welcome back to the White House,” Biden said amid cheers from the crowd gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. He also said that with India’s cooperation, QUAD has been strengthened for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. U.S., India to announce deals across sectors; pilot on domestic H1B visa renewal The [U.S. and India will announce a series of agreements in defence cooperation, critical and emerging technology, health, environment and visas on June 22 in their joint statement]( as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden hold bilateral talks during Modi’s state visit to the U.S. Some of these deals such as India’s purchase of 31 armed MQ9-Reaper drones for upwards of $3 billion had already been all but confirmed. Now, senior administration officials confirmed this and other defence outcomes in a call with reporters on Wednesday. Among the big ticket defence deals is an [agreement between General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)]( for the co-production in India of GE 414 jet engines for the Tejas Mk 2 light combat aircraft. After years of pandemic-induced visa slowdowns, the U.S. will announce a pilot program to renew visas domestically for certain petition-based temporary workers. This program could expand to cover H1b and L skilled visas by 2024 and to other categories eventually. It will also open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India will reopen its consulate in Seattle, and announce new consulates elsewhere. [India is also set to announce that it will sign the U.S.-led Artemis Accords]( a framework, so far, of 25 countries for space exploration and cooperation. The two countries will also announce a framework for human spaceflight this year and have agreed a mission to the International Space Station in 2024. In the field of critical and emerging technology, U.S. chip manufacturer Micron Technology will invest $800 million in India and government entities in India will contribute up to $ 2.75 billion for a semiconductor testing and assembly facility in the country, one official said. Applied Materials plans to establish a centre for semi-conductor innovation and commercialization in India and Lam Research will announce a training program for 60,000 engineers in India, as per an official. India and the U.S. will also deepen their maritime cooperation, with the U.S. joining the Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative. This, as per an official, will enable an easy sharing of threat assessments and create opportunities to cooperate beyond the bilateral relationship, such as with East African and Indian Ocean littoral states, including via peacekeeping initiatives, infrastructure and triangular development projects. Biden is also expected to raise the issue of democratic backsliding in India as per the administration officials. He has been asked in strong terms by his fellow Democrats on Capitol Hill to discuss democratic norms and human rights in India with Modi.. Manipur violence | Two soldiers injured in fresh firing; Congress says PM Modi should chair all-party meeting [Two soldiers were injured when unknown gunmen fired at them at North Boljang in Manipur’s Imphal West]( district around 5 a.m. on June 22, officials said. They also said one INSAS light machine gun was recovered by the forces during initial search. The situation has been brought under control and combing operations were on to ferret out the gunmen. Meanwhile, the Congress party called the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the situation in Manipur as “too little, too late”. The party also said that [Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s absence from such a serious meeting]( showed “his cowardice and unwillingness to confront failures”. Nevertheless, the party said that it would participate in the meeting. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal said that Modi should preside over such a meeting, and that it should be held in Manipur. “The Prime Minister has not uttered a single word... The PM should find some time for our own State, Manipur, as well,” he added. AAP to walk out of Opposition meeting if Congress does not support fight against Centre’s ordinance AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on June 21 wrote a letter to the leaders of the non-BJP parties ahead of the Opposition parties meeting on June 23 and [urged the parties to list the “unconstitutional” and “anti-Delhi” ordinance promulgated by the Central government as the first issue to be discussed at the meeting](. He has also requested other parties to make their stand on this matter clear during the meeting. A day earlier, the AAP supremo said that Congress should make its stand clear on the subject. Despite Kejriwal’s request, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is yet to meet him to discuss the ordinance. In the letter, Kejriwal reiterated his stand that the ordinance is not a Delhi-centric problem and such ordinances can be passed by the central government in other States also. The meeting has been called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, [Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati has not been invited]( to the meeting. Also, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary will skip it due to a family programme. Mayawati termed the meeting as more about joining of hands than hearts. Keeping in mind the preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections, it would have been better if these parties had tried to instil general confidence in the people with clear intentions, she said. ED has no authority to subject any person to custodial interrogation, argues counsel for Senthilbalaji’s wife Senior counsel N. R. Elango, appearing before the Madras High Court for arrested Tamil Nadu Minister V. Senthilbalaji’s wife Megala, on June 22 [questioned the authority the ED to insist upon custodial interrogation]( of her husband. He contended the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002 does not confer the powers of a Station House Officer on any official of the ED and it cannot seek custody of an arrested person. He took exception to the act of the ED in having approached the Principal Sessions Judge in Chennai after the Division Bench had on June 15 ordered shifting of the Minister from a government hospital to a private hospital for a bypass surgery. “This is the greatest illegality ever committed by the ED. They should not have approached the PSJ after High Court’s order and the PSJ ought not to have permitted custodial interrogation in the hospital itself,” he said. The counsel also said that no investigating agency could be allowed to subject a person to custodial interrogation beyond 15 days from the date of arrest, as held by the Supreme Court in 1992 in Anupam J Kulkarni case, irrespective of any reason be it a tsunami or a pandemic. Elango cited a host of Supreme Court verdicts to support his argument on the maintainability of the habeas corpus petition. He said, the arrest must be declared illegal and the Minister must be set at liberty since the ED officials had not informed the grounds of arrest to Senthilbalaji at the time of his arrest at 1:39 am on June 14 and had also not followed the procedures under Section 41A of Cr.P.C. before resorting to arrest. After hearing his arguments for over two-and-a-half hours, when the judges wanted to know whether Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, could present his counter arguments in the afternoon, the ASG expressed some difficulty and sought an adjournment to Monday for making his submissions. Then, Elango requested for an adjournment to Tuesday instead. The judges acceded to their request and adjourned further hearing to June 27. Two J&K doctors dismissed for fabricating evidence in 2009 ‘Shopian rape-murder’ case The [Jammu and Kashmir administration on June 22 terminated services of two doctors for allegedly working with Pakistan-based groups and fabricating evidence in the 2009 “Shopian rape-murder” case]( officials said. Two women were found dead in a stream in Shopian on May 30, 2009, leading to allegations that they were raped and murdered by security personnel. The incident sparked protests in Kashmir and brought it to a near standstill for 42 days. Later, the CBI took over the probe and found that the two women were never raped or murdered. The two doctors, Bilal Ahmad Dalal and Nighat Shaheen Chilloo, were dismissed from service for “actively working” with Pakistan and hatching a conspiracy with its assets in Kashmir to falsify the post-mortem report of the victims, who had unfortunately died due to accidental drowning on May 29, 2009, the officials said. The ultimate aim of the two doctors was to create disaffection against the Indian state by falsely accusing the security forces of rape and murder, they said. The two have been charge-sheeted by the CBI for fabricating evidence and twisting the accidental deaths due to drowning as rape and murder. Dalal was the first doctor to conduct an autopsy and Chilloo was a part of the second team of doctors that conducted post-mortem examination, the officials said. In brief [The race against time to find a submersible that disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site entered a new phase of desperation on June 22 as the final hours of oxygen possibly left on board the tiny vessel ticked off the clock](. Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the site of the disappearance, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in the urgent, international mission. But the crew had only a four-day oxygen supply when the vessel, called the Titan, set off around 6 a.m. on June 18. [Sign up for free]( Today’s Top Picks [[Uniform Civil Code should be implemented in India, says C.T. Ravi] Uniform Civil Code should be implemented in India, says C.T. 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