Here are the top 5 news updates of May 21, 2022:
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi today slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party government for carrying out a systematic attack on the institutions that allow conversations to take place. Addressing the 'Ideas for India' conclave in London, Rahul Gandhi said, "What is happening today is that there is a systematic attack on the institutions that allow conversations to take place. There is an attack on the Constitution of India. The result of this attack is that the states of India are longer able to negotiate with the government." Highlighting that democracy in India is a global public good, he said, "It is a central anchor for the planet. Because, we are the only people who have managed democracy at the scale that nobody has. If that cracks, it is going to cause a problem for the planet."
Left-affiliated All India Students Association (AISA) activists today staged a protest outside Delhi University's Arts Faculty against the arrest of Hindu College associate professor Ratan Lal. Lal was arrested on Friday night for his objectionable social media post referring to claims about a 'Shivling' found inside Varanasi's Gyanvapi mosque complex. The student activists held placards that read: "Stop attack on our teachers", "Stop curbing democratic voices" and "Release professor Ratan Lal". There was a heavy deployment of police during the protest. Apart from the district police, four companies from an outside force, including women personnel, have been put in place, police said.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav today met Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in the national capital and discussed various issues concerning the country. Rao is in Delhi as part of his week-long tour to attend national-level political and social programmes. Yadav met the chief minister at the latter's official residence on the Tughlaq Road. "Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met Chief Minister KCR. The two leaders discussed various national issues," according to an official statement. According to the Telangana chief minister's schedule, he will meet political, media and economic experts and also extend help to the families of soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of nine persons who were killed in an accident in Chandrapur district. Nine men were charred to death in a fire that broke out after a collision between a diesel-laden tanker and a truck carrying wood on Chandrapur-Mul Road on the outskirts of Chandrapur city on Thursday night. As per a statement released by the Chief Minister's Office, Thackeray expressed grief over the incident and announced Rs 5 lakh each for families of the victims from the CM's Relief Fund.
India's 16-year-old Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu stunned World Champion Magnus Carlsen for the second time in just three months as he got better of the Norwegian in the fifth round of the Chessable Masters online rapid chess tournament on Friday. The fifth round match of the tournament was headed towards a draw but a one-move blunder from the world champion Magnus Carlsen resulted in his defeat. Despite the victory, the 16-year-old GM was not happy. "I do not want to win that way!" said R Praggnanandhaa after Magnus Carlsen blundered. With this win, the Indian GM now is placed in the fifth spot on the leaderboard. Carlsen is in the third spot with 12 points and China's Wei Yi is on top with 18 points at the end of Day 2 of the tournament.
