News18 Daybreak | SC to Hear Plea Over Rahul Gandhi's Citizenship and Other Stories You Need to Watch Out For

1. Left with no alternative to bail himself out of contempt proceedings, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday tendered his "unconditional apology" to the Supreme Court for attributing 'Chowkidar chor hai' jibe to the top court.

"The Deponent further states that any such attributions were entirely unintentional, non-willful and inadvertent," read his second affidavit.

However, this will not spell the end of the Congress chief's troubles as the Supreme Court today is slated to hear a plea to debar Rahul Gandhi from contesting polls on account of him allegedly acquiring British nationality.

The complainant in the case had produced purported copies of a certificate of incorporation of a UK-registered company in which the Congress leader is stated to be a British national.

2. The controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on Rajiv Gandhi yet to die down, PM Modi targeted the former Prime Minister again. At a rally in Delhi on Wednesday, he said Rajiv Gandhi and family were sent for a vacation on board the Navy's INS Virat, contending that it had compromised national security.

The ship, PM Modi said, was positioned for protection of maritime boundaries, when it was sent to transport Rajiv Gandhi and his family to an island for their holiday. Even his in-laws were onboard INS Virat.

The Prime Minister has been under intense criticism over his comment that Rajiv Gandhi died as "Bhrashtachari (corrupt) number 1". Most opposition leaders have condemned the statement, saying it was inappropriate of the Prime Minister to make such statements about a deceased predecessor, who had been assassinated by terrorists.

3. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's challenge with one of her own. PM Modi had dared the Congress to contest the final rounds of the national election on Rajiv Gandhi's image. While campaigning in Delhi, Priyanka Gandhi retorted: "A Delhi girl is openly challenging you. Contest the last two phases on notebandi, GST, women's safety and unfulfilled promises to the youth."

The verbal sparring started when PM Modi, over the weekend, said at a rally that Rajiv Gandhi's life had ended as "Corrupt No.1". The comments on Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi's father, a former prime minister assassinated in 1991 by a suicide bomber - were condemned by many opposition parties.

Priyanka Gandhi sat on top of a slow-moving minibus along with former chief minister Sheila Dikshit as she campaigned for the first time in Delhi since she joined politics in January. She held roadshows to campaign for two candidates including Sheila Dikshit, who is contesting from Northeast Delhi, and boxer Vijender Singh, the Congress candidate from south Delhi.

4. Asserting that it cannot go into the merits the clean chits given by the Election Commission to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, the Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea moved by Congress MP Sushmita Dev.

This, the top court said, was because the petition filed by Dev was against the inaction of the EC in dealing with the complaints of alleged violations of Model Code of Conduct by Modi and Shah in their election speeches.

Since the poll panel has decided on the complaints now, the court said the plea has become infructuous and asked her to file a fresh petition.

The Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission last week to decide all complaints against Modi. The poll panel has given clean chits to Modi, as well as Amit Shah, in all the cases so far.

It has disposed of nine complaints against the PM, the latest being over his statement against former PM Rajiv Gandhi that triggered a political storm.The Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission last week to decide all complaints against Modi. The poll panel has given clean chits to Modi, as well as Amit Shah, in all the cases so far.

It has disposed of nine complaints against the PM, the latest being over his statement against former PM Rajiv Gandhi that triggered a political storm.

5. A court in the United Kingdom on Wednesday again denied bail to diamond merchant Nirav Modi, having earlier twice rejected the plea. Modi is the main accused in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case amounting to an estimated $2 billion.

Modi is fighting an extradition case in connection to the scam. He is currently lodged at Her Majesty's Prison (HMP) Wandsworth, where he can hold sessions with his legal team to deliberate on the course of his extradition proceedings.

6. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be happy to keep tariffs on Chinese imports, prompting Beijing to threaten retaliation, as the world's two largest economies prepared to resume talks to end a trade war that has roiled global supply chains and financial markets.

The United States and China have locked horns over trade since last year when the Trump administration slapped levies on billions of dollars worth of Chinese goods and demanded the Asian nation adopt policy changes that would, among other things, make China's markets more accessible to US companies.

Beijing has responded in kind with its own tariffs on a range of US goods including soybeans and pork products.

Although expectations have mounted that the two sides appeared to be nearing a deal, relations have soured in recent days.