FirstUp: PM in Varanasi, India Vs England... The news today

Thank God It’s Friday! Before we greet the weekend, let’s take a look at what is in store for us today (23 February). It’s a busy day for Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi for several events.

President Droupadi Murmu’s five-day visit to to Andaman and Nicobar Islands will also culminate today.

Here’s all this and more you can expect to make headlines today.

PM Modi in Varanasi

PM Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for various development projects worth over Rs 13,000 crore at a public function in Varanasi. He will also be at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) where he will attend a prize distribution ceremony and give certificates to winners of Sansad Sanskrit Pratiyogita.

Thereafter, Modi will perform pooja and darshan at Sant Guru Ravidas Janmasthali and have prasad at langar (community feast). The PM will also unveil various development works around Sant Ravidas Janmasthali worth about Rs 32 crore and lay the foundation stone for Sant Ravidas Museum.

He will participate in an event commemorating the 647th birth anniversary of Sant Guru Ravidas. The PM is also slated to visit Banas Kashi Sankul, a milk processing unit of Banaskantha District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd at UPSIDA Agro Park, Karkhiyaon.

Rahul Gandhi’s remarks case

A court in Rajasthan’s Jaipur will take note of a legal complaint against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on PM Modi. A petition was filed in the court, seeking action against the Congress MP for his remarks on PM Modi’s caste during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Odisha.

The petitioner, Vijay Kalandar, in his complaint called Gandhi a “casteist’’ and claimed he hurt the religious sentiments of many other communities and castes by saying that Modi was not an OBC by birth.

The Jaipur court has kept the legal complaint for an office report today.

Jharkhand Assembly budget session to begin

The Budget session of the Jharkhand Assembly will commence today.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren-led government will present its first budget on 27 February.

A special court in Ranchi has denied permission to former CM Hemant Soren to attend the Budget session. Soren’s arrest by the Enforcement Directorate on 31 January in a money laundering case had paved the way for Champai Soren to take over the CM post in the state.

India Vs England in Ranchi

India and England will face off in the fourth Test that will be held in Ranchi today. India took a 2-1 lead by defeating England in the third Test in Rajkot.

England had won the first Test in Visakhapatnam. The Ranchi pitch has spooked the England cricketers, with Captain Ben Stokes saying it is something he has never seen.

Will the pitch create trouble for the players? Only time will tell.

President Murmu’s Andaman trip ends

Droupadi Murmu first visit to Andaman and Nicobar Islands since becoming the President in 2022 will come to an end today. During her trip that began on 19 February, she interacted with officials and several communities, including tribals.

Murmu also visited the Cellular Jail, Swaraj Dweep popularly known as Havelock Islands, Campbell Bay, and Indira Point – the southernmost point of India.

The President also attended the film presentation on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and a special screening on Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan.

Byju’s EGM

Byju’s investors will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) today to oust founder Byju Raveendran and his family from the board and leadership.

However, their decision will not hold merit after the Karnataka High Court said any resolutions proposed in the meeting will not be considered valid till the time the court is done with hearing of the petition filed by Byju’s parent firm Think & Learn Private Limited.

The troubles have increased for the edtech company Byju’s and its CEO Raveendran. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate upgraded its Look out Circular (LOC) against the 43-year-old BYJU’S founder.

The high court order has brought temporary respite for Raveendran.