The weekend is here. This week several major events took place in India. The Center introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, which faced major objections from opposition parties.

India’s friendly neighbor Bangladesh witnessed political turmoil as the week began, with its Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning and fleeing the country. She is in India “for now” but her stay may be extended.

In a major relief for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), its leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia secured bail from the Supreme Court in corruption and money laundering cases linked to the Delhi Excise Policy scam.

Here’s all this and more in the weekly roundup of stories from India.

1. Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju tabled the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, which proposes over three dozen amendments to the 1995 Waqf Act that governs
waqf boards in India. The proposed changes have sparked outrage, with many opposition MPs calling it an “attack on the constitution and federalism”.

The bill has triggered a war of words between the Center and the opposition. Home Minister Amit Shah accused the opposition of “misleading” Muslims and said the changes were necessary because the current law had many “mistakes” and could not serve its purpose.

What changes are proposed by the centre? Why has the bill caused outrage? We explain in
this report.

2. Sheikh Hasina has been in India since she fled her country on Monday. The former Bangladesh prime minister has reportedly sought asylum in the UK but the Keir Starmer government is not playing ball. The embattled leader’s sister, Sheikh Rehana, who fled with her, is a British citizen. Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq is a member of the British Parliament. Thus, Britain was Hasina’s first choice.

Hasina’s stay in India was expected to be a stopover. However, as her UK plans have hit a roadblock, she is likely to remain in India. New Delhi has always been a “trusted” ally of the Bangladeshi leader and her family. Now that her stay has been extended, how will India receive her? Read
our history to find out.

3. After spending a year-and-a-half in jail, Manish Sisodia walked out of jail on Friday, hours after he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in both the CBI and ED cases in the alleged Delhi liquor crackdown. The apex court bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said the former Delhi Deputy CM had been deprived of the right to a speedy trial.

VIDEO | “I want to thank Abhishek Manu Singhvi for helping me get out of jail,” said AAP leader Manish Sisodia (@msisodia).

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/WAFDn4607u

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 9, 2024

Sisodia’s bail is a big relief for AAP, whose convener Arvind Kejriwal remains behind bars. The party has faced several setbacks and needs a boost, especially ahead of the crucial assembly elections in Delhi and Haryana. Read
our report to know what Sisodia’s bail means for AAP.

4. It was a big heartbreak for India when wrestler Vinesh Phogat was disqualified from the Paris Olympics, just before his gold medal match. The 29-year-old received loads of love and support from all corners after reports surfaced that she was disqualified from the women’s 50 kg wrestling event at the Paris Olympics for being overweight by just 100 grams.

Hours later, Vinesh hung up his boots. “Mathe wrestling has won, I have lost. Please forgive me, your dreams and my courage, everything is broken. I can’t take it anymore. Goodbye Wrestling 2001-2024. I will be indebted to you all. Forgive (me), she wrote in a post on X.

Vinesh’s disqualification sparked conspiracy claims on social media. It also led to opposition leaders questioning the government. But why? Read in
our explainer.

5. Sheikh Hasina’s ouster has raised concerns that it could hurt India. Trade between the two nations was affected after the former prime minister fled the country. Reports emerged that goods trucks were stopped at Changrabandha in Cooch Behar in West Bengal.

Dhaka is New Delhi’s largest trading partner in Asia and its 25th largest overall. India is Bangladesh’s second largest trading partner, after China. However, bilateral trade has suffered due to the political crisis in Bangladesh. We explain in
this story.

6. Kerala is witnessing a rise in cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis, or amoebic brain fever, with seven infections found in the capital Thiruvananthapuram itself. The rare brain infection claimed the life of a young man in July.

The increasing cases of amoebic encephalitis in Kerala have sparked concern. Previously, the infection was mostly reported in children, but now it is seen in adults. The disease, which is caused by Naegleria fowleri or “brain-eating amoeba”, has a high mortality rate. Read
our report to know how dangerous amoebic brain fever is.

This is all we have for you this week. If you like our explainers, you can
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