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AAP vs BJP after Delhi, Punjab tableaux rejected for Republic Day parade

Delhi Art, Culture and Languages Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said the BJP-led central government rejected the tableaux of Delhi and Punjab for the Republic Day parade to "exact revenge on the AAP", which governs the national capital and the border state. Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said the Centre has rejected Delhi's tableaux for three consecutive years now. The last time Delhi's tableau featured in the Republic Day parade was in 2021. It showcased the Shahjahanabad redevelopment project, according to officials. Bharadwaj said Delhi's tableau this year would have showcased schools in the city and the mohalla clinic model. "The tableau of Delhi, which is the capital of the country, was rejected by the Centre. Its tableau was rejected for the 2022 parade and then for the 2023 parade and now it has been rejected again for the 2024 parade," the minister said. The theme of the Republic Day parade was "Nari Shakti" in 2023 and "Viksit Bharat" for 2024, he said. "

Delhi, Punjab tableaux for R-Day parade rejected to exact revenge: AAP

Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said the BJP-led central government has rejected the tableaux of Delhi and Punjab for the Republic Day parade to "exact revenge on the AAP", which is in power in the capital and the border state. Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said the Centre has rejected Delhi's tableaux for three years now. The last time Delhi's tableau featured in the Republic Day parade was in 2021. It showcased the Shahjahanabad redevelopment project, according to officials. Bharadwaj said Delhi's tableau this year would have showcased schools in the city and the Mohalla Clinic model. "The tableau of Delhi, which is the capital of the country, was rejected by the Centre. Its tableau was rejected for the 2022 parade and then for the 2023 parade and now it has been rejected again for the 2024 parade," the minister said. The theme of the Republic Day parade was 'Nari Shakti' in 2023 and it is 'Viksit Bharat' for the 2024 parade, he said. "No one can say it's

Delhi 2023: Year of unrelenting tussle between AAP dispensation, L-G

An unrelenting tussle with the Lt Governor and the bureaucracy and a short-lived promise of authority after a Supreme Court verdict on control over Services-related matters marked an action-packed 2023 for Delhi's AAP government. Hardly a week after the Supreme Court on May 11 granted Delhi's elected AAP dispensation executive control over Services-related matters, including appointments and transfers of bureaucrats, the BJP-led Centre brought legislation to again tilt the balance in favour of the Lt Governor. As the weeks and months passed, the war of words between the AAP government and the Raj Niwas and bureaucrats got only sharper and noisier with even Lt Governor VK Saxena, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar getting involved. In January, the two sides came face to face as Kejriwal marched from the Vidhan Sabha to the Raj Niwas with his ministers and MLAs to protest against alleged hurdles created in sending government school teachers to Finland for

Delhi's LG approves proposal to notify MTP Act; blames AAP govt for delay

The move, aimed at ensuring universal access for women to comprehensive abortion care, comes more than two years after the amendments were made by Parliament

Centre's rejection of Delhi govt's R-Day tableau political move, says AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday accused the BJP-led Centre of scuttling the Delhi government's plans of showcasing its health and education models at the Republic Day parade by rejecting its tableau in a political move. Addressing a press conference, the party's chief national spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said the government was not provided any reason for the exclusion. "This decision is driven by politics. The Delhi government wanted to showcase its education and health model at the Republic Day parade. But Delhi and Punjab tableaux were excluded from selection," she alleged. Kakkar also claimed that the tableaux of BJP-governed states like Assam, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh have been given opportunities to showcase their tableaux continuously for the last five years. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday slammed the BJP for not including the state's tableau in the Republic Day parade, calling it a step towards removing the word Punjab from the national anthem. "If the

AAP to take legal opinion on fresh ED summons to Kejriwal: Gopal Rai

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will take legal opinion on the Enforcement Directorate's fresh summons to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after he returns from his Vipassana, senior party leader Gopal Rai said on Saturday. After Kejriwal skipped the second summons on Thursday, the ED on Friday again issued a notice to Kejriwal for questioning on January 3 in its Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering investigation. Rai, who is the environment minister and AAP's Delhi state convener, told PTI-Video on the sidelines of a press conference that "currently, the chief minister is undertaking a Vipassana". "There is no communication with him. Once he returns, we will take a legal opinion, and then decide about it," he said. On the summons, the AAP in a statement on Friday had said it is just political vendetta to counter the growing popularity of the party across the country. This is the third notice to Kejriwal, who is the AAP's national convenor, after he refused to appear before the fed

Delhi excise policy case: ED to supply case-related docs to Sanjay Singh

AAP MP Sanjay Singh has been arrested and charge-sheeted in the Delhi Excise policy money laundering case

AAP govt announces 'anywhere registration' policy for properties in Delhi

Properties in Delhi can be registered at any sub-registrar's office, Revenue Minister Atishi said on Thursday, announcing the 'Anywhere Registration' policy. The policy will save people from long queues for property registration, thus promoting transparency to help curb corruption, she added. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has approved the policy and the file has been sent to the Lt Governor for notification. The Delhi government's Revenue Department has decided to introduce the 'Anywhere Registration' policy, according to a statement issued later in the day. According to the policy, people wanting to register their properties can go to any sub-registrar's office in Delhi. Individuals will not be restricted to a specific sub-registrar's office for property registration, it said. Many complaints about the sub-registrar's office often reach Kejriwal, the statement added. One complaint received is that there are long queues in many sub-registrar's offices. Another complaint that is

Kejriwal replies to ED, says summons politically motivated, illegal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sent his reply to the ED summons, calling them illegal and politically motivated, AAP sources said on Thursday. Kejriwal was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in the excise policy-linked money laundering case on Thursday. However, he left for an undisclosed location for a 10-day Vipassana meditation course on Wednesday. "Kejriwal called the fresh summons politically motivated and illegal. In his reply, he said that he has lived his life through transparency and honesty and has nothing to hide. He said he is ready to accept any legal summons," sources said, citing his reply. Kejriwal was scheduled to leave for the Vipassana course on Tuesday but could not do so as he was busy with the INDIA bloc meeting. He left at around 1.30 pm on Wednesday for the pre-scheduled meditation course, officials said. The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday questioned the timing of the summons, saying the party's lawyers are studying the notice and

It's not MPs but democracy that has been suspended: AAP's Raghav Chadha

"I would not say that some MPs were suspended but democracy has been suspended," the AAP leader added

AAP lists pro-farmer policy in response to BJP's memorandum to CM Kejriwal

This is the first government to award Rs 50,000 per hectare as crop compensation during crop damage universally to all farmers, and this is the highest among all states in the country, AAP said

Delhi govt working on cabinet note for MoU with NCRTC for 2 RRTS corridors

The Arvind Kejriwal government is working on a cabinet note to strike an understanding with the NCRTC for the construction of Delhi-Alwar and Delhi-Panipat Rapid Rail Transit System, or RRTS, corridors, officials said on Saturday. The Transport department of Delhi government has floated a draft cabinet note for an amendment to the Delhi-Shahjahanpur-Neemrana-Behror, or Delhi-SNB, corridor a stretch of Alwar corridor - seeking comments from Planning, Law, and Finance departments, said a senior government officer. The signing of an MoU with the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) on the two corridors can be taken up after the projects are approved by the Cabinet, he said. BJP MLA Vijender Gupta had on Friday raised the issue of Delhi-Panipat and Delhi-Alwar projects in the winter session of Delhi Assembly, and accused the AAP government of making excuses to obstruct these projects. Gupta had also in October written to the Lt Governor raising the matter. In reply t

AAP appoints Raghav Chadha as party leader in RS, replaces Sanjay Singh

The Aam Aadmi Party has appointed its MP Raghav Chadha as the leader of the party in Rajya Sabha in place of Sanjay Singh, sources said. In a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, the AAP party leadership has said that in the absence of Sanjay Singh, who has "health issues", Raghav Chadha will henceforth be the party's leader in the upper house. AAP MP Sanjay Singh is currently behind bars in the Delhi liquor policy case. Sources in the Rajya Sabha secretariat confirmed that a letter has been received from the AAP regarding appointing Chadha as its floor leader. The letter is with the RS Secretary General for implementation. Chadha is one of the youngest members of Rajya Sabha. The AAP has a total of 10 MPs in the Upper House currently. The AAP has the fourth largest strength in Rajya Sabha after the BJP, the Congress and the TMC.

CJI refuses to defer hearing on bail plea of AAP leader Satyendar Jain

Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud on Thursday refused to adjourn the hearing on the bail plea of AAP leader Satyendar Kumar Jain in a money laundering case listed before another bench headed by Justice Bela M Trivedi, saying the judge concerned will take the decision. A bench comprising CJI and justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was urged by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Jain who is out on interim bail, that the proposed hearing on his plea by the Justice Trivedi-led bench during the day be deferred. Singhvi said a bench comprising Justice A S Bopanna and Justice Trivedi had heard substantial arguments in the case and now the matter is listed before the bench on which Justice Bopanna is not a part. We wish to seek a deferment. If you (the CJI) can kindly see the case papers once, the senior lawyer said. I will not control what the judge concerned is doing in the matter listed before her. The judge who has the case will decide. I cannot. I cannot take a ca

Delhi BJP MLAs allege that AAP govt is running away from debates

Ahead of the winter session of the Delhi assembly later this week, BJP MLAs on Wednesday alleged that the AAP government was running away from debates on issues related to the people of the city. No immediate reaction was available from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the charge. There are eight BJP MLAs in the 70-member House as against AAP's 62. At a joint press conference here, Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri alleged that the Kejriwal government in the last four years did not allow notices of the BJP legislators over issues related to Delhi. He claimed that his party's MLAs have given notices for debates on issues like the poor condition of transportation, compensation to farmers, pollution in the Yamuna, old age pension and non-issuing of ration cards. The winter session of the Delhi Assembly will begin on Friday. Apart from tabling revised estimates of the budget, debates on different issues are likely in the House during the two-day session. Bidhuri also char

Govt mowed down democracy with this 'billdozer': Raghav Chadha on CEC bill

Further, Chadha underscored the pivotal role of an independent Election Commission in ensuring unbiased elections

Delhi govt plans to provide parents with live-feed of CCTVs in classrooms

The Delhi government has developed an app, called 'DGS Live', through which parents can get a live view of cameras installed in classrooms for about five minutes per class

AAP has pushed Punjab into unprecedented crisis: BJP's Tarun Chugh

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Friday alleged the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led government has plunged Punjab into an "unprecedented crisis" as he targeted the AAP government on economic and law and order fronts. In a statement, Chugh claimed that anti-national elements are having a free run in the border state, which is a matter of concern. "The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government has plunged Punjab into an unprecedented crisis. Punjab under the AAP government has collapsed economically and... (there has been a) complete collapse of law and order," the BJP leader said. "The state has been bequeathed to gangsters who are running amok," Chugh said. "Moreover, anti-national elements are having a free play in the border state which is a very serious national concern," he said. The mining mafia, drug dealers and gangsters are having a good time, he charged. Chugh further claimed Punjab already has a debt of Rs 4 lakh crore and it is growing with every passing day. "Th

Delay in fund disbursal halted all works of Delhi Jal Board: Somnath Bharti

Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman Somnath Bharti Friday said all maintenance and developmental works of DJB have "come to a standstill" due to the delay in disbursal of funds from the finance secretary. In an interview with PTI, he said that since maintenance work happens every day and DJB contractors have gone on strike due to non-payment of dues, the work of the jal board has been "suffering". The Delhi Jal Board contractors association has been on strike since November 27 over non-payment of dues, with its general secretary Vinay Mangla claiming that around 1,150 contractors have halted their work until payments are made to everyone. Bharti said, "Multiple projects are underway and contractors haven't been paid since February. Maintenance work, including cleaning of contamination, and repairing or replacing pipelines, happens every other day in Delhi. All maintenance and developmental works of DJB have come to a standstill due to delay in disbursal of funds." He said that as a plea