Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Thursday over BJP member Nishikant Dubey's remarks targeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and seeking to link him to a US-based multi-billionaire. After two earlier adjournments, the House resumed at 3 pm to pass the the Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024, amid noisy protests by members of the opposition. Jagdambika Pal, who was in the Chair, tried to calm the opposition and asked Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to reply to the debate on the Bill. However, the protest by the opposition did not allow the House to function. As the uproar continued, Pal adjourned the House for the day. During Zero Hour at noon, Dubey claimed the Congress-led opposition had tried to derail Parliament proceedings following reports in a publication based on findings of the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) which had alleged links to the billionaire investor. Congress members strongly objected to Dubey's remarks leading to
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Wednesday, announced the prohibition of beef consumption in restaurants, hotels, and public places
A delegation of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has met top officials of ministries of environment and tribal affairs in New Delhi and apprised them of adverse impacts of Andhra Pradesh's Polavaram irrigation project on livelihood, land and interest of indigenous people in Odisha's Malkangiri district, the party said on Thursday. The team met the central officials on Wednesday. The BJD delegation, led by senior leader and former minister Debi Prasad Mishra, had also met Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Paatil in the national capital on Tuesday and apprised him of the potential of submergence of large areas in Malkangiri due to the construction of the multi-purpose project in the neighbouring state. The team met Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Leena Nandan and submitted a memorandum to her, highlighting how the Polavaram project would cause extensive damage to the flora and fauna in tribal-majority Malkangiri district of Odisha. The BJD memorandum said, The Polavaram projec
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday attacked the BJP government at the Centre on reports that the GST on several items might be hiked, saying the BJP plans to "increase corruption" instead of increasing revenue. In a post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "BJP was saying 'one country, one tax' but this statement of theirs also turned out to be a 'jumlaai jhoot' (rhetoric) because now they are bringing new slabs of tax." "When there is 'one tax, many slabs' then the slogan of 'one tax' has proved to be a lie in the true sense. Actually, there is a big game behind increasing the tax rates. This is the BJP's plan to increase corruption instead of increasing revenue to do 'vasuli' (extort money) from shopkeepers and businessmen through the officials by exerting more pressure on them," he charged. His remarks come after reports that the GoM on GST rate rationalisation has suggested tax rate on sin goods like aerated beverages, cigarettes, tobacco and ..
Samajwadi Party MLA Iqbal Mehmood has asked the Uttar Pradesh government to send a political delegation to meet the families of victims of the November 24 violence in Sambhal district. Talking to reporters on Wednesday evening, the Sambhal MLA alleged the BJP wants to divide people and as a result, the country is lagging behind. On Wednesday, a delegation of Congress leaders led by Rahul Gandhi on its way to Sambhal was stopped by Uttar Pradesh Police at Ghazipur border here amid a ban on the entry of outsiders in the district. Last week, several Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs were stopped from entering the district. "The government should send its political delegation here to meet families of victims and send out a message that everyone should live together with unity," Mehmood said. He said the BJP should follow RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's advice that there is no need to look for shivling in every mosque. "It should be followed to avoid spread of hatred in society and increase brotherh
Two deputy chief ministers, NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, will also be sworn in
Both detractors and admirers of Jawaharlal Nehru are living in his shadow and, since 2014, the story is one of governance through maximum criticism of the country's first prime minister, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch of writer-scholar Aditya Mukherjee's "Nehru's India", the Congress general secretary said one of the biggest takeaways from the book was that "not only the idea of India but the idea of Nehru itself needs to be defended". "...needs to be defended from its old critics, from its new critics, and it has to be reinterpreted for a changing India. I just want to say that we all live in the shadow of Nehru. Many of us have assimilated Nehru and many of us contest Nehru. And even those who contest Nehru cannot run away from the shadow of Nehru," the Rajya Sabha MP said. The book, published by Penguin, focuses on Nehru's understanding of history and India's cultural past while offering a window into his understanding of communalis
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BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the post of Chief Minister is a "technical arrangement" and he would run the new Mahayuti coalition government in Maharashtra by taking allies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar along. Fadnavis was speaking to reporters after meeting Governor C P Radhakrishnan who invited him to form the next government. He was accompanied by Shinde and Pawar. "Chief minister's post is a technical arrangement. All three of us will work together unitedly," Fadnavis said. "I and two deputy chief ministers will take oath (during the swearing-in ceremony on Thursday evening). It is yet to be decided how many ministers will take oath," he informed. He met Shinde on Tuesday evening and invited him to join the government, Fadnavis added. But Shinde, currently the caretaker CM, evaded reply when asked whether he will join the government. 'Wait till evening," said the Shiv Sena president who was chief minister of the Mahayuti government from July 2022 onwards. Aji
An official invitation card of swearing-in ceremony sourced from Fadnavis' office states that he is set to take oath as chief minister of the State at Azad Maidan in Mumbai at 5:30 pm on December 5
Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government after three members of a family were found dead at their home in the national capital. Describing the incident as "extremely painful and frightening," the AAP convener accused the Centre of allowing criminals a free hand and failing to ensure law and order in the capital. "Three murders in the same house in Neb Sarai This is extremely painful and frightening. Every day, Delhiites wake up to such frightening news. Criminals have been given a free hand, law and order has collapsed. Homes are being destroyed, innocent lives are being lost. And those who are responsible are silently watching all this happen," he wrote in a post on X. "Will the central government keep quiet like this and watch the law and order situation in Delhi collapse? Will its party still say that crime is not an issue in Delhi?" he added. The Delhi Police operates under the Union Ministry of Home .
The Supreme Court Wednesday transferred to CBI two FIRs lodged against West Bengal BJP leader Kabir Shankar Bose pertaining to the 2020 scuffle between his security staff and Trinamool Congress workers. A bench of Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Pankaj Mithal gave its judgment on a plea filed by Bose seeking direction for transferring the investigation into the case to CBI, an SIT or any independent agency from the West Bengal Police. "In the peculiar facts of this case a writ of mandamus is issued to the respondents to hand over the investigation papers pursuant to the two FIRs to the CBI along with all records for its completion so that if necessary, the trial may commence, and justice is done to the parties," the bench said. Bose had also sought a stay of investigation and further proceedings in FIRs lodged against him by the West Bengal Police pertaining to the alleged scuffle. In his plea, Bose had claimed that on December 6, he along with his CISF guards came under heavy .
The crucial legislature party meeting of the BJP will be held at the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan on Wednesday to elect its leader, who is expected take over as the next chief minister of the state. Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the frontrunner for the top post in the new BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP Mahayuti government. The BJP legislature party leader elected in the meeting is then expected to meet the governor to stake a claim to form new government in the state. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani have been appointed as central observers for the BJP legislature party meeting. Rupani, who arrived in Mumbai Tuesday evening for the meeting, said late night that the legislature party leader's name will be finalised after talks with the party's newly-elected MLAs. If there is unanimity, then only one name will be selected, he said. The BJP achieved remarkable success in the November 20 Maharashtra elections, securin
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Heavy police security was deployed on Tuesday at a village in Maharashtra's Malshiras assembly segment after some locals cast doubt on the EVMs and insisted on conducting a "re-election" with ballot papers, officials said. The Malshiras sub-divisional magistrate on Monday imposed prohibitory orders, under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, from December 2 to 5 in the area to avoid any conflict or law and order situation due to the "repoll" plan of some locals, an official said. Residents of Markadwadi village under Malshiras segment in Solapur district have put up banners claiming a "repoll" will be held on December 3. The village comes under the Malshiras assembly constituency, where NCP (SP) candidate Uttam Jankar defeated BJP's Ram Satpute by 13,147 votes in the November 20 state polls, the results of which were declared on November 23. Though Jankar won the seat, Markadwadi residents claimed he polled less votes in their village against Satpute which was not
The BJP on Tuesday cited the conviction of AAP MLA Mehrauli Naresh Yadav in a case of desecration of the Quran in Punjab to accuse the party of going to any extent in its alleged greed for power. BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi told reporters that another AAP MLA, Naresh Balyan, was recently arrested by the Delhi Police on extortion charges, as she hit out at party leader Arvind Kejriwal. "Be it extorting money or stoking communal passion, such shrewd minds and such a party in its greed for power can go to any extent," she alleged. Ilmi, who was once with AAP before falling out with Kejriwal, said Delhi's ruling party says all kinds of things to get Muslim votes but its MLA conspires to defile the Quran in Punjab. Kejriwal's friend and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav should also talk about it, she said. "This party (AAP) has crossed all limits and come to a dangerous place," Ilmi said, adding that it is now up to the people to decide to get rid of such leaders. Ilmi suggested
The Winter Session of Parliament, which began on Nov 25 and is set to continue until Dec 20, has faced significant disruptions due to Opposition protests
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday witnessed a live demonstration simulating a crime scene investigation under the new criminal laws here. Modi arrived in Chandigarh earlier in the day to dedicate to the nation the successful implementation of the three new laws. The three criminal laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam -- came into effect on July 1, replacing the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively. A live demonstration of the process of collecting evidence and recording statements was given by the Chandigarh Police at an exhibition hall set up at the Punjab Engineering College here. The programme showcased the practical application of the new laws. Modi was also briefed by Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur. The prime minister was accompanied by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday extended warm wishes on the feast of St Francis Xavier, saying it is an occasion of spiritual renewal and urged people to pledge to build communities of love and brotherhood. The 45-day-long decennial exposition of the scared relics of St Xavier began in Goa on November 21. A large number of people gather in Goa on December 3 every year to celebrate the feast of St Francis Xavier, the patron saint of the coastal state. Sawant in his message lauded the theme -- 'We are Messengers of the Good News' -- for the solemn exposition. "We are fortunate to witness this practice of the decennial exposition of the sacred relics of St Francis Xavier. This solemn exposition held every ten years is an opportunity to introspect on the teachings of the saint and an occasion of spiritual renewal and also a time to rekindle in the hearts of the laity the desire to be the messenger of the good news," he said. The chief minister expressed hope that the decen
The Supreme Court's posing question over the reinstatement of DMK's V Senthil Balaji in the M K Stalin-led Tamil Nadu Cabinet soon after he was granted bail in a money laundering case was actually 'directed' at the Chief Minister and he should sack his cabinet colleague immediately, the state BJP said on Tuesday. TN BJP vice-president and party spokesperson, Narayanan Thirupathy pointed out to the apex court asking "what is going on," vis-a-vis Senthil Balaji's reinstatement and said the question was "directed" at the CM. "Is Senthil Balaji the reason for this question? No. It is a question directed at Chief Minister M K Stalin. It is not Senthil Balaji's crime to have become minister. The question is why did you (Stalin) bring him back as a minister," Thirupathy said in a post on 'X.' As a "responsible chief minister", Stalin could have told Senthil Balaji that he would be made minister "after coming out of the case," he said. Senthil Balaji was behind bars for "over 400 days," as