Opposition

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Lok Sabha discusses Central Excise (Amendment) Bill 2025

Parliament Winter Session LIVE Updates: Follow all the latest updates from Parliament as government and opposition debate key issues

Sanchar Saathi app downloads jump 10 times on Dec 2; up from 60K to 600K

The government's cyber security and safety app Sanchar Saathi recorded a 10-fold jump in downloads on Tuesday, rising from a daily average of around 60,000 to nearly 6 lakh, DoT sources said on Wednesday. The number of downloads jumped even as Opposition leaders and a section of industry experts criticised the Department of Telecom order to mandatorily pre-install the app on all mobile phones alleging that it is meant for "snooping" and violating privacy of citizens. "There has been very good response to the Sanchar Saathi App from the public suddenly. The download on a single day jumped 10 times to around 6 lakh from an average of 60,000 a day," a DoT source, who did not wished to be named, told PTI. According to official data, 1.5 crore people have already downloaded the app even before the order was issued. The order dated November 28, mandates all mobile phone manufacturers to pre-install Sanchar Saathi app in all handsets to be sold in India as well as in existing devices thro

Govt ready to discuss anything, Oppn should not fix timeline: Rijiju on SIR

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday told Opposition members in the Lok Sabha that the government was willing to discuss any issue and it has invited leaders from various parties for a dialogue to break the ongoing impasse. Rijiju's remarks came amid unrelenting protests by Opposition MPs in the House demanding a debate on the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voters' list in nine states and three Union Territories. The minister said there are several important issues, and the proceedings cannot be disrupted over one issue. One issue cannot outweigh others at a time when members of smaller parties also want to discuss matters important to them, he added. Amid slogan shouting by the Opposition members, the Union minister said, "Two to four parties are disrupting the House... In a democracy, people win and lose. They should not vent their anger like this... By doing this, you are losing the trust of the people". Making similar remarks in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju s

'Parliament not a place for drama': PM taunts Oppn ahead of Winter Session

PM Modi also said that Parliament is being used either as a warm-up arena for elections or as an outlet for frustration after defeat

Parliament Winter session: Govt to push reform agenda, Oppn to target SIR

The Winter session of Parliament beginning Monday will see the government push its reforms agenda with a legislation to open up the civil nuclear sector to private players, while the opposition is set to rake up the issue of revision of electoral rolls across 12 states and Union territories. The three-week long session of Parliament comes against the backdrop of the overwhelming victory of the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar Assembly elections which is expected to reflect in the renewed push for reforms after a virtual washout of the Monsoon session. Besides the crucial 'The Atomic Energy Bill, 2025', which seeks to govern the use and regulation of atomic energy in India, the Higher Education Commission of India Bill and eight other draft legislations are also on the agenda for the session which will have 15 sittings. The government already had to step back from its plans to bring a bill to empower the president to make regulations for the Union Territory of Chandigarh directly, after stif

INDIA bloc manifesto pledges one job per household, review on liquor ban

Tejashwi Yadav-led alliance pledges jobs, welfare schemes and prohibition review in Bihar; BJP, JDU term promises unrealistic

Opposition leaders slam Lokpal after it floats tender to buy 7 BMW cars

The opposition on Wednesday hit out at anti-graft ombudsman Lokpal after it floated a tender to procure seven luxurious BMW cars, saying the guardians of integrity are chasing luxury over legitimacy. Senior Congress leader and former home minister P Chidambaram questioned as to when judges of the Supreme Court are provided modest sedans, why do the chairman and six members of the Lokpal require BMW cars. "Why spend public money to acquire these cars? I hope that at least one or two members of the Lokpal have refused, or will refuse, to accept these cars," Chidambaram said on X. Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi also criticised the move and took a swipe at Lokpal. "I chaired the Parliamentary Committee on Lokpal. Dr. L.M. Singhvi first conceived idea of Lokpal in the early 1960s. To see this anti-corruption body now ordering BMWs for its members is tragic irony, the guardians of integrity chasing luxury over legitimacy," Singhvi said on X. In another post, he said, "8,70

Japan's new PM Sanae Takaichi faces early test as coalition talks stall

While the most likely outcome is that the two parties will reach agreement in the coming days, the delay shows the level of reservations Komeito has over Takaichi's right-wing views

Belarus Oppn leader Mikalai Statkevich disappears after defying deportation

Scores of political prisoners pardoned by the authoritarian leader of Belarus sat on a bus waiting to cross the border with Lithuania last month, minutes from freedom. Suddenly, one of them stood up, forced the door open and got off, defiantly refusing to leave his homeland in what he called as a forced deportation. Since that incident on September 11, Mikalai Statkevich hasn't been seen. Human rights activists are demanding that Belarusian authorities reveal what has happened to the 69-year-old opposition politician and former presidential candidate. Statkevich was one of 52 political prisoners pardoned by President Alexander Lukashenko as part of a deal brokered by the United States. Fellow political prisoner Maksim Viniarski, who was travelling with him on the bus, told The Associated Press that Statkevich looked determined ready to fight not only for himself, but for the freedom of all Belarusians. When the emaciated Statkevich bolted from the bus, he left behind his critical

GST 2.0: BJP leaders celebrate, opposition alleges 'undue credit'

Congress accused that the 'limited' reform comes eight years too late; Vaishnaw pointed to the significantly higher tax rates under the UPA government

Oppn MPs also voted for Radhakrishnan, listening to their conscience: BJP

The BJP on Tuesday hailed NDA candidate C P Radhakrishnan's election as the 15th Vice President of India and said the poll outcome was an indication of his wider acceptance as several MPs from the opposition camp also voted for him after "listening to their conscience. Radhakrishnan secured 452 votes against the joint opposition candidate B Sudershan Reddy's 300, winning the contest with a bigger-than-expected margin, indicating cross-voting from the rival camp. Expressing gratitude towards all those who voted for Radhakrishnan, BJP chief whip in the Lok Sabha, Sanjay Jaiswal, said the NDA nominee won the vice presidential election by bagging 452 votes because he received support from some opposition MPs also. About 40 MPs belonging to the opposition camp supported the NDA's vice presidential candidate Radhakrishnan, listening to their conscience, he said. We express gratitude towards them also, he told PTI Videos in the Parliament House Complex. The BJP MP also hailed the prime .

Nation continues to wait for Dhankar to speak out, says Jairam Ramesh

Opposition has time and again claimed that Dhankar has been "silenced" and has enquired about his whereabouts. It was Dhankar's registration that triggered the race for the Vice Presidential elections

GST rate reforms: Oppn-ruled states call for additional levy for 5 yrs

At a consultative meeting in the capital, ahead of the GST Council's meeting on September 3-4, these states supported the Centre's proposal for rationalisation

Oppn states demand compensation for revenue loss due to GST reform proposal

Opposition-ruled states on Friday said the Centre's proposal for GST rate rejig could result in a revenue loss of about Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 lakh crore and demanded compensation for the losses incurred by them. Finance ministers from eight states -- Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal -- decided to present their proposal to the GST Council at the next meeting on September 3 and 4. Their proposal for balancing rate rationalisation and revenue neutrality suggests levying an additional duty on sin and luxury goods in addition to the proposed 40 per cent rate to maintain the current tax incidence. The proceeds from this levy should be distributed among states, the opposition-ruled states demanded. Briefing reporters after a meeting of the eight states, Karnataka Finance Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said each state is expected to lose 15-20 per cent from its current Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue. "The 20 per cent GST reven

Dhankhar resigned due to health reasons, no need to stretch it: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned due to health concerns and cautioned against speculating further

Amit Shah tables Bill to remove arrested ministers amid opposition protests

Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, aims to remove PM, union minister, CM, or minister of a state or Union Territory when arrested or detained on serious criminal charges

'Should leaders run govt from jail?': Shah defends PM, CM removal bills

Shah said the bills were introduced "on account of the Modi government's commitment to restoring moral standards in politics and in view of the public resentment towards the menace"

'Death knell for democracy': Opposition slams Centre's PM, CM removal bills

The bills propose that ministers who are arrested on charges carrying a prison term of five years or more and remain in custody for 30 consecutive days, will be removed from office on the 31st day

Left parties call bills to remove PM, CMs over criminal charges 'draconian'

Left parties on Wednesday said the new bills that provide for the removal of the prime minister or chief ministers arrested on serious criminal charges, are a direct "assault" on democracy and the federal framework, and vowed to oppose it "tooth and nail". The government plans to introduce three bills in Parliament on Wednesday for the removal of the prime minister, a Union minister, a chief minister or a minister of a state or Union Territory when arrested or detained on serious criminal charges for 30 days in a row Flaying the move, CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby said on X that "Modi Govt's 3 bills to oust PM, CMs, Ministers after 30 days in custody expose its neo-fascist characteristics. This direct assault on our democracy will be opposed by CPIM tooth and nail. We urge all democratic forces to unite against this draconian move". "These bills, cloaked as tackling crime in high office, reveal their true intent given the RSS-controlled Modi govt's history of undermining elected

Meet Sudershan Reddy, former SC judge now Opposition's vice president pick

Opposition alliance names former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy as its vice-presidential candidate against NDA nominee CP Radhakrishnan. Election is scheduled for September 9