Opposition

Pawar, Kejriwal, other Oppn leaders visit Jantar Mantar after CJP crackdown

Several opposition leaders including NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal visited the Cockroach Janta Party's protest site at Jantar Mantar here on Tuesday, a day after the police crackdown on its 'Sansad Chalo' march, and extended support to the agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations. Pawar, accompanied by party MP Supriya Sule, met injured protesters and members of the movement and condemned the police action during Monday's attempted march to Parliament. Among other political leaders who visited the protest site were Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Sanjay Raut and Arvind Sawant, Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, AAP leader Gopal Rai, Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani, and a delegation of parliamentarians from Left parties. According to a statement issued by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Pawar said the voices of students demanding a fair and transparent examination system could not be silenced through force and assured that the NCP (SP) wou

Oppn MPs meet Birla, seek discussion on 'brutality' unleashed on students

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi along with some opposition MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday and urged him to allow a discussion in the House on the "brutality unleashed" on students and the government's "complete lack of accountability" for the examination crisis. Besides Gandhi, SP's Dharmendra Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT's) Arvind Savant, RSP's N K Premchandran, among others, met the Speaker in his office before the House proceedings began. In a post on X, Gandhi said, "Met the Hon'ble Lok Sabha Speaker today along with MPs of the Opposition. Our demand is simple: Parliament must have a detailed discussion on the brutality unleashed on students yesterday and on the government's complete lack of accountability for the examination crisis." Students were beaten for asking legitimate questions about their own future, Gandhi said. If Parliament cannot discuss the future of India's youth, what is it for, he asked. "The Opposition will not let this be buried. We will ensure th

Rebel TMC MPs announce merger with regional party NCPI, to back NDA

The crisis in the Trinamool Congress deepened on Sunday as dissident MPs announced their merger with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India and met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a separate seating arrangement in the House, even as TMC parliamentary party leader Abhishek Banerjee urged Birla not to accord any recognition to the breakaway faction. Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the rebel faction would also fight in court to be recognised as the real TMC and will stake claim to its poll symbol. Speaking to reporters after their meeting with Birla, rebel MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said 20 TMC MPs had signed a representation submitted to the Speaker. "Two-thirds of TMC MPs have given a letter to the Speaker for a separate seating arrangement. We will merge with the Nationalist Citizens Party and support the NDA," she said. The Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is a Tripura-based registered unrecognised party that does not enjoy any significant political

Kharge calls for unity in INDIA bloc to confront challenges facing country

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday urged opposition leaders to strengthen unity to confront the political, economic, social and foreign policy challenges facing the country due to the Modi government's "misgovernance". Addressing a meeting of the Opposition INDIA bloc here, Kharge charged that the assault on the Constitution continues and probe agencies are persistently being used as tools to harass, intimidate, and bully political opponents. He also highlighted that the economic environment is extremely negative and new investments are not coming in at the pace required to generate new jobs. The Congress chief also pointed out to the "complete mismanagement" of the examination system due to which the hopes and aspirations of lakhs of youth are being betrayed. Batting for unity among opposition leaders, he said, "On April 17, 2026, we demonstrated our unity and solidarity in the Lok Sabha in a very decisive manner, when we all came together firmly to defeat the Modi ..

INDIA bloc meets today amid strains over Congress ties and poll setbacks

With 23 parties confirming attendance, the INDIA bloc will review poll results and Parliament strategy amid tensions with key allies DMK and CPI(M)

CBSE OSM row: Cong seeks Education Minister Pradhan's resignation

Congress intensifies its attack on the government over the CBSE OSM controversy, demanding accountability and the resignation of the education minister

Anti-incumbency rising against BJP in Goa, opposition must unite: GFP chief

Goa Forward Party president Vijai Sardesai has claimed that anti-incumbency is building against the state BJP government and stressed the need for the Opposition parties to come together to defeat it in the 2027 assembly polls. In the 2022 elections to the 40-member Goa assembly, the GFP contested four seats in alliance with the Congress, winning only one, with Sardesai getting elected from his traditional Fatorda constituency. The Congress had won 11 seats. Speaking to reporters in Margao on Tuesday, Sardesai said, "Anti-incumbency sentiment defeated the DMK in Tamil Nadu. A similar sentiment is running high against the BJP government in Goa. To tap this, it is incumbent upon Opposition parties to come together and defeat the BJP." In the just-concluded elections to the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly, Vijay-led TVK emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while the ruling DMK headed by M K Stalin got 59 seats. Sardesai also said his party has decided to take the h

Special session amid assembly elections draws Opposition criticism

While elections in Puducherry, Assam, and Kerala are scheduled for April 9, polls in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29. In Tamil Nadu, polls will be held on April 23

AAP accuses Chadha of indulging in 'soft PR', dodging key Parliament issues

The AAP on Friday hit back at party MP Raghav Chadha, accusing him of shying away from raising issues against the Centre in Parliament and instead engaging in "soft PR". Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha failed to toe the party's line on several matters in Parliament and did not join opposition walkouts on key issues. "We all are soldiers of Arvind Kejriwal, the Centre doesn't care about soft PR or talking about samosas at airport canteens when bigger issues are at stake," Bharadwaj said in a video posted on X. "Whenever the Opposition staged a walkout in Parliament, you (Chadha) did not participate. You did not raise issues concerning Punjab, from where you are elected, and you hid in a foreign country when former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal was arrested," he added. AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda also criticised Chadha, questioning whether someone who "fears" Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fight for the country. "In West Bengal

Lok Sabha revokes suspension of 8 opposition MPs with immediate effect

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday revoked with immediate effect the suspension of eight opposition members, who were suspended from the House on February 3 for "unruly" behaviour, after Congress leader K Suresh requested the House to consider the matter. Following the submissions by several opposition members, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said there was a need to draw a 'Laxman Rekha' for the smooth functioning of the House, which both treasury and opposition benches agreed to. Speaker Om Birla said there is a need to ensure that no placards, posters, photos or AI-generated images are displayed in the House or inside the Parliament complex. Rijiju then moved a motion to remove the suspension of seven Congress MPs and one CPI-M member, which was adopted by a voice vote. The suspended MPs included Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, C Kiran Kumar Reddy, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Prashant Padole and Dean Kuriakose of the Congress, and S Ventakesan of the ...

Not allowed to speak; House doesn't represent one party: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said he was stopped from speaking in the Lok Sabha on multiple occasions and asserted that the House does not represent one party but the whole country. Interjecting in a debate in Lok Sabha on the resolution to remove Om Birla as speaker, Gandhi alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "has been compromised" and everybody knows the result of that. Responding to BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad, who cited parliamentary procedures to say that the leader of opposition should measure his words carefully, especially on issues of national security, Gandhi said that his name was being raised during the debate multiple times and "vile things" were being said about him. "The discussion here is about the democratic process and the role of the speaker. But multiple times, my name is being raised, vile things are being said about me. This House is the expression of people's will. This House does not represent one party; it represents the whole country,"

Lok Sabha takes up Opposition's resolution to remove Speaker Om Birla

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday took up an opposition resolution seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla from office for his alleged bias towards the ruling party, amid a heated debate on who will preside over the House while the motion is being taken up. Congress legislator Mohammad Jawed read out the notice seeking to move a resolution to remove Birla from office. Besides Jawed, MPs K Suresh and Mallu Ravi had also moved the resolution. As soon as Jawed read out the notice, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi raised a point of order questioning the decision to allow Jagdambika Pal to chair the proceedings as he was appointed to the panel of chairpersons by Speaker Birla. BJP's Nishikant Dubey countered the claim, citing constitutional provisions, law and House rules. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Owaisi's claim was irrelevant as Pal was competent to preside over the Lok Sabha when the resolution was taken up. Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said Rijiju should move a mot

Oppn likely to move no-confidence motion against Birla in Parliament today

118 Opposition MPs have signed the motion, alleging 'partisan' behaviour by the Speaker

LS adjourned till 3 pm amid opposition protests over West Asia crisis

Opposition MPs, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, staged a protest in Parliament House complex on Monday, demanding a discussion on the West Asia conflict and slamming the government for its "silence" on critical issues related to it. Earlier, opposition parties' floor leaders met in Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Kharge's chamber in Parliament House complex to deliberate on the strategy for the second half of the Budget session. Besides Kharge and Gandhi, Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, DMK's Dayanidhi Maran, NCP (SP)'s Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut, among others, attended the meeting. In a post on X, Kharge said, "As the Parliament reconvenes for the second part of the Budget session, US-Israel war with Iran has reached our backyard. In this context, it is imperative to have a full-fledged discussion on the current geopolitical crisis." "A one-sided statement by the EAM is not

Rahul Gandhi meets farm leaders, voices concern over India-US trade deal

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday met leaders of farm unions from across the country in Parliament House complex during which the need for a nationwide movement to oppose the India-US interim trade deal as well as safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and farm labourers was discussed. During the meeting, the farm union leaders expressed their opposition to the India-US trade deal, and conveyed their deep concern for the livelihoods of farmers of corn, soyabean, cotton, fruits and nuts, the Congress said. Gandhi said the trade deal has opened the door for agricultural imports and that many other crops would soon follow, according to the party. The farm leaders and Rahul Gandhi discussed the need for a large-scale national movement to oppose the deal, and safeguard the livelihoods of farmers and farm labourers, it said. The farm leaders who met Gandhi here included All India Kisan Congress chief Sukhpal S Khaira, Ashok Balhara of the Bharatiye Kisan Mazdor Union, Haryana,

Oppn MPs to protest US trade deal; Manish Tewari moves adjournment motion

Through an adjournment motion, Tewari sought an immediate government statement, alleging the India-US interim trade deal includes commitments on Russian oil purchases and farm concessions

LS adjourned for day amid uproar over Oppn demand for Rahul to speak first

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Monday with opposition parties insisting that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak before the House takes up discussion on the Union Budget. As Krishna Prasad Tennati called Congress' Shashi Tharoor to initiate the debate on the Budget, opposition members dug in their heels and said Gandhi be allowed to speak first. Tennati underlined that the discussion was on the Budget and Tharoor's name had been given by the Congress as its lead speaker. He said he would need to get clarity on whether LoP can be allowed to speak. He also asked Gandhi whether he wanted to speak on the Budget. Tharoor, meanwhile, said he yields to the LoP. As the stalemate continued, Tennati adjourned the House till 2 pm. Earlier, Lok Sabha proceeding were adjourned till 12 noon after Speaker Om Birla slammed opposition members for "planning" disruptions. As the House took up Question Hour, opposition members started raising issues which they

Opposition walks out from Rajya Sabha on Kharge being not allowed to speak

Opposition members of the Rajya Sabha on Monday staged a walkout from the House while raising the issue of LoP Mallikarjun Kharge not being allowed to speak. Congress member Kharge rose during Question Hour to say that the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was not allowed to speak on the Motion of Thanks. Chairman C P Radhakrishnan, however, did not allow him to raise the issue relating to the Lok Sabha and said "nothing that he says will go on record". Earlier, Kharge raised the issue of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal making a statement last week on the India-US trade deal, outside the House when Parliament was in session. As the Chairman did not allow Kharge to speak, members of the entire Opposition were on their feet, raising their protest. As the Chairman proceeded with the Question Hour, Opposition members continued with their protest and later staged a walkout from the House.

Venezuela's Machado says close ally kidnapped after prison release

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Monday said one of her closest allies was kidnapped hours after being released from prison. The government had released several prominent opposition members from prison on Sunday after lengthy politically motivated detentions. Machado said on social media that Juan Pablo Guanipa was taken around midnight in a residential neighbourhood of the capital, Caracas. "Heavily armed men, dressed in civilian clothes, arrived in four vehicles and violently took him away," she posted on X. "We demand his immediate release." The releases of the opposition figures came as the government of acting President Delcy Rodriguez has faced mounting pressure to free hundreds of people whose detentions months or years ago have been linked to their political activities. The releases also followed a visit to Venezuela of representatives of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. The government's press office did not immediately respond to a request

Venezuela frees several opposition members as prisoner releases continue

Under mounting pressure from the US to free political prisoners, rights group Foro Penal said some 35 political prisoners were released on Sunday and that it was verifying additional cases