Page 8 - Opposition

Opposition walkout in Rajya Sabha over Vinesh Phogat's disqualification

The Opposition said they wanted to discuss wrestler Vinesh Phogat's Olympic disqualification. But the government was not ready, alleged Congress Members of Parliament

Tenders for boosting grain storage capacity given via online process: Govt

Tenders for enhancing grain storage capacity are awarded through a transparent, online process that many states governed by INDIA bloc parties have also adopted, Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Prahlad Joshi said on Wednesday. The issues of food storage capacity increase and privatisation of Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns were addressed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with Joshi responding to questions from Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay. Bandyopadhyay raised concerns about the sufficiency of the storage capacity at FCI godowns and the involvement of a private entity in the sector. He pointed out that sophisticated silo godowns were being set up, primarily in Maharashtra and Gujarat, by the private company and questioned if the government planned to hand over FCI's operations to it. Responding to these questions, Joshi clarified that the overall storage capacity was 837.68 lakh metric tons (LMT) with 650-700 LMT foodgrains typically stored. "To

BJP spreading lies, trying to create fissures in BJD: Odisha's Oppn whip

Opposition chief whip in the Odisha assembly Pramila Mallik alleged that the ruling BJP was spreading lies that several BJD leaders would join the saffron camp, asserting that such an attempt was aimed at creating fissures in the regional party. Her comment comes after BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi had, on August 4, said Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mohanta joining BJP after resigning from the BJD was just a trailer and many others would follow her suit. Mallik, a former state minister and ex-Speaker of the assembly, also rejected several BJP leaders' remarks that many BJD functionaries were in touch with the saffron camp. A false campaign is being spread by BJP leaders, she said. Several BJP leaders, including former minister and MLA Arabinda Dhali, were accused of spreading lies that many BJD leaders would join the saffron party as they did not have confidence in former chief minister Naveen Patnaik. They (BJP) are spreading lies to disturb our party. No one from our party is interested in

Venezuela's Oppn urges armed forces to withdraw support for Prez Maduro

Venezuela's opposition leaders are calling on the country's armed forces to abandon their support of President Nicols Maduro and stop repressing demonstrators who have come out in force to dispute the leader's claim he prevailed in last Sunday's election. The armed forces are traditionally the arbiter of political disputes in Venezuela and have been key to Maduro's grip on power ever since he took over the so-called Bolivarian revolution in 2013 from his mentor, the late Hugo Chvez. So far, they've shown no signs of ditching Maduro even in the face of credible evidence presented by the opposition that it trounced the self-proclaimed socialist at the polls by a more than 2-to-1 margin. In a message posted Monday on social media, Edmundo Gonzlez who the U.S. and a half dozen countries have recognized as the victor and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado called on rank and file members of the security forces to rethink their loyalty. We appeal to the conscience of the military an

Opposition in Venezuela demands presidential election results be overturned

Thousands of people rallied in the streets of Venezuela's capital Saturday, waving the national flag and singing the national anthem in support of an opposition candidate they believe won the presidential election by a landslide. Authorities have declared President Nicols Maduro the winner of last Sunday's election but have yet to produce voting tallies to prove he won. Instead, the government arrested hundreds of opposition supporters who took to the streets in the days after the disputed poll, and the president and his cadres have threatened to also lock up opposition leader, Mara Corina Machado, and her hand-picked presidential candidate, Edmundo Gonzlez. On Saturday, supporters chanted and sang as Machado arrived at the rally in Caracas. Machado, who has been barred by Maduro's government from running for office for 15 years, had been in hiding since Tuesday, saying her life and freedom are at risk. Masked assailants ransacked the opposition's headquarters on Friday, taking ...

After 'derailment min' jibe, Vaishnaw says focus is on railways, not reels

Ashwini Vaishnaw's strong response came after Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised him for not taking moral responsibility for train accidents and called him the 'derailment minister'

Lok Sabha debate: Opposition MPs express concern over train accidents

Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha on Wednesday expressed concern over the "increase" in number of train accidents in the country, while those of the treasury benches lauded the government's efforts to expand the railway network. Several members also put forth their demands for railway lines in their areas as the Lower House discussed the Demand for Grants for the railways ministry. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP from Aurangabad Abhay Kumar Sinha said the recent train accidents indicate there are many shortcomings in the functioning of the railways that need to be addressed. "Since Independence, only 18 per cent of new railway tracks have been laid. Every year, 275 km expansion has happened, which is very little," he said. "It should be increased, more railway tracks should be laid down, and old tracks should be repaired so that accidents can be stopped," he said. Sinha also said during the tenure of Lalu Prasad as the railways minister, the Indian Railways was earning profits and "the wh

MSP legal guarantee issue rocks Rajya Sabha; Cong-led Oppn stages protest

Opposition parties led by the Congress on Friday created a ruckus and obstructed proceedings in the Rajya Sabha, as they were not satisfied with Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's reply on providing a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) to farmers. The trouble began during Question Hour when Chouhan listed steps taken by the government for the welfare of farmers and spoke about the committee looking into strengthening the MSP system but stopped short of talking about a legal guarantee for crop support prices. Following the minister's remark, Congress MPs, including Randeep Surjewala and Jairam Ramesh, protested, saying that Chouhan's reply was incomplete. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar tried to diffuse the situation, saying the minister had given a detailed reply and if the members were not satisfied, they should use available avenues to seek answers. Dhankhar repeatedly asked the members to allow the proceedings to continue and also threatened to name .

Niti Aayog meeting faces boycott from opposition leaders over budget woes

Chief ministers from Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Kerala will be skipping the Niti Aayog meeting

Oppn indulged in politics during discussion on Union Budget. says Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday hit out at opposition leaders, contending they had resorted to abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the debate on the Union Budget in Parliament instead of speaking on the finer aspects of the document. Addressing a press conference here, he said the manner in which some opposition leaders made their speeches amounted to insulting the House and lowering the dignity of the Budget session. "Let us respect the mandate of the people. They have given the mandate to Prime Minister Modi for the third consecutive term. If anybody tries to insult the verdict of the people, they will be punished in the elections," Rijiju told reporters here. His remarks came a day after the Opposition claimed the Union Budget was "discriminatory" against non-NDA-ruled states and accused the prime minister of running a "shaky and vulnerable" coalition government. During the general discussion on the budget for 2024-25 in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday

INDIA bloc MPs protest in Parliament for discrimination in Union Budget

INDIA bloc MPs, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises on Wednesday over the alleged discrimination against opposition-ruled states in the Union Budget. Besides Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, several MPs of the Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party, DMK and the Left joined the protest held on the steps leading up to the Makar Dwar of Parliament. Protesting against the budget, Kharge said, "This Budget is anti-people, no one has got justice. They have talked about special package but special status has not been given. This is a deceptive budget and injustice to the people." The MPs raised placards such as 'We want India budget not NDA budget' and 'NDA betrays India in Budget'. "Yesterday, through the budget, the government of India violated all the principles to keep the federal system," Congress general secretary, organisation, K

Opposition MPs stage walkout to protest Union Budget 2024 in Parliament

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responds by saying it was not feasible to mention every state in the Budget

Oppn tried to create anarchy over NEET, SC verdict upholds truth: Pradhan

The revised final results of the exam will be announced taking into account marks of a physics question, which the NTA said had two correct answers

Cong hits back at PM, says Modi suppressed voice of country for 10 years

The Congress hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday over his remarks criticising the opposition, alleging that it was he who "suppressed the voice" of the country for 10 years and for which people "punished" him in the Lok Sabha polls. Talking to reporters ahead of the start of a Parliament session, Modi said in the first session of this Lok Sabha, "an undemocratic attempt was made to scuttle the voice of the government that had been ordered by 140 crore Indians to serve". "For two-and-a-half hours, attempts were made to scuttle the voice of the prime minister and such a thing has no place in democratic traditions. They (opposition) has no remorse over it," he said. Hitting back at Modi over his remarks, Congress's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the person who "throttled the country and suppressed its voice" for 10 years, today looked "very weak and was seen weeping" when the opposition raised its voice. The prime minister started the Monsoon sessi

Monsoon session: Parliament not for 'dal' but 'desh', PM Modi tells Oppn

PM Modi says Budget will be crucial for Amrit Kaal, accuses Opposition parties of 'scuttling his voice' in last Parliament session

Post LS polls victory, TMC gears up for Martyrs' Day rally on July 21

The Trinamool Congress, fresh from its victory in the Lok Sabha polls, is gearing up for its Martyrs' Day rally on Sunday, aiming to highlight its role in strengthening nationwide opposition unity and countering the BJP in West Bengal. According to TMC sources, the party leadership, which is part of the national opposition alliance INDIA bloc, is expected to outline its strategy for the national stage. Abhishek Banerjee, TMC's national general secretary, is slated to join the rally after a brief hiatus due to medical reasons. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will also take part in the rally, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh posted on X. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Martyrs' Day rally would commemorate the TMC's electoral victories in the state. "Tomorrow marks another 21st July! This day holds deep significance in Bengal's history. On this day in 1993, the repressive CPI(M) regime brutally took the lives of 13 of our comrades. It remains a poignant milestone for us, ..

Centre amends rules to give more power to J-K Lt Guv, Opposition slams move

The Centre has significantly strengthened the authority of the lieutenant governor in Jammu and Kashmir, empowering him to make decisions on crucial matters such as police and all-India services officers and granting sanctions for prosecution in various cases. The opposition slammed the Union government's move and termed it a step towards "disempowering" the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Official sources, however, said the notification does not in any sense alter the balance of powers as enshrined in the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. The Union home ministry gave more powers to the lieutenant governor on Friday by amending the transaction rules framed under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. This Act, passed alongside the abrogation of Article 370, bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The sources said that with the amendments to the transaction rules, the powers of the legislative assembly and the functi

Leader of Oppn not just a post; it is my duty to raise issues: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said it is his duty to raise the issues of people of the country with full devotion and added he will not stop until people get their rights and justice. In a post on his WhatsApp channel, the Congress leader said the Leader of Opposition is not just a post and shared a video of his meetings with different citizen groups. "For me, Leader of the Opposition is not just a post.? It is my duty to know the problems of the people of this country and raise them with full devotion in Parliament... I will not stop until the people of India get their rights and justice," he said in his post. The video showed a clip of Gandhi taking oath as an MP and his speech in the Lok Sabha on July 1. It also showed a clip of Gandhi interacting with workers at the GTB Nagar labour chowk, his meeting with victims of the Hathras stampede and a meeting with loco pilots of the Indian Railways. It also showed a clip of the Congress leader from his

Congress, INDIA bloc to raise Manipur issue in Parliament: Rahul Gandhi

The Congress and the INDIA bloc will raise the need for peace in Manipur with full force in Parliament to put pressure on the government to end this tragedy, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday, days after his visit to the violence-hit state. He also reiterated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should personally visit Manipur, listen to the problems of the people of the state and appeal for peace. Gandhi made the remarks in a post in Hindi on X as he shared a video of his interactions with the people of Manipur during his day-long visit to the violence-hit state on Monday. "I have visited Manipur three times since violence broke out there, but unfortunately there is no improvement in the situation -- even today the state is divided into two parts. Houses are burning, innocent lives are in danger and thousands of families are forced to live in relief camps," the former Congress chief said. The prime minister should personally visit Manipur, listen to

Who insults parliamentary procedures on daily basis?: Sibal to Dhankhar

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Sunday hit out at Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar over his criticism of Congress leader P Chidambaram's remarks on the new criminal laws, and said it was not the opposition that insults parliamentary procedures on a daily basis. Sibal's remarks came a day after Dhankhar lashed out at Chidambaram over his comment that the three new criminal laws were "drafted by part-timers", terming it as "inexcusable" and urging him to withdraw his "derogatory, defamatory and insulting" observation. Dhankhar had said he was "shocked beyond words" when he read Chidambaram's interview to a leading national daily wherein he had said that "the new laws were drafted by part-timers". In a post on X, Sibal said Sunday, "Dhankar: Criticised Chidambaram's statement that part-timers drafted the three criminal laws was an 'inexcusable insult to the wisdom of Parliament'. We are all part-timers Dhankar ji!" "And who insults parliamentary procedures on a daily basis? Not us!" said