'Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, congratulating Om Birla on his appointment, passed through voice votes
After the Opposition INDIA bloc put forth Kodikunnil Suresh as its candidate for Lok Sabha Speaker post against NDA's Om Birla, the Lower House is poised for an election after decades
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will occupy the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a letter about the decision has been sent to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab. The decision on Rahul Gandhi's appointment as the Leader of Opposition was made after a meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's residence. "Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) wrote to Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab, informing him of the decision to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha," senior party leader KC Venugopal told reporters after the meeting. He said the decision on other appointments will be decided later. Rahul Gandhi has been an MP for five terms and currently represents the Rae Bareli constituency in the Lok Sabha. He took oath as an MP on Tuesday while holding a copy of the Constitution. The Congress, being the single largest opposition party, gets the post of opposition leader after a gap of 10
Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Hema Malini, Asaduddin Owaisi and Kanimozhi Karunanidhi were among the prominent members to be sworn in on the second day of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha. As many as 535 members took oath on Monday and Tuesday with seven yet to complete the process. Many of the MPs raised "Jai Hind", "Jai Maharashtra", "Jai Bheem" and "Jai Shivaji" slogans after taking oath. BJP leader Om Birla, who has been nominated for the speaker's post, also took oath on Tuesday. When Birla, who was also the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha, came to take his oath, Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the chair, stood up and greeted him. Birla has been representing the Kota constituency in the Lower House since 2014. On at least one occasion, the pro-tem speaker reminded members not to deviate from the prescribed oath and read aloud only what was written on the paper they had been given. Several Opposition MPs took the oath while holding a copy of Constitution. G
Lok Sabha updates: As the 18th Lok Sabha began, Rahul Gandhi underscored that the Opposition-led INDIA bloc would not tolerate the alleged attacks on Constitution by PM Modi and Amit Shah
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the opposition will support the government on the Lok Sabha Speaker's choice if it gives the deputy Speaker's post to the opposition bloc.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was part of the remaining MPs who took their oaths today after a total of 262 newly elected MPs, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, did so on Monday
Opposition candidate K Suresh will be contesting against NDA's Om Birla, in the third election for the Speaker post since independence
After the controversy around pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab's selection, it is anticipated that the Speaker will be a BJP nominee, with incumbent Om Birla being the frontrunner
Congress leader P Chidambaram said Tuesday the people of the country have voted for the 18th Lok Sabha in such a manner that no "divine ruler" can change the basic structure of the Constitution. In a post on 'X', he said the people have voted to curtail the ambitions of the BJP. "Hon'ble Prime Minister said that 'Emergency reminds us to protect the Constitution'. Very true," Chidambaram said. "I may add, the Constitution reminded the people to prevent another Emergency, and they voted to curtail the ambitions of the BJP. The people voted for the 18th Lok Sabha in such a manner that no human or divine ruler can change the basic structure of the Constitution," he added. "India will remain a liberal, democratic and secular Union of States," the Congress leader added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Tuesday those who imposed the Emergency have no right to profess love for the Constitution. On the 49th anniversary of the 1975 Emergency, the prime minister said its dark days are a ..
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Slamming PM Modi and Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said no power can touch the Constitution and the Opposition will protect it
INDIA bloc MPs gathered in the Parliament complex on Monday in a show of strength on the first day of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, holding copies of the Constitution and raising slogans on "saving democracy". Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress' Sudip Bandyopadhyay, DMK's TR Baalu, among others assembled at the spot where the Gandhi statue once stood in the Parliament complex. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi also joined the MPs. Holding copies of the Constitution in their hands, they raised slogans such as "long live Constitution", "we will save Constitution", "save our democracy". Rahul Gandhi said they would not allow the Constitution to be "attacked" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. "This attack is not acceptable to us and that is why we held the Constitution and took oath," he said. "Our message is reaching the public and no power can touch the Constit
The Opposition is likely to corner the government for lapses in national examinations and the Agnipath scheme, among others, in the first session of the Lok Sabha for the Modi 3.0 govt
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Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday wrote an emotional letter to the people of Wayanad, the constituency that he is giving up to represent Rae Bareli in the Lok Sabha, and said when he faced abuse on a daily basis, their unconditional love protected him. Rahul had won both from Wayanad and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies and must vacate one of the seats within 14 days of the Lok Sabha results, which came out on June 4. He is giving up Wayanad and his sister and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi is set to contest from there in the ensuing bypoll. "I was a stranger to you and yet you believed in me. You embraced me with unbridled love and affection. It didn't matter which political formation you supported, it didn't matter which community you were from or which religion you believed in or which language you spoke," Rahul said. "When I faced abuse day after day, your unconditional love protected me. You were my refuge, my home and my family. I never felt for even
The Congress on Sunday hit out at the Modi government over the bureaucratic reshuffle in the National Testing Agency after alleged irregularities in NEET-UG, saying the buck stops at the doorstep of the top echelons of the regime. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the National Testing Agency (NTA) was projected to be an autonomous body, but in reality was made to serve the "devious interests" of the BJP/RSS. "In the NEET Scam, the buck stops at the doorstep of the top echelons of the Modi Government. Shuffling the bureaucrats is no solution to the endemic problem in the Education system rotted by the BJP," he said in a post on X. For students to get justice, Modi government must be held accountable, he said. The Centre on Saturday had shunted out NTA's Director General Subodh Singh and handed over the probe into the irregularities in medical entrance exam NEET-UG to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Education Ministry has also set up a seven-member pa
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday over the postponement of the NEET-PG, saying it was yet "another unfortunate example that the education system has been ruined". The Union Health Ministry said on Saturday that it has decided to postpone the NEET-PG entrance examination, scheduled to be held on June 23, as a "precautionary measure" in the wake of recent allegations on the integrity of certain competitive exams. In a post in Hindi on 'X', Gandhi said, "Now NEET-PG is also postponed. This is another unfortunate example of the education system that has been ruined under the rule of Narendra Modi." Under the BJP's rule, instead of building their careers by studying, students are forced to fight the government to save their future, he said. "Now it is clear -- Modi, who used to silently watch the spectacle every time -- is completely helpless in front of the paper leak racket and education mafia," the former Congress chief said. "Narendra
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday interacted with the relatives of some of the victims of last month's TRP game zone fire incident in Rajkot city of Gujarat via video conferencing, and said his party was with them, party sources said. Twenty seven persons, including four children, were killed in the massive fire that swept through the game zone in Nana-Mava locality of Rajkot city on May 25. Gandhi interacted with the family members and relatives of some of the victims who were charred to death in the tragedy. "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi interacted with the family members of some of the victims of the game zone fire incident via video conferencing from Pathik Ashram here on Saturday afternoon. The meeting went on for nearly half-an-hour. He expressed condolences and said the party is with them," a party source said. Congress' Gujarat unit president Shaktisinh Gohil was with Gandhi in Delhi, while Gujarat Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani and party leader Lalji Desai, among ...