We tore them to shreds, they were under pressure… Rahul Gandhi targets the government again
Rahul Gandhi once again launched a scathing attack on the Modi government. He said that there was a heated discussion on Vande Mataram and SIR. I was quite pleased because we tore them to shreds during both discussions. New Delhi: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has once again strongly criticized the government. Rahul said that there was a heated discussion on Vande Mataram and SIR. I was quite pleased because we tore them to shreds during both discussions. They were under mental pressure. There shouldn’t be such a heated discussion on pollution because it is a kind of national emergency. Just a day earlier, Rahul Gandhi had targeted Amit Shah in Parliament. He had said that Amit Shah was nervous yesterday. He used inappropriate language and his hands were also trembling. On Friday, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that he spoke about the pollution in Delhi and other big cities. This is a subject on which all parties can agree that our future, our children are being harmed, people are getting cancer, and diseases are spreading. Can work together on pollution Rahul Gandhi further said that he suggested in the House that we should discuss the issue of pollution in the House and discuss it in a different way. The Congress MP said that on this subject, we should be unanimous that we will talk about the future and discuss how to solve this problem. We will also take the opinion of experts and we will show the country that we can work together on the issue of pollution. Something concrete should come out of the discussion Apart from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi also targeted the government on the issue of pollution. She said that I completely agree. I think everyone agrees. The government also said that we should all discuss this and an action plan should be made. Every year its (pollution) level is increasing. When other subjects are discussed, this should also be discussed, and something concrete should come out of it, not just talk. It would be good if the government creates a sound action plan in this regard. Curated by: Akshay Srivastava About the Author Akshay Srivastava is a Principal Digital Content Producer at Navbharat Times Online. He has over 12 years of experience in journalism. He has been working with NBT Digital since March 2025. He covers national news for the NBT news team. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Century-old legacy slipping away’: Ex-Congress MLA writes to Sonia Gandhi; calls for Priyanka Gandhi to take charge
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday claimed that tensions between ‘Team Rahul’ and ‘Team Priyanka’ within the Congress are now “out in the open” after a former party MLA from Odisha wrote to Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi, urging the removal of party president Mallikarjun Kharge on the grounds that “age is not on his side.” Ex-MLA Mohammed Moquim suggested that younger leaders, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, should be given greater prominence. “Team Priyanka vs team Rahul out in the open now Internal rift in Congress out! Senior Congress leader from Odisha writes to Sonia Gandhi: Says ‘Kharge Hatao ,Priyanka Lao; Hits out at state and central leadership.’ He notes a ‘deep and growing disconnect’ between the Congress leadership and Indian youth, saying that under the current leadership of Mallikarjun Kharge, who is 83, the party has been unable to resonate with the youth,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wrote on X. — Shehzad_Ind (@Shehzad_Ind) Earlier, Moquim, the former legislator from Odisha’s Cuttack whose daughter is the sitting Congress legislator from the seat, told news agency ANI, “The party is going through a difficult phase and needs her advice and new leadership… Age is not on AICC (All India Congress Committe) president Mallikarjun Kharge’s side… We should bring forward young leaders. I know that Sonia ji and the CWC (Congress Working Committee) members will definitely discuss this.” — ANI (@ANI) The veteran politician has been Congress president since October 2022, when he defeated Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor. One of the party’s senior-most leaders, he succeeded Sonia Gandhi, who had been serving in an interim capacity since 2019 after Rahul Gandhi stepped down following the party’s rout in the Lok Sabha elections. She is the longest-serving Congress chief, leading the party from 1998 to 2017, before making way for her son. On the other hand, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra formally entered politics only in January 2019 and currently serves as a general secretary. Her recent Lok Sabha speech on the national song Vande Mataram drew wide appreciation, while her brother’s address on electoral reforms—during which he reiterated his allegations of ‘vote chori’ against the Election Commission and the ruling BJP—was sharply countered by Union home minister Amit Shah. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi asks for air pollution debate in Lok Sabha, govt agrees
NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has demanded that the Lok Sabha discuss in detail air pollution crisis as major cities in the country are living under a blanket of poisonous air. Gandhi urged the govt to present a plan to combat the crisis, on which there are no ideological differences. After he raised the issue during the Zero Hour in the House on Friday, Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said the govt was ready to discuss it. The structure of the debate would be finalised, he said. He said the govt was clear from the start it was ready to discuss the issue and find a solution. AQI still very poor, may turn severe in coming days NEW DELHI: The air quality of Delhi remained in the very poor category with an AQI of 349 on Friday. It was 305 on Thursday and 259 on Wednesday. It is likely to deteriorate to the ‘severe’ range (AQI of above 400 on a scale of 500) on Sunday. Central Pollution Control Board’s data highlighted that of the 39 active monitoring stations in Delhi, the AQI crossed 400 at eight stations. The most polluted station was Jahangirpuri at 438, Wazirpur at 425, Rohini at 423 and Anand Vihar at 420. “As light winds are prevailing in the city, it is unable to disperse the pollutants. Two consecutive western disturbances are likely to impact the city from today. Though these western disturbances are feeble, wind speed is predicted to remain low,” said an official. The air quality is likely to remain in the very poor category on Saturday, but it is likely to turn severe on Sunday, according to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, which functions under the Union ministry of earth sciences Meanwhile, the minimum temperature was recorded at 8 degrees Celsius, one degree below normal. The maximum temperature settled at 26.6 degrees Celsius, four degrees above normal. “Moderate fog is likely to form from Saturday to Monday,” said a Met official The minimum temperature is expected to rise from Saturday due to the impact of a western disturbance. India Meteorological Department has predicted that the minimum temperature may rise to 10-12 degrees Celsius during the weekend. The maximum temperature is likely to stay in the range of 23-25 degrees Celsius over the next few days. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Under pressure, hands trembling’: Rahul Gandhi takes a dig at Amit Shah over Lok Sabha speech
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday repeated his claim that Amit Shah appeared ‘nervous’ and used ‘foul language’ during the Union home minister’s Lok Sabha speech the previous day. “He (Shah) used foul language. His hands were trembling. Mentally, he is under pressure, and it was seen in Parliament. Whatever I had asked, he gave no replies and provided no proof. I challenged him openly to discuss over my press conferences, but nothing happened. Everyone now understands the reality,” Gandhi told reporters. Hitting back, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal asked why Gandhi and the opposition INDIA bloc “ran away” when the home minister was speaking. “Then why did he leave? People who flee, abandoning the field, the country watches them. During the two-day discussion, he (Shah) held a mirror against all the questions raised on electoral reforms and SIR… When people went to the Supreme Court against SIR, the Supreme Court also said there is no reason to stop SIR… So how long will they keep blaming the Election Commission, voter list, EVM for their defeat?” Pal said. Amit Shah vs Rahul Gandhi During his address on electoral reforms, Shah clashed with Gandhi over the Congress leader’s repeated claims of vote chori’ (theft)” by the Election Commission and the ruling BJP. The Lok Sabha leader of opposition, who has held three press conferences on the issue, challenged the home minister to a debate based on those briefings. In response, Shah remarked that the “House will not function according to his (Gandhi’s) wishes.” The heated exchange erupted when Gandhi interjected during Shah’s address in the Lok Sabha on electoral reforms. Criticising the opposition over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the senior BJP leader argued that he had responses to all their accusations, including those raised in Gandhi’s three press conferences. “In his press conference, the LoP claimed the voter list is flawed and needs correction. That is exactly what SIR is — a process to clean up the rolls. Yet he opposes it. Your defeat is certain; the voter list has nothing to do with it. Double standards won’t work in a democracy. When you win, the EC is great; when you lose, the EC is biased. I have answers to all these allegations — those three press conferences included,” Shah remarked. Gandhi then interrupted and challenged him to a debate. “Yesterday, I asked why Election Commissioners were given full immunity. We want to understand the reasoning behind it. He (Amit Shah) mentioned Haryana, but there are many other examples — including 19 lakh fake voters. Let’s debate my press conferences. Amit Shah ji, I challenge you to a debate on all three,” the Rae Bareli MP asserted. Shah responded that Gandhi could not dictate the order of his speech and should remain patient. “You cannot run Parliament through obstinacy. I will decide the order of my address. The House won’t function like this. He should be patient. I will respond to every point,” he countered. Opposition MPs walked out of the Lok Sabha during Shah’s reply to the discussion on electoral reforms. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Defamation case: Court seeks Rahul Gandhi’s reply to 2 new pen drives submitted by Satyaki Savarkar as evidence
Pune: A special MP/MLA court in the city on Thursday sought Rahul Gandhi’s written response to an application by Satyaki Savarkar, who presented a couple of pen drives containing the Congress politician’s alleged defamatory speech against Hindutva icon Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, seeking that they be played in open court. Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, orally objected to the application when the matter came up for hearing before special judge Amol Shinde as part of the case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of the Hindutva icon, regarding Gandhi’s speech in London in March 2023. The case is at the stage of the complainant (Satyaki) leading his evidence as part of the examination in chief. Pawar, who raised an objection to the procedure and admissibility of the new evidence, told TOI: “The matter on this specific issue was adjourned. It will be taken up for hearing on Dec 16. We will be filing our reply as submission of two new pen drives at this stage is against the procedure.” Satyaki’s lawyer Sangram Kolhatkar told TOI: “Through the two pen drives we filed, we reproduced the electronic evidence which was lost. We also submitted a certificate prescribed under section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act. We sought permission to play the video, but the opposing counsel objected, stating that they wanted to file a reply.” Satyaki had earlier submitted a CD along with a 65B (verification) certificate under the Indian Evidence Act, but it could not be played in court due to some unknown technical reasons. His plea to play another CD was rejected by the court after Gandhi’s lawyer objected on the grounds that it was not accompanied by a 65B certificate During the last hearing on Dec 5, the court allowed an application by Satyaki’s lawyer seeking an adjournment for a limited period. The adjournment sought was to enable the complainant to make proper technical arrangements and reconstruction so that a CD of the speech could be played. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
5 of 8 names listed were from disadvantaged sections: Govt
NEW DELHI: Government on Thursday issued a strong refutation of leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi’s reported “dissent”, asserting that the Congress neta’s claim that there was absence of names from marginalised communities in the list discussed for filling vacancies of Central Information Commission (CIC) and information commissioners, has fallen flat. The three-member panel including PM Narendra Modi, HM Amit Shah and Gandhi held a meeting on Wednesday and finalised the names. A notification was awaited till late on Thursday evening. Regarding the eight vacancies considered on Wednesday for appointment as information commissioners, as per sources, Centre recommended one SC, one ST, one OBC, one minority representative and one woman. “Overall, five out of the eight recommended names were from disadvantaged sections. In light of these facts, Gandhi’s claims do not hold up,” govt sources said, claiming that the reports based on sources close to the Congress leadership were false and another attempt to misguide people. TOI also carried the report based on the information given by sources close to Congress leadership. “Gandhi’s claims have fallen flat as CIC appointments tell a different story. As per reports in media, at the meeting to select information commissioners, Gandhi recorded his dissent, alleging that the shortlists did not include names from SC, ST, OBC, EBC communities. He is reported to have claimed there was a ‘systematic pattern’ of excluding SC, ST, OBC, EBC and minority communities from appointments to constitutional and autonomous institutions,” the sources said. But facts present a different picture, sources added. Govt said the CIC was established in 2005, and from 2005 to 2014, during the UPA govt’s tenure, not a single person from the SC/ST community was appointed as either a member or the chairperson of the commission. It was the NDA govt in 2018 that appointed Suresh Chandra, a member of the ST community, to the commission, they said. “In 2020, Heeralal Samariya was appointed information commissioner, and in 2023, he became the CIC – the first-ever CIC from the SC community,” a govt official said. The three-member panel met on Wednesday to appoint the CIC, eight information commissioners (ICs) and a vigilance commissioner. However, Gandhi is learnt to have registered his dissent and strongly objected to the near absence of names from SC, ST and OBC communities, which has been rebutted by govt. Congress sources claimed the issue is likely to be a key talking point in the upcoming mega rally against “vote chori” being organised by the opposition party on Dec 14. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Revise class 4 history: TMC on Anurag’s ‘Vande Bharat’ gaffe
Kolkata: “Revise class 4 history before speaking in public,” said Trinamool Congress on Wednesday, taking aim at BJP MP Anurag Thakur after the former Union minister said “Vande Bharat” instead of “Vande Mataram” at least twice during Monday’s Lok Sabha debate on the song by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. “Are they patriots at all?” TMC questioned on its X handle, before adding: “People who can’t even say ‘Vande Mataram’ without turning it into ‘Vande Bharat’— with what audacity do they lecture the nation on patriotism and nationalism?” TMC said it was not a mere slip of the tongue by Thakur, but “BJP’s trademark ignorance in full display”. “When PM Narendra Modi himself demeans Bengal’s icons by calling them ‘Bankim-da’, when history is distorted from the top, the disciples will naturally follow,” TMC said, adding: “This is not patriotism. This is a mockery of India’s heritage. Shameful!” PM Modi, during a debate in the Lok Sabha on ‘Vande Mataram’, had referred to Bankim Chandra as ‘Bankimda’ after which TMC called him “culturally illiterate” and BJP “grotesquely alien to Bengal’s culture”. Trinamool veteran MP Saugata Roy intervened 23 minutes into the PM’s speech, telling him that it should have been “not da (but) babu”. TMC had called the PM’s comments “insulting (and) patronising”. Trinamool Krishnagore MP Mahua Moitra said that BJP raised the “Vande Mataram” issue as a distraction, but “ended up humiliating our greats.” Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Entire BJP has no idea whom to call ‘dada’ and whom to call ‘babu’— the very ethos of Bengali culture. It is thus no surprise that their MPs speak in this manner.” TMC MP Saket Gokhale claimed this was a result of BJP’s “obsession with Modi”. “The BJP is so obsessed with Modi that ‘Vande Mataram’ has become ‘Vande Bharat’. Modi for them is above everything, including the nation,” Gokhale wrote on X. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Decision on CIC: Rahul Gandhi raises questions on appointment process in meeting with Modi and Shah
The committee headed by the Prime Minister has decided on the names of the country’s next Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners. Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at the meeting. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi expressed his disagreement with some of the names and registered his objection in writing. New Delhi: The three-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided on the country’s next Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). The committee meeting was held on Wednesday. Sources said that a decision was taken regarding the CIC and eight Information Commissioners. However, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of the committee, expressed his disagreement with some of the names. The post of Central Information Commissioner has been vacant since September 13, and eight out of ten posts of Information Commissioners in the commission are also vacant. In view of this, the committee meeting chaired by the Prime Minister was held at the Prime Minister’s residence on Wednesday, with Home Minister Amit Shah also present as the third member. Disagreement registered in writing Sources said that Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of providing more information about those being appointed and also questioned the criteria for the appointment of the CIC and eight Information Commissioners. Expressing dissatisfaction with the appointment process, he registered his disagreement in writing. 3083 cases pending According to the CIC website, 3083 cases are pending before it. This is the seventh time since 2014 that the country does not have a Chief Information Commissioner. Hiralal Samariya, who became the Chief Information Commissioner in 2023, left the post on September 13 this year upon reaching the age of 65. In 2014, when Rajiv Mathur left the post, it was the first time that the Central Information Commission did not have a Chief Commissioner. TMC targets NDA government The issue of vacant posts of CIC and Information Commissioners was also raised in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Trinamool Congress MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque said that due to the vacant posts, the disposal of pending appeals is being delayed by two to three years, and by the time the information is received, it will be of no use. He called the NDA government a “no data available” government, alleging that the government is reluctant to provide information to citizens. Edited by: Abhishek Pandey About the Author Abhishek Pandey is a Consultant Writer at Navbharat Times Online. He has over three years of experience working on news related to current affairs, politics, crime, and public interest issues. He also closely covered the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022 and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Gandhi personally chose him’: Congress MP counters Amit Shah’s ‘vote chori’ charge on Nehru; shares ‘historical truth’
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday hit back at Union home minister Amit Shah’s remark that Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s first prime minister through ‘vote-chori.’ Tagore listed five points to argue that Nehru assumed the post fairly and legitimately. “What really happened in 1946 — Patel, Nehru & the ‘vote chori’ myth. Shah claims that in 1946 “PCCs chose Patel, Nehru got two votes, and someone stole the election. Here’s the historical truth based on INC records, letters & historians — not WhatsApp University,” he posted on X. According to the Congress MP, the first ‘fact’ is that in 1946 the Congress was electing its national president, and whoever was chosen for that role would automatically head the interim government — a position equivalent to that of a prime minister. He added that the second ‘fact’ is that while Patel received nominations from 12 of the Congress’s 15 provincial committees, Nehru did not receive a single nomination.The third ‘fact’, as per Tagore, is that no election was held between the two and, therefore, the ‘vote-chori’ claim is ‘pure fiction.’ His fourth ‘fact’ stated that after the nominations were in, Mahatma Gandhi — who supported Nehru — asked Patel to withdraw from the race. Out of respect for Gandhi, Patel stepped aside, leaving Nehru as the sole remaining candidate. The fifth and final ‘fact’ is that with Patel withdrawing himself, the Congress Working Committee endorsed Nehru as the party president, making him the head of the interim government. “Those shouting ‘vote chori’ are rewriting history for politics. History is clear: it was Gandhi’s intervention, not Nehru’s ‘two votes’, that decided the leadership. Let facts speak louder than propaganda. India’s freedom struggle deserves honesty — not manufactured stories,” Tagore said. Amit Shah’s Lok Sabha speech Shah’s comments came during his reply to the Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms on Wednesday, where he responded to concerns raised by opposition members, including leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi — Nehru’s great-grandson. The home minister cited three instances of what he described as ‘vote theft,’ beginning with the 1946 Congress leadership decision. “I want to tell you about three incidents of ‘vote-chori’,” Shah said. “First, after independence, when the country’s prime minister was to be chosen… Sardar Patel received 28 votes, while Jawaharlal Nehru got only two. Yet Nehru became the prime minister.” He went on to cite the case of former prime minister Indira Gandhi — Nehru’s daughter — who won from Rae Bareli before her election was challenged in the Allahabad high court by Raj Narain. “The high court ruled that Indira Gandhi’s election had violated the rules and declared it invalid. That too was vote theft. They then brought a bill in Parliament stating that no case could be filed against the prime minister,” Shah stated. He also referred to a Delhi court case in which it was alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi — Rahul Gandhi’s mother — had “become a voter before becoming an Indian citizen.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
St Xavier’s Univ plans nursing & medical colleges
Kolkata: St Xavier’s University planned to start a school of nursing and a medical college was expected in two years, said vice-chancellor Father Felix Raj on Tuesday. Father Felix will write to CM Mamata Banerjee, seeking more land for the expansion. He also said that the university was introducing four BTech courses with 240 seats from the next session. The university has already requested for 10 acres of land for infrastructural expansion from the state govt two years ago. “We appealed for 10 acres of land for infrastructural expansion and have yet to receive any response from the state govt. I will speak to the CM shortly on this matter and will write to the govt requesting more land to start a nursing college and a medical college,” he said. Explaining their plan for starting these new courses, the VC said that the proposal came from the CM in 2017 at the inauguration of the university to start a medical college, but at that time, they could not do so. Recently, several doctors showed their interest in supporting the university to execute this plan, and this was discussed during a programme in London as well. He said they want to start both BSc Nursing and BA Nursing courses. “Many of our girls from this state migrate to other states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka for nursing training as there are very few nursing schools in our state,” he added. The nursing school will start first because, before starting a medical college, they need to establish a hospital, which requires some time to execute. The university is introducing BTech courses in computer science and engineering, information technology, electronics and communication engineering, and computer science and engineering—AI & ML from the next academic session following a separate entrance test for filling seats. The university will start an MTech course soon. An integrated MBA, integrated BEd, and School of Design will also be introduced. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights