SC remarks on Rahul Gandhi ‘extraordinary, unwarranted’: Opposition
NEW DELHI: The opposition INDIA bloc on Tuesday termed as “unwarranted” Supreme Court’s remarks on Rahul Gandhi, asserting that they encroach on the democratic rights of political parties, which have a responsibility to speak on issues of national interest. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the Supreme Court cannot decide who is a “true Indian”, stressing that Rahul holds the Army in the highest regard. A joint statement issued by the bloc said, “All the leaders of the INDIA parties agreed that the sitting judge has made an extraordinary observation, which is unwarranted given the democratic rights of political parties. It is the responsibility of political parties, especially the leader of opposition, to comment on issues of national interest”. It added, “When a govt fails so spectacularly to defend our borders, it is every citizen’s moral duty to hold it accountable”. INDIA bloc discussed the apex court’s remarks at the morning meeting of floor leaders in Parliament, which was attended by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. After RSP MP NK Premachandran raised the issue, questioning SC’s remarks, the same was endorsed by John Brittas (CPM), Kanimozhi (DMK), Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (TMC), Ramgopal Yadav (SP), Arvind Sawant (SS-UBT), Supriya Sule (NCP-SP), Rajkumar Roat (BAP). A decision was then made to issue a joint statement . Later, speaking to reporters, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “With due respect to the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, they do not decide who is a true Indian. It is the job of the opposition leader; it is his duty to ask questions and to challenge the govt”. She added, “My brother would never say anything against the Army.” 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.
Big INDIA bloc parties reject smaller allies’ plea to find a way to let Parliament run
NEW DELHI: As the opposition’s protest seeking a discussion on the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar electoral rolls has brought Parliament to a halt, some members in the INDIA bloc ranks Tuesday urged the alliance brass to find a way to run Parliament, but their plea was shot down. Sources said at the meeting of the INDIA bloc on Tuesday morning, CPM’s John Brittas, RSP’s NK Premachandran and IUML’s ET Mohammed Basheer felt that the Parliament session should not be washed out. While Brittas is a Rajya Sabha MP, Basheer and Premachandran are in Lok Sabha. However, their plea was countered strongly by the bigger parties of the bloc like Congress, DMK, TMC, SP, Shiv Sena, RJD, who felt the govt cannot get away by evading a discussion on a politically critical issue like the electoral rolls review. With the opposition programmes targeting the Election Commission lined up in coming days – dinner meeting at Rahul Gandhi’s residence on Thursday, Bangalore protest led by Rahul on Friday, and the joint march to EC on Aug 11 – the opposition is unlikely to relent till then. A wider consensus to raise a protest over the electoral roll revision was evolved last week after a discussion on Pahalgam-Operation Sindoor in the two Houses over three days. As they gathered to chart out the future strategy, SIR came to dominate the discussion. Opposition leaders were told by Rahul that issues being raised in Parliament were important but BJP was winning elections by manipulating the electoral rolls. He told INDIA bloc members that a “deep dive” on voters’ list done by Congress in a sample Bangalore seat has unearthed serious irregularities, and the govt should be forced to discuss the subject in Parliament. Since then, the opposition has mounted vigorous protests in the parliament every morning. 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-Tejashwi ‘yatra’ against SIR postponed
Patna: The much-publicised “Vote Adhikar Yatra,” which was to be jointly launched by leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Bihar assembly opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, has been postponed due to “unavoidable reasons”. The yatra, originally scheduled for Aug, was intended to raise awareness about voting rights and “expose” the functioning of the Election Commission. “Information was issued to the media on Monday regarding the ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ programme, but now the yatra has been postponed due to unavoidable reasons,” read a letter issued by RJD state principal general secretary Ranvijay Sahu. “This notice should be considered void until the announcement of a new date,” the letter added. However, Tejashwi clarified that the decision to defer the yatra followed the death of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha founder and former Jharkhand CM Shibu Soren. “We had to reschedule the yatra programme due to the death of the former Jharkhand CM,” Tejashwi told reporters on Tuesday, adding that a revised schedule would be announced soon. According to sources, the yatra, planned as a joint initiative by two major INDIA bloc allies, the RJD and Congress, was being positioned as a grassroots movement in defence of voting rights. It also aimed to strongly oppose the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being undertaken in Bihar ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The campaign was being widely seen as a launchpad for the opposition’s election drive and a means to energise party workers across the state. The sudden postponement, however, has sparked questions about the rationale behind the decision. “We don’t understand the reason behind its postponement. The JMM leader died on Monday and the Jharkhand govt declared three days of state mourning, ending on Aug 6. But the yatra was to begin on Aug 10. So, the postponement move looks strange,” said an analyst. 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.
⚖️Supreme Rebuke: Top Court Slams Rahul Over China Remark
Supreme Court Questions Claim Criticised Rahul Gandhi for alleging Chinese occupation of 2,000 sq km, calling it unpatriotic. Stayed the defamation case but urged him to speak in Parliament instead of social media. Questioned the basis of his claims on India-China border issues. Political Fallout And BJP’s Response BJP leaders seized on SC’s remarks, branding Gandhi’s statements as irresponsible. Amit Malviya labelled him “China Guru” and accused him of harming national security. Linked his “dead economy” remark to a broader diplomatic misstep involving Russia and Pakistan. 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.
‘They don’t decide who a true Indian is’: Priyanka defends Rahul after SC rebuke; insists he never disrespected Army
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday objected to the observation made by the Supreme Court questioning Rahul Gandhi for his “China occupied Indian territory” remarks. “With due respect to the honourable judges of the Supreme Court, they do not decide who a true Indian is. It is the duty of the opposition leader to question the government. My brother (Rahul Gandhi) would never speak against the Army, he holds them in the highest respect. This is a misinterpretation,” the Congress MP said while talking to reporters. — PTI_News (@PTI_News) Meanwhile, Congress MP KC Venugopal also responded to the SC pulling up Rahul Gandhi, saying, “What Rahul Gandhi is discussing is the thinking of every nationalist Indian. Whenever we are asking questions inside the Parliament, there is no answer. Whenever we are asking something related to national interest outside the Parliament, we are termed as anti-national. Who will give the definition of ‘true Indian’? We are the true Indians who are raising questions for India.” — ANI (@ANI) The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the proceedings against Rahul Gandhi before a Lucknow court over his remarks about the Army during his December 2022 Bharat Jodo Yatra. The court, however, censured the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, saying if he is a “true Indian”, he would not say such a thing. “You are leader of opposition. Say things in Parliament, why do you have say it on social media? “How do you get to know that 2000 sq km land was occupied by Chinese, if you are true indian, you wouldn’t say such a thing,” the bench observed. A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and A G Masih lambasted Rahul for his 2022 statement, saying that Chinese are “thrashing our soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh”, while criticising the government for its handling of the Galwan Valley clash at the LAC. Rahul moved the Supreme Court after the Allahabad high court on May 29 rejected his plea for quashing of the summoning order passed in February by a court in Lucknow. “People will ask about Bharat Jodo Yatra, here and there, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot and what-not. But they will not ask a single question about China capturing 2,000 sqkm of Indian territory, killing 20 Indian soldiers and thrashing our soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh. But the Indian Press doesn’t ask a question to them about this. Isn’t it true? The nation is watching all this. Don’t pretend that people don’t know,” Rahul had said at a press conference during the Bharat Jodo yatra. 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.
Why was the date of Rahul Gandhi’s Vote Adhikar Yatra in Bihar changed? Congress’s path with RJD is not easy
Bihar Vidhan Sabha Election: Assembly elections will be held in Bihar in October-November. Before this, Congress is trying to regain its lost political ground in Bihar, but its path will not be easy in the alliance. Patna: Congress is leading the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA Bloc). In alliance politics, parties have to make many compromises. Every party has its own agenda, its own principles and it is not easy to maintain coherence between them. The influence of one party can benefit the entire alliance, while the defamation of one party can also harm all the allies. Even though Congress is leading a big alliance, it is forced to keep its principles and beliefs limited to itself. It cannot show its eyes to the allies like BJP. In Bihar, the indications so far are that the main allies of the All India Alliance, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), will contest the elections together. However, Congress is facing a huge dilemma because of RJD. The process of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list of the Election Commission is going on in Bihar. Both Congress and RJD opened a front against the central government and the Election Commission against this process. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav lodged an objection against the Election Commission for removing the names of 65 lakh voters from the list of the state. He even claimed that his name is not in the voter list. When the Election Commission replied to him that his name is in the list of two different constituencies, he did not have any precise answer. After this, a case has also been registered against him on the charge of getting two voter cards made. He has also received a notice from the Election Department. RJD has not only suffered due to this incident, Congress is also facing the brunt of it. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was going to take out a ‘Vote Rights Yatra’ with Tejashwi Yadav on August 10 in Bihar, but Congress’s own ally RJD was accused of misusing the right to vote. Now the question is how can Rahul Gandhi talk about the right to vote in front of the common people? He has been forced to postpone this journey. Will Tejashwi talk about the right to vote with Rahul now? Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s journey in Bihar will now start from Sasaram on August 17. Sasaram is in Rohtas district. However, it is not clear whether the name of this journey will remain ‘Vote Rights Yatra’ as before or not. At present, its purpose seems to be to create an atmosphere for the Bihar assembly elections. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge will join this journey on the first day itself. Leaders of the India Alliance will also participate in this journey which will be held in several phases. If Rahul Gandhi will take up this journey on the issue of voters’ rights, will Tejashwi Yadav also join him? This is a question, the answer to which the Congress will have to find. Authored by: Suryakant Pathak About the author Suryakant Pathak is a consultant at Navbharat Times Online. He has been doing journalism for the last 31 years. He writes news, analysis and blogs on India’s international relations, political-social developments in the country and the world. He started as a reporter in Dainik Bhaskar in 1995 and then worked for Naiduniya, Amar Ujala, ET Courtesy : Hindi News
Shibu Soren Death: He was a grassroots leader… PM Modi expressed grief over the death of Shibu Soren, other leaders also reacted
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and tribal leader Shibu Soren passed away at Gangaram Hospital in Delhi. Many leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have condoled his death. Shibu Soren fought for decades for the rights of tribal society and their empowerment. PM Modi reacted to the death of Shibu Soren New Delhi: Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and tribal leader Shibu Soren passed away today at Gangaram Hospital in Delhi. After his death, a wave of mourning spread across the country including Jharkhand. His son Hemant Soren, while informing about the death, said that respected Dishom Guruji has left all of us. Today I have become zero… Many other leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi have also condoled the death of Shibu Soren. At the same time, the proceedings of the Rajya Sabha have also been adjourned till 11 am on August 5. PM Modi called him a grassroots leader Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on his X handle saying that Shibu Soren was a grassroots leader who touched heights in public life with his unwavering dedication to the people. He was particularly dedicated to the empowerment of tribal communities, the poor and the underprivileged. His demise was saddening. My condolences are with his family and fans. Spoke to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji and expressed condolences. Om Shanti. Amit Shah expressed grief At the same time, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief and wrote on his X handle that the news of the demise of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shri Shibu Soren ji is extremely sad. He struggled for decades for the rights and empowerment of the tribal society in Jharkhand. He connected with the people with his spontaneous personality and simple nature. May God give place to the departed soul in his lotus feet and give strength to the bereaved Soren family and their fans and supporters to bear this sorrow. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences and said that he was deeply saddened to hear the news of the demise of former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and senior JMM leader Shibu Soren ji. A strong voice of the tribal society, Soren ji fought for their rights and entitlements throughout his life. His role in the creation of Jharkhand will always be remembered. I express my deepest condolences to Hemant Soren ji and the entire Soren family as well as all the supporters of Guruji. Rajnath Singh expressed condolences Defense Minister Rajnath Singh posted on his X handle and wrote that former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and one of the seniormost leaders of the country, Shibu Soren ji was counted among those stalwart leaders of Jharkhand who fought lifelong for the rights and empowerment of the weaker sections of the society, especially the tribal society. He always remained connected to the land and the people. I too had a long acquaintance with him. I am deeply saddened by his demise. My condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti! UP CM Yogi Adityanath expressed grief Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief and said that the demise of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shri Shibu Soren ji is very sad. Humble tribute to him! He dedicated his life to the upliftment of tribal society. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant salvation to the departed soul and give strength to his bereaved family to bear this immense grief. Babu Lal Marandi expressed grief Former Jharkhand CM Babu Lal Marandi expressed grief and said that the news of the demise of JMM patron Shri Shibu Soren ji is very sad. His departure is an irreparable loss for Jharkhand. I pray to God for peace of his soul and strength to the bereaved family to bear this grief. Om Shanti! Curated by: Sanjeev Kumar About the author Sanjeev Kumar is a Senior Digital Content Producer at Navbharat Times Online. He has more than 6 years of experience working on national, politics, current affairs and Bihar-Jharkhand news. He is currently covering national news, politics and Delhi news in Navbharat Times Online. Sanjeev Ku Courtesy : Hindi News
In the Vice Presidential election, the ruling party and the opposition are preparing to face off. The decision will be taken in the INDIA Block meeting at Rahul’s house.
India Bloc Meet Rahul Gandhi Residence: An important meeting of opposition parties is going to be held at the house of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. It is believed that further strategy can be made on important issues including the Vice Presidential election in this meeting. The biggest question is about the SIR process of the Election Commission, on which the opposition is attacking. What is the agenda of the opposition meeting at Rahul Gandhi’s house? New Delhi: Political turmoil continues in the Parliament. Apart from the discussion on Operation Sindoor, the proceedings of both the houses have not been able to run properly so far in this monsoon session. On the other hand, the dates for the Vice Presidential election have also been announced. In this election, the ruling party and the opposition are preparing to face off. This is the reason why an important meeting of the INDIA Block, an alliance of opposition parties, is going to be held. This important meeting is going to be held on August 7 at the house of Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. Big meeting at Rahul Gandhi’s house on August 7 According to the information, in this meeting the opposition parties will also formulate a strategy for the Vice Presidential election. Rahul Gandhi will present evidence of alleged ‘vote theft’ in this meeting. The opposition parties will also consider joint agitation and legal options in Bihar. Many important issues will be discussed in this meeting to be held in Delhi. Opposition parties are concerned over the removal of a large number of names from the voter list after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. They are planning to raise this issue in other states as well. These will be the agenda in the INDIA Block meeting Congress and some other opposition parties have raised questions on the functioning of the Election Commission. They allege that ‘vote theft’ has taken place in many elections. The opposition parties will formulate a strategy together on all these issues. Some leaders said that in the meeting to be held at Rahul Gandhi’s house, Congress MPs will give a presentation about the alleged electoral irregularities in Bengaluru. After this, they will present evidence about ‘vote theft and the role of the Election Commission’ in the INDIA Block meeting. Discussion on further strategy on SIR The opposition’s next strategy regarding the ongoing deadlock in Parliament and the Vice Presidential election will also be discussed in the meeting at Rahul Gandhi’s house. In this, the possibility of starting a joint movement in Bihar and across the country regarding the SIR process will also be discussed. Tejashwi Yadav had earlier talked about boycotting the Bihar Assembly elections. However, some opposition leaders believe that the SIR case is still in the Supreme Court. Apart from this, there are also provisions for complaining and getting redressal in SIR. In such a situation, all options should be considered before taking big steps like boycotting the election. Along with this, people whose names have been removed from the voter list should also get a chance to register their complaint. Confusion also over candidature in the Vice Presidential election The last date for filing nominations for the Vice Presidential election is August 21. Opposition parties will also discuss whether to field a candidate in the election or not. This election is considered easy for the BJP-led NDA, as they have a clear majority. Opposition parties are carefully considering every aspect. They want to ensure that the rights of voters are protected and the election process is fair. What will be the opposition plan on SIR next Opposition parties believe that irregularities in the voter list is a serious issue. This can affect the fairness of the election. They will spread awareness among the public about this issue and put pressure on the government to take appropriate action in this matter. The unity of opposition parties is important in this fight. He says that the Election Commission should ensure that there is no error in the voter list and all eligible citizens get the opportunity to vote. Curated by: Ruchir Shukla About the author Ruchir Shukla has been associated with Navbharat Times Online since February 2020. Started his career with a news agency in 2011. During this time, he broke big news through reporting. Specializes in political, social, crime, positive news. Courtesy: Hindi News
Bihar Election 2025: Now Manjhi has made a statement on Rahul Gandhi that will make NDA ‘uncomfortable’, know what he said
Bihar Assembly Election 2025: Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi attended the closing ceremony of ‘Sampoorna Abhiyan’ in Gayaji. On Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar visit, he said that in a democracy, everyone has the freedom to travel, so no one should object. Gayaji: Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday attended the closing ceremony of ‘Sampoorna Abhiyan’ in Gayaji. During this, he reacted to the upcoming Bihar visit of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. NDA may be uncomfortable with this statement of his. No one should object to Rahul Gandhi’s visit – Manjhi Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that no one has any objection to Rahul Gandhi’s padayatra. Talking to the media, he said, ‘There is democracy in the country. Everyone has the freedom to move, speak and travel. Rahul Gandhi is also moving around, there is nothing big in it. This is a good initiative, he should come and travel. No one should have any objection.’ Manjhi honoured panchayat representatives Employees of various departments and panchayat representatives were honoured in the closing ceremony of ‘Sampoornata Abhiyan’. Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi encouraged the employees, Mukhiya and Sarpanchs who did excellent work by giving them certificates and symbols. He appealed to the people being honoured to maintain continuity in their work. This will help in the future. Manjhi gave information about the ambulance On this occasion, representatives of many panchayats including DPO, DPM Nilesh Kumar of the Education Department were present. Head of Bhataura Panchayat Dilip Kumar Yadav was specially honoured. He told that since 2016, free ambulance service is being run for pregnant women in his panchayat area. He was honoured by the Union Minister for this work. The DPO of the department was also called on the stage and honoured for better work in the field of education. District Magistrate Shashank Shubhankar also participated in the programme and congratulated those who did excellent work. On the closing occasion, all the honoured representatives took a pledge to improve their work further. Edited by : Rishikesh Narayan Singh About the author Rishikesh Narayan Singh is the Bihar-Jharkhand in-charge of Navbharat Times Digital. 20 years of journey in journalism from Janmat TV, IBN7, ETV Bihar-Jharkhand, News18 Bihar-Jharkhand to Times Internet. Courtesy : Hindi News
Jagdeep Dhankhar forced out by government as he decided to go by book: Mallikarjun Kharge
NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday claimed that former vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar was forced out by the Modi govt because after years of “harassing” the opposition, he suddenly decided to move by the book. The decision to admit the notice to remove Justice Shekhar Yadav, along with the one against Justice Yashwant Varma, riled the govt, and PM Narendra Modi gave Dhankhar the option of either withdrawing his order or face action, Kharge alleged. He said Dhankhar opted to resign. Speaking at Congress’s annual legal conclave, Kharge recounted the “harassment” of the opposition at the hands of Dhankhar. He mentioned that Dhankhar had suspended a record number of MPs from Rajya Sabha, while Congress MP Rajni Patil was suspended for seven months, lamenting “this is their democracy”. But then, he said, Dhankhar one day woke up to his constitutional role because he realised that his tenure would be remembered in history if he worked as per rules, rubbing the PM and BJP the wrong way. The Congress brass, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, attended the conclave themed “Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives & Pathways”. A message from Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi was read out by senior leader Salman Khurshid. “Today, the Constitution is under siege. BJP-RSS, which never fought for freedom or upheld equality, now uses its power to dismantle the very framework it long opposed,” Sonia Gandhi said. “Now, they seek to erase socialism and secularism, pillars of Ambedkar’s vision of equal citizenship. This is not reform but an ideological coup replacing our democratic republic with a theocratic corporate state serving the powerful few,” she added. “We will oppose every attempt to undermine the Constitution, in Parliament, in courts, and on the streets. Our mission is clear – to reclaim the republic and protect the rights of each and every person,” Sonia Gandhi said. Kharge alleged that when Dhankhar started asserting that he was independent and allowed a notice for the opposition’s motion to remove Varma, he was “threatened and pressured” by the govt. This is the first time that the Congress brass linked Dhankhar’s resignation, which it called sacking, to govt pressure on constitutional offices. Earlier, whenever Kharge was asked about the reason for Dhankhar’s resignation he would respond saying he had no information and it was for Dhankhar to tell what happened since it was a matter between him and Prime Minister Modi. 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.