I’m leader of oppn in LS, but never allowed to speak: Rahul
NEW DELHI: Congress’ Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that he is not allowed to speak in Lok Sabha despite being the leader of the opposition (LoP) even as govt representatives make statements freely. He was referring to the fracas that broke out after defence minister Rajnath Singh’s statement in the wake of opposition’s demonstration demanding a discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack. Rahul also mocked PM Narendra Modi, saying “he ran out of the House in one second”. As Parliament’s monsoon session opened to a clash between opposition and govt, Rahul told reporters, “They let the defence minister speak, they let ‘their people’ to speak. But if opposition members want to make a statement, they are not allowed. I am the leader of the opposition, but I am never allowed to speak. This is a new approach. This (speaking) is my right.” “The convention says if a member of govt speaks, then opposition should also get an opportunity. We wanted to make a brief remark, but was not given a chance,” the leader of opposition in LS added. Congress whip Manickam Tagore said that opposition has moved adjournment motions seeking debate on the Pahalgam attack and related events. “But govt is not ready to yield. The parliamentary affairs minister and defence minister are ready to lecture us, but the LoP is not allowed to speak.” Tagore said opposition will continue to stress that the LoP be allowed to make an intervention in the House. “We are waiting for the day when the LoP is allowed to speak on the adjournment motion.” 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.
Varanasi court admits case against Rahul Gandhi for remarks against Sikhs
VARANASI: An MP-MLA court in Varanasi on Monday accepted a petition filed against the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi by Nageshwar Mishra, a former village head of Tilmapur Sarnath. He has accused Gandhi of making remarks against the Sikhs during his visit to the United States. Accepting Mishra’s appeal, special sessions judge (MP-MLA court) Yajurveda Vikram Singh rejected the order of the court of additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) delivered on Nov 28, 2024. Assistant district govt counsel (ADGC) Vinay Kumar Singh told TOI that the debate on the pending monitoring application in the court concluded, and the court will hear the case regarding Gandhi’s alleged remarks. Vivek Shankar Tiwari and Alakh Rai presented arguments in the court. The ADGC presented the case as govt counsel. Last Sept, Gandhi made a statement in the US, claiming that the environment in India is not favourable for Sikhs. Mishra filed a lawsuit in the judicial magistrate (second) court, alleging that this statement was a conspiracy to incite civil war in the country. The ACJM (MP-MLA) court dismissed the case after a hearing. Mishra filed a revision petition in the sessions court against the lower court’s order. During the hearing, Gandhi’s side filed an objection, appealing to the court to dismiss the case. In response, the monitor filed a counter-objection. Gandhi filed his written response before the MP-MLA court in Varanasi in the revision petition filed by Mishra, who sought registration of an FIR against Gandhi. Mishra had filed the petition in 2024, claiming that Gandhi made an objectionable statement during his visit to the US by stating that there was an atmosphere of insecurity among Sikhs in India. His petition was dismissed by the court on Nov 28, 2024. Mishra filed an instant revision plea, on which a notice was earlier issued to Gandhi. 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.
Abuse of Ramcharitmanas, abusive words for Mother Sita… MLA Manoj Pandey attacks the party after being expelled from SP
The Samajwadi Party expelled Abhay Singh, Rakesh Pratap Singh and Manoj Pandey for anti-party activities. Manoj Pandey questioned the SP on issues like insult to Ramcharitmanas and mentioned the weakening support base of the party. Sandeep Tiwari, Lucknow: A major political development was seen in the politics of Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The Samajwadi Party expelled three MLAs, MLA Abhay Singh from Gosaiganj, Rakesh Pratap Singh from Gauriganj and MLA Manoj Pandey from Unchahar, from the party, accusing them of anti-party activities. This decision created a stir in the politics of the state. After the expulsion, MLA Manoj Pandey has raised sharp questions on the Samajwadi Party while strongly putting forward his side in a conversation with a channel. He said that he has had a long political life of 30 years in the party and he always worked with the basic principles of SP. Manoj Pandey said that when I left the party, I was the chief whip. This question should be asked to those who created such circumstances. He clarified that he is not a rebel in any way. Describing his decision as a constitutional right, he said that the Supreme Court has made it clear that any MLA in the Rajya Sabha can vote wherever he wants. This is our democratic right. SP’s mass base is weakening – Manoj Pandey Reacting to his expulsion, he said in an emotional tone that how can he remain in a party where Ramcharitmanas is abused, the book is torn, Ganga is called a drain and Sita Mata is abused. He said that he opposed this ideology, but when the party turned a blind eye, he refused to consider politics as a means of convenience. Manoj Pandey said that he also saw in the internal politics of SP that the mass base of the party is weakening. Even after fielding candidates on 403 seats, only 46 MLAs were able to win. This means that the blessings of the people and God are now somewhere else. Took BJP membership on 18 May 2024 He said that he has come into politics not for any post or benefit, but with the aim of providing justice to the poor, weak, Dalit, backward and upper castes. He also told that he had duly taken membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party on 18 May 2024 and that too in the presence of lakhs of people. We took membership of the party in front of Amit Shah ji. Now that we have been expelled from SP, this decision seems ridiculous because we have already joined BJP. Commenting on words like grace period, he said that he only needs the blessings of the people of Unchahar, Param Pita Parmeshwar and his well-wishers. He does not want the grace of anyone else. Clarified that he never won on the symbol of Samajwadi Party. I have become an MLA on the strength of the people, not because of the symbol of any party. Finally Manoj Pandey said that he will take a decision on the future political direction after consultation with the public and allies. Edited by: Dhirendra Singh About the author Dhirendra Singh I am a senior content producer at Navbharat Times Digital. I am responsible for working on political and other news related to UP and Uttarakhand. Talking about my past, I have studied journalism from Delhi University. I started my career in 2014 and have more than 8 years of experience. Courtesy: Hindi News
INDIA alliance will change the future of Bihar… Rahul Gandhi said after sharing the video of Patna’s job fair
As the Bihar elections approach, Congress has become active. The party organized a mega employment fair in Patna, in which a huge crowd of youth gathered. Rahul Gandhi has shared its video. New Delhi: Congress has become very active in the state before the Bihar elections. The party, carrying forward the old strategy of Delhi and Rajasthan, organized a mega employment fair in Patna. A huge crowd of unemployed youth was seen in this fair. Congress leader and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi shared the video of the crowd that came to this fair on social media and targeted the Bihar government. Rahul Gandhi said in his post that this crowd gathered in the mega employment fair is not just a crowd, it is a message. The youth of Bihar now want their future from employment, not speeches. The way BJP and Nitish government threw Bihar into the fire of unemployment, lakhs of youth have to migrate from there for livelihood. They have to leave their village, their family… everything behind. ‘Congress has come with solutions, not assurances’ The Congress leader further said that the youth of Bihar are hardworking, capable, promising. They just need local and respectable employment. Now the change has begun. The Congress and INDIA alliance has brought solutions, not just assurances. Our focus is clear. Right to talent, employment to every youth, migration should stop, every family should stay together. A prosperous Bihar will be built on this path! Shared the post of Youth Congress Let us tell you that Rahul said this while sharing the tweet of Indian Youth Congress. In this tweet, IYC has said that this huge crowd of youth gathered at the Maharojgar Mela of Youth Congress in Patna is a clear proof that unemployment is the most serious problem in Bihar. After Jaipur, Delhi, this was another effort of ours so that qualified youth can get job opportunities through employment fairs. Curated by: Akshay Srivastava About the author Akshay Srivastava is the Principal Digital Content Producer at NBT Digital. Apart from current affairs, he likes to write on topics like international and crime. He is also interested in ground reporting. Courtesy : Hindi News
‘This reduces your credibility’, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat cornered Rahul Gandhi by advising him
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat took a dig at Rahul Gandhi on the Constitution and said that there is a contradiction in his words and actions. He accused the Congress of killing the Constitution by imposing emergency. Shekhawat expressed hope for constructive discussions in the Monsoon Session of Parliament and appealed not to make it a platform for disruption. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s taunt on Rahul Gandhi Jaipur: Politics is continuously heating up in the Lok Sabha regarding the Monsoon Session. Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has fiercely targeted the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. He took a dig at Rahul Gandhi for keeping a copy of the Constitution in his pocket. He said that keeping a copy of the Constitution in the pocket and at the same time attacking constitutional institutions and reducing their sanctity is contradictory. He went on to attack Rahul Gandhi saying that the kind of inappropriate comments he makes, this reduces his credibility. Congress killed the Constitution by imposing Emergency in the country: Shekhawat During this, Union Minister Shekhawat fiercely targeted the Congress regarding the Emergency. He said that when the Constitution of the country was murdered, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in her desire for power, demolished all the basic pillars of the country and imposed Emergency. Fundamental rights were violated during the Emergency. After the arrest of Jayaprakash Narayan, who led the movement, Prabhash Joshi wrote powerful and thought-provoking articles, which awakened the country and united the people for the restoration of democracy. Parliament should not be made a platform for disruption or anarchy The monsoon session in the Lok Sabha is witnessing a lot of political turmoil. Meanwhile, there is a lot of rhetoric between the Congress and the BJP. Regarding the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament, Shekhawat said that I believe that there are many important and relevant issues before the country, on which there should be open discussion and dialogue, Parliament is a platform for dialogue. I sincerely hope that it will be used for constructive deliberations, and not be made a platform for disruption or anarchy. Authored by: Pulkit Saxena•Contributed by: Manish Kumar Bagri About the Author Pulkit Saxena I work for Navbharat Times Digital in Rajasthan. I started my journalism career in Delhi. I am interested in the politics of the country and Rajasthan. I am skilled in working on politics, education, art, entertainment and positive news. My home is in the Pink City Jaipur. Courtesy : Hindi News
1st Parliament session after Operation Sindoor set to open on stormy note
NEW DELHI: Demonstrating unity over the parliamentary agenda, opposition Saturday said its demand for discussion on Pahalgam terror attack-Operation Sindoor and “drift” in foreign policy is non-negotiable, and PM Narendra Modi should reply to the debate — an apparent red line that threatens a stormy monsoon session which gets under way Monday. The opposition has listed the controversial “special intensive review” of Bihar electoral rolls as another major issue for discussion. The opposition argued that US President Donald Trump has been speaking non-stop about having forced cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan by using trade as the bait, and only PM Modi, who has allegedly been silent on the issue, can reply to him. Just how much is govt willing to accommodate the opposition’s demand — subjects of discussion, duration of debate, PM’s reply — would decide the trajectory of the monsoon session. But the govt appears to have made up its line of defence for the opposition’s charge on Pahalgam-Sindoor. Official sources said the treasury will focus on how it has shown “zero tolerance” towards terrorism and its sponsors, and didn’t hesitate to target the terror hideouts deep inside Pakistan territory. They refuted allegation that PM has been silent on Trump’s mediation claim, pointing out that in a one-on-one telephonic chat the PM had rejected Trump’s assertion that he leaned on a reluctant India to suspend Operation Sindoor, pointing out that India decided to pause fire on May 10 after Pakistan conveyed its willigness to do so through military channels. Although the expected confrontation can potentially disturb govt’s plan to get eight bills passed, it has in the recent past been able to achieve its legislative agenda by working around protests. The INDIA bloc Saturday evening brainstormed on issues of “national concern” in a virtual meeting, that saw the participation of 24 parties and included Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, K C Venugopal, Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Dipankar Bhattacharya (CPI-ML), N K Premachandran (RSP), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Ramgopal Yadav (SP), Omar Abdullah (NC), Hemant Soren (JMM) and Tiruchi Siva (DMK). Rahul is learnt to have pushed for a united fight in Parliament. Aam Aadmi Party which had decided to disengage itself from the opposition grouping, did not attend the meeting. Another contentious issue in the session would be the “attack on migrants across the country”. TMC’s Banerjee, CPI (ML)’s Bhattacharya, and other netas highlighted that migrants from Bengal and other regions were being attacked. They linked it to the voters’ review. The discussion on migrants and voters rolls in the meeting suggests opposition may be unrelenting on the SIR. BJP is sure to return fire by saying that the scrutiny of voters was consistent with the Constitution which lays down that only Indian citizens have the right to vote, and by accusing the oppoosition of trying to shield infiltrators from Bangladesh as part of their “votebank politics”. Amid the differences between the govt and the opposition, a rare bipartisanship will see the Lok Sabha bring a motion to impeach Justice Yashwant Varma for alleged corruption. But even here, a fresh faultline is the pendency of the impeachment notice submitted by the opposition against Justice Shekhar Yadav of Allahahad HC for “hate speech”. While the opposition is pushing for Yadav’s sacking, the govt is reluctant to entertain it. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Expert group submits report on caste survey to Telangana govt
HYDERABAD: The Independent Expert Working Group (IEWG), led by former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy, submitted its 300-page report to the state govt on Saturday. The group termed the methodology of the Congress govt-conducted Socio-Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste (SEEEPC) survey as scientific, authentic, and reliable, stating that it will become a role model for the nation. Chief minister A Revanth Reddy, along with deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, some ministers received the report at a programme at MCRHRD Institute. The CM said the report would be placed in the next cabinet meeting, likely to be held on July 25, for discussion. The 300-page report assumes significance as the govt is set to earmark 42% reservations to the Backward Classes (BCs) in local bodies and is awaiting approval of the ordinance it sent to the governor. The high court had directed the state govt to complete the election to panchayats by Sept 30, including fixing reservations in a month. CM Revanth said, “This is not just data but Telangana’s mega health check-up X-ray. As promised by Rahul Gandhi, we successfully conducted a caste survey in the state. This report will be useful for the uplift of the weaker sections in the state and for implementing social justice.” Revanth further requested the expert group to study the differences between urban and rural areas and the reasons for them. “We request the committee to identify the needs of the people and give appropriate suggestions,” he added. Sources told TOI that the report submitted by the expert group calculated a composite backwardness index (CBI) for each of the 242 castes in the SEEEPC survey. The report presents a first-of-its-kind analytical model to measure socio-economic backwardness and assigns a CBI score and rank for all 242 castes. The expert group was tasked to study, verify, analyse, and interpret the SEEEPC survey data of various castes. It was appointed on March 12, 2025. Kancha Ilaiah (vice chairman), Praveen Chakravarthy (convenor), Prof Shantha Sinha, Sukhadeo Thorat, Himanshu, Nikhil Dey, Prof Bhangya Bhukya, and Prof K Purushottam Reddy, among others, comprise the expert working group that studied, verified, analysed, and interpreted the SEEEPC survey. Meanwhile, Telangana BC Commission chairman G Niranjan on Saturday said the independent expert group has submitted its report on the caste survey to the state govt, adding that it will serve as a valuable tool for advancing social justice. He recommended that the report be made public to ensure transparency. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Cong may announce district prez appointments by month-end
Bhopal: The AICC is likely to clear the list of district presidents for the state by the end of the month. Sources in the state Congress office said the final discussions were between PCC chief Jitu Patwari, AICC general secretary for Madhya Pradesh affairs Harish Chaudhary and national party organisational general secretary KC Venugopal. “Reports submitted by the central observers and state observers are being matched to select the final names for 60 organisational district presidents for Madhya Pradesh,” a source said. Meanwhile, Patwari, LOP Umang Singhar and a few more senior functionaries from the state have visited New Delhi to speak to central leaders on their choice of district presidents. However, the AICC officially asked state leaders not to come to Delhi. Instead, they have been asked to send letters if they have suggestions. So far, district president appointments were influenced by recommendations of senior leaders. But on June 3, Lok Sabha LOP Rahul Gandhi launched the CWC-approved Sangathan Srajan Abhiyan, the restructuring of the Congress party organization in the state. Madhya Pradesh is the first state to undergo the remodeling of the party after the pilot project has been completed in Gujarat. At the CWC meeting in Ahmedabad in April, the Congress’ highest decision-making body decided to restructure the organization and match up with the BJP’s organizational strength. It was decided to start with Gujarat as the model state. After Rahul Gandhi’s visit, it was decided that the first phase of organizational restructuring would start with the appointment of Congress district presidents. AICC general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh affairs Harish Chaudhary had claimed that appointment of district president would be completed by June 20. However, a month has passed since the deadline and the party is still discussing names of candidates and matching the ground reports prepared by AICC observers and state Congress observers who went to the districts and spoke to party workers. Speaking to TOI, state Congress media cell chief and former minister Mukesh Nayak denied the district president appointments have been delayed. “We are not running late. The AICC sent central observers to the districts and thereafter, the state observers also visited the grassroots to ask party workers to name suitable district presidents,” Nayak explained. “The reports of the AICC observers and the state observers are being matched. The meetings are in the final stages, and we can expect the list of district presidents to be released by the AICC soon,” he said. Party spokesman Abbas Hafeez argued, “Madhya Pradesh is a big state. And there are districts with two organizational presidents’ posts – one for rural and the other for urban areas like Bhopal city Congress president and Bhopal rural district president. The democratic process takes time. And unlike the BJP, the Congress will not announce district presidents one by one. The high command will announce the names soon.” Ruling BJP took a dig. State BJP media department chief Ashish Agarwal took to X and said, “Congress district president appointment is not about capabilities but depends on a quota system. If a person fits the ‘quota’, only then will he get the district president’s chair. Democracy be doomed, here only the leaders’ recommendation prevails.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
Rahul Gandhi will soon replace Modi: Dotasra
Alwar: The Congress held a rally here on Saturday for its “Save the Constitution” campaign, where the party launched a scathing attack on BJP-led central govt. Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra accused BJP of attempting to destroy democracy and Constitution, urging citizens to protect their voting rights. During the rally, Dotasra claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure would soon come to an end, with Rahul Gandhi poised to take the top post. He criticised BJP govt for failing to fulfil its promises on black money, corruption, farmers’ income and youth employment. Leader of opposition Tikaram Jully focused on local issues, particularly the Sariska Tiger Reserve controversy. He alleged that BJP representatives were involved in a Rs 500 crore scam related to changes in the critical tiger habitat, benefiting mining interests at the expense of farmers’ land. The rally was part of nationwide Congress efforts, led by Rahul Gandhi, to mobilise opposition against the BJP govt. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.
‘Strengthen Congress at grassroots’
Lucknow: AICC in-charge for UP Avinash Pande and state president Ajay Rai convened a zonal review and workshop for 13 districts in Jhansi on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, Pande said: “The importance of strengthening the organisation at the grassroots level is in line with the resolutions passed at the Udaipur Chintan Shivir and the vision of national leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka. District-level workers and leaders must leverage the experience of senior leaders and focus on strengthening the organisation, which is crucial for defending the country’s constitution and fighting for people’s rights.” He also highlighted the ongoing review of organisational creation by the central office of the All India Congress Committee and the need to bring dedicated workers and leaders into the mainstream, with special attention to social justice as emphasised by Rahul Gandhi. Ajay Rai, on the other hand, noted that the public is looking towards them with hope. He urged all workers and leaders to start preparing for the 2027 Assembly elections. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/ and is for use by the non-military/non-commercial community, especially those in the human rights sector.