Soren, Rahul Gandhi now leaders of only 50 MLAs, not 56: JMM’s message to Left, RJD after cross-voting in RS polls
RANCHI: After the cross-voting, allegedly by RJD and CPI (ML) MLAs led to the INDIA alliance losing a crucial seat in the recently concluded Rajya Sabha elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Tuesday lashed out at its allies, saying Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are not their leaders anymore. Coming down heavily on the Left and the RJD, JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said both Soren and Rahul Gandhi are the leaders of the 50 MPs who voted for the alliance candidate. In the recent RS elections in Jharkhand, BJP-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani retained his seat despite the JMM-led INDIA alliance having 56 MLAs in the 81-member Assembly. The BJP-led NDA has 24 MLAs, four short of the minimum of 28 first-preference votes required to get a berth in the Upper House. Meanwhile, three votes, two from BJP and one Congress were declared invalid. According to JMM, out of the total 81 MLAs, 50 voted for the Congress and JMM candidates in the elections. Of these, JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram secured a seat by winning 30 votes, while Congress candidate Pranav Jha received only 20 votes, losing to the BJP-backed candidate. “Therefore, Hemant Soren and Rahul Gandhi are the leaders of these 50 MLAs,” said Bhattacharya, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and BJP National President Nitin Nabin are the leaders of the remaining 28 MLAs whose votes went to the BJP-backed candidate. Speaking to the media, the JMM General Secretary also noted that following his victory, BJP-backed candidate Nathwani had expressed his gratitude by specifically naming the three MLAs from the INDIA alliance who voted for him. JMM General Secretary also indicated –without explicitly naming them– that the ruling alliance MLAs who voted for Parimal Nathwani have been identified. He also talked about reviewing the Rajya Sabha election results very soon. Meanwhile, both the RJD and the CPI(ML) strongly rejected the allegations, stressing that their legislators sticked to the alliance plan and voted in favour of the Congress candidate. “As for speculations over Jharkhand Rajya Sabha voting, we can tell with full responsibility that our two MLAs voted for the Congress candidate as planned,” CPI (ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya said in a post on X. RJD MLA and Minister Sanjay Prasad Yadav also rejected the charge, saying, “RJD is not treacherous like the Congress and maintains a distinct identity.” He asserted that all four RJD MLAs voted for the Congress candidate. RJD General Secretary Bhola Yadav echoed the criticism, saying that the Congress should introspect before blaming others. Story by Mukesh Ranjan Courtesy : MSN Note: This news is originally published on https:/msn.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Stop appeasing good friend Trump’: Congress says India should not sign trade pact against its interests
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi must stop appeasing his good friend President Trump, who has claimed that he halted Operation Sindoor over a 100 times. With trade talks in focus during US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s India visit, the Congress on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must stop appeasing his “good friend” President Donald Trump. The Congress also said there is absolutely no need for India to be “bamboozled” into signing any trade pact, which at present is heavily against its interests. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Modi government must seek inspiration from Malaysia which has rebuffed its own trade deal with America following the US Supreme Court’s verdict. “The US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is in New Delhi today and tomorrow. On the request of PM Modi, while he was under pressure from Rahul Gandhi’s expose in Parliament of his cowardice in front of China, an India-US Joint statement on trade was issued on February 6, 2026,” Ramesh said on X. “The US promised to reduce tariffs on Indian exports from 25% to 18%. India promised to eliminate its tariffs or reduce them deeply on US agricultural commodities and industrial products and purchase up to USD 500 billion from the US over five years,” he said. Ramesh pointed out that on February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court of the US ruled that President Trump’s reciprocal tariff strategy was illegal. The very tariff concession that the US had offered India in the February 6, 2026, joint statement effectively disappeared overnight, he said. “Within hours of the US Supreme Court ruling the US imposed a temporary 10% tariff on all its trading partners including India. The legal basis for this expires on July 24, 2026. There is considerable uncertainty on what will happen thereafter,” Ramesh said. However, India along with about 60 other countries is under investigation by the US for unfair trade practices that supposedly violate US laws, he said, adding that final outcomes from this investigation are expected in the coming weeks. The US is clearly using this investigation as a threat to get India to formally sign the agreement as announced on February 6, 2026, he said. “Such an agreement is not a deal but a steal by the US. Indian farmers in different states that include J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra will be very adversely impacted. The US makes very little firm commitments whereas India commits to at least trebling its present levels of annual imports from the US,” Ramesh said. Despite having trade agreements with Japan and the EU, the US has threatened increased tariffs on them, he said. Even if a deal is signed, what and where is the guarantee that tariffs will not be unilaterally imposed or threatened to be imposed thereafter, Ramesh asked. “There is absolutely no need for India to be bamboozled into signing any trade agreement which as it stands now is heavily against India’s interests,” Ramesh said. “PM Modi must stop appeasing his good friend President Trump, who has claimed that he halted Operation Sindoor over a 100 times and is yet to be challenged by Mr Modi on that claim,” the Congress leader said. Greer is visiting India to take forward the discussions on the interim trade deal agreed to by Prime Minister Modi and President Trump in February. Trump and Modi met on the sidelines of the G-7 meeting in France last week where the US president said that India and the US were very close to finalising the trade agreement. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
AIMPLB to launch nationwide movement against social, political marginalisation of Muslims
The Executive Committee expressed grave concern over the “rapidly deteriorating situation in BJP-administered states, the country and the Muslim community.” The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Monday said it would soon come out with a comprehensive document on the “deteriorating condition” of Muslims in the country and launch a nationwide movement against the social and political marginalisation of the community. The Board made the announcement a day after a meeting of its executive committee. Briefing reporters on the decisions and deliberations at the meeting, AIMPLB spokesperson SQR Ilyas said the Board reviewed in detail the current situation facing the country and the Muslim community, and took a number of important decisions. “These decisions relate in particular to the growing incidents of mob violence or lynching against Muslims in BJP-ruled states; demolition drives targeting Muslim homes and localities, against mosques and madrasas; bulldozer terrorism; attempts to make Vande Mataram compulsory in government functions and schools; implementation of uniform government-aided madrasas; developments concerning the Madhya Pradesh High Court Civil Code in various states; and the recent judgment regarding the Kamal Maula Mosque,” he said. The Executive Committee expressed grave concern over the “rapidly deteriorating situation in BJP-administered states, the country and the Muslim community”, he said. The committee stated that Muslims’ lives, property, honour and dignity, mosques, madrasas, graveyards, personal law, fundamental rights, and even their faith and beliefs are under continuous attack. “We are unhappy with all parties, including the Congress. None of them raises issues of Muslims strongly,” Ilyas said, when asked about Rahul Gandhi’s reported remarks that if the issue pertains to Muslims, the community be specifically mentioned and not a generalised reference to minorities be made. The Executive Committee decided that a comprehensive document would be prepared and published on the “deteriorating condition of the Muslim community, communal tensions and violations of fundamental rights, so as to awaken the conscience of the people,” he said. “With regard to the Kamal Maula Mosque case, the Executive Committee expressed deep concern over the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s judgment, stating that there were historical evidence, revenue records, and colonial-era official documents. The judgment is contrary to centuries-old Muslim tradition of worship at the site. Furthermore, it is also inconsistent with the spirit of the Places of Worship Act, 1991,” Ilyas said. The Executive Committee welcomed the Kamal Maula Mosque Committee’s challenge of the judgment in the Supreme Court, and resolved that the AIMPLB would extend every possible assistance to the Mosque Committee in their legal struggle, he said. The Executive Committee declared that attempts to make Vande Mataram compulsory are contrary to Article 25 of the Constitution of India, Ilyas said. The Board welcomed the Calcutta High Court’s interim order staying the government directive requiring the singing of Vande Mataram in madrasas, he said. The Executive Committee also expressed serious concern over the ongoing legislative efforts in BJP-ruled states in the name of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Ilyas said. The meeting noted that after Uttarakhand and Gujarat, preparations are now underway to implement the UCC in Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra as well. The Board clarified that the Uniform Civil Code is not a mandatory constitutional command that courts are bound to enforce; rather, it is a non-binding guiding principle included among the Directive Principles of State Policy. The Executive Committee further resolved that, against the social and political marginalisation of Muslims, violation of constitutional norms, the promotion of hatred and hostility, the damage to communal harmony, attacks on life, property, honour and dignity of Muslims and the demolition of mosques and madrasas, the Board will launch a nationwide movement in partnership with justice-loving, democracy-loving, and peace-loving sections of society, Ilyas said. For this purpose, an Action Committee is being constituted, he said, adding that the movement may begin by July end. The Executive Committee meeting on Sunday was presided over by AIMPLB president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, and the proceedings were conducted by general secretary Maulana Fazlur Rahim Muiaddidi. Executive Committee members from across the country attended the meeting. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Jairam Ramesh seeks Centre’s clarity on private control, funding of Great Nicobar port
Congress leader questions ownership pattern, VGF support and risks flagged by PPPAC for the Galathea Bay transhipment project. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has sought clarifications from Union Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal over the proposed International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay in Great Nicobar Island, raising questions over private participation, funding and environmental concerns. In a letter to Sonowal, Ramesh asked the ministry to share the timeline for inviting private participation for the project and the process for selecting the private co-owner and operator of the proposed port. He also sought clarity on the ownership structure of the project’s special purpose vehicle (SPV), pointing out that recommendations of the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) specify that a minimum of 55 per cent shareholding should be held by an Indian-owned and controlled entity. “I seek clarity on three specific points. Since the minimum private shareholding is to be 55%, does it mean that 100% private shareholding will be allowed, or is there a minimum shareholding by public entities as well?” Ramesh said in his letter. The Congress leader also questioned whether private ownership of ports would be diversified or whether a situation similar to the airport sector would be allowed. “Is private ownership of ports to be diversified, or will the airports-like situation be permitted, where only one private company has acquired the six airports sold off so far,” he asked. Ramesh further sought details on funding after the PPPAC rejected the ministry’s request for a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) grant. “Since the PPPAC has turned down the Ministry’s request for a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) grant, will the Ministry provide VGF/capital grant support from its own allocated budget?” he asked. The letter comes amid Ramesh’s repeated objections to the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) project, which includes the transhipment port, a civilian-cum-naval airport, a township and a power plant. Calling himself among those concerned about the project’s ecological impact, Ramesh said the government was pushing ahead with the port despite acknowledging major risks. “You are aware that the PPPAC of the Ministry of Finance had met on March 17, 2026 and March 19, 2026 to consider the proposal of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for the development of an international container transshipment port at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island,” Ramesh said. He cited the PPPAC’s record of discussions issued on April 2, which identified two major risks associated with the project — developing a large-scale greenfield port and attracting transhipment traffic away from established ports. “I take it that these competing well-established ports are Colombo, Singapore and Port Klang — It is extraordinary that even while recognizing these huge risks — quite apart from the certainty of ecological devastation that will be caused by its construction — the transshipment port is being pushed through,” Ramesh said. Ramesh has previously written to Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, raising concerns over environmental clearances, tribal rights and defence-related aspects of the project. On Friday, he wrote to Yadav alleging that environmental impact assessments for different components of the project were “demonstrably inadequate” and questioned the transparency of the approval process. The Congress has repeatedly criticised the project, claiming the Galathea Bay port would cause large-scale ecological damage, including destruction of coral colonies. Ramesh has also raised concerns over the impact on tribal rights and has urged the government to ensure implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also attacked the project, alleging that the government’s stated reasons of defence and port development were not the real motivation behind it. Gandhi had earlier claimed the project was aimed at benefiting a private businessman by enabling the development of hotels and casinos on ecologically sensitive land. He also released a video after his visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and urged people to oppose the project through a public campaign. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul Gandhi attends Congress training camp in Chhattisgarh
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi arrived in Abhanpur on a day-long visit to attend a 10-day Congress training camp on Sunday. During his four-hour visit, Gandhi held a 40-minute meeting with senior party leaders before interacting directly with district and city unit presidents. On his way back to the airport, Gandhi stopped at a roadside tea stall where he was seen sharing biscuits with Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Deepak Baij. Senior leaders including Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, T S Singh Deo, and Charan Das Mahant accompanied him. While the ongoing training camp in Abhanpur was scheduled as a closed-door event, a large number of Congress workers gathered at the venue from across the state. The heavy rush led to brief chaos at the entrance. In the ensuing push and shove, Leader of Opposition in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Charan Das Mahant was left stranded outside the main gate for a period. Videos of the incident have since surfaced on social media. Gandhi departed for the airport following the conclusion of the interaction sessions. 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 meets 5 key Punjab netas ahead of call on party rejig
NEW DELHI: As Congress rethinks its organisational leadership in poll-bound Punjab, Rahul Gandhi Sunday met five key state functionaries ahead of a decision on a reshuffle. Leader of the opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, state chief Amarinder Raja Warring, ex-CM Charanjit Singh Channi, Sukhjinder Randhawa and Vijay Inder Singla met Rahul at 10, Janpath. Sources said Rahul asked them to fight the polls collectively, a day after the party brass discussed a report of the Ajay Maken panel set up to look into the Punjab unit. Meenakshi Natarajan and Bhajan Lal Jatav were other members of the panel. The five state functionaries are said to have given their views on the nature of the team with which Congress should go to the polls. Rahul called the leaders individually and sought their opinions. Bajwa told reporters, “I put forward my viewpoint on what is best for the party, and I said whatever decision you (Rahul) take, we’ll stand by it. We’re committed soldiers of Congress.” 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
Congress thoroughbred Hariprasad will lead party in Karnataka
He was a Congress Working Committee permanent invitee and Haryana state in-charge before being elevated to the post. BENGALURU: The state is all set to witness 71-year-old Congress thoroughbred Bengaluru Kempaiah Hariprasad taking charge as new president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) at Palace Grounds on Sunday. He was a Congress Working Committee permanent invitee and Haryana state in-charge before being elevated to the post. A four-time Rajya Sabha member and two-time MLC, he is a staunch loyalist of the Nehru-Gandhi family, who has worked closely with Congress Parliamentary Party chief Sonia Gandhi. Kodandarama Nagara — close to Malleswaram, where Hariprasad was born and brought up, wore a festive look with residents, especially women, welcoming him with traditional aarti during his padayatra on Saturday. CM DK Shivakumar, who was KPCC president, will hand over the party flag officially to Hariprasad at 11 am. Hariprasad was among the five party candidates elected in the recent MLC polls, helping the party achieve the majority mark of 39 in a 75-member House. That victory has apparently energised the party’s rank and file. They will now pin their hopes on the Hariprasad-Shivakumar combination to work their magic to get the party reelected in the 2028 Assembly polls. Soon after Siddaramaiah passed the CM baton to Shivakumar, the party high command picked Hariprasad, who hails from the Ediga community, in a backward classes outreach. The Sunday rally, where Siddaramaiah too will be felicitated, will be attended by over one lakh people, said former Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh, Shivakumar’s younger brother. AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal and state in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala are expected to attend. KPCC working president and Rajya Sabha member GC Chandrashekhar requested party workers not to hold up traffic in view of the NEET retest. Around 350 dignitaries will be on the main stage, while 200 others on the other one. Party workers will be ferried in 1,200 buses. Resolution to make Rahul PM The congregation will pass a resolution to make leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi the prime minister in 2029 and also to bring the party to power in the state in 2028. “This is not just a power transfer programme. It is a party organisation ceremony, a ceremony for the future. This will be a platform to take a big decision. The next two years are election years,” said GC Chandrashekar. Devaraj B Hirehalli Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Rahul meets Punjab Congress’ top leaders amid speculations of organisational change; calls for unity
According to the leaders, Rahul Gandhi held one-on-one meetings with each of them, to get their views on the roadmap in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls. Amid speculations of an organisational restructuring in Punjab Congress, Rahul Gandhi on Sunday met top leaders of the state unit and urged them to fight the upcoming Assembly elections collectively, stressing that the party has a “very good chance” to win. Punjab goes to polls early next year. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, senior leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Vijay Inder Singla met Rahul Gandhi at 10, Janpath, Sonia Gandhi’s residence. “I put forward my viewpoint on what is best for the party, and I’ve said whatever decision you (Rahul Gandhi) take, we will stand by that. We are committed soldiers of the Congress. Our families have sacrificed for the interest of Punjab, for the unity and integrity of this nation,” Bajwa told reporters after the meeting. “The leadership decision is with Rahul, whatever position he may give or not give, we stand by him,” Bajwa asserted. Gandhi met the five leaders one-on-one separately to get their views on the roadmap in the run-up to the Punjab Assembly polls, according to the leaders who met Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi’s message was, ‘You have to fight collectively, Punjab is an important state, and we stand a very good chance.’ The leaders shared their views on the leadership issue and the best way forward. Basically, he stressed that we must protect Punjab’s interests,” a source privy to the meetings said. Earlier this month, the Congress named Ajay Maken, Meenakshi Natarajan and Bhajan Lal Jatav as All India Congress Committee observers to assess and submit a report on the current political scenario in Punjab. They submitted their report to the high command. Courtesy : TNIE Note: This news is originally published on https:/thenewindianexpress.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Shashi Tharoor’s praise for PM Modi sparks political slugfest
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed India’s concerns to US President Donald Trump regarding the safety of civilian sailors has earned him the ire of his party. “Admiration for PM Modi appears to have transcended the limitations of the physical world” and he now “seems capable of hearing what Modi doesn’t even say”, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said in response to queries regarding Tharoor’s remarks which were at odds with leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that PM had not taken up with Trump the issue of deaths of three Indian seafarers who were killed by the US navy after their Palau-flagged ship breached the US-imposed naval blockade. Tharoor responded on X that he found it extraordinary that a statement about protecting Indian civilian sailors was “being twisted into a partisan political controversy”. Tharoor’s statement saying that the PM had raised the issue of Indian seafarers with the US President, led BJP to take a dig at Rahul Gandhi. “Dr Shashi Tharoor contradicted Rahul Gandhi’s stand on the same issue…” party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said. “Not just that, Tharoor has effusively praised PM Modi’s vision, articulation, dynamism and oratory. He has said Modi has left a stamp on the lives of Indians,” he added. 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
‘Ensure there are no glitches, students been through enough stress’: Rahul Gandhi to govt ahead of Sunday’s NEET re-exam
NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday shared a message for students and the govt ahead of NEET re-exam on Sunday. “To everybody taking the Re-NEET exam, hope you have a really wonderful, excellent exam and all of you do well. Remember we’re with you. We want to look after you, protect you and make sure that you have brilliant future. Love all of you,” he said addressing the aspirants. Then he directed the next part to the Prime Minister and to the government saying, “Please ensure that there are no glitches this time. The students have been through enough stress and they really cannot afford to go through it again.” Earlier in the day, Rahul had spoken about NEET, with reference to a reports about a Nagpur student being assigned centre in Abu Dhabi. “How did this even happen? Yesterday, no student should have had any complaint about not being able to reach their center. The NTA is actually just testing the patience of the country’s children and their parents. A system that can’t provide a center in a child’s own city but can send them abroad instead—it has no right to conduct exams,” he said. However, NTA later gave a clarifications aying that the student himself chose it as the option from the applicant login. Read more: NTA says Nasik candidate himself selected Abu Dhabi option 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