Government's reforms agenda in Parliament is in for trouble with its biggest ally Shiv Sena on Monday joining some Opposition parties in declaring resistance to a bill on raising FDI cap in insurance sector from 26 per cent 49 per cent.
He termed the Centre's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes as "surgical strike" on common man's "small savings" and not on "black marketeers".
Attacking Modi, who is set to address the nation after end of the 50-day period he had sought from the people to ease their problems due to cash crunch, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the PM is good at making announcements that are far from reality.
It said it will also allow reservation of reserved tickets from common service centres (CSC) and through ticketing agents with effect from Friday. The zonal railways have been instructed to decide and notify opening of reservation counters as per local needs and conditions, the order stated.
A 17-member delegation of the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday left for a five-nation tour from Lucknow, drawing criticism from opposition parties for undertaking the visit at a time when Muzaffarnagar riot victims were living in difficult circumstances in relief camps.
.jpg)
"The visit of the President of China is extremely important," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi talking about President Xi Jinping's visit starting on Wednesday.
Verdict one of the most important since advent of Constitution, says Chidambaram.
'There is no future for the Shiv Sena under Uddhavji's leadership.'
'The common man in India who doesn't have anything to hide will have to put up with this short period of discomfort.' 'It will not last more than 10 days at the most.'
The former J-K CM said the general perception about the delay in government formation was that it is being done to salvage some bare minimum credibility for the PDP.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue of tax cuts on petroleum products, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday said people were aware of the fact behind the issue and pointed out at his government effecting a Rs 3 a litre cut on petrol earlier.
'The BJP may no longer be in power after 2024, that doesn't mean we'll stop this campaign against polygamy.'
Several politicians said they were not even aware of the provision in the UP Act.
Former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board scam and also the resignation of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on moral grounds.
The BJP hailed the order as a "resounding blow to the nefarious designs" of Rahul and the Cong described it as a "body blow to transparency".
'Yogiji is saying he is doing good work, but when you go on the ground you will see the reality.'
He dismissed as "hollow claim" Prime Minister Narendra "Modi's propaganda" that things have started looking up
'The unprecedented bitterness and rancour that marked this election campaign need not spill over into government and governance,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Pakistan's nuclear arsenal is 'simply a deterrent' to protect the country and there will no longer be any need for it once the Kashmir issue is resolved, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said as he asserted that if the Americans have the resolve and the will, the issue can be sorted out.
The chief minister still has time to repair the damage but he will have to act all-round, both at the government and party levels, suggests N Sathiya Moorthy.
A group of young men claimed to have hosted Asia's longest iftaar spread at the banks of scenic Dal lake.
Dubbing the government's decision to bring an ordinance on food security as an "election gimmick", the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday accused the Congress of running away from a debate on the crucial issue in Parliament.
'Shashi Tharoor has publicised whatever little he has done, far more than what he has actually done. Some of the bigger promises he made could never be implemented.' Ajit Joy, a former police officer and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier that he is a more attractive candidate in his constituency than sitting MP Tharoor.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will likely consider on Saturday a GST rate cut for Covid-19 relief essentials and drugs for treating the black fungus disease and might leave the vaccines untouched. The meeting is being held following a report submitted by a Group of Ministers (GoM) to the GST Council on Monday. The GoM, set up by the Council on May 28, was mandated to look at tax exemption and concessions on various Covid items including vaccines, drugs, and equipment.
Naidu on Wednesday said he has been supporting demonetisation, but added that problems arising out of the exercise "continue" as "we are going (about them) in a routine manner". "We have to take an innovative approach," he said, claiming that his remarks were "distorted by some".
The Rajasthan Congress led by its state president Sachin Pilot on Thursday held a Chetna Rally against "anti-people" policies of the Vasundhara Raje led Bharatiya Janata Party Rajasthan government.
'Bommai is everybody's man and nobody's man'
With Dadri-like incidents triggering outrage, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said "small episodes" cannot damage "Hindu culture" and praised the Modi government for ushering in hope and confidence in the country and enhancing India's standing abroad.
'We cannot override the CJI's order... This is nonsense'
In a letter sent to the Surat-based couple -- Yuvraj Pokharna and bride-to-be Sakshi Agrawal -- Modi described the content of the card as "ingenious" and asserted that it had inspired him to work even harder for the country.
The government has chosen to profiteer off people's misery and suffering, Gandhi said.
Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal will go to Ralegan Siddhi on Thursday to extend support to Anna Hazare, who is on indefinite hunger strike for passage of Jan Lokpal Bill in the Parliament.
An RTI query seeking details of expenses incurred by the Centre on hosting US President Barack Obama earlier this year has been rejected by the Ministry of External Affairs on the ground that such information is sensitive and may affect bilateral relations with the foreign country.
If the fear of ED could drive the powerful people of today to be honest or at least be minimally corrupt, will it not be a great thing for our nation?, asks Sudhir Bisht.
The rejection of the pleas of the top Congress leaders, including Oscar Fernandes, will pave the way for the Income Tax Department to scrutinise their records for the assessment year 2011-12.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday came out strongly in defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Arun Shourie's attack on his government and said he was a "fair weather friend" and could be having a "grouse" over not getting positions.
The Budget may see new rural schemes and stepping up of funding towards existing programmes like MNREGA, rural housing, irrigation projects and crop insurance.
