The situation in Kashmir was reviewed by the Congress top brass, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi, on Friday evening.
The core group will comprise major political parties from Jammu and Kashmir. Parties that have nothing to do with Kashmir are likely to be kept out.
Thousands of young men and women, joined by prominent personalities, protested at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar despite police denial of permission. Organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the agitation highlighted concerns over transparency in CEC appointments and alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's core group decided that it will demand the resignation of Telecom Minister A Raja in the wake of his reported indictment by CAG in 2G spectrum allocation and reiterate its demand for JPC probe into the issue as also CWG and Adarsh housing society scams.
India is deeply concerned by the growing consolidation of Pakistan-backed jihadi and radical Islamist groups in Bangladesh, particularly in the strategically vital Chittagong Hill Tracts, which experts warn is transforming the country into a new safe haven for these networks and posing a direct threat to India's security.
Activist Manish Brahmbhatt has launched the Cockroach Janta Party-Democratic (CJP-D) as an alternative to the existing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Brahmbhatt alleges that the CJP, led by Abhijeet Dipke, has deviated from its student-led origins, becoming too aligned with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and failing to represent its diverse volunteer base, particularly regarding issues like examination paper leaks.
Nepal's Hindu groups have sought an all-party discussion on restoring Hindu-nation status within three months.
Delhi Police launched a massive crackdown, detaining Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leader Abhijeet Dipke, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, and nearly 500 protesters who attempted to reach Jantar Mantar for a demonstration against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The Opposition, including AAP and Congress, denounced the situation as 'worse than the Emergency'.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted that India's primary concern regarding terrorism from its neighbour, Pakistan, if not fully appreciated by partners like the US, negatively impacts bilateral relations. Speaking at the Asia Society, Jaishankar discussed the turbulence in India-US ties, particularly in light of Washington's renewed engagement with Pakistan and the perceived lack of empathy for India's terrorism concerns, especially under the second Trump administration. He emphasized that addressing these sensitivities is crucial for improving the relationship.
With Trinamool Congress set to exit the United Progressive Alliance, the Congress top brass, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi, will meet on Friday evening to decide the future course of action.
'Let the world know that India's Gen Z has now moved out of their social media world and is ready to face the lathis, the tear gas shells or the spiked-dandas of cops.'
'...but should prepare for listing unless a court grants effective interim relief.'
The National Conference on Thursday ruled out resignation by beleaguered Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as he got backing from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who said he was doing a "tough job" and needed "time and support".
Some see in the CJP the potential of weakening the Opposition. Hence the BJP/RSS's 'softly softly catchee monkey' approach, with co-option being the ultimate aim, points out Aditi Phadnis.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday discussed the Telangana issue and electoral reforms in a meeting of Congress core group in New Delhi.
From Azhar and Sanju to Thackeray and Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Bollywood has often struggled to tell controversial true stories without turning their subjects into heroes.
L K Advani's proposed yatra against corruption was Sunday discussed threadbare in a meeting of BJP's core group.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Director, Rahul Navin, has issued directives to intensify action against Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) frauds involving "large haircuts" and to address delays in police registering FIRs based on ED's requests. The agency also aims to fast-track high-profile trials under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and enhance internal coordination and efficiency.
The Bharatiya Janata Party core group will meet on Saturday evening to discuss the Presidential election and decide its future course of action in the wake of Congress declaring Pranab Mukherjee as its candidate.
'It is unfortunate that the Chairman of Tata Sons, a Company renowned for setting high standards of corporate governance, is contending reappointment on such an untenable interpretation of the Articles'.
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Rahul met the prime minister for about 30 minutes before the party group chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi with the prime minister by her side began deliberations at Dr Singh's residence.
The issue of constituting a mechanism for the wide ranging consultations promised by the Centre on Telangana is expected to come up on Friday at a meeting of the Congress core group headed by party president Sonia Gandhi.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) will operate as a 'pressure group' to address issues like public trust, unemployment, and institutional accountability, with founder Abhijeet Dipke declaring support for protesting students in Jharkhand and advocating for those involved in NEET paper leak agitations.
The Congress top brass, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi, are meeting in Delhi on Thursday to hold a strategy session in the backdrop of an united Opposition's demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam. The meeting of the Congress Core Group is being held amid a deadlock over the issue in the Winter Session of Parliament, which started last week.
A rocket designed and developed by ISRO is being transferred to industry for production.
Nine ISRO associations want to know whether this is simply an effort to expand India's industrial capacity or part of a larger policy under which ISRO itself will eventually withdraw from rocket manufacturing.
Opposition leaders have questioned how caste responses will be recorded without state-wise pre-prepared lists.
The meeting of the Congress Core Group was held at a time when government is scrambling for numbers to pass the Lokpal Bill in Rajya Sabha with Trinamool Congress insisting that it will move amendments to delete the provision for setting up Lokayuktas at the state level.
The Jharkhand government is holding fresh discussions with student aspirants protesting alleged recruitment exam irregularities, even as the health of key protest leader Devendra Nath Mahto has significantly deteriorated after being on an indefinite hunger strike for about a week.
Yechury briefed the prime minister about the deliberations of the CPI-M's central committee and the position taken by the party.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi has held consultations with senior party leaders ahead of Opposition's plans to raise the controversy surrounding Union Minister Shashi Tharoor's alleged murky deals in the Indian Premier League in Parliament on Friday.
'I remember that Indira Gandhi was virtually worshipped as a goddess. The kind of power wielded by Indira Gandhi in the early 1970s was much more than what Modi does today, but in just three years down the line Indira Gandhi faced defeat.' 'So you cannot take people's sentiments for granted. That is a lesson that the BJP should learn.'
The BJP core group met in New Delhi on Thursday to discuss the strategy for ensuring that all party legislators in the states and in Parliament vote for P A Sangma in the Presidential poll and decided to use this opportunity to highlight failures of the United Progressive Alliance government.
Clashes erupted during the first phase of legislative assembly elections in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), with the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) claiming 14 deaths, a figure disputed by law enforcement. India condemned the elections as an attempt by Pakistan to legitimise its illegal occupation and human rights abuses in the region, while ongoing JAAC protests highlight deep-seated grievances.
The Bharatiya Janata P arty core group will meet on Saturday to take a decision on replacing Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda with Lingayat leader Jagadish Shettar and finalise the strategy for the vice presidential election.
'After more than 12 years in power, he has been forced to retreat under public pressure. The education minister's resignation is the biggest political climbdown of his government so far.'
Amid the political controversy over India's participation in the Commonwealth Heads of Government meet in Sri Lanka, the Congress top brass on Friday met to take a call on whether Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should attend the event.
'They probably imagine any hue and cry in the event Sheikh Hasina is hanged will be shortlived as it happened when Bhutto was hanged in Pakistan in 1979.'
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging he authorised police excesses against student protesters and was 'scared' to face Parliament. Gandhi also accused the RSS of controlling India's education system and promoting 'andhbhakts'.
A 42-year-old man, identified as Lobga Rangzen, died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan. The act was an apparent protest, with a Tibetan flag and a 'CHINA OUT OF TIBET' slogan found at the scene, linking it to the ongoing Tibetan Independence Movement.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led a protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, while criticising the government for focusing on their social media activity instead of addressing their demands.
