West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has defended her support for teachers who were dismissed following a Supreme Court verdict, accusing the BJP and CPI(M) of "hatching a conspiracy" to influence the ruling. She dared the BJP to arrest her for supporting the affected candidates, while asserting that her government will abide by the verdict but explore all legal options. The development has triggered political reactions with the BJP demanding Banerjee's resignation, while the CPI(M) expressed concern over the impact on the education system. Banerjee also criticized the BJP's handling of the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, drawing parallels to the school jobs scam in West Bengal.
Newly appointed Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi has denied allegations of having links to the Pakistani establishment, calling the claims made by the BJP a "C-grade Bollywood movie" that will "flop miserably." Gogoi said he had only visited Pakistan once 12 years ago with his wife, who was working on an international project focused on climate change. He questioned why the BJP government had not acted on the allegations in the past 11 years if there was any wrongdoing. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who made the initial allegations, said he would release further evidence on September 10 after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) completes its inquiry.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted above-normal rainfall for the upcoming monsoon season in India (June to September). The cumulative rainfall is estimated to be 105 percent of the long-period average. The IMD has also ruled out the possibility of El Nino conditions during the entire season. The monsoon is crucial for India's agriculture sector, which supports the livelihood of a significant portion of the population and contributes substantially to the country's GDP. However, while the prediction of normal rainfall brings relief, climate change is expected to cause variations in rainfall distribution.
Sharada Kukreja, a Pakistani woman living in Odisha for 35 years after marrying an Indian citizen, has been served a notice to leave the country. She has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi to stop her deportation, citing her long-standing ties to India and family here. Sharada fled Pakistan to escape forced conversion and marriage, and despite having an Aadhaar card and participating in elections, she has not been granted Indian citizenship. The Odisha government has identified 12 Pakistani nationals residing in the state and asked them to leave by April 27. Another Pakistani woman in Bhubaneswar also received a country exit permit on Saturday.
Unlike the previous visit, where TDP MPs accompanied Naidu to meetings, sources termed the current visit as "low profile", with one-on-one meetings with key Union ministers.
The AAP chief said the BJP had tried to polarise the assembly polls and that they hadn't cleared the Shaheen Bagh road because of the elections.
Telugu Desam Party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh for the third time on June 12, party sources said on Friday.
A meeting of Aam Aadmi Party MLAs will be held on Tuesday morning, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to tender his resignation after it, the party said.
Rejecting arguments that the Centre's move to suspend demolition and sealing in Delhi will invite the court's ire, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday said the decision was taken considering "ground realities."
The Sena chief said he had to honour "yuti dharma".
Firecrackers were burst outside the CM's residence after his release from the Tihar Jail on Friday evening. The Aam Aadmi Party workers had gathered to welcome their leader.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has emphasized the importance of learning in one's mother tongue, arguing that it is key to achieving excellence and that a misconception exists regarding the necessity of English language proficiency for knowledge acquisition. Addressing the Assembly, Naidu asserted that knowledge is not dependent on language and that individuals who study in their mother tongue excel globally. He stressed the importance of learning multiple languages while preserving one's mother tongue, and urged against unnecessary political debates surrounding language.
According to sources, when Atishi arrived to submit her resignation at the Raj Nivas, the Delhi LG Saxena reminded her how he had repeatedly cautioned the government on public interest issues, particularly on cleaning of the Yamuna River.
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal and the Bharatiya Janata Party's Kiran Bedi are pitted in a tough battle for the chief minister's post in Delhi, according to a poll conducted by a news channel.
He also urged all the ministers, MLAs, and public representatives to respect party workers.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal on Thursday claimed he is not keeping well and is being 'harassed a lot'.
The controversy surrounding Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's visit to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's Isha yoga centre in Tamil Nadu for Mahashivaratri celebrations continues to simmer, with leaders within the state Congress unit expressing differing views on the issue. Cooperative Minister K N Rajanna questioned the appropriateness of Shivakumar sharing the stage with those who have been critical of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while former MP D K Suresh defended his brother, emphasizing that Shivakumar has always kept the party informed about his engagements. The incident has sparked a debate within the Congress party, with leaders like Satish Jarkiholi and M B Patil defending Shivakumar's attendance.
Responding to Arvind Kejriwal's recent announcement of ten guarantees to the people, Amit Shah said the AAP leader's comments need not be taken seriously as the party is contesting only 22 Lok Sabha seats.
A Vokkaliga seer on Thursday publicly urged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to step down and make way for his deputy D K Shivakumar, amid a power tussle within the ruling Congress.
Months after winning the Lok Sabha polls from Sirsa, the former Union minister and the Congress' prominent Dalit face also indicated her desire to contest the upcoming assembly elections and said she wishes to work in the state but the high command will take a final call on the matter.
The crisis in the Delhi unit of the Congress was solved after party president Sonia Gandhi met CM Sheila Dixit and DPCC chief Rambabu Sharma.
The Delhi Police in its remand paper submitted late Saturday evening seeking seven days custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar regarding the alleged assault on Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal said that it was a 'serious case' where the 'brutal assault' could have turned 'fatal'.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was set to participate in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) rally in Ranchi, will not be able to attend as he 'took ill suddenly and is unable to leave New Delhi for the present', party leader Jairam Ramesh said on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia to take stock of the situation following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The meeting also included Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. The attack, which killed at least 26 people, including tourists from the UAE and Nepal, has sparked nationwide shock and outrage.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday said it will hold a "referendum" in Delhi and other parts of the country on whether Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should resign if he is arrested by the Enforcement Directorate or continue to run the government from jail.
Delhi Chief Minister-designate Atishi will have to hit the ground running to accelerate the city government's functioning and ensure that the flagship projects and schemes are back on track in view of the assembly polls due in February.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday named former TV anchor and journalist Isudan Gadhvi as its chief ministerial candidate for next month's assembly elections in Gujarat.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that he would resign after two days and sought early polls in the national capital while vowing not to sit in the chief minister's chair till people give him a 'certificate of honesty'.
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Sunday said she will be going to strife-torn Manipur despite the state government allegedly denying her permission for the visit.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal and scores of people staged a sit in near Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's residence on Friday morning to protest against demolition of buildings in a south Delhi locality and demanded that they be given an audience with her.
The BJP on Saturday accused the Congress of repeatedly supplying "oxygen" to Pakistan, and slammed the opposition party for its leader Charanjit Singh Channi's remarks questioning the veracity of Balakot air strikes after the 2019 Pulwama terror attack. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the Congress is full of pro-Pakistan leaders who make statements against India's interests, and mocked the party for its letter that had advised its functionaries to toe the official line on the issue. Patra also criticized other Congress leaders for their comments on the Pulwama and Pahalgam terror attacks, accusing them of lowering the morale of the armed forces. He further slammed the Congress for claiming credit for the government's announcement of the caste census and said the party never carried out the exercise during its over 60-year stint in power.
Political heavyweights on Sunday kept away from a Buddhist meet which led to diplomatic tensions between India and China and an indefinite postponement of their border talks.
Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mukesh Ahlawat will be the new face in the Delhi cabinet headed by Atishi, who will be sworn in as chief minister on September 21, and four ministers will be retained, the party said on Thursday.
V Vijayasai Reddy, a prominent leader of the YSRCP, has resigned from the Rajya Sabha and announced his retirement from politics, citing personal reasons. The YSRCP, while stating that it does not approve of his decision, respects his choice. Reddy has been a key figure in the party's efforts to secure YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's position as Chief Minister, facing numerous challenges and criticisms. However, he has stated he will pursue a future in agriculture. His resignation has sparked reactions from various political leaders, with some expressing concern and others highlighting the political implications.
Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita congratulated the Aam Aadmi Party and wished for the release of other leaders lodged in Tihar jail.
Reddy dared the saffron party to prove its claim that the Congress government in the southern state did not fulfil its poll guarantees.
Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan on Wednesday voiced confidence that his party will return to power after a gap of 15 years in Delhi, claiming it was "far ahead" of the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party.
Upset over not being projected as Bharatiya Janata Party's chief ministerial candidate for the Delhi assembly polls, Vijay Goel on Sunday staked his claim for the position before the party's top leadership and indicated his opposition against any move to declare Harsh Vardhan's name for it.
Anil Vij badly wants to be Haryana chief minister, but has been spurned twice by the BJP's Modi-Shah leadership.
Sources in the Special Cell said that now arrests are likely to follow across the country.
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