The revamped Special Economic Zone (SEZ) law is unlikely to see the light of the day before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, two people aware of the matter said. The commerce department had sought the Union Cabinet's nod to bring amendments to the existing SEZ Act, 2005 late last year. The plan, thereafter, was to introduce the Bill in the winter session of Parliament. Cabinet's approval remains pending.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has accused the "bhaipo gang," allegedly linked to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, of involvement in the murder of his personal assistant, Chandranath Rath. The allegations come as Rath's mother, Hasirani Rath, was nominated by the BJP for the Nandigram by-election. Adhikari claimed Rs 2 crore was spent on the murder and that the CBI investigation is progressing, with phone records and a money courier identified.
Two members of the Pawar family, Sharad Pawar and his grandnephew Parth, are contesting Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra, marking a potential first where both serve simultaneously in Parliament.
A think tank, GTRI, has urged India to resist US pressure regarding its UPI policies, advocating for competition, policy autonomy, and a sustainable payments ecosystem. This comes as the Lok Sabha passed a bill allowing charges on UPI, and the US has criticised India's digital payment systems, raising concerns about the future of India's digital payment landscape.
Opposition INDIA bloc leaders staged a sit-in at Rajghat, alleging a 'criminal conspiracy of vote chori' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding Kumar's resignation and seeking a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu.
With the anti-Gyanesh Kumar campaign, Rahul Gandhi is showing he is determined to not let anyone else claim credit for what follows, notes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
The Delhi High Court has refused anticipatory bail to YouTuber Ajeet Bharti in a case involving alleged casteist remarks against Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad, citing a statutory bar under the SC/ST Act.
The Congress party has launched nationwide protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his removal. Accusing him of acting in favour of the BJP and citing alleged irregularities in electoral roll revisions (SIR), party workers burned effigies and clashed with police. Opposition parties plan further action, including a meeting of the INDIA bloc to strategize for his ouster.
Akhilesh Yadav had won the Karhal assembly seat in the recently-held assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
High vegetable prices are expected to keep food inflation firm in the months to come.
Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq is illegal, void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.
The seats held by the non-BJP parties in the state are Bijnor, Amroha, Moradabad, Sambhal, Raebareli, Ghosi, Lalganj, Jaunpur, Ambedkarnagar, Ghazipur, Shravasti, Mainpuri, Saharanpur and Nagina. Of these, Raebareli is held by Sonia Gandhi of the Congress.
The Congress on Wednesday gave a notice on moving a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led central government in the Lok Sabha over the Manipur issue.
A rebellion within the Trinamool Congress is expected to significantly increase the NDA's numbers in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, bringing the ruling alliance closer to a two-thirds majority needed for constitutional amendments. This shift is driven by upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, TMC MP resignations, and potential support from defecting TMC Lok Sabha members.
The Bill, aimed at improving corporate governance, also contains provisions to strengthen regulations for companies and auditing firms.
After Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram would go for polls this year.
Despite tall promises made by political parties, presence of women in the Lok Sabha has remained a dismal 3.5 per cent to 9.02 per cent of its total strength since it came into being.
Chinese President Xi Jinping notably skipped a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS leaders and other dignitaries, with sources suggesting he returned to his hotel to rest. Meanwhile, a grand cultural performance, 'BRICS Symphony - One Rhythm, Many Cultures', featuring artistes from member countries, was a highlight of the evening.
A think tank, GTRI, has urged India to resist US pressure regarding its UPI policies, advocating for the defence of competition, policy autonomy, and the long-term sustainability of its payments ecosystem. This comes as the Lok Sabha passed a bill allowing charges on UPI transactions, a move GTRI suggests should not be influenced by foreign trade complaints.
Rahul Gandhi led a significant opposition protest in New Delhi, attempting to march to the Election Commission office to allege "vote chori" and demand the CEC's resignation. The protest resulted in a lockdown of Parliament Street, a standoff at the All India Radio premises, and detentions of several opposition MPs, drawing strong reactions from the ruling BJP.
The House was adjourned seconds after convening amid ruckus over various issues, and Rahul Gandhi left Parliament soon after that.
When Advani shook hands, the prime minister did not come out his seat. While Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav hugged Advani for a second, Lalu Prasad too came out of his seat to greet Advani, but did not hug him.
The Congress party has demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging "vote chori" and treason, following a media report revealing that two other Election Commissioners had formally objected to decisions regarding the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have accused the BJP, RSS, and EC of undermining democracy, citing concerns over voter list tampering and lack of transparency.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced a new dress code of blue T-shirt and jeans for the party's student wing, Chhatra Sabha, along with a two-week student awareness campaign. The move aims to connect with young people in educational institutions, familiarise them with the party's ideology, and promote socialist values. Yadav explained the symbolism of the blue colour, associating it with ideology, democracy, the Constitution, and the 'Bahujan samaj', while jeans represent rebellion and workers. The initiative is part of the party's broader PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak, and also Prem, Daya, Apnapan) campaign to establish social justice.
Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew of V D Savarkar, testified in a Pune court, stating that Rahul Gandhi's remarks portrayed Savarkar as a "Muslim hater" and "mob lyncher," which he claims is false. Savarkar asserted that his granduncle's writings promoted Muslim progress. The testimony was part of a defamation case filed against Gandhi concerning his alleged statements about Savarkar's writings.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) led a large protest in Mumbai, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. CJP leader Abhijeet Dipke announced a further protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on October 10 if Kumar does not step down, citing alleged voter deletions and irregularities in recent elections. The protest, which saw participation from various activists and public figures, also called for freezing voter lists and abolishing the 2023 law on Election Commissioner appointments.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee has formally petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to disqualify 20 rebel MPs, arguing their claimed merger with the lesser-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) is invalid under the anti-defection law.
A group of dissident Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs, led by Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia, plans to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to seek recognition as the 'real TMC' parliamentary group, claiming the support of 19 members amidst an escalating internal party crisis.
The Bharatiya Janata Party will have an understanding with former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal-Secular for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said on Friday, an announcement that shot up political temperature in Karnataka.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde mocked the Shiv Sena (UBT) in the assembly following the defection of six of its Lok Sabha MPs to his faction. Shinde stated that the opposition had lost its mental balance and predicted more "shocks" for them. The jibe came after opposition MLAs, including Aaditya Thackeray, walked out over procedural objections during the monsoon session.
The West Bengal Congress on Tuesday held its Martyrs' Day programme in Kolkata after several years, commemorating the youth wing workers killed in the 1993 police firing, and said the attendance at the gathering marked the party's revival in the state.
'Now the institutions which have the might of law invested in them think that whatever they do is right.'
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra has moved a privilege notice before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla against three senior officials, alleging a serious breach of protocol and contemptuous conduct after she was asked to vacate a circuit house in West Bengal's Krishnanagar late in the night on August 14.
An FIR has been registered in Haldwani against unknown persons following an alleged "purification ceremony" at Ramlila Maidan after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's public meeting. The complaint, filed by Congress leader Anju Arya, alleges caste discrimination and social humiliation. The Uttarakhand High Court has been assured of an investigation, and Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallu Ravi, have demanded action, with Ravi filing a separate complaint in Delhi.
Adequate security and Covid safety measures have been put in place for the electoral exercise.
The parliamentary affairs minister also said the productivity of Lok Sabha was around 82 per cent and that of Rajya Sabha around 48 per cent.
LS MPs are paid Rs 2.8 lakh per month plus travel and other perks which works out to nearly Rs 177 crore for 545 MPs during the last financial year. Add another Rs 78 crore for the Rajya Sabha MPs, according to data.
An interview by Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen to rediff.com Managing Editor Aziz Haniffa in Washington on the Indo-US nuclear deal created an uproar in Parliament.
Bangladesh has confirmed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will not attend the upcoming BRICS Summit in India, clarifying that the invitation was extended to him as the BIMSTEC Chair, not as Bangladesh's Prime Minister. The nation is prioritising bilateral visits and discussions, while also addressing national interests like the expiring Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.
Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar has resigned from all organisational posts of the Trinamool Congress, following public expressions of disappointment with the party leadership and attending a meeting against party instructions.
