Actor-MP Kangana Ranaut and movie legend Sharmila Tagore are embroiled in a public debate over Vande Mataram.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called upon citizens to celebrate Independence Day with honour and pride, urging them to take a pledge for a developed India. This appeal comes amidst parliamentary sessions marked by protests from both ruling and opposition alliances.
Lack of women in Karnataka's new council of ministers has put the spotlight once again on women's under-representation in politics and policy.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking his intervention after she was allegedly forced to vacate a circuit house in Nadia district, claiming harassment and threatening legal action. She reported a crowd shouting 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans outside the premises after her refusal to leave.
The Indian Parliament is expected to extend its budget session to introduce a bill increasing Lok Sabha seats to 816, reserving 273 for women, and amending the women's reservation law.
As more opposition MPs are now aligning with the ruling NDA, sources in the government indicated that possibilities are being explored to give a fresh push to the delimitation legislation in Parliament.
Sujata Rout Karthikeyan, wife of former Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik's close aide VK Pandian, has formally joined the BJD. Naveen Patnaik welcomed her, emphasising her experience as an IAS officer and her work with women. Patnaik also clarified that he would continue to lead the BJD in the next elections, despite speculation about Sujata taking over. Sujata expressed her dedication to serving the people of Odisha under Patnaik's leadership. Her entry into politics follows her husband's withdrawal after the BJD's recent electoral defeat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded young Indian innovators for the country's first privately developed orbital rocket, Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, which made India the third nation with private orbital launch capabilities. While praising the 28-year-old average age of the Skyroot team, Modi made a veiled remark about a "56-year-old young man," widely understood to be a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who recently turned 56.
The Lok Sabha is set to expand to 815 seats, with 272 seats reserved for women, according to Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. The move aims to implement the women's quota without disadvantaging men or any state. The proposed legislations also include provisions for reservation for women from SC and ST categories within the women's quota.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh has alleged that the BJP's "real and ultimate target" in seeking a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha is to amend the Constitution to end reservation, rather than genuinely implement women's reservation.
With the three-day special sitting of Parliament on the constitution amendment bill related to the implementation of 33 percent reservation for women from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls set to begin on Thursday, a meeting of opposition parties is slated to be held on Wednesday at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Lok Sabha members to vote for the women's reservation bill, emphasising the need to empower women and rectify decades of political inaction.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Parliament is on the verge of creating 'new history' by amending the Women's Reservation Act this week, ensuring its implementation by 2029. He highlighted the unanimous passage of the law in 2023 and the collective demand for its early enforcement.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticises the Congress and its allies for the defeat of the Constitution amendment bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent women's quota in legislative bodies before the 2029 Parliamentary polls.
'Har haal mein ghar khali karna hoga, koi mai ka lal nahi hai jo sarkari ghar khali nahi karega'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused opposition parties of obstructing the passage of the women's reservation bill in Parliament, alleging they have crushed the dreams of women and prioritised selfish politics over national progress.
Opposition leaders have criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation, calling it politically motivated and a misuse of official platforms during ongoing elections.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the government's decision to link women's reservation with the expansion of Parliament, calling delimitation a 'political demonetisation'. He argued that women's reservation should be implemented immediately based on existing parliamentary strength.
Sonia Gandhi criticises the government's proposed delimitation, claiming it's a politically motivated move to delay the caste census and gain an unfair advantage, rather than genuinely promoting women's reservation.
The Election Commission will examine a complaint filed by opposition parties alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation violated the Model Code of Conduct for elections.
The Indian government and opposition parties are set for a showdown in Parliament over a Constitution amendment bill concerning the implementation of the women's quota law and the delimitation exercise. The Opposition is concerned about the potential impact of delimitation on the political representation of southern states.
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to jointly oppose the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, even as they reiterated support for women's reservation, with Mallikarjun Kharge alleging the move is politically motivated.
NDA leaders have defended proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Act and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, arguing women have waited long enough for reservation, while opposition parties allege the process could undermine India's federal and democratic structure, particularly impacting southern states.
A Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures and increasing Lok Sabha seats was defeated in Parliament, marking a setback for the government's efforts to empower women in politics.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of misleading the nation regarding the women's quota bill and plotting to push through the delimitation exercise by using women as a shield.
The Congress party has accused the government of scheduling a 'special session' to pass bills related to women's quota and delimitation with the intention of gaining political advantage in the upcoming West Bengal and Tamil Nadu elections, calling it a violation of the model code of conduct.
With 8,931 days in office as head of government covering his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and as Prime Minister, PM Modi has overtaken Chamling's record of 8,930 days.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini commemorated B.R. Ambedkar's birth anniversary, highlighting his contributions to women's empowerment and social justice. Saini and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal criticised the Congress party for allegedly disrespecting Ambedkar, while praising the current government's efforts to honour his legacy.
'All this talk about women's reservation and Nari Shakti is a mirage.' 'It is a classic Trojan horse to bring about an alteration in the structure of political competition -- to the enduring advantage of the BJP.'
Lobbying has intensified among NDA partners in Bihar for the post of Speaker in the assembly, with BJP MLA Prem Kumar considered a frontrunner. A special assembly session will be convened soon to elect the Speaker.
''Women are coming into public spaces in larger numbers than ever before. They are educated, capable, opinionated, and determined.' 'But the more women push for access to public space, the harder they are pushed back -- through attacks like this, through discrimination, through the glass ceiling, through the deliberate denial of recognition.'
RJD president Lalu Prasad attended a Makar Sankranti feast at his son Tej Pratap Yadav's house, despite past conflicts. The event sparks political speculation amidst family tensions.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP national president J P Nadda and several other top leaders of the NDA.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, the CM said, "There is no situation for revisiting it at the government level. There is no such intention, there is no such proposal."
He also wished his estranged brother, Tejashwi Yadav, on his 36th birthday, wishing him the best and a bright future.
Delhi Police has filed an FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and others in the National Herald case based on a complaint by the ED, alleging money laundering and abuse of position for personal gains.
'Critics say the political leadership abandoned the army chief or did not back him. I disagree. 'Military leaders are trained to take decisions when given a free hand.' 'This was a clear go-ahead from the prime minister to the army chief.'
In a post in Hindi on X, Gandhi accused the prime minister of twisting his words and said he was speaking about the power of which Modi was wearing the mask.
In a culture where children take up the profession of their father, her becoming a politician was seen as natural and acceptable.
Among the national parties, the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist opposed the proposal, while the Bharatiya Janata Party and the National People's Party supported it.
