In a stinging attack at his former party, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said on Tuesday that the Communist Party of India-Marxist has reduced itself to a "non-actor" in national politics after withdrawing support to the Congress-led coalition describing the action as a "big blunder".
Somnath Chatterjee said as speaker of Parliament of the world's largest democracy, having to undergo frisking at the airport was an affront to India.
Earlier on Wednesday, the district court ruled that a priest can perform prayers before the idols in a cellar of the Gyanvapi Masjid, a significant development in the legal battle over the mosque adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The NDA leaders also took strong exception to the Speaker informing the media about the tape recordings of the proceedings he sent to Advani on the "behaviour" of the opposition MPs in the House.
According to police sources, Bharti is believed to be hiding somewhere near Agra.
Under fire for his alleged role in leading a midnight raid to bust a sex and drug racket in the city, Delhi Minister Somnath Bharti has accused the media of spreading rumours against him even as he claimed that he had not violated any laws during the incident.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who has so far maintained silence about his expulsion from the Communist Party of India Marxist, is planning to write a letter to party General Secretary Prakash Karat, according to sources.
Singh, who drove to Chatterjee's residence in New Delhi, did not speak to the waiting media persons after the meeting that lasted about 10 minutes.
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee will soon decide the fate of the 19 Members of Parliament who defied their party whips during the trust vote on July 22. These MPs can be disqualified under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and other passengers onboard a Jet Airways flight had a narrow escape on Sunday when their plane had to abort landing and take a 'go-around' after the pilot spotted another aircraft on the runway.The Southern China Airlines was on the ground and was taxiing for take off on runway 29. The aircraft came onto the runway due to some apparent communication gap.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Monday said that his intention was 'not to punish anybody per se' while proceeding against 32 opposition Members of Parliament for their disorderly conduct.Chatterjee said that he told the leaders that the MPs could raise any issue they like. "You will embarrass the government, but it is not the duty of the Speaker to extricate the government from any problem or to save the government. Let the govt go if they have no majority," Chatterjee said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee on Tuesday appeared lukewarm to the speculations on bringing him back to the Communist Party of India-Marxist, saying that he would not appeal to the party.
Admitting that there was a "serious problem" with Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti's attitude, AAP leader Ashutosh today defended him, saying he has been told about it, and maintained that it would be wrong to call him racist.
Speaker Somnath Chatterjee will quit office on August 12, sources said.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the final leg of his campaign for the Gujarat assembly elections after offering prayers at the famous Somnath temple at Veraval.
A day after his release on interim bail, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging he was on a 'One nation, One leader' mission to impose 'dictatorship' by putting all leaders from opposition behind bars and 'politically finishing off' those in the Bharatiya Janata Party.
On January 23, the N D Modi government named 21 uninhabited islands in the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar after recipients of Param Vir Chakra, the country's highest wartime gallantry award.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has issued directions from the Enforcement Directorate custody to ensure that medicines and tests are available to people at all government hospitals and Mohalla Clinics, Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Tuesday.
Under attack from veteran leader Somnath Chatterjee over the Left's electoral debacle, Communist Party of India - Marixst general secretary Prakash Karat on Sunday remained tightlipped about criticism of his leadership and said his party would react to it. "I won't respond. My party will react (to Chatterjee's charge)," Karat told reporters. "He (Chatterjee) is not in the party. So I don't need to react," he said.
The raids were conducted at the premises of suspects in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, Gir Somnath district of Gujarat, Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh and Kozhikode district of Kerala, leading to the seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
The estranged wife of former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti on Monday told the Supreme Court that she was not ready to undergo mediation to settle the domestic violence and attempt to murder case lodged by her against the Aam Aadmi Party leader.
In a major victory for the Hindu side, a Varanasi court on Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the 'Vyas ka Tekhana' area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
'One Sandeshkhali won't turn around women's perception of Mamata Banerjee in this state'
A total of 33 teams have been earmarked by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to undertake relief and rescue operations in Gujarat and Maharashtra ahead of the expected landfall of cyclone 'Biparjoy' near the Jakhau port in Kutch district, officials said on Wednesday.
Former Lok Sabha Speaker and expelled Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Somnath Chatterjee on Monday said Jyoti Basu, whom he considered as his 'political guru', had asked him to preside over the crucial trust vote debate in the lower house in 2008, saying that the party cannot give any direction to him as he held a constitutional office.
Former Delhi Law minister Somnath Bharti broke down during questioning by investigators, who on Wednesday took him to his Dwarka residence where he came face to face with his wife in connection with the dowry harassment and attempt to murder case.
rediffGURU Ulhas Joshi answers your mutual fund queries.
The resolution, moved by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, was passed unanimously as besides the BJP MLAs, members of the Opposition Congress as well as the Aam Aadmi Party extended their support to it.
'Sheikh Abdullah ruled the state with secular values. Post 1953, when he was sacked, corruption took over governance.'
"After the 12-day session, Feb 26 will be the last day for me," he told a select group of journalists describing s "the worst period of my life" his tenure in the post which came to him "unexpected and unsolicited".
In the appeal filed before the high court, it has been pleaded that the Hindu side's suit itself is barred by order 7 rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code, Naqvi said.
Prayers were performed in a cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi on Wednesday night following court orders allowing the resumption of a practice said to have been discontinued three decades back, Kashi Vishwanath temple trust president said.
As a newspaper article with critical references to him created a flutter in the House on Friday, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said on Saturday that he had never held that he was above criticism.
Left parties are pre-poll allies of the Congress, which is leading the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.
The Lok Sabha speaker also expressed fear over "growing" judicial intervention in political matters.
On the 25th anniversary of the battle that made his war cry 'Dil Maange More' part of national lore, we republish that feature to salute Captain Batra's ultimate sacrifice for the nation.
Pressure mounted for removal of Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti on Wednesday after one of the African women assaulted in a midnight raid in south Delhi accused him of having led the group that barged into her house and attacked them.
Communist Party of India-Marxist general secretary Prakash Karat on Saturday said his party has not taken any decision yet to ask Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee to quit office. "No, that is not correct. There is no such decision as yet," Karat told PTI over phone when asked whether the party has asked Chatterjee to step down and that he would quit on Monday.
Delhi Police have registered an FIR against former state law minister and Aam Aadmi Party legislator Somnath Bharti over domestic violence allegations levelled against him by his wife, Lipika Mitra.
At a time when the BJP's stars are at the top on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls, the Puri-Joshimath Sankaracharyas may have kick-started a row whose efforts might be to divide Hindus, not in the name of castes, but on what passes for greater belief, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
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