Dominic Xavier asks if Umar Khalid's arrest is part of a fresh campaign to crush all dissent against the Modi government
Senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, who were on a collision course with party convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, were on Wednesday voted out of Political Affairs Committee of the party, which has been rocked by dissidence in recent days.
The rebel faction of AAP have started mobilising volunteers for the upcoming 'Swaraj Samwad' dialogue prompting a section of the party to issue a veiled warning to workers.
Farmer unions Monday announced a countrywide 'chakka jam' on February 6 when they would block national and state highways for three hours in protest against the internet ban in areas near their agitation sites, harassment allegedly meted out to them by authorities, and other issues.
'It is my duty to tell them about the brave soldiers who gave their lives for our land.' 'The free air of freedom that we breathe is because of men like them.'
"The killing of two BJP workers in Lakhimpur Kheri after a convoy of cars mowed down four farmers is a reaction to an action. I do not consider those involved in the killings as culprits," Tikait said in reply to a question asked during a press conference in New Delhi.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren expanded his cabinet on Thursday, inducting 11 new ministers, including six first-timers and two women. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Raj Bhavan in Ranchi. The new ministers include six from the JMM and four from the Congress. One minister is from the RJD. The expansion comes after the JMM-led alliance won the recent assembly elections with a comfortable majority. The cabinet expansion is expected to give the government a fresh impetus to push its agenda and accelerate development in the state.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav on Thursday said his party would not give in to the time-frame given by the Centre to form the government in Delhi.
Arvind Kejriwal-led India Against Corruption on Monday came out in support of Koodankulam protesters and jailed cartoonist Aseem Trivedi, accusing the government of using charges of sedition to muzzle voices of dissent. Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav condemned the police action against locals protesting against a nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu's Koodankulam and slapping sedition charges on Trivedi.
A group of noted social activists, writers, filmmakers, journalists, advocates and retired army officials have come up with an online petition seeking support to endorse the name of retired Justice Rajinder Sachar for the post of President of India.
Nearly 350 Aaam Aadmi Party volunteers and leaders from Maharashtra quit on Monday in protest against the 'murder of democracy' in the Arvind Kejriwal-led party, showing their support to expelled leaders Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav.
The party plans to deploy its top leaders Yogendra Yadav, Shazia Ilmi and Manish Sisodia, among others, in Uttar Pradesh, says Somesh Jha
The signatories to a letter sent to NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani include Kanti Prasad Bajpai, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor who currently serves as the vice dean at the National University, Singapore, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a former vice-chancellor of the Ashoka University, Rajeev Bhargava, a former director of CSDS, Niraja Gopal Jayal, a former JNU professor, Nivedita Menon, a JNU professor, Vipul Mudgal, the head of civil society watchdog Common Cause, K C Suri, a former professor at the University of Hyderabad who is now associated with the Gitam University, and Peter Ronald deSouza, a former director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has distributed portfolios among the new ministers, keeping key departments such as Home, Personnel, and several others to himself. The Congress' Radhakrishna Kishore was given Finance, Commercial Tax, Planning and Development Department, and Parliamentary Affairs departments. JMM's Deepak Biruwa was allotted the departments of Revenue, Registration and Land Reforms (non-registration), and Transport. Chamra Linda, another JMM leader, was allotted the departments of Schedule Tribes, Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes (except Minority Welfare). RJD's Sanjay Prasad Yadav was given the departments of Industries, and Labour, Planning, Training and Skill Development. The Congress' Irfan Ansari got Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, besides Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, and Disaster Management departments. The chief minister also kept to himself the departments of Cabinet Secretariat, Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Official Language, Road Construction, Building Construction, and those departments yet to be distributed to anyone. Among the other ministers, JMM's Ramdas Soren was given the School Education and Literacy, and Registration departments. Party colleague Hafizul Hasan was allotted the departments of Water Resources, and Minority Welfare Department. Panchayati Raj, Rural Works, and Rural Development departments were given to Congress MLA Deepika Pandey Singh. The CM gave Drinking Water and Sanitation, and Excise and Prohibition departments to JMM's Yogendra Prasad. JMM legislator Sudhivya Kumar became the minister for Urban Development and Housing, Higher and Technical Education, and Tourism, Art Culture, Sports and Youth Affairs departments. Shilpi Neha Tirkey of the Congress was allotted Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperative Department. A total of 11 MLAs took oath as ministers in the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand on Thursday.
The party is faced with allegations of receiving "dubious" funds.
Given the nature of opportunity and feedback received during our membership campaign, I feel the people of the country are saying something to us, says Yogendra Yadav, senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party.
Amid demands for removal of Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti for the midnight raid episode, the Aam Aadmi Party on Friday came in his defence, saying he had sought action against the alleged drug and prostitution racket on the basis of "some evidence".
Aam Aadmi Party member Ramzan Choudhary on Sunday filed a complaint against unidentified people for manhandling and attacking him during the party's National Executive meeting held in Delhi on Saturday.
The Sena said given what has been happening within his party, Kejriwal should cease to preach others about politics.
Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav on Thursday said that his party had taken a decision not to discuss the proceedings of Wednesday's national executive meeting, adding that he and his party would keep fighting for their beliefs, both internally and externally.
Scores of UPSC aspirants on Tuesday continued their protest demanding scrapping of Civil Service Aptitude Test, a day after the government announced that English marks in the test will not be included for gradation or merit in the civil services preliminary examination.
India Against Corruption on Friday alleged that the opposition to the hike in diesel price by political parties was a "drama" and demanded immediate rollback of the increase in fuel price.
The preparatory committee consisting of 80-100 members to chalk out the nitty-gritty of formation of the party will meet for the first time on August 26, it was decided at a meeting in Noida.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and two other Aam Aadmi Party leaders were on Tuesday directed by a Delhi court to appear before it later in the day in connection with a criminal defamation complaint, saying there was no ground for exemption from their appearance.
Activists and cartoonists on Friday came on a single platform to protest against the removal of the Ambedkar toon from textbooks and lamented that MPs who objected to it did not read a "single line" of the book.
The UGC chief said the NCERT is fully justified in carrying out rationalisation of its textbooks' contents.
Arvind Kejriwal's new party, to be launched on Monday, is likely to heavily borrow from the Constitution for framing its preamble, a key member of his team said.
The senior leader expressed shock and attacked the "manner of and intention" in removing Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav from the PAC
'There was a strong undercurrent of deprivation, and also frustration against misuse of power and authority.' 'This election was an opportunity for the manifestation of this discontentment.'
Aam Aadmi Party Legislators on Wednesday sent a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeking the expulsion of party 'rebels' Shanti Bhushan, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav.
For this dispensation, ideas are dangerous. Those who propagate liberalism and democratic traditions are even more dangerous, observes Rashme Sehgal.
A large number of farmers stayed put outside the gates of the district headquarters in Karnal on Wednesday as they remained firm on their demand for action against IAS officer Ayush Sinha, who ordered a police lathi-charge on a group of peasants last month.
A salute to the youngest Param Vir Chakra Awardee, Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav who has retired from the Indian Army.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said it is not in any sort of coalition or understanding with the Congress and expects "support of the majority" on the floor of the House for its 18 issues, failing which it will "move out".
India's rich cultural diversity, military prowess, economic progress and the strides it has taken in sectors, such as science and technology, were on full display at the 76th Republic-Day celebrations on Kartavya Path on Sunday, in the presence of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
He also compared Kejriwal with Adolf Hitler.
The convention of rebel Aam Aadmi Party leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan began on Tuesday morning with volunteers from across the country terming it a day of "new beginning" even as the Arvind Kejriwal-led party warned of action against those attending the event.
The BJP may win more seats in the February 5 assembly election, but not enough to trump AAP, notes Ramesh Menon.
It is possible to be blind to this and pretend to carry on as if nothing has happened but that will not change the reality, asserts Aakar Patel.
