Opposition Parties

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said opposition parties will have to unite if they want to win elections against the BJP. The Lok Sabha member from Srinagar also said that discussions are going on and "I can see good results coming on the unity front (at the national level)". "Alliance is the only thing which will unite us. We cannot fight individually. That is why even the opposition parties at the national level are trying to find ways to unite so that we can win the elections," Abdullah said in response to a question by reporters at Larnoo in Anantnag district. He had gone to Larnoo to attend a condolence meeting. Asked about the issue of removal of certain portions related to Mughals from textbooks, Abdullah said history cannot be erased. "How will they forget Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb, Akbar, Babar, Humayun and Jahangir? They ruled for 800 years. No Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian felt threatened. When they will show Taj Mahal, what will they say who bu

Taking a dig at some political parties who approached the Supreme Court alleging arbitrary use of central probe agencies against opposition leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Apex court gave them a jolt by refusing to entertain their plea. The PM was addressing a public meeting here. "A few days ago some political parties went to the court seeking protection that no one should seek to inquire our books filled with corruption. They went to court, but court gave them a jolt, Modi said, without taking any names. He was talking about corruption and "parivarvad" at the public meeting. Recently as many as 14 political parties led by the Congress filed a petition in the Apex Court alleging that there has been an alarming rise in the use of coercive criminal processes against opposition political leaders and other citizens exercising their fundamental right to dissent. However, the Supreme Court, refusing to entertain the plea, observed that politicians do not ha

With NCP supremo Sharad Pawar stating that the Adani Group was seemingly targeted by the US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research, the Congress on Friday said its ally NCP may have its view but 19 like-minded Opposition parties are convinced that the charges against the conglomerate are real and very serious. The Congress also said all 20 like-minded Opposition parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are united and will be together in saving the Constitution and democracy from the "BJP's assaults". In an interview to NDTV, Pawar came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around the Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate. "Such statements were given by other individuals too earlier and there was a ruckus in Parliament for a few days but this time out-of-proportion importance was given to the issue. "The issues that were kept, who kept them, we had never heard of these people who gave the statement, what is the background. When the

Union Home Minister Amit Shah targeted opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Friday, recalling the terror tag attached to Azamgarh and claiming that rural UP got 24-hour electricity only during Ramzan when they were in power. Speaking after laying the foundation stone of the Harihar music college, Shah said Azamgarh was known for terrorism during SP, BSP and Congress rule, but it is witnessing development under the BJP government. "I want to congratulate Yogi ji (CM Yogi Adityanath). In Azamgarh, which was considered the centre of terror across the country, he got the foundation of a music college laid to give respect to its heritage," he said, adding, "Azamgarh was known for Harihar 'gharana' of music, that image was spoiled by SP and BSP." Shah said Azamgarh used to face law and order problems in the past but the double-engine government of BJP has made it a centre of development. "I was the home minister of Gujarat when there were bomb blasts in Ahmedabad. The police had caught

Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, will take out a 'Tricolour March' from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk on Thursday, alleging that "democracy is under attack" by the BJP. MPs of like-minded Opposition parties such as the DMK, the Samajwadi Party, the RJD and the NCP, and from the Left, besides the Congress, will begin their march at 11.30 am. Following the march, floor leaders of the parties will address a press conference at the Constitution Club. Opposition parties have been displaying coordination during the Budget Session of Parliament and have jointly held protests ever since it started on March 13. They have been unitedly demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue and have raised the matter both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, leading to disruptions of proceedings. The BJP has been demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his democracy remarks made in the UK. Gandhi was disqualified as member of Lok Sabha .

Fourteen Opposition parties had filed a plea with the Supreme Court seeking a fresh set of guidelines governing the arrest, remand, and bail for politicians

Welcoming the recent "wave of Opposition unity", Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the Congress will "de facto" be the fulcrum around which other parties converge, but asserted that if he were in the party leadership, he would not "crow about it" and encourage one of the smaller outfits to play the role of convenor of an alliance to take on the BJP in the 2024 general election. In an interview with PTI, Tharoor said Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a 2019 defamation case has generated a "surprising wave of Opposition unity" with many parties having begun to feel the truth of the adage -- united we stand, divided we fall. The former Union minister also said if most of the Opposition parties have now found a new reason to come together and stop dividing each other's vote, the BJP might find it much harder to win a majority in the 2024 elections. Asked about Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's 'thank you Germany' tweet after that country

"There will be a game and we will also participate in that. In Uttar Pradesh, we will play the match jointly with (Samajwadi Party chief) Akhilesh Yadav

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 p.m. on Wednesday amid noisy protests by the Congress-led opposition members, seeking a probe in the Adani issue

Congress and other Opposition parties are contemplating moving a no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla next week on the ground that opposition members are not being allowed to speak

With the stalemate continuing in Parliament, the session is likely to be wound up early

Amid the opposition's demand of a JPC probe in the Adani issue, the Rajya Sabha passed the Finance Bill and The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No 2) Bill, 2023 on Monday

"The given reality is that all Opposition parties have come together in condemning this excessive use of executive discretion in hounding leaders of the Opposition"

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to list for hearing on April 5 a plea by 14 opposition parties, led by the Congress, alleging arbitrary use of central probe agencies against political opponents. A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud took note of the submissions of senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for the opposition parties such as the DMK, RJD, Bharat Rashtra Samiti and the Trinamool Congress, and said the plea would be taken up for hearing on April 5. The parties are seeking pre- and post-arrest guidelines to be followed by the central probe agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate. "Ninety five per cent cases are against opposition leaders. We are asking for pre-arrest guidelines and post-arrest guidelines," Singhvi said. "We will list it on April 5," said the bench also comprising Justice PS Narasimha and Justice JB Pardiwala.

The meeting is likely to be held at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge's office in Parliament

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the current logjam in Parliament can be resolved if the Opposition comes forward for talks and that the government will go "two steps ahead" if it takes "two steps forward". Participating in the India Today Conclave here on Friday, Shah also said there are certain issues which are above politics and even former prime minister Indira Gandhi had refused to discuss domestic politics in a foreign land. "Let the two sides sit before the Speaker and discuss. They should come two steps forward and we will go two steps ahead. Then Parliament will start running. But you just hold a press conference and do nothing, it can't be like that," he said. The home minister said a parliamentary system can't run with only the treasury or only the Opposition as both have to talk to each other. "Despite our initiative, there has been no proposal for talks from the Opposition. So whom will we talk to? They are talking to the media. They created a slogan that there .

The logjam in Parliament continued for the fourth successive day on Thursday with the ruling BJP and opposition parties sticking to their stands

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Amid the continuing deadlock in the Parliament, leaders from like-minded opposition parties met in the chamber of Leader of Parliament in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge inside the Parliament building on Thursday.Leaders of the DMK, NCP, SP, RJD, BRS, CPM,CPI, SS, JDU, JMM, MDMK, AAP, VCK andIUML attended the meeting this morning.On the ruckus caused by the opposition MPs in Parliament, Kharge told mediapersons, "It's their conspiracy to not let the Parliament run and ignore our demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the Adani issue."They don't want to discuss issues of unemployment and inflation. Earlier on numerous occasions, Modi Ji spoke against India abroad. There is no question of apologizing," he added.Congress Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore early today tweeted, "Today 11 am in Parliament...See you there Anurag & Smirti".Union Ministers Anurag Thakur and Smriti Irani have been leading the charge in demanding Rahul Gandhi's apology over his remarks in the ...

Parliament was adjourned till 2 p.m. on Thursday amid ruckus by the treasury and opposition members in both Houses