Opposition parties sought to build pressure on their demand and embarked on a protest march to Enforcement Directorate (ED) office
Cops cut short protest march to ED office
Leaders of several opposition parties on Wednesday urged the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to initiate an investigation into the Adani Group over allegations of corrupt practices, including money laundering through shell companies. In a letter emailed to the ED Director S K Mishra, the parties told the probe agency that "it cannot turn around and abdicate its jurisdiction". The letter as signed by leaders of the Congress, CPI, CPI-M, JDU, SS (UBT), RJD, DMK, JMM, AAP, IUML, VCK, Kerala Congress and others. Leaders of several opposition parties were stopped by the police at Vijay Chowk here as they took out a protest march from Parliament House to hand over a complaint to the Enforcement Directorate on the Adani issue. In their letter to the ED, the opposition leaders said, "We are acutely aware of how in the recent past, the ED has also zealously pursued cases of alleged political favouritism, including sharing concurrent jurisdiction with SEBI and CBI. We are also aware of the limi
The parties, led by Congress, demanded authorities to hand over the complaint to the probe agency on the Adani issue
The row over Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi's remarks in Britain seeking intervention of the US and European nations over disappearing democracy in India disrupted the Lok Sabha for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. Soon after the house assembled, BJP members raised slogans seeking an apology from Rahul Gandhi, while the Congress-led opposition waved placards with quotes from speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visits abroad. "Rahul Gandhi maafi mango (Rahul Gandhi apologise)," BJP members shouted repeatedly from their seats. Some ministers, too, were on their feet. Opposition members raised slogans from the aisles and avoided trooping into the well of the house. "BRICS ka 'I' ludak raha hai (The 'I' in BRICS is tottering), read one placard referring to the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa grouping. "Pata nahi pehle janam main kya paap kiya tha, Hindustan main paida hua (Don't know what sin I had committed that I was born in India)," read another .
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Shortly after Parliament reconvened the second leg of the Budget Session, Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm, after the protesting Opposition leaders rushed to the Well of the House leading to a ruckus
Opposition leaders will hold a meeting on Monday morning to firm up their floor strategy for the second leg of the Budget session as they gear up to corner the government on issues such as alleged misuse of probe agencies and the Adani row. The opposition leaders are expected to meet at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge's office in the Parliament complex at around 10 am, sources said. The Congress MPs will gather at the Congress Parliamentary Party office before the meeting to deliberate on the party's strategy, they said. The Congress is also set for a duel with the BJP over Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the UK over which the saffron party's leaders have been continuously attacking the former AICC chief. Opposition parties are gearing up to corner the government on issues such as alleged misuse of probe agencies to target their leaders, allegations against the Adani Group, border standoff with China, price rise and unemployment. The Congress continues to demand a
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has alleged the "lies spread" regarding the attacks on migrant workers in the state was a fallout of his recent call for opposition unity to dislodge the ruling BJP at the Centre next year and blamed the saffron party functionaries for doing so. In his "Ungalil Oruvan" question and answer series, the chief of the ruling DMK asserted no migrant worker in the state has been assaulted as alleged. Many such workers were employed in Tamil Nadu for a long time and never have they faced any issues, he said. "Some have been preparing fake videos and spreading lies.The BJP functionaries in north India have done this with an agenda. You will understand the conspiracy behind doing so, if you notice that such lies were spread the very next day I highlighted the need for political organisations opposed to the BJP joining hands at the national level," he said. At his birthday rally here on March 1, attended by leaders including Congress president Mallikarjun
She explained the difference in the salary structures of the Central and state governments and claimed that the TMC government is already giving its employees DA of 105 per cent
Gandhi, who is on a trip to London, also said that the Prime Minister PM is in "denial mode" over Chinese incursions into Indian territory
A six-party alliance on Monday nominated main opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu as its common candidate to challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in elections in May, ending months of uncertainty and bickering that had frustrated their supporters. The alliance tapped the leader of the pro-secular, center-left Republican People's Party, or CHP, hours after a key member of the grouping who had rejected Kilicdaroglu's candidacy agreed to a compromise solution and returned to the coalition. Turkiye is headed toward pivotal presidential and general elections on May 14 that could shift the country toward a more democratic course or extend Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade. The elections are Erdogan's toughest during his 20-year rule and come amid economic turmoil and criticism of the government's response to a devastating earthquake last month. Our biggest goal is to carry Turkey toward prosperous, peaceful and joyful days, Kilicdaroglu said after
The AAP on Monday attacked the Congress, saying the grand old party lost an opportunity by not supporting the Opposition in the fight over the issues of Adani and raids by central agencies. AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj also took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wins the elections as he gets to choose his competitor who is the former Congress chief. Bharadwaj made the remarks at a press conference here. When asked about the Congress not being a signatory to the letter written by some opposition leaders to PM Modi alleging "blatant misuse" of central agencies, the AAP leader said, "Congress had an opportunity to support the Opposition over the Adani issue and the CBI-ED raids. But they sided with the BJP." "They (Congress) are saying in 95 per cent of the cases the raids are wrong. What the Congress means by saying that is they (raids) are 95 per cent wrong when they happen with Congress leaders but are five per cent correct for other ..
Leaders of nine opposition parties, including Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, have written a joint letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging "blatant misuse" of central agencies against the members of the opposition. The signatories of the letter are Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Bannerjee, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Farooq Abdullah (Jammu & Kashmir National Conference), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena, UBT) and Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party. The blatant misuse of central agencies against the members of the opposition appears to suggest that we have transitioned from being a democracy to an autocracy the misuse of central agencies and constitutional offices like that of the Governor - to settle scores outside of the electoral battlefield is strongly condemnable as it does not bode well for our democracy, the letter said. Highlighting Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's arrest by ...
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar has given his consent for the privilege committee to examine the conduct of 12 MPs from the opposition
Former Karnataka Chief Minister and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah on Wednesday accused the Basavaraj Bommai-led government of taking "40 per cent commission."
"The Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the matter. As a minister, if the Supreme Court is seized of the matter it is not right for me to comment," Shah said
If the first half of the Parliament session is any indication, for the matter to have traction, BJP leaders will have to get a crash course on the allegations made by Hindenburg
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of "like-minded" opposition parties on Monday
Hitting out at the government, Opposition members on Wednesday in Lok Sabha claimed that the rate of unemployment in the country had increased and more people were pushed into poverty due to its "flawed" economic policies. Initiating the debate on the Union Budget, Gaurav Gogoi, the deputy leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said the government has failed to rein in inflation and its policies, outlined by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will "benefit companies on Dalal Street and not the common people". Taking a swipe at the government, Gogoi said he would give an 'A' rating to the Union Budget but it is not the "A rating we used to get in school", and added that he was referring to a corporate group. Every announcement made in the Union Budget was for the benefit of a particular corporate group and there was "nothing for the common people", Gogoi claimed. The Congress member said the government has announced capital expenditure to the tune of Rs 10 lakh crore of which nearly