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Anna Hazare renews Lokayukta fast threat
Veteran social activist Anna Hazare has declared that he will begin an indefinite fast from 30 January 2026, saying the Maharashtra government has failed to fully implement an effective Lokayukta framework to curb corruption across the political executive. The announcement, made on 12 December, revives a method that has...
Priyanka Gandhi questions push to rename MGNREGA
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has criticised reported moves to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, arguing that public money and administrative effort are being diverted towards symbolism rather than strengthening a scheme that remains central to rural livelihoods. Speaking on Saturday, Priyanka Gandhi said the...
Judicial fraternity rallies behind Justice Swaminathan
More than 56 former judges of the Supreme Court and several high courts have issued a joint statement expressing solidarity with Madras High Court judge Justice G. R. Swaminathan after an impeachment motion against him was submitted in the Lok Sabha, describing the move as anti-democratic, anti-constitutional and an...
Congress challenges Babri claim with Patel diary
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday sought to counter Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s assertion about Jawaharlal Nehru and the Babri Masjid by handing him copies of what he described as original diary entries of Maniben Patel, the daughter of Vallabhbhai Patel. Ramesh said the handwritten notes, in Gujarati, contained...
Congress leadership moves to calm Punjab row
Congress’s central leadership has intervened to contain a political flare-up in Punjab after remarks by former legislator Navjot Kaur Sidhu about an alleged demand of ₹500 crore for the chief minister’s post sparked internal unease and public scrutiny. Senior party leader Rahul Gandhi has called a meeting later this...
Mexico joins tariff push against Asian imports
Mexico has approved legislation to impose steep tariffs on a wide range of goods shipped from India, China and other Asian economies, widening a protectionist turn that has already unsettled global trade flows. The bill cleared the Senate this week after months of debate and is scheduled to take...
India urged to hold firm on farm concessions in US trade talks
New Delhi — The Global Trade Research Initiative has urged the government to press for equitable outcomes in the ongoing trade negotiations with the United States, cautioning against premature concessions on agricultural crops and genetically modified products as discussions over a bilateral trade agreement continue to unfold. The advisory...
High court questions police conduct in Pune land probe
A stern observation by the Bombay High Court over the handling of a high-value land transaction case placed the focus squarely on the conduct of the Pune Police, with the court remarking that investigators appeared to shield the son of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while intensifying scrutiny of...
Court widens scope of probe into land compensation
A directive from the Supreme Court has expanded the mandate of a Special Investigation Team to scrutinise the conduct of senior officials linked to disputed land compensation payments in NOIDA, signalling a broader examination of administrative decisions taken over the past decade. The move follows allegations that a pattern...
Shah hits out at Congress over voter fraud claims
Union Home Minister Amit Shah turned the Lok Sabha electoral reforms debate into a frontal confrontation with the Congress party, dismissing opposition allegations of voter fraud as unfounded and casting them as politically motivated misdirection. Shah’s remarks on Wednesday escalated tensions over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls,...
Former judges unite to defend Chief Justice over Rohingya remarks
A group of 44 retired judges from the Supreme Court and various high courts has issued a forceful statement condemning what they describe as a “motivated campaign” targeting Chief Justice of India Surya Kant over his courtroom remarks in a case involving Rohingya migrants. The former jurists said critics...
Rahul Gandhi says Amit Shah’s speech was defensive and unanswered
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sharply criticised Home Minister Amit Shah’s address in the Lok Sabha on the electoral reforms debate on Wednesday, asserting that Shah failed to engage with crucial points raised by the opposition and delivered what he described as a “defensive” response. Gandhi told reporters...
Supreme Court seeks clarity on Assam roll exemption
A directive from the Supreme Court has placed the Election Commission under pressure to justify the exemption granted to Assam from furnishing documentary proof during the ongoing electoral roll revision, a requirement applied to several other states under the Special Intensive Revision process. The order was issued on Tuesday...
Supreme Court concerned at threats to booth-level officers
The Supreme Court has formally sought a response from the Election Commission of India on a petition demanding protection for booth-level officers deployed in the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, raising serious alarm over reports of intimidation and obstruction in West Bengal and other states. A bench comprising...
Supreme Court questions poll panel’s power to probe citizenship
The Supreme Court challenged whether the Election Commission of India is constitutionally permitted to carry out an inquiry into a person’s citizenship status during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, suggesting that the power to adjudicate citizenship might lie outside its remit. The observations came from a bench...
Family of Bankim Chandra lauds Vande Mataram debate
A 10-hour parliamentary debate in the lower house concluded as MPs broached the 150-year legacy of the national song Vande Mataram today, with voices from across party lines debating its history and symbolism. Among those welcoming the spotlight on the song was Sajal Chattopadhyay — great-grandson of Bankim Chandra...
Mamata backs debate, critiques BJP’s cultural politics
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her party had “no problem” with the decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate a parliamentary discussion on Vande Mataram, signalling conditional support even as she criticised what she described as the neglect of Bengal’s cultural icons by the ruling party....
Congress suspends Sidhu’s wife after Rs 500 crore CM claim
A membership order issued by the Punjab unit of the Congress formally expelled Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu from the party’s primary rolls with immediate effect. The move follows her assertion that one must offer a “suitcase of Rs 500 crore” to attain the post of Chief Minister — a...
