A delegation of INDIA bloc parties on Thursday submitted a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla expressing concerns over the government’s increasing disregard for parliamentary procedures and democratic norms, citing issues such as the post of deputy speaker lying vacant and the Leader of the Opposition being denied opportunities to speak. Signed by MPs from the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT) and other INDIA bloc parties, the petition seemed to underline Opposition unity. The petition and the meeting with the Speaker came a day after Rahul Gandhi alleged that he was not being allowed to speak in the House. This was after Birla had reprimanded the leader of the Opposition (LoP) for conduct not up to the high standards of the House. While the Speaker did not specify the conduct he was objecting to, BJP social media head Amit Malviya slammed Rahul on X for his “unparliamentary behaviour” and attached a video which showed Rahul playfully squeezing the cheeks of his sister and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra while a Congress member was speaking in the House. The BJP’s official handle too later posted the video. The letter also alleged that important ministries were being kept out of discussions on budget allocations, reducing parliamentary oversight over financial decisions.
RJD SUPREMO LALU YADAV AND TEJASHWI DETERMINED TO OPPOSE WAQF (AMENDMENT) BILL
As the BJP is pushing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with full force, the Rashtriya Janata Dal has openly come out against it. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav joined the protest organised by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) against the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Tejashwi Yadav said whether the party remained in power or not, it would continue to protest from the streets to the House until the Waqf Bill was withdrawn. Those who wanted to grab the Waqf property through the Bill would never be allowed to succeed, he said. Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) leader Prashant Kishor, Azad Samaj Party (ASP) president Chandrashekhar Azad and Samajwadi Party MP Maulana Mohibullah also attended the protest in Patna. Meanwhile, BJP MP and chairman of the JPC on the Waqf bill, Jagadambika Pal, accused AIMPLB of politicising the issue through its nationwide agitation.
BJP-AIADMK ALLIANCE FOR 2026 ASSEMBLY POLLS IN TAMIL NADU IS UNDER DISCUSSION
AIADMK General Secretary and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on 25 March, raising intense political speculation about a possible revival of the AIADMK-BJP alliance. With the Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu nearly over a year away, the meeting is being viewed as an important strategic move, especially as the ruling DMK steps up its campaign on contentious issues like delimitation and the two-language policy. Palaniswami denied that the meeting had anything to do with a renewed alliance between his party and the BJP. On the other hand, Amit Shah expressed great aspiration and hope that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would form the government in Tamil Nadu next year, fuelling speculation of a revival of the AIADMK-BJP alliance. Meanwhile, actor Vijay’s newly launched Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi have shown no inclination of aligning with the AIADMK, leaving it politically isolated. In this context, both the AIADMK and the BJP see strategic value in reviving their partnership.
BJD LEGISLATORS SPRINKLE GANGAJAL IN ODISHA ASSEMBLY PROTESTING POLICE ENTRY
The BJD MLAs on Thursday sprinkled Gangajal (water from the Ganga) in the Odisha legislative Assembly to mark protest against the entry of police personnel into Assembly premises. As soon as the Assembly began its proceedings for the day, BJD MLAs entered the House with vessels carrying Gangajal. Before anyone could realise what was happening, the MLAS started sprinkling the water. Speaker Surama Padhy intervened and urged the MLAs to refrain from such activity and leave the House. Complying with the Speaker’s request, they left the House and sprinkled the Gangajal outside the House. Congress also staged a massive protest outside the assembly,
CONGRESS PRESIDENT KHARGE HOLDS MEETING WITH 338 DCC CHIEFS ON THURSDAY
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged the party’s district unit chiefs on Thursday to work with unity and a long-term strategy to attain victories in the upcoming State elections. He asserted that the party’s ideology is strong but still it cannot be implemented effectively without being in power. Addressing the first of the three scheduled meetings of District Congress Presidents, Rahul Gandhi emphasised on the role of DCCs as the foundation of the Congress party. While Kharge said INDIA bloc parties fought unitedly against the BJP and its allies, restricting them to 240 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. Had the Congress got 20-30 seats more, an alternative government would have been formed, he said. This is the first time in years that the party had organised such a meet with district chiefs, which was duly attended by 338 DCCs from 13 states and three union territories. This was the first in the series of meetings, with two more slated here on April 3 and 4. (IPA Service)
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