IPA Webdesk
Goa minister cites Shah Jahan precedent in work contract
Goa Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude on Wednesday sought to defend his department’s action of allotting the renovation work of the iconic Kala Academy building in Panaji, saying that Shah Jahan had not invited a quotation to build the Taj Mahal. He made the statement while speaking during...
Supreme Court refuses blanket ban on demolitions
The Supreme Court today refused to pass a blanket order banning demolitions across states, stressing that such a move will curtail the rights of municipal authorities. The court is hearing a petition by Muslim body Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind against demolition exercises that, it has alleged, specifically targeted members of the minority...
Lanka president flees to Maldives after regular exit thwarted
Sri Lanka’s embattled president flew out of his country early Wednesday to Maldives, in a probable prelude to his resignation after months of widespread protests over the island nation’s worst-ever economic crisis. Gotabaya Rajapaksa had promised at the weekend to resign on Wednesday and clear the way for a...
ED tells court Karti’s role in Chinese visa scam is clear
The Enforcement Directorate has opposed the anticipatory bail plea by Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram in the alleged Chinese visas scam, saying the investigation so far has revealed his involvement in the present offence, which endangers national security for financial gains. In its July 11 status report, the agency...
Sonia to chair Cong strategy meet, missed by Rahul
Top Congress leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss the party’s strategy for the upcoming monsoon session of parliament. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will chair the Congress parliamentary strategy committee group meeting on July 14 at 10.30 am, which will be attended by senior party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Adhir...
Maharashtra BJP leader loses job, alleges honey trap
The Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra has removed its Solapur district (rural) president Shrikant Deshmukh after a video purportedly showing him with a woman went viral, a party leader said on Tuesday. Mumbai Police has registered a case against the woman on Deshmukh’s complaint of “extortion”, an official said...
Rs 25-30 cr offered to lure Goa Cong MLAs, say sources
A day after firefighting in Goa to keep its flock together, leaders of the Congress, off the record, described the “Operation Lotus” the ruling BJP allegedly attempted. Sources said the BJP had a chartered flight ready to move six Congress MLAs out of Goa — all the MLAs had...
Row over PM unveiling emblem on new Parliament building
The BJP Monday termed politically motivated the Opposition’s criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiling a cast of the national emblem atop the new Parliament building. Opposition parties such as the Congress, CPI(M) and AIMIM have criticised the inauguration by Modi, saying this was a “violation” of the Constitution...
FIR in sexual harassment of Delhi BJP spokesperson
An FIR has been registered against unknown persons for allegedly sexually harassing a female spokesperson of Delhi BJP after a video defaming her was posted on social media platforms, police said. The matter came to the fore after a complaint was made by the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya...
Lobo says he stays with Cong after disqualification move
Subsequent to disqualification filed against him, Congress MLA Michael Lobo has said that he is with the party. He made remark during a meeting called by senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik on Monday night. Wasnik reached Goa on Monday afternoon to oversee latest political developments in the coastal state,...
Mamata skips Smriti Irani’s Metro station inauguration
Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani on Monday inaugurated the underground Sealdah Metro Railway station of East West Metro corridor in the city through virtual mode from Howrah Maidan station. The first Metro train from Sealdah, which is among the busiest railway stations in the country,...
Court setback for OPS emboldens EPS to take charge of AIADMK
In a setback for AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam or OPS, the Madras High Court on Monday gave its go-ahead to a crucial general council meeting to decide the future leadership structure of the party. The court rejected a plea filed by OPS seeking a stay on the meeting called by...
Uma Bharti slams Chouhan’s liquor policy, seeks Nadda help
Veteran BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti on Saturday wrote a letter to the party president JP Nadda, seeking his intervention on the liquor policy in the BJP-ruled state. Expressing her concern over the liquor policy implemented by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led government, Bharti said...
MP case against Medha Patkar alleging misuse of funds
The Madhya Pradesh police today filed a case against social activist and founder of the ‘Narmada Bachao’ movement Medha Patkar and 11 others for allegedly misusing around Rs 13 crores collected in the name of education of tribal children. The complainant also alleged that the money collected by the...
Pawar moots MVA allies jointly fighting 2024 assembly poll
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said he feels the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies – Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – should fight the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections together, but a decision on it will be taken only after the issue is discussed with the leaders of...
Maharashtra assembly serves notices to 53 Shiv Sena MLAs
Maharashtra legislature secretary has issued show cause notices to 53 out of the total 55 Shiv Sena MLAs in the state – 39 of the faction led by Eknath Shinde and 14 of the Uddhav Thackeray group. One of the 14 MLAs from the Thackeray side, Santosh Bangar, joined...
Goa Cong refutes buzz of MLAs crossing over
The Congress in Goa scrambled to quell talk of a brewing revolt on Sunday as a party meeting saw less-than-full attendance amid talk of some leaders being in touch with the ruling BJP a day before an assembly session. The Congress has denied any rift within the party, with...
Notification for Goa Dy Speaker election withdrawn
Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar on Sunday cancelled the notification for election to the post of deputy speaker, which was scheduled for July 12. The move comes amid speculation that some Congress MLAs in the 40-member House may cross over to the ruling BJP. The order, issued by Legislature...
