Category: Politics

On Friday, Tamil Nadu’s Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu shared the budget for the DMK government. There has been some disagreement about a new education plan called the National Education Policy (NEP), which includes a third language in schools. But the state government decided to use its own money to support government schools.

Thangam Thennarasu announced that the state will pay for things like teacher salaries to ensure that students in government schools get the education they need, even if the central government doesn’t provide money.

He emphasized that Tamil Nadu strongly supports teaching in two languages. Despite the challenges, such as not receiving ₹2,152 crores from the central government because of disagreements over the NEP, the state will continue to take care of its students.

The Finance Minister said that by sticking to the bilingual policy, Tamil Nadu is not only saving its Tamil culture but also helping its young people become good at English. This helps them succeed in today’s world.

The Minister also mentioned ongoing initiatives like the ‘Ennum Ezhuthum Thittam,’ which focuses on basic reading and writing skills, special education for children with disabilities, transport help for students in remote areas, teacher salaries, guidance for higher education, festivals for talents, trips for learning, and improving school facilities like internet access.

Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the Samajwadi Party, criticized Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, calling him a “Tees Maar Khan,” which means someone who shows off but doesn’t deliver results. Yadav made this comment after it was reported that some mosques were covered with tarpaulin sheets before the Holi festival. The government said this was to keep everyone safe and to maintain peace during the celebrations.

Yadav said it is important for people from all backgrounds to celebrate festivals like Holi together because it brings joy and happiness. He wished everyone a happy Holi and emphasized that traditions connecting various communities should remain strong.

Yadav also pointed out that the Chief Minister seems to care too much about the number 30, referencing a recent incident where 30 people died and economic activities were reported to be worth Rs 30 crore. He said the Chief Minister should explain these numbers.

On the topic of demolitions happening in the state, Yadav mentioned that the Supreme Court has given guidance, but the government is not following it. He hopes the court will ensure fairness for everyone. Yadav believes many people are concerned that the Constitution is not safe under the BJP government.

He also predicts that the BJP will face a big loss in the 2027 state elections. He said that the Chief Minister’s claim that young people found jobs simply by riding their bikes is unrealistic and directly questioned the truth behind BJP’s promises. He believes the BJP also lost in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and will do even worse in 2027.

A BJP MLA in Bihar caused a stir recently by suggesting that Muslims should stay indoors during Holi. This comment led to strong pushback from Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition, who called for action against the MLA and urged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to reprimand him.

Haribhushan Thakur Bachaul, the MLA from Madhubani district, made the controversial remarks while speaking to reporters at the state assembly. He stated, “I want to tell Muslims that there are 52 Fridays in a year. The Friday this week falls on Holi. So, they should allow Hindus to celebrate without taking offense if colors are splashed on them. If they don’t like it, they should stay at home. This is important for keeping peace between communities.”

When questioned about Muslims fasting during Ramadan, Bachaul replied that they have “double standards.” He added, “They love selling colors during Holi, but if a little gets on their clothes, they complain.”

Tejashwi Yadav strongly criticized Bachaul, reminding him that Bihar is not ruled by him alone. Yadav stated, “We need to file an FIR against him for stirring up communal conflict. In Bihar, every Muslim is supported by many Hindus.” He also asked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to talk to Bachaul about his harmful words.

The state’s minority affairs minister, Zama Khan, assured that there will be no problems during the festival and that officials have been instructed to maintain harmony.

Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), spoke to his supporters on Sunday and accused the BJP of causing trouble in society. He told his followers to respond to the BJP’s slogan ‘Jai Shri Ram’ with ‘Jai Shivaji’ and ‘Jai Bhavani’. Thackeray said if someone says ‘Jai Shri Ram’, they should not let that person go without saying ‘Jai Shivaji’ and ‘Jai Bhavani’ too. He claimed that the BJP has poisoned our society and promised to challenge them for their actions.

Thackeray also questioned the BJP’s loyalty to the country. He mentioned how BJP leaders used to be against playing sports with Pakistan, but now India is playing cricket matches with both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Responding to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who had criticized him in the assembly, Thackeray said if Fadnavis wants to follow in his footsteps, he should announce loan help for farmers and allocate money for programs like Shiv Bhojan and Ladki Bahin when the budget is presented on March 10.

Thackeray, who was Chief Minister for over two years, claimed he had stopped some projects during his time. He mentioned that if he had remained in office longer, he would have moved the Metro 3 carshed to Kanjur Marg, but now it is being given to the Adani group. The BJP and Thackeray’s party have clashed over where the Mumbai Metro 3 carshed should be built. After the government led by Thackeray collapsed in 2022, the new government decided to build it at Aarey instead of Kanjur Marg.

In a heartwarming move, K Appala Naidu, a member of parliament from Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, has made a special promise. He said he will give Rs 50,000 to families who have a third child if that child is a baby girl. This money will be saved in a bank account that can grow to almost Rs 10 lakh by the time she gets married.

However, if the third child is a boy, the family will receive a cow and a calf instead. Appala Naidu believes that India needs to increase its population and is inspired by the ideas of the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about growing the country’s population.

He announced this program during celebrations for International Women’s Day in his area. Appala Naidu hopes to help families in his constituency and also wants to support women who face challenges in society. He was motivated by the strong women in his life, like his mother, wife, sisters, and daughter. He wants to show that supporting women is important and necessary.

On Saturday, Tariq Hamid Karra, the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Congress, criticized the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). He said that NHPC is exploiting the resources of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and acting like the East India Company, a group known for taking advantage of India in the past.

While discussing the budget in the J&K Assembly, Karra mentioned that NHPC has charged around Rs 300 crore as consultancy fees from local companies over the past ten years. He noted that the NHPC took part in the Chenab Valley Power Projects (CVPP), which was a joint project with a state-owned company after a power project was successfully built by the J&K Power Development Corporation in 2008.

Karra raised concerns about why CVPP still pays NHPC consultancy fees of Rs 30 crore every year, even after NHPC took over a small share of the project in 2021. He asked why important positions like the Chairman are not filled by local engineers and why local workers are being treated unfairly in promotions.

Karra also shared that a lot of mining blocks in J&K were sold to companies from outside the region after 2019. He called attention to how illegal mining is harming J&K’s resources, comparing it to well-known fraudsters who have taken advantage of people and resources.

He concluded by saying that if a report were made about the financial management of J&K over the past seven years—when there was no elected government—it would reveal a lot of waste and exploitation in the region.

Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, said on Saturday that the state government does not want to control the media with the new center they are planning to set up. This center, called the Media Monitoring Centre (MMC), will help the government keep track of news articles and broadcasts. The goal is to understand how news about government programs is reported, so they can quickly respond to any misinformation or negative stories.

Some people are worried that this center could be a way for the government to control the news. The Chief Minister explained that they will hire a professional to sort the news into different categories, like good and bad news, and issues related to people and departments.

During a chat with women journalists for International Women’s Day, Fadnavis discussed a proposed law about interfaith marriages, sometimes called “love jihad.” He said that marriage between different religions is fine, but marriages where people hide their identity or force someone to change their religion are not acceptable. The government is forming a committee that includes officials and police to address these issues and create a new law.

On Saturday, Jairam Ramesh, a leader from the Congress party, raised concerns about a statement from former US President Donald Trump. Trump said that India agreed to lower its tariffs, which are taxes on imported goods. Ramesh worries this could hurt Indian farmers and manufacturers as India’s Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, is visiting Washington, D.C. to discuss trade.

Ramesh posted on social media, asking what the Indian government has promised Trump. He believes that the interests of farmers and local businesses might be at stake and urged Prime Minister Modi to explain the situation when Parliament starts again on March 10th.

The Congress party also criticized the reported deal, saying it’s an insult to India. Trump suggested that Modi lowered tariffs out of fear, prompting Congress to question what compromises were made. They want answers and plan to hold an all-party meeting on this serious issue, emphasizing the importance of the nation’s interests.

Trump recently remarked that selling products in India is nearly impossible due to high tariffs. He stated that India wants to cut these tariffs significantly because someone is finally exposing the situation. This news comes as the US is preparing to implement new tariffs on countries with high taxes on American products starting April 2. Trump emphasized that the US will no longer accept being taken advantage of by countries with high tariffs, including India.

The Madras High Court has turned down a request to challenge the election of Dayanidhi Maran, the DMK candidate from Chennai Central, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Judge N Anand Venkatesh dismissed the case filed by M L Ravi, an advocate who also ran for the same seat.

The judge agreed with Maran’s application to remove parts of Ravi’s petition. He explained that there was nothing solid in Ravi’s claims about how Maran spent money on stickers placed on houses. The judge said Ravi’s estimates were too vague, and there was no real proof that the stickers were linked to Maran.

Next, the judge looked at claims about Maran covering food costs for election workers. Ravi’s allegations lacked details and sounded more like guesses. The judge noted that these workers were mostly party supporters who might have brought their own food and drinks.

Finally, Ravi pointed to a rally that took place on April 14 and 15, 2024, claiming it wasn’t recorded properly in Maran’s expenses. However, the judge stated that the videos didn’t clearly show Maran was involved in the rally. Therefore, the court decided that Ravi’s claims about Maran’s spending were mostly based on assumptions rather than facts. This meant there was no real reason to suspect fraud, so the case was dismissed.

New Delhi: Jailed MP Engineer Rashid from Jammu and Kashmir has asked for special permission to leave jail temporarily so he can attend the next session of Parliament. His lawyer, Vikhyat Oberoi, argued in front of judge Chander Jit Singh that Rashid poses no safety threat and needs to fulfill his duties as a member of Parliament.

Rashid’s request for temporary bail was made on February 27, and the judge will decide on March 7. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which looks into serious crimes, was asked for its opinion before the judge makes a decision.

Rashid has already prepared questions about the work of important departments in Jammu and Kashmir to discuss in Parliament. His lawyer explained that Rashid represents a significant portion of Kashmir and should be allowed to speak for his people. He emphasized that attending Parliament is not just a right, but also a responsibility Rashid wants to fulfill.

On the other hand, the NIA’s lawyer disagreed, saying being a member of Parliament doesn’t mean someone can be let out of jail easily. They argued that any person might claim they need to do their job, but it shouldn’t lead to special treatment.

Engineer Rashid previously won elections against former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Baramulla. He has been in Tihar Prison since October 2019 after being accused of serious crimes related to funding terrorism. The hearing for his regular bail is still awaiting a decision. The next session of Parliament will start on March 10 and end on April 4.