Category: Politics

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge strongly criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his comments about B.R. Ambedkar. Speaking with reporters, Kharge said, “I might not know if chanting God’s name will get me into Heaven, but if we honor Ambedkar in this life, we can achieve equality and self-respect in politics, society, and the economy.”

Kharge pointed out that Shah seems to overlook the importance of Ambedkar and the values of equality, which are central to progress. He believes that as more people embrace the teachings of Ambedkar and Basava, the influence of the RSS (a Hindu nationalist organization) will fade.

Kharge also mentioned that Amit Shah had accused the Congress party of twisting his words about Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha (a house of Parliament), saying that the Congress is trying to portray itself as anti-Ambedkar and anti-reservation. Shah claimed the Congress often misrepresents statements to create confusion.

For the third week in a row, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a leader of the Hurriyat movement, was stopped from speaking to worshippers at the historic Jama Masjid in Srinagar. Local people are upset, calling this an unfair interference in their religious practices.

The Anjuman Auqaf, which manages Jama Masjid, criticized the repeated house arrest of Mirwaiz Farooq. They said the government is unfairly limiting his ability to perform his religious duties and ignoring the feelings of the people.

Despite the cold weather, many men, women, and children from across the valley come to Jama Masjid to hear Mirwaiz’s sermon. His absence makes them feel hurt and deprived of their religious rights.

Zainab Begum, a 60-year-old local who has been attending Friday prayers for many years, expressed her sadness over Mirwaiz’s continued detention. She said, “He was already detained for about four years. Now, even when they claim things are normal, he can’t do his religious duty in a region where Muslims are the majority.”

Mirwaiz was released on September 22, 2023, after being under house arrest for four years, which began when the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was removed on August 4, 2019. However, fearing protests related to Palestine in October 2023, authorities locked him up again, stopping him from addressing the prayer gatherings.

He is now challenging his detention in the J&K High Court, claiming it is without any valid reason, and is waiting for the court’s decision.

On Friday, Jaya Bachchan, a member of the Samajwadi Party (SP), criticized BJP MPs who are currently recovering in a hospital. She suggested that they should win awards for their acting skills, claiming she’s never seen better performances than what BJP MPs Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Mukesh Rajput, and S. Phangnon Konyak displayed. Bachchan spoke to the press during a protest organized by opposition parties.

The BJP quickly responded to her comments, stating that it reflects the true nature of the SP and the opposition alliance, which they accused of disrespecting tribals and women. This conflict began when some BJP members were hurt in a chaotic incident in Parliament over claims of disrespect to B.R. Ambedkar. Sarangi and Rajput were hospitalized after this incident, resulting in injuries.

Konyak, a BJP MP from Nagaland, claimed that Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, invaded her personal space and shouted at her during the protests, making her feel uncomfortable. When asked about the situation, Bachchan said she believed Sarangi was only acting. She mockingly referred to the hospital treatment Rajput received, saying that after a small bandage, he was still speaking to his leaders.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla strongly criticized Bachchan’s remarks, stating they disrespect women and tribal communities, particularly calling out the lack of support for Konyak. He expressed disappointment that Bachchan, who previously spoke out for women’s rights, was challenging the character of another female MP instead.

Doctors reported that Sarangi and Rajput remain in the hospital and are being carefully watched as they recover from their injuries.

On Friday, PP Chaudhary, a Member of Parliament from the BJP, was chosen to lead the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The committee will now have 27 members from the Lok Sabha (the lower house) and 12 from the Rajya Sabha (the upper house).

The idea of ‘One Nation, One Election’ is facing a lot of pushback from opposition parties. They are worried that this plan could give too much power to the ruling party, making it hard for smaller regional parties to have a say.

Two important Bills have been introduced: The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. These Bills aim to change the Constitution so that elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies can happen at the same time across India. The Cabinet approved these Bills last week.

During the discussion, opposition members were very vocal against the proposal, which led to a vote in the House. In the end, 269 members voted in favor of the Bills’ introduction, while 196 voted against it.

On Friday, the Supreme Court spoke out against the recent appointment of V Senthil Balaji, a leader from the DMK party, as a minister in Tamil Nadu. This came just days after he was released on bail for being involved in a money laundering case related to a “cash-for-jobs” scam.

Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih said it was very wrong to make someone a minister right after their release. They emphasized that many witnesses in the case are public workers, and they wanted to hear from the Tamil Nadu government about the ongoing cases against Balaji.

The court pointed out that just because someone gets out of jail doesn’t mean they should automatically be a government minister. The judges stressed that there are often various reasons a person might be in trouble with the law, including the possibility of being falsely accused.

The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, argued that Balaji has significant influence in the state and had been acting like a minister even from prison. In defense, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Balaji, mentioned that many people hold power without being ministers.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who represented the person who filed the complaint, warned that most of the witnesses against Balaji are working for the government. The court set the next hearing for January 15, 2025.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which investigates financial crimes, accused Balaji of trying to slow down the case while he was out on bail. Balaji had just been sworn in again as minister on September 29, taking back his old roles related to electricity and public drinking regulations.

The ED claimed that since Balaji’s release, important witness testimonies have been postponed because he is trying to change lawyers and ask for extra documents during the trial.

Balaji was arrested on June 14, 2023, while serving as the transport minister before the last election. He was also found to be involved in serious corruption, misusing his role to gain money unfairly.

Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has died at the age of 89 in Gurugram. He passed away after having a heart attack at home, an INLD (Indian National Lok Dal) spokesperson said. Despite being rushed to the hospital, doctors could not save him. Chautala was a well-known politician who served as Haryana’s chief minister five times. He was also the son of the late Devi Lal, a former deputy prime minister. Chautala is the grandfather of Dushyant Chautala, who is the former Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana. More details will be shared soon.

In a big step towards “One Nation, One Election,” the government has chosen 12 members from the Rajya Sabha to join a special committee. This committee will look into a plan to hold elections for the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, and local bodies at the same time across India. Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced this plan.

This committee will have 39 members in total: 27 from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha. The Rajya Sabha members are well-known leaders, including Ghanshyam Tiwari, Bhubaneswar Kalita, K. Laxman, and others from different political parties. This makes sure various opinions and experiences are included.

Earlier this week, 21 members were also added from the Lok Sabha. Recently, the government decided to make this committee bigger, increasing its members. New Lok Sabha members include Baijayant Panda and Sanjay Jaiswal from the BJP, Chhotelal from the Samajwadi Party, and a few others from different parties.

However, many opposing parties have concerns about this plan. They believe it might help the ruling party too much and limit the voices of smaller parties. The two important bills connected to this proposal—the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024—aim to change the Constitution to allow these elections to happen at the same time.

The Cabinet already approved these bills last week. During the introduction of these bills, there was strong disagreement from opposition members, leading to a vote. Out of the total votes, 269 members supported the bills, while 196 opposed them.

On Friday, opposition MPs held a protest at Vijay Chowk, demanding Home Minister Amit Shah apologize and resign for allegedly disrespecting BR Ambedkar, the respected leader who helped shape India’s Constitution. The protest included a march from Vijay Chowk to Parliament.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress’s general secretary, criticized the ruling BJP for filing a complaint against Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. She said this showed how desperate they are, as they keep bringing up new charges against him. “The whole country is watching. These actions prove their desperation,” she told reporters.

During the protest, Priyanka joined other members of the INDIA alliance and held a sign that said “Babasaheb ka apman nahi sahega Hindustan” (India will not tolerate disrespect to Babasaheb). The MPs shouted slogans like “Jai Bhim” (Victory to Bhim) and “Amit Shah Maafi Mango” (Amit Shah, ask for forgiveness).

This protest followed earlier disagreements between opposition MPs and BJP members, which led to some injuries, including that of BJP MPs Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput. The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing a senior member, a claim he denies. The opposition is using Shah’s remarks to pressure the government and is asking for his resignation for what they believe is an insult to Ambedkar.

Guwahati: There was a big protest in Guwahati on Wednesday where some Congress workers were trying to reach Raj Bhavan. Sadly, one worker named Mridul Islam, who was a lawyer, died during this protest. The police used tear gas to control the crowd, and Mr. Islam was affected by it. Although police say no harsh methods were used, they admitted that there were tear gas canisters nearby.

Assam’s Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said that police will now look into what happened and check video recordings from the protest. As a result, the government announced that no more protests will be allowed near Raj Bhavan, but there is a special place set aside for peaceful protests.

Many Congress members were angry during the protest about different issues like smart meters, and the government’s handling of the Manipur situation. The protests were part of a nationwide call called “Raj Bhavan Chalo.” Some Congress leaders got into a scuffle with police but were later released.

Guwahati Police Commissioner, Diganta Barah, stated that the police did not fire tear gas but rolled it on the road to create smoke to help disperse the crowd. He insisted that the Congress party didn’t ask for permission for the protest and that the police set up enough barriers to maintain order. After the protest, a check on Mr. Islam’s body showed no visible injuries, and more detailed findings will come from the post-mortem report.

A big disagreement in Parliament started after Amit Shah, India’s Home Minister, made comments about BR Ambedkar. This upset many people in the Opposition, and they protested by gathering at a place called ‘Makar Dwar’. In the commotion, two members of the ruling party, BJP, got hurt, and one of them, Mukesh Rajput, is now in serious condition at a hospital.

The trouble began when Amit Shah said that Congress leaders should focus more on God instead of just saying Ambedkar’s name. He joked that if they had mentioned God as many times, they would reach heaven. This comment angered the opposition, especially since they want Shah to apologize or even resign.

During the protest, Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the Congress party, and his sister Priyanka Gandhi joined others with signs asking for an apology from Amit Shah. Some BJP members claimed that Rahul Gandhi pushed another MP during the protest, which led to injuries. In their frustration, Congress leaders also shared videos showing their struggles to get inside Parliament.