Opposition

Opposition parties on Tuesday submitted a notice to move a motion for removing Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for allegedly conducting the House in a partisan manner. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Naseer Hussain submitted the notice to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody. The vice president is the ex-officio chairman of Rajya Sabha. The sources said about 60 opposition MPs -- including from the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP, DMK -- have signed the notice. However, they said top Congress leaders who hold Constitutional posts have not signed the notice. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the floor leaders of various opposition parties are also not among the signatories, the sources said. The notice, spearheaded by the Congress, comes in the wake of turbulent ties between opposition parties and the Rajya Sabha chairman. "ALL parties belonging to the INDIA group have had no option but to formally submi

Lalu Prasad Yadav has backed Mamata Banerjee to lead the INDIA bloc, intensifying the rift in the Opposition, as Congress continues to oppose her leadership bid

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday indicated that his party was open to discuss if someone outside the Congress should lead the Opposition's INDIA bloc. All constituents of the alliance are willing to have a discussion on the issue, he told reporters. Raut was reacting to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad's comment that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee should be allowed to lead the INDIA bloc. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is at present the chairman of the Opposition grouping, formed before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Talking to reporters in Delhi, Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, said his party's ties with the Congress leadership including Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were excellent. Congress is a national party and has the highest number of MPs among the INDIA allies, he noted. "Still, if the INDIA bloc is to be strengthened again, everyone wishes to discuss (issues related to) leadership, who can give time to the ...

According to reports, the INDIA bloc MPs are considering to move a no-confidence motion against Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, which would be the first ever in India's parliamentary history

Lok Sabha proceedings were on Monday adjourned for the day after the opposition's protests over allegations of George Soros-Congress link and Adani issue led to repeated disruptions. When the House met at 11 am after the weekend, the opposition members were on their feet, trying to raise their issues. A visibly agitated Speaker Om Birla asked the MPs to go back to their seats and allow the House to function. "Question Hour is significant. Allow the House to function properly. But you don't want to allow the House to run. The country wants the House to run. You are disrupting the proceedings of the House," he told the protesting members and adjourned the House till 12 noon. The noisy protests again forced an adjournment till 2 pm and then till 3 pm, before the proceedings were wrapped for the day. As soon as the House re-convened at noon, Congress members trooped into the well of the Lok Sabha raising slogans against the government. They were soon joined by Samajwadi Party ...

Tensions escalated at the Punjab-Haryana Shambhu border, where police used tear gas to block farmers attempting to march to Delhi

Ghana's vice president and ruling party candidate, Mahamudu Bawumia, on Sunday conceded defeat to opposition candidate and former President John Dramani Mahama in the West African nation's tightly contested presidential election. Ahead of the official announcement, Bawumia told a press briefing that the people of Ghana voted for change, and he respects that decision with all humility. I've just called His Excellency John Mahama to congratulate him as president-elect of the Republic of Ghana, he said. Bawumia was running as the flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, or NPP, which has struggled to resolve the economic crisis under outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with the functioning of the opposition INDIA bloc, signaling her intent to take charge of the alliance if given the opportunity. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo said she could manage the dual responsibility of running the opposition front while continuing her role as the chief minister of Bengal. "I had formed the INDIA bloc, now it is up to those leading the front to manage it. If they can't run the show, what can I do? I would just say that everyone needs to be taken along," she said in an interview with Bengali news channel News 18 Bangla. Asked why she is not taking the charge of the bloc, given her credentials as a strong anti-BJP force, Banerjee said, "If given the opportunity I would ensure its smooth functioning." "I don't want to go outside Bengal, but I can run it from here," she said. The INDIA bloc, formed to counter the BJP, comprises over two dozen opposition parties. However, interna

Several Opposition MPs led by the Congress on Friday held a protest march inside Parliament complex on the Adani issue, wearing black masks that read "Modi Adani bhai bhai". The protest saw several leaders from some of the INDIA bloc parties marching, holding a copy of the Constitution and raising slogans against industrialist Gautam Adani. RJD, JMM and left parties' MPs were among those who joined the protest. TMC and Samajwadi Party, which did not participate in demonstration, have so far stayed away from any such denunciation of Adani. The decision has been seen by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a "division" in the opposition bloc. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the newly elected MP from Wayanad , were among those present in the march. Priyanka later alleged that the government was scared of holding a discussion on the Adani issue and wondered why was it so. The Congress and several other opposition parties hav

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon on Thursday amid protests by Opposition members over the Adani issue, violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal and other issues. As soon as the House met for the day, Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was elected from Kerala's Wayanad in the recent bypoll, and Ravindra Vasantrao Chavan, who was elected from Maharashtra's Nanded, took oath as Lok Sabha MPs. Immediately after the oath taking of the two new members, many Opposition members, including from the Congress, were on their feet as they sought to raise issues related to the allegations against the Adani Group and other issues. Some members from the Congress and Samajwadi Party were in the Well while other Opposition members stood in the aisle and shouted slogans. Speaker Om Birla asked the Opposition members to allow the Question Hour and said they can take up their issues later. "I have been giving you enough opportunities to raise your issues and will continue to do so

Rajya Sabha proceedings were washed out for the third consecutive day on Thursday after uproar by opposition MPs over the Adani issue and violence in Manipur and Sambhal. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar's appeals that Parliamentary disruption was not a remedy but a malady which weakened the foundation of India's democracy went unheeded as the opposition members continued to protest. The proceedings of the Upper House were adjourned within minutes after it met at 12 noon, following one adjournment shortly after 11 am. Recalling that Wednesday marked a historic milestone -- the beginning of the final quarter-century before India's Constitution turned 100 -- Dhankhar lamented that the House members missed the opportunity to engage in productive dialogue. "This was a moment for our House of Elders, guided by the spirit of nationalism, to send a powerful message of hope to 1.4 billion Indians, reaffirming our commitment to their dreams and journey towards Viksit Bharat at 2047," he said. "Ye

A raucous protest was held outside the Bihar assembly on Thursday by opposition members who demanded withdrawal of pre-paid electricity meters, citing that this arrangement causes inconvenience to common people. Leaders belonging to the RJD, the Congress and three Left parties stood in front of the portico, waving placards and raising slogans until the bell rang announcing that it was time for commencement of the day's proceedings. Some of the placards had the picture of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with colourful slogans like 'it is not a smart meter but a smart cheater'. Some other placards highlighted inflated billing and disconnection without warning, the two most common gripes against the new electricity meters. Before dispersing, the MLAs vowed to continue with their protest and claimed that smart meters have made the government in the state hugely "unpopular" and would cause its "defeat in assembly polls" due next year. The government, however, maintained that pre-paid meter

Shivakumar praised Soren's administration, saying he has worked hard and gained the trust of the people

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed the opposition, saying those who were rejected by people 80-90 times were trying to control Parliament by resorting to hooliganism for their own political gains. Addressing reporters ahead of the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, Modi said such handful of people did not succeed in their intentions but people of the country observed their actions and punished them at an appropriate time. Modi's remarks came days after the BJP-led coalition won the Maharashtra Assembly elections by a landslide, bagging 235 seats and relegating the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi to a distant 49 seats in the 288-member House. Earlier, the BJP registered a surprise third consecutive victory in the Haryana polls, trouncing the Congress, which was billed as a pre-poll favourite. "There should be a healthy debate in the Parliament but, unfortunately, certain individuals are trying to control Parliament for their own political gains, resorting to ...

Leaders of various opposition parties of the INDIA bloc have written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to allow leaders of the opposition in both Houses to speak during the Constitution Day celebration function. President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak during Tuesday's function in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan to mark the 75th anniversary of the Constituent Assembly's adoption of the Constitution. "We are writing in the context of the function being held tomorrow (Tuesday) in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India. We understand that the function will be addressed by the president, vice-president and the prime minister of India," the letter signed by leaders of various parties said. "We believe that in the best traditions and interests of Parliamentary democracy, the Leaders of Opposition (LoPs) in both Houses should also be given a

Before adjourning for the day, Union Minister Manohar Lal moved a motion for the election of one member to the advisory council of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)

Mauritius' opposition coalition has won the country's election by a landslide, taking all seats in the country's parliament in a major rejection of the current government. According to results released at various constituencies across the country throughout Monday, the governing coalition led by Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth failed to get any of the 62 seats available for voters to directly decide on. Jagnauth conceded defeat before all results were announced, saying his Militant Socialist Movement coalition was headed for a huge defeat as it became clear that the opposition was winning in all of the country's 21 constituencies. The Alliance for Change coalition's win will see the return of Navin Ramgoolam as the country's prime minister. He served as prime minister from 1995 to 2000 and again from 2005 to 2014. Jugnauth, in office since 2017, had been seeking another five-year term in the Indian Ocean island nation, but his government faced corruption allegations after recording

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was "bluffing" by promising Rs 3,000 per month to women in the state if the opposition alliance comes to power after the November 20 state polls. Talking to reporters here, NCP leader Pawar noted that when the Mahayuti government offered Rs 1,500 per month to women under its Ladki Bahin Yojana, the opposition questioned its feasibility. The MVA alliance, comprising Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar, on Wednesday promised Rs 3,000 per month to women in Maharashtra. Responding to the MVA's guarantee, Ajit Pawar said the opposition was resorting to "bluffing" by making such promises. He said the decision to give Rs 1,500 (per month) under the Ladki Bahin Yojana was made because it was feasible. "Today, if they claim to give Rs 3,000 per month to women, the expenditure may reach Rs 90,000 crore. They are also promising Rs 4,000 per month to unemploye

Opposition MPs in the parliamentary committee scrutinising the Waqf (Amendment) Bill are likely to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday over its chairperson Jagdambika Pal's alleged unilateral decisions and attempts to "bulldoze" proceedings without giving them reasonable time to prepare. Claiming that they have been "stonewalled" during the committee's proceedings, opposition MPs have written in their letter, which they circulated among themselves on Monday, to Birla that they may be forced to disassociate with the panel. Opposition sources said they are likely to meet Birla on Tuesday and put forward their grievances. Opposition members, including DMK's A Raja, Congress's Mohammad Jawed and Imran Masood, AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, AAP's Sanjay Singh and TMC's Kalyan Banerjee among others, have written the joint letter addressed to the Speaker. They accused Pal, a seasoned BJP MP, of taking "unilateral decisions" on fixing the dates of sittings and at times for three consecut