Opposition

Ambedkar row: Opposition MPs hold protest against Amit Shah at Vijay Chowk

Opposition MPs staged a protest at Vijay Chowk here on Friday demanding Home Minister Amit Shah's apology and resignation for allegedly "insulting" BR Ambedkar. They also carried out a protest march from Vijay Chowk to Parliament. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the BJP over the FIR filed against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying it "shows their desperation level". "The entire country is watching, they have slapped several cases on Rahul Gandhi. They bring in new FIRs and lie...This shows their desperation level," she told reporters. Priyanka Gandhi joined several other INDIA bloc MPs at Vijay Chowk to protest against Shah's remarks as they demanded Shah's apology and resignation over the issue. She was seen carrying a placard which read 'Babasaheb ka apman nahi sahega Hindustan'. The MPs raised slogans such as 'Jai Bhim' 'Amit Shah Maafi Mango' and 'istifa do'. The protest comes a day after separate marches by oppositio

Fadnavis hits out at Oppn, accuses it of not believing in Constitution

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday slammed the opposition parties, accusing them of not believing in the Constitution. Fadnavis landed in Nagpur to a grand welcome from party workers and people. Talking to reporters at Nagpur airport, Fadnavis said, "It is a joyous moment that after becoming the chief minister, I have come to my janmabhoomi and karmabhoomi (birthplace and workplace). Nagpur is my family, and it is welcome by my family." Fadnavis took oath as the chief minister for the third time on December 5 after the Mahayuti combine swept the November 20 Maharashtra elections, winning 230 out of 288 seats. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, which managed just 46 seats, has been alleging irregularities in electronic voting machines (EVMs). Asked about the Opposition aggressively taking up the issue of EVMs, Fadnavis said, "These people (opponents) are disappointed. They don't have faith in democracy and the Election Commission. They don't have faith in the Supr

55 Opposition MPs file impeachment motion against Justice Shekhar Yadav

During a Vishwa Hindu Parishad event on Sunday, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav expressed support for a Uniform Civil Code and suggested that laws should reflect the majority's preferences

S Korean Oppn submits new motion to impeach President Yoon over martial law

South Korea's parliament says the country's six opposition parties have submitted a new joint motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law. The National Assembly said the main opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties submitted the impeachment motion on Thursday afternoon. The parties say they aim put the motion to a floor vote on Saturday. Yoon's short-lived Dec. 3 martial law declaration has triggered political chaos and large protests calling for his ouster. The Democratic Party has argued that Yoon's decree amounted to rebellion. Earlier Thursday, Yoon defended his decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges.

Opposition calls Assam 'banana republic' over NRC-Aadhaar linkage decision

Opposition Congress and Trinamool Congress on Thursday criticised the Assam government's decision to make NRC application a pre-condition for obtaining an Aadhaar card, stating the state has turned into a "banana republic" under CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP. In an effort to link the Aadhaar card with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Assam government on Wednesday decided that all applications for the unique identity card will be rejected if the applicant or their family had not applied for the NRC. The decision was taken in view of infiltration attempts by citizens of trouble-hit Bangladesh, Sarma said at a press conference. "The problem of fake beneficiaries is huge in Assam. Government data itself shows how crores of public funds was wasted in the implementation of PM Kisan," deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said in a post on X. Sharing a news link of PTI on the Aadhaar-NRC decision by Assam Cabinet, he said people in the state are paying GST, cess

Ruling NDA MPs term notice against VP Dhankhar politically motivated

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

Rift in Opposition as Lalu Yadav backs Mamata Banerjee to lead INDIA bloc

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

INDIA bloc leadership is open question, indicates Shiv Sena (UBT)

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 ...

Oppn may move to impeach Jagdeep Dhankhar: Can a Vice-President be removed?

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

Opposition protests disrupt Lok Sabha; House adjourned for the day

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 ...

Farmers unhappy with both INDIA bloc and BJP govt, says Sarwan Singh

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

Ghana's ruling party candidate concedes presidential election to oppn rival

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.

Willing to lead INDIA bloc if I get opportunity: WB CM Mamata Banerjee

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 Oppn MPs take out protest march in Parliament on Adani issue

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 adjourned till 12 noon amid protests over Adani, Sambhal issues

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

Parliament Session: Unfortunate that Opposition is not letting Parliament function; Piyush Goyal

RS proceedings washed out again amid uproar over Adani, Sambhal issues

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

Oppn MLAs protest outside Bihar Assembly for withdrawal of pre-paid meters

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

INDIA bloc happy: Shivakumar as he reaches Ranchi for Soren's swearing-in

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

Those rejected by people trying to control Parliament: PM Modi slams Oppn

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 ...