NDA government misusing Central agencies to target Opposition, allege Congress leaders
Srikakulam district Congress president, Ambati Krishnarao, and party in-charge of the district, Gadam Venkata Trinadha Rao, alleged that the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been misusing the Central agencies such as Election Commission of India (ECI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and other organisations to target Opposition parties in India.
Following a call given by the All India Congress Committee, the party organised a protest named 'Samvidhan Bachao Abhiyan', at G. Sigadam in Srikakulam district, on Sunday. Speaking to media on the occasion, Mr. Krishnarao alleged that the Modi government had misused ED to target Rajiv Gandhi's family members in the so called 'National Herald' case. He said that the people would teach BJP and its alliance partners a lesson in the next elections for misusing the Central agencies.
The party's Amadalavalasa in-charge B. Venkataramana, Etcherla in-charge Ijjurothu Ramana and others participated in the protest.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Operation Sindoor raised India's stature globally: CM Yadav
Bhopal: Chief minister Mohan Yadav said on Tuesday that Operation Sindoor has raised India's stature at global stage. He has denied that the government hurriedly agreed for a ceasefire with Pakistan. The CM was addressing the media at the state BJP office on the completion of 11 years of Narendra Modi-led NDA govt at the Centre. He said that the appeal for a ceasefire came from Pakistan, which never happened in previous combats. "It meant that the backbone of the enemy was broken," Yadav added. Asked about the success of the nuclear weapons test in Pokhran in May 1998 despite the US sanctions threat and whether the Operation Sindoor ceasefire happened prematurely despite being in a strategic position, the CM said, "During the Pokhran nuclear test, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was facing a different set of difficulties from the US and other countries. But the inner strength was such that our scientists were dressed in army clothes for the Pokhran test. Also, see the capture of Tiger Hill and the Kargil combat extended to three months. But even in those circumstances, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee ensured that we remained within our territory. At that time, we were running a govt with 25 other political parties and had our limitations." In contrast, he said that today, PM Narendra Modi keeps reiterating at every public meeting that Operation Sindoor is not yet over. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "Prime Minister Modi said that Pakistan made a grave mistake (in Pulwama) and they will have to pay a heavy price. Our technology has changed so much that there is no need to cross our borders. Technology is so strong that our army was capable, with technology, to hit just a few feet away from their nuclear facility," the CM argued. "Hit us where you want to hit from. We have destroyed your airfields," he said. He stated that the Indian armed forces demolished the enemy and caused heavy casualties by striking at terrorist bases. He further explained that the most important point is that within a short period, the enemy's back was broken, and it was destroyed. "That is why the ceasefire appeal came from Pakistan. This time, Pakistan, which claims to be a nuclear power, asked for a ceasefire, which did not happen in the earlier combats. This is PM Modi's way of dealing with the enemy. Even after that, in every public meeting, our PM says that Operation Sindoor is not over; it will continue. This can be said only in utmost confidence while the Pakistan Prime Minister speaks the language of helplessness." He argued that after the US and Israel, India is the third country to enter enemy territory and destroy terrorist camps. CM Yadav said that in the modern world, wars will be fought using advanced technology. "In the new world, wars will be fought armed with technology, and after Operation Sindoor, India's stature has grown globally. Thanks to our army and PM Modi," the chief minister said. There are missiles that can hit in a range as far as 3000 to 5000 km, Mohan Yadav reasoned. He also said that the language of J&K leaders Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), and even the Hurriyat Conference changed after the abrogation of Article 370.


The Hindu
28 minutes ago
- The Hindu
The difficult task of keeping everyone happy
The recent Cabinet expansion in Telangana reflects the Congress's promised commitment to social justice. By inducting three Ministers — Gaddam Vivek and Adluri Laxman from the Scheduled Caste (SC) group and Vakiti Srihari from the Backward Classes (BC) group — as well as leaders from socially and economically backward communities for various posts, the party has attempted to realign its power structure to better represent historically marginalised groups. However, this has not come without friction, particularly from the dominant Reddy community, which feels ignored despite its numerical and political clout in the Assembly. Of the seven BC MLAs in the Congress, three have been given Cabinet posts and two have been appointed as chief whip and whip. Among Ministers, Ponnam Prabhakar is from the Goud community, Konda Surekha belongs to the Padmashali community (with her husband hailing from the Munnuru Kapu community), and Vakiti Srihari comes from the Mudiraj caste. Pradesh Congress Committee chief A. Mahesh Kumar Goud is a Goud from the BC community. BCs enjoy more representation not just in the Cabinet, but also in key political roles. Additionally, with the inclusion of Mr. Vivek and Mr. Laxman, the number of SC leaders in the Cabinet has increased to four. They are split equally between the Mala and Madiga sub-groups. This balance is critical in a State where internal divisions within SC communities have influenced political equations, particularly the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, a Mala, holds the Finance portfolio, while former Deputy Chief Minister Damodar Raja Narsimha holds the Health portfolio. Despite this progressive outlook, Congress has triggered dissatisfaction within its largest and historically most influential support base, the Reddy community. In the 119-member Assembly, 43 MLAs are from the Reddy community. Within the Congress, 26 of the 64 MLAs are from the Reddy community. Those who have been left out include strong aspirants such as Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy, P. Sudarshan Reddy, T. Rammohan Reddy, and Malreddy Ranga Reddy. Mr. Rajgopal Reddy, who played a key role in boosting the Congress's prospects by jumping ship from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the elections, feels particularly aggrieved, especially since his political ally, Vivek Venkatswamy, was inducted into the Cabinet. Both leaders were promised a berth. When Mr. Rajgopal Reddy, Mr. Venkatswamy, and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) entered the Congress at around the same time, it created the perception that the BJP was losing ground and that the Congress was the only alternative to the BRS. No one can deny impact of these leaders on the overall performance of the party even though Revanth Reddy, who was then PCC chief, strongly built an anti-BRS narrative. The BJP, which was looking strong, lost steam when Mr. Rajgopal Reddy and Mr. Venkatswamy exited the party at a crucial juncture. Mr. Rajgopal Reddy's brother, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, is a Minister and hails from Nalgonda — a Reddy bastion. While being progressive in its politics, the Congress would also do well in ensuring that its traditional support base, the Reddy community, is kept happy. While the Congress's caste arithmetic may have worked, the representation of regional and minority members leaves much to be desired. Key districts such as Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, and Nizamabad have gone not represented in the Cabinet. Muslims, and Lambadas among the tribal communities, have also been left out. There is no Muslim MLA in the Congress fold. The party has only one Muslim MLC, Amer Ali Khan. To bridge this gap, Congress is considering fielding a Muslim candidate from Jubilee Hills in the coming by-election. The names of Mohd Azharuddin, a cricketer, and Faheem Qureshi, a confidante of the Chief Minister, are being floated. To compensate for the absence of the Lambada community, the Chief Minister nominated Ram Chander Naik, an MLA from Dornakal, as Deputy Speaker. This complements the appointment of Gaddam Prasad Kumar, a Dalit, as Speaker. As a result, Telangana is perhaps the only State where both the presiding officers of the Assembly belong to the SC and ST communities, respectively.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
$134 million and counting: Pentagon details the whopping cost of sending troops to quell L.A. riots
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was grilled by Congress on why troops were sent to Los Angeles and how much it cost. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) told Hegseth that his time as Defense Secretary has been full of 'endless chaos.' as per Associated Press report. The hearing got heated, with lawmakers and Hegseth yelling over each other at times. After lots of pressure, Pentagon's acting controller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, said sending troops to LA would cost $134 million. Hegseth defended the decision, saying the troops are there to protect federal agents during their work. He said under Trump, the use of troops inside the U.S. would probably increase to better protect the homeland. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Do You Remember Him? You Better Sit Down Before You See Him Today Reportingly Undo Troops for help This was Hegseth's first time answering tough questions in front of Congress since becoming Defense Secretary. The hearing was the first of three Hegseth will face this week. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) challenged Hegseth over sending 700 active Marines along with 4,100 National Guard members to guard federal buildings in L.A. during immigration raid protests. Hegseth avoided direct answers but then let MacDonnell explain that the $134 million would cover travel, housing, and food. Live Events Hegseth justified the 60-day deployment by saying they're there to stop 'rioters, looters and thugs' from attacking the police. The Posse Comitatus Act says U.S. troops can't police citizens, unless the Insurrection Act is used, which is super rare. It's unclear if Trump plans to use the Insurrection Act. Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith told lawmakers the Marines in L.A. haven't had to act yet. He said they can't make arrests, they are only there to protect federal buildings and workers. When asked if Marines might use deadly force, Smith said he isn't worried, he trusts his troops to follow the law. FAQs Q1. Why were U.S. troops sent to Los Angeles? They were sent to protect federal buildings during protest-related unrest. Q2. How much did the L.A. troop deployment cost? The Pentagon said it cost around $134 million for 60 days.