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The Hindu
24 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Opposition seeks apology over MLC's ‘urban Naxal' remark on wari pilgrimage
Holding copies of the Constitution, Opposition leaders staged a protest on the steps of the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday (July 3, 2025), condemning Shiv Sena MLC Manisha Kayande's remarks alleging the presence of 'urban Naxals' in the annual Ashadhi wari pilgrimage to Pandharpur. Leaders across the Opposition spectrum — including Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve (Shiv Sena-UBT), Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar, and NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad — accused the Mahayuti government of attempting to defame a centuries-old religious tradition and demanded an apology from the ruling alliance. 'This is not just an attack on the wari, but on Maharashtra's cultural identity. The government must immediately withdraw these remarks and apologise to the warkari community,' Mr. Danve said during the protest. The Ashadhi wari is a revered annual pilgrimage during which lakhs of devotees — known as warkaris — walk to Pandharpur to offer prayers to Lord Vitthal. Ms. Kayande, a nominated member of the Upper House, claimed in the Legislative Council on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) that urban Naxals had infiltrated the wari and were attempting to mislead devotees. 'Atheist individuals who do not believe in God have entered the wari. This is a serious matter. Under the guise of groups like Samvidhan Dindi, Paryavaran Wari, and Lokayat, they are staging street plays, delivering speeches, and influencing warkaris,' Ms. Kayande alleged. She also cited past instances where pieces of meat were reportedly thrown during the procession. She urged the Mahayuti government to act swiftly to preserve the sanctity of the pilgrimage and said the proposed Maharashtra Public Security Bill would help curb such disruptive elements. 'During last year's Lok Sabha elections, these same elements spread a false narrative about the Constitution being changed,' Ms. Kayande added. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena faction that nominated Ms. Kayande, told the House that the government had taken cognisance of the matter and had directed the Home Department to investigate the claims. Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam also said his office had received complaints about attempts by alleged 'urban Naxals' to disrupt social harmony and assured the House that the matter would be taken seriously. The Opposition, however, dismissed the remarks as baseless and politically motivated. They alleged that the comments were part of a deliberate attempt to politicise a spiritual event and discredit the peaceful warkari movement. 'This is an attempt to sow division under the guise of security concerns. The government must stop targeting religious gatherings with ideological labels,' Mr. Awhad said.
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First Post
40 minutes ago
- First Post
Jeffries invokes ‘magic minute' to delay passage of Trump bill, sets new House speech record
Jeffries began speaking at 4:53 am EDT, delivering a wide-ranging address that included reading letters from Americans who depend on government programmes like Medicaid and SNAP read more House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and the Democratic Caucus assemble on the steps of the Capitol to condemn President Donald Trump's signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, in Washington, on Wednesday. AP House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has broken the record for the longest floor speech as the House debates President Trump's tax and spending cut proposal. According to an Associated Press report, Jeffries began speaking at 4:53 am EDT, delivering a wide-ranging address that included reading letters from Americans who depend on government programmes like Medicaid and SNAP. He accused the bill of 'stealing'' from vital social programmess to fund tax cuts for the wealthy, added the report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As the speech stretched into its eighth hour, it took on the tone of a Sunday church service, with Jeffries quoting passages from the Bible. 'Take your time,' 'Take your sweet time,' colleagues replied as he spoke. 'Shame on this institution if this bill passes,' he said. Jeffries spoke deliberately, often pausing between words and phrases for emphasis. He invoked a procedural rule known as the 'magic minute,' which permits House party leaders to speak for as long as they choose during floor debate, reported CNN. In November 2021, then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy used the same tactic to speak for 8 hours and 32 minutes, stalling a vote on President Joe Biden's social spending package. At the time, Donald Trump praised McCarthy's effort in a public statement. Though Jeffries used his leadership privilege to deliver a marathon speech against President Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill, Democrats lack the votes to stop it. Instead, Jeffries aimed to shape the political narrative ahead of the 2026 midterms, denouncing the Republican-backed package as 'an all-out assault on the American people.' The 800-plus-page proposal is a central pillar of Trump's agenda in his return to the White House. You can read the full bill here. With inputs from agencies
Indian Express
42 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Democrat delivers longest House floor speech to delay vote on Trump's ‘big, beautiful bill'
After a dramatic session, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries has delivered the longest floor speech in modern House history, a forceful eight-plus-hour denunciation of the president's marquee domestic policy bill which he called an 'abomination'. 'Shame on this institution if this bill passes,' Jeffries said, as Democrats chanted shame. 'We are better than this.' In a fiery speech now lasting eight hours and 44 minutes, Jeffries has used the House's 'magic minute' rule — a tradition allowing party leaders unlimited speaking time — to delay the vote and attack the bill's deep cuts to healthcare and welfare programs. 'We are going to continue as Democrats to take our sweet time on behalf of the American people because the issues are too significant to ever walk away from,' Jeffries declared to cheers. He urged moderate Republicans to defect, saying: 'Join us! Just four, y'all. We welcome you.' Jeffries has labelled the bill a 'crime scene' that takes a 'chainsaw' to Medicare, Medicaid, food assistance and other social safety nets. Surrounded by binders of personal testimonies, he's been reading stories of Americans who could lose healthcare, nutrition support and vital benefits. 'People will die. Tens of thousands, perhaps year after year after year, as a result of the Republican assault on the healthcare of the American people.' The final vote is expected late Thursday or early Friday, after a night of behind-the-scenes pressure from Trump himself. The former president reportedly made dozens of calls to GOP lawmakers, and lashed out on Truth Social: 'What are the Republicans waiting for??? What are you trying to prove??? MAGA IS NOT HAPPY, AND IT'S COSTING YOU VOTES!!!' Despite internal Republican concerns about the bill's impact on the national debt and working-class Americans, House Speaker Mike Johnson remained upbeat, crediting Trump's 'personal involvement' for progress. Jeffries who took the floor just before 5 am Thursday, broke the record of Kevin McCarthy's 2021 record of 8 hours and 32 minutes.
