Showdown over Waqf Act: Bihar polls on polarisation, not progress? Experts debate
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Business Standard
2 minutes ago
- Business Standard
PM Modi congratulates Amit Shah on becoming longest-serving home minister
Addressing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Members of Parliament (MPs) on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has become the longest-serving incumbent in his ministry, surpassing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran L K Advani. 'It is just the beginning,' the PM said, adding that there is a long way to go for Shah — a remark that led some MPs to speculate on its possible implications. Shah took charge of the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 30, 2019, and continued as the country's home minister in 2024. On Tuesday, he became the longest-serving home minister with a tenure of six years and 66 days, surpassing Congress leader Gobind Ballabh Pant, who held the post for six years and 65 days between 1955 and 1961. Advani was home minister for six years and 64 days between 1998 and 2004. Shah reached this milestone on the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, which Parliament repealed on August 5, 2019. Currently, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who turned 74 in July, ranks second in the Union Council of Ministers. He has served in the first and second Modi-led NDA governments between 2014 and 2024. After the PM, he was the first Cabinet minister to take the oath of office in 2014, 2019, and again in 2024. At Tuesday's meeting, MPs felicitated the PM for his "exceptional leadership" in marshalling India's response following the Pahalgam terror attack. A resolution passed at the meeting praised the armed forces for their "unmatched courage" and "unwavering commitment" during Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev. Singh garlanded Modi, with Shah and Union Minister and BJP president J P Nadda by his side. After the meeting, Singh led MPs from the Parliament Library Building — the venue — to the Parliament House. The PM told BJP and allied MPs that they should participate actively in all programmes as part of the ruling coalition, irrespective of their party's individual strength in a particular region. In some states, the BJP may not be as strong as its allies, but all parties must act together as NDA members, he said. Sources present at the meeting said the PM's broader message was about maintaining cohesion and coordination within the alliance. Leaders of NDA allies joined BJP leaders in the front row at the meeting. The BJP and its allies currently govern in 19 out of 28 states and are preparing for the upcoming Assembly polls in Bihar. The NDA Parliamentary Party meeting was last held on July 2, 2024. At Tuesday's gathering, Modi also noted the historical significance of August 5. Article 370 was abrogated on this day in 2019, and the ground-breaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya took place on August 5, 2020. The NDA resolution paid tribute to the 26 civilians who lost their lives in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, carried out by terrorists linked to Pakistan. It also praised Modi for his leadership. The NDA is yet to announce its candidate for the vice-presidential election, scheduled for September 9. The last date for filing nominations is August 21. The BJP is also expected to elect its next president soon.
NDTV
2 minutes ago
- NDTV
Abhishek Banerjee Meets Trinamool MPs For Groundwork Ahead Of Bengal Polls
Kolkata: A day after Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee elevated her nephew Abhishek Banerjee as the parliamentary party leader in the Lok Sabha, the Trinamool MP held a virtual meeting of all party leaders from district to the organisational fronts. Trinamool sources have told NDTV this meeting is crucial to prepare a roadmap for the next few months before elections are announced in Bengal. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah frequently visiting the state, the ruling party does not want to give any space to the opposition to register a political fight. While the Special Intensive Revision or SIR held by the Election Commission dominated the meeting's agenda, Abhishek Banerjee also instructed party cadres to fight tooth and nail against the BJP to portray them as anti-Bengal. As an example, he highlighted the Delhi Police communique seeking Bengali translation but instead called it "Bangladeshi Language". Slamming the BJP's IT cell chief, Abhishek Banerjee even mentioned how no BJP MLA stood up against the contentious letter. Mr Banerjee also raised the issue of NRC letters being sent to Bengal residents by the Assam government. A source privy to the meeting said he cited SIR and mentioned how a dog and tractor had fake residential certificates in Bihar. Speaking on Central fund blockade, Mr Banerjee told his leaders that more than 1.75 lakh crore rupees has been withheld by the BJP-led government but the West Bengal government is no longer dependent on it. As an example, he added, how the first two installments of the housing scheme undertaken by Mamata Banerjee has been disbursed to the beneficiaries. In the coming days, the Trinamool Congress leadership plans to raise the party's voice against SIR and linking it to NRC to downsize BJP in the state and also highlight the various schemes that the state government has funded despite the lack of Central funds.
Scroll.in
2 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Rush Hour: Several dead in Uttarkashi flash flood, President's Rule extended in Manipur and more
We're building a brand-new studio to bring you bold ground reports, sharp interviews, hard-hitting podcasts, explainers and more. Support Scroll's studio fund today. At least four persons died and several were feared missing after a cloudburst triggered a flash flood in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. A rescue operation was underway in the Dharali area, which is about 18 kms from the Hindu pilgrimage town of Gangotri. The disaster relief forces and the Indian Army were involved in the rescue operation. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that people were being evacuated to safe locations on a priority basis and the situation was being monitored. Read more. Parliament extended the President's Rule in Manipur by six months. The statutory resolution was passed in the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote on Tuesday. The Lok Sabha cleared the resolution on Thursday. President's Rule was imposed in the North East state on February 13, four days after Bharatiya Janata Party leader N Biren Singh resigned as the chief minister amid allegations from Kuki-Zomi-Hmar groups that his response to the ethnic violence was partisan and that he had stoked majoritarianism. Manipur has seen ethnic clashes between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo-Hmar communities since May 2023. At least 260 persons have been killed and more than 59,000 persons displaced since the violence broke out. There were periodic upticks in violence in 2024. Read more. Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik died on Tuesday. He was 79. Malik was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments in a hospital in Delhi. He served as the last governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 2018 to October 2019. He also held the post in Bihar (2017-2018), Goa (2019-2020) and Meghalaya (2020-2022). Malik was an MP in the 1980s, and jumped parties including the Congress, the Janata Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party. He also served as the Union minister of state for parliamentary affairs and tourism in 1990. In recent years, Malik made several allegations of corruption in Jammu and Kashmir, and Goa. He had also claimed in an interview in April 2023 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him not to speak about the alleged security lapses that led to the Pulwama terror attack in 2019. Read more. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defended her brother Rahul Gandhi a day after the Supreme Court criticised his remarks on alleged Chinese incursions. 'With due respect to the honourable judges, they do not decide who a true Indian is,' Vadra said. 'It is the duty of the Opposition leader to question the government.' On Monday, the court told Rahul Gandhi that a 'true Indian' would not make remarks such as those he had about China having allegedly intruded into Indian territory. The bench made the comments while hearing his petition seeking to quash a defamation case against him.
