Watch: Congress v Tharoor, Modi's Bengal rally, courts block Trump's retaliatory tariffs & more
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Congress vs. Tharoor battle erupts over MP's comments on surgical strikes; he slams 'zealots'
There is a war of words brewing between the Congress and its Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor after the latter's comments about India's surgical strikes to target Pakistani terror camps in 2016.
Tharoor, who is leading a team of parliamentarians to five countries, described his critics as 'zealots' and 'trolls' while trying to explain the context of his statement on the surgical strikes.
Hitting back, Pawan Khera, who heads Congress's media and publicity wing, posted a portion from Tharoor's 2018 book in which he had accused the Modi government of 'shameless exploitation of the 2016 surgical strikes' on X .
The controversy erupted after Tharoor, addressing a public event at Panama to explain India's stance on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, claimed that India had crossed the LoC to target Pakistani terror launch pads for the first time in 2016 to avenge the Uri terror attacks.
This prompted Unorganised Workers and Employees' Congress chief Udit Raj to dub Tharoor as a 'super spokesperson of the BJP' in a social media post on Wednesday. Raj's X post was reposted by Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh and Khera as a sign of endorsement.
Responding to such criticism, Tharoor said 'critics and trolls are welcome to distort my views and words as they see fit. I genuinely have better things to do.'
Manipur govt will ensure Gwaltabi incident does not occur in future: Chief Secretary
Manipur Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh has clarified that the State government had no involvement in the Gwaltabi incident, where security personnel allegedly covered the word 'Manipur' on a state-run bus — an act that triggered widespread protests across the state. He denied that the government issued instructions to cover the name of the State, and noted that strict action would be taken.
On May 20, 2025, a Manipur State Road Transport Bus ferrying journalists to the Shirui festival at Ukhrul was stopped and the name of the State written in the windshield was reportedly covered with a white paper. Several protests over the incident have rocked the Meitei-inhabited Imphal Valley over the last week.
PM Modi tears into Trinamool Congress over Murshidabad violence, teacher scam in West Bengal
PM Modi launched a blistering attack on the TMC government in West Bengal, saying that the State is 'plagued' by violence, corruption, and lawlessness, and asserted that people are now yearning for change from the 'Nirmam sarkar' (cruel government).
He said incidents of communal violence in Murshidabad and Malda are grim reminders of the TMC regime's 'cruelty and indifference' to the sufferings of ordinary citizens. He also said that 'pervasive corruption' is eroding public trust in the system.
Turning his guns on the West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, he accused the TMC of 'ruining the future of thousands of teachers and their families' through rampant corruption and irregularities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a two-day trip to four States to launch numerous development projects, as he keeps up a busy itinerary touring different regions in the run-up to the first anniversary of his third term in office.
IMD issuing a red alert for eight districts of Kerala
The heavy monsoon rains and accompanying strong winds damaged homes, power lines and crops in many parts of Kerala, with the IMD issuing a red alert for eight districts of the State.
The heavy rains and winds caused uprooting of trees, waterlogging, and flooding of low-lying areas. In many hilly regions like Wayanad people were relocated to relief camps.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority said water levels in various rivers were rising due to the heavy rains. It advised those living on the banks of these rivers to be vigilant.
Federal court blocks Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs under emergency powers law
A federal court has blocked U.S. President Donald Trump from imposing sweeping tariffs on imports under an emergency-powers law, swiftly throwing into doubt Trump's retaliatory tariffs that have rattled global financial markets, frustrated trade partners and raised broader fears about inflation intensifying and the economy slumping.
The ruling from a three-judge panel at the New York-based U.S. Court of International Trade came after several lawsuits arguing Trump has exceeded his authority and left the country's trade policy dependent on his whims.
Trump has repeatedly said the tariffs would force manufacturers to bring back factory jobs to the U.S. and generate enough revenue to reduce federal budget deficits. He used the tariffs as a tool to negotiate trade deals to serve the U.S.' interest with other nations.
We don't know if the White House will respond to the ruling by pausing all of its emergency power tariffs.
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Deccan Herald
23 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Not scared of EC officials, poll body indulging in 'vote chori' through SIR: Rahul
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha also alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar was a way to steal votes of the people of the state.
The Wire
23 minutes ago
- The Wire
Oath from Rahul, Not BJP; No Numbers of 'Illegal' Immigrants, Forms with Documents: EC's Seven Non-Answers
New Delhi: Facing criticism from opposition parties over allegations of 'vote theft' and the contentious special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, in which 65 lakh electors have been left out of the draft voter rolls, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar addressed his first press conference on Sunday (August 17). In the over one-hour-long press conference, Kumar did not provide any answers to why the Election Commission (EC) is asking for an affidavit under oath from Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi over his allegations of over one lakh votes being stolen in Karnataka's Mahadevapura assembly constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but not from BJP MP Anurag Thakur, who also alleged irregularities in voter rolls in Rae Bareli, Wayanad, Diamond Harbour and Kannauj, asking Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Abhishek Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav to resign as Lok Sabha MPs. Kumar also did not provide any answers to questions on how many enumeration forms in Bihar had been submitted along with the requisite documents and how many foreign undocumented immigrants were found during the SIR, as well as to allegations of whether the exercise is being used to usher in the National Register of Citizens in the state. While Kumar in response to a question on why the SIR is being conducted so close to assembly elections and that too during the flood season said that the last iteration of the exercise in 2003 was also held in July, he skipped mentioning that assembly polls were not due until October 2005. Instead, Kumar laced his answers in the press conference with rhetoric, sought to explain electors' names listed with their house numbers as zero as a 'joke' on the poor, and claimed that an elector's name appearing multiple times does not imply vote theft or that they have voted more than once. He even issued an ultimatum to Gandhi, asking him to furnish his affidavit on oath within seven days or apologise to the nation. Here's a look at seven points from the CEC's press conference that amounted to non-answers. Affidavit demanded from Gandhi but not from BJP Kumar began his press conference by stating that for the EC, there is no 'paksh or vipaksh ' (ruling party or opposition). 'For the EC, there are no ruling parties or opposition; all are equal. Irrespective of who it is from any political party, the EC will not back down from its constitutional duties,' he said. However, Kumar went on to say in the presser that Gandhi's allegations against the poll body are 'baseless' and demanded an affidavit from him. 'If a complaint comes in view of a voter, the EC examines it. But if the accusation is about 1.5 lakh voters, then should we send notices to 1.5 lakh voters without any evidence or affidavit? Will this be legal? There is no evidence in law or affidavit. Should we call 1.5 lakh voters to the SDM [sub-divisional magistrate]'s office and tell them they are fake voters? Will voters not ask for evidence? Without any evidence, the names of valid voters will not be cut,' said Kumar. He continued: 'The EC is standing like a shield with each voter. If one thinks that by giving a PPT with wrong analysis and facts, and saying that 'this woman has voted twice', the EC will act, then it cannot act without an affidavit in such a serious matter, it would be against the law and the constitution.' Gandhi in his press conference on August 7 had alleged 'collusion' between the BJP and the poll body and showed the EC's electoral rolls as proof to claim that over one lakh votes were stolen in Mahadevapura. Kumar was asked by reporters about why the EC is not asking for an affidavit from BJP MP Thakur for his claims against fellow Lok Sabha MPs Gandhi (Rae Bareli), Vadra (Wayanad), Yadav (Kannauj) and Banerjee (Diamond Harbour). However, he did not provide any reply about why an affidavit was not being sought from the BJP MP. Citing rule 20(3)(b) selectively In seeking an affidavit from Gandhi, without naming him, Kumar focused on rule 20(3)(b) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. 'If you are a voter of that constituency, you can fill Form 6, 7 and 8 through booth-level officers within the specified time. But if you are not an elector of that constituency, then you have only one remedy under law, which is Rule 20(3)(b). 'This says that if you are not an elector of that constituency, you can lodge your complaint as a witness. You will have to give an oath to the electoral registration officer and that oath will have to be administered in front of the person against whom you have complained.' The Wire has earlier reported that rule 20(3)(b) applies to claims and objections raised after the preparation of draft rolls following a revision exercise by the EC. Gandhi's allegations relating to the Mahadevapura constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections do not come under the purview of rule 20(3)(b), experts said, as over a year has passed since the election was held. Kumar did not mention that rule 20(3)(b) applies to claims and objections raised after the preparation of the draft rolls following a revision exercise. Instead, in a reference to Gandhi, he said that if errors are not raised within 45 days, it is to 'mislead the public'. 'If you do not raise a complaint against errors in the electoral rolls within a period of prescribed 45 days, and then go on to use wrong words like 'vote chori [theft]', is it not a way to mislead the public? It also shows disrespect towards India's constitution. What is it, if not this?' he said. In an unprecedented move, Kumar also demanded an apology from Gandhi within seven days. 'Give an oath or apologise to the nation. There is no third option. If we don't get an affidavit within seven days, this would mean that all these allegations are baseless and the person who is saying 'our voters are fraud' should apologise.' 2003 SIR conducted in July, skips mention of no polls that year Kumar sought to respond to questions on the timing of the SIR in Bihar – at a time so close to the elections and when the state is prone to monsoon-induced floods – and said that when the exercise was last conducted in 2003, it was also held in July. 'The question has come that why should it be done in July when the weather is not good. I want to let you know that in Bihar when the SIR was conducted in 2003, it was done from July 14 to August 14. Then also it was done successfully, and now too, all enumeration forms have been collected,' said Kumar. He did not, however, mention that assembly polls in Bihar were not scheduled to be held in 2003. In March 2000, now-chief minister from the Janata Dal (United) Nitish Kumar resigned a day before a floor test was due in the assembly, and the Rashtriya Janata Dal's Rabri Devi was sworn in as chief minister. She continued in office till the assembly elections in 2005. The Wire has reported that the order for the 2003 SIR remains unavailable and cannot be cross-checked for reference of the entire duration of the exercise in that year, but it would transpire that the SIR process was started well before the assembly elections were due to be held in 2005. Kumar also did not answer questions about an intensive revision order in 2004, in which the EC had then said that assembly polls were due later that year in Arunachal Pradesh and Maharashtra and therefore the revision in these states would take place after the elections. The Wire has seen a copy of that order. The poll chief said that the law lays down that a revision exercise must be undertaken before every election. While a summary revision was conducted in Bihar in January this year, it would not be sufficient for the polls that are due in November, and thus July was decided as the qualifying date, he added. No answers on illegal immigrants While announcing the SIR in Bihar on June 24, the EC said that the exercise was necessary for various reasons, among which was the inclusion of 'foreign illegal immigrants' in the electoral rolls. The EC had earlier said through 'sources' to some media outlets that an unspecified number of illegal immigrants from Nepal, Myanmar and Bangladesh were found in the rolls. While a question was asked in the press conference about the number of such undocumented immigrants found, Kumar did not provide any figure. 'I want to make it clear that according to the Constitution of India, only Indian citizens can vote for elections for MPs and MLAs. People from other countries do not have the right. If such people have filled out the enumeration form, then during the SIR process they will have to prove their nationality by submitting some documents, which are being examined till September 30. Those who are not Indian citizens will be found and they will not be included as voters,' he said. He also did not provide any answers to whether the SIR exercise was being used to usher in a National Register of Citizens. No clear answer on number of enumeration forms received with verification documents The EC has said that at the end of the SIR stage devoted to collecting enumeration forms on July 25, 99.8% of forms had been collected from electors. While a major point of contention in the present exercise is the list of 11 documents the commission is seeking from electors as proof of their eligibility, Kumar did not provide any clear answers about the number of forms that had been received with the eligible documents, or why there was a distinction now between electors 'recommended' and 'not recommended' by booth-level officers. 'In the ongoing SIR process in Bihar, documents from how many people have been received, how many have been recommended and what each booth-level officer recommended–the attempt to collect this data is ongoing. The EC is working on a multi-level construct,' said Kumar. 'First there is the booth level officer, then the booth-level supervisor, then the SDM, then the DM and then the chief electoral officer. Neither the EC nor anyone else can add any vote without following the legal process. You have to understand that under this decentralised construct, how many documents have been taken or not, is still ongoing at the SDM level. This will come out, and to say anything in advance would not be correct.' House number zero While reports have emerged showing that several voters in Bihar's elector rolls have their house numbers listed as zero, Kumar said that questioning such entries amounted to a joke on poor voters. 'Many people do not have a home but their names are in the voter rolls. What is their address given as, then? The address given is that place where they go to sleep at night; sometimes on the side of the road, sometimes under a bridge, sometimes beside a lamp-post. And if it is said that they are fake voters, it amounts to playing a big joke on our poor voters, sisters, brothers and elders,' he said. 'Crores' of people have their addresses listed as zero because their panchayats or municipalities have not numbered their homes, Kumar said, adding that the EC provides 'notional numbers' to such electors which is 'displayed as zero on the computer'. 'This doesn't mean they are not electors.' Electoral roll and voting different While Gandhi had alleged that there were instances where the same voter was enlisted in several polling booths, Kumar said that one voter can only vote once despite their name being present multiple times. He did not provide any answers to why an elector's name was appearing multiple times in the electoral rolls in the first place. Gandhi had showed various examples in his August 7 press conference where electors were found to appear multiple times in the electoral rolls in different booths. A voter 'can only vote once. How is it vote theft if their name is there twice in the electoral rolls? It is not possible. Each voter can only vote once. This is why we said that EC data has been analysed wrongly and being said that electoral rolls are wrong and therefore voting was wrong-electoral rolls and voting are different,' said Kumar.
Hindustan Times
23 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Asim Munir's 'rare earth' plan to bring Pakistan out of debt, economic crisis
Pakistan Army chief of staff Asim Munir has revealed a plan to pull Islamabad out of its economic crisis and debt. In a conversation with Pakistani writer Suhail Warraich, the Field Marshal hinted at a "rare earths treasure", shortly after US expressed its interests in Pakistan's mineral reserves. Warraich claimed Munir revealed his ambition for the rare earths plan during a meeting in Brussels, Belgium.(AP) In a column published Saturday in Pakistan's Geo Group, Warraich claimed Munir revealed his ambition for the rare earths plan during a meeting in Brussels, Belgium. Also Read | 'God made me protector': Pak Army chief Asim Munir denies political ambitions, says report "Regarding the solution to the economic crisis, he had a complete roadmap, which planned to put Pakistan in the ranks of the developed countries of the world within five to ten years. He calculated and said that from next year, there will be a net profit of two billion dollars every year from Reko Diq, which will increase every year," wrote Warraich. "He [Munir] said that Pakistan has a rare earth treasure, with this treasure, Pakistan's debt will also be reduced and Pakistan will soon be counted among the most prosperous societies," he added further. Munir's remarks come as the US and Pakistan continue to strengthen their ties under US President Donald Trump. The US' new-found interest in Pakistan also comes after a military stand-off with India earlier this year in May. Also Read | Donald Trump repeats role in India-Pakistan truce; Armenia and Azerbaijan say he deserves Nobel Prize Earlier this month, the Washington Post issued an article exploring Trump's push towards Pakistan. In a post on Truth Social, the US president announced - "Pakistan and the United States will work together on developing their massive Oil Reserves.' POTUS further added that while the process to choose the Oil Company that will lead the partnership is in in the works, "Who knows, maybe they'll be selling Oil to India some day!" About the Reko Diq mine Munir's rare earth push focuses on the Reko Diq mine in Balochistan. The mine is home to one of the world's s largest untapped copper and gold deposits, with 12.3 million tonnes of copper and over 20 million ounces of gold. However, despite Pakistan's hopeful approach, the mine continues to be locked in a geopolitical conflict. China, which is also a close ally for Pakistan, is also reportedly eyeing the mine through its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Another obstacle on Pakistan's radar is the conflict with Balochistan, where Baloch nationals have already accused Islamabad of draining the region's national resources.
