Tharoor refuses to toe party line; declines to speak on Op Sindoor in Lok Sabha, claims Cong
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Time of India
43 minutes ago
- Time of India
Show proof of 'vote chori': Rajnath Singh to Rahul Gandhi
PATNA/NEW DELHI: Defence minister on Saturday slammed Congress neta for claiming to have an "atom bomb of evidence of vote theft" against , and dared him to detonate the explosive. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now At an event organised by a media house in Patna, Singh also likened the upcoming state polls to a crossroad, with one path (under ) leading to further progress and another (under the INDIA bloc) taking Bihar back to its old era of lawlessness and caste strife. "Rahul Gandhi says he is in possession of an atom bomb. If it is so, he should detonate it at once. He should just ensure that he is himself out of harm's way," Singh said. Gandhi had Friday said that his party has an "atom bomb" of evidence to prove "vote chori" by EC for BJP, remarks that evoked a sharp response from the poll panel. The commission termed Gandhi's remarks as "baseless and wild allegations". Singh also said the nation remembers his past rhetoric. "Rahul had threatened Parliament of an earthquake, but when he spoke, it turned out to be a damp squib." Singh said EC is an institution that enjoys a reputation for unquestionable integrity. "It is pulling out all the stops to ensure that the upcoming assembly polls in the state are held in a free and fair manner. It does not behove the leader of the opposition to make frivolous statements about a constitutional body," the BJP MP from Lucknow said. The defence minister reminded the LoP that his own party has blood on its hands, having tried to murder democracy in 1975 with the imposition of the Emergency. The defence minister also criticised the Congress-led opposition for raising questions about Operation Sindoor instead of paying tributes to the valour displayed by the Indian armed forces. The former BJP president alleged that the Congress had been soft on insurgency while in office, and tried to frame innocent people by spinning the theory of saffron terror because of vote bank considerations.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Pahalgam attacker's funeral in POK confirms Pak hand in strike
Site in Pahalgam where militants opened fire on tourists. (File photo) NEW DELHI: The 'Janaza-Ghaib (funeral in absentia)' of Tahir Habib, one of the Pahalgam terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev in J&K, has been performed in his village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir - a second confirmation that Pakistan was involved in the April 22 incident in which 26 civilians were killed. Videos and pictures posted on Telegram channels show the elderly of Khai Gala in Rawalkote gathering for the final prayers for the former Pakistan Army soldier and Lashkar-e-Taiba operative. But the funeral took an unexpected turn when local LeT commander Rizwan Hanif tried to be part of it. Tahir's family explicitly barred LeT members from attending the funeral but Hanif insisted, leading to a confrontation. Tahir's association with LeT and his role in the Pahalgam attack had made him a wanted category 'A' terrorist. His killing during Operation Mahadev in Srinagar last week along with two others was a major breakthrough for Indian security forces. During the funeral, a source said, "Lashkar operatives threatened mourners with a gun, sparking outrage among villagers. The residents of Khai Gala, who have long been wary of radicalisation, are now planning a public boycott to oppose terror recruitment." This development is significant as it not only highlights the growing resistance among POK residents against Pakistan's state-sponsored terror machine but also confirms that the impact of Operation Sindoor - conducted as a response to the Pahalgam attack - is being felt across the border. "A Lashkar commander facing public backlash and being forced to flee is a testament to the changing dynamics in the region," the source added. Tahir's past includes his association with the Islami Jamiat Talaba (IJT) and the Student Liberation Front (SLF) before joining the Pakistan army. The Sadozai Pathan community, to which Tahir belonged, has a rich history of resistance, having migrated from Afghanistan in the 18th century and playing a key role in the Poonch Rebellion. This also led to Tahir getting the alias of 'Afghani' with which he was known in intelligence records.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Govt. to table private school fee Bill in Monsoon Session: CM
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the Delhi government will table a Bill to regulate fee hikes by private schools during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Assembly, beginning August 4. Amid ongoing protests by parents, the Delhi government had earlier approved a draft of the Bill and proposed bringing an Ordinance, since the Assembly was not in session. Now, it has decided to table the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025. 'The Delhi government will table the Bill to regulate fee hikes by private schools in the Monsoon Session of Assembly beginning from August 4,' Ms. Gupta said while addressing the media. The parents' groups, while pointing out issues in the Bill, said that they will send their detailed suggestions to the government on Sunday. Three-level checks A three-level verification will be implemented to regulate fee hikes, according to the Bill seen by The Hindu. First, schools will form an 11-member committee comprising the school management – a management representative and principal – three teachers, five parents from the parent-teacher association, selected by a draw of lots, and a nominee of the Directorate of Education (DoE). A District Fee Appellate Committee will hear appeals against the decisions taken by school-level committees. A similar procedure will be followed with a State-level revision committee, which will be the highest appellate authority. An aggrieved parents' group, which the Bill describes as 15% of the total strength of parents in an affected school, may appeal to the District Fee Appellate Committee within 30 days from the time the fees are approved, against the decisions of school-level committees. The Bill also specifies that if a school is found levying a fee that is not determined in the provisions of the Act, the DoE will direct the school to roll back the fee and refund the excess amount to the parents. The penalty for violators can range between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh. Meanwhile, a fine of ₹50,000 will be levied on schools for harassing students over delayed payment of fees. The Bill also mentions the 10 factors that will determine the fee structure, including the location of the school, infrastructure made available, the education standardof schools, and a reasonable revenue surplus as may be prescribed. Divya Mattey, a parent of a student who studies in Delhi Public School, Dwarka, said, 'It will be difficult to get a minimum of 15% of the parent body to raise a question.' Mr. Mattey said that parents have noted that the penalties might not affect bigger schools, for whom '₹50,000 might be a small amount'. AAP, BJP at odds Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi State president Saurabh Bharadwaj criticised the Bill, saying, 'Until now, even under the 1973 law, if a single parent felt that fees had been unfairly hiked, they could file a complaint with the DoE. Now, that has been scrapped. Under the new law, you'll need a minimum of 15% of parents to raise a complaint. In a school with 3,000 students, that means identifying 450 parents – a near-impossible task.' Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said, 'It would have been better if Saurabh Bharadwaj had waited until the Bill was tabled in the upcoming session before commenting on it.'
