
Pahalgam, Trump claims, Bihar list: INDIA bloc sets Parliament session strategies
Furthermore, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal stated that restoring full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir remains a top priority for the opposition. He also announced plans for an in-person INDIA bloc meeting in August to continue strategising.Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is one of the founding members of the alliance, did not attend the meeting and has announced its withdrawal from the grouping. Several key opposition figures, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, were absent from the session.However, the meeting saw participation from leaders like Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, NCP (SP)'s Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray (SS-UBT), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Tiruchi Siva (DMK) M A Baby of CPI-M, D Raja (CPI), CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, among others.The bloc also expressed serious concern over the government's "inaction" following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and accused it of failing to bring the perpetrators to justice. Pramod Tiwari described this as an intelligence failure and a matter of national honour.The bloc also plans to raise "Operation Sindoor" and Trump's claims of intervening in Indo-Pak tensions through trade pressure.Serious concern was also voiced over the Special Intensive Revision in Bihar, which opposition leaders allege is a veiled attempt at disenfranchising voters. They linked it to an "undeclared Emergency" and likened the move to "vote-bandi" following demonetisation.advertisementAbhishek Banerjee reportedly likened the use of the Election Commission and ED (Enforcement Directorate) to "E-square" tools being used against voters and opposition leaders: "ED for opposition leaders and EC for voters".Additionally, the bloc is set to raise issues such as the Ahmedabad plane crash and failures in foreign policy, alongside pressing concerns like farmers' struggles, unemployment and rising prices.The group discussed the need to hold the government accountable while ensuring that Parliament functions and allows debate. The alliance aims to portray a united front and reinforce their collective commitment to democratic values and constitutional integrity.Impeachment issues were also discussed, including the controversy surrounding Justice Yashwant Varma after the discovery of burnt currency at his residence. The bloc plans to push for parallel action against Justice Shekhar Yadav, against whom a motion has been pending since December 2024 for allegedly delivering a hate speech.Lastly, during the meeting, the issue of Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks in Kerala, where he compared the Left to the RSS, was discussed. CPI leader D Raja, though not directly naming Gandhi, expressed concerns that such statements could demoralize the Left's supporters across the country and should be avoided.- EndsTune InMust Watch
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Deccan Herald
23 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Tharoor refuses to toe party line; declines to speak on Op Sindoor in Lok Sabha, claims Cong
However, there was no immediate response from Tharoor, who is at loggerheads with the party on a variety of issues, including the stand on Operation Sindoor. Sources indicated that Tharoor told party managers that he would prefer to speak on a Bill and would not like to speak in the debate.


Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Daily Briefing: The great paper chase in Bihar; TCS layoffs; and more
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The Supreme Court will likely take up the clutch of petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar's electoral rolls today. Opposition parties and civil society groups have raised concerns over the potential disenfranchisement of existing electors. The first phase of the SIR ended on July 26, where 7.23 crore of the 7.89 crore electors submitted enumeration forms, within the deadline (July 25). The draft roll will be published on August 1, and in the subsequent month, electors will be required to submit documents to establish their eligibility. After the documents are verified, the final electoral roll will be published on September 30. As many as 65 lakh names of those who have passed away, migrated permanently, registered more than once, or are untraceable, will be removed from the existing rolls, the Election Commission has said. 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Last week, China formally began constructing a massive dam on the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra River in Tibet), close to the border with Arunachal Pradesh. Once completed, the $167.8 billion hydropower project is billed to become the world's largest. However, there are fears in India of a potential 'water bomb' in the Siang region or of China's use of the dam as a weapon (it could cut off water flow). Divya A explains in detail. Tariffs and deals: The United States and the European Union have reached a basic framework for a new trade deal, which would fetch 15% tariffs on EU exports to the US, half of the earlier duties proposed by President Donald Trump. The August 1 deadline to carve out a deal to escape Trump's sweeping tariffs is just around the corner, and India has yet to finalise its deal with the US. Among the several hiccups, the latest concern is a US provision, seeking legal commitment from the Indian side to refrain from applying 'digital taxes' on services offered by American firms. Amid this global upheaval over US tariffs, Jahangir Aziz, Chief Emerging Markets Economist at J P Morgan, opines that the uncertainty is unlikely to abate even after August 1 and signed trade deals. A pending US court ruling on the President's powers to impose such tariffs may make these trade deals moot. The Indian government launched the ambitious Project Cheetah in September 2022 to reintroduce the wild cat species in the country. As many as 20 cheetahs were brought to Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, translocated from Namibia and South Africa. After several deaths and births, Kuno's cheetah population now stands at 26. Efforts are underway to bring home the next batch of cheetahs to replenish the population. However, political changes in South Africa have complicated the plans, while discussions remain underway with Botswana and Kenya. 🎧 Before you go, do tune in to the latest '3 Things' podcast episode, where we discuss the growing screen addiction among children and changing trends in India's car market. That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow, Sonal Gupta Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take. ... Read More


Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
US commerce secretary says Trump really likes TikTok, but app has to move to US ownership
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