Disciplinary panel warns Rajgopal over his diatribe against CM
He said that PCC chief on Saturday had an elaborate discussion with Rajagopal Reddy about his comments in question. He said that they discussed the possible options 'before the issue goes out of hand'. Accordingly, it was decided that 'the Committee should speak to him at this juncture and ask him not to repeat this', Mallu Ravi told the media, adding 'if this is repeated, action will definitely be taken against Rajagopal Reddy'. He hinted at potential disciplinary action, if the MLA persists in his diatribe.
For the unversed, Rajgopal Reddy had expressed his displeasure with the Congress administration in Telangana, particularly regarding the allocation of funds to his constituency. He had alleged that funds were being diverted to the constituencies of key leaders and that Munugode was being neglected. His comments, made publicly during the Independence Day celebrations, raised eyebrows within the party and were construed as indirect criticism of the Chief Minister.
On Saturday, the TPCC referred the issue over Rajgopal Reddy's remarks to the party's disciplinary committee, chaired by senior leader Mallu Ravi. Mahesh Kumar Goud then stated that the committee would examine the context of the MLA's statements before determining any further action. According to political analysts, Rajgopal Reddy's open expression of dissatisfaction with the party leadership, resulting in the involvement of the disciplinary committee headed by Mallu Ravi, signifies internal tensions within the Telangana Congress.
Regarding resolution of differences among Warangal's top leaders, Mallu Ravi said that four party men would be sent to Warangal to analyse the ground situation. Their names will be finalised by the party high command. In the wake of allegations and counter allegations by Warangal's leaders, the party would be examining the responses from both the warring groups before arriving at a conclusion.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
24 minutes ago
- Mint
Amit Shah tables Bills seeking removal of PM, CMs facing serious criminal charges in LS, to be referred to joint panel
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday tabled in Lok Sabha the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Home Minister Amit Shah said the three big-ticket anti-corruption draft laws, which also include provisions for the removal of a prime minister and chief ministers arrested on serious criminal charges, will be sent to the joint committee of the Lok Sabha amid protests by the opposition. According to the proposed laws, if any one of them is arrested and detained in custody for consecutive 30 days for offences that attract a jail term of at least five years, they will lose their job on the 31st day. Soon after the introduction of the Bills, Congress leader Manish Tewari said these draft laws undermine the law of the land and called these bills 'unconstitutional.' Tewari demanded that the bills be withdrawn immediately. Shah later informed the house that the three bills would be sent to the joint panel for further scrutiny. This means bills won't be taken up in this Monsoon Session of Parliament as it ends on 21 July, Thursday. (i) The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025; (ii) The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025; (iii) The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025; "A minister, who for any period of 30 consecutive days during holding the office as such, is arrested and detained in custody, on allegation of committing an offence under any law for the time being in force, which is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years or more, shall be removed from his officeby the Presidenton the advice of the Prime Minister to be tendered by the thirty-first day, after being taken in such custody," one of the bill reads. "Provided that if the advice of theprime minister, for the removal of such minister is not tendered to the President by the thirty-first day, he shall cease to be a minister, with effect from the day falling thereafter". "Provided further that in case of the prime minister, who for any period of 30 consecutive days during holding the office as such, is arrested and detained in custody, on allegation of committing an offence under any law for the time being in force, which ispunishable with imprisonmentfor a term which may extend to five years or more, shall tender his resignation by the thirty-first day after such arrest and detention, and if he does not tender his resignation, he shall cease to be the Prime Minister with effect from the day falling thereafter," reads the proposed law. As of now, there is no bar on ministers holding on to their offices after their arrests. Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji did not resigned from their posts since their arrests on different charges. According to the statement of objects and reasons of the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025, there is no provision under the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (20 of 1963) for the removal of the chief minister or a minister arrested and detained in custody on account of serious criminal charges. The objectives of theConstitution(One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, say there is no provision under the Constitution for the removal of a minister who is arrested and detained in custody on account of serious criminal charges. The objectives of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, say there is no provision under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 (34 of 2019) for the removal of the chief minister or a minister arrested and detained in custody on account of serious criminal charges. Hence, section 54 of theJammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, needs to be amended to provide a legal framework for the removal of the Chief Minister or a Minister in such cases. The Bill seeks to achieve the above objectives. The bills' introduction two days before the end of Parliament's Monsoon session and their implications surprised political circles. (This is a developing story. Check back for updates)
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tharoor calls for regulation and taxation instead of banning online gaming, supports Constitution Amendment bills
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has criticised the government's ban on online money gaming, suggesting it will only fuel criminal networks. He advocates for regulation and taxation, drawing on international examples where this approach generates revenue for social causes. Tharoor also expressed reservations about the Constitution amendment bills regarding ministers facing criminal charges, urging careful consideration. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday criticised the government's move to ban online money gaming , warning that such a step would only push the industry underground and strengthen criminal also said he had not studied the three Constitution amendment bills seeking to provide a framework for the removal of prime ministers, Union ministers, chief ministers and state ministers detained on serious criminal charges in any detail."On the face of it, it is difficult to say it has any problem, but obviously if anyone does something wrong they should not be a minister anyway. I don't know if there is any other motive," he the bill seeking to prohibit and regulate online gaming introduced in the Lok Sabha , he said, "I had written a very long article on the argument that by banning online gaming we are simply driving it underground, whereas it could be a useful source of revenue for the government if we legalise it, regulate it and tax it."He added that many countries have studied the issue in detail and concluded that regulation and taxation can generate funds for social causes, while bans merely enrich "criminal mafias".In a post on X, Tharoor recalled that he had "gone on record in 2018 urging the government to legalise, regulate and tax online gaming, rather than drive it underground by banning it, which will merely enhance the profits of the mafia"."It's a pity that the government seems to have derived no lessons from the experience of other countries that have considered this issue," he added that the bill should at least have been referred to a parliamentary committee "to consider all the pros and cons before rushing it into law".The proposed bill prohibits online money gaming and its advertisements, prescribing imprisonment or fines, or both, for violators. It differentiates such games from eSports and online social games, while calling for their promotion.
The Hindu
24 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Online gaming Bill introduced in Lok Sabha, industry bodies protest prohibition of real-money games
A Bill seeking to prohibit and regulate online gaming was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (August 20, 2025) amid Opposition protests over electoral roll revision in Bihar. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw introduced the Bill as Opposition members continued to raise slogans and display placards. Parliament Monsoon session Day 20 LIVE Manish Tewari (Congress) was asked by the chair to make his remarks on opposing the Bill at the introduction stage. However, he said the House should first take up a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar. The Bill prohibits online money gaming or its ads and prescribes imprisonment or fine, or both, for those offering or advertising them. It seeks to differentiate such games from eSports or online social games. The Bill also calls for the promotion of eSports and online social games. Gaming bodies urge Amit Shah to intervene Industry bodies representing India's online skill-gaming sector have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking his 'urgent intervention' against a reported draft Bill that proposes to ban all real-money games, including those based on skill. In a joint letter, the federations warned that such a blanket prohibition would be a 'death knell' for the industry, destroying jobs and pushing crores of users towards illegal offshore betting and gambling platforms. The letter, dated August 19, was sent on behalf of the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS). The letter stated that the online skill gaming industry is a 'sunrise sector' with an enterprise valuation of over ₹2 lakh crore and annual revenue exceeding ₹31,000 crore. It contributes over Rs 20,000 crore in direct and indirect taxes annually and is projected to grow at a 20% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), doubling by 2028. The total number of Indian online gamers grew from 36 crore in 2020 to over 50 crore in 2024, it noted, adding that the industry has attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of over ₹25,000 crore till June 2022 and currently supports over two lakh direct and indirect jobs. 'Such a blanket prohibition would strike a death knell for this legitimate, job-creating industry, and would cause serious harm to Indian users and citizens. 'This Bill, if passed, will cause serious harm to Indian users and citizens. By shutting down regulated and responsible Indian platforms, it will drive crores of players into the hands of illegal matka networks, offshore gambling websites, and fly-by-night operators who operate without any safeguards, consumer protections, or taxation,' the industry bodies said.
