Kamal Haasan meets Rajinikanth ahead of Rajya Sabha oath-taking ceremony; pictures go viral
Kamal posted pictures from the meeting on his X handle, writing, 'I shared the beginning of this new journey with my friend @rajinikanth. I feel elated.' The pictures of the two stalwarts of Tamil cinema have gone viral on social media.
Kamal Haasan, who is the founder of Makkal Needhi Maiyam, was among the six candidates from Tamil Nadu who were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha. The DMK had named three candidates and allocated one seat to the MNM chief, as per a prior agreement. Kamal will take oath as a Rajya Sabha MP and assume responsibilities of the role on July 25.
Meanwhile, on the film front, Kamal was last seen in Mani Ratnam's Thug Life, a gangster drama that was widely panned by critics and audiences. He has Shankar's Indian 3 and a film with action choreographers Anbariv among other projects in the line-up. Rajinikanth, on the other hand, will be seen soon in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie, set to release on August 14. Of late, social media has been buzzing with speculations that the superstar is set to team up with Maharaja-director Nithilan Swaminathan for his next.
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Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Jagdeep Dhankhar resigns after nearly 3 years: A look back at his explosive face-offs with Mamata Banerjee as Bengal Governor
Before stepping down as Vice President citing health reasons, Jagdeep Dhankhar made headlines during his three-year stint as West Bengal Governor largely due to a highly publicised and persistent feud with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. While Dhankhar urged political harmony shortly before his resignation, his earlier tenure was marked by one of the most visible Governor-Chief Minister confrontations in recent Indian politics. Social media clashes and a blocked handle Tensions between Dhankhar and Banerjee escalated publicly when the Chief Minister blocked the Governor on Twitter. Dhankhar responded with a series of tweets criticising the state government's conduct. The editorial in the TMC's mouthpiece Jago Bangla, titled 'Ter Paben' (He Will Face the Consequence), reflected that the standoff was far from over. Dhankhar had actively used his official Twitter handle since assuming office in July 2019 to comment on various state matters, especially targeting the ruling TMC government. Letters, accusations, and constitutional sparring The strained relationship reached a critical point in November 2019 when both leaders exchanged official letters. Mamata Banerjee accused the Governor of provoking unrest and overstepping constitutional boundaries. Dhankhar countered, stating he had faced 'indignities' and verbal attacks from ministers. Banerjee urged the Governor to help maintain peace instead of 'aggravating' the situation through press briefings and tweets. The correspondence highlighted the power tussle between Raj Bhavan and Nabanna. Administrative deadlocks and the call for removal Banerjee had long called for Dhankhar's removal, citing difficulties caused by him in routine administrative functions—be it delayed file clearances or repeated summoning of top bureaucrats. The Chief Minister alleged that these actions were aimed at undermining her authority. Despite these tensions, Dhankhar was elevated to the Vice President's office in 2022, ending his truncated three-year governorship that typically spans five years. Political interpretation and the central government's role TMC saw Dhankhar's transfer to Delhi as a partial victory, although some leaders felt retaining him till the next assembly elections could have been politically useful to showcase BJP's alleged constitutional overreach. The central government, particularly Home Minister Amit Shah, reportedly informed Banerjee about Dhankhar's nomination without prior consultation—a move that the TMC criticised for bypassing established democratic protocols. A new political chapter, but lingering questions Hon'ble Vice-President & Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tributes in the House today to former Members of Rajya Sabha:Shri C. PerumalDr. K. KasturiranganShri Ronald Sapa TlauShri Nepaldev BhattacharjeeSardar Sukhdev Singh DhindsaShri Thennala G.… While Dhankhar has since engaged with opposition forces as Vice President, the unresolved friction with the Bengal government remains a case study in Centre-state relations. TMC's decision on whether to support his nomination reportedly hinged on Mamata Banerjee's strategy following her annual July 21 Shaheed Divas rally. Ultimately, Dhankhar's nomination sailed through without a strong opposition challenge. Jagdeep Dhankhar's years in West Bengal redefined the visibility and voice of a Governor in India's political structure moving from a ceremonial role to an outspoken participant in governance. His feud with Mamata Banerjee was not just personal or political—it became emblematic of deeper federal tensions.
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Jagdeep Dhankhar draws curtains on a stormy Rajya Sabha run
Jagdeep Dhankhar, who resigned as the Vice-President late on Monday citing his health, is no stranger to disagreements with the Opposition. Dhankhar was elected Vice-President in August 2022 and his term as the Rajya Sabha Chairman began on a controversial note during the Winter Session that year as he called the Supreme Court's 2015 judgment striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act a 'glaring instance' of 'severe compromise' of parliamentary sovereignty and disregard of the 'mandate of the people'. Since then, there have been several instances when he and Opposition MPs have not seen eye to eye. In August 2023, Dhankhar told the Opposition that he 'could not and would not' direct Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be present in the House as it was the PM's prerogative like any other MP to come to Parliament. He made this statement as the Opposition benches continued to demand the PM's presence in the Rajya Sabha to address them on the issue of violence in Manipur. The ties between the Rajya Sabha Chairman and the Opposition hit a low during the Winter Session last year when 146 MPs were suspended from both Houses of Parliament, mostly over their demand for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on a Parliament security breach, followed by a discussion on the matter. It was the highest-ever number of suspensions in a Parliament session. As the proceedings came to a halt, Dhankhar wrote to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Upper House, about the 'acrimony and disruptions'. Kharge replied saying that 'he was firmly in favour of dialogue and discussion'. In his letter, Dhankhar highlighted that the latter's 'refusal to meet him to resolve the political stalemate' was 'not in sync with parliamentary practices' and sought a meeting. Kharge had declined Dhankhar's invitation and in a letter said that the mass suspension of MPs was 'premeditated' and 'weaponised' by the ruling party to sabotage parliamentary practices. In June 2024, Dhankhar courted controversy after Kharge entered the Well of House during a protest against paper leaks, with Dhankhar saying this was the first time that a LoP had done such a thing and called it a 'stain' on Parliament. Kharge responded by saying he was trying to grab the attention of the Chairman who was looking towards the Treasury benches. In July 2024, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned the manner in which the Upper House was being run by Dhankhar and claimed that in no country the presiding officer of a House 'frequently interrupts' members during their speeches. The same month, Dhankhar said the RSS has 'unimpeachable credentials' and Constitutional rights to contribute to the development of the nation. 'RSS is an organisation which is a global think tank of the highest order…,' he said in the House while responding to a comment from Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman that the government's main criterion for appointments was if a person belongs to the RSS. In September 2024, in an apparent reference to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Dhankhar, without naming him, said nothing was more condemnable than someone holding a Constitutional post becoming 'part of enemies of the nation'. Dhankhar was speaking at Parliament to the third batch of the Rajya Sabha internship programme. During his visit to the United States that week, Gandhi said 'love, respect, and humility' were missing from Indian politics. In December last year, Dhankhar became the first person holding one of the top two constitutional posts to face the prospect of impeachment as the Opposition submitted a notice to move a no-confidence motion against him, a first in Indian Parliamentary history. However, after 60 INDIA bloc MPs gave a notice in the Rajya Sabha to bring a resolution for removal of Dhankhar, Deputy Chairman Harivansh rejected it, saying the petition was 'severely flawed', does not adhere to the requirement of 14 days' notice period and was 'drawn in haste and hurry' to 'mar the reputation' of Dhankhar and to 'damage the constitutional institution'. Earlier this year, in April, after the Supreme Court ruling set a three-month timeline for the President to decide on Bills referred by Governors of states, Dhankhar had said that India cannot have a situation where the judiciary directs the President. While the Supreme Court ruling addressed the long-running dispute between Governors and Opposition-ruled state governments, Dhankhar added that his worries are at the 'very highest level' and asked, 'There is a directive to the President by a recent judgement. Where are we heading? What is happening in the country?' Most recently, in June, Dhankhar waded into the political debate over the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble, referring to their addition to the Constitution by the Indira Gandhi government during the Emergency as 'sacrilege to the spirit of sanatan'. 'These words have been added as nasoor (festering wound). These words will create upheaval. Addition of these words in the Preamble during the Emergency signal betrayal of the mindset of the framers of the Constitution,' he said. Before he was elected Vice-President, Dhankhar served as the Governor of West Bengal when he had several run-ins with the government of Mamata Banerjee and became a vocal critic of the state administration. From the law and order situation in the state and post-poll violence to corruption accusations, alleged lapses in bureaucracy and the appointment of vice-chancellors in state universities, Dhankhar never shied away from criticising the government, which accused him of sitting on important BIlls. The situation took a turn for the worse when the state government in 2022 replaced the Governor with the CM as chancellor of state universities. His relationship with Mamata Banerjee became so acrimonious that the CM even blocked Dhankhar on social media. His relationship with Speaker Biman Banerjee was no less bitter, with the Speaker in 2021 complaining to then President Ram Nath Kovind about Dhankhar allegedly interfering in matters of the government. Born into a farmer's family at Kithana village in Jhunjhunu district in 1951, Dhankhar studied at a local government school before going to Sainik school in Chittorgarh. He studied law at the University of Rajasthan and became a professional lawyer, going on to serve as the president of the Rajasthan High Court Bar Association. Dhankhar started his political journey with the Janata Dal and in 1989, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Jhunjhunu. After that, he moved to state politics and was elected to the Rajasthan Assembly in 1993 from Kishangarh on a Congress ticket. He again tried his luck in the Lok Sabha elections in 1998 but lost from Jhunjhunu. Starting that year, Dhankhar served as a full-time senior advocate in the Supreme Court and in 2003 switched to the BJP. He advised the party on important legal matters.
Mint
22 minutes ago
- Mint
Jagdeep Dhankhar not the first Indian Vice President to resign midterm — here's who did it before and why
Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned as Vice President of India on July 21. On Monday night, citing medical reasons, Dhankar tendered his resignation to President Droupadi Murmu. Dhankhar's resignation comes hours after he presided over the first sitting of Rajya Sabha as chairperson during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that began on July 21. Vice President of India is the chairperson of Rajya Sabha. "To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately, in accordance with Article 67(a) of the Constitution. The Vice President of India is the second-highest constitutional office in the government of India after the President. In accordance with Article 63 of the Constitution of India, the Vice President discharges the functions of the President when a contingency arises due to the President's resignation, removal, death, impeachment, or inability to discharge their functions. Dhankhar is not the first Vice President to quit before the end of the term. But he is the first to quit for health reasons. Many Vice Presidents of India have resigned before him from office since the post was established in 1952 To prioritise health care and abide by medical advice, I hereby resign as the Vice President of India, effective immediately. In most cases, the reason has been to contest the Presidential election. In May 1969, Vice President VV Giri resigned following the death of President Zakir Husain. Giri eventually won the elections to become the fourth President of India.
