logo
BJP dares CM Siddaramaiah to open debate on government failures; slams defamation case move

BJP dares CM Siddaramaiah to open debate on government failures; slams defamation case move

BENGALURU: BJP General Secretary and Rajya Sabha member Radha Mohan Das Agrawal dared Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for an open debate with state BJP president BY Vijayendra on the government's performance and the party's chargesheet, where they have listed out the government's failures.
Agrawal slammed Siddaramaiah for filing a defamation case against the BJP for criticising his government.
'Let the debate be telecast across Karnataka. If he (Siddaramaiah) is confident and has the courage to respond to the allegations, let him participate in the debate. We are ready, and we will invite them. If the CM does not agree to a debate, it means that our allegations are true,' the BJP leader said.
Agrawal said that Congress won 136 seats in 2023, and within one year, the people of Karnataka did not vote for them in the Lok Sabha polls. 'Congress' corruption has been exposed. If it continues, Congress will lose future polls,' he said.
On the Congress government deciding to file a defamation case against BJP, he said, 'The Congress organised its Sadhana Samavesha on May 20 to celebrate the second anniversary of the party coming to power in the state. As a responsible opposition party, BJP gave counter advertisements highlighting the failures of the State Government and released a chargesheet. If they did not agree with our chargesheet, they should have replied before the public. It is common in democracy to make allegations and counter allegations. But perhaps for the first time, a government is filing defamation case against the opposition.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Bihar Elections: Alliance On Track, NDA Seat Finalisation Soon; Nitish Kumar To Be CM Face
Bihar Elections: Alliance On Track, NDA Seat Finalisation Soon; Nitish Kumar To Be CM Face

News18

time24 minutes ago

  • News18

Bihar Elections: Alliance On Track, NDA Seat Finalisation Soon; Nitish Kumar To Be CM Face

Last Updated: According to sources, ticket distribution in the Bihar assembly elections within the NDA is likely to follow the same formula as in the Lok Sabha elections The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has decided to contest all seats in the upcoming Bihar elections, with sources saying seat distribution may not have been decided yet but other factors have been considered. 'Which caste will get representation on which seat has already been decided for all the 243 seats," a top source told CNN-News18. The state leaders have held several rounds of meetings to understand the share of seats that the NDA wants to contest. Another two or three rounds of meetings are expected to take place before the focus shifts to the finalisation in Delhi. After that, a detailed meeting with the alliance partners will take place to firm up plans for all the 243 seats. Also, there is no doubt in the mind of the alliance that Nitish Kumar will continue to be the face of the bloc. The decision to continue as chief minister after the elections will be left to Kumar, the sources added. On the kind of commentary that political leaders have been making against Kumar's conduct, BJP sources indicated: 'Any sensitive and sensible politician will never make a remark on somebody's health… One should always refrain from commenting on the health of seniors." Alliance partners Chirag Paswan, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Upendra Kushwaha will contest in the state. Paswan had expressed his wish to contest the assembly polls, pushing forward his 'Bihari first' stance, and his party gave the go-ahead in a recent meeting. According to sources, ticket distribution in the Bihar assembly elections within the NDA is likely to follow the same formula as in the Lok Sabha elections. In the Lok Sabha elections, BJP contested 17 seats, JD(U) 16, LJP five, while Jitan Ram Manjhi's HAM and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Morcha contested one seat each. Although BJP contested one more seat than JD(U) in the Lok Sabha polls, in the assembly elections, JD(U) may contest on one or two more seats than BJP. As per sources, JD(U) may contest around 102–103 out of the 243 seats, while BJP may contest on 101–102 seats. The remaining roughly 40 seats will be allotted to Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM). The BJP has decided that it will not award a ticket to a candidate whose feedback is negative in the last two surveys that the party has done. Seat sharing and seat allocation will also be done on the basis of ability to win. 'Any alliance partner who has lost the seat more than twice may be exchanged with the other alliance partner," the top sources added. Earlier, it was speculated that Union Home Minister Amit Shah would go to Bihar on June 15 but his visit stands postponed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to travel to Bihar on June 20 for an engagement in Siwan. The Election Commission has indicated that the Bihar assembly polls will take place in either two or three phases. The full bench of the EC, including chief election commissioner Ganesh Kumar, is expected to travel to Bihar this month. First Published: June 10, 2025, 13:09 IST

‘Concerning precedent continues': Kharge urges PM Modi to begin process to elect Lok Sabha deputy speaker
‘Concerning precedent continues': Kharge urges PM Modi to begin process to elect Lok Sabha deputy speaker

Indian Express

time24 minutes ago

  • Indian Express

‘Concerning precedent continues': Kharge urges PM Modi to begin process to elect Lok Sabha deputy speaker

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to urgently initiate the process of electing a deputy speaker of the Lok Sabha, underlining the ongoing delay in the matter despite constitutional provisions for it. In a letter to PM Modi, Kharge pointed out that each Lok Sabha, from the first to the sixteenth, had seen the appointment of a deputy speaker in both Houses of Parliament, adding that it had also been a 'well-established convention' to appoint the person from among the members of the principal Opposition party. 'However, for the first time in independent India's history, this position has remained vacant for two consecutive Lok Sabha terms. No Deputy Speaker was elected during the Seventeenth Lok Sabha and this concerning precedent continues in the ongoing Eighteenth Lok Sabha,' Kharge pointed out. Terming it a highly concerning matter, Kharge underlined that Article 93 of the Constitution mandates the election of both the speaker and the deputy speaker of the House of the people. Constitutionally, he added, the deputy speaker is the second-highest presiding officer of the House after the speaker, with Article 93 of the Constitution providing for an appointment to the post. My letter to PM Shri @narendramodi on the urgency to initiate the process of electing a Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha without any further delay. From the First to the Sixteenth Lok Sabha, every House has had a Deputy Speaker. By and large, it has been a well-established… — Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 10, 2025 'The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the House to be respectively Speaker and Deputy Speaker thereof and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member to be Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be,' Kharge said, quoting the provisions under the section. With regard to the election of the deputy speaker, he added, Article 93 stipulates that the House shall choose one 'as soon as may be'. He added that traditionally, the deputy speaker has been elected in the second or third session of a newly constituted Lok Sabha. 'The procedure for this election mirrors that of the Speaker, with the only distinction being that the date for the Deputy Speaker's election is fixed by the Speaker, as per Rule 8(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha,' Kharge said. A vacancy on the post did 'not augur well for India's democratic polity and is also in violation of well laid out provisions of the Constitution', Kharge added, urging PM Modi to initiate the process without any further delay, keeping with the traditions of the House and the democratic ethos of Parliament. Jatin Anand is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. Over the last 15 years, he has covered bureaucracy & politics, crime, traffic & intelligence, the Election Commission of India & Urban Development among other beats. He is an English (Literature) graduate from Zakir Husain Delhi College, DU & specialised in Print at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. He tweets @jatinpaul ... Read More

Post vacant for two LS terms: Kharge writes to PM Modi, seeks Dy Speaker election
Post vacant for two LS terms: Kharge writes to PM Modi, seeks Dy Speaker election

Hans India

time26 minutes ago

  • Hans India

Post vacant for two LS terms: Kharge writes to PM Modi, seeks Dy Speaker election

New Delhi: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to initiate the election process for the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, noting that the post has remained vacant for two consecutive terms -- a first in Independent India's parliamentary history. Sharing his letter on X, Kharge highlighted that Article 93 of the Constitution mandates the election of both a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha. He said the failure to fill the post during the 17th Lok Sabha and its continued vacancy in the 18th term "does not augur well for India's democratic polity" and also violates constitutional principles and undermines democratic tradition. "From the First to the Sixteenth Lok Sabha, every House has had a Deputy Speaker. By and large, it has been a well-established convention to appoint the Deputy Speaker from among the members of the principal opposition party," Kharge wrote, calling the current situation a "concerning precedent". In his letter, Kharge stressed: "The Deputy Speaker is the second-highest presiding officer of the House. This position remaining vacant weakens the democratic structure and is also against the well-laid-out provisions of the Constitution." He quoted Article 93, which states, "The House of the People shall, as soon as may be, choose two members to be Speaker and Deputy Speaker... and so often as the office becomes vacant, the House shall choose another member." Kharge also referred to Rule 8(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, which gives the Speaker the power to fix the date for the Deputy Speaker's election. The last person to hold the Deputy Speaker post was M. Thambi Durai of the AIADMK, who served during the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-2019). Calling on the Prime Minister to act without further delay, Kharge urged: "In view of the foregoing and in keeping with the esteemed traditions of the House and the democratic ethos of our Parliament, I request you to initiate the process of electing a Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha." The Deputy Speaker plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth conduct of business in the absence of the Speaker, with equal authority to manage debates, maintain order, and decide on procedural matters.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store