U.S. Running Low On Patriot Missiles After Iran Fight, Says Report
Actor-turned-BJP MP Kangana Ranaut is under fire after a video of her saying "I have no cabinet" went viral during her visit to flood-hit areas of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. In the video, she also says she doesn't have the power to help victims, while an 86-year-old man pleads with folded hands. Locals and netizens have criticized her for being an absent MP and not addressing the region's issues. The Congress has used this controversy to target her and the BJP.#kanganaranaut #mandifloods #himachalpradesh #viralvideo #bjpmp #kanganarow #cabinetremark #politicalcontroversy #netizensreact #mandinews #disasterrelief #congressvsbjp
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India Today
27 minutes ago
- India Today
Himanta Sarma blames Rahul Gandhi for violence during eviction drive in Assam
The political face-off between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified on Thursday with Sarma accusing Gandhi of provoking fresh violence during an eviction drive in a reserve forest in Goalpara district in the to reporters at the BJP office in Guwahati, Sarma claimed that Rahul Gandhi, during a Congress state-level meeting with party workers in Chaygaon on Wednesday, encouraged 'encroachers' and 'land jehadis' to illegally occupy government said they would be rehabilitated on the same forest land and given houses, but he doesn't realise you cannot settle people on forest land,' Sarma said. The Chief Minister alleged that Congress leader's comments misled evicted families, who clashed with police during a fresh eviction operation in the morning. The situation turned violent when protesters allegedly pelted stones and attacked police with responded with gunfire, resulting in injuries to 21 police personnel. One alleged encroacher died in the firing, while two others are currently undergoing have registered a case, and Sarma said Rahul Gandhi's speech will be reviewed.'If Rahul Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge are found to have incited this violence through their speeches, the police will take action,' he Gandhi had arrived in Assam a day earlier to address a major Congress gathering in Chaygaon. The meeting brought together senior leaders, MPs, MLAs, district officials and booth-level workers from across the the crowd, the Congress leader launched a scathing attack on Sarma, accusing him of behaving more like a king than an elected leader. He praised Congress grassroots workers as the sher aur sherni (lions and lionesses) of Assam, declaring, 'You are the brave ones who will fight for Assam's future.'He accused the Chief Minister of favouring big industrialists while neglecting ordinary people.'Behind all his big claims, there is fear in his voice, because he knows the Babbar Sher of Congress will send him to jail one day. Even Modi ji won't be able to save him,' Rahul Gandhi said, drawing loud cheers from the also alleged that the BJP, with help from a 'compromised' Election Commission, is deleting the names of poor and farmer voters from Assam's electoral visit comes at a crucial time, as the Congress attempts to revive its organisation in Assam ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The party recently appointed Jorhat MP and Lok Sabha Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi as the new state president, replacing Bhupen Kumar February, Sarma has escalated his attacks on Gogoi, accusing him of links with Pakistan's ISI, allegations Gogoi has strongly March, an SIT from Assam Police visited Delhi to investigate Gogoi's wife Elizabeth's professional work with Pakistani climate policy expert Ali Tauqeer Sheikh. Gogoi has rejected the charges as politically motivated and had said that the project was part of a legitimate South Asian climate Sarma also claimed that nearly 1,000 Facebook accounts based in Pakistan and Bangladesh are under investigation for allegedly trying to influence Assam's political landscape ahead of the another dig at the Gandhis, Sarma pointed out that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized several properties linked to Robert Vadra, Rahul Gandhi's both sides sharpening their rhetoric, Assam's political battle lines are now clearly drawn as the state moves toward the 2026 polls.- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
With ‘conditions apply', Calcutta HC allows BJP rally in Siliguri coinciding with TMC's Martyrs' Day event
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday allowed the main Opposition party, the BJP, to hold a rally and a public meeting in Siliguri on July 21, coinciding with the ruling TMC's annual mega Martyrs' Day rally in Kolkata. The bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, however, also imposed conditions — the rally can be held between 11 am to 5 pm; a total of 10,000 people will be allowed to attend the event; the program has to be within the jurisdiction of Tin Bati Mor and Chunbhati Football Ground; and not more than 100 people should take part in the rally. Last week, the BJP had approached the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court, challenging the decision of the Siliguri Police Commissionerate denying permission for a rally by the party in Siliguri town on July 21 to protest 'rising incidents of crime against women' in different parts of the state. The BJP had planned a rally to Uttarkanya, the state's north Bengal secretariat in Siliguri, but the court directed that it be held at a ground at Chunabhatti in the north Bengal city. The state government had argued that possible congestion could occur as large numbers of people would be travelling to Kolkata for the TMC's programme. The court said that since the rally is scheduled in Kolkata, presumably the participants would reach the state capital by the time this rally is to be held in Siliguri. —WITH PTI INPUTS
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
A year of rhetoric, broken promises, and weak governance for Nepal's Oli
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has completed a year in office with the two largest parties — the Nepali Congress and his own CPN-UML — continuing the coalition that they forged with several promises, including amendments to the constitution, good governance, and a boost to development. While promises have remained largely unfulfilled, public dissatisfaction has grown. Analysts describe Mr. Oli's one year in office as unsuccessful across key sectors — governance, legislation, development, and foreign relations. 'It's a disaster on all fronts,' says Hari Sharma, a political commentator. 'If we were to talk about achievements, there is nothing visible… nothing that the people could really feel.' When Mr. Oli signed a seven-point deal with Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on July 1 last year — which set the stage for Mr. Oli's fourth stint in power starting two weeks later on July 15 — the message the duo tried to convey was that a strong and stable government was what Nepal needed to usher in stability and ensure good governance. With Congress, the single largest party with 88 seats, backing Mr. Oli — whose Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) holds 79 seats — they controlled a comfortable majority in Parliament. But even on the legislative front, the government's weakness was starkly exposed, triggering public outcry. Amending the constitution was a core agenda of the two parties. They peddled the idea that the electoral system envisioned by the constitution, promulgated 10 years ago, made it nearly impossible for any single party to secure a majority, inevitably leading to hung parliaments and a cycle of unstable coalition governments. They proclaimed that Nepal's development was stymied by the lack of a stable and strong government. But the constitutional amendment was a ruse from the outset, a smokescreen to justify their return to power, say commentators. Whether the said amendments were even possible is a secondary question; the primary question is whether they ever truly intended to, says Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, research director at the Centre for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy, a Kathmandu-based think tank. 'As a matter of fact, constitutional amendments were never on the Oli government's agenda. This idea was tossed around to justify the coalition of the two largest parties, which is an unusual practice in parliamentary democracy,' says Mr. Khanal. 'What has actually been established over the past year is a politics of collusion, enabling the subversion of the rule of law in the interest of the ruling parties.' Just as Mr. Oli neared the first anniversary of his government, reports surfaced that one of his Cabinet Ministers was involved in corruption. For several weeks, lawmakers have been raising issues of bad governance and irregularities. Corruption concerns Mr. Oli, a loquacious leader by nature, is never tired of asserting that he won't tolerate corruption, but chooses to maintain silence on the issues of irregularities, including those involving Ministers from his own party. 'Forget achievements and progress; under Oli, corruption has been socialised. And this is even more dangerous,' says Tula Shah, a political analyst. 'The normalisation of corruption epitomises governance failure.' A couple of months ago, Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak's name appeared in connection with a scheme under which millions were allegedly being collected from unsuspecting Nepalis going abroad on visit visas. After a hue and cry in the media and Parliament, the government formed a committee to investigate the matter. By the Oli government's own admission, the 'visit visa scam' had been going on for many years under various governments. Analysts say pointing to previous governments is a deflection tactic by the Oli government, when it should have taken stern measures and asked the Home Minister to resign. 'No government, or its leader for that matter, can avoid responsibility by claiming it has not committed corruption; checking corruption is the primary duty of any government,' says Mr. Shah. 'Implementing strong measures to curb corruption is one of the ways to earn public trust, and the government has failed in this.' Foreign relations fiasco Nepal's foreign policy is mainly shaped by its relations with two countries — India and China, its two neighbours. Ever since Mr. Oli became Prime Minister for the first time in 2018 — after the promulgation of the constitution in 2015 — he has made a habit of taking India head-on. He used Delhi's lukewarm response to the constitution and the subsequent border blockade to whip up ultra-nationalist fervor among his political base. His relations with New Delhi have not been the best. Yet, ever since assuming office last year, Mr. Oli has been keenly waiting for a visit to India. In November, he went to China, in a departure from the general tradition of visiting India first. During the Beijing visit, he secured a deal under the Belt and Road Initiative to carry forward a dozen projects in Nepal with Chinese funding. However, analysts say that does not signify an improved relationship. 'We have not seen any progress under that deal as well,' says Mr. Sharma. According to him, Mr. Oli, who never misses a chance to take a jibe at India, has spent the entire year waiting for an invite from Delhi. 'There is clearly a lack of trust from both neighbours,' he said. 'So, on the foreign policy front as well, Oli has not been successful.' Public dissatisfaction From the very outset, the government has earned notoriety for being intolerant of criticism and for its vindictive attitude. Those criticising the government or people in power on social media have been prosecuted through misuse of laws. In March, pro-monarchy protests attracted many people — though not all were calling for the monarchy's return. Many had joined simply to express dissatisfaction with misgovernance. The way the Oli government handled the protests — two people were killed and several others injured — led to more discontent among the general public. In recent months, even some members of the ruling parties have voiced criticism of the Oli government over its failures in basic areas like service delivery. Improved public service delivery is one way to measure how the government is functioning, but on this front too, the current administration has failed miserably, say analysts. 'The dilapidated condition of a major highway is a clear example of the central government's failure,' says Mr. Sharma. 'Over the past year, the road has remained unchanged, which means the government has done nothing.' A Bill related to civil service was mired in controversy after it was discovered that some interest groups from outside Parliament had influenced the insertion of a provision without lawmakers' knowledge. After the incident was widely reported, a committee to look into the matter was formed. But the episode exposed the weakness of the legislature, where the two big parties control enough seats to pass Bills. A few months ago, the government introduced a flurry of ordinances to change laws it claimed were hindering economic activities. That too raised questions about the 'strength' of the government Mr. Oli claims to lead. Ignoring such incidents that have eroded public faith in the government, Prime Minister Oli's outrageous daily claims of development and governance come as an affront to the people, commentators say. 'All in all, it's a rhetoric-filled one year for Mr. Oli,' says Mr. Sharma. 'More in talk, nothing in substance.' (Sanjeev Satgainya is an independent journalist based in Kathmandu)
