She tendered her resignation to the President of India, a Raj Bhawan official said.

She has resigned for personal reasons, he said.

Speculation, however, is rife in the media that her resignation will pave the way for her to play a more active role in politics.

It is also being linked with her recent meeting with Amit Shah in Delhi on 5 September.

Sixty-five-year-old Maurya who has long been associated with the BJP was sworn in as the Uttarakhand governor on August 26, 2018, taking over from Krishna Kant Paul at the end of his five-year tenure.

She had completed three years in office as the Uttarakhand governor last month.

She has the distinction of being the first woman mayor of Agra from 1995 to 2000.

She had also been a member of the National Commission for Women from 2002-2005.

The party also drafted in a number of Union ministers and other leaders to assist them in the campaign, with Union ministers Anurag Singh Thakur, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Shobha Karandlaje and Annpurna Devi Yadav along with Saroj Pandey, Vivek Thakur and Captain Abhimanyu made co-incharges for the polls in Uttar Pradesh, a statement said.

The focus on the all-important Uttar Pradesh polls was apparent in the announcement made by the BJP as it also appointed organizational in-charges for its six regions.

MP Sanjay Bhatia, Bihar MLA Sanjiv Chaurasia, BJP national secretaries Y Satya Kumar and Arvind Menon, UP leader Sunil Ojha and the party’s co-treasurer Sudhir Gupta will head the western Uttar Pradesh, Braj, Awadh, Gorakhpur, Kashi and Kanpur regions respectively.

West Bengal MP Locket Chatterjee and party spokesperson RP Singh are co-incharges for the Uttarakhand polls.

Union minister Pratima Bhoumik and Assam government minister Ashok Singhal will be co-incharges for the Manipur polls, the party statement said.

Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Meenakshi Lekhi have been named co-incharges for the Punjab polls along with MP Vinod Chavda.

The BJP is at the receiving end of the farmers' protests against three farm laws in Punjab, a state which is seen as the most affected by the stir.

The saffron party has been pulling out all the stops to emerge as a strong force in Punjab which is set for a multi-cornered contest among the ruling Congress, AAP, Shiromani Akali Dal-BSP alliance and the BJP.

The party is in power in UP, Uttarakhand and Manipur and has deployed its well-oiled election machinery to retain power there.

While its main challengers in Uttar Pradesh are Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party with the Congress trying hard to shore up its base, the BJP is in direct contest with the Congress in Uttarakhand and Manipur.

The BJP has not named its election minders for Goa, another state which will go the polls along with these four states early next year.

This comes days after the death of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who passed away on 1 September due to age-related ailments.

Alam, the architect of civilian unrest in the Valley in 2010 which left more than a hundred people dead, has spent about half his life in jail in “preventive detention”. Alam holds the unenviable record of having been detained under the harsh Public Safety Act (PSA) 36 times.  To keep him in jail, successive state governments slapped PSA on him from time to time.

Alam, who was charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in October 2019, is at present lodged in the Tihar Jail.

So who is Masarat Alam Bhat?

A militant-turned-political leader, Alam’s political career as a separatist started in 1996. He was a top commander of the pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hezbollah, and after his arrest and release, joined the separatist Muslim League, as per Indian Express. After joining the Muslim League, he rapidly became popular and rose through the ranks to become the party chief.

In 2003, when the Hurriyat Conference split into moderates and hardliners, Alam joined the Geelani-led faction. He was briefly appointed general secretary of the Hurriyat Conference when several of its leaders were arrested. He is known as a close confidante of the late Geelani.

The Hurriyat Conference came into existence in 1993 with 26 groups, including some pro-Pakistan and banned outfits such as the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front and the Dukhtaran-e-Millat. It also included the People's Conference and the Awami Action Committee headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

The separatist conglomerate broke into two factions in 2005 with the moderate group being led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the hard-line headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. So far, the Centre has banned the Jamaat-e-Islami and the JKLF under the UAPA. The ban was imposed in 2019.

A former student leader, Bhat, resident of Zaindar Moholla in Srinagar, has served several years in jail at different intervals since the onset of militancy in 1990.

Both, in 2008 and 2010, the Kashmiris pelted stones, waved Pakistani flags and shouted pro-militant slogans. Both those times, significantly, armed insurgents were invisible in the background — one of whom was identified as  Masarat Alam Bhat — who emerged as a key driver of the unrest in 2010. It subsided with his arrest and multiple detentions over the years.

Alam went to Biscoe, the Valley’s leading missionary school, and went on to become a graduate. Alam's former classmates told The Week that he was an early rebel. “In his first successful agitation, he led a group of boys who demanded permission for Friday prayers,” one of his classmates told the magazine. “The school authorities had to budge.”

In a 2010 interview with journalist Dilnaz Boga, he said infamously been quoted as saying that he has been “a stone thrower since my childhood because stones were the only source of resistance before 1990”. He said Gujjars in Rajasthan had thrown stones to push their demands for reservation in jobs.

When Alam became the “most wanted” separatist in 2010, the coalition of the National Conference and Congress was in power. He got bail when the PDP-BJP government was in power. For Alam, there is no difference in the two alliances’ agendas. “They want to defeat the nation of Kashmir,” he told Scroll.in.

Ashiq Bukhari, the senior superintendent of police who led the operation that resulted in Masarat’s arrest post the 2010 stone-pelting incident, said it took the police months of hard work to track him down. Now retired, he said his team got Rs 10 lakh the police had put on Masarat's head. “Omar (Abdullah) gave us an extra Rs 15 lakh from his own pocket,” he told The Week. Bukhari was Srinagar police chief in 2010.

Alam’s wife, Zahida, has been living with her parents since Alam’s arrests. Her elder brother, Muhammed Salim, was part of the Kashmir militancy and was killed by security forces in 1996. Zahida told HuffPost India “I never had to think twice before consenting to this marriage. I have always been proud of him. We all are.”

His separatist politics have been very clearly stated from the beginning, he has never minced his words. In an interview with Indian Express he had said that “Kashmir is under occupation, and there will be no debate or discussion on that.”

With inputs from agencies

TMC's campaign in the seat in south Kolkata is already underway with the Election Commission announcing the bypoll on Saturday, following a request from the state government to avoid a constitutional crisis.

Mamata, who lost the election in Nandigram, has to win this by-poll to retain her chief minister's post.

The BJP, Congress, and CPM-led Left Front are yet to announce their candidates for the bypoll.

The bypoll will be held on 30 September along with the elections to two seats in the Murshidabad district - Samserganj and Jangipur where polling could not be held during the eight-phase assembly elections earlier this year.

The counting of votes will take place on 3 October.

Jakir Hossain is the TMC candidate in the Jangipur seat, while Amirul Islam is contesting as the party's candidate from Samserganj.

Veteran politician Sovandeb Chattopadhyay stepped down as the TMC MLA of Bhabanipur, allowing Banerjee a chance to become a member of the state legislative Assembly by fighting the bypoll.

Chattopadhyay had defeated BJP's actor-politician Rudranil Ghosh by around 28,000 votes from Bhabanipur.

Mamata had won from Bhabanipur twice since 2011. She had moved out of her traditional seat to fight in Nandigram during the Assembly polls earlier this year, but lost to his former close aide Suvendu Adhikari who contested on a BJP ticket.

Adhikari is now the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

The notification for the Bhabanipur bypoll will be issued on 6 September, beginning the nomination process. The last date for filing nominations is 13 September, while scrutiny of papers will take place on 14 September. Rhe last date to withdraw from the electoral battle is 16 September.

According to an Election Commission statement, the West Bengal chief secretary had urged that in view of administrative exigencies and public interest and to avoid a vacuum in the state, by-elections for Bhabanipur, from where Mamata intends to contest elections, may be conducted.

She has to become a member of the state legislature by 5 November.

Roy is the third BJP legislator to join the ruling party within a week. Earlier this week, BJP MLAs from Bagda and Bishnupur, Biswajit Das and Tanmoy Ghosh had joined Mamata Banerjee's party.

Soumen Roy, who had quit TMC to join BJP two years ago, said he was sorry about joining the saffron party.

Roy, who was elected from Kaliaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district on a BJP ticket in the April-May Assembly poll, joined TMC in the presence of its secretary general Partha Chatterjee.

The MLA said he had left TMC due to a misunderstanding, but he was not comfortable in the saffron camp and wanted to take part in the development initiatives by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"Though I had quit TMC, my mind and soul had remained with it. I do not subscribe to the ideology of BJP and don't agree with its divisive politics. They (BJP) want to divide our state on the lines of religion, language, caste and creed and I will oppose it," he said.

"There was some misunderstanding with the party (TMC) then. It would have been better had I not left the party. But now it is like homecoming for me," he said.

Welcoming Ghosh to the party fold, Chatterjee said BJP has been trying to take "post-poll revenge" against TMC as it failed miserably in the Assembly polls.

"We will fight BJP politically. It is trying to belittle the people of West Bengal. The people of the state will not tolerate this," he said.

Roy was absent from a meeting of BJP MLAs of north Bengal earlier this week.

Ghosh and Das, who had switched over to TMC earlier this week, too had quit the party a few years back to join the saffron party.

In June BJP MLA and party's national vice-president Mukul Roy rejoined TMC four years after he left the Mamata Banerjee-led party to join the saffron camp.

BJP had won 77 of the 292 seats of the West Bengal Assembly for which polling was held. Its tally dropped to 75 in May after two of its MLAs Nitish Pramanik and Jagganath Sarkar resigned to retain their Lok Sabha seats.

After the four turncoats of the saffron party its numbers have unoffically dropped to 71. The four are yet to officially resign and continue to be BJP MLAs.

The TMC had won 213 seats, while ISF and GJM bagged one seat each.

Bypolls are currently due in five seats and fresh polls will be held in two seats, where the elections were countermanded due to the death of the candidates.

According to TMC sources, several saffron camp leaders are in touch with the party and want to switch to it.

Reacting to Roy's joining the TMC, state Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari told reporters, "Whoever leaves the party, it is his decision. But the party (BJP) will seek their disqualification after asking them to explain their stand."

Reacting to the switchover of the three MLAs within a week, BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said those who have changed sides could never embrace the saffron party's ideology and principles.

"We welcomed everyone willing to fight TMC. As we did not come to power, maybe they felt they should return to TMC. It is up to them to decide which party they want to be a part of, but after changing sides they should resign as BJP MLAs," he added.

He said ''beat constable'' deployed at the lowest level of the police system makes the "biggest contribution" towards making a democracy successful by protecting the common man.

Delivering the keynote speech during the 51st foundation day event of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the minister said democracy cannot be successful if law and order is not good.

"Democracy is our nature... this was our character even before independence and we accepted this after gaining freedom. This is the nature of our people. The biggest thing in a democracy is a person's independence and freedom of expression," he said.

When it comes to freedom of expression of a person, it is directly linked to law and order, he noted.

"Democracy is not just about voting for parties and forming a government... this is just a part of the system. What is the success or fruit of democracy? The fruit is that 130 crore people of the country, according to their capabilities and intelligence, get to develop themselves and the country gets the benefit of this cumulative effect for its development," Shah said.

He emphasised that democracy cannot prosper if law and order in a country is not good.

"This work is done by police and forces that guard our borders. It is very important for a successful democracy that the security of a person is ensured. The citizen should keep getting his legal rights in an uninterrupted manner. A citizen should be able to discharge his duties as per the spirit of the constitution," the Union minister stated.

And hence, he said, upgrading and improving police force is the work of BPR&D.

Shah noted that the image of police, at certain times, is maligned by certain quarters.

"I do not know why a campaign has been run to damage the image of police. Some incidents are hyped and shown, while good incidents are not popularised," he said.

The home minister said while various other institutions like the parliament, state assemblies, judiciary, election commission, CAG and vigilance commission have made democracy successful, the beat constable of police deserved a far greater appreciation in this context.

"Not because I am the home minister, but I have had this thinking since my childhood that to make democracy successful, the biggest contribution is of the beat constable," he said.

Without reviving beat policing, basic policing cannot be good and this has to be updated which requires technology upgradation and BPR&D needs to work on that, the minister noted.

"I want to say it again that the most difficult job in the government service is that of a policeman," he reiterated.

During all festivals, whether it is Holi, Deepwali or Eid, policemen are on duty, he said.

"There are no fixed work hours, neither a definite scope of work for a policeman. I have seen that all this takes a toll on their health and there is no acknowledgement of these things.... the sacrifices made by police personnel is not mentioned much," the minister rued.

He asked the BPR&D to give "special focus" and work on the image building of police.

The police should change their work style as per the challenge, he said, counting cyber attacks, drone attacks, narcotics smuggling, fake currency and hawala rackets as the "biggest" challenges for the security establishment.

"For all this, you (BPR&D) should prepare our forces and also study the best practices across the globe," he said.

The skills of the cops should be sharpened, Shah said.

The minister also talked about reforms done by the Modi government and various steps taken to empower the law enforcement agencies.

"The home ministry is doing a number of things to bring about radical changes in the IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act," he said.

Interaction has been held in this context with at least 14 states, three UTs, eight central police organisations, six CAPFs and 7 NGOs; and they have sent in their suggestions.

"This is a work in progress...this is a big work," he added.

The minister said his government has brought in necessary "radical changes" in the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to check funds sent to "destabilise" the country.

Addressing officers and personnel from various central, state and Union Territory police forces, Shah said the next decade is going to be very important from the point of internal security as the country under Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taking giant leaps in becoming a strong nation and economy, and we should "not think that some forces will try to stop this."

He added that as many as 3,700 armed cadres of various insurgent groups have surrendered with their weapons before the Union government in the last two years.

Whosoever will shun weapons, we will take steps to bring them to the mainstream, he said.

The minister finally asked the BPR&D, a central government think tank, to prepare the police forces as smart and strong units.

Both the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the Congress-headed UDF opposition were playing a different sort of politics after the militants were back in power in the neighbouring country, he charged.

He further alleged that those who take a pro-Taliban stand were the ones trying to whitewash the Moplah riots that occurred in the state in 1921.

"In Kerala, mainstream political parities are vying with each other to extend support to the Taliban. Political leaders in the state are nurturing religious extremism by giving milk and honey," Surendran said here in a press meet.

Attacking the Left government and its police force, the BJP leader said they were taking an "irresponsible" stand as extremist forces were gaining strength in the state.

He also termed as "serious", the recent nabbing of a group of Jammu and Kashmir youths with unlicensed firearms in the state.

Surendran's statements assume significance in the wake of the raging debate in Kerala over whether the Malabar Rebellion alias "Moplah (Muslim) Rebellion" reported in the northern part of the state in the year 1921 was a revolt against the British or a communal riot.

While the CPI(M) has described the rebellion as the most organised agitation against the exploitation by feudal landlords, the Congress has called it a shining movement against the anti-imperialist forces.

However, the BJP and the RSS have described the rebellion as one of the first manifestations of the Taliban mindset in India, strongly opposing the move by the Left and Congress to treat it as part of India's freedom struggle.

The counting of votes began on Saturday at the six district headquarters.

The Congress has also won one seat of Zila Parishad in Jodhpur. Till 1 pm, of the total 1,564 seats in 78 Panchayat samiti in six districts, the Congress has won 231, BJP 185, RLP 16 and the BSP three. Independents won in 111 seats.

Of the total 200 seats of Zila Parishad, the result has so far been announced for one seat, which was bagged by the Congress.

The polling was held on 26 August, 29 August and 1 September to elect a total of 200 members of six Zila Parishad and 1,564 members of 78 Panchayat Samiti in the districts of Bharatpur, Dausa, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur and Sirohi.

JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi said the repeated hike in the LPG price has affected people's budget adversely.

"The government should roll back the hike," he said.

He also spoke against leaving petrol and diesel prices to market mechanism, and said the government must step in to curb their cost for people's benefit.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's party has of late taken positions on certain issues that have raised eyebrows.

Kumar had backed the opposition's demand for a probe into the alleged snooping involving Pegasus spyware.

He has also led the chorus for a caste census, a politically fraught issue over which the BJP has so far maintained silence.

The prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cooking gas cylinders across all categories including subsidised gas were hiked on Wednesday by Rs 25 per cylinder — the third straight increase in rates in less than two months.

Subsidised as well as non-subsidised LPG now costs Rs 884.50 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi, according to a price notification of oil companies.

A statement to the effect was made by the party’s parliamentary board chief Upendra Kushwaha, who testily brushed aside remarks by some leaders in the state BJP that one needed the support of 272 MPs to become the Prime Minister, and that the JDU was unlikely to win as many seats on its own.

“Kyun nahin ho sakta hai (why not)?” was Kushwaha’s curt reply when asked if Kumar were to aim for the top post, would he be able to muster the requisite number in view of the limited reach of the JD(U), which has little presence outside Bihar.

The former Union minister, however, hastened to add “we are not making a claim to the prime minister's post at present. We are with the NDA and acknowledge the leadership of Narendra Modi. But, if people talk about a hypothetical future, then nothing can be dismissed as impossible”.

Kushwaha had rekindled sentiments about Kumar being “PM material” a few weeks ago and the chorus got louder on the previous day when “Mission Nitish” became the rallying cry at the JD(U) national council meeting here.

One of the resolutions passed on the occasion asserted that though not a claimant to the top post, the leader had all the qualities for the same.

“When I first spoke about Nitish Kumar being prime minister material, many of you scoffed at me. Now you can see… it has happened often that I say something and it becomes a widespread sentiment later on,” Kushwaha said with a mischievous smile, referring to Sunday’s happenings.

The idea of Kumar fitting the bill first gained currency about a decade ago and following his radical move of snapping ties with the BJP in 2013, he was widely seen as a “secular alternative” to the juggernaut unleashed by Narendra Modi.

The JD(U) de facto leader had, however, sought to make light of the utterances of Kushwaha who had parted ways seven years ago to float the RLSP, but returned to the parent party a few months ago merging his outfit into it.

On Sunday, too, the chief minister refused to reply to queries of journalists who were eager to know his take on the party’s projection of him as a veritable cult figure.

Kushwaha was also asked about the need for a coordination committee in the NDA, which was stressed by JD(U) national general secretary KC Tyagi on the previous day.

“I met Tyagi ji at my residence this morning. The demand is right. There is a need for better coordination,” said Kushwaha, whose reinduction into the JD(U) is being seen as Kumar’s bid to consolidate his Kurmi-Koeri base following the party’s poor show in the assembly polls.

“It is true that we are sharing power with the BJP for so many years. Yet, it does not look good when different people in the same party speak in different voices. Caste census is a case in point,” remarked Kushwaha, who had recently sought to underscore “internal conflict” within the saffron party on the issue.

Second only to the BJP, in the NDA in Parliament, in terms of numerical strength, the JD(U) has created ripples by forcefully taking up the issue of non-inclusion of OBCs in the census, after the Centre disclosed that it proposed to enumerate only the SCs and the STs.

The CM had recently met the PM, heading a delegation comprising legislators of all parties in the state with the plea that the Centre considers their request.

The JD(U) national council meet, among other things, had also resolved to rally other states for the caste census demand, which has so far been most vociferous in Bihar where the OBCs have dominated the political scene for close to three decades.

Sidhu said he didn't want to remain just a show horse.

He made the remarks Thursday at a meeting with industrialists and traders in Amritsar, amid the continuing tussle with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ahead of next year's assembly polls.

A fallout of the tussle was the resignation Friday of Sidhu's adviser Malvinder Singh Mali after his controversial remarks on the Kashmir issue.

The party leadership picked the cricketer-turned-politician a few weeks back as the Punjab Congress chief, ignoring opposition from Amarinder Singh. But the two camps in the state Congress have not yet called a truce.

Addressing a trade and industry association, Sidhu said he will ensure that Congress remains in power in Punjab for the next 20 years.

"But if you don't let me take the decisions, I will also ensure total devastation," Sidhu said in Punjabi, using the term itt naal itt bhi khadkavunga. He added there was no point in being just a show horse ("darshani ghoda").

Harish Rawat, who is Punjab affairs in-charge at the All India Congress Committee (AICC), appeared to downplay Sidhu's remarks.

In Delhi, he said state presidents are free to take decisions within the party's constitution and in accordance with its position.

"I will see the context in which Navjot Singh Sidhu made these remarks. Mr Sidhu is the respected chief of the Punjab unit. Who else has the power to take decisions if not the state presidents?" the AICC general secretary told reporters when asked to comment.

It is not clear if Sidhu's outburst was in response to Rawat's recent suggestion that his two media advisers should leave after their controversial comments related to Kashmir and Pakistan, seemingly against the stated position of India and the party.

In Uttarakhand on Thursday, Rawat also confirmed to reporters that he wanted to give up his responsibility as the in-charge of the party's affairs in Punjab to concentrate on his native state.

Earlier, he said the next elections will be fought under Amarinder Singh's leadership, delivering a snub to the Sidhu camp.

A majority of Punjab Congress MLAs and eight MPs attended a dinner in Chandigarh on Thursday in an apparent show of strength in support of the chief minister.

At the beginning of his speech, Sidhu said the people of Amritsar, from where he has been an MP earlier, know him well. Navjot Sidhu believes in the politics of hope and faith, he said.

"I have always worked to bring a change in people's lives," he added.

Sidhu, who switched over to the BJP from the Congress before the 2017 assembly polls, asserted that he has never made compromises on his principles for cheap personal benefits.

He claimed he even refused a ministerial post at the Centre when he was asked to contest from Kurukshetra. He had put his foot down and said, "I will die while serving the people of Amritsar."

He said industrialists, rather than bureaucrats, would draft Punjab's industrial policies.

He said the states can't grow in the absence of a healthy industry, and batted for a single-window system to set up new ventures and expand the existing ones.

Presently people in Punjab are frustrated with false and hollow promises of politicians, the Congress leader said.

He promised the cancellation of faulty power purchase agreements entered into by Punjab and assured electricity at Rs 3 per unit to domestic consumers.

He said that to concentrate on the upcoming polls in Uttarakhand, it had been on his mind to seek to be relieved of the responsibility of the party's Punjab affairs in-charge.

"Yes, this is the reason," the former Uttarakhand chief minister told reporters in Dehradun on Thursday when asked if he has sought to be relieved of the charge as Punjab
affairs in-charge so that he could concentrate on the upcoming polls in his state.

He added that he would abide by whatever direction is given to him by the party. "If my party asks me to continue (as Punjab affairs in-charge), I will continue, said Rawat.

Punjab and Uttarakhand will go to polls next year.

While the Congress is seeking to retain power in Punjab, it aims to return to power by defeating the ruling BJP in the hill state.

Punjab is witnessing an infight between the camps of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Rawat, who is currently in Delhi to meet the party's senior leadership, had recently said next year's Punjab Assembly polls will be fought under the leadership of Amarinder Singh, delivering a snub to the leaders wanting his removal.

Rawat had also said that there was no threat to the Amarinder Singh-led government in Punjab.

Reacting to Sidhu's statement urging the party high command to allow him the freedom to take decisions, Rawat said party chiefs are free to take their decisions within the party's norms and constitution.

"I will see the context in which Navjot Singh Sidhu has made these remarks. Mr Sidhu is the respected chief of the Punjab unit. Who will have the power to take decisions if not the state presidents," he told reporters in Delhi on Friday.

Rawat added state presidents are free to take decisions within the party's constitution and position.

Sidhu had said earlier that the party high command should give him the freedom to take decisions and he will ensure that the Congress remains in power for the next 20 years. He said he has prepared a roadmap in this regard.

"The party high command should allow me the freedom to take decisions, else I will give a befitting reply," he said addressing a meeting in Amritsar.

Briefing mediapersons after a meeting with a delegation of Punjab Ministers and MLAs at his residence here, Rawat said, "We will contest 2022 Punjab elections under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh."

Earlier, he said that the party had an idea of turning up possible issues after the organisation changes in the state unit. However, he said that Congress will look into the matter and find a solution.

Speaking to ANI, Rawat said, "This thing happens in the party. When we brought in changes in the PCC, we had an idea about possible issues that may turn up. We will find a solution. Everyone trusts Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. But suddenly what has happened, why a large number of MLAs are disappointed. We will look into the matter and try to resolve it."

A section of Punjab Congress leaders expressed their resentment over Amarinder Singh to party high command. They demanded the removal of him as chief minister citing his working style is harming the party and the state.

This internal feud pours in just days after Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh on 11 August raised his concerns in front of Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi regarding the recent statements made by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu after his appointment to the post.

According to party sources, Amarinder Singh had 'complained' to Sonia Gandhi that Sidhu's criticism of his government is not good for its smooth functioning and gives a bad impression in the public domain.

Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu has been appointed as president of the party's Punjab unit ahead of Assembly elections due next year.

Sidhu's appointment came after months of infighting in the state unit as the former cricket started had openly rebelled against Captain Amarinder Singh's government over several issues.

Besides Sidhu, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has also appointed Sangat Singh Gilzian, Sukhwinder Singh Danny, Pawan Goel and Kuljit Singh Nagra as Working Presidents of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.

In 2017 Assembly polls, Congress won an absolute majority in the state by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government after 10 years. Aam Aadmi Party emerged as the second-largest party winning 20 seats in 117-member Punjab Legislative Assembly. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) could only manage to win 15 seats while the BJP secured 3 seats.

Here's a wrap on the entire episode, in case you missed out on the political drama.

What triggered the ugly exchange?

Rane had slammed Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that the Sena leader had forgotten what year India earned its Independence during his I-Day speech.

"It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap," Rane had said in  Raigad district on Monday.

Rane's remarks drew sharp reactions from Shiv Sena, whose workers put several posters in Mumbai and other places, calling him a kombdi chor' (chicken stealer), a reference to the poultry shop he ran in Mumbai's Chembur area five decades ago, during the initial part of his over four-decade stint with the Bal Thackeray-led party.

Who said what?

Rane defended his remarks against Thackeray, saying he hasn't committed any crime. The BJP leader's MLA son Nitesh Rane tweeted a video from a Bollywood movie, hinting at retribution. Nitesh Rane posted a clip on his Twitter handle from the film "Rajneeti", where a character played by actor Manoj Bajpayee says, "Those who spit up in the air should know that it would fall on their face only. There will be a strong reply."

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday distanced himself from Union minister Narayan Rane's remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, while Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP does not support Rane's comments, but the way he has been targeted, the "party stands behind him 100 per cent". I am not defending Rane's comments, but I will also not express regret," Patil told a regional news channel.

Meanwhile, BJP legislator Prasad Lad alleged that there was a threat to Rane's life adding that the police pushed him and arrested while he was in the middle of a meal.

"Police pushed Rane while he was having his lunch. He is nearly 70. Should a person of such age be treated like this? We feel there is a threat to his life," Lad said.

However, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed the BJP was trying disturb the harmony in Maharashtra, and said "there will be repercussions" if a person makes controversial remarks. "The state will not accept this kind of language. Rane has not only insulted CM Thackeray, but also the people of this state. If a person makes controversial remarks, there will be repercussions, said Malik, whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar also reacted to the ugly spat between ruling and opposition parties. He said, "I do not want to get into this matter. He is acting as per his Sanskar (values imbibed during formative years)."

State minister and Shiv Sena leader Gulabrao Patil, meanwhile, said Rane should be given "shock treatment" as he has lost his "balance". Sena mouthpiece Saamana said that Rane's remarks had embarrassed the Centre. "He has been behaving like a "roadside gangster", it alleged.

"Rane has made the central government hang its head in shame. Given Rane's past record, Modi-Shah should take his comments against Thackeray seriously. If anybody had spoken in this manner about the prime Minister, he would have been booked under sedition charges. Rane's crime is similar," the editorial said.

What's the status of the case?

A court in Mahad, Maharashtra, while granting bail to Union minister Narayan Rane said his arrest over his controversial remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was justified, but his custodial interrogation was not necessary.

More recently, the Nashik Police has issued a notice to Rane, asking him to appear before them for questioning on 2 September in connection with an FIR registered against him over his remarks against Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, an official said on Wednesday.

As per the notice, Rane has been directed to remain present before the investigation officer - police inspector Ananda Wagh - at 12 pm on 2 September at the Cyber police station in Nashik city, located about 160 km from here, he said.

The notice was issued under Section 41 of the CrPC, the official said.

As per the notice, Rane has been directed not to commit any offence in future and not tamper with the evidence (in the case) in any manner whatsoever.

Rane also has been directed to join the investigation as and when required and cooperate in probe into the case, he said.

Rane has also approached the Bombay High Court, challenging the FIRs registered against him. However, the matter is yet to come up for hearing as the bench had refused an expedited hearing.

Soda bottles thrown, stones hurled as Sena, BJP cadre clash

Activists of Shiv Sena and its youth wing staged protests in various cities across Maharashtra against Rane. In Pune's Deccan Gymkhana area, Sena workers slapped posters of Rane with footwear. Yuva Sena workers staged a demonstration in Hadapsar. A stone was hurled at a mall located on JM Road in Pune, a police official said.

In Amravati, Sena workers vandalised the BJP office located in the Rajapeth area and also set various posters installed in front of the office on fire in protest against Rane's remarks. No BJP office-bearer or party worker was present in the office at the time of the incident.

Sena activists poured petrol, brought by them in bottles, on the posters installed outside the office and set them afire around noon. They also hurled stones at the office.

Unidentified persons hurled soda water bottles at Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut's bungalow at Malvan in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.

Notably, Raut on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding sacking of Union minister Narayan Rane over his remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

With inputs from agencies

With his arrest, Rane, who holds the micro, small and medium enterprises portfolio in the Modi Cabinet, joins Murasoli Maran and TR Baalu to be the only Central ministers to be arrested in the past two decades.

Rane’s arrest

Union Minister Narayan Rane was arrested on Tuesday by the state police in the coastal district of Ratnagiri where he is travelling as part of the Jan Ashirwad Yatra. The Union minister was arrested over his remarks about slapping Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for what he called Thackeray's "ignorance of the year India won Independence".

Rane had claimed Thackeray forgot the year of Independence during his 15 August address and had to check with his aides mid-speech.

"It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to ask about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given him a tight slap," Rane said in the public meeting at Raigad.

The 69-year-old was later produced in a court in Mahad in Raigad in the night where he was granted bail on the Rs 15,000 surety with four conditions -- he will have to appear twice before Mahad police and he will have to ensure that the act will not be repeated. The Union minister will have to cooperate with the police for the collection of voice samples. The Union minister will have to ensure that the evidence is not tampered with.

The events also led to tense moments in the state with Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party workers agitating against one another.

Initially, Sena workers in Pune hit the streets, putting up posters against the minister and slapping photos of him with shoes. They also vandalised an office in Amravati.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: A group of Shiv Sena workers pelt stones at BJP party office in Nashik & raise slogans against Union Minister Narayan Rane.

The Union Minister and BJP leader had given a statement against CM Uddhav Thackeray yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Y3A3cWZbTa

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2021

In Mumbai itself, Sena workers demonstrated outside Rane's bungalow in Juhu, leading to clashes with BJP members.

Sena’s Ratanagiri-Sindhudurg MP Vinayak Raut even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding Rane’s expulsion from the Cabinet. “Rane has belittled the constitutional framework by his statement. The Jan Ashirwad Yatra conceptualised by the PM was to seek the blessings of the people, instead of it, Rane has been issuing statements for the cheap publicity,” Raut was quoted as saying.

Can a Central minister be arrested? What’s the procedure?

Rane’s arrest has also triggered a debate on whether the state of Maharashtra carried out due protocol to arrest him. According to BJP Maharashtra president Chandrakant Patil, the minister’s arrest was “against protocol” and questioned how it could issue an arrest warrant against a Union Minister suo motu.

So, what does the rules say and what’s the process to be followed?

If Parliament is not in session, a cabinet minister can be arrested by a law enforcement agency in case of a criminal case registered against him.

As per Section 22 A of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business of the Rajya Sabha, the Police, Judge or Magistrate would, however, have to intimate the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha about the reason for the arrest, the place of detention or imprisonment in an appropriate form.

As per Section 135 of the Code of Civil Procedure, a member of Parliament has freedom from arrest during the continuance of the House and 40 days before its commencement and 40 days after its conclusion in civil cases. However, the privilege doesn't extend to criminal cases.

In Rane's case, he has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace), 505 (statements conducive to public mischief), 500 (defamation), 505(2) (circulation of defamatory material), 153-b (1)(c) (commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities) of the IPC.

Infamous league of 3

Narayan Rane's arrest, however, is not the first time that a serving Union minister has been arrested. Rane, in fact, is the third Union minister in India to court arrest.

The first two were the late Murasoli Maran and T R Baalu.

Murasoli Maran (now deceased) and T R Baalu were arrested by the Chennai Police in June 2001 along with DMK's M Karunanidhi in a late-night raid in connection with a Rs 12 crore flyover scam

In a highly publicised event, the duo was picked up at midnight by Chennai Police along with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in connection with a Rs 12 crore ‘flyover scam’ in June 2001.

The arrests came on the complaint filed by then Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner JCT Acharyalu on June 29, 2001.

In visuals, aired on Sun TV, which shocked one and all, the police was seen manhandling Karunanidhi (now deceased) along with then Union Minister for Industries Murasoli Maran (he passed away in 2003) and TR Balu, who was the Union Minister for Environment and Forests at the time.

Maran, who was Karunanidhi’s nephew, had sustained injuries in the scuffle with the police during his arrest and was admitted to a hospital. Baalu had also sustained minor injuries.

They were both released on bail the next day after then Union Defence Minister George Fernandes had visited Chennai.

The arrest of the two Union ministers had caused widespread condemnation.

"In spite of identifying me as the Union minister, they did not care to produce the warrant of arrest and moreover they ill-treated and assaulted me", Baalu had said in a statement, released to the press in Chennai at the time.

Notably, the BJP had also expressed shock over the manner in which the DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu chief Minister M Karunanidhi was arrested by the police at his residence.

Inputs from Agencies

The magistrate's court denied the police's request for his custody but asked Rane to attend the Mahad police station in two days.

The BJP leader had said during the Jan Ashirwad Yatra of his party on Monday that he would have slapped Thackeray over the latter's 'ignorance' of the year of India's Independence.

"Satyamev Jayate" (truth always prevails), Rane tweeted after getting bail and on his way back to Mumbai.

After his arrest on Tuesday afternoon, Rane was taken to Mahad in Raigad district, 165 km from Mumbai, where an FIR was registered against him over the remark. Cases were registered against him at Nashik and Pune too as the remark set off angry protests by workers of the ruling Shiv Sena.

Rane was taken into custody at Golwali, the ancestral village of former RSS chief Sadashivrao Golwalkar 'Guruji' in Ratnagiri district. He was then handed over to Raigad police around 2.45 pm in connection with the FIR registered at Mahad.

The case at Mahad was registered under IPC sections 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace), and 505 (statements conducive to public mischief).

At the Mahad court, government pleader Bhushan Salvi sought seven-day police custody for the BJP leader. It was important to investigate if there was a conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of the chief minister, he said.

Opposing the application, Rane's lawyers Aniket Nikam and Bhau Salunkhe argued that his health condition was serious as he was 69 years old and suffered from sugar and blood pressure issues.
Nikam further argued that the offenses under IPC for which Rane was arrested were all punishable with less than seven years and hence his custody was unnecessary.

Nikam also argued that Rane's arrest was illegal as no summons was issued to him under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure before his arrest.

Court, after hearing both the sides, denied the police the Union minister's custody.

It instead remanded him in judicial custody and then, on the plea moved by his lawyers, granted Rane bail on a surety of Rs 15,000.

The arrest had followed Rane's statement targeting Thackeray in Raigad district on Monday.

It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech (on 15 August). Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap, Rane had said.

Rane defended his remarks against Thackeray, saying he hasn't committed any crime by making them.
On media reportage of his 'imminent arrest' in the case, Rane said hours before his arrest that he was not a normal' (ordinary) man and cautioned the media against such reportage.

Rane's remarks against Thackeray drew sharp reactions from Shiv Sena, whose workers put up a poster in Mumbai, calling him a kombdi chor' (chicken stealer), a reference to the poultry shop he ran in Chembur area five decades ago, during the initial part of his over four-decade-long stint with the Bal Thackeray-led party.

Rane's remarks against Uddhav Thackeray set off protests in Mumbai and several other cities which included pelting of stones and vandalising offices of BJP in some areas by Shiv Sena cadres.

In Mumbai, activists of Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Sena, and the BJP clashed near Rane's residence on the Juhu Tara Road in Santacruz (West).

Stones were pelted from both sides, following which police used cane-charge to disperse the agitators, an official said, adding heavy police security was deployed outside Rane's residence.
Slamming the Maharashtra government, BJP president JP Nadda said Rane's arrest was violative of constitutional values, and his party will not be cowed down by such actions.

In a tweet, Nadda said the "huge" response the BJP has received in its 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra' has jolted its rivals. "We fight democratically. The yatra will continue," he said.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil distanced himself from Rane's remarks. I am not defending Rane's comments, but I will also not express regret," Patil said.

Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP does not support Rane's comments, but the "party stands behind him 100 percent".

Alleging that the state police force was being used as a tool for "vendetta politics", the former chief minister said there should be law and order and "not Taliban-like governance".

Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding the sacking of Rane over his remarks against the Maharashtra chief minister.

Though a team of Nashik police was earlier said to have left to take Rane in custody (as an FIR has been filed against him there too), a senior police official said late at night that they would not arrest the BJP leader for now in view of the Mahad court's bail order.

A communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said Ganesan will be the new "Governor of Manipur with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office".

Heptulla had demitted office on 10 August and on the same day the charge was given to Sikkim governor Ganga Prasad.

Speaking about his elevation, Ganesan said, "I feel very elated because my services have been recognised. I am prepared to work in any place in India. BJP has given me an opportunity to work in Madhya Pradesh before and now in the northeast," he stated.

"Emotionally, I feel that entire Bharat is one. Now by experience, I will feel that the entire Bharat is one," he added.

On being asked about the current issues in Manipur, Ganesan said he has not taken charge as the governor yet and will only understand the core issues of the state once he takes the charge.

"I am not alone. There is a whole party with me. Together we will be successful in our duties," he added.

He added that coincidentally he has replaced Heptulla twice — once when he became a member of Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh and now when he became the governor of Manipur.

Meanwhile, wishes have begun to pour in from politicians.

Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit and chief minister MK Stalin congratulated Ganesan on his appointment as governor of Manipur. Stalin pointed out that the senior BJP leader from the state had a long political experience.

In a tweet, Stalin, addressed Ganesan as an "elder brother" and recalled the BJP leader's affectionate ties with his late father and former chief minister M Karunanidhi.

மணிப்பூர் மாநில ஆளுநராகப் பொறுப்பேற்கவுள்ள தலைவர் கலைஞரின் அன்பைப் பெற்ற பண்பாளரும்; நீண்ட அரசியல் அனுபவத்துக்குச் சொந்தக்காரருமான அண்ணன் திரு. இல.கணேசன் அவர்களுக்கு வாழ்த்துகள்! pic.twitter.com/gbFySiCcRp

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 22, 2021

Purohit said he was delighted and added, "I congratulate Thiru La Ganesan and extend my best wishes for glorious service to the people of Manipur. I wish him peaceful and successful tenure in Manipur," he said in a Raj Bhavan statement.

Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan also extended her greetings to Ganesan. In her message, Soundararajan said she was glad that "the senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu and my elder brother whom I always hold in high esteem has been appointed the Governor of Manipur."

She said that the experience and administrative capability of Ganesan would be of great help for the development of Manipur.

Agencies

The Congress will not be found wanting while working towards this goal, she said at a virtual meeting of the leaders of 19 Opposition parties, adding that the 75th year of independence is an apt occasion "to reaffirm our individual and collective resolve".

"Of course, the ultimate goal is the 2024 Lok Sabha election for which we have to begin to plan systematically with the single-minded objective of giving a government to our country that believes in the values of the freedom movement and in the principles and provisions of our Constitution," Gandhi said.

"This is a challenge, but together we can and must rise to it because there is simply no alternative to working cohesively. We all have our compulsions, but clearly, the time has come when the interests of our nation demand that we rise above those," she added.

Noting that the 75th anniversary of the country's independence is indeed the most appropriate occasion "to reaffirm our individual and collective resolve", Gandhi assured the Opposition leaders, saying "the Indian National Congress will not be found wanting".

The virtual meeting -- one of the biggest gatherings of Opposition leaders in recent times -- was attended by NCP's Sharad Pawar, TMC's Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray and DMK's MK Stalin among others.

Banerjee also urged the parties to keep their differences aside and work towards defeating the BJP in 2024. She proposed setting up of a core group to chalk out joint Opposition programmes.

The meeting convened by Gandhi came after the washout of the recent Monsoon Session of Parliament due to a united Opposition's demand for a discussion on the Pegasus snooping controversy, which the government declined.

The Congress chief said the Monsoon Session of Parliament was a washout entirely due to the government's "obstinate and arrogant unwillingness to discuss and debate urgent issues of public importance" such as the Pegasus row, a repeal of three "anti-farmer" laws, price rise, the assault on federalism and the institutions of democracy that affect each and every citizen of the country.

In spite of this, the session was marked by the determined unity that all the Opposition parties demonstrated for over 20 days in both the houses, she said.

"We functioned in a coordinated manner with daily discussions among our floor leaders.

"I am confident that this unity will be sustained in the future sessions of Parliament as well, but the larger political battle has to be fought outside it," Gandhi said.

She claimed that it was entirely due to the Opposition parties that the Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill was passed to restore the long-standing rights of the states to identify and notify the other backward classes (OBCs).

The Congress chief blamed the government, saying the bill was required to rectify the mistake it committed three years ago and a subsequent ruling of the Supreme Court.

She also said after their intervention, crucial changes were made in the policy of procurement of Covid vaccines, but as always, someone else has taken the
credit.

Gandhi said Pawar has raised with the government the issue of the creation of the Ministry of Cooperation, which is blatant interference in the constitutional rights and responsibilities of the states.

The meeting was part of the Congress leadership's efforts to unite various Opposition parties on key issues before the country, including the upcoming Assembly elections in some states and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja and Sharad Yadav of the Loktantrik Janata Dal were also present at the meeting.

In a joint statement issued after the meeting, the Opposition parties said they will jointly organise protests all over the country from September 20-30.

"The forms of these public protest actions will be decided by the respective state units of our parties, depending on the concrete conditions of the Covid regulations and protocols existing in the states. These forms, amongst others, may include dharnas, protest demonstrations, hartals etc.

"We, the leaders of 19 Opposition parties, call upon the people of India to rise to the occasion to defend our secular, democratic, republican order with all our might. Save India today, so that we can change it for a better tomorrow," they added.

The leaders who took part in the meeting were from TMC, NCP, DMK, Shiv Sena, JMM, CPI, CPI(M), NC, RJD, AIUDF, VCK, Loktantrik Janata Dal, JD(S), RLD, RSP, Kerala Congress (Mani), PDP and IUML.

Leaders of AAP, BSP and SP were not present at the meeting.

Speaking about his father, Rahul Gandhi said that he was a “man with tremendous vision, whose farsighted policies helped build modern India. He was a wonderful father, a compassionate and loving human being. He will always stay alive in my heart”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also remembered Gandhi on the day. “Tributes to our former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary,” he posted on Twitter.

Tributes to our former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 20, 2021

Apart from PM Modi, other leaders also joined in paying tribute to Rajiv Gandhi. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said Gandhi’s contributions to the “IT, telecom and education sector” would always be remembered.

My tributes to former Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary today. His valuable contributions to the IT, telecom and education sector will always be remembered.

— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) August 20, 2021

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma paid tribute to the former Prime Minister.

Humble tributes to former Prime Minister Sri Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary.

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 20, 2021

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also paid his respects to the late politician.

Tributes to former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary.

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 20, 2021

Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy called Gandhi “a forward-looking visionary.” He recalled Gandhi as a humane and kind leader who endeared himself to everyone.

Remembering Bharat Ratna #RajivGandhi on his .

A forward looking visionary, a humane & kind leader, a hard working and warm hearted person, Rajiv ji always endeared himself to anyone and everyone who came in contact with him.

— Komatireddy Venkat Reddy (@KomatireddyKVR) August 20, 2021

Recalling Gandhi as the architect of digital India, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar said that the former Prime Minister was known for his “empathetic leadership and conceived India as a global power”.

Tributes to former PM and architect of digital India, Sri #RajivGandhi, on his 77th birth anniversary.

He was known for his empathetic leadership and conceived India as a global power, which earned him immense respect the world over.#RememberingRajivGandhi pic.twitter.com/JPsJcJYLqL

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) August 20, 2021

Congress leader Anand Sharma said that India is “grateful and proud” of the memory of the country’s youngest ever Prime Minister. He fondly remembered Gandhi as someone “who truly lived and died for India”.

Fondly remembering India's leader former PM #RajivGandhi ji who truly lived and died for India. A visionary, he led India’s transformation as we leapfrogged to a global leadership position in Communication & IT. India is grateful and proud of his memory. pic.twitter.com/mWNcySXkYA

— Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) August 20, 2021

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla also paid tribute to the late politician, remembering “his passion and vision for the country”.

Remembering the youngest PM of India under whose leadership our India leapfrogged in technological advancement, made peace in Punjab and the North East and ushered in modernization. A man with a vision and passion for India .
Martyr shri #RajivGandhi ji
शत् शत् नमन pic.twitter.com/J8pCdBHfz0

— Tehseen Poonawalla Official (@tehseenp) August 20, 2021

Rajiv Gandhi served as the seventh Prime Minister of the country from 1984-89. In 1991, the leader was assassinated while he was attending a public meeting in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur.

The facts of what the prime minister said were not in dispute. And yet, his critics fumed at it. They called it polarising, communal, even undermining the sanctity of Independence Day. This had the awkward side effect of some of them perhaps not realising that 14 August is not our day of independence, but that of a toxic neighbour. It was as if the prime minister had walked in upon some grand conspiracy that had been hidden in plain sight. By their nervousness, the Left has betrayed their own mafia-like approach to history.

Like any good investigator, we must now press the question. What is it about the history of partition that they are so unwilling to talk about it?

The prime minister's tweet was just an invitation to think about history. But the instinct on the left was to whitewash and cover up. Why would this reopen the wounds of partition? A wound does not go away simply because you act like it doesn't exist. Instead, it begins to get infected. Why would this polarise society along religious lines? Sensible people don't get their feelings hurt when facts of history are presented before them. And why would this affect the celebratory mood before Independence Day? Triumph and tragedy go hand in hand all the time. Remembering the holocaust takes nothing away from celebrating the victory in World War II.

A nation is defined by its collective memory, which works in two ways. First, when we fix in our memories the horrors of partition, we understand who we are, what dangers we face, and what must never be allowed to happen again. It forces us to think about our place as a civilisation, and then evolve a strategic national doctrine to safeguard that civilization. Second, it helps the rest of the world understand our perspective, hopes and fears and drive our national interest.

This is one of the ways we have been lacking as a nation. We love to complain about how the rest of the world, particularly Western media and academics, distort our motives. For instance, in Kashmir, or in Ladakh, where they unfairly characterise our security interests. When we object, they say we are being too prickly, or have something to hide. They do not understand our perspective, nor our cultural context. But why would they? Have we made a serious effort to make the rest of the world see things from an Indian perspective?

History matters. The government of Israel has taken steps to ensure that the holocaust is never forgotten. Not just in Israel but all over the world. Every visiting dignitary is invited to the holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. There, they spend a few moments reflecting on the six million people who perished under the Nazi regime. This helps the world recognize Israel's interests in every conflict and their need for self-preservation. It helps them understand Israel's unique legal system, including the historical significance of the 'right of return' for Jewish people everywhere. Israel also supports a number of awards, exhibitions, museums, academic researches and other cultural initiatives all around the world to keep history alive.

It is in this respect that it is important for us to fix the partition of India as one of the great tragedies of the previous century. Without understanding partition, the world cannot understand India.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is a perfect case in point. Much of the rest of the world simply failed to recognise our perspective on it. Large sections of Indian society went so far as to say that the CAA actually goes against the spirit of our Constitution! This would not have happened if, in all these years, we had enabled serious reflection on the horrors of partition, as well as the subsequent suffering of Hindus and Sikhs elsewhere on the Indian subcontinent. People would have realised that the CAA is in fact integral to the idea of India!

By moving to recognise 14 August as an official day of remembrance for the horrors of partition, India has made a small but significant beginning. If the public intellectuals of old are getting nervous about this, there must have been something wrong with them to begin with. To press forward with our national interests, we must formulate and adopt a uniquely Indian perspective. And convince the rest of the world about the need for this Indian perspective, along with the historical basis for it.

We have to set this process in motion. None of the excuses made by the Left-wing intellectuals hold up to scrutiny and they know it. But what they may not know is that people, in general, have become wiser to their tricks than ever before. There is now genuine eagerness among people to learn about the facts of history. This eagerness is often fed in crude, unfiltered ways through social media posts and family Whatsapp groups. You can make jokes about the so-called 'Whatsapp University,' but you cannot make the hunger for information go away. You cannot extinguish it with insults, nor by picking on the occasional thing they get wrong. You can deal with it only by accepting the cover ups and whitewashing of the past, apologizing and making amends.

By reacting angrily to a day of remembrance for the horrors of partition, the Left-wing critics have in fact confirmed the worst suspicions of the public. The Partition of India was one of the worst moments of misery in all of human history. Two million people were killed and twenty million were displaced. If that much human suffering has to be buried for the sake of 'secularism,' how do we believe anything they tell us about the idea of India? If we cannot talk about the caravans of desperate people and the trains full of dead bodies, what can we talk about?

Let us open a conversation. About all the things that we are not supposed to talk about.

The author is a scientist, columnist and author. He can be reached at abhishekbanerjee1313@gmail.com

Sushmita Dev

Resigns from primary membership of our Party

While young leaders leave we ‘oldies’ are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it

The Party moves on with :

Eyes Wide Shut

— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) August 16, 2021

A former Lok Sabha MP from Silchar in Assam, Dev, is currently a national spokesperson of the Congress and the All-India Mahila Congress chief. She offered no reason for her quitting the party. In her letter to Gandhi on Sunday, Dev said she was beginning a "new chapter in my life of public service. Dev has also changed her Twitter bio to a former member of the party and former chief of the Mahila Congress. In her, Dev said she is resigning from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress.

"I cherish my three-decade-long association with the Indian National Congress...I hope I have your good wishes as I begin a new chapter in my life of public service," she said in the letter. Dev had met the Congress president along with other leaders of the Assam Congress on 14 August.

Her Twitter account was also temporarily blocked last week after she shared Rahul Gandhi's picture with the parents of the nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Delhi. .

Following her resignation, Sibal on Monday said the party is moving on with its "eyes wide shut". "Sushmita Dev resigns from primary membership of our Party. While young leaders leave we 'oldies' are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it," the former union minister said on Twitter. "The Party moves on with: Eyes Wide Shut," he also said.

Sibal, a member of the 'Group of 23' leaders who had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking organisational overhaul, has been demanding that the party be strengthened. The senior party leader on Sunday welcomed the party chief's initiative of bringing like-minded political parties together, but urged her to strengthen her own party, saying no Opposition unity is possible without it.

Sibal, however, said he along with other leaders of the "Group of 23" would continue to demand reforms in the grand old party and keep pushing for its strengthening. "I am happy that Congress president Sonia Gandhi is taking the initiative of bringing about Opposition unity. But our reform agenda has to continue and we will keep pushing for it to strengthen the Congress," he said.

The former Union minister said he and his party colleagues are ready to support these efforts in order to revive and revitalise the Congress. He said Gandhi can "jettison" him if he stands in her way, but he would continue to seek strengthening of the Congress for bringing it to the forefront of Opposition unity.

"This is not about me, but about a revival of the Congress and bringing it to the forefront of Opposition unity. Without the Congress being strong, there can be no Opposition unity," Sibal said. Sibal said Opposition unity will not come about till the Congress is revived and strengthened.

"This project of Opposition unity will fail if the Congress is not strengthened and rejuvenated. I hope the Congress realises the significance of its primacy," he said.

With inputs from PTI

Bhalla, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed as the Home Secretary in August 2019.

"The appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved extension in service to Bhalla as home secretary, ministry of home affairs for a period of one year beyond the present tenure i.e. 22.08.2021," the order stated.

His tenure was extended till August 22 in October last year. Bhalla was scheduled to retire in November 2020 after completing 60 years of superannuation.

"The appointments committee of the Cabinet approved the extension in service of Bhalla as the home secretary beyond the date of his superannuation i.e. November 30, 2020, up to August 22, 2021," stated the ministry's order issued in October last year.

Each side has blamed the other for the early curtailment. While a group of Union ministers on Thursday addressed a joint press conference and demanded that the Rajya Sabha chairman should take the strongest possible action against those who broke the rules of the House, leaders of 11 Opposition parties issued a joint statement on the same day, condemning the "authoritarian attitude" and "undemocratic actions" of the government. So here's a breakdown of what each side has to say.

Opposition must apologise, says Centre

The Union ministers have accused the Opposition leaders of manhandling marshals. Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the Opposition's "my way or highway" approach is "highly condemnable".

Goyal, also the leader of House in Rajya Sabha, said the group of ministers met Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh and made an earnest appeal that the strongest possible action should be taken against the Opposition MPs for their deplorable behavior.

He said the Opposition was unable to accept that the country has given up on them and their behaviour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was a new low in parliamentary democracy.

#WATCH CCTV footage of ruckus by Opposition MPs in Parliament on 11th August pic.twitter.com/S3kvCp1gTz

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2021

"The secretary general's table in Rajya Sabha is not meant for dancing and protesting," Union Minister Anurag Thakur said at the press conference, referring to an incident when an Opposition leader was seen standing on a table inside the Rajya Sabha. He alleged that "anarchy from streets to Parliament" was the Opposition's only agenda during the Monsoon Session and demanded that they should apologise to the nation for their actions.

"We demand that Rajya Sabha Chairman should take stringent action against those Opposition MPs who broke the rules," parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said.

The day before yesterday, some MPs climbed on top of the tables (in Parliament). They were feeling proud of themselves. They thought they've done something great. They tweeted after shooting its video. Video shooting is not allowed: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi pic.twitter.com/sggb9OC29i

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2021

Government authoritarian and undemocratic, says Opposition

Meanwhile, leaders of 11 Opposition parties, also on Thursday, accused the government of deliberately derailing Parliament and alleged that Opposition MPs, including women members, were manhandled by outsiders who were not part of Parliament security.

In a joint statement, Opposition leaders condemned the "authoritarian attitude" and "undemocratic actions" of the government and said what had happened in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was "shocking" and "an insult to the dignity of the House and humiliation of the members."

Accusing the Centre of stonewalling their demand for discussion, the Opposition leaders charged that it was evading a debate on the Pegasus snooping issue. The leaders of Opposition parties earlier met in Parliament and later marched in protest to Vijay Chowk against the government.

The parties whose leaders were present at the meeting include those from the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, SP, DMK, CPIM, CPI, RJD, IUML, RSP and Kerala Congress (M). TMC, AAP and BSP were not part of the meeting of Opposition leaders that was also attended by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"What happened in Rajya Sabha yesterday was shocking, unprecedented, sad and an insult to the very dignity of the House and humiliation of the members of the august House," they said in the joint statement.

The Opposition leaders, too, later met Naidu and complained against the alleged manhandling of its MPs.

Ensure smooth functioning of the House, says Venkaiah Naidu

Naidu, who received delegations of opposition parties and the government on that today, listened to their respective versions of events, which took place in the House on 11 August. He told both parties that ensuring the smooth functioning of the House was the collective responsibility of both the government and the opposition.

Before his meetings with the two delegations, Naidu held an hour-long meeting with the senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on the proceedings and turn of events in the House over the last few days, including the issue of deployment of martials on the last day of the session. He asked them to report back to him on the manner and scale of deployment later in the day.

The officials later told the chairman of the Upper House that no outsiders were deployed as martials in the Rajya Sabha on 10 August. They stated that only the watch and ward staff of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariats were deployed, which is permitted, based on the need. They also informed that only 14 martials were deployed to started with and were gradually scaled up to 42, based on the situation in the House and in view of the incidents in the House on previous days.

The Monsoon Session, which was to conclude on 13 August, was abruptly brought to an end on 11 August. The Lower House functioned for only 21 of the 96 stipulated hours during the entire session and its productivity was at 22 percent. Meanwhile, the Upper House registered a 28 percent productivity, its eighth least productive session since 1999.

The behaviour of the Opposition members was criticised by both the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairman. While Naidu broke down over the ruckus in the House calling it "sacrilege in temple of democracy, Speaker Om Birla said he was "extremely hurt" by the continuous disruptions.

The Lower House functioned for only 21 of the 96 stipulated hours during the entire Monsoon Session this year and its productivity was at 22 percent, Speaker Om Birla informed on the day.

The session, which began on July 19, witnessed Opposition protests both within and without the Parliament over the Pegasus snooping row, oxygen deaths and farm laws, pictures and videos of which flooded the internet.

But despite the pandemonium 20 Bills were passed. Here's looking back at a turbulent 17 sittings that saw legislators tear papers and break glass doors.

लोकसभा का #MonsoonSession आज अनिश्चितकाल के स्थगित हो गया। 19 जुलाई से प्रारंभ हुए इस सत्र में कुल 17 बैठकें हुईं। संविधान (127 वां संशोधन) विधेयक, कराधान विधि (संशोधन) विधेयक, दिवाला एवं शोधन अक्षमता संहिता (संशोधन) विधेयक सहित सदन में कुल 20 महत्वपूर्ण विधेयक पारित हुए। pic.twitter.com/nUFysYC7FP

— Om Birla (@ombirlakota) August 11, 2021

Significant Bills passed

The Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020: The new law is expected to improve the availability of credit to micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) since more non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) will now be eligible to offer factoring services to MSMEs.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021: This law would make way for an alternative method of providing a corporate rescue plan for MSMEs.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by the Lok Sabha on July 28 and by the Rajya Sabha yesterday. Salient features of the Bill include:
- Pre-pack for MSMEs which blends elements & virtues of both formal and informal insolvency proceedings (1/3)

— NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) August 4, 2021

- Under the pre-pack process, a resolution plan is negotiated between the debtor & creditors before formal proceedings start. This combines efficiency, speed, cost effectiveness & flexibility with the binding effect of a formal process. (2/3)

— NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) August 4, 2021

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021: It seeks to strengthen and streamline the provisions for the protection and adoption of children. It makes provision to increase the role of district magistrates and additional district magistrates in matters concerning child care and adoption.

The Essential Defence Services Bill, 2021: The law seeks to prevent workers of the government-owned ordnance factories from going on strike against the corporatisation of the units.

The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021: It seeks to dissolve certain existing appellate bodies and transfer their functions, such as adjudication of appeals, to other existing judicial bodies.

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021: The legislation provides for the setting up of a commission as the sole authority with jurisdiction over air quality management. It is expected to bring an end to the blame game witnessed in the recent past over air quality monitoring and management among states of the region.

The Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021: The law aims at restoring the powers of states to notify backward classes.

The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021: The law seeks to establish a central university in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Productivity

The Lower House functioned for only 21 hours and 14 minutes, Out of the quorum of 96 working hours, work could not be done for 74 hrs and 46 minutes owing to constant disruption by the Opposition. This is opposed to 167 percent productivity, displayed by the House in the Monsoon Session, 2020.

Questions raised

Ministers in all responded orally to 66 questions in the House and members raised 331 issues under Rule 377.

Loss to the exchequer

As per recent reports in Mint, till 1 August, the Parliament had functioned for 18 hours and spent over 133 crore of the taxpayers' money, which is over seven crore per hour.

Issues that were discussed

Pegasus Snoopgate: The controversy surrounds the alleged usage of Israeli spyware Pegasus by the Indian government to snoop on eminent journalists, politicians, academicians, businessmen and activists. The Opposition has disrupted House proceedings every day seeking an investigation into it.

Three farm legislations: The Centre last year passed three legislations — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. Since then a large number of people from the farming community and Opposition leaders have actively demanded that the laws be repealed as they claimed that they would adversely affect small-time farmers.

Price rise: The country witnessed a sharp rise in prices of fuel, with petrol and diesel breaching the 100-mark. Meanwhile, prices of food items have also seen a staggering rise with retail inflation crossing six percent last month.

Oxygen deaths: Another issue over which the Opposition wanted to corner the Union government was deaths due to lack of oxygen during the second wave of the pandemic. During the session, the Union health ministry had claimed that there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen.

Protests rock Parliament

Since the beginning of the Monsoon Session, the Opposition has been accused of stalling the proceedings and disrespecting the House. The prime minister had recently slammed the Opposition, saying "On one hand, our country is scoring goal after goal of victory, on the other, some people, due to political self-interests, are doing such things which make it seem that they are scoring ‘self goals'".

Here are a few pictures of the ruckus in the Parliament in the last three weeks —

Repeat of September 2020, in Rajya Sabha today. ALL opposition parties call out Govt bluff. #FarmerProtests on the streets, MPs inside #Parliament

Govt running away from #Pegasus

Govt running away from repealing Farm Laws. Oppn MPs👇🏻VIDEO pic.twitter.com/Q8sJSUqFnS

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) August 10, 2021

Congress MP Ripun Bora rides a bicycle to the #Parliament to protest against the rise in fuel prices. (ANI) pic.twitter.com/odjWxVS1PW — NDTV (@ndtv) July 29, 2021

Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi drives a tractor to reach Parliament, in protest against the three farm laws pic.twitter.com/JJHbX5uS5L

— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2021

(With input from agencies)

During a session, both the Houses meet almost daily barring holidays to transact business be it to discuss a matter of public matters, frame laws, amend laws, place Standing Committee reports and pass financial bills among others. The Houses are in session thrice a year: Budget Session (February to May); Monsoon Session (July to September); and Winter Session (November to December).

During a session of Parliament, usually, there are two sittings: morning sitting from 11 am to 1 pm and post-lunch sitting from 2 pm to 6 pm. The sitting of the Parliament in both the Houses can be terminated only by adjournment, adjournment sine die, prorogation and dissolution (not applicable for Rajya Sabha).

Technically, a session of the Parliament means the period between the first sitting of a House and its prorogation or dissolution. The period between the prorogation of a House and its reassembly in a new session is called a recess.

Adjournment sine die: Adjournment sine die means terminating a sitting of Parliament for an indefinite period, that is, when the House is adjourned without naming a day for reassembly, it is called adjournment sine die. The power of adjournment sine die lies with the presiding officer of the House.

However, the presiding officer of a House can call a sitting of the House before the date or time to which it has been adjourned or at any time after the House has been adjourned sine die.

Adjournment: An adjournment results in the suspension of work in a sitting for a specified time, which may be hours, days or weeks. In this case, the time of reassembly is specified as an adjournment only terminates a sitting and not a session of the House. The power of adjournment lies with the presiding officer of the House.

Prorogation: The term prorogation means the termination of a session of the House by an order made by the President under Article 85(2)(a) of the Constitution. The prorogation terminates both the sitting and session of the House and is usually done within a few days after the House is adjourned sine die by the presiding officer. The President issues a notification for the prorogation of the session. However, the president can also prorogue the House while in session.

It must be noted that all pending notices except those for introducing bills lapse.

Dissolution: Whenever a dissolution happens, it ends the very life of the existing House and a new House is constituted after the General Elections.

However, only the Lok Sabha is subject to dissolution as the Rajya Sabha, being a permanent House, is not subject to dissolution. The dissolution of the Lok Sabha may take place in two ways:

• Automatic dissolution: On the expiry of its tenure: five years or the terms as extended during a national emergency.
• Order of President: If the President is authorised by the Council of Ministers, he or she can dissolve Lok Sabha, even before the end of the term. The president may also dissolve Lok Sabha if the Council of Ministers loses confidence and no party is able to form the government. Once the Lok Sabha is dissolved before the completion of its normal tenure, the dissolution is irrevocable.

When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, all business including bills, motions, resolutions, notices and petitions that are pending before it or its committees lapse.

Summoning: Summoning is the process of calling all members of the Parliament to meet. It is the duty of the President of India to summon each House of Parliament from time to time. The maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months. The Parliament should meet at least twice a year.

Speaking at the BJP parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, Modi asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi to submit the details of those who were not present in the house when the voting was held, the sources said.

The BJP parliamentary party led by Modi also gave a standing ovation to the Olympic medal winners, they said.

Modi asked the BJP MPs to promote various kinds of sports besides cricket in their respective constituencies from the grass root level, the sources said. He told MPs to build sports infrastructure and make arrangements for training for the budding talent, they said.

During the meeting, sports minister Anurag Thakur gave a presentation on India's performance at the Tokyo Olympics.

Thereafter, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who held the sports portfolio till July, also spoke about the preparations made for the Games.

During the meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also spoke on the UNSC meeting. Modi became the first Indian prime minister to preside over a meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday.

Referring to Tuesday's events, the Rajya Sabha Chairman said he struggled to find a provocation or reason for the low in the "august House".

What Naidu said:

• Parliament, the apex legislature of the country is regarded as the "temple of democracy", he said.
• The table area where the officers and reporters of the House, the secretary general and the presiding officer are seated is considered the holy sanctum sanctorum of the House, an emotional Naidu said as the Rajya Sabha assembled for the day.
• "I rise in deep anguish to place on record the way this august House is being subjected to sacrilege and that too propelled by a sense of competition among some sections of the House since the commencement of this monsoon session," the Rajya Sabha chairman said.
• In temples, devotees are allowed only up to the sanctum sanctorum and not beyond, he said, adding that entering the area is itself an act of sacrilege.
• "I am distressed by the way this sacredness has been destroyed yesterday. "I have no words to convey my anguish and to condemn such acts. As I spent a sleepless night last night, I struggled to find the provocation or reason for forcing this august House to hit such a low yesterday," he said.
• "I find it difficult to understand as to how the way the subject was listed in the List of Business for yesterday would have prevented any member to raise any issue concerning the farm sector, including the three farm Bills that some members were keen to raise in the House and even demanding their withdrawal," Naidu said.
• Tuesday, he added, was a golden opportunity for members to have gone on record with their positions on all issues relating to the plight of the famers. But it was not to be as the sole intention seemed to be to not allow the House to function.
• Naidu also expressed his concern at some MPs shooting the "sad moments of sacrilege" in the House and posting them on social media. While doing so, they only ended up showing to the people the extent to which the House could degenerate to due to the new found competitive and aggressive disruption by some sections, he said.
• "It was very sad indeed. I am deeply anguished and so must be the nation and well wishers of our parliamentary democracy," Naidu observed.
• As chairman of the House, Naudi said he was "scared to visualise the implications and consequences of such competitive acts of sacrilege in our temple of democracy".
• Naidu asked the members to seriously reflect on what happened on Tuesday and explore remedies if any. "Failure to do so would certainly render our parliamentary democracy irrelevant," he added.
• "I would like to remind all of you that we begin to celebrate the 75th year of our independence in a few days from now. The choice before each one of you is very clear. It is either to be the best parliamentarian or the worst disruptor," he added.
• Naidu also said that "some people" had complained that Rajya Sabha TV did not broadcast what happened in the House on Tuesday.
• "I don't know why Rajya Sabha TV not showing. This also can be shown. I have no problem," he said.

What they said

Union minister Anurag Thakur, speaking to Hindustan Times, slammed the Congress for lowering the dignity of the House with their unruly conduct. "A party which has not been able to choose a new president, whose MPs tear the legislations of their own party and doesn't allow Parliament to function by indulging in condemnable behaviour shows that the democracy was shamed. People have elected these MPs to discuss issues in Parliament, but they have stooped to tearing papers and throwing files," said Thakur.

ANI quoted agriculture minister Tomar as saying, "Demand for a discussion on agriculture was accepted in Rajya Sabha. As soon as it began, Congress, AAP & TMC adopted an undemocratic attitude. Congress is not able to digest the fact that farmers are prospering with the new govt policies."

"The attitude of Congress and TMC during the discussion in Rajya Sabha has dealt a major blow to democracy and proves that there is nothing black in the new farm laws. Black can only be seen in the clothes of Opposition leaders," he added.

Congress member Pratap Singh Bajwa told NDTV: "MPs who threw the rule book towards the Chair wanted that the Chair must follow the rulebook in ĺetter and spirit."

Refusing to apologise for his behaviour, Bajwa further told Times Now: "I will do it 100 times if the government does not give us an opportunity to discuss the three black anti-agriculture laws. BJP cannot browbeat the farmers of India.”

“We had no other option as the government was disallowing our notice seeking a discussion on the repeal of the three farm laws. I have not committed any crime by raising farmers’ concerns and have no regrets,” he added.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh tweeted:

Presiding officers in Parliament are supposed to be neutral umpires, not partisan players. They cannot present a totally one-sided picture of goings on in the House and further aggravate the situation. Misplaced emotion leads to commotion.

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 11, 2021

What happened in the RS on Tuesday?

Ugly scenes were witnessed in the Upper House when the House began a discussion on farmers' protest against new reform laws. Several MPs stood on the table where the parliamentary staff sits right below the chair, while others crowded around it shouting anti-government slogans.

A few members squatted on the tables for over one-and-half hours during which proceedings were adjourned multiple times. No sooner had a discussion on the farmers' issues been called, MPs belonging to Opposition parties including the Congress and the TMC trooped into the Well shouting slogans seeking withdrawal of the controversial farm reform legislations.

As vice-Chairman Bhubaneswar Kalita called members to speak on the issue, Sanjay Singh of AAP climbed on the table right below the presiding officer's chair and starting chanting slogans against the farm laws. This forced Kalita to briefly adjourn the proceedings. As the House marshals brought Singh down from the table, Congress' Pratap Singh Bajwa climbed the table, shouted slogans and then hurled a file at the Chair. Ripun Bora of his party too was seen standing on the table for some time.

All this happened during the adjournment period. Sloganeering by the Opposition and counter-sloganeering by BJP MPs continued inside the House even after the short adjournment. While TMC and DMK members came wearing black shirts, kurtas and sarees, Congress members were seen sporting black ribbon bands. Some wore black Nehru jackets, black shawls and even black masks.

When the House re-assembled, Singh was back on the table and this time he was joined by Binoy Visman of CPI, CPM's V Sivadasan, Congress' Deepender Hooda, Ripun Bora and Rajamani Patel, DMK's M Shanmugham and Mausam Noor of TMC, leading to another adjournment for 30 minutes. An MP waved a black cloth as pandemonium prevailed.

While Rajya Sabha television did not show the scenes of ruckus, Opposition MPs recorded the events and posted them on their Twitter handles. When the House reassembled, Kalita announced that Deputy Chairman Harivansh has invited all floor leaders for a meeting, but the opposition persisted with its protest, forcing another adjournment.

As the ruckus continued when the House met again, the proceedings were adjourned for the day. Outside the House, Bajwa said he had to climb on the table to highlight the "anti-farmer policies" of the Modi government and that he was willing to face any punishment including suspension.

He said the Congress will continue with its protests against the "anti-farmer laws". When Kalita announced a discussion on farmers' issues soon after the House assembled after a pre-lunch adjournment, Congress chief whip Jairam Ramesh cited a ruling by the Chair in 2015 and said his notice for calling attention motion has been converted into short duration discussion without taking the sense of the House.

This, he said, was a unilateral decision. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi countered him saying it has never happened but was willing to go for a sense of the House if that was required.

Kalita said Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had admitted a short duration discussion and fixed a time for it. He then called the first speaker, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar of the BJP, to speak. This prompted opposition MPs to rush into the Well of the House shouting slogans.

The Monsoon Session of the Parliament has seen opposition MPs stall proceedings demanding discussions on the Peagus snooping issue as well as on farmers' agitation and price rise. Six TMC MPs were suspended for the day earlier this month for carrying placards into the Well while one was suspended for the whole session for snatching papers from IT and Telecom Ministers and tearing it up.

Last September, Rajya Sabha had witnessed unruly behaviour by opposition members during the passage of the contentious farm bills with MPs throwing the rule book at the chair, breaking microphones and launching paper missiles. Eight MPs were suspended for the remainder of the session then.

With inputs from PTI

In the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament that ends this Friday, the government will introduce the 127th Constitution Amendment Bill in Parliament to clarify “some provisions in the 102nd Constitutional amendment Bill” to restore the power of the states to identify backward classes.

According to the Constitution of India, Articles 15(4), 15(5) and 16(4) confer power on a state to identify and declare the list of socially and educationally backward classes. As a matter of practice, separate OBC lists are drawn up by the Centre and each state concerned.

Why is the 127th Constitution Amendment Bill needed?

The amendment was necessitated after the Supreme Court in its Maratha reservation ruling in May upheld the 102nd Constitutional Amendment Act but said the president, based on the recommendations of the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), would determine which communities would be included on the state OBC list.

"In the task of identification of SEBCs, the President shall be guided by the Commission set up under Article 338B; its advice shall also be sought by the state in regard to policies that might be framed by it. If the commission prepares a report concerning matters of identification, such a report has to be shared with the state government, which is bound to deal with it, in accordance with provisions of Article 338B. However, the final determination culminates in the exercise undertaken by the President (i.e. the Central Government, under Article 342A (1), by reason of Article 367 read with Section 3 (8) (b) General Clauses Act)," the judgment read.

"The states’ power to make reservations, in favour of particular communities or castes, the quantum of reservations, the nature of benefits and the kind of reservations, and all other matters falling within the ambit of Articles 15 and 16 – except with respect to identification of SEBCs, remains undisturbed," it said.

The 102nd Constitution Amendment Act of 2018 had inserted Articles 338B and Article 342A (with two clauses) after Article 342. Articles 338B deals with the structure, duties and powers of the National Commission for Backward Classes. Article 342A says that the president, in consultation with the governor, would specify the socially and educationally backward classes.

The amendment is necessary to restore the powers of the state governments to maintain a state list of OBCs which was taken away by a Supreme Court interpretation. If the state list gets abolished, nearly 671 OBC communities would lose access to reservations in educational institutions and in appointments. This would adversely impact nearly one-fifth of the total OBC communities.

Why did the SC intervene?

The Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, has had a rollercoaster ride till it was held to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in its 5 May judgment. The first challenge to the quota was filed in the Bombay High Court right after the state government passed the legislation.

Petitioners said that the quota violated the Supreme Court order in the Indira Sawhney case in 1992 that had ruled that reservation in any state should not exceed the 50 percent mark.

In December 2018, the Bombay HC refused to put an interim stay on the quota law even as it was hearing the case. Eventually, in its judgment in June 2019, the high court upheld the Maratha quota but asked the state government to reduce it from 16 percent to 12 to 13 percent, which was also what was recommended by the State Backward Class Commission. On the question of breaching of the 50 percent mark, the HC held that the ceiling imposed by the Supreme Court could be exceeded in exceptional circumstances.

However, the Constitution Bench of the apex court sought to differ on that reading.

"We have found that no extraordinary circumstances were made out in granting separate reservation of Maratha Community by exceeding the 50 percent ceiling limit of reservation. The Act, 2018 violates the principle of equality as enshrined in Article 16. The exceeding of ceiling limit without there being any exceptional circumstances clearly violates Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution which makes the enactment ultra vires," the verdict said.

It must be noted that at least three other states — Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Chhattisgarh — have introduced quotas that breach the total 50 percent ceiling while some others, including the likes of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka and Jharkhand have asked the Supreme Court to hike the quota ceiling.

What will the 127th Constitution Amendment Bill introduce?

The 127th Constitution Amendment Bill will amend clauses 1 and 2 of Article 342A and also introduce a new clause 3. The Bill will also amend Articles 366 (26c) and 338B (9).

The 127th Amendment Bill is designed to clarify that the states can maintain the "state list" of OBCs as was the system prior to the Supreme Court judgment. Articles 366 (26c) defines socially and educationally backward classes.

The "state list" will be completely taken out of the ambit of the president and will be notified by the state Assembly as per the proposed Bill.

What is the procedure to get 127th Constitution Amendment Bill passed?

An amendment of the Constitution can be initiated only by the introduction of a bill in either House of Parliament.

The bill must then be passed in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a special majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting. In case of disagreement between the two Houses, there is no provision for a joint sitting.

If the amendment seeks to make any change in any of the provisions mentioned in the provision to Article 368, it must be ratified by the Legislatures of not less than one-half of the states. Although there is no prescribed time limit for ratification, it must be completed before the amending bill is presented to the president for his assent.

Why Oppn supports it

The Opposition on Monday said it will support 127th Constitution Amendment Bill which gives power to the states in identifying OBCs. "All Opposition parties will support 127th Constitution Amendment Bill 2021 being introduced in Parliament today," Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, said.

However, Rajya Sabha proceedings were on Monday adjourned soon after it started off for an hour till after Opposition parties insisted on a discussion on the issue of Israeli-made military-grade Pegasus spyware allegedly being used to snoop on Opposition leaders, government critics and journalists.

In Lok Sabha, proceedings on Monday were adjourned for the second time till noon following uproar by Opposition members over various issues primarily wanting to discuss the Pegasus spyware controversy.Floor leaders from 15 Opposition parties met early including Congress, DMK, TMC, NCP, Shiv Sena, SP, CPM, RJD, AAP, CPI, National Conference IUML, LJD, RSP and KC(M) met today.

Union minister Virendra Kumar is expected to introduce the Bill in Lok Sabha today. The Business Advisory Committee has recommended an allotment of four hours for discussion and passing of the Bill. The Opposition has promised to cooperate during the discussion.

The Bill has political ramifications as restoring powers of the states to identify backward classes has been a demand by many regional parties and even the ruling party’s own OBC leaders. The BJP, and the Opposition parties, including the Congress, want to get support among the OBC communities in the poll-bound states, especially in the politically crucial Uttar Pradesh.

The political angle has forced the Opposition parties to be on the same page with the government as non-cooperation with the treasury benches in this regard might have a disastrous fallout on their reputation among the OBCs.

The Opposition's support to pass the Bill is significant as a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority of lawmakers who are present during the proceedings, with at least 50 percent in attendance.

These included the repealing of Article 370, the triple talaq bill, the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir and the Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill, among others. This was a new record for the maximum number of bills passed in one session in 67 years. There were several days when Parliament functioned right up to midnight or beyond.

With this session, the government had clearly tried setting a dynamic parliamentary agenda; it was committed to optimising parliamentary efficacy.

Opposition’s obsessive 'Khela Hobe' mindset

If two years later, Parliament has faced endless disruptions over the last three weeks leading to one of the most unproductive sessions, the blame squarely lies upon the Opposition’s ‘khela hobe’ mindset.

There is no doubt anymore about ‘khela hobe’ being a veiled messaging for violence and anarchy. While the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has presided over the worst crimes against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters in Bengal, it seems that the TMC MPs were clearly asked to extend the mindset inside Parliament.

Hence, when TMC MP Santanu Sen snatched away papers from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishaw even as he was making a statement on the Pegasus row, the attack was clearly premeditated.

In fact, exuding anarchy and snatching papers has been an old TMC habit; Derek O Brien having demonstrated it at least twice before inside Parliament, including once under the UPA government when the bill for the creation of Telangana state was introduced.

The Congress itself has been pursuing a milder form of 'khela hobe'; the most glaring example being the Congress MPs led by Rahul Gandhi flying paper planes inside Parliament in January 2019, when the then Defence Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, was speaking. Rahul Gandhi was himself seen winking during the Minister’s response on the Rafale debate.

Hence, disrupting Parliament this time has been a pre-decided 'khela hobe’ strategy.

Pegasus Enquiry

In the Indian context, the information available on Pegasus is flimsy and inadequate to initiate a formal investigation. Moreover, the MoS Defence, Ajay Bhatt, has explicitly stated in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that the Ministry of Defence has had no transaction with NSO Technologies.

This should firmly put the onus on individuals who suspect snooping to come forth and file an FIR. This, in fact, was also advised by the Supreme Court to the petitioner who had approached the court with the plea for a court-monitored enquiry.

What is it that stops the likes of Rahul Gandhi or MK Venu to file an FIR with the cybercrime cell?

No equivalence with Arun Jaitley’s past statement

The Opposition is gleefully quoting Arun Jaitley, out of context, in order to justify their anarchy inside Parliament. This is what Arun Jaitley had said on 26 August, 2012: “There are occasions when an obstruction in Parliament brings greater benefits to the country… Our strategy does not permit us to allow the government to use Parliament (for debate) without being held accountable… we do not want to give the government an escape route through debate.”

It is worth reminding at this point that Arun Jaitley’s comment was in the context of three of the biggest scams that India has witnessed — the CWG scam, coal scam and the 2G scam, on which the then government was repeatedly stonewalling discussion. As against that, Pegasus, at least based upon the information available so far, is largely a vague speculation. To use this issue to thwart discussion on all relevant issues affecting the common man is extremely irresponsible.

Today, the brazen hypocrisy of the Opposition stands exposed: during the peak of the COVID-19 wave, they were gunning for an emergency session of Parliament. Now when they had the opportunity to raise relevant issues, they squandered it away, inflicting a loss of nearly Rs 150 crore on the government.

The Way Ahead

The government would want all bills to be passed after adequate discussion and inputs. This is a government on the move that can’t be held hostage to the Opposition’s destructive antics. Hence important bills like Justice Juvenile Bill, Inland Vessels Bills and The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021, among others, had to be passed, notwithstanding the opposition drama.

It is sad that these bills were deprived of qualitative inputs that would have potentially emerged had the Opposition been better behaved. Now the onus is upon the Opposition to behave well in the next session of Parliament and press for amendments, if any, in the bills already passed.

The writer is an author and a BJP spokesperson. Views expressed are personal

The equation between Lalu Prasad’s sons, Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, was called into question after the image of Tejashwi, the Leader of the Opposition in Bihar Assembly, was missing from posters of an important meeting of RJD’s student wing where Tej Pratap was the chief guest, reported India Today.

Several large banners and posters were put up in the RJD headquarters at Patna carrying pictures of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, former chief minister Rabri Devi and party leader Tej Pratap Yadav. The office-bearers of RJD, district presidents and university presidents also attended the student wing meeting.

According to Hindustan Times, speculations have now arisen about Tej Pratap, who has been critical of the state president Jagdanand Singh, being keen on playing a more assertive role in the party and trying to increase his clout to compete with his younger brother Tejashwi, who has gained acceptance as the party’s face.

"After 10 pm in Bihar, the atmosphere gets disturbed. Nowadays bureaucracy is ruining Bihar. No work is done in Bihar without bribes. Bihar's health minister did not step out of his house throughout the COVID period," said Tej Pratap Yadav while addressing the meeting, reported ANI.

He further called senior RJD leader Jagdanand Singh "Hitler" in the meeting of the student wing.

On Sunday, during the party event, Tej Pratap was quoted by Aaj Tak as saying, "Jagadanand Singh goes everywhere and speaks like Hitler. There is a huge difference between when I used to come to the party office earlier and now. The gate of the party office was always open when father was here but many people started imposing his will after he was gone. The chair is not someone's legacy."

It is important to note that Jagadanand Singh is considered to be a close aid of Tejashwi Yadav and that this is not the first time Tej Pratap has expressed his displeasure with Singh.

When asked about the missing photo of Tejashwi Yadav from the party’s posters, Tej Pratap said, "Tejashwi remains in our hearts. How does it matter if the banners and posters do not carry his photo? Tejashwi is my Arjun. He is going to be the chief minister."

The BJP, meanwhile, taking an interest in this situation, has advised the RJD to make Tej Pratap the party national president.

As per Hindi newspaper Amar Ujala, Bihar BJP leader Arvind Kumar Singh quipped that injustice was being done to Tej Pratap, as he, being the elder son of Lalu Yadav, should have been the Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly instead of Tejashwi.

The BJP leader added that to undo this "injustice", Lalu Prasad has to either make Tej Pratap the national president of RJD or make his elder daughter Misa Bharti the party's national president.

However, Arvind also criticised Tej Pratap for calling Jagadanand Singh "Hitler", saying that the process of insulting senior leaders in RJD, which used to go on under Lalu's rule, "is still going on".

With inputs from agencies

"I request you to provide me only those facilities which are given to an immediate former chief minister and withdraw the order giving me a cabinet rank," Yediyurappa said in his letter to Bommai, which was made available to the media.

Bommai on Saturday issued an order stating that BS Yediyurappa will continue to receive government facilities on par with cabinet-rank ministers.

The order stated that he would remain the beneficiary of cabinet-rank facilities such as same salary, government vehicle, official accommodation, until Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is in office.

Yediyurappa had resigned on 26 July, which coincided with the completion of his two years' term in the office.

A day after his resignation, Yediyurappa had proposed Bommai's name as the leader at the BJP legislature party meet and was accordingly accepted by all. On 28 July, Bommai took oath as the new Chief Minister.

Yet, many of my fellow liberals are scrambling to reform and revive it, or whatever is left of it. I have no doubt that they are prompted by genuine concerns, not least the glaring absence of anything resembling a viable national opposition that could challenge the government and offer an alternative vision to the country.

But the idea that a party that is barely breathing and appears to have effectively lost the will to live can be suddenly revived and readied to take on the BJP’s well-oiled election machine at the next general election—less than three years away—is a fantasy devoid of any relation to reality.

What they are attempting to do in effect is trying to save the Congress from itself whereas all evidence suggests that it has no interest in being saved. The dozy body language of its top brass — Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka et al — says it all. Looking at them, one struggles to find the slightest hint that they have any fight left in them. Instead, there’s an odour of decay — an overwhelming sense of world-weariness, despair and ennui — wafting out from 10, Janpath. One can almost hear them say: we’re done,  leave us alone.

And the mood is reflected in the policy paralysis at the top of the party with crucial decisions, including the key issue of leadership, being constantly kicked down the road on one pretext or the other. Here’s a party that doesn’t even have a properly designated leader at a time when it is in dire need of strong leadership.

Demoralised, leaderless, and riven with factionalism and divisions, the Grand Old Party of yore is now a pale shadow of its former self. Not quite dead yet, but life is ebbing away little by little with nobody seemingly in a hurry to call for help. Trying to save an organisation driven by death wish is almost Quixotic, an act of futile heroism.

The point is: “save”  it from whom? There are no enemy dragons to rescue it from. The Congress party is its own biggest enemy—bogged down by organisational dysfunction, an insular leadership, a pathological aversion to change, and a culture of sycophancy and chumocracy. It’s not for nothing that it has ended up alienating even its most loyal voters, notably Muslims and other socially and economically weaker sections of the electorate, to whom it owed its successive victories for well more than half a century.

But all that’s history now. The proverbial 100- million dollar question is: where does it go from here? And, on present showing, the simple answer is: nowhere, except backwards. To be honest, even this bleak assessment may be too kind to a party that has been effectively rendered pointless by the country’s changing landscape, and its wilful failure to sense the mood and adjust to the changes. With much of its traditional support base heavily eroded and nobody new coming on board, Congress is playing to an empty house.

But instead of making any effort to woo back audiences, it continues to behave as though nothing has changed. Too much nostalgia for the old (long gone) glory days compounded by a mix of complacency and arrogance has blinded the party to the fact that over the past decade  India has seen tremendous changes politically, demographically, and culturally. Politics has not only become more competitive but also more polarised along religious, caste and cultural lines.

Plus there’s a new generation of mostly apolitical and more ideologically promiscuous voters who are willing to back anyone who appears to speak to them and who they believe can deliver what they want. Not being hung up on ideology they don’t care about the colour of the cat so long as it can catch the mouse. But the Congress is still trapped in 1970s-style  politics with its captive vote banks and patrician attitude towards voters.

The truth is that the party is absurdly out of touch with the new political landscape and, worse, it’s not even trying to get its head around it seriously -- hoping that a bit of tinkering around the edges will do the trick. It hasn’t worked so far, and it is not likely to work in future. What’s often forgotten is that no party, however magnificent its ancestry and history, has a divine right to exist forever, let alone continue to reign supreme and remain unchallenged without making any effort to change.

The idea of Congress “exceptionalism” is absurd. Its grand old age and historic pre-eminence in national politics don’t give it a pass to escape normal laws of political survival which demand a coherent sense of what a political organisation stands for; who it represents; and an ability to keep up with the needs and concerns of those it presumes to represent. Given the level of its lack of self-awareness, I’m not sure if it has even realised how poorly it fares on each of these counts. The truth is that it doesn’t stand for anything, isn’t quite sure who it represents, and doesn’t care how it is perceived—choosing instead to be seen as everybody’s party while in fact being nobody’s party.

Many Congressmen and women are serious, even progressive, figures but they are part of an enterprise that has run out of steam and is dragging them down with it. It’s a party without a credible organisation, without a sufficiently strong base, and without a survival plan. And it’s led by a shrinking cabal of Gandhi loyalists unwilling or incapable of rising to the challenge. Indeed, listening to them one begins to doubt if they’re even aware of the scale of the challenge. A standard line is that the Congress has been through crises before and has always bounced back—and it will bounce back again, Inshallah.

Well, not this time, I'm afraid. First, the “bounce back” narrative is slightly exaggerated. There has been really only one big jaw-dropping bounce back—in 1980 after the post-emergency rout of 1977. But it happened against a background of exceptional circumstances that don’t repeat themselves too often. (Those too young to remember should look up the dramatic history of 1977-1980 developments.) Two other revivals — 1991, 2004 — were part of the usual cycle of highs and lows in a party's life.

Things are significantly different this time. The gravity of the crisis facing the Congress today is unprecedented in its post-independence history. Even after its 1977 rout, it still had a strong and visionary leader in Indira Gandhi and an organisational and voter base more or less intact. And it had nearly three times more MPs (154) than its present tally of 52—not even enough to claim the post of the Leader of Opposition.

It's important to remember that the party's previous revivals came from a much lower threshold than is the case now. Then there's a little matter of the strength of the ruling party which, polls suggest, continues to enjoy considerable popularity despite the flak it took over its handling of the second Covid wave. Previous Congress comebacks were made easier by chinks in its rivals' armour. In other words, the odds against it this time on all fronts are very nearly insurmountable, and given its current state, it will need a miracle to stage a comeback.

But here’s a small irony often overlooked in the debate on the Congress crisis: those leading the liberal push for its revival were many of the same people who triggered its slide when they started to desert it seduced by other newly-minted “secular centrist”  parties accusing the Congress of neo-liberalism etc. Many switched to the BJP on the back of Narendra Modi’s seductive “sab ka saath, sab ka vikas” slogan.

Disillusioned by their respective choices (the cynical identity politics and political opportunism of “secular” regional outfits on the one hand, and aggressive Hindu nationalist majoritarianism of the BJP on the other), they are back cheering for it -- seeing it as the best of bad options. The biggest twist of course is the "ghar wapsi" of Muslims. It was their mass desertion of the Congress in the wake of Babri Masjid demolition accusing it of betrayal that really triggered its decline. So, first they dumped it for seemingly smarter allies, and when that didn’t work out they’re back—except that meanwhile their refuge of last resort has lost its shine and gone into a terminal existential crisis.

As a liberal (and a Muslim and a one-time Congress well-wisher to boot) my advice to them is to give up the ghost. I’ve already explained at some length why — barring a miracle — attempts to save the Congress look futile, but what should really worry liberals is the damage they are doing to progressive politics by trying to keep it alive in its present state. Its continued presence is splitting the centrist vote and sucking progressive energy indirectly benefiting the Right. Mind you, it is occupying a lot of precious liberal space which is in danger of becoming a wasteland if it is not reclaimed soon.

For all these reasons, not least Congress’ own lack of will to save itself, time has come to give it a decent burial and start focusing on building a new liberal alternative. As Sahir Ludhianvi wrote: “Woh afsana jise anjaam tak laana na ho mumkin, us e ek khoobsoorat mor dekar chhorna achha” (when it is not possible to take a story to its logical conclusion, it’s better to wind it up).

The author is a London-based commentator.

Although the "cycle yatra" at the tehsil-level in all districts marks the birth anniversary of veteran socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra, the purpose, political observers say, is to galvanise the party ahead of the upcoming state Assembly elections, barely a few months away.

Before pedalling down the streets of the state capital, Yadav told media persons at the party headquarters that his party will win 400 seats in the next assembly elections.

"I was saying that we will win 350 seats. But seeing the anger of people, I can say we can now win 400 seats," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. Uttar Pradesh has 403 Assembly seats.

Flaying the BJP government in the state over management of the pandemic, he said, "I condole the death of all those who died during the second wave of Covid. The government did not help those who lost their family members. It could not arrange oxygen and medicines and left people to die".

Attacking the BJP for allegedly inducting criminals, Yadav said as elections are nearing, the saffron party has put its ideology on the back-burner. "Party has not read its election manifesto (of 2017). Now it is concentrating on ''money-festo''. The BJP has no work culture and could do nothing in the past over four years except renaming projects of previous Samajwadi Party regime," he charged.

The BJP has made Uttar Pradesh the number one state in terms of the number of malnourished children, custodial deaths and disposing bodies in River Ganga, he charged.

Taking a swipe at Yogi Adityanath, he said as the chief minister did not know how to operate a laptop, he did not distribute it to children. "He (CM) must not be knowing about DNA and its full form. You (media) persons can go and ask him," he said when asked about laying the foundation of a forensic science institute in the state capital.

The yatra, which will cover a distance of 5-10 kilometres in all districts, is being taken out to protest the "anti-people" policies of the ruling BJP, price rise, unemployment, farm laws, rising crime and to demand the release of jailed party leader Azam Khan, the party said. It said the cycle march in Lucknow will cover a distance of 6.5 km. The cycle is the Samajwadi Party's election symbol and laying of cycling tracks along important thoroughfares, especially in the state capital, with demarcations painted in red and green (colours of the party flag) has often incurred the wrath of its political rivals.

The Samajwadi Party also plans to take out a ''Rath Yatra'' in the state in October that will cover almost all the 75 districts of the state. The Samajwadi Party recently concluded a series of meetings with the workers of over 300 of the 403 assembly constituencies. During these meetings, the names of probable candidates for assembly segments were also discussed. The party has made it clear that it will not have an electoral alliance with any of the major parties. However, it is open to alliance with smaller parties, Yadav had told PTI in a recent interview.

Making light of the cycle yatra, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said the Samajwadi Party is now remembering the late Janeshwar Mishra after the immense success of her party's intellectual conferences. This move by the SP is aimed at gaining cheap popularity, she charged.

BJP MP Jagdambika Pal said for the past over four years Yadav was "working from home" and never came out on road on the issues of public interest and with the approaching assembly elections he has resorted to this "gimmick".

Kishor says he will take a "temporary break from an active role in public life" --- an announcement that comes amid buzz that he could get a new responsibility in the Congress. The 44-year-old says he resigned as the advisor to the Punjab chief minister and is "yet to decide on my future course of action". He was appointed to the post in May; Punjab will have its Assembly elections next year.

It’s the "temporary” in the Prashant Kishor break and the open-ended stance on his future that add an edge to the calm. Some call him Chanakya for his incredible strike rate as an election strategist; others are looking at him to catalyse opposition unity in the run-up to the 2024 general elections.

Kishor has been on the winning side in seven out of the eight elections he has strategised for (this does not include Bihar 2020, as he was not actively involved in that election).

His first success came with the stellar campaign of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Narendra Modi, who rode to power with a sweeping majority and became the Prime Minister in 2014.

Then, a series of election wins kept him in the national spotlight. He helped the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal combine win in Bihar in 2015, just months after the BJP's landslide victory in the national elections.

He was with the Congress in 2017 when it took back Punjab from a BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) alliance. Successes came in Andhra Pradesh, where he strategised for Jaganmohan Reddy's YSRCP in 2019, and Delhi, where he sided with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in 2020.

Earlier this year, his I-PAC group helped the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) wrest Tamil Nadu after a decade. But, most importantly, it was his feat in West Bengal that propelled him to the national centrestage once again and positioned him as a hope for a rudderless opposition bloc.

In Bengal, the BJP was confident after having put up an impressive performance in 2019, when it won 18 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats there. In came Kishor, invited by the Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Observers say Kishor crafted his strategies carefully, helping the TMC come up with schemes amplifying Banerjee's appeal, especially among women voters. The TMC emerged victorious in a fiercely and bitterly fought election with a massive mandate.

Nonetheless, the 2017 elections in Uttar Pradesh did not go well for Kishor, who sided with the Congress-Samajwadi Party (SP) combine. The mandate was overwhelming in favour of the BJP in India's most populous and politically crucial state.

There's a contrarian view that all of Kishor's wins --- from Punjab to Delhi to Tamil Nadu to Andhra --- were obvious, with him placing his bet on the frontrunner. There could be an argument, however, that Bengal was different, as the BJP rolled out all its big guns there and went aggressively for a win. Hence, it is the showing by the TMC (and Kishor) that has apparently buoyed the opposition camp, which is eyeing to take on the well-oiled election juggernaut of the BJP in 2024.

Since the May outcome, Kishor has met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)'s Sharad Pawar behind closed doors more than once, sparking speculation about the happenings in the opposition camp.

Kishor also met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister and party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in mid-July. Initially, it was interpreted as a strategy meeting to quell dissent in the Punjab Congress amid differences between Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu (who was later made the state president). But soon, reports surfaced about a possible Kishor role in the Congress, though he maintains that politics is not his strong suit.

In fact, Kishor had joined Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) in 2018 but was expelled about two years later for not toeing the party line.

Cut to 5 August, 2021. The biggest question of the day is: after his return (it's just a matter of time), what role will Kishor play?

Will he be the binding factor working towards building so-called opposition unity? If yes, how will he do that -- as a strategist that he has always been, or as a member of a political party (read the Congress)?

Kishor has remained guarded about his next move and reports of his joining the Congress are still in the realm of speculation. But the Congress, reeling from a series of electoral loss and bitter infighting, could use someone like Kishor to breathe new life into its 136-year-old (and battered) structure.

His possible inclusion in the Congress in some capacity will also put to rest one key question in the run-up to 2024. For such a move will apparently indicate that there will be no so-called Third Front --- which has failed miserably in the past --- and that there will be no opposition unity without the Congress despite its frail health, as some observers have already indicated in the recent past.

For now, the ball is in Kishor's court. It's a wait-and-watch period in Indian politics. Things can only get more interesting from here.

Kishor, obviously, doesn’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

Bommai has by and large gone with old faces, as 23 of them were ministers in the previous BS Yediyurappa cabinet, while six are new.

Among those in the Yediyurappa cabinet who made it to Bommai's Ministry are Govind Karjol (Mudhol), KS Eshwarappa (Shivamogga), R Ashoka (Padmanabhanagar), CN Ashwath Narayan (Malleshwaram), B Sriramulu (Molkalmuru), Umesh Katti (Hukkeri), ST Somashekar (Yeshwanthpur), K Sudhakar (Chikkaballapura), and BC Patil (Hirekeruru).

Also, JC Madhuswamy (Chikkanayakanahalli), Prabhu Chauhan (Aurad), V Somanna (Govindraj Nagar), S Angara (Sullia), Anand Singh (Vijayanagara), CC Patil (Nargund), MTB Nagaraj (MLC), and Kota Srinivas Poojary (MLC).

The fresh faces are V Sunil Kumar (Karkala), Araga Jnanendra (Thirthahalli), Munirathna (R R Nagar), Halappa Achar (Yelburga), Shankar Patil Munenkopp (Navalgunda) and BC Nagesh (Tiptur).

Bommai, who was elected as the new leader of the BJP legislature party last week following Yediyurappa's resignation, had taken oath as the chief minister on 28 July.

Among the ministers in the new cabinet are eight Lingayats, seven Vokkaligas, seven Other Backward Class, three Scheduled Caste, two Brahmins, one Scheduled Tribe, one Reddy, and a woman.

Keeping up the "promise", Bommai has inducted 10 legislators who had joined BJP after quitting Congress-JD(S) coalition in 2019, and helped the saffron party to come to power.

Eleven of them were ministers in the Yediyurappa government, out of them two Shrimant Patil and R Shankar have not made it the Bommai cabinet, while Munirathna has been newly inducted.

Earlier today, Bommai said there will be no deputy chief ministers in his cabinet as per the high command's directions, also Yediyurappa's younger son and state BJP vice-president BY Vijayendra is not among the Ministers who will be sworn-in.

Briefing reporters on Modi's speech at the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the prime minister expressed anger at the conduct of some opposition members.

While a TMC member in Rajya Sabha had torn the statement of IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on the Pegasus issue, several opposition members had torn papers in Lok Sabha and threw them in the air and towards the Chair.

A tweet of TMC leader Derek O'Brien criticising the manner of the passage of Bills in Parliament also drew Modi's ire, Joshi and another Union minister V Muraleedharan told reporters, without naming the TMC member.

He had tweeted

#MASTERSTROKE #Parliament

In the first 10 days, Modi-Shah rushed through and passed 12 Bills at an average time of UNDER SEVEN MINUTES per Bill 😡(See shocking chart👇)

Passing legislation or making papri chaat! pic.twitter.com/9plJOr5YbP

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) August 2, 2021

Such comments are "derogatory" of parliamentary procedure and esteem of elected representatives, Muraleedharan said quoting Modi.

The conduct of the opposition is an "insult" to Parliament and the Constitution, Joshi said, quoting the prime minister.

The opposition has stalled Parliament proceedings demanding a discussion on the Pegasus snooping row, an issue dismissed as inconsequential by the government.

The BJP parliamentary party also hailed Modi at the meeting over the government's decision to provide reservation to the OBC and the EWS in the all-India quota of medical entrance test

Speaking to reporters after meeting BJP president JP Nadda, the Asansol MP said he will continue to discharge his constitutional responsibilities as a parliamentarian but withdraw from politics and leave his official residence in the National Capital.

His decision will be a big reprieve to the BJP as it would not have liked to be forced to contest a bypoll against the Trinamool Congress, which is upbeat after handing a comprehensive defeat to the saffron party in the recent West Bengal Assembly polls.

Upset at being dropped from the Union Council of Ministers by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two-term MP had announced that he will resign as MP and quit politics.

He told reporters on Monday that Home Minister Amit Shah and Nadda had spoken to him, and he has taken a final decision after thinking over their suggestions.

He asserted that whatever he had said recently, some of which was seen to be critical of the party's affairs in the state, was in the interest of the BJP and that he stood by that.

He joined the BJP in the presence of Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh, state BJP chief A Sharda Devi, Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni and the party's in-charge for the state Sambit Patra, among others.

A six-time consecutively elected MLA from the Bishnupur seat, Konthoujam had quit the Congress a few days ago and his decision to join the saffron party would be a boost to it ahead of the assembly elections in the state early next year.

The chief minister, who was also in the Congress before joining the BJP, called Konthoujam a friend and asserted that more leaders will be joining the party.

He tweeted:

Giving a major boost to @bjp4manipur, former Manipur Congress President, Shri @KonthoujamG joined Bharatiya Janata Party today in presence of Shri @sambitswaraj , Prabhari BJP Manipur and Smt @AShardaDevi , President BJP Manipur. pic.twitter.com/mMLg2P9mwh

— N.Biren Singh (@NBirenSingh) August 1, 2021

People of Manipur like the Modi government's agenda for the entire northeast's development, he said, noting that the presence of five ministers from the region in his dispensation showed the attention and care it had given to the place.

Manipur was associated with frequent blockades, violence and strikes but since the BJP came to power in the state in 2017, progress and peace have prevailed, he added.

Patra described Konthoujam as a well-known face from the northeast region and referred to his vast administrative and legislative experience.

With inputs from PTI

Addressing a function after laying the foundation stone of the Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Sciences in Lucknow, Shah said BJP governments work for the development of the poorest people.

'Adityanath took Uttar Pradesh to top spot'

"For six years till 2019, I travelled a lot in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, I know the earlier Uttar Pradesh very well. There was an atmosphere of fear in western Uttar Pradesh because of which people were leaving the area, women felt unsafe, the land mafia was grabbing the land of the poor people, incidents of firing in broad daylight and riots were rampant, Shah said.

In 2017, the BJP promised that we will make Uttar Pradesh a developed state and also revamp its law and order. Today in 2021, I can say with pride that Yogi Adityanath and his team have taken UP to the top spot in terms of law and order, he added.

Shah said, BJP governments do not work on the basis of caste, families, or for the people who are close to them. The BJP governments work for the development of the poorest person and to revamp law and order.

Adityanath along with the Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma were present at the event.

Terming the chief minister as yashasvi (glorious) and safal (successful), Shah credited him for effectively implementing development and welfare schemes in the state.

"Today, in 44 development schemes, UP is on the top spot in the country. Making schemes is very easy, but implementing them, removing the intermediaries, and ensuring the benefits reach the beneficiaries without any bribe is very tough," he said.

'Uttar Pradesh's economy grew two-fold'

"Uttar Pradesh has made developments in every sector -- be it industrial investment, successful implementation of schemes, law and order, loan waiver and purchasing crops of poor farmers, sending money directly to the account of farmers, making toilets in houses, giving homes to the homeless, giving gas cylinders to 1.47 crore households among others," Shah said.

"In every sector, Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath has done very good work. The economy of the state grew from Rs 11 lakh crore to Rs 22 lakh crore in four years, and has become number two in the country," he added.

Shah also praised the Uttar Pradesh government for its management of the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlighted that the maximum vaccinations and tests were done in the state.

"Under the leadership of Modi ji, the BJP governments are working towards public welfare with sensitivity, and Uttar Pradesh is ahead of all. I believe that for this transformation, the great public of Uttar Pradesh had given an opportunity to the BJP to administer by giving more than 300 seats, he said.

We had promised that the government will not be for a particular caste or family, it will be for everyone. And, today, I can say that we have moved ahead significantly," Shah said.

'BJP will return to power in UP with vast majority'

Hitting out at the Opposition, Shah said the number of leaders who become active only after elections are announced, is the highest in Uttar Pradesh.

"They were not seen during the floods or COVID-19 crisis. At the time, when it was needed to waive off the loans of farmers, they were busy in mauj-masti (fun and frolic). They wear new clothes at the time of elections and come out," he said.

Those who are dreaming (of winning the election) should brace themselves for another huge defeat. The BJP is going to form the government with a huge majority," he added.

Attacking Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shah said, "Owing to the prevailing law and order at the time of Akhilesh Yadav's rule, the investors' meet had to be held outside Uttar Pradesh in Delhi.

'Police should move in direction of just action'

The home minister also said that policing had changed over the years with the advent of problems related to fake currency, cybercrime, narco terrorism etc. "The police force needs to be better trained and we need a special manpower for investigations," he said.

Shah further pointed out that police is blamed for either inaction or extreme action. "The police need to focus on just action," he added.

"I often say that police get defamed due to two reasons: one is no action, and the second is extreme action. No action is not right as indolence cannot rectify the law and order system. And extreme is also not correct as it triggers reaction. So, the police should come out of no action and extreme action, and move in the direction of just action," he said.

Shah said the institute along with the National Forensic Sciences University in Gandhinagar will help the police move ahead in the direction of natural action.

With inputs from agencies

Speaking to reporters  ahead of his meeting with the officials on a host of issues, Bommai said the cabinet expansion won't take a week.

He was responding to a query on whether it would take a week for him to receive directions from the party high command in this connection

The chief minister said, "I expect it today or tomorrow."

On 28 July, Bommai had taken oath as the chief minister following the resignation of his predecessor BS Yediyurappa who resigned on 26 July.

He is the lone cabinet member of his government as of now. On the flood relief measures, the chief minister said he has convened a meeting with the senior officials to discuss the flood situation, funds for rescue and relief operations.

He has sought details from officials of various districts about the measures taken so far and directed them to prepare a list of steps to be taken on a priority basis.

"Leaving, Goodbye. I spoke to my parents, wife, friends, and after listening to the advice, I am saying that I am leaving. I am not going to any other party - TMC, Congress, CPIM, nowhere. I am confirming that nobody has called me.

"I am going nowhere. I am a one-team player! I have always supported one team, #MohunBagan - Have been with only one party - BJP West Bengal. That's it!! Leaving," Supriyo said in a Facebook post.

"I have stayed for too long I have helped somebody, have disappointed someone...it is for the people to decide. If you want to do social work, you can do it without being in politics. Yes, I am resigning from the post of MP," his post read.

The singer-turned politician also said he will vacate his government accommodation within a month.

Supriyo, who had held several portfolios as a minister of state in the Narendra Modi government since 2014, was removed from the position earlier this month following a major cabinet reshuffle. He unsuccessfully contested assembly polls against Trinamool Congress Aroop Biswas in the last assembly elections.

The two-time MP from Asansol was among the several ministers who were dropped from the Union Cabinet on 7 July as part of a major rejig in the Union cabinet. He unsuccessfully contested the Assembly polls against Trinamool Congress' Aroop Biswas in the recently concluded 2021 Assembly election in West Bengal.

Besides Supriyo, Bengali leader Debasree Chaudhuri was also dropped as minister during the Cabinet rejig. Four other MPs from West Bengal — Nishit Pramanik, Santanu Thakur, Subhas Sarkar and John Barla — were inducted as minister of state in the current Modi cabinet.

"But, I have to answer a question because it's pertinent! The question is, why I left politics? Does it have anything to do with leaving the ministry? Yes, there is - there must be something! I don't want to pretend. So it would be right on my part to answer the questions, and it will give me peace too," he wrote.

Without naming anyone, Supriyo said differences with the state leadership was not helping the matters either and was sending a wrong message to the rank and file of the party.

"Ahead of the elections, there were disagreements with the state leadership on some issues - but some matters were coming out in public. Somewhere I am responsible for that (I posted a Facebook post which tantamounts to breaking party discipline), and somewhere else, other leaders are also very much responsible, although I don't want to go into the details about who is responsible for this," he said.

"But the party was losing ground due to those disagreements and quarrels among the senior leaders; we don't need knowledge of 'rocket science' to understand that it was not helping the morale of the party workers in any way. At the moment it is completely unwelcome, so I am leaving with immense gratitude and love to the people of Asansol," he said.

The former union minister made a big difference in Bengal BJP between 2014, when he joined the party and 2019 and when the party won 18 Lok Sabha seats.

"I was the only BJP leader who had won on a party ticket on its own back then (in 2014 Ahluwalia- where the party had won as a GJM ally from the Darjeeling seat), but today BJP is the main opposition party in Bengal. There are many new bright young leaders in the party today as well as many experienced leaders.

"The team led by them will go a long way from here. I have no hesitation in saying that it is clear that it is not a big deal to have an individual in the party today and to accept that fact would be the right decision," he said.

Supriyo thanked the BJP top brass- Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda for "their love and affection" towards him and clarified that his move wasn't aimed at "bargaining".

"For last few days, whenever I had told them about my decision, they had tried to convince me not to leave. So If I keep on going to them with the same plea, they might think I'm 'bargaining' for a 'position', which is not at all the case. I pray they don't misunderstand me and should forgive me," he wrote.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh declined to comment on it, reported news agency PTI.

"There are people who come and go. I am not aware that he has resigned from the party or as an MP. I don't follow Facebook or Twitter posts, so I can't comment on it," he said.

However, the TMC leadership mocked the BJP unit for failing to take everybody along and termed Supriyo's social media post as a "drama".

"Babul Supriyo is doing drama as he has been dropped from the ministry. If he was so keen on resigning, then he should have sent his resignation to the Lok Sabha speaker. Instead, he is indulging in those tricks. But, this incident has also brought into fore the internal squabbling in the BJP," TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said.

'Won't have to deal with uncouth comments': Supriyo on detractors

The singer-turned-politician took to social media late on Saturday to say he took the comments in his stride and now he had “ample time” to sing.

“Read ur comments. You all are seeing things from your perspective. Some people have used language according to their culture; I take it all in my stride. I can answer your questions through work for which I don’t have to be an MP. Give me some time and I will start singing songs; now I have ample time in hand. At least, I will not have to deal with such uncouth comments and positive energy will be saved."

Supriyo’s reaction came after Kunal Ghosh termed his resignation a “drama”. Comparing his antics to Sholay’s Dharmendra, Ghosh said Supriyo was using Facebook to attract his Delhi leaders' attention “because he’s now a dissident leader”, according to News18.

After being dropped from the ministry, Supriyo and Dilip Ghosh engaged in a war of words with the central leadership which took steps to calm the warring leaders.

Supriyo had said in a post from his official Facebook account that he was "asked to resign" from his post as the Union minister of state. To which, Ghosh hit back saying: "They asked for his (Supriyo's) resignation so that someone else can take up the responsibility. That is how a party functions; you need to have faith in the due process. If he were to be fired instead, would that have made things any better?"

Ghosh said that of the 12 ministers who resigned, no one else had made such a remark about the party.

Supriyo debuted in politics as a BJP candidate from Asansol in the 2014 general election. He went on to win the seat twice in 2014 as well as in 2019.

He was inducted into Modi's cabinet in 2014 as MOS.

With inputs from PTI

While interacting with the media after dedicating Shaheed Udham Singh Memorial to people in Sangrur during a state-level function on the 82nd martyrdom of great revolutionary, the chief minister said that right now the party position is good and the same has to be further consolidated till elections.

On the issue of organising roadshows in the run-up to the upcoming Assembly elections, the chief minister said there were no such plans so far amid COVD-19, which is at present under control. He, however, said that he will act according to the advice of medical experts on this count.

Replying to another question about two power centres in the Congress party, the chief minister said that there was nothing unusual as Navjot Singh Sidhu in the capacity of PPCC president and he as chief minister are performing two different sets of responsibilities.

Captain Amarinder Singh said that he also remained PPCC president thrice and knew well about the duties of the party president. Moreover, the government and the Party are two different entities having defined roles.

Asked to comment on Sidhu not mentioning either his (chief minister), Rahul or Priyanka's name in his address during the installation ceremony as PPCC president, Singh said that it is hardly any issue and doesn't affect him at all.

Answering to another query about Sidhu's frequent meetings with party leaders and MLAs, the chief minister said that it's the duty of the party president to strengthen the organisational structure which could only be possible by keeping close liaison with the rank and file of the party.

He said that the party and government should work as a team since the Assembly elections are just six months away.

Singh pointed out that the government would endeavour to live up the aspirations of the people while the party president is duty-bound to push the party forward in the political field.

Asked to spell out the roadmap for the upcoming Assembly polls, Captain Amarinder Singh said that his government had already fulfilled 93 percent of the poll promises made in the election manifesto and would soon go up to 95 percent.

He also mentioned that prior to his government, Chandra Babu Naidu's government in Andhra Pradesh had previously made a record by accomplishing 83 percent of poll promises.

He said that 5 percent of the remaining promises are left only due to the GST regime because when their party drafted the manifesto there was the system of VAT, not the prevailing GST.

On the issue of 18 point agenda given by the Kharge Committee, the Punjab chief minister said that there was some confusion in this regard as his government had already implemented several points of this agenda and the remaining others would be accomplished soon.

The chief minister said that he had already apprised both Sonia Gandhi and Kharge on this issue in their meeting.

Ruling out any possibility of an immediate Cabinet reshuffle, Captain Amarinder Singh, however, said that he would surely discuss this issue with party high command during his visit to Delhi.

A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana said the Jharkhand High Court would monitor the probe.

The bench, which also comprised Justice Surya Kant, issued notice to all the states in relation to similar cases of alleged attacks on officials of the law. It specifically sought the presence of the Jharkhand Advocate General when it hears the case next week.

Earlier, two persons were arrested in connection with the hit-and-run case in Dhanbad that left Judge Uttam Anand dead during his morning jog, a top police officer said. The arrests were made following the recovery of the three-wheeler involved in the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dhanbad, Sanjiv Kumar, said.

CCTV footage showed that Anand, district and sessions judge-VIII of Dhanbad court, was jogging on one side of a fairly wide road at Randhir Verma Chowk early on 28 July when a heavy auto-rickshaw veered towards him, hit him from behind and fled the scene. Locals took him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.

According to sources in the Dhanbad court, Anand, known to be a strict judge, had recently declined bail pleas of some gangsters, and the incident could be a fallout of this decision.

"We have arrested two persons, auto driver Lakhan Verma and his helper Rahul Verma, on the morning of July 29. Rahul Verma, a resident of Digwadih, Dhanbad, was arrested from a tempo stand, while the other person was held in Giridih," the SSP told PTI. He also said that the three-wheeler, recovered from Giridih, is registered in a woman's name.

An FIR was filed in the case after the wife of the 49-year-old deceased judge lodged a complaint with the Dhanbad police. "We are probing the case from all angles, including murder," Kumar asserted.

Later, during a press meet, the SSP said a special investigation team (SIT), led by Dhanbad SP R Ramkumar, is trying to find out more details in the case. A five-member forensic team has also visited the site of the incident during the day to collect samples necessary for the investigation, he noted.

Meanwhile, Dhanbad Bar Association claimed that Anand, who hailed from Hazaribag, was murdered and demanded a thorough probe into the incident. All lawyers of Dhanbad Bar Association will carry out a silent procession on Friday in protest against the murder of Dhanbad judge and demand protection for lawyers from the government, said its president, Amarendra Sahay. Condemning the incident, Jharkhand Bar Council member Hemant Sikarwa demanded a CBI probe into the case.

The Jharkhand High Court has ordered an SIT probe into the death of Anand, under the leadership of additional director general of police Sanjay Latkar. Taking cognisance of a letter filed before the court by the Dhanbad principal district judge in the case, Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan converted it into a writ petition and ordered the formation of the SIT.

He said Chief Justice of India NV Ramana has spoken to him in the matter and expressed confidence that a fair investigation will be carried out in the case. The high court stated it will monitor the probe and sought updates from the SIT from time to time.

If at any point in time it appears to the court that the investigation is not heading in the right direction, then the case will be handed over to the CBI, the chief justice added.

With inputs from PTI

The travel advisory, which is perhaps a first of its kind issued by any state government, signed by Assam Home Secretary M S Manivannan said "given the prevailing situation, the people of Assam are advised not to travel to Mizoram as any threat to the personal safety of people of Assam cannot be accepted." The advisory pointed out that there had been several cases of violent skirmishes along the border areas between Assam and Mizoram and claimed that "certain members of Mizo civil society, students and youth organisations are constantly issuing provocative statements against Assam and its people".

It also claimed that it had reliably learned from video footage available with Assam police, that many Mizoram civilians, armed with automatic weapons, remain deployed at the border.

As per ANI Cachar Guardian Minister Ashok Singhal has said, "in video footage, Mizoram civilians are (seen) threatening us and they are carrying weapons too. So we have issued an advisory for the people of Assam not to visit Mizoram. If somebody still goes there, we will not take his/her responsibility."

"We want peace, and have handed over our post to the CRPF, but the Mizoram government has still not withdrawn its personnel from the post, which is sad," Singhal said, a claim backed by the superintendent of police of Cachar district, Ramandeep Kaur, as well.

The minister, who visited Lailapur near the interstate border, assured locals that all measures will be taken by the Assam government to ensure their safety and security and appealed to them not to panic. He claimed Mizoram wanted to settle the dispute by arms and ammunitions and that is the wrong approach.

A defiant Mizoram government, meanwhile, countered stating a large contingent of Assam police personnel was being mobilised at the interstate border. Home Secretary Lalbiaksangi, in a letter to the additional secretary in charge of the northeast, has said armed personnel of Assam police was moving to Dholai and Hawaithang areas in Cachar district, where violence had erupted on July 26. In view of the tense situation at present, mobilisation of a large contingent of police at the interstate border by Assam is quite objectionable, and will lead to apprehension and panic among the people on both sides, she said.

Lalbiaksangi also urged the Union home ministry to issue instructions to the Assam government to refrain from such reinforcement. The Cachar guardian minister, however, said Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma wants the dispute to be resolved through dialogue.

On July 28, during a meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in Delhi, both state governments had agreed to deploy Central Armed Police Force personnel in the disturbed areas under the supervision of the Union home ministry. Earlier in the day, Singhal along with a delegation had reviewed the prevailing situation and held talks with officials at the border.

They also met families of deceased constables Manjurul Haque Barbhuiya and Shyamsundar Dusat and gave cheques amounting to Rs 50 lakh each. A Cachar district official has said the situation along the Assam-Mizoram was now "calm and under control".

Meanwhile, the Assam home department has ordered the checking of all vehicles coming in from Mizoram, claiming drugs were making their way from Mizoram which borders Myanmar.

In a separate order, the Assam government has directed the Deputy Commissioners of Kamrup Metro and Cachar, Guwahati police commissioner and Cachar superintendent of police to ensure the safety and security of all persons from Mizoram as well as those staying at Mizoram Houses at Guwahati and Silchar. Mizoram had earlier made an appeal to its people to protect non-Mizos staying in the tribal state and promised them due protection.

Tension along the border with Mizoram in Cachar and Hailakandi districts of Assam have been escalating since October 2020 with frequent incidents of burning of houses and encroachment of land. The two states share a 164.6-km border between Assam's Cachar, Hailakandi and Karimganj districts, and Mizoram's Kolasib, Mamit and Aizawl.

Both states have differing interpretations of their territorial border. While Mizoram believes that its border lies along an inner line drawn up in 1875 to protect tribals from outside influence, Assam goes by a district demarcation done in the 1930s.

Mamata Banerjee has arrived in Delhi. She has checked in with a carousel full of confidence and ambition after her thumping win in Bengal, as also growing baggage of court cases and human rights indictments amid accusations by the BJP that her party has enabled the slaughter of her rivals as part of its bloody and unending victory lap.

She is busy making friends everywhere.

Then there is Sharad Pawar. As old and inscrutable in Indian politics as the Sphinx is in Egyptology.

Then there are regional pastures packed with dark horses. The Stalins, Jagans, KCRs, Uddhavs, Tejashwis, Sorens, Pinarayis, Kejriwals, Akhileshes, Muftis and Abdullahs.

And finally, a marketing guru whose legend is being carefully fattened by himself, fed by occasional victories — albeit in an advisory role — over the seemingly unassailable BJP. Prashant Kishor’s role in these triumphs is difficult to measure, as those have come piggybacking on formidable local mass leaders like Amarinder Singh, MK Stalin, Arvind Kejriwal, and now Mamata Banerjee. But a tiny but growing number in the urban, anti-Modi camp believe Prashant Kishor could be the wildcard they are waiting for to dethrone Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

So, let us quickly look at a few smaller equations and solve the larger riddle. Here is where Opposition politics stands now:

• Mamata now has the ambition to be the prime minister. So does Rahul, for a long time. Although Mamata respects Sonia Gandhi and has a line open with her, she and Rahul won’t easily accept the other’s leadership.
• Mamata has momentum with her now. Muslims may solidly rally behind her because of her politics. But will the rest of India accept her? Is language going to be a huge barrier in the heartland? Mamata is a brilliantly instinctive politician. She knows her own shortcomings. Is she playing for the Queen, or the Kingmaker?
• Rahul’s own position in the party is tenuous. The G-23 revolt is bubbling just beneath the surface. Its last big bastions, Punjab and Rajasthan, are both a nastily divided house. A couple of more state defeats may split the Congress. Who will G-23 go with?
• A section of Congress’s G-23 rebels are in favour of making Sharad Pawar the UPA chairperson. Others want Mamata.
• Pawar is not in the best of health. His immediate concern will be his daughter Supriya Sule’s political future, with nephew Ajit Pawar snapping at her heels. Pawar doesn’t know how Rahul or Mamata will treat her. The NCP chief shares a good and long rapport with Modi. Do the maths.
• The BJP has been steadily building a case against Mamata over Bengal revenge massacre and misrule. It is not beyond Modi or Amit Shah to target her weakest spot, the beloved nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, in one of many corruption cases that have riddled her administration.
• KCR and Jagan Reddy do not trust the current Congress leadership. But will they be willing to go with Mamata? Do they gain more from giving Modi tacit, backstage support and keep getting the goodies from the Centre?
• When Uddhav Thackeray goes back to his core electorate in the next elections, can he afford to go with an anti-HIndutva, pro-Congress-NCP plank? Or jumping ship makes more sense, now that his ego of becoming the CM has been satisfied?
• If Mamata and Rahul fight separately, who will Tejashwi and Akhilesh choose? Both have paid a high price for their generosity towards Congress in seat-sharing. But will Mamata bring any value to their heartland votes? Is it wise for them to her the keys to their Muslim vote bank on a platter?
• In the current J&K scenario, do Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah even matter?
• Will Pinarayi Vijayan support the Congress at the Centre, his main rival in the state? Will he join hands with Mamata, when his party cadre accuse her of butchering them in Bengal?
• There are whispers in Delhi that Prashant Kishor is negotiating with the Congress for a vice president post. If there is even a grain of truth in it, he may eventually try to replace the Gandhis themselves. Also, for all the hype, how much difference can PK make on the ground if he fights an election himself?

There are thousands of more nuances, hundreds of moves to unfold before the 2024 elections. As one can see from just these dozen scenarios, who will emerge as the main face of the Opposition is quite clear…clear as mud.

Banerjee, who is in the National Capital for the first time since her victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, termed the meeting as "very good" and expressed hope that positive results will come in the near future.

The political situation in the country, alleged Pegasus snooping row and COVID-19 situation were among other issues discussed during the meeting. "Sonia ji invited me for tea, Rahul ji was also there. We discussed the political situation in general, the Pegasus, COVID situation, and also discussed the unity of Opposition. It was a very good meeting. I think the positive result must come out in the future," Banerjee told reporters here after the meeting.

"It is essential for everyone to come together in order to defeat BJP... Alone, I am nothing - everyone will have to work together. I am not a leader, I am a cadre. I am a person from the street," she added.

She further questioned the government on Pegasus issue. "Why is the government not replying to Pegasus? People want to know. If policy decisions are not made in Parliament, if discussions are not held there, where will it take place? This is not done at tea stalls, this is done in the Parliament." The Trinamool Congress chief on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leaders Anand Sharma and Kamal Nath.

Earlier on Wednesday, Banerjee express ambivalence about being the face of the Opposition to take on the BJP, saying it will depend on the situation.

"I am not a political astrologer. It depends on the situation, structure. I have no problem if someone else leads. When the matter is discussed we can decide. I cannot impose," Banerjee told a select group of reporters here when asked if she would be the face of the Opposition.

On the Pegasus row, she said the situation was more serious than Emergency and accused the Centre of being unresponsive. "Everywhere they are sending ED, IT for raids. Here there is no response. In a democracy, the government has to respond. The situation is very serious, it's more serious than the Emergency," the Trinamool Congress chief claimed

"I am a simple worker and want to continue as a worker," Banerjee, who is in the national capital for the first time after her party's resounding victory in the Assembly polls, said on Wednesday.

"I want to see sachcha din, bahut din acha di dekh liya," Banerjee added, in a jibe at the BJP''s poll slogan

On Tuesday, Banerjee had said the unity of Opposition parties will take shape on its own.

Banerjee's visit during the ongoing Parliament's Monsoon Session holds significance as the Opposition is cornering the BJP-led NDA government on a range of issues including price rise, increasing cost of diesel and petrol, and issues related to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

With inputs from agencies

Meanwhile, the Centre is likely to move a suspension notice against 10 Lok Sabha MPs after they threw papers and tore placards in the Lower House.

The government will propose that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla take action against TN Prathapan, Hibi Eden, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Manickam Tagore, Deepak Baij, AM Ariff, Dean Kuriakose and Jothimani. The MPs threw business papers and some torn papers and placards at the chair.  A piece of a torn placard landed in the press gallery just above the Speaker's podium.

The Lok Sabha Speaker is extremely upset with the behaviour of the MPs in the House and is of the opinion that anybody who is a repeat offender is likely to be suspended in the future for the entire period of the Lok Sabha term, sources told News18.

Also, a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology could not be held in the absence of the quorum after BJP MPs did not participate, ANI reported.

Taking to Twitter, Karti Chidambaram said:

@BJP4India members come to the IT Committee & refuse to sign the attendance register to deny a quorum. Further all the witnesses called from MiEIT & MHA wrote in excuses & didn’t appear as called to testify. It’s very clear that #Pegasus is a no go area for this government.

— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) July 28, 2021

In both the Houses, MPs held placards reading ‘Who is paying for Pegasus’ and ‘Stop Snooping on Me’, among other slogans.

Ahead of the Session, leaders of Opposition parties held a meeting to chalk out the future course of action on several issues in both Houses. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, "We don’t want to compromise on the issues of inflation, Pegasus, and farmers' issues. We want a discussion in the House."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi held a meeting at the PM's office in Parliament.

Here's what happened in both Houses today:

Lok Sabha

As the Opposition continued to raise slogans over farm laws and the Pegasus snooping scandal, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla continued the Question Hour, which was completed for the first time since Monsoon Session began on 19 July. Questions pertaining to the Covid BEEP device, coal sector and use of CSR to provide for children who lost their parents to coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha passed the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill. The Lok Sabha also approved the first batch of supplementary demands authorising the government to spend an additional Rs 23,675 crore, including Rs 17,000 crore for the health ministry, in the current financial year. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the supplementary demands for grants and relevant appropriation bills.

As protests gained momentum, the Lower House was adjourned till 12.30 pm. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also submitted a privilege motion against Shashi Tharoor, Chairperson of Parliament Standing Committee on IT, which was to meet today at 4 pm to discuss the Pegasus row.

On reassembling, the Lok Sabha was soon adjourned till 2 pm, followed by another adjournment till 2.30 pm and then 4 pm before finally being adjourned for the day.

Rajya Sabha

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned within five minutes of convening at 11 am, as MPs carrying placards gathered in the Well. The House then reassembled at 12 pm to begin the Question Hour amid sloganeering, which led to an adjournment till 2 pm, followed by adjournments till 2.45 pm and 4 pm.

The Upper House also passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021, which seeks to strengthen and streamline the provisions for the protection and adoption of children. The Bill is already passed by Lok Sabha.

While moving the bill for consideration in the House, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said, "Some of the renowned Parliamentarians, who have always prioritised the needs of the vulnerable...however, politics demands that they stand right here in the Well and attract attention towards the issue which they feel fit." She added that despite this disruption, the House will agree that the children of this country deserve their attention for protection and support.

However, the Opposition members did not return to their seats and Raja Sabha witnessed continuous uproar.

The TMC on Wednesday also alleged that Rajya Sabha Television, which airs the proceedings of the House live, is "censoring content" on Opposition protests.

TMC MP and leader of the party in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien tweeted:

CENSORSHIP.
Modi-Shah ‘masterstroke’. @rajyasabhatv showing selective footage/online edit. All protests in the House by about 100 MPs from 15 Opposition parties not being telecast. #Pegasus hacking, espionage, military spyware.

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) July 28, 2021

No comment was immediately available from RS TV on the allegations.

With inputs from PTI

The greater good

In keeping with this goal, Congress in-charge of Rajasthan affairs Ajay Maken, who will spend two days in Rajasthan, reached the state on Wednesday and met legislative Assembly speaker CP Joshi. He is slated to meet the party MLAs and supporters ahead of a likely cabinet reshuffle.

Interestingly, Pilot, one of the main stakeholders in the issue, is currently in Delhi.

The cabinet reshuffle, which is likely to witness some of Pilot’s loyalists being brought into the fold, is being seen as the political silver bullet for all problems in Rajasthan. At present, there are 21 members in the council of ministers, including the chief minister, and nine positions are vacant. Rajasthan can have a maximum of 30 ministers.

Meanwhile, Maken has maintained that there is no conflict among party leaders and they all have left the final decision about the cabinet expansion to the party high command.

A festering problem

• The Pilot-Gehlot faceoff began after the former and his loyalists were allegedly sidelined following the formation of the Congress government in December 2018.
• Since then both factions and their heads have openly criticised one another — Gehlot called Pilot ‘nikamma’, ‘nakaraa’, ‘gaddar’ and accused him of conspiring with the BJP to topple the Congress govt, while Pilot has openly called out the Gehlot government for the poor law and order condition in the state.
• But a study of Pilot-Gehlot rift timeline shows that while it continued to simmer, any uptick in hostility was curbed by the intervention of the Congress high command.
• The cabinet expansion must be seen in this context. Unless the Congress central leadership does away with the stopgap solutions, they will enter the 2023 Assembly election a house divided — a dangerous gambit given the Congress’s fast disappearing footprints in the country.

Inclusion is key

While sources have revealed both camps have agreed to this solution, what needs to be seen is how the vacancies would be filled and what role Pilot will be assigned. Meanwhile, it cannot be forgotten that former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders who merged their party with the Congress also are waiting to be rewarded. The way the appointments are made will determine whether peace will prevail.

This is because Pilot's issue was not about ministerial berths but about giving dignity to leaders who worked hard to bring the party to power. Therefore, what is  acceptable to Pilot camp remains anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile, Bommai, considered a Yediyurappa loyalist and a senior administrator in the now-dissolved council of ministers, will be able to pick up where BSY left off without wanting to upset the apple cart. He will also be able to retain the loyalties of the politically influential Lingayat community that Yediyurappa enjoyed in his tenure, and his exit.

Here is a brief look at his career so far:

The 'rule' of exception

A noteworthy fact about the BJP's choice this time is that he is the rare exception to the current pedigree of chief ministers in party-ruled states: He seems to lack the usual Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh seal of approval.

Bommai is not from the RSS stables and had only joined the BJP in 2008. He was, in fact, earlier associated with the Janata Dal (United). He is seen as a moderate face not known to take a hardline Hindutva stance and an amenable man across party lines. This makes him an exception among BJP chief ministers in the state, while also negating the assumption that 'outsiders' cannot aspire for big posts in the party..

His caste, educational qualification, administrative capacities and proximity to Yediyurappa and central leaders of the BJP are said to be the reasons for his choice for the post.

Personal life

• Bommai's father SR Bommai was a Janata Parivar stalwart and had served as the 11th Chief Minister of Karnataka.
• Born on 28 January, 1960 in Hubballi, Basavaraj Bommai is a graduate of Mechanical Engineering. He worked in Tata Motors, Pune for three years and then became an industrial entrepreneur.
• Married to Chennamma, he has a son and a daughter.
• Widely appreciated for his knowledge regarding irrigation projects in the state, Bommai was like Yediyurappa's shadow in the just-dissolved BJP government, as he used to follow the 78-year-old Chief Minister at meetings, events and press briefings and assisted him.
• He enjoys reading, writing, golf and cricket and has served as Chairman of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, Dharwad, and Karnataka Volleyball Association, Dharwad District.
• He is also the founder of Arunodaya Co-operative Society, a member of Jayanagar Housing Society and German Chamber of Commerce.

Political career

• Bommai is from the dominant Veerashaiva-Lingayat community to which Yediyurappa also belongs. The community accounts for 16-17 percent of the state's population and has a say in 100 of the state’s 224 assembly seats.
• He started his political career with the Janata Dal, and was a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council, twice (in 1997 and 2003) from Dharwad local authorities constituency.
• He had also served as Political Secretary to Chief Minister JH Patel and as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the council.
• Bommai quit the Janata Dal (United) and joined the BJP in February 2008 and in the Assembly elections held later that year, was elected as MLA from Shiggaon constituency in Haveri district. He then went on to retain the seat in the 2013 and 2018 Assembly polls.
• Bommai had served as Minister for Water Resources and Cooperation in the previous BJP government.
• The 61 year-old leader was the Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature in Yediyurappa's council of ministers and was also the minister-in-charge of Haveri and Udupi Districts.

With inputs from PTI

21:54 (IST)

Karnataka CM Latest news live

Karnataka guv invited Bommai to take oath as CM tomorrow

As per The Indian Express, Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot has invited Basavaraj Bommai to take oath as Chief Minister of Karnataka on Wednesday at 11 am.

The Karnataka BJP legislature party on Tuesday announced Basavaraj Bommai as its new leader and he will succeed outgoing Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa.

According to party sources, Bommai, a Lingayat leader from North Karnataka, had the backing of the outgoing chief minister Yeddyurappa to succeed him. Basavaraj Bommai is the son of former chief minister, the late S R Bommai.

The 61-year-old leader was Minister for Home Affairs, Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Legislature in Yediyurappa''s council of ministers which was dissolved on Monday.

A day after BS Yediyurappa resigned as Chief Minister, the BJP general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh said on Tuesday the name of the new leader will be finalised at the legislature party meeting on the direction of the parliamentary board.

"Whatever will be the decision of our party's parliamentary board, its direction regarding the name of the leader will be finalised at the legislature party meeting," Singh told reporters.

The BJP has convened the legislature party meeting this evening at a private hotel in Bengaluru, which would be attended by central observers — Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and G Krishan Reddy.

Central observers generally convey the party leadership's view to the MLAs before they elect their leader.

Hailing Yediyurappa for giving good governance during his tenure, Singh said the party has been taking the guidance and benefit of his experience and will continue to do so in future.

"Yediyurappa has resigned. His government has worked excellently in Karnataka in the last two years and has worked for every section and sector.

His experience will be utilised in the party organisation and the government. The party will continue to benefit from his experience," Singh said.

He added that the BJP has been moving forward under the leadership, direction and experience of Yediyurappa and will continue to do so in the future as well.

Yediyurappa stepped down on Monday, coinciding with his government completing two years in office.

The 78 year-old BJP veteran, who submitted his resignation to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot at the Raj Bhavan, said he quit "voluntarily" and will continue to remain active in state politics.

The BJP party legislature has named 61-year-old Basavaraj Bommai as the next chief minister of Karnataka. Bommai's swearing-in ceremony will take place tomorrow at 11 am, according to PTI.

That, Tuesday's meet, which occurred at a private hotel in Bengaluru under the watchful eyes of central observers and Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and G Krishan Reddy, ended with the elevation of the former state home minister to the top post in Karnataka is unsurprising.

After all, Bommai was the front-runner after the resignation of BS Yediyurappa — the BJP's first and only chief minister in the south thus far and the party's face in Karnataka for decades — given his proximity to the outgoing chief minister, the party's central leadership and the RSS.

A slew of names including Union minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, BJP general secretary CT Ravi, Karnataka BJP MLA Arvind Bellad and Vijayapura City BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal were doing the rounds for the top post.

But on Tuesday evening, Pradhan announced that Bommai had been chosen for the top job in the state.

"The party has given this responsibility to Bommai who is very experienced and a senior party member," he said. "I am confident he will carry forward the programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Even as Bommai was elevated, Pradhan offered kind word for the outgoing chief minister. "BS Yediyurappa will continue to guide us," Pradhan said.

The caretaker chief minister for his part on Monday made all the right noises, saying he was resigning not out of grief, but with happiness and that he will continue to work with the new chief minister.

He also assured that he and his supporters shall give their 100 percent to whoever will become the next chief minister.

"We will work under whoever has been selected as the new chief minister by the (BJP) high command. I will give my 100 percent and my supporters will also give their 100 percent. There is no need to make any inference of dissatisfaction," Yediyurappa said.

"I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah for allowing me to continue even after 75 years of age. I will be involved in party building activities in future," a teary-eyed Yediyurappa added.

"Nobody pressurised me to resign. I did it on my own so that someone else can take over as chief minister after the completion of two years of government. I'll work to bring BJP back in power in the next election."

While Bommai's appointment puts an end to the simmering tension over leadership issues in Karnataka, it remains to be seen whether replacing Yediyurappa — against whom resentment within the party grew so much that the issue reached New Delhi — will solve the BJP's problems in the state.

But for Yediyurappa, it seems that time indeed is a flat circle what with his tenure being cut short after ascending to power exactly two years ago in the aftermath of a murky legal battle and weeks of political drama.

Despite his impressive performance and hard work to expand the BJP in the south, never has Yediyurappa been able to complete his five year tenure as a chief minister.

Though in the last two years, BJP won most of the by-elections under Yediyurappa's leadership, repeated floods, alleged shortcomings in COVID-19 management and growing disgruntlement within the party and the government, threw challenges to the Yediyurappa administration.

With growing age and strong central leadership, his declining sway over the party and administration marred his final tenure, bringing him the criticism of being a "weak CM" from the Opposition parties and even attacks from a section of the party's disgruntled leaders

The last couple of months have been particularly challenging for Yediyurappa, with the BJP in Karnataka splitting into three camps — pro BSY, anti-BSY and neutral — and bringing to a screeching halt developmental work during the COVID-19 lockdown.

In July, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, a strident critic of the caretaker chief ministe, hit the headlines when he said that Yediyurappa should be replaced for the state and party to survive. There are many alternative leaders to Yediyurappa in the party, the former Union minister had said.

In June, disgruntled BJP legislator AH Vishwanath had alleged the Irrigation Department readied a Rs 21,473 crore tender in a hurry and without financial approval, and termed it a “scam”. He also accused Yediyurappa’s son and BJP state unit vice-president BY Vijayendra of interfering in the functioning of the government.

Who is Bommai?

Born on 28 January, 1960, Bommai is from the Sadara Lingayat community and is a close confidant of the outgoing chief minister. Bommai joined the BJP in 2008, following which the two-time MLC and three-time MLA from Shiggaon in Haveri district, has seen an upwards trajectory within the party ranks. In the past, he held the water resources portfolio. An engineer by profession, Bommai began his career with the Tata group.

Bommai's father SR Bommai was a Janata Parivar stalwart and had served as the 11th Chief Minister of Karnataka.

He also entered the annals of history courtesy of a landmark Supreme Court verdict entitled SR Bommai vs Union of India which concluded that the power of the president to dismiss a state government is not absolute.

The verdict held that the president should exercise the power only after his proclamation (imposing his/her rule) is approved by both Houses of Parliament. Till then the president can only suspend the Legislative Assembly by suspending the provisions of Constitution relating to the Legislative Assembly.

"The dissolution of Legislative Assembly is not a matter of course. It should be resorted to only where it is found necessary for achieving the purposes of the Proclamation," the apex court said.

While it is far too early to write a political obituary for BS Yediyurappa, news of his resignation as Karnataka chief minister already has the political sphere buzzing.

The BJP high command, with one eye on the upcoming 2023 Assembly polls in the state, has shortlisted a few notable names as possible replacements as chief minister for the BJP's "comeback man" in Karnataka and the face of the party in the state for decades.

Here is a list of front-runners for the post of Karnataka chief minister:

Murugesh R Nirani

A three-time BJP MLA, Karnataka Mines and Geology Minister Murugesh R Nirani is an industrialist who owns the MRN Group, which runs sugar mills. Nirani, who hails from the Lingayat community like Yediyurappa, has denied lobbying to replace the outgoing chief minister, but said he will abide by any decision taken by the BJP central leadership. Nirani, who visited Delhi about a fortnight ago and termed his visit "successful", had reiterated his support for Yediyurappa.

Nirani's visit to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi triggered speculation that he went to seek blessings before assuming the new role, but the minister sought to downplay it. Asking people not to draw any inferences from his Varanasi visit, he said he has the habit of visiting temples since childhood and goes there once in a month or two.

Pralhad Joshi

Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister for Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs, is another big name under consideration from the top brass. The 58-year-old. seen as a close associate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been the Dharwad MP since 2004 and previously served as the BJP's state unit chief from July 2012 to January 2016. Asked what if he is made the chief minister, Joshi chose to play it coy. "I never answer hypothetical questions with ''ifs'' and ''buts''.. I don't want to answer such questions," he added. "There is no high command in the BJP but national leadership. We got different leadership from time to time. There was Rajnath Singh, after which Nitin Gadkari came, who was succeeded by Amit Shah and now J P Nadda is there. In the present situation, we have supreme leaders in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. They will decide," Joshi said.

BL Santhosh

The BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh is an RSS ''pracharak'' with experience of electoral politics, especially in Karnataka. He is considered a strong ideologue who is also well-versed with poll dynamics. Santhosh was the party's general secretary (organisation) for eight years in Karnataka before he was made a national office bearer in charge of southern states in 2014. Santhosh belongs to the Brahmin community, which comprises around two percent of Karnataka's population.

Basavaraj Bommai

As per sources, Yediyurappa himself has been pitching for the 61-year-old Basavaraj Bommai. The Karnataka home minister has emerged as a possible consensus candidate due to his caste, education and administrative capabilities and proximity to both the outgoing chief minister and central leadership and the RSS, as per New Indian Express. Bommai in May had met Union home minister Amit Shah, thus sparking rumours of a change in leadership, but Bommai later clarified that the meeting was on the COVID-19 situation in Karnataka.

CT Ravi

Another BJP general secretary, CT Ravi previously served in the BS Yeddyurappa cabinet as Minister for Kannada, Culture and Tourism. The 54-year-old, from the Vokkaliga community, is a four-time MLA from Chikkamagaluru. He is believed to have close ties to Santhosh and other central party leaders. Ravi has been playing his cards close to his vest as rumours of the Lingayat strongman's exit swirled over the weekend, telling ANI on Monday that he does not know "what is truth, what is lies".

Arvind Bellad

The Karnataka BJP MLA Arvind Bellad was said to be from the faction of the party seeking Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa's replacement. Bellad, the MLA from Hubli-Dharwad West, recently made repeated visits to Delhi reportedly to meet national leaders and express the concern of some legislators over Yediyurappa''s style of functioning and request them to rein in the Chief Minister. He hit the headlines in June when he alleged that his phone was being tapped and attempts were on to fix him as part of some conspiracy, in order to defame him. His father Chandrakant Bellad was a five-time MLA.

Basannagouda Patil Yatnal

A strident critic of BS Yediyurappa,Vijayapura City BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal is said to have strong RSS roots and is popular in north Karnataka. Yatnal has openly accused the outgoing chief minister and his family of being involved in corruption. Targeting Yediyurappa, his MP son B Y Raghavendra and BJP state vice president BY Vijayendra, Yatnal had even asked the BJP central leadership to end the "dynastic politics" in Karnataka BJP. He made headlines in July when he said that BS Yediyurappa should be replaced for the state and party to survive. There are many alternative leaders to Yediyurappa in the party, the former Union Minister had said in July.

He added that there is no such thing anymore that Yediyurappa is the leader of Veerashaiva Lingayats. The "current administration is going on in such a way that the Lingayats have to bow their heads down", he said. "A few Swamijis as they have got dakshina (money as offerings) are saying that the party will get destroyed if he (Yediyurappa) is made to step down.Why are a few Mutts and Swamijis indulging in politics? Let them do their duty of showing the right path to the society..or else remove "kaavi" (saffron robes) and wear "khadi" like us (politicians)," he said.

With inputs from agencies

Banerjee, on a five-day visit to Delhi, earlier met Congress leaders Kamal Nath and Anand Sharma. All this in the backdrop of #AbkiBaarDidiSarkar trending on Twitter, thus further fuelling rumours about a United Front.

Speaking to reporters after the meet, Mamata said it was a courtesy call after the poll victory and that they did not discuss the bypolls. She added that she has asked for more COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the third wave as well as an all-party meet on the Pegasus snooping row. Mamata further said she will meet Congress leader Sonia Gandhi over tea at 4.30 pm tomorrow. The West Bengal chief minister is also expected to meet Sanjay Raut and Sharad Pawar.

This was Banerjee's first official meet with the prime minister since her party trounced the BJP in the state Assembly elections held between March and April, the row over Alapan Bandyopadhyay, the then chief secretary of the state, post-poll violence and Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

A slew of issue including supply of COVID-19 vaccines, clearance of GST dues owed to the state and Pegasus snooping scandal, were slated to be discussed at the meet.

But it is not just her meet with the prime minister that is stirring interest. Banerjee is expected to meet Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Besides, she is also likely to meet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party head Arvind Kejriwal, leaders from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Rashtriya Janata Dal, according to sources.

Her visit gains significance in the wake of her hour-long virtual address on the TMC’s martyrs’ day celebration on 21 July where she openly appealed to leaders of Opposition parties to come together in an effort to dislodge the BJP.

The address, which was broadcast at Delhi’s Constitution Club, was attended by NCP’s Sharad Pawar, Congress' P Chidambaram and Digvijay Singh, Samajwadi party’s Jaya Bachchan among other opposition leaders. She said, “The way Bengal fought against the BJP, I urge all Opposition leaders and other states to convince their parties to work together to build a front.”

She further added, “I do not know what will happen in 2024. But we have to start our planning and work from now. We need to speak up and stand united now. We have to forget our self-interest. Our sole interest should be to save the country and its people, states and federal structure.”

It must be understood that any coalition that aspires to defeat the BJP must have a strong national party at the centre of the alliance. Even earlier, when the idea surfaced before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections it failed to bear fruit because many of the regional parties failed to come to an understanding with the Congress.

Now with the fast-disappearing footprint of the Congress coupled with BJP’s defeat in West Bengal Assembly elections, it seems Banerjee hopes that her party would take that central position — the nucleus around which all parties will band before they declare ‘khela hobe’ again. It is in keeping with this that her poll strategist Prashant Kishor was seen hobnobbing with both the NCP and the Congress last month.

While it is still uncertain what the outcome of her visit will be, a few questions need to be asked. Why would all non-BJP parties accept TMC as the nucleus of the alliance when Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have achieved the same feat? That is, driven out BJP from their states.

Moreover, what has changed in the last two years? How exactly will party differences be resolved, such as Bahujan Samajwadi Party’s Mayawati has refused to contest any elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party. How will it navigate the complex but critical issues of portfolio distribution, posts, and individual prominence before a United Front is born ahead of the 2024 elections?

Earlier in the day, Sarma landed in Silchar and visited the injured police personnel at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH). After the meet, Sarma tweeted:

Visited SMCH to meet injured police officials & directed doctors to ensure best treatment to them. Asked to send seriously injured personnel for higher level treatment by air ambulance on priority

Mins @TheAshokSinghal, @Pijush_hazarika; @DGPAssamPolice; Local MLAs accompanied. pic.twitter.com/F4fOJIqrr2

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 27, 2021

He is scheduled to visit the border area as well.

The border dispute, which dates back to 1875, witnessed an unprecedented flare-up on 26 July that left five police personnel dead and nearly 60 people injured. It was closely followed by the two chief ministers taking to Twitter to exchange blame and present their versions of the incident.

The incident occurred just two days after home minister Amit Shah met the chief ministers of the eight northeastern states on the need to resolve longstanding border disputes. As per the local media in Mizoram, the conflict broke out after eight farmers' huts near Aitlang stream were set ablaze by unidentified miscreants. Mizoram Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Northern Range), Lalbiakthanga Khiangte, told PTI that the huts belonged to farmers from Vairengte, the nearest border village from Assam who have lodged complaints with the police.

Later, in a press statement, squarely blaming Assam for the flare-up, Mizoram home minister Lalchamliana stated: “… Assam Police at Vairengte town “overran” a duty post manned by the Mizoram Police, starting a skirmish. Unarmed civilians were assaulted by Assam Police by lathi charging them and firing tear gas, causing injuries to several civilians.”

Assam, in its own press release dismissed such claims, stating that “Mizoram began constructing towards Rengti Basti in Assam, destroying the Inner Line Reserve Forest in Lailapur area. Simultaneously, the Mizoram side also set up a new armed camp on a hillock next to the camp of the neutral force, CRPF, in the same vicinity. When a team of officials from Assam went there address the issue, they were surrounded and “attacked” by miscreants who were “visibly supported” by the Mizoram police.”

The Assam chief minister on Monday tweeted:

Clear evidences are now beginning to emerge that unfortunately show that Mizoram Police has used Light Machine Guns (LMG) against personnel of @assampolice. This is sad, unfortunate and speaks volumes about the intention and gravity of the situation.

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 26, 2021

On Tuesday he posted a video on his Twitter handle to back up the claim.

While the Ministry of Home Affairs has stepped in and the situation at the border seems to be under control as both chief ministers have shown interest in resolving the issue amicably, it is uncertain how long it will continue before the next crisis.

According to reports, Rajappa (Ravi), aged about 30, from Bommalapura in Gundlupet taluk in Chamarajanagara district, has allegedly ended his life, shocked by Yediyurappa's exit.

"... this news has caused me deep pain and grief. Ups and downs are common in politics, ending life for this is always unacceptable. No one can bear the loss that the family has to go through because of it," Yediyurappa tweeted.

"I appeal with folded hands that regard should not go to extremity. I'm with Ravi's family in their pain," he said.

Yediyurappa on Monday submitted his resignation as the chief minister to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot.

The governor accepted it and dissolved the Council of Ministers headed by him, with immediate effect.

The notification from the Raj Bhavan said Yediyurappa shall continue to function as Chief Minister till alternate arrangements are made.

According to a schedule of her five-day visit provided by her Trinamool Congress, Banerjee is slated to meet Modi at 4 pm on Tuesday.

Banerjee is likely to meet President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday, sources said.

She is also scheduled to meet Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and a host of other party leaders, including Kamal Nath, Anand Sharma and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

During her visit to Delhi amid the Monsoon session of Parliament, she is likely to meet leaders of other opposition parties as well.

The Trinamool Congress supremo, who apparently seeks to take up a larger role in national politics prior to the 2024 Lok Sabha election, is visiting Delhi for the first time after leading her party to power in West Bengal for the third time in a row.

Banerjee left Kolkata for Delhi after attending a special state cabinet meeting. She did not talk to newspersons at the NSC Bose International Airport in Kolkata.

Banerjee had told reporters earlier that the PM has given time to her for a meeting later this week.

She had, however, refused to disclose details of her scheduled meeting with Modi.

TMC sources said that during her visit from 26-30 July, she may also go to Parliament where the Monsoon session is underway.

On her Delhi visit, the BJP's West Bengal unit alleged that Banerjee wants to be away from the state for a few days as she is facing criticism over the fake Covid vaccination scandal, post-poll violence and other issues.

Her efforts to unite opposition parties will not succeed, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh claimed.

The 78-year-old Yediyurappa belongs to the older generation of politicians who started their service to the public as a teenager (in his case with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and did not hail from either a political or an affluent family. He was born on 27 February, 1943, in a village called Bookanakere in K.R.Pet taluk of Mandya district to Siddalingappa and Puttathayamma and named after the presiding deity of a Shaivite temple.

Swayamsevak to hardware store owner

Starting as a clerk in the social welfare department in 1965, Yediyurappa later quit the job to join as a clerk at Veerabhadra Shastri’s Shankara Rice Mill in Shikaripura, now his constituency. He eventually married Shastri’s daughter Mythradevi in 1967 and set up a hardware shop in Shimoga.

Brush with fame and politics

It was not until 1972 that Yediyurappa’s political career began when he was elected as councillor to the Shikaripura town municipality and appointed as the president of the Taluk unit of the Jana Sangh, BJP’s forerunner. He was imprisoned during the Emergency and reelected as councillor in 1977. Yediyurappa also made a name for himself in the 1970s by championing the cause of landless agricultural workers and bonded labourers in Shivmoga. It was under his leadership that the movement for upholding the rights of unauthorised tenant farmers cultivating government land gained momentum.

From Shivmoga to Bengaluru

But Yeddyurappa's political career began in earnest in 1983 when he was first elected to the legislative Assembly from Shikaripura in 1983, a seat he went on to win eight more times. Recognising his political acumen, the central BJP leadership made him the president of the state unit four times and the national secretary in 1992. He also served as the opposition Leader in the legislative Assembly, member of legislative council and member of parliament.

The CM jinx

But despite his impressive performance and hard work to expand the BJP in the south, Yeddyurappa will always be remembered as the four-time Karnataka chief minister who was never able to complete his five-year tenure. Yediyurappa first became the chief minister on 12 November, 2007, but had to resign a week later on 19 November, 2007, after JD(S) refused to support his government over disagreement on sharing of ministries.

After this, he became the chief minister for the second time on 30 May, 2008, but had to resign on 4 August, 2011, under the pressure of BJP central leadership. This time the Karnataka Lokayukta investigating an illegal mining case against him submitted its report indicting him for illegally profiteering from land deals in Bangalore and Shimoga and illegal iron ore export in Bellary, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts of Karnataka.

Sulking after having been made to quit, Yediyurappa broke his decades-long association with the BJP and formed the Karnataka Janata Paksha. However, he failed to make the KJP a force to reckon with in state politics but wrecked the BJP’s chances of retaining power in the 2013 polls, winning six seats and polling about 10 percent votes. As Yediyurappa faced an uncertain future and the BJP looked for a leader with a formidable reputation to lead its campaign ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the former announced the merger of the KJP with the BJP on January 9, 2014.

He became the chief minister for the third time on 17 May, 2018, and then again resigned on 19 May, 2018, just two days later ahead of a floor test citing his failure to prove his party’s majority. He became the chief minister for the fourth time on July 26, 2019, after the coalition government of JDS and Congress crumbled after it failed the trust vote. On 26 July as his government completed two years in office, he tendered his resignation again.

Cost of controversies

Ever since August, when Yediyurappa tested positive for COVID-19, there have been rumours that his time as the chief minister was running out. But BJP brass  continued to shoot down all such speculation even after the alleged audio leak where BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel was found hinting at a possible leadership change.  Upon being quizzed, Kateel went on to dismiss the audio leak, calling Yediyurappa “our party’s soul.”

And yet, just seven days later, the “soul” of the party stepped down from his position. But the BJP’s decision is being seen in the light of the party’s unwritten rule of keeping out those above 75 years from elective offices and introducing fresh faces in the party ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. But it cannot be forgotten that the Lingayat strongman has always been seen as the BJP's only leader with a mass connect in South India who wields considerable influence over the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community estimated at 16 percent of the state’s population, which is considered to be the BJPs core support base. These factors became the main reason for the BJP opting for Yeddyurappa time and again despite the controversies related to graft and nepotism which plagued his political career.

Centre’s gambit

But the sudden change in Karnataka’s politics cannot be seen in isolation. Only recently BJP has been routed from both Kerala and Tamil Nadu, while both YSRC and TRS continue to enjoy popularity in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively. The BJP, hence, cannot on all counts lose power in a state where its hold has anyway been precarious.

Meanwhile, resentment within the party against both Yediyurappa and his son, state BJP vice president BY Vijayendra, has been growing, so much so that the issue has reached New Delhi. Added to this, reports have it that there have been calls for a more pliable chief minister in Karnataka — one who is more amenable to the directives of the Centre.

One recalls Yediyurappa’s silence over the proposed Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill 2020 or the contentious National Register of Citizens (NRC). But the question of who would succeed Yediyurappa remains. Will replacing him with another leader from the Lingayat community solve all BJP's problems in the state?

In the Rajya Sabha, MPs belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other Opposition parties rushed into the well of the House raising slogans against the government. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said members are being prevented from raising issues of public importance.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday drove a tractor to Parliament along with other party MPs and demanded that the three contentious farm laws be repealed.

Rahul, along with party MPs Pratap Singh Bajwa, Ravneet Singh Bittu and Deepinder Singh Hooda, also carried banners and raised slogans against the laws.

"These laws are aimed at helping only two-three industrialists. The entire country knows for who whom these laws have been brought. These laws are not for the benefit of farmers and that is why they have to be withdrawn," Rahul alleged.

Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala and Youth Congress chief BV Srinivas along with a number of party leaders were detained by the Delhi Police outside Parliament and taken to Mandir marg police station.

The detained Congress leaders raised slogans demanding the withdrawal of farm laws.

"We will not be cowed by such actions. This struggle will continue under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and we will not allow the Modi government to hand over the rights of 62 crore farmers to three-four industrialists," Surjewala told reporters after he was detained.

The tractor ride to Parliament was aimed at highlighting the cause of farmers and extend their support to them, party leaders said.

The BJP has, however, termed the move as "theatrics".

Here's what happened in the Lok Sabha today:  Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday after passage of two bills without discussions amid relentless protests by Opposition members who raised slogans and showed placards on the Pegasus snooping row and farmers' issues.

• As soon as the House met at 3 pm after repeated adjournments during the day, Lok Sabha took up the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2021, separately.
• Discussion on the two bills could not take place as Opposition members continued to stage protests demanding a discussion on the Pegasus snooping allegations and the farmers' demand of repealing the three new agri laws.
• Rama Devi, who was in the chair, repeatedly urged protesting members to return to their seats and participate in the discussions.
• However, with protesting MPs not relenting, she went ahead with the consideration and passage of the two bills.
• Earlier in the day, the House saw repeated adjournments and when it met at 2 pm and ran for a few minutes, papers were laid on the table, and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
• As soon as the House met in the morning, Speaker Om Birla paid tributes to personnel of the armed forces for their valour and sacrifice during the 1999 Kargil War.
• On the 22nd anniversary of 'Operation Vijay', mounted to flush out Pakistani troops from the heights of Kargil, Speaker Birla also expressed his gratitude to the family members of the heroes of the war. Members observed silence for those who made the supreme sacrifice.
• He also congratulated Mirabai Chanu for winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
• Soon thereafter, Opposition members trooped into the Well raising slogans, disrupting the proceedings.
• While the Pegasus snooping row remained the dominant issue with the Opposition members, they also raised slogans and displayed placards in support of agitating farmers.
• Some opposition members demanded the presence of the prime minister in the House and raised slogans such as "Modi sarkar jawab do" (Modi government please answer) on the Pegasus issue.
• "The government wants to give a reply. If you want a reply, please go back to your seats ... people choose you to raise their issues. You are raising slogans ... this hurts the dignity of the House," Speaker Birla said.

Here's what happened in the Rajya Sabha today: Proceedings in Rajya Sabha were repeatedly disrupted on Monday as Opposition members protested on alleged phone-tapping and other issues. The agitated members demanded that the Chair allow the Leader of Opposition to speak and created an uproar, forcing four adjournments. The Upper House was adjourned till 11 am tomorrow.

• The Upper House witnessed two adjournments in the pre-lunch period. Opposition members entered the Well soon after the House resumed proceedings at noon following the first adjournment and started raising slogans against the government.
• Sitharaman laid the papers pertaining to a notification on reduction of customs duties amid the din.
• Deputy Chairman Harivansh made repeated appeals to the protesting members to return to their seats and allow the Question Hour to be taken up.
• He, however, continued with the Question Hour amid the din.
• "This is the House of elders and you should behave accordingly. Please return to your seats and allow the question hour to function," the deputy chairman said.
• The House was again adjourned for an hour at 2 pm as Opposition members continued to raise slogans.
• As soon as the House resumed at 3 pm, the Opposition members continued their protests on the alleged phone-tapping and other issues and demanded that the Chair allow the Leader of the Opposition to speak.
• BJP member Sasmit Patra, in the Chair, asked BJP leader Jugalsinh Mathurji Lokhandwala to continue the debate on The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021.
• Opposition members did not heed Patra's request to maintain order in the House and return to their seats. They continued raising slogans against the government, forcing Patra to adjourn the house till 4 pm.
• Earlier, as soon as the House resumed after lunch at 2 pm, BJP member Surendra Singh Nagar, in the Chair, asked Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani to withdraw The Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2012.
• Nagar asked BJP leader Jugalsinh Mathurji Lokhandwala to initiate a discussion on The Marine Aids to Navigation Bill, 2021. While Lokhandwala was speaking on the bill, Opposition members asked Nagar to allow the Leader of Opposition to speak.
• However, Nagar said the members should first return to their seats.
• He also said that he will allow the LoP to speak after the first speaker on the bill completes his submission.
• But the Opposition members refused to relent and started raising slogans against the government. Amid the din, Nagar adjourned the House till 3 pm.
• The House was also adjourned till noon amid Opposition uproar soon following the laying of papers and Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu paying tributes to martyrs on the 22nd Kargil Vijay Diwas.
• The Chairman also lauded weightlifter Mirabai Chanu for winning the silver medal in Tokyo Olympics.

17:12 (IST)

Parliament Monsoon Session LATEST Updates

Rajya Sabha adjourned for day

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after the Opposition continued to protest over the Pegasus row and farmers' issues.

Parliament Monsoon Session LATEST Updates: The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after the Opposition continued to protest over the Pegasus row and farmers' issues.

The Rajya Sabha adjourned till 5 pm after resuming briefly. Meanwhile, the Opposition continued to protest in the House.

The Lok Sabha has adjourned till tomorrow after clearing the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and National Institute of Food Technology and Entreprenuership and Management Bill, 2021.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the Lok Sabha on the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2021, as Opposition MPs continued their protest.

The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 3 pm after Opposition members continued to create a ruckus in the House.

Mere minutes after resuming, both Houses of Parliament were adjouned yet again as Opposition members continued their protest. The Rajya Sabha will meet again at 3 pm while the Lok Sabha will reconvene at 2:45 pm.

After two days of weekend off, Parliament is set to meet today again as issues like Pegasus snooping row, farm laws among others threaten to put the treasury and opposition benches for yet another stormy showdown.

Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore has already given an adjournment motion notice on the Israeli spyware Pegasus row.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned on Friday following the ruckus by the opposition over a host of issues.

In Lok Sabha, ministers Bhupender Yadav, Rameswar Teli will lay papers on the Table for Ministry of Labour and Employment and for the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021 will be introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She will also present the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 for consideration and passing. Other bills that are likely to come up are The National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2021.

In the Rajya Sabha, the suspension of TMC MP Shantanu Sen led to the stiff protest from the Opposition leading to the adjournment of the House. With the proceedings for the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha resuming once again, the government hopes to get its parliamentary business done as much as possible.

As per the list of business, ministers Prahlad Joshi, Sarbananda Sonowal, Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Bishweswar Tudu are expected to lay papers on the table for the Ministry of Mines, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Jal Shakti respectively.

Sonal Mansingh will present the 294th report on ‘Development and Conservation of Museums and
Archaeological Sites – Challenges and Opportunities’ of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture. TG Venkatesh will present the Report of the Department related Parliamentary Standing Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture.

The government is planning five ordinances in Parliament to convert them into laws -- The Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, The Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Ordinance, The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance, The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Ordinance and The Essential Defence Services Ordinance.