India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
Mumbai, Sep 2 (PTI) Maharashtra Special IG Manojkumar Sharma on Tuesday met cabinet minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, as activist Manoj Jarange's protest for quota entered its fifth day. The meeting assumed significance as the Bombay High Court is scheduled to hear later in the day a petition concerning the ongoing agitation at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai. Sharma, who is the Special Inspector General of Police (law and order), visited Vikhe Patil at his official residence here, sources said, without elaborating. Jarange has been staging an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan from August 29, demanding the Maratha community members be recognised as Kunbis, a categorisation that would enable them to avail benefits under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. He has also pressed for the inclusion of references from the Hyderabad and Satara gazetteers to substantiate the community's claim. Jarange has asserted that he will not leave Mumbai till the demands are met, even as the police issued a notice to him and his team, asking them to vacate Azad Maidan. On Monday, the Bombay High Court, while hearing a plea related to the agitation, noted that the city was "literally paralysed" due to the stir, which it said had violated all stipulated conditions. The court said it was giving an opportunity to Jarange and his supporters to ensure that all streets were vacated and cleaned by Tuesday noon. Jarange's announcement of a fast unto death amounted to a "clear threat", the court observed, questioning why the government had not yet acted to clear the roads. Jarange has been at the forefront of the Maratha quota agitation since a couple of years. He had earlier launched a fast-unto-death at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district, demanding Kunbi certificates for Marathas. The government has formed a sub-committee under Vikhe Patil to examine the issue and held multiple rounds of talks with Jarange. However, the activist has remained firm on his stand that all Marathas be given Kunbi status, which would ensure their inclusion in the OBC quota without legal hurdles. Last year, the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed a bill granting 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community under a separate category. Jarange, however, rejected the legislation, arguing it would not stand judicial scrutiny and reiterated his demand for OBC quota benefits. The agitation has frequently disrupted normal life in different parts of the state, with large gatherings and road blockades reported during previous phases of the protest. PTI ND GK
Jalna, December 17: Activist Manoj Jarange on Tuesday announced that he would launch an indefinite fast on January 25, 2025, to press for the Maratha community's demands, including reservation in jobs and education under the OBC category. Addressing the media at Antarwali Sarthi village in Jalna, Jarange urged members of the Maratha community to gather in large numbers at the protest site. "No one should stay at home. Come to Antarwali Sarthi, and let us show our collective strength," he said. The 42-year-old activist has been demanding the implementation of a draft notification that recognis ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jan 27 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Monday suggested Abhishek Lodha and his brother Abhinandan Lodha to try and amicably resolve the issue over the use of 'Lodha' trademark. The Abhishek Lodha-promoted Macrotech Developers Ltd earlier this month filed a suit in the HC against Abhinandan Lodha's real estate firm, House of Abhinandan Lodha, claiming the name 'Lodha' was their trademark and no one else could use it. The suit sought Rs 5,000 crore as damages from Abhinandan Lodha's company. In an interim application, Macrotech Developers sought a perpetual injunction against the defen ...Read More >
Mumbai, May 20 (PTI) The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday announced a new housing policy, which includes a comprehensive programme ranging from slum rehabilitation to redevelopment, with an investment of Rs 70,000 crore. Talking to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the policy focuses on housing for the common man with the motto "My Home -- My Right". He said the policy prioritises low-income groups, senior citizens, women, industrial workers and students. The policy comprises a comprehensive programme from slum rehabilitation to redevelopment, with an ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
Traffic Diversions for oath-taking: The swearing-in ceremony of the new Maharashtra Chief Minister will be held at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai tomorrow, December 5. Mumbai Traffic Police has issued an advisory in view of the event. The traffic diversions will remain in place from 12 PM tomorrow till the end of the programme. Devendra Fadnavis was on Wednesday unanimously elected as Maharashtra BJP legislature party's leader, paving the way for his swearing-in as the chief minister for a third time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders are set to attend the grand swearing-in cerem ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar, saying that he can't "bulldoze" Ambedkar's legacy which remains a voice for the oppressed communities. "Yesterday, Amit Shah who believes in Manuwaad and who is a follower of Savarkar has expressed his anti-mindset of Ambedkar (anti-Ambedkar mindset)...We will try to say to him 'Ambedkar Jai'...because he can't just bulldoze Ambedkar's legacy. Ambedkar legacy means voice for those oppressed communities of OBCs, SCs and STs, and all othe ...Read More >
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has raised concern over terminally ill prisoners languishing in Maharashtra's jails and asked the state govt to consider proper implementation of an advisory on grant of medical bail or to place them in house arrest. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan on Monday said they visited the Yerwada central prison in Pune on Sunday and met with prisoners, particularly women inmates, and inspected the condition there. The bench referred to a ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday demanded an immediate apology from the Opposition Congress over the remarks of party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on President Droupadi Murmu and said those were insults for the people of Odisha and the Santal community also. Majhi expressed his opinion on the ongoing debate over the alleged disrespect to the country's first tribal woman President through a long post on X. "Sonia Gandhi's comment, 'Poor lady President Murmu got tired at the end,' and Rahul Gandhi's 'boring' remarks are not just insults to I ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted anticipatory bail to former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) trainee officer Puja Khedkar, accused of forging her documents to obtain eligibility for the 2022 Union Public Service Commission test. A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma asked Khedkar to cooperate in the probe. Also Read | Security Scare in Kolkata: Police Launch Probe After Drone-Like Objects Spotted Over Sky, Centre Seeks Report From West Bengal Govt. During the hearing, the bench said, "What is the grave crime she has committed? ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the caste census will greatly benefit the indigenous Muslim community living in both the Brahmaputra and Barak Valley in the state. The Centre on Wednesday announced that India's 16th Census with caste enumeration will be carried out in 2027. The indigenous Muslim communities of Assam have been demanding for a long time, a caste-based census to assert their distinct socio-cultural identities, the chief minister said on the sidelines of the World Environment Day programme here. ''The proposed caste enumerati ...Read More >
Bengaluru, Jun 5 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday ordered the suspension of Bengaluru police commissioner and several senior police officials in connection with the stampede in front of Chinnaswamy Stadium here, which left 11 people dead. He has also ordered the arrest of representatives of RCB, DNA event managers and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), while handing over the probe to the one-man judicial commission headed by retired High Court judge of Karnataka Justice Michael Cunha. The stampede occurred on Wednesday evening in front of the stadium, where a ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 5 (VOICE) The Assam government's decision to impose a complete ban on the consumption of beef in public places, including hotels and restaurants, has garnered positive reactions from other BJP leaders. In Chhattisgarh, Cabinet Minister Tankaram Verma welcomed the move, stating, "In our country, cows are revered as Gau Mata. From birth to death, their importance in our lives is unparalleled, even during final rites where cow urine is used. I wholeheartedly support this decision by the Assam government and congratulate them for taking such a step." Similarly, Uttar Pradesh's Min ...Read More >
Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 12 (PTI) Tensions flared in the Karnataka Assembly on Thursday as BJP MLAs barged into Speaker U T Khader's chamber, expressing strong objections to his handling of the proceedings. The confrontation came amidst heated debates over the recent police lathi charge on Panchamasali Lingayat protesters, with the ruling Congress and opposition BJP trading accusations. The issue arose when Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, himself a leader of the Panchamasali Lingayat community, criticized the decision of previous BJP government to scrap the 4 per cent Muslim reservati ...Read More >
Gwalior (MP), Dec 15 (PTI) Four tribal persons were killed and 15 others injured when a tractor-trolley overturned in an attempt to save a buffalo in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district, police said on Sunday. The accident took place at around 10.30 pm on Saturday in Ghatigaon area, an official said. As many as 31 persons, belonging to the Saharia tribal community, had gone to a forest in Pai Kho village for collecting herbs. They were returning to the Kait village when the tractor-trolley overturned at Tilawali square while its driver was trying to avoid hitting a buffalo, Ghatigaon police s ...Read More >
Patna (Bihar) [India], December 15 (ANI): Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lallan) Singh on Sunday accused the Congress of insulting the Constitution since Independence and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken about this in his address to the Lok Sabha. Speaking to mediapersons, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh said, "The Congress party has disrespected the Constitution since Independence and PM Modi showed them the mirror in Lok Sabha." On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of constantly disrespecting the Constitution. Responding to the two-day discussion in Lok Sabh ...Read More >
Sources said during the crucial Mahayuti leaders' meeting in New Delhi on Thursday night, Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde sought 12 ministerial berths for his party It's been six days since the Maharashtra assembly election results were declared and the Mahayuti alliance emerged victorious, but suspense over the new head of the state and fresh cabinet minister is not over yet. Sources have said that the key alliance leaders will finalise a list and fly to Delhi on Monday to meet with the BJP top brass before making an announcement. Sources said during the crucial Mahayut ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 18 (PTI) Senior NCP leader in Kerala and state Forest Minister A K Saseendran on Wednesday rejected media reports about the change in the party's lone ministership in the Left government and made it clear that there is no obstacle for party MLA Thomas K Thomas to be part of the state cabinet instead of him. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP is an ally in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the state. It has two MLAS - A K Saseendran and Thomas K Thomas. Saseendran told reporters here that he had already made his stand clear in this regard and informed the party's state a ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Feb 4 (UNI) BRS Working President and MLA K T Rama Rao (KTR) criticised the Congress government, stating that the people of Telangana have lost faith in its administration. Speaking during the debate on the caste survey report in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, KTR expressed disappointment, saying that many had expected historic announcements following the special Assembly session and Cabinet meeting. However, he claimed that the report lacked new insights and merely reiterated information previously shared by Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy. Referring to the Kamareddy declaration ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 5 (PTI) BJP legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis will be sworn-in as the new chief minister of Maharashtra on Thursday evening at a grand ceremony here to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other dignitaries. Fadnavis, who would be occupying the CM's post for the third time, along with two deputy chief ministers will take the oath of office, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar told reporters, adding that other members of the cabinet will take oath later. Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde are expected to take oath as ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 17 (PTI) Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday launched a veiled attack on party president Ajit Pawar over his exclusion from the new council of ministers, claiming Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was in favour of his induction in the cabinet. He said Ajit Pawar, the NCP president, makes decisions for the party like Fadnavis for the BJP and Eknath Shinde for the Shiv Sena. Amid speculation over his "Jahan nahi chaina, wahan nahi rehna" remark a day before, Bhujbal said he would speak on Wednesday after discussing with NCP workers and people from the Yeola cons ...Read More >
New Delhi: Former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination, has moved the Supreme Court for anticipatory bail. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma is scheduled to hear the plea on January 15. Khedkar has challenged the December 23 2024 Delhi High Court order which refused to grant her anticipatory bail. The high court said a strong prima facie case was made out against Khedkar and an investigation was required to unearth the "larger conspiracy" to manipulate the system ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to grant anticipatory bail to former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, accused of cheating and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits in the civil services examination. The matter was heard by a bench consisting of justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma. "What is the grave crime she has committed? She is not a drug lord or a terrorist. She has not committed 302 (murder). She is not an NDPS offender", said the bench. "You should have a system or software. You complete the investigation. She has lost everything and will not ge ...Read More >
Shinde accepts BJP's decision, likely to receive key ministries Shinde has agreed to BJP's decision to make a Chief Minister from its ranks. He is expected to be given important portfolios like Urban Development, Public Works Department, and Water Resources. Sources also say that two Deputy Chief Ministers will be appointed, one each from Shiv Sena and NCP. Pawar has told his party leaders that the swearing-in ceremony could take place this weekend. Despite initial resistance, Shinde announced his party's support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah's decision on the ...Read More >
Mumbai, Dec 3 (PTI) Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday visited a private hospital in Thane for a "check-up," two days before a new CM is sworn in at an open ground ceremony in south Mumbai. Even as it is not known yet who would take oath as chief minister at Azad Maidan on the evening of December 5, preparations are in full swing for the ceremony, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, about 2,000 VVIPs and some 40,000 supporters. Shinde, who had been staying at his private residence in Thane for the last few days, visited the hospital in the morning. "I ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Jan 2 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday claimed that the Centre was trying to"bring back" the now-repealed farm laws, referring to the newly announced draft of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing. The AAP-led Punjab government has termed the newly announced draft policy as an attempt to reintroduce the three central agricultural laws passed in 2020 "through backdoor." After a yearlong protest by farmers, the Centre had repealed the laws. Speaking to reporters here, Mann also stated that the demands of the protesting farmers pertain to the c ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party, accusing it of stalling Delhi's development while treating the city as its "political ATM" to fund its ambitions in other states and using the "looted" money for its own publicity. Addressing a public rally in Dwarka here, he urged people to vote for the BJP in the Assembly polls and allow him to serve them. Modi stressed that Delhi does not need a confrontational government but one that works in coordination with the Centre. The prime minister urged voters to elect a "double-engine go ...Read More >
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Thursday took strong action against the police officers allegedly responsible for the Bengaluru stampede, suspending several high-ranking officials, including the city's police commissioner. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also announced a one-man commission to probe the lapses that triggered the deadly stampede. "Cubbon Park Police Station police inspector, station house master, station house officer, ACP, Central Division DCP, cricket stadium in-charge, additional commissioner of police, commissioner of police have been susp ...Read More >
Lucknow, Dec 12 (VOICE) Following Leader of Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi's visit to the family of the Hathras gang-rape victim and also to the kin of those who died in the Sambhal violence in Uttar Pradesh, the state's Cabinet ministers have accused him of pursuing a "political agenda to provoke society and mislead the public." LoP Gandhi on Thursday met with the family of the Dalit girl who was gang-raped by four upper caste men in Hathras in 2020. The victim later succumbed to her injuries in a Delhi hospital. Rahul Gandhi interacted with the family of the victim for about half an hour bu ...Read More >
Ranjan Dasgupta & Tushar Pawar Nashik: Disgruntled NCP MLA Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday said Maharashtra chief minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis, and two top NCP functionaries, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, "tried their best" to convince party president Ajit Pawar to give him a ministerial berth. "All three (Fadnavis, Patel and Tatkare) wanted me as a minister in the new govt. They made all efforts to convince Ajit dada. On the day of the swearing-in ceremony too, Fadnavis tried to convince him t ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Dec 18 (PTI) Alleging that the country's reputation was "hurt" following the indictment of Gautam Adani in a US court, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to protect the industrialist. The chief minister, who participated in a 'Chalo Raj Bhavan' here as per a call given by the AICC, said the Congress government is ready to pass a resolution in the Assembly seeking JPC on the Adani issue if the opposition BRS extends support. Congress and the INDI Alliance demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into ...Read More >