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.
Chandigarh, Dec 18: Train services in Punjab were affected as farmers squatted on rail tracks on Wednesday as part of their three-hour 'Rail Roko' protest to press the Centre into accepting their various demands, including a legally binding minimum support price for crops. The call for the 'rail roko' was given by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha. Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers have been squatted on rail tracks at many places from 12 noon to 3 pm. Protesting farmers blocked train routes at many places, including Moga, Faridkot, Kadian and Batala in Gurdaspur; Phillaur in Jalandhar; Tanda, Dasuya, Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur; Makhu, Talwandi Bhai in Ferozepur; Sahnewal in Ludhiana; Shambhu in Patiala; Mohali; Sunam and Lehra in Sangrur, Rampura Phul in Bathinda and Devidaspura in Amritsar. The Humsafar Express from Jammu to Sealdah, Dadar Express from Amritsar to Mumbai and Shan-e-Punjab Express from New Delhi to Amritsar were halted at different platforms of the Ludhiana railway station. The Shatabdi Express coming from New Delhi for Amritsar was halted at Khanna railway station. A protesting farmer said, "We are demanding a legal guarantee for MSP from the government." Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to Delhi was stopped by security forces. For the past three weeks, Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri border point between Punjab and Haryana to press the Centre to accept the agitating farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP on crops. A "jatha" (group) of 101 farmers made three attempts to enter Delhi on foot on December 6, December 8 and again on December 14. Haryana security personnel did not allow them to proceed. Besides a legal guarantee on MSP for crops, the farmers are demanding a debt waiver, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in the electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 are also part of their demands. (PTI)
Mumbai, Jun 30 (PTI) Police have arrested a 32-year-old man who allegedly posed as an IAS officer, stayed at a Customs' guest house in Mumbai and travelled in a car with the 'Government of India' name plate, an official said on Monday. The accused, identified as Chandramohan Singh, hailing from Bihar, stayed at the Customs' facility by claiming to be an employee of the Ministry of Home Affairs, he said. He used to move around in a car bearing the 'Government of India' name plate, the official said. The man had been stopped by a traffic constable in Dadar for a road rule violation, but he ma ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) Wastewater treatment solution provider SFC Environmental Technologies has filed preliminary papers with markets regulator Sebi seeking its approval to raise funds through an initial public offering (IPO). The company's proposed IPO is a combination of a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 150 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 1.23 crore shares by promoters and existing shareholders, according to the draft red herring prospectus. Proceeds from a fresh issuance worth Rs 47.46 crore will be utilised for payment of debt and Rs 69.67 crore for working capital requirements. ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Aug 26 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced closure of all schools in the state from August 27 to 30 in the wake of heavy rains forecast. Incessant rains for the past two days have inundated villages across several districts of the state. "It has been raining heavily for the past few days and the weather department has predicted heavy rains for the next few days as well. "In view of this, all primary, secondary, senior secondary government and private schools in the state will remain closed from August 27 to August 30," Mann said on X. The Sutlej, Beas ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Apr 1 (PTI): A blast outside the Punjab BJP headquarters here Wednesday sent people panicking, with a social media post claiming that the "grenade attack" was a reprisal for the killing of "Sikh youths." Police suspected the object hurled was a "crude" device. No casualties were reported in the blast. A team of the National Investigation Agency visited the site to investigate the explosion, which occurred at around 5 pm, a police officer said. The BJP's state unit chief Sunil Jakhar dubbed it an "attack" at the party office. An unverified video surfaced on social media showing a ...Read More >
Noida: Police on Tuesday arrested more than 160 protesting farmers, including the president of Bharatiya Kisan Parishad Sukhbir Yadav 'Khalifa', who were holding a sit-in at the 'Dalit Prerna Sthal' in Noida after their march to Delhi on land compensation and other demands was stopped a day earlier. The protesters, who had gathered in Gautam Buddh Nagar from different parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday on the call of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), had threatened to resume their march to the national capital if their demands were not met within a week. Condemning the police action, the SKM said it ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Sep 16 (PTI) A day after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann slammed the Centre for refusing permission to Sikh jathas to visit Pakistan for Guru Nanak Dev's 'Parkash Purb' celebrations in November, BJP national spokesperson R P Singh hit back, saying there was a security threat perception in the neighbouring nation. He also asked Mann who would be responsible if anything went wrong with any Indian pilgrim in Pakistan. Mann on Monday attacked the BJP-led Centre for giving its nod to the Asia Cup T20 cricket match between India and Pakistan but denying permission to send a Sikh ja ...Read More >
An unauthorised protest by CR at the heart of Mumbai left the city derailed for more than 45 minutesOn Thursday evening, Central Railway (CR) employees staged a massive 'Rail Roko' protest at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) against Government Railway Police (GRP) officials after an FIR was registered against two CR engineers over the Mumbra train tragedy of 9 June. The spontaneous protest paralysed Mumbai's Central line for nearly an hour and resulted in the deaths of two pedestrians ...Read More >
Patiala (Punjab), Dec 3 (PTI) The Punjab government will launch a massive recruitment drive in the health and the education departments, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Tuesday and added that his dispensation had already provided about 50,000 jobs. Addressing a gathering while handing over appointment letters to new recruits, Mann said the state government was committed to provide ample opportunities for youngsters to excel. So far, around 50,000 government jobs have been provided to them, he said. Further new avenues will be opened for the youngsters to ensure that they become an acti ...Read More >
Mumbai, Oct 1 (PTI) The Mumbai police have deployed more than 16,500 constables and nearly 2,900 officers along with the personnel of various special units across the city in view of the Dussehra rallies of political parties and processions for immersion of goddess Durga idols on October 2, officials said. This year, Dussehra and Gandhi Jayanti are being celebrated on the same day. The ruling Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will hold its annual Dussehra rally at the NESCO Centre in Goregaon although it was earlier scheduled to take place at the Azad Maidan in south Mumba ...Read More >
Mumbai, Oct 6 (PTI) A man was killed and four other persons were injured when a speeding tempo traveller crashed into a BEST bus and two other vehicles in Mumbai's Dadar area, police said on Monday. The incident occurred around 11.30 pm on Sunday, when the wet-lease bus of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking was going towards Pratiksha Nagar from Worli bus depot, they said. According to the officials, the driver of the tempo traveller lost control over the wheels, leading to the accident. As the bus reached Dadar Plaza bus stop, the speeding tempo traveller goi ...Read More >
Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's hunger strike enters its 17th day. His health is critical. The Supreme Court urges dialogue between the government and Dallewal. Dallewal demands MSP guarantee and other farmer-centric issues. He has written an open letter to the Prime Minister. Farmers' organizations continue their protests at the Punjab-Haryana border.The Supreme Court on Friday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jun 5 (PTI) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers attacked an auto-rickshaw driver here and forced him to apologise for allegedly using objectionable language against a Marathi-speaking passenger as well as party chief Raj Thackeray. The incident involving the passenger took place in Dadar area of central Mumbai on Wednesday. The passenger shot a video of the driver using objectionable language against him and Thackeray. He later posted the video, which shows the number plate of the auto-rickshaw, on social media, a police official said. On the basis of the video, MNS workers tra ...Read More >
New Delhi: On this day in 2024, India defeated South Africa by 7 runs and lifted the T20 World Cup title at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. India posted a 177-run target for the Proteas in 20 overs after opting to bat first. Virat Kohli smashed 76 runs off 59 balls with the help of six boundaries and two maximums. Axar Patel also batted brilliantly and scored 47 runs off 31 balls, hitting four maximums and one boundary in his sensational knock. Chasing the target of 177 runs, Bumrah provided India their first breakthrough when he removed Reeza Hendricks in the second over of the run-chase, ...Read More >
Bengaluru: For millions of people, the sudden, sharp pain of tooth due to sensitivity can turn a sip of cold water into a jolt. Now, researchers at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in collaboration with Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup Theranautilus, have engineered "CalBots" - magnetic nanobots that can seal the problem at its source.As per IISc, CalBots are 400-nanometre particles loaded with a calcium silicate-based bioceramic formula, designed to travel 500 micrometres deep inside dentinal tubules, the tiny tunnels in the tooth that lead to nerve endings. Guided by an external magnetic ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Sep 15 (PTI) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to review his ministry's advisory to various state governments to not process applications of Sikh jathas for pilgrimage to Sri Nankana Sahib in Pakistan on the occasion of 'Parkash Purb' of Guru Nanak Dev in November. Badal shared an advisory by the under secretary of the home affairs department to the chief secretaries of Punjab and other neighbouring states which reads, "Taking into account the prevailing security scenario with Pakistan, it would not be possible to ...Read More >
Mumbai, Sept 15 (PTI) Intermittent rains since midnight inundated several areas across Mumbai, affecting traffic on roads and local train as well as monorail services on Monday. Amid rains, a monorail train came to an abrupt halt on tracks between the Antop Hill Bus Depot and GTBN station in Wadala due to a "technical snag", following which all 17 passengers onboard were rescued, officials said, adding that it was the second such incident in less than a month. The rain activity reduced in the afternoon. In the last 24 hours, the Colaba observatory in south Mumbai recorded 134.4 mm rainfall, ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Paddy, wheat and maize farmers in Bihar have lost around Rs 10,000 crore in 2024-25 due to the non-implementation of Minimum Support Price according to the C2+50 per cent formula given by the MS Swaminathan-chaired National Commission on Farmers, the All India Kisan Sabha said on Thursday. Overall, in the year 2024-25, farmers cultivating the 20 major Kharif and Rabi crops could have earned nearly Rs 3 lakh crore more if their produce had been procured at prices fixed as per the C2+50 per cent formula, the AIKS said. "The Swaminathan Commission's recommendation of 1.5 ...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, Aug 19 (PTI) The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Tuesday opposed a government notification allowing duty-free import of raw cotton till September 30, calling it a death warrant for cotton framers across the country. In a statement issued here, the amalgam of farmer unions accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "duplicity and betrayal". "The government has said that the elimination of import duty on cotton as well as Agriculture Infrastructure Development Cess (AIDC) is necessary in the public interest. SKM strongly protests the notification to eliminate import tariff on cotton as a death ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Apr 5 (PTI) Farmers and opposition leaders in Punjab on Sunday sought compensation for crops damaged in rain and hailstorms at various places, including Amritsar, Bathinda, Muktsar, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran and Fatehgarh Sahib. They asked the state government to immediately order crop loss assessment in the affected districts and award compensation. Pointing out that wheat crop was flattened and maize was also hit in a village in Amritsar's Majithia, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that no official has yet visited to make an assessment of loss yet ...Read More >
With the harvest festival of Baisakhi just five days away, unseasonal rain, hailstorms and high-velocity winds have flattened the standing wheat crop, disrupting harvesting across Punjab by at least 10 days and leaving farmers worried about potential losses at a crucial stage of the crop cycle. The sudden spell of adverse weather, particularly in the semi-arid Malwa belt, has led to waterlogging and widespread lodging of standing wheat crops. Slushy fields have made it difficult for farmers to u ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Dec 11 (PTI) Farmer leader from Punjab Jagjit Singh Dallewal's fast unto death at the Khanauri border point to press the Centre to accept farmers' demands, including a legal guarantee on the MSP for crops, entered the 16th day on Wednesday. Farmers on Wednesday held prayers for the success of their agitation going on at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana in support of their various demands and for the good health of Dallewal. Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have been camping at Shambhu ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Jan 17 (PTI) Ten more farmers sat on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri protest site in solidarity with Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose indefinite fast in support of various demands of the farmers led to further deterioration of his health on the 53rd day. Besides Dallewal, 111 farmers from Punjab have been sitting on an indefinite fast for the past three days. Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after security forces did not a ...Read More >
Srinagar- A local court in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday dismissed a case of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation filed against PDP leader and MLA Waheed-Ur-Rehman Parra in connection with a roadshow he held during last year's Lok Sabha elections in Pulwama district. The case, registered under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), was dismissed by Additional Special Mobile Magistrate Awantipora, Muneer Ahmad Bhat, who ruled that no cognisance of the offence could be taken due to procedural lapses in the chargesheet. Parra, the PDP candidate from Srinagar parliamentary constituency, was ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Sep 15 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited the flood-hit areas in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts of Punjab on Monday and interacted with those affected by nature's fury. He was accompanied by Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and other party leaders. After arriving in Amritsar, he headed to Ghonewal village in Amritsar's Ajnala and met the flood-hit people to enquire about the damage. Ghonewal village was among several ...Read More >
Uddhav Thackeray criticized Devendra Fadnavis as a helpless chief minister. He alleged rampant corruption under Fadnavis's watch. Thackeray also attacked the BJP for creating divisions and failing on national issues. He defended his party's Hindutva. Thackeray dismissed Ramdas Kadam's remarks. He urged the Centre to provide financial aid to Maharashtra women. Thackeray called for expanding the Shiv Sena UBT network. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday dubbed Devendra Fadnavis a " ...Read More >
UBT chief's presence at annual MNS event signifies a clear reunion between Thackery brothers ahead of BMC pollsThe MNS's invitation to Uddhav Thackeray for Deepotsav at Shivaji Park on October 17, marks a direct signal yet of an emerging political realignment in Maharashtra, highlighting the potential revival of a united Marathi political front.The invitation follows several recent public meetings between the Thackeray cousins, signalling a steady thaw in relations and a possible reunion ahead of ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Apr 6 (PTI) Senior SAD leader and Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday urged the Union agriculture minister to send a special team to Punjab to assess the damage caused to the standing wheat crop by hailstorms. He urged the Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to release a special compensation package to affected farmers. On the other hand, Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia demanded immediate compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre from the state government. Bathinda MP Harsimrat, who wrote to the Union Agriculture minister, also appealed to him to issue directions to defe ...Read More >
Hoshiarpur/Kapurthala (Pb), Jul 9 (PTI) Contractual employees of the state-owned Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transportation Corporation on Wednesday evening called off their three-day strike following a meeting with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar in Chandigarh. The meeting came after contractual employees struck work earlier in the day to press their demands, including regularisation of their jobs, causing inconvenience to commuters. Over 2,500 buses of Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transportation Corporation (PRTC) stayed off the roads, t ...Read More >
Chennai: Madras high court has clarified that private self-financing medical colleges are required to pay only a stipend, and not a full salary, to in-service govt doctors pursuing postgraduate or super-specialty courses under the govt quota.A division bench of Justice R Subramanian and Justice K Surender passed the order while partly allowing a batch of appeals moved by Karpaga Vinayaga Medical College and others. They challenged a single judge's order that directed private colleges to pay salaries to in-service doctors studying in their institutions.The appeals were moved based on a GO dated ...Read More >