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.
Leh/New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) Jailed activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife Gitanjali Angmo has trashed allegations of "Pakistan link" and financial irregularities against him. Terming the charge that Wangchuk incited the violence in Leh as "misplaced", she claimed that he has been protesting in the "most Gandhian way possible" and the "situation escalated" on September 24 due to the actions of the CRPF. Police detained climate activist Wangchuk on Friday under the stringent National Security Act (NSA), two days after protests demanding Sixth Schedule status and statehood for Ladakh turned violent in Leh last Wednesday, claiming four lives and injuring 90 others. Wangchuk, a key figure in the five-year-long agitation for Ladakh's rights whose detention drew strong reactions from different quarters, has been lodged in prison in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Talking to PTI over the phone, Angmo, the co-founder of Himalayan Institute of Alternative Learning (HIAL), said she has not been able to communicate with her husband since his detention and dismissed all allegations against the climate activist and their institutions. Claiming that they have not been handed over a copy of the detention order, Angmo said, "They promised to send it on Friday. We will take legal recourse." Ladakh DGP S D Singh Jamwal has said Wangchuk is being probed for allegedly having links with Pakistan on the back of last month's arrest of a Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO) who sent videos of his protests across the border. The police chief also cited some of Wangchuk's "suspicious" foreign trips, including to Pakistan to attend an event by The Dawn. Angmo, however, clarified that their recent visit to the neighbouring country was purely professional and climate-focused. Denouncing the allegations of Pakistan links involving her husband, she said all of Wangchuk's overseas visits were made on the invitation of reputed universities and institutions. "We attended a conference organised by the United Nations, and it was on climate change. The glacier on the top of the Himalayas is not going to see whether I'm flowing into Pakistan or India," she told PTI. She said the 'Breathe Pakistan' conference held in February was organised by the United Nations Pakistan and Dawn Media, and involved multinational cooperation. "There are organisations like the ICIMOD, which bring together all the eight Hindu Kush countries and work on different issues. We are part of the ICIMOD's Himalayan University Consortium," Angmo said. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is a Nepal-based organisation founded in 1983 comprising eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region - India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. "I was also there to present a paper on women's role in climate change... In fact, he (Wangchuk) praised Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi on stage at the event. "The Nepal and Bangladesh reference being bandied around is actually an example Sonam gave, i.e., 'when governments are not responsive, it leads to a revolution'. We should avoid the interpretations," she said. Angmo also challenged the slapping of the stringent NSA on Wangchuk, which allows detention without a trial for up to 12 months, citing his long record of peaceful protests. "I think it is a very wrong charge. Sonam certainly is not a threat to any public order," Angmo said. She claimed that Wangchuk advocated for his cause in the "most Gandhian way possible" over the last five years, reminding the government of its promises to Ladakhis, and all through maintaining that the protest organised by the Leh Apex Body was peaceful, and the charge that Wangchuk incited the violence was misplaced. "We have videos to show that the students and the youth were just there for a peaceful protest. Sonam did not even know about (a non-peaceful plan)," she claimed, adding, "He only knew about a peaceful protest. But when the CRPF personnel fired tear gas shells, the youth reacted by pelting stones, and the whole situation escalated." Angmo also questioned the response by the security forces, saying, "My question is, who gave the CRPF the right to open fire? Why should you open fire on your own people, on your own youth?" On the allegation that Wangchuk made a provocative speech, Angmo claimed his Ladakhi words were taken out of context and mistranslated. "He just said that 'when change has to happen, it can start with one individual, or with the death of one individual and that individual could be me; I'm happy to give my life for it'," she said. She also questioned the logic behind the alleged attempt to portray Wangchuk as an anti-national, saying, "How can you portray a person as anti-national who has been talking about making shelters for the Indian Army, and boycotting Chinese goods?" On the charges of financial irregularities involving their institutions, Angmo presented a detailed defence about the foreign funding of HIAL, UGC registration, FCRA cancellation of SECMOL and land allotment. Angmo denied that HIAL took donations from abroad without Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) clearance, claiming the funds were payments for their technologies. "We have the service agreements, which say this is a consulting assignment that we're giving to HIAL for which we will be paying them," she said. She also said that HIAL does not charge its 400 students any fees and raises its running costs through innovations such as ice stupas and passive solar buildings, noting they do not patent their technologies, leaving them free for public use. Angmo said HIAL applied for UGC registration in 2022 and paid a deposit amount of Rs 15 lakh, but "if at all the registration has not happened, it's because they are stalling it". She also claimed that the lease for HIAL's land is held up because the UT administration did not have a category for such institutions, adding that "while questions are being raised on HIAL, the Sindhu Central University, which started in 2021, still doesn't have a building". Angmo stressed that Wangchuk is not against development, but is advocating for the Sixth Schedule to give locals a say in "mindful development". She pointed to HIAL's suggestion to use translucent solar panels in Changtang to grow fodder for Pashmina goats alongside electricity production. "This kind of mindful development is what he's talking about... HIAL is at the forefront of innovation. It is not that he's anti-development," Angmo said. After the September 4 violence, the Union home ministry cancelled the FCRA licence granted to the Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL), an organisation founded by Wangchuk, citing alleged financial discrepancies. PTI AO ARI
OCCRP had published news articles against Adani; BJP MP Sambit Patra calls Rahul 'traitor of highest order' After a hiatus of two days, the Winter Session of Parliament plunged into chaos again Thursday, this time due to the ruling BJP targeting Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, accusing them of being part of a plan to "derail" India's economy and "disrupt" its democracy. Senior BJP MP Nishikant Dubey raised the matter in the Lok Sabha, alleging that a "dangerous triangle" ...Read More >
BJP member Manas Dutta blamed the previous BJD government and held it responsible for not extending their service agreement which ended in April, 2024. As hundreds of women working as support staff under the Mission Shakti department staged a demonstration outside the Assembly over different issues, the opposition BJD on Monday demanded immediate release of their salaries. While the agitating women were shouting slogans at the Mahatma Gandhi Road leading to the Assembly, the issue was raised in ...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 >
Chandigarh, Feb 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a major crackdown on fraudulent immigration consultants exploiting innocent individuals, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Punjab Police on Monday said it has taken action to dismantle the multinational human trafficking nexus operating in the region. This action pertains to the Indians who had been deported from the US and had landed in Amritsar. Punjab Police has recorded statements against travel agents who defrauded them with false promises of illegal entry into the US. Acting on complaints from victims, Punjab Police have regi ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Rising temperatures, driven by climate change, is increasing the atmosphere's 'thirst', making droughts around the world 40 per cent more severe over the past 40 years, according to a new study. Researchers, including those at the University of California-Santa Barbara, US, explained that the atmosphere is becoming warmer, thereby increasing its capacity to hold moisture -- atmospheric evaporative demand -- and making droughts more severe, even in places where rainfall has stayed the same. Also Read | Who Is Pinaki Misra? From Age to Family Background and Net Worth, He ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 4 (PTI) The Congress Wednesday said a "cover-up" is in the making after reports claimed entities connected to the Adani Group have approached the SEBI seeking settlement in a case that alleges violations of public shareholding norms through unfair practices. It asserted the "scam" requires serious punitive action, including arrests and raids by investigative agencies. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said a token settlement would make Indian institutions a laughing stock whose reputation has already been tarnished by the actions of Prime Minist ...Read More >
Amritsar, Dec 17 (PTI) Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Tuesday urged the Punjab government to take steps to bring back the bodies of Punjabis who were among 11 Indians who died in a restaurant in Georgia. Eleven Indian nationals were found dead at a restaurant in Georgia's mountain resort of Gudauri, the Indian mission had said on Monday. Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs had said the initial inspection found no signs of injury or violence. All victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning, local media reported, citing police. The Indian mission in Tbilisi had said it was saddened to ...Read More >
Imphal, Jan 21 (PTI) Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Tuesday pleaded with people to take a pledge to work collectively to uphold the pride and dignity of Manipur on the occasion of statehood day. Manipur became a full-fledged state on January 21, 1972. "It was on this day in 1972 that Manipur became a full-fledged state of the Indian Union, marking a significant milestone in our history. On this momentous day, let us pledge to work collectively to uphold the pride and dignity of our beautiful state," the chief minister said on X. His comment comes at a time when the northeastern state is wi ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jan 22 (PTI) The police have intensified security to thwart the possible efforts of the Maoists to enter Odisha following an operation that left 14 red rebels dead in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, an official said on Wednesday. The police remained alert in the districts bordering Chhattisgarh as combing operations were underway in Chhattisgarh. "We have put the police and central forces deployed in different districts to remain alert and prevent possible infiltration of Maoists from the neighbouring state," Odisha DGP Y B Khurania said after holding a review meeting. Khurania along ...Read More >
New Delhi, May 19 (PTI) After a tepid start to 2025, the IPO market is getting back on track with six main-board companies, including Schloss Bangalore -- owner of luxury hotel chain The Leela, are set to float their initial share-sales this month to collectively mobilise over Rs 11,000 crore, investment banking sources said on Monday. Of the six firms, Borana Weaves and Belrise Industries will launch their IPOs this week. Borana Weaves will float its Rs 144-crore IPO on May 20, while Pune-based Belrise Industries' Rs 2,150-crore IPO will open on May 21. The remaining four companies -- Schl ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 5 (PTI) The presence of a Bharat Mata portrait, allegedly associated with RSS shakhas, at a World Environment Day event at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday led to the state government boycotting the programme, prompting Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to assert that there would be no compromise on Bharat Mata. Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad, who boycotted the event, said that the state government respects Bharat Mata, but using an image commonly associated with RSS shakhas for an official function at Raj Bhavan is unconstitutional. While the Raj Bhavan went ahead ...Read More >
ISKCON Kolkata has raised concerns with India over ongoing persecution of its monks and Hindu communities in Bangladesh, following the arrest of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. ISKCON Kolkata has seriously raised concerns with the Indian government over the ongoing persecution of its monks and Hindu religious communities in Bangladesh. This is after the recent arrest of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, a development that is very worrying in light of a series of attacks on members of the Hindu Vaishnavite order and other minority communities. ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das shared with PTI that ...Read More >
New Delhi: The annual all-India conference of directors general of police and inspectors general of police will begin in Bhubaneswar on Friday where issues related to internal security, Jammu and Kashmir, and pro-Khalistan elements, among others are likely to be discussed, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, among others will attend the three-day conference where cyber crimes, challenges posed by AI tools and threats emanating from drones are also expected to be discussed. About 250 officers of DGP and IGP ...Read More >
New Delhi: From 2025, the CUET-UG will be conducted exclusively as a computer-based test (CBT), and students will have the flexibility to appear for any subject, regardless of what they studied in class 12. This decision follows a review conducted by an expert panel set up by the University Grants Commission (UGC), as explained by UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar. What are the major changes? In an interview with PTI, Kumar elaborated on the changes saying, "The exam will be conducted only in CBT mode from 2025, unlike the hybrid mode used last year. We have also reduced the number of subjects fr ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Gold prices fell Rs 200 to Rs 79,100 per 10 grams in the national capital on Wednesday amid a firm trend in international markets, according to the All India Sarafa Association. The precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity settled at Rs 79,300 per 10 grams in the previous session. Snapping a three-day losing run, silver climbed Rs 500 to Rs 92,000 per kg on Wednesday. It closed at Rs 91,500 per kg on Tuesday. In the last three sessions, the white metal plunged Rs 5,500 per kg. The price of gold of 99.5 per cent purity slipped Rs 200 to Rs 78,700 per 10 grams from the ...Read More >
New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of making "false allegations" about the statement of the Army chief on the situation at the India-China border. "The words attributed to the Army Chief by Shri Rahul Gandhi were never spoken by him at any time. It is a matter of deep regret that Shri Rahul Gandhi should indulge in irresponsible politics on matters of national interest," Singh said on X. In his speech on Monday in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, the leader of opposition clai ...Read More >
Ballia (UP): Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of trying to incite people and spreading anarchy in the state and said he is a "confused" leader who does not know what to do. Pathak was reacting to Gandhi's visit to Hathras where the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha met the family of a Dalit woman who died allegedly after being gangraped in September 2020. "(Rahul) Gandhi is confused. He has no idea what he will say and when. Sometimes he thinks of visiting Sambhal, sometimes Aligarh or Hathras. He is totally derailed and ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) Gold prices climbed Rs 500 to Rs 80,900 per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday due to persistent buying by retailers and jewellers, according to the All India Sarafa Association. The precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity finished at Rs 80,400 per 10 grams in the previous trading session. The yellow metal has jumped nearly Rs 2,000 in the past three sessions. Silver also rallied Rs 700 to Rs 97,000 per kg on Thursday. The white metal settled at Rs 96,300 per kg in the previous session. The price of gold of 99.5 per cent purity also surged Rs 500 to Rs 80,5 ...Read More >
Kolkata: BJP on Saturday criticised urban development minister Firhad Hakim over a video where the Kolkata mayor is purportedly heard making a comment on minorities. Hakim had made the comment while addressing an educational conference recently. Hakim said BJP was using his quote out of context and he was only referring to the gulf between the educated and the uneducated. "As education spreads, the gulf will be bridged and there will be one identity," said Hakim. Saying that he would never play ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the country will not tolerate Babasaheb Ambedkar's insult and demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah should apologise for his remarks in the Rajya Sabha. Several MPs of the INDIA bloc, including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises demanding Shah's apology for his remarks which they claimed were an insult to B R Ambedkar. Sharing pictures from the protest, Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi, "Baba Saheb is the architect of the Constitution, ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 (PTI) The Odisha Police on Friday arrested eight NSUI activists for holding a demonstration and showing black flags to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during his travel in Bhubaneswar the previous day. The arrested youths, who were detained by the police on Thursday evening from the spot, were in the age group of 19 years to 24 years. They were booked under several sections of the BNS. Also Read | 'Touched Private Parts Pricked With Pen': Tuiton Teacher in Nagaur, Rajasthan Sexually Abused Class 2 Girl for 6 Months, Arrested. The workers of the Congress' student wing were protes ...Read More >
Gulmarg (JK), May 28 (PTI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the April 22 Pahalgam attack has not stalled the conversation around restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and that he had raised the issue at the recent meeting of NITI Aayog governing council. "No, not at all. If you were to take out the formal speech that circulated in the NITI Aayog meeting, you will find a categorical mention for return of statehood in that ... which was given to the Honourable Prime Minister and all the members of the governing council of the NITI Aayog," Abdullah told reporters in this to ...Read More >
Bhopal, Jun 3 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday targeted senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for not removing his shoes while offering tribute at a statue of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying it was against their culture. Rahul Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, arrived in Bhopal on Tuesday on a one-day visit to the state. After reaching the state capital, the former Congress president paid tribute at a life-size statue of Indira Gandhi located in front of the state party headquarters. Later, a video of the programme was widely shared on va ...Read More >
Still, the ongoing U.N. climate talks have thrown a spotlight on their efforts to tackle global warming. While the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, is tasked with agreeing a goal to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars for climate, leaders of the Group of 20 major economies half a world away in Rio are holding the purse strings. G20 countries account for 85% of the world's economy and are the largest contributors to multilateral development banks helping to steer climate finance. "The spotlight is naturally on the G20. They account for 80 percent of global emissions," U.N. Secretary Ge ...Read More >
New Delhi, Nov 28 (PTI) Coworking firm Incuspaze, which provides managed flexible office spaces to corporates, is looking to raise USD 25 million (over ₹210 crore) to expand its business across major cities before planning to launch its Initial Public Offer (IPO). Established in 2016, Incuspaze has a presence in 44 locations across 18 cities with a total portfolio of 40 lakh square feet. "We plan to add another 2 million (20 lakh) square feet in our portfolio by the end of December 2025," Incuspaze founder and CEO Sanjay Choudhary told PTI. In view of the growing demand for flexible workspa ...Read More >
Srinagar, Dec 4 (PTI) Security forces continued their search for militants in the Dachigam forest here on Wednesday, a day after a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was killed in an encounter in the area, officials said. According to officials, the security forces halted their search on Tuesday night but maintained a tight cordon in the area. The search for militants in the vast mountainous and forest area of Dachigam resumed in the morning, they said. Also Read | ISRO PROBA-3 Mission Launch Delayed: Indian Space Agency Reschedules Launch of PSLV-C59 After Detecting 'Anomaly'. "The search operation ...Read More >
INDIA bloc MPs, donning black jackets with slogans like "Modi Adani Ek Hai", protested at Parliament demanding a joint probe into the Adani issue. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused PM Modi of evading discussion on the "Adani mega scam" while defending Adani's alleged corruption. Rahul Gandhi asserted that Modi won't investigate Adani as it would be like investigating himself.Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Thursday said the country's people want the "Adani mega scam" to be discussed in Parliame ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Terming the handcuffing of Lagacharla farmer Hirya Nayak, currently lodged in Sangareddy jail, while taking him to hospital for treatment "inhuman", BRS working president KT Rama Rao has urged the Chief Justice of Telangana high court to take the case suo motu and urged governor Jishnu Dev Varma to order a probe into the incident. Addressing a press meet on Thursday, the BRS leader said the farmer, who is suspected to have suffered a heart attack while in jail, was treated inhumanly. ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha for three days, from November 29 to December 1, to attend the annual Director General of Police (DGP) conference in Bhubaneswar. Union home minister Amit Shah will accompany him at the event, which will be held at the convention hall of Odisha Lok Seva Bhawan (State Secretariat). PM Modi and Shah are expected to arrive in Bhubaneswar on Friday afternoon. Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the high-profile visit, with the city placed on high alert. Areas surrounding the event venues have been declared 'no-f ...Read More >
The agitators demanded strict punishment for those who insulted the statue. Violent protests took place for the second day in central Maharashtra's Parbhani city on Wednesday over alleged vandalising of a replica of the Indian Constitution, police said. Amid the bandh called by some organisations, a mob indulged in arson and police fired teargas shells in response, a senior official told PTI. How did the protest begin? An unidentified person on Tuesday damaged a replica of the Constitution he ...Read More >