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.
Bhubaneswar, April 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amid growing protests over the merger of the Palasa-Ichchapuram section with the newly created South Coast Railway (SCoR) zone, the Indian Railways on Sunday issued a clarification stating that the move will not affect the revenue earnings of East Coast Railway (ECoR) or disrupt train services on the route. In an official statement, the South Coast Railway said the Palasa-Ichchapuram section, stretching around 50 km, comprises seven stations -- Palasa, Summadevi, Mandasa Road, Baruva, Sompeta, Jhadupudi and Ichchapuram. It added that all these stations are located in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh and none falls within Odisha. "These stations are small- to mid-sized and primarily handle passenger traffic. None of them is a major freight loading point. Therefore, ECoR's revenue remains unaffected," the statement said. Dismissing concerns over possible disruption to train services, SCoR clarified that pass-through freight traffic -- trains transiting through these stations en route -- will continue uninterrupted, regardless of zonal jurisdiction. It also noted that railway operations remain seamless across zonal boundaries. SCoR emphasised that all existing trains, including Palasa-Bhubaneswar, Palasa-Cuttack, and Ichchapuram-Cuttack MEMU/passenger services, will continue to operate without any change in schedule, route or frequency. The Railways added that the merger is a technical adjustment aimed at ensuring smoother functioning of passenger services in the Visakhapatnam division. The modalities of the transfer, including staff deployment, are being finalised between ECoR and SCoR. The interests and service conditions of all railway employees will be fully protected as per established norms. "The government's commitment to Odisha is unwavering. Record capital expenditure on railway network expansion in Odisha, station modernisation, Vande Bharat services, and the newly created Rayagada Division under ECoR are evidence of this commitment," the statement said. It is pertinent to note that opposition parties, including the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Congress and CPI(M), have expressed strong objections to the merger, calling the move unfortunate and a betrayal of Odisha by the BJP-led double-engine government. Leaders of these parties, at a joint meeting held here, alleged that the transfer would reduce the size of the East Coast Railway zone and lead to a decline in its revenue.
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 >
Rahul Gandhi criticized the RSS after its general secretary, Dattatreya Hosabale, suggested reviewing the terms "socialist" and "secular" in the Constitution's Preamble. Gandhi alleged the RSS prefers "Manusmriti" over the Constitution, aiming to deprive marginalized communities of their rights. He vowed to defend the Constitution against the RSS's alleged agenda.leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the mask of the RSS has come off again as it wants "Manusmriti" and not the Constitution, after the ...Read More >
The Election Commission introduces new rules for voter enrollment. Voters enrolled after 2003-04 must now provide proof of citizenship. This includes a self-attested declaration and supporting documents. The move aims to remove illegal immigrants from the electoral roll. Bihar will be the first state to implement the special intensive revision. Other states will follow soon.In a move to identify and remove illegal immigrants wrongly included in the electoral rolls, the Election Commission has man ...Read More >
New Delhi: Several Opposition parties Friday denounced RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble, terming it a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution. The attack came a day after the RSS proposed reviewing the two words, saying they were included during the Emergency and were never part of the Constitution drafted by BR Ambedkar. While the Congress saw it as a "deliberate assault" on the soul of the Constitution and claimed the RSS-BJP had never accepted Ambedkar's Constitution, the CPI(M) said the demand expo ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, June 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) A day after a section of Muslim clerics raised objections to the Kerala government's decision to introduce Zumba -- a dance-based fitness programme -- in schools, the youth wings of both the CPI(M) and the Congress came out in strong support of the initiative, dismissing the controversy as unwarranted. State Education Minister V. Sivankutty also stood firmly behind the move. The fitness programme was rolled out earlier this month with the start of the new academic year. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, accompanied by family members, attended a la ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Opposition BJD and Congress MLAs Tuesday staged a walkout from the Odisha assembly, accusing the ruling BJP of failing to control prices of essential commodities and resolve the potato crisis in the state. The issues were debated in the House over the admissibility of an adjournment motion moved by the Opposition on price rise of vegetables, pulses, edible oil and fuel. The opposition members took exception to comments made by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister K C Patra that adverse climate conditions, rates in international and domestic markets, and less production by ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a noisy scene as Opposition BJD and Congress members held protests inside the House over alleged non-payment of salaries to around 60,000 women supporting staffers under the 'Mission Shakti' scheme. Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik accused the BJP government of "conspiring to stop" salaries of the 'Mission Shakti' staff. As soon as the Question Hour began, the BJD and Congress members trooped to the well of the House and demanded immediate release of salaries of around 60,000 women supporting staff working under the 'Mission Shakti' sch ...Read More >
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charged five individuals, including goldy Brar, in relation to the 2024 Gurugram club bombing plot, as revealed in a recently filed chargesheet. This case involves a conspiracy to bomb two clubs, aiming to disrupt communal harmony in Haryana, with the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) implicated. The NIA's investigation highlights the severity of the plot. Those charged include satinderjit Singh (Goldy Brar), Sachin Talian, Ankit, Bhavish, and Randeep Singh. News Directory 3 provides crucial updates on sensitive cases such ...Read More >
The Supreme Court halted new temple-mosque legal battles. The court will review the 1991 law impacting religious site status. This law froze the status of religious sites as of August 15, 1947. Several cases, including Gyanvapi and Shahi Idgah, challenge this law. The law's validity is being questioned. The court's decision impacts ongoing and future disputes.In its ruling on the keenly-watched Place of Worship Act case, the Supreme Court said on December 12 that no new Mandir-Masjid suits are to ...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 >
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 6 (ANI): Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President and Actor Kamal Haasan filed his nomination for Rajya Sabha at the Tamil Nadu secretariat in the presence of DMK President and state Chief Minister MK Stalin and his Deputy Udhayanidhi Stalin. DMK allies, VCK leader Thirumavalavan, MDMK leader Vaiko, and Tamil Nadu Congress President Selvaperundagai were also present. With DMK allocating one Rajya Sabha seat to Makkal Needhi Maiyam, its founder and actor Kamal Haasan was earlier named the candidate for the Upper House of Parliament. In the 234-member Tamil Nadu ...Read More >
Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Jun 27 (PTI) Union Minister George Kurian on Friday said that everything was secondary to the idea of Bharat Mata, amid a controversy over displaying a portrait of the nation as a mother figure with a saffron flag at Kerala Raj Bhavan's official functions. Speaking to reporters here, he said that "the Raj Bhavan and those in the government were secondary to Bharat Mata". The Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying and Minority Affairs also dared the Congress and the Left parties, CPI(M) and CPI, to try and prohibit the slogan -- 'Bharat M ...Read More >
Guwahati, Dec 12: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the "One Nation, One Election" bill, a landmark proposal aimed at synchronising elections across the country. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, currently on a visit to Odisha, hailed the move as a significant step toward "minimising disruptions" to developmental work caused by frequent election cycles. Speaking to the press during a visit to Jagannath Temple in Puri, Sarma asserted the rationale behind the initiative, stating, "Recently, we held Lok Sabha elections, and now legislative elections are around the corner in Assam. ...Read More >
Kolkata/Bhubaneswar: Trinamool Krishnanagar MP Mahua Moitra tied the knot with former BJD MP Pinaki Misra on May 30 in a quiet ceremony in Berlin. The couple is expected to return to India by the end of June. After photographs of Moitra's wedding went viral on social media, the MP on Thursday evening posted on her X handle, "Thank you everyone for the love and good wishes!! So grateful."News of the wedding, kept under wraps for nearly a week, broke on social media with multiple photographs of the Berlin wedding. According to party sources, Moitra had informed the party leadership about her wed ...Read More >
Pudukkottai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 7 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader H. Raja criticised Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) President chief Kamal Haasan, saying that the actor-turned-politician has 'mortgaged' his party in exchange for a Rajya Sabha seat. The BJP leader stated that the MNM chief, who used to oppose the DMK's freebies and corrupt rule, has 'mortgaged' his torchlight election symbol to the DMK in exchange for a Rajya Sabha seat. He even claimed that the actor has said to never form an alliance with the DMK. 'Everyone knows what Kamal Haasan did in the past. He opposed the ...Read More >
Digha: A day after Rath Yatra, the festive fervour continues in Digha as the seaside town is now gearing up to host Ulta Rath or the return journey of the deities from the 'Masir Bari' or the old Jagannath temple. On July 5 -- the Ulta Rath day -- hotels are hoping for fresh tourist influx. Though the deities are currently in Masir Bari, a large queue of devotees visited the newly-constructed Jagannath temple on Saturday. They offered prayers to the stone idol permanently installed there. It is the wooden idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra that have taken the chairot rides. Bipradash Cha ...Read More >
DHARMAPURI: For the third time in the past two months, a wild leopard wandered into a private farmland near Valaithottam village near Palacode and hunted chicken raised by a local farmer. Locals are increasingly distressed and urged the forest department to take steps to relocate the leopard. Over the past few months, there have been several reports of leopard sightings in forest areas near Palacode, particularly in Valaithottam village, near the forest's fringe. There have been two instances when the leopard attacked farmlands, taking away a domestic dog and a chicken. On Saturday, the leop ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Local CPM leader Madhu Mullassery, who was expelled from the party for walking out of its area conference at Mangalapuram in Thiruvananthapuram district, joined the BJP on Wednesday. The former CPM leader accepted the party membership from state president K Surendran. BJP leaders including District Treasurer Balamurali and local leaders, played a key role in facilitating his transition to the BJP despite attempts by Congress leaders to contact him, reported Manorama Online. CPM District Secretary V Joy alleged that Mullassery had already decided to join the BJP. Joy also ...Read More >
Kolkata: On the 13th day of teachers' protest outside Bikash Bhavan, the protesting teachers split among themselves and formed a new platform. At least 2,500 protesters stood by the chief minister, as stated in a press conference by education minister Bratya Basu on Monday. Reacting to a question from media, Basu said in Titagarh, "I will trust those who have written to me expressing their faith in the chief minister."The new organisation formed was named the West Bengal Untainted Teachers Associ ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
NDIA bloc leaders, who submitted a notice of no-confidence motion against the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday, blamed the chair for not allowing them to speak in the Rajya Sabha. The leaders held a joint press conference labelling several charges against the chairman. "His behaviour (RS chairman) has damaged the dignity of the country. He has brought such a situation in the history of parliamentary democracy that we had to bring this notice for the resolution (of no confidence ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 17 (PTI) CPI(M) MP and former Kerala Minister K Radhakrishnan on Tuesday said that his party was against the 'one nation, one election' policy being mooted by the central government and the legislation in favour of it would be strongly opposed. Radhakrishnan said that besides the CPI(M), even the Congress would oppose the legislation trying to bring simultaneous elections in the country. He further said that even the regional parties would oppose the policy of simultaneous polls as this concept was not beneficial for them. Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hol ...Read More >
Gurgaon: A chemist and a lab operator have been arrested for allegedly selling medical termination of pregnancy (MTP) kits illegally. Two separate FIRs were lodged against the accused at Sector 10 and Sector 9A police stations, police said on Friday.The pharmacy was sealed and medical officials have initiated proceedings to cancel its licence. District drugs control officer Suresh Verma said the department received information about illegal sales of MTP kits - also called abortion kits - from Juneja Chemist, located near Civil Hospital. A pregnant woman, who was deployed as a decoy customer, v ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 27 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday condemned the RSS's call to review the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Indian Constitution's Preamble, describing it as "a brazen attempt to dismantle the core ideals of our Republic." In a post on 'X,' the chief minister said, "Invoking the emergency to discredit these principles is a deceitful move, especially when the RSS colluded with the Indira Gandhi Government during that time for its own survival." "To use that period now to undermine the Constitution reflects sheer hypocrisy and political opportun ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 17 (UNI) The Opposition on Tuesday strongly opposed the introduction of the One Nation One Election Bill in the Lok Sabha, calling it as an attack on the Constitution and the federalism of the country and demanded that it must be withdrawn immediately. Objecting to the introduction of the Bill, Congress member Manish Tewari said, "The Bills moved by the Law and Justice Minister is assault on the basic structure of the Constitution and are beyond the legislative competence of this house. Therefore they need to be opposed and the introduction of the Bills need to be stopped," he ...Read More >
Malappuram (Kerala), May 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Trouble has broken out in the Congress's Kerala unit over the selection of the candidate for the upcoming Nilambur Assembly by-election. The Election Commission on Sunday announced that the by-election will be held on June 19, along with four other seats in three other states. The election became a necessity after two-time Left-supported Independent legislator P.V. Anvar surprised all by resigning as the legislator in January this year after a serious difference of opinion with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. As is the usual practice in Kerala po ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jun 27 (PTI) Union minister and BJP's West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar on Friday claimed that the alleged gang rape in a law college in Kolkata shows that female students are "not safe" in educational institutes in the state. Condemning the incident, the ruling Trinamool Congress said the police swiftly apprehended all three accused in the case and urged the opposition party not to politicise the issue. Majumdar, the union minister of state for education, alleged that the law and order situation in West Bengal is "in a shambles" even though Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ...Read More >
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 29 (ANI): Claiming links between the accused in the gangrape of a law student in Kolkata and top TMC leaders, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded the resignation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata. The incident that comes 10 months after the RG Kar hospital rape and murder case has triggered a major political row in West Bengal. Congress and the BJP earlier in the day held separate protests over the incident. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers also held a 'Mashal March' demanding justice for the rape survivor. A female s ...Read More >
The Palakkad bypoll has turned into a fierce triangular contest with key defections adding to the excitement. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan campaigned for former Congress leader P Sarin, now contesting as an Independent for the LDF, while BJP’s C Krishnakumar faces a tough challenge. Sarin, a former Congress digital strategist, switched parties after being snubbed for the Congress ticket. Meanwhile, BJP leader Sandeep Varier defected to Congress, further intensifying the race. With the election crucial for UDF, NDA, and LDF's momentum heading into the 2026 Kerala assembly elections, all eyes are ...Read More >