Arvind Kejriwal.
Credit: PTI Photo
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held multiple roadshows on the final day of campaigning for Delhi polls, so that the pending development work in the national capital can be completed by the BJP government.
"In the last 10 years, AAP has severely neglected the roads here, leaving them in a terrible condition. Delhi is struggling with severe pollution, yet nothing has been done to address it. They made big promises but failed to deliver on any of them," Dhami said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday paid tributes to "thousands" who died in the January 29 Maha Kumbh stampede, triggering an uproar from the treasury benches even as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to retract the statement.
Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, was quick to add that "this is my estimate (and) if this is not right you (the government) should tell what is the truth". He said he was ready to be corrected.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi praised Beijing in Parliament more than the neighbouring country's spokespersons and demanded an apology from him for the Indian territory grabbed by China in 1959 and 1962.
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The BJP on Monday slammed Rahul Gandhi for making "false and objectionable" claims in the Lok Sabha and said the Leader of Opposition displayed his love for China by taking the name of the country 35 times in his speech.
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With less than a day to go for the Assembly elections in the national capital, the Delhi police have registered cases against Delhi CM and AAP candidate from Kalkaji constituency Atishi, and the nephew of her BJP rival from the seat Ramesh Bidhuri for violation of the model code of conduct (MCC).
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A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed a criminal complaint filed by BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor accusing him of defamation. Additional chief judicial magistrate Paras Dalal refused to summon Tharoor saying prima facie "no ingredients of defamation" was made in the complaint.
Chandrasekhar alleged Tharoor defamed him by making false and derogatory statements on national television as he claimed the BJP leader bribed voters in the Thiruvananthapuram constituency during 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
"Instead of filing a complaint against hooliganism by the BJP in Delhi, a police case has been registered against the Delhi chief minister on a complaint filed by the Election Commission, which is highly condemnable," Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in a post on X.
"Is the job of the Delhi Police and the Election Commission to target only the Aam Aadmi Party?? People associated with the BJP are openly distributing liquor, money and goods, violating the model code of conduct, is it not visible to them," asked Mann in the post in Punjabi.
Dubey writes that Gandhi in his speech, "not only shamelessly distorted the historical and substantive facts but also made an attempt to ridicule our country and lowering the prestige of our Republic".
The Maha Kumbh stampede was not a "big incident" and is being "exaggerated", BJP MP Hema Malini said on Tuesday asserting the congregation is being managed very well.
The stampede took place on January 29, the occasion of Mauni Amavasya , one of the most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar. According to official figures released by the Uttar Pradesh government, at least 30 people lost their lives and 60 were injured in the pre-dawn stampede at the Sangam area in Prayagraj.
"We had gone to Kumbh... We had a nice bath... Everything was well managed. It is right that the incident (stampede) took place ... Itna kuch bada nai hua tha (it was not a very big incident). I don't know how big it was. It is being exaggerated... It was very well-managed, and everything was done very well... So many people are coming, it is very difficult to manage but we are doing our best...," Malini told reporters in the Parliament House complex.
Hitting back at Opposition parties who brought up the Maha Kumbh stampede and mismamagement, Adityanath said: "...New records of lies and falsehood are being made by elements taking a contract against Sanatana Dharma. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's statements in Parliament are drawing everyone's attention towards it. Both these statements reflect not only their anti-Sanatana face but also draw everyone's attention towards their hawk eye that is continuously spreading disinformation against Maha Kumbh from the first day. Their statement is not only a blow against Sanatana Dharma but also condemnable & shameful. Congress president says that thousands of people died in Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya. We feel sad, it is not expected of such a senior leader and president of the oldest party to make such controversial statements in the Parliament and mislead. SP chief made a similar statement. There is competition between both parties, who can be more anti-Sanatana...It was a sad incident. Mela administration, Police, NDRF, SDRF, Civil Defence promptly rushed the injured to the hospital. That is an example in itself. Crores of people were in Prayagraj that day. Both these parties and anti-Sanatanis wanted a big accident to occur. Our first priority was to ensure an accident-free fair, this incident occurred, unfortunately...We expressed our sympathies to the victims' families and announced monetary compensation. Loss of life cannot be compensated for but we made all efforts. Injured were provided medical treatment...We also formed a judicial commission for it. But our priority was to ensure the safe return of people to their homes...In the last 22 days, 38 crore devotees have come here. In the next 22-23 days, more devotees are expected to come...The conspiracy of these parties won't succeed. We will go to the depths of the incident that occurred on 29th January, expose the conspirators, you must have seen how they have been punished in UP in the last 8 years and you will see this even in the time to come."
TMC MP Shatrughan Sinha on UCC implementation in Gujarat: "Implementation of UCC in Uttarakhand, is prima facie, commendable. UCC must be there in the country and I am sure everyone will agree with me. But there are many fine prints and loopholes in this... Not just beef, but non-veg food in general, must be banned in the country... But the rules which can be imposed in North India cannot be imposed in the Northeastern states... An all-party meeting must be held prior to drafting UCC provisions..."
Days after sparking controversy with his 'backward' remark about the state, Union Minister George Kurian said on Tuesday that Kerala "survives" only with the assistance of the Centre and that there is not a single project the state can claim as its own.
He alleged that the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF are constantly accusing the union government of neglecting the state as part of their "joint narrative" to hide their own failures.
Their attempt is to cover up what Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing, and that is why both the LDF and the UDF are jointly making such a narrative that the Centre was giving nothing to the state, the Minister of State for Fisheries and Minority Affairs alleged.
While speaking to Malayalam news channel Asianet News, Kurian said it is his duty to "destroy" the false narrative that PM Modi is giving nothing to the state.
"Kerala is surviving only because of the assistance from the Centre. If there has been any development that has happened (in the state) in the last 10 years, it was done by PM Modi...There is not even a single project in Kerala that has not been granted by Modi," he claimed.
Out of 118 candidates with criminal record contesting the Delhi Assembly polls, 24 candidates (20 per cent) did not have their records disclosed or justified by their respective parties, poll rights body ADR said on Tuesday.
A total of 699 candidates are contesting the upcoming assembly polls in Delhi.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has released a detailed analysis of the Delhi Assembly elections 2025. The report, based on Format C7 data, revealed that many political parties failed to disclose reasons for selecting candidates with pending criminal cases as directed by the Supreme Court.
Out of 699 candidates contesting the elections, 118 have declared criminal cases against themselves and among them, 71 candidates face serious criminal charges, including corruption, rioting and violent offenses.
While 94 candidates' criminal records were published as mandated, 24 candidates (20%) did not have their records disclosed or justified by their respective parties.
The Supreme Court had mandated that political parties provide valid reasons for fielding such candidates beyond just their "winnability" at the polls.
However, most parties continue to offer vague or repetitive justifications.
The analysis covered 22 political parties that fielded candidates with criminal cases.
Activist Anjali Damania on Tuesday alleged that there was a Rs 88 crore scam in the agriculture department when NCP leader Dhananjay Munde held the portfolio in the previous Mahayuti coalition government in Maharashtra. Munde, currently a minister for Food and Civil Supplies, termed her allegations as "baseless" and politically motivated. Despite the Union government's 2016 directive to transfer money directly to farmers' bank accounts under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), the agriculture department purchased equipment and fertilisers for distribution to farmers at inflated rates, claimed Damania, a former Aam Aadmi Party leader. Dhananjay Munde is already under fire over the arrest of his aide Walmik Karad in an extortion case related to the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district.
Speaking at a press conference here, Damania presented documents related to the alleged scam. "These documents are proof of how the minister siphoned off farmers' money and violated laws. As per the government resolution (GR) on DBT, all scheme-related funds were to be transferred directly to farmers' bank accounts, except for certain government entities such as Mahabeej, KVK, and MAIDC, which produce their own goods. However, this rule was disregarded," Damania claimed. She referred to a GR dated September 12, 2018, which listed 62 components under DBT.
While the chief minister has the power to add new components to the DBT list, the existing components could not be removed without approval of a committee of the chief secretary, finance secretary and planning secretary, Damania said. Just before the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha elections came into effect, the state government issued a new GR on March 12, 2024, appointing agriculture commissioner as controlling officer for purchasing agricultural inputs, she said. Then agriculture commissioner Pravin Gedam raised concerns on March 15, 2024, stating that implementation of a purchase-based scheme was wrong, the activist claimed. Gedam pointed out that as the items being procured were not produced by Mahabeej or MAIDC, the funds should have been disbursed through DBT to farmers instead of purchasing these items, she said. Gedam told Munde about these irregularities, but the minister advised the Director and Deputy Secretary of the Agriculture Department to proceed with the purchases, Damania alleged. Gedam's comment was not available immediately.
In Lok Sabha, PM Modi also said: "Till now the poor have been given 4 crore houses...Those who have lived difficult lives only understand that what is the value of getting a house...The women in the past suffered a lot due to the lack of a toilet system...Those who have these facilities cannot understand "the problems of those who are suffering...We have given more than 12 crore toilets..."
He added, ""We are in 2025. In a way, 25% of the 21st century has gone by. Only time will decide what happened after independence in the 20th century and the first 25 years of the 21st century. But if we minutely study the President’s Address, it is clear that she spoke about building trust among people regarding the coming 25 years and Viksit Bharat. Her Address strengthens the resolve of Viksit Bharat, builds new confidence and inspires the common people."
"When the fever is high, people utter anything. But they also utter things when they are highly dejected...Those who were not born in India - 10 crore such frauds were reaping benefits of government funds through various schemes...We removed names of such 10 crore frauds and provided facilities to the real beneficiaries after looking for them..." he commented.
AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Tuesday raised questions on holding of fair elections in Delhi and alleged that the BJP has given applications for removal of thousands of votes in several assembly segments.
During the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the president's address, he alleged that the number of votes have, however, gone up in the households of various central ministers and MPs.
"There has been talk about one nation, one election, but in a small state like Delhi where there are institutions like Parliament, Supreme Court, and still incidents of hooliganism are taking place blatantly," he stated.