India Political Highlights: New ministers to take oath on May 27 as K’taka CM Siddaramaiah to expand his Cabinet

From the top court dismissing a plea over Prez Murmu inaugurating the new Parliament to Congress High Command finally okaying Karnataka Cabinet expansion, it was indeed a day of hectic political developments! Thank you for following Deccan Herald right throughout the day!Stay tuned to Deccan Herald as we keep you abreast with all the latest political updates on the morrow.

Here’s the list of 24 ministers who will be sworn in as ministers tomorrow.

After a marathon meeting in which differences between Siddaramaiaha and his deputy DKS were resolved, as many as two dozen ministers will be inducted into the Karnataka Cabinet tomorrow.

BRS Sources say that its leaders will not attend the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament which will take place on May 28

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders will not be attending the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament which will take place on May 28

KC Venugopal spells out reasons as to why Congress is boycotting new Parliament inauguration

AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal said that BJP does not even consider the constitutional values, and that is the reason why the Congress is boycotting the inauguration

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel arrives at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi

Ambalavana Desiga Paramachariya Swamigal of Thiruvavaduthurai Atheenam will give ‘Sengol’ to PM Modi as a day before the inauguration of the new Parliament

Two days before the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Ambalavana Desiga Paramachariya Swamigal, Thiruvavaduthurai Atheenam, said that it was Lord Mountbatten who got the Sengol and gave it to former PM Jawaharlal Nehru in 1947. He added that he would be travelling to Delhi and giving it to the PM.

Siddaramaiah will decide on Cabinet expansion; new ministers may take oath tomorrow: Surjewala

As all eyes continue to be on the newly formed Karnataka government, Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Surjewala says that it is CM Siddaramaiah’s decision as to who would be a part of the cabinet. Furthermore, he added that the extended cabinet may swear in tomorrow.

After meeting Sonia, Rahul Gandhi, K’taka Dy CM DKS says ‘everything is fine’

J&K JDU president GM Shaheen says criticism over new parliament building no right

Taking a different view on the Parliament inauguration row, J&K JDU president GM Shaheen has said that criticism over it is right. However, he added that suggestions from all the parties should have been taken.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrives at party president Mallikarjun Kharge's residence in Delhi

Independent MP Navneet Rana slams Opposition over boycotting inauguration of the new Parliament building

Independent MP Navneet Rana took a dig at the Opposition for boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building. She said that the old Parliament was built by the British but the brain and work behind the new Parliament is of Indians.

Heres' the first look of the new Parliament to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister

'Sengol' which is a symbol of our freedom was kept in a dark corner of a museum as a 'stick of Nehruji' by the Gandhi family: Smriti Irani, BJP

‘Sengol' ceremony not Tamil tradition, but Indian tradition, says Devanathan Yadav, Founder-President, Inthiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam

As the ‘Sengol’ ceremony controversy refuses to die down, Devanathan Yadav, Founder-President, Inthiya Makkal Kalvi Munnetra Kazhagam, said that it is an Indian tradition and not a Tamil tradition.

Congress’s questions are a bundle of lie & mountain of deception, says Ravi Shankar Prasad on Cong’s ‘9 saal, 9 sawaal’ jibe

Lok Sabha MP Chirag Paswan throws his weight behind PM Modi over inauguration of new Parliament building

While many Opposition parties have decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Lok Jansakti Party (Ram Vilas) President and Lok Sabha MP Chirag Paswan has extended support to the PM Narendra Modi, expressing his support to the endeavour.

Hardeep Singh Puri urges detractors to read article on ‘Sengol’ to gain more knowledge on it

As the controversy over ‘Sengol’ refuses to die down, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri urges detractors to read an article related to it published in the Time Magazine of America in 1947.

‘Congress is into petty politics…’ Former K’taka CM Bommai takes a dig at Opposition parties over boycotting inauguration of the new Parliament building

'Federalism is a joke'—Kejriwal writes to Modi; to boycott NITI Aayog meet

Whenever PM Modi does good work, Congress creates obstacles: U'khand CM on Parliament row

With the political war of words between the Opposition and the Narendra Modi-led government intensifying over the inauguration of the new Parliament building, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami lent his voice to support the Modi government, and accused the Congress of protesting for the sake of protest.

"Whenever any good work is done under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Congress and its fellow opposition parties create obstacles. Today these people are protesting just for the sake of protest, which has no reason," Dhami was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

H D Kumaraswamy, DKS trade barbs over Parliament inauguration row

Amid the ongoing row between Opposition parties and the ruling BJP over the inauguration of the new Parliament building, the Congress and the JD(S) on Friday traded barbs over the parties' stance on the issue.

While former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy slammed the grand old party for its comments on the JD(S)'s decision to attend the event, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar hit back, reminding how the JD(S) had boycotted presidential elections in the country.

'9 saal 9 sawaal'—Congress targets PM as Modi govt completes 9 years

With the BJP and its allies celebrating nine years of the Narendra Modi-led government, the Congress on Friday sought to play down the hullaballoo by posing questions to the Prime Minister, who is known for being averse to press conferences.

"On the completion of 9 years of the Modi Government, the Congress party wants to ask 9 questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are also releasing a document for the same '9 saal 9 sawaal'," Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

Kejriwal had promised to never seek Cong's support: BJP slams Delhi CM amid ordinance row

With Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal planning to meet the Congress top brass to seek support against the Centre's ordinance in the tussle between the Delhi government and the L-G, the BJP on Friday slammed the AAP, flagging Kejriwal's dual standards.

Let Congress say what it wants, says BJD on its decision to attend Parliament opening

On the back of the Congress criticising the BJD's decision to attend the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Narendra Modi on May 28, the Odisha-based party hit out at the grand old party.

"Let Congress say whatever they want. BJD is only answerable to the public and will work for them,"Odisha minister Pramila Malik said.

MGP extends support to PM Modi, slams Oppn over Parliament opening

'Sengol' not symbol of power transfer: Cong on BJP claim

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday claimed there is no documented evidence of Lord Mountbatten, C Rajagopalachari and Jawaharlal Nehru describing the 'Sengol' as a symbol of transfer of power by the British to India.

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Congress, Opposition putting 'politics above the nation', says Nadda on Parliament opening boycott

BJP National President J P Nadda on Friday intensified his attack on the Congress and other Opposition parties over their move to boycoytt the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

While Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier targeted the Congress over alleged disrespect towards the 'Sengol', Nadda slammed the grand old party and other Opposition parties of 'dynastic politics'.

Nadda said that the "monarchic methods" of these political parties clash with India's democratic ideals and the Constitution and accused them of putting "politics above the nation."

Congress reduced 'Sengol' to a 'walking stick', says Shah amid Parliament row

Amid the ongoing row between the Congress and the BJP over the 'Sengol' to be placed in the new Parliament building, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday hit out at the grand old party, accusing it of reducing the ancient sceptre to a 'walking stick'.

"Why does the Congress party hate Indian traditions and culture so much? A sacred Sengol was given to Pandit Nehru by a holy Saivite Mutt from Tamil Nadu to symbolize India’s freedom but it was banished to a museum as a ‘walking stick’," Shah wrote on Twitter.

"Now, Congress has heaped another shameful insult. The Thiruvaduthurai Adheenam, a holy Saivite Mutt, itself spoke about the importance of the Sengol at the time of India’s freedom. Congress is calling the Adheenam’s history as BOGUS! Congress needs to reflect on their behaviour," the Union Home Minister added.

Kejriwal seeks time to meet Cong top brass over Centre's ordinance on Delhi power tussle

Delhi CM and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal has sought time to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi to seek the Congress's support in Parliament against the undemocratic and unconstitutional ordinance passed by the BJP govt and also to discuss the general assault on federal structure and prevailing political situation.

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Parliament opening a 'festival of democracy', should be celebrated together, says Jaishankar

Amid the sparring between Opposition parties and the BJP-led Centre over the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday slammed the politicisation of the event and called for unity.

Describing the inuaguration as a "festival of democracy", Jaishankar said, "I think we should all celebrate it together."

Parliament inauguration not a party event, says Sanjay Raut, slamming Murmu's exclusion

New Parliament Building | A prelude to the inaugural

Rewriting history and redoing architecture become sibling functions in the script of Modi playing the future as erasure. What the BJP is distorting is the symbolic idea of democracy. Democracy as memory and the building as mnemonic disappears.

Architecture as majoritarian logic destroys diversity. In fact, there is a mimic view of history as Modi receives and installs the Chola sceptre which the British had given Nehru during the transfer of power. The question of security takes over from memory. Parliament is no longer about public spaces and people’s memory. The ecology could be a blank sheet of erasures.

Worse, the idea of Parliament as a scene for debate, plurality, and diversity which the Congress upheld in the early years is lost. The new Parliament Office follows the ideas of majoritarianism and technocracy, linearity and efficiency are preferred over the dream of difference.

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Siddaramaiah arrives at 10, Janpath in Delhi to continue Cabinet talks

After talks on expanding the Karnataka Cabinet proved inconclusive on Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday arrived at10, Janpath in Delhi to continue discussions with the party high command.

'BJP/RSS Distorians' spreading 'false narratives', says Congress amid Parliament row

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday stepped up the attack on the ruling Narendra Modi government over the inauguration of the new Parliament building, accusing "BJP/RSS Distorians" of spreading "false narratives".

Commenting on the controversy around the 'Sengol' to be placed in the new Parliament building, Ramesh flagged what he claimed was several inaccuracies with the narrative around the sceptre.

Kharge commemorates Vilasrao Deshmukh on his birth anniversary

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday commemorated late party leader Vilasrao Deshmukh on his birth anniversary.

"He was staunch Congress person, who rose through the ranks and became the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and also served as a Union Cabinet Minister," Kharge wrote on Twitter.

Cong will implement Old Pension Scheme for govt employees in Telangana: Himachal Pradesh CM

The Congress would implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees in Telangana if it is elected to power in the state, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Thursday.

Addressing a party rally at Jadcherla near here, Sukhu said his government, taking a humanitarian approach, has brought 1.36 lakh government employees in the state under the OPS.

He said Telangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and AICC in-charge of party affairs in the state Manikrao Thakre told him that the OPS would be implemented in Telangana once it comes to power.

There is still time, PM Modi should get President to inaugurate Parliament: Digvijaya

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi could still undo his "blunder" and invite President Droupadi Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building.

Several opposition parties including the Congress have announced that they would boycott the inauguration of the new building by Modi on Sunday, contending that it is the President who should do the honours. “We are not opposed to Central Vista. For the first time, a tribal woman has become President of the country. By not inviting her to the ceremony, the post of President has been insulted," Singh told reporters.

RS lawmaker accuses Rajasthan minister of land scam in Jaipur

Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena on Thursday accused state Minister Shanti Dhariwal of selling government land in a posh Jaipur colony to a private man for personal disposal.

The BJP leader alleged that the Urban and Housing Department Minister sold 2,377 square metres of land worth Rs 45 crore for Rs 6.18 crore to a Kota-based person for the construction of a skill development and education centre.