The post Eight Opposition MPs Suspended from Lok Sabha After Protests Over Rahul Gandhi Being Barred appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>The suspended MPs include seven members from the Congress and one from the Communist Party of India Marxist. The action was taken after protests erupted when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was disallowed for the second consecutive day from quoting an article that referred to excerpts from an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General M M Naravane related to the 2020 India China conflict.
According to the Chair, the MPs attempted to climb onto the table of the Secretary General, tore official papers and hurled them towards the Chair, actions that were deemed a serious breach of parliamentary decorum.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi later wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, expressing strong objection to being prevented from speaking on what he described as an issue of national security. In his letter, Gandhi argued that established parliamentary convention allows members to cite documents once they authenticate them and take responsibility for their contents, a requirement he said he had fulfilled.
On Tuesday, as Gandhi rose to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, he authenticated the copy of the article and offered to table it for examination. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju maintained that the Speaker had already issued a ruling on the matter and insisted that it should not be repeatedly raised.
As protests continued and several Opposition MPs refused to speak in solidarity with Gandhi, the proceedings were disrupted multiple times. When the House reconvened in the afternoon, eight MPs were formally named by the Chair. Rijiju subsequently moved a resolution seeking their suspension for the remainder of the session, citing disregard for the authority of the House and the Chair.
The resolution was passed by voice vote amid continued uproar, leading to the adjournment of the House for the day.
The suspended MPs are Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, C Kiran Kumar Reddy, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Prashant Padole and Dean Kuriakose from the Congress, and S Venkatesan from the CPI Marxist.
Following the suspension, Congress MPs staged a protest outside the Parliament complex. Several Opposition leaders described the action as an attack on democratic values and accused the ruling party of deliberately preventing the Leader of Opposition from raising uncomfortable questions in the House.
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]]>The post Messi Event Chaos in Kolkata Sparks Political Uproar Across Party Lines appeared first on The Edge Media.
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Trinamool Congress spokesperson and state general secretary Kunal Ghosh demanded immediate action against the organisers, blaming their “overzealousness” and the presence of people crowding Messi to take selfies. He said this deprived spectators seated in the galleries of a clear view, leading to widespread frustration and anger.
Questioning the planning behind the event, Ghosh said the chaos forced Messi to leave the stadium prematurely and also prevented West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from attending the programme and formally welcoming him on behalf of the state. Calling the episode a major disappointment for sports lovers, he recalled Messi’s 2011 visit to Kolkata, saying the earlier event was well-organised and showcased the city in a positive light.
The Bharatiya Janata Party blamed the state government for the mess. BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya alleged that “fraudsters driven by greed” created the situation to make money. He accused Trinamool Congress leaders of backing self-promoting organisers who deprived genuine ticket holders of a proper glimpse of the football icon, thereby damaging the image of the state.
Union minister and senior BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar also criticised the Trinamool Congress and the state administration, holding them responsible for the breakdown of law and order during the high-profile event.
Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, launched a scathing attack on the government, alleging that ministers and leaders “clung to Messi like leeches” while fans who spent thousands of rupees were left watching the footballer briefly on giant screens. In a post on X, Adhikari accused Sports Minister Arup Biswas, Fire Minister Sujit Basu and the organisers of turning the programme into a money-making exercise. He demanded a full refund for gallery ticket holders, the arrest of those responsible and the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging the incident embarrassed West Bengal globally.
The Congress also joined the criticism. West Bengal Congress president Subhankar Sarkar described the episode as a case of terrible mismanagement and a mockery of law and order. He alleged that tickets were sold at exorbitant prices in Messi’s name while the footballer was surrounded only by Trinamool Congress leaders and their family members. Sarkar further claimed that crores of public money were spent for photo opportunities, calling it a new-age scam, and demanded accountability from the organisers, ministers, police officials and the local MLA.
Congress spokesperson Suman Roy Chaudhuri echoed similar concerns, questioning the role of the police administration and demanding legal action. He alleged that the incident exposed what he termed the commercial face of the government.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also criticised the handling of the event. CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty termed the mismanagement a “black day” for West Bengal, blaming the Trinamool Congress government for failure of law and order. Drawing a comparison with the visits of football legend Diego Maradona during the Left Front regime, he alleged that profit-making took precedence over spectator safety and experience during Messi’s visit.
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]]>The post The political backlash over the remark about “narcotic jihad” intensifies; the Pala Diocese responds appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>In the face of rising criticism, the Pala Diocese, which is affiliated with the influential Syro-Malabar Church, issued a statement claiming that the bishop had no intention of harming anyone and that his words were not directed at any particular population.
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