The post Opposition Moves No-Confidence Motion Against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>The opposition has leveled serious allegations against the Speaker, primarily focusing on the suppression of the Leader of the Opposition’s voice during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address and the forced suspension of eight members. In response to these developments, sources indicate that Om Birla has decided on ethical grounds not to occupy the Speaker’s chair until the matter is resolved.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat has confirmed that proceedings will follow established rules. The notice was handed over to Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh by a delegation including Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi, Chief Whip K. Suresh, and MP Mohammad Javed, among others. While members from the Congress, SP, DMK, and RJD have signed the notice, notable absences include the signatures of Rahul Gandhi and members of the TMC.
Four Major Allegations by the Opposition:
* February 2: Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi was allegedly prevented from completing his speech during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.
* February 3: Eight MPs were suspended for the remainder of the session, a move the opposition describes as punishment for exercising democratic rights.
* Nishikant Dubey Case: The notice mentions objectionable remarks made against former Prime Ministers without naming Nishikant Dubey.
* Misuse of Office: The opposition rejected the Speaker’s claim that Congress members intended to cause an “untoward incident” near the Prime Minister’s seat, calling such accusations a blatant misuse of a constitutional position.
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]]>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Rahul Gandhi was disallowed for the second consecutive day from quoting an article that referred to excerpts from an unpublished memoir of former Army chief General M M Naravane related to the 2020 India China conflict.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 Clash in Parliament Over Rahul Gandhi’s Claim Sparks Political Storm appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Rahul Gandhi claimed that he was trying to enter the Parliament building when several MPs from the ruling alliance blocked his path and shoved him. He said the act was deliberate and aimed at preventing the opposition from raising its concerns inside the House. According to him, such behavior undermines democratic values and reflects intolerance towards dissent.
The government strongly denied the allegations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah dismissed the claims and accused Rahul Gandhi of misleading the nation. He stated that the opposition leader was not attacked and instead accused Congress MPs of violating parliamentary norms and creating disorder. Shah added that the government respects parliamentary traditions and would not resort to such conduct.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur also rejected the allegations, saying the opposition was attempting to divert attention from its own actions. He accused Congress MPs of breaching security protocols and engaging in unruly behavior within the Parliament complex.
The incident led to sharp exchanges between both sides, with opposition parties demanding accountability and protection for elected representatives. The ruling party maintained that the opposition was politicising routine movement inside Parliament to gain sympathy.
The confrontation has further deepened the political divide and added to the series of disruptions that have affected parliamentary proceedings in recent sessions.
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]]>The post Shashi Tharoor Misses Congress MPs Meeting Chaired by Rahul Gandhi for the Third Time appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>Tharoor’s social media posts indicated that he was in Kolkata on Thursday night to speak at an event organised by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation.
Rahul Gandhi, serving as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, chaired the meeting, interacted with the party MPs, and gathered their feedback on recent parliamentary developments. According to party sources, Gandhi remarked during the meeting that the government appeared to be ‘under pressure’ from the opposition on issues such as the Vande Mataram debate and electoral reforms.
read also: Shashi Tharoor Rejects Veer Savarkar Award, Clarifies Stance on Controversial Honor
This marks the third occasion on which Tharoor has remained absent from an important party meeting. Earlier, on December 1, the Thiruvananthapuram MP clarified that he had not deliberately avoided the Congress strategic group gathering held a day earlier. He explained that he was on a flight returning from Kerala when the meeting took place.
When questioned about the matter, Tharoor said, “I did not skip it; I was on a plane, coming from Kerala.”
His absence from a recent strategy discussion chaired by Sonia Gandhi, ahead of the Parliament’s winter session, drew significant attention—particularly because he had also missed the earlier meeting on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) issue, citing health concerns.
According to his office, he was travelling with his 90-year-old mother on a later flight from Kerala, which made it impossible for him to reach Delhi in time. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal was also unable to attend the meeting owing to his commitments related to local body election campaigning in Kerala.
Tharoor’s repeated absence from crucial party deliberations has increasingly become a subject of discussion within Congress circles.
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]]>The post Lok Sabha Erupts in Clash: Opposition Walks Out During Amit Shah’s Speech on Voter Roll Revision appeared first on The Edge Media.
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Shah criticised the Opposition for what he described as a lack of willingness to engage on major national concerns, accusing them of “wasting Parliament’s time”. He alleged that their objections to the SIR exercise stemmed from an intention to “retain illegal immigrants on voter lists”.
He warned that opposing the SIR initiative would politically harm the Opposition in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, reiterating the NDA’s stance of “detect, delete and deport illegal immigrants”. Shah asserted that the BJP’s prospects in West Bengal would be “assured” if the Trinamool Congress continued resisting the revision exercise.
The situation escalated further when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi challenged Shah to debate him on allegations he had raised in three recent press conferences, claiming that the BJP, with the support of the Election Commission, was involved in “vote theft”.
Gandhi questioned why election commissioners were granted complete immunity, demanding that the home minister clarify the rationale behind such protections. He argued that Shah’s response appeared “defensive”, saying it suggested the minister was “shaken and afraid”.
Shah countered that he would not alter the structure or order of his speech based on the LoP’s demands. His remarks triggered repeated interruptions from both government and Opposition benches, ultimately culminating in the walkout.
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]]>The post Parliament Paralysis: Monsoon Session Loses 84 Hours to Unprecedented Disruptions appeared first on The Edge Media.
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The month-long session, which began on July 21, held 21 sittings but managed just 37 hours and 7 minutes of effective business, according to the Lok Sabha Secretariat. Speaker Om Birla revealed that all parties had initially agreed to 120 hours of discussions, but planned protests and political standoffs crippled proceedings.
Despite the chaos, the government managed to push through 14 Bills and secure passage of 12 key legislations, including the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025, and the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju described the session as “successful and fruitful for the government but disastrous for the Opposition”, accusing rival parties of deliberately stalling the House.
The Opposition, however, countered by blaming the government’s “authoritarian attitude” for the persistent deadlock. With tensions running high, analysts warn that this growing legislative gridlock threatens India’s policy-making pace.
As the Monsoon session sets a controversial record, questions loom over Parliament’s ability to function effectively amid deepening political divides.
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]]>The post Big Crackdown! Govt Tables Bill to Ban Online Money Games — ₹1 Crore Fine & 3-Year Jail Term Proposed appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>The proposed legislation aims to curb gambling addiction, money laundering, and financial fraud that have surged alongside the explosive growth of the digital gaming industry.
Under the provisions of the bill, hosting, promoting, or participating in money-based online games could attract penalties of up to ₹1 crore and imprisonment of up to three years. The government has also proposed strict measures against advertisements and financial transactions associated with these platforms, ensuring no loopholes for illegal operations.
An official from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) stated:
“Our priority is to safeguard citizens, especially the youth, from addiction, financial exploitation, and fraudulent gaming practices.”
The move comes amid mounting concerns over rising debts, gambling-related crimes, and unregulated financial flows through offshore gaming servers.
Industry experts predict that while the bill could protect vulnerable users, it may also impact India’s growing online gaming economy, currently valued at ₹30,000 crore.
The bill has now been sent to a parliamentary panel for further review, where amendments and stakeholder consultations are expected before it is passed into law.
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]]>The post Voting ends in bypolls across 13 states, 1 UT; high turnout recorded appeared first on The Edge Media.
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According to data given by the Election Commission of India, Khandwa had a 59.02 percent voter turnout until 5 p.m. among Lok Sabha seats (ECI). The Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh had 47.17 percent voter turnout till 4 p.m., while the Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha constituency had 67 percent voter turnout until 5 p.m.
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]]>The post The Election Commission has announced the dates for by-elections for three Lok Sabha seats and 30 assembly seats appeared first on The Edge Media.
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By-elections to the Lok Sabha will be held in the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Madhya Pradesh (Khandwa), and Himachal Pradesh for one seat each (Mandi). Assembly bye-elections will be held in one constituency in each of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Nagaland, and Telangana; two constituencies in Karnataka, Bihar, and Rajasthan; three constituencies in Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Madhya Pradesh; four constituencies in West Bengal; and five constituencies in Assam.
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]]>The post The OBC Bill is expected to be passed in the Lok Sabha today appeared first on The Edge Media.
]]>The Lower House introduced a constitutional proposal on Monday that seeks to restore governments’ capacity to identify economically disadvantaged groups. Because it is a constitutional amendment, both Houses must approve it.
The 127th Constitution Amendment Bill 2021 tries to get around a Supreme Court judgment from May 2021 that ruled only the Centre, not the states, could notify the socially and educationally backward classes (SEBCs).
On Monday, the Rajya Sabha was intended to address these, but instead debated the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which were added to the additional list of businesses. In the Lok Sabha, both bills were passed.
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