NDA vs INDI After Rahul Gandhi Assaults 2 BJP MPs, Protests Planned | LIVE

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday attacked the Congress over the scuffle in Parliament premises, saying it was an expression of the party's "frustration" over its rejection by people in successive polls.

"Be it Haryana or Maharashtra, they have been completely rejected by people. Frustration caused by their electoral defeats has made them resort to such cheap politics," Dhami said.

The National Investigation Agency on Friday chargesheeted three more CPI (Maoist) operatives in Chhattisgarh BJP leader Ratan Dubey's murder case, according to an official statement.

The trio -- Sainuram Korram, Laluram Korram and one-armed cadre -- were charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the supplementary chargesheet filed before the NIA special court here, it said.

The accused were found actively involved in the criminal conspiracy to kill Dubey, according to the statement issued by the NIA. Sainuram Korram and Laluram Korram were arrested on June 27.

Dubey was hacked to death with hand axes by members of the banned terrorist organisation CPI (Maoist), during an election campaign in a crowded weekly market at Koushalnar village on November 4, 2023.

The targeted killing was aimed at disrupting the free and fair election process and spreading terror among the local people, the statement said.

 India on Wednesday strongly trashed as "smear campaign" a Canadian media report that claimed that the Indian prime minister was aware of the alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Referring to the report quoting an unnamed official, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said such "ludicrous statements" should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve.

"We do not normally comment on media reports. However, such ludicrous statements made to a newspaper purportedly by a Canadian government source should be dismissed with the contempt they deserve," he said.

"Smear campaigns like this only further damage our already strained ties," he said.

Jaiswal was responding to media queries regarding the report in Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

In the report, the newspaper cited inputs from a senior national security official.

Amid political row over an assault on a Marathi family in Kalyan, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said insult of Marathi people will not be tolerated in the state.

Action has been taken against the accused and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made an elaborate statement in the legislative council over the issue, he told reporters here.

"Marathi `asmita' (pride) will be protected and insult of Marathi people will not be tolerated," said the Shiv Sena president, adding that late Bal Thackeray had founded the party to protect the rights of Marathi people.

A case has been registered against a state government employee and his wife for allegedly attacking a Marathi family at Kalyan in Thane district over a dispute between neighbours.

Asked about vandalising of the Mumbai Congress office by BJP youth wing workers on Thursday, Shinde, a former CM, said police will deal with those who take law into their hands.

"In a democracy, no one has the right to indulge in vandalism," he added.

Asked about disgruntlement of party colleagues Vijay Shivtare and Prakash Surve over non-inclusion in the new state cabinet, Shinde said they spoke out in anger earlier, but they were not sulking any longer.

On Bangladesh's interim government's advisor Mahfuj Alam's comments on India, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have registered our strong protest on this issue with the Bangladesh side. We understand that the post being referred to has reportedly been taken down." 

Expressing concern over the recent incident in Parliament where an MP felt unsafe, the NCW on Friday asked the authorities to take action in this matter and underlined that these incidents set a dangerous precedent.

On PM Modi's visit to Kuwait, Secretary (CPV & OIA), Arun Kumar Chatterjee said, "PM Modi will be accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the Bayan Palace following which he will be holding separate meetings with the Emir of Kuwait and the crown Prince of Kuwait. There will be delegation-level talks with the Prime Minister of Kuwait also. The crown Prince will be hosting a Banquet in honour of PM Modi. The PM will also interact with the Indian diaspora at a community event and also visit a labour camp. He will also attend the opening ceremony of the 26th Arabian Gulf Cup as a special guest of the Emir of Kuwait."

On PM Modi to visit a labour camp in Kuwait, Secretary (CPV & OIA), Arun Kumar Chatterjee said, "The government of India attaches considerable importance to the welfare of all workers which are abroad. We have a community of around one million in Kuwait. The idea of the visit to the Labour camp is to express the amount of importance the government of India attaches to our workers who are working in a foreign country."

East Kolkata slum gutted in devastating fire

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday released its fifth list of candidates list for Delhi Assembly elections 2025 and fielded Mahender Chaudhary from Mehrauli.
On December 15, AAP released its fourth list of 38 candidates for the Delhi Elections 2025.

As per the list, the party's national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will contest from New Delhi, CM Atishi from Kalkaji, Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj from Greater Kailash and Minister Gopal Rai from Babarpur.

Additionally, Satyendra Kumar Jain will contest from Shakur Basti, Durgesh Pathak from Rajinder Nagar, Ramesh Pehalwan from Kasturba Naga, Raghuvinder Shokeen from Nangloi Jat, Som Dutt from Sadar Bazar, Imran Hussain from Ballimaran, Jarnail Singh from Tilak Nagar.
 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Baijayant Jay Panda met BJP MPs Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput, injured during a scuffle in the Parliament premises, in RML Hospital on Friday.

Notably, both Baijayant Jay Panda and Pratap Sarangi are Lok Sabha MPs from Odisha. Earlier in the day, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also met BJP MP Pratap Sarangi at the RML Hospital in the national capital.

Notably, both the NDA and INDIA bloc MPs had staged a protest in Parliament premises when a scuffle broke out between the two sides, injuring two BJP MPs. Both the MPs were admitted to Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. The authorities confirmed on Friday that the two MPs are stable and normal.

The World Bank has approved a USD 800 million loan for the development of ambitious Amaravati city in Andhra Pradesh.

Situated in a well-connected region along India's east coast, Amaravati will be part of a broader metropolitan region that includes two cities, Vijayawada and Guntur.

As per a statement from the international financial institution, Amaravati Integrated Urban Development Program is aimed at establishing the city as a well-managed, climate-resilient growth center in Andhra Pradesh.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived in Ayodhya on Friday to attend the Panchnarayan Mahayagna and 108 Shrimad Bhagwat Parayan, taking place at Asarfi Bhawan Peeth. The ritual, which began on December 17, will conclude on December 23, with participation from prominent scholars across North and South India.

CM Adityanath landed at the Ram Katha Park helipad and proceeded to Hanumangarhi for prayers and worship.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Arun Govil on Friday condemned the scuffle in the parliament saying that it is harmful to our image and is tarnishing the reputation of Parliament.

Speaking to ANI, Arun Govil said, "This is very unfortunate. What is happening is not good for our image. This is tarnishing the image of Parliament. It seems we need a lot of discipline and the opposition needs a lot of restraint. The way Rahul Gandhi was not looking calm when he came yesterday. this does not befit MPs in Parliament."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's behaviour during the winter session of Parliament, saying the BJP MP was upset by the scuffle in which two of his colleagues were injured.

Advocate MB Jiragi, representing BJP leader CT Ravi, claimed on Friday that despite the BJP leader being arrested under sections 75 and 79 of the BNS, the police have not officially recorded his arrest or presented him before a magistrate, which is a legal requirement.

"CT Ravi has been arrested under sections 75 and 79 of BNS. He has been arrested physically. But so far, we have not been confirmed on record that he has been arrested. De facto, the Karnataka police have already taken him into custody. They took him to various places last night... So far, they have not produced him before the court of law," Jiragi said.

As the world grapples with the devastating effects of climate change, the urgency for sustainable development has never been more evident. Countries worldwide are recognising the need to transition to greener economies, lower carbon emissions, and embrace sustainable practices to protect the planet for future generations.

In this regard, India and Sweden have emerged as key partners to leverage their respective strengths to address pressing environmental challenges. Sweden, known for its advanced technologies and sustainability expertise, has been a pivotal partner in India's journey towards a greener economy. The collaboration extends beyond governmental dialogues to include the active participation of around 280 Swedish companies operating in India.

The world's largest single Para sport event will take place from 26 September to 5 October 2025 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which will also host a World Para Athletics Grand Prix for the first time next March.

Next year's Para Athletics World Championships will take place in New Delhi, marking the first time the event will be hosted in India, World Para Athletics (WPA) announced on Thursday (December 19).

The Para Athletics World Championships, the world's largest single Para sport event, will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from 26 September to 5 October 2025. New Delhi 2025 will mark the 12th edition of the championships and the fourth time it is hosted in Asia, following Doha 2015, Dubai 2019 and Kobe 2024.

In light of the upcoming Municipal Corporation, Municipal Councils, and Municipal Panchayat elections, the Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner's office has declared a half-day holiday for all government and non-government schools and colleges in Jalandhar district on December 20.

The elections for municipal corporations, councils, and Nagar Panchayats (urban civic bodies) in Punjab were announced by the state's Election Commission on December 9 Polling will be held on December 21 from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with the vote counting taking place at the respective polling stations immediately after polling concludes, Chaudhary added.

The nomination filing process began on December 9 and ended on December 12. Scrutiny of nominations was carried out on December 13, and candidates could withdraw their nominations until December 14.

BJP leader CT Ravi was brought to the district court by Belagavi police on Friday, where he will be produced soon. Before being taken to court, CT Ravi underwent a medical checkup at the Mutag Health Center in Belagavi.

An FIR was filed against him following a complaint made by Karnataka Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar over alleged derogatory remarks made by Ravi about the Congress leader.

In response, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar slammed the BJP leader, saying, "There was a discussion over disrespect to Babasaheb Ambedkar. There was a protest over it as he called Rahul Gandhi a drug addict. 

There is proof that he has used abuse for the lady MLA Lakshmi Hebbalkar, you have all the videos and documents. Why did he call Rahul Gandhi a drug addict? Is it Chikkamagaluru's culture, BJP culture, and Indian culture? Show everything, I'll give you proof."

Parliament winter session: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12pm 

Parliament winter session: Lok Sabha adjourned for indefinite time 

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma reached SMS Hospital to meet the injured in the Jaipur fire and take stock of the situation.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lauded the customs officials of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport for their vigilance and successful seizure of over 2 kg of smuggled gold worth Rs 1.48 crore.

In a social media post, the minister wrote, "Appreciate @mumbaicus3 for showing diligence. Well done," acknowledging the team's efforts.

The Customs Department at the Mumbai airport intercepted two cases of gold smuggling during December 18-19, 2024. The officials confiscated a total of 2.073 kg of 24-karat gold, which had been smuggled in innovative ways.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) safely rescued an injured fisherman from a boat about 110 km from the Pipavav coast in Gujarat.

According to the Coast Guard, the fisherman sustained severe injury to his lower abdomen while fishing.

He was given initial treatment by the ICG medical team and was safely transported back to Pipavav Harbour. There, he was handed over to the boat owner in stable condition for further medical management.

Responding to the corruption allegations levelled against him in connection with the Formula E racing event, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President and former Minister K T Rama Rao (KTR) issued a strong statement. He accused the Congress-led state government of filing baseless and politically motivated cases to divert public attention from its administrative failures, KTR said in a press release.

"We are not just leaders but sons of a movement," said KTR.

A truck collided with other trucks and caught fire on the Jaipur-Ajmer highway on Friday morning, police said.

Some people sustained burn injuries in the incident, they added.

According to preliminary information, the truck that hit the other vehicles was loaded with a chemical.

"The fire has engulfed several trucks. The number of trucks involved in the incident is not clear. Some people with burn injuries have been rushed to hospitals in ambulances," Station House Officer (SHO), Bhankrota, Manish Gupta told PTI.

He said the incident occurred in front of a petrol pump.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday asked Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi to apologise to BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Nagaland S Phangnon Konyak following his alleged misconduct towards the Nagaland woman MP.

"For his behaviour towards the Nagaland MP, the people of North East are hurt and angry with Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi must apologise to her...," the Assam Chief Minister said.

"Rahul Gandhi's actions in Parliament today - hurting two senior MPs and shouting at one of our sisters from Nagaland, an Hon'ble MP - are very disturbing. He must issue an apology," CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Delhi Crime branch team arrested a 25-year-old man involved in a rape case in Badli, Delhi after an extensive 1500 km chase to Surat in Gujarat. The accused had been absconding since the registration of the case, Delhi police said on Thursday.

A process of proclamation was also initiated against the accused in the present case. The accused was apprehended by the NR-I Crime Branch from Surat, Gujarat, after an extensive 1500 km chase.

"The complainant, an employee in Bagwan Pura, had been befriended by the accused while working together. Under the pretext of trust, he administered an intoxicating substance and committed sexual assault while capturing explicit photos and videos. He used these recordings to blackmail the victim, coercing her into further physical relations. The victim courageously reported the matter, leading to the registration of the case at PS SP Badli," Delhi police said.

Republic Day parade rehearsals underway at Kartavya Path

In a counterattack on the Congress for raising objections to Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks about B R Ambedkar, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on Thursday evening staged protests against the party and burned an effigy of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, accusing the Congress of insulting Ambedkar.

Death toll in Mumbai boat accident rises to 14: BMC