Kiren Rijiju highlighted the support of Christian bodies for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, citing the case of 600 Christian families from Munambam, Kerala, contesting the Waqf board's claim over their ancestral land. He emphasized the misuse of Waqf Act provisions, affecting ordinary people.
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Rahul Gandhi passed the opportunity to speak on the waqf bill in Lok Sabha to his deputy Gaurav Gogoi, who then led the opposition's charge. Gandhi instead chose to sit for other speeches, raising questions about whether he missed a chance to counter BJP's polarisation politics.
Agriculture department officials in Bihar's Bhojpur district encountered a bizarre situation when farmland data in a digital crop survey app mistakenly showed plots located in the Indian Ocean, caused by a smartphone glitch. The issue was quickly resolved. The survey aims to provide detailed crop information for better marketing, crop insurance, and policy implementation.
The Siddheshwar Mahadev Temple, closed for decades in Varanasi's Muslim-dominated Madanpura, was reopened with the help of the district administration and police. Keys were handed over to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Local Muslim residents and various Hindu organizations collaborated peacefully in cleaning and securing the temple, planning its revival post-Makar Sankranti.
AAP leader Raghav Chadha credited the launch of the 'Udaan Yatri Cafe' at Chennai airport, following its initial launch in Kolkata, aimed at providing affordable food to passengers. He raised concerns about high prices and poor management at airports and emphasized continuing efforts to address public interests.
Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore joined the protesting students at Patna's Gandhi Maidan against the BPSC examination, criticizing the Bihar government's response. He emphasized the students' right to protest in public spaces and called the government's actions 'lathi-tantra.' Protesting students demand a re-examination for the 70th BPSC prelims after facing a lathi charge.
BJP criticized Congress over Karnataka's 4% reservation for Muslim contractors in the state budget, calling it unconstitutional and based on religion. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad claimed Rahul Gandhi influenced the decision, while Karnataka's deputy CM D K Shivakumar argued the quota benefits all backward classes and minorities, not just Muslims.
Punjab minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused Congress of "backstabbing" AAP in Chandigarh mayoral polls by secretly aligning with BJP, leading to BJP's victory. Cheema alleged that this alliance also helped Congress secure deputy and senior deputy mayor posts. He warned Delhi voters against supporting Congress, claiming any vote for them benefits BJP.
The Election Commission of India announced bypoll dates for the assembly constituencies of Milkipur in Uttar Pradesh and Erode East in Tamil Nadu. Polling will be held on February 5 and votes will be counted on February 8. The vacancies were created by the resignation of Awadhesh Prasad and the demise of EVKS Elangovan.
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity has urged Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla to formally engage with local youth leaders to ensure cooperative arms recovery and extend the seven-day surrender deadline. They emphasized understanding the circumstances that led to weapon looting and requested no legal action against civilian volunteers defending their communities.
At an event marking the 25th anniversary of Reliance's Jamnagar refinery, Anant Ambani highlighted the success of the Vantara conservation initiative, emphasizing Reliance's commitment to wildlife preservation. Ambani praised his grandfather Dhirubhai's vision for the refinery and his father Mukesh's efforts to realize it. He pledged to continue elevating Jamnagar's status as India approaches its 100th year of independence.