Feb 13 News Live: My ‘power-sharing’ offer has become a political bomb in TN: Vijay

Telangana municipal polls: Cong surges ahead with 240 wards as BRS, BJP trail

The ruling Congress secured 240 wards in the Telangana Municipal elections, counting for which progressed on Friday.

While the opposition BRS bagged 140, the BJP trailed with 37 wards, as per early trends. Of the results of 448 wards declared, AIFB (All India Forward Block), AIMIM, CPI(M) and Independents won 6, 1,1 and 14 respectively.

Twelve people were elected unanimously, official sources said. The counting of votes began at 123 centres across the state at 8 am. The election was held on February 11 for 2,582 wards in 116 municipalities and 414 wards in seven municipal corporations on February 11.

The outcome of the three-cornered contest between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP and BRS is crucial for all of them as it would be an indicator of their popularity among the voters.

Union Minister Baghel accuses Opposition of derailing Budget debate

Union Minister S.P. Singh Baghel on Friday criticised the Opposition over repeated disruptions during the ongoing parliamentary session, saying key discussions were overshadowed by protests and adjournments.

“This session was important because that there was a discussion on the President's address and a discussion on the budget, which the country awaits, but the opposition disrupted it...” Baghel said, arguing that both debates carry significant weight for the government’s policy direction and legislative priorities.

The Minister said members from the treasury benches had used the budget discussion to outline what he described as a long-term plan for national growth. “In the discussion on the budget, our MPs spoke about how the roadmap for a developed India is being prepared,” he said, maintaining that the debate was meant to focus on economic planning and governance.

However, Baghel accused the Opposition of derailing proceedings. “However, it cause pain in the opposition's stomach, so they sacrificed the Lok Sabha to chaos,” he added.

His remarks come amid a series of confrontations between the government and Opposition parties during the session, with both sides blaming each other for stalled business in the House.

Kharge, Radhakrishnan clash in Rajya Sabha over expunged speech

Tempers flared in the Rajya Sabha as Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge pressed the Chair to reinstate portions of his earlier speech that were removed from the official record.

Before Question Hour began, Kharge raised the issue, saying that remarks he made on February 4 during the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President, including comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies, had been expunged without valid grounds. He urged that the deleted sections be restored. Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan, however, made it clear that once remarks are struck off, they cannot be brought back into the proceedings.

“This is not right, this is not democratic, you are instructing the chair,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said, objecting to what he saw as an attempt to challenge the authority of the presiding officer.

Kharge maintained that if the matter was not addressed, he would consider releasing the unedited version of his speech to the public. Radhakrishnan responded that the Leader of the Opposition could not dictate terms to the Chair.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman then intervened, saying the LoP had effectively stood up to question the Chairman’s judgment. Citing parliamentary rules, she said, “if the Chairman is of the opinion that a Minister or a Member has used a word/words in debate which is/are defamatory, indecent, unparliamentary or undignified, the Chairman may, in his discretion, order that such word/words be expunged from the council proceedings”. She accused Kharge of showing disrespect to the Chair

Lok Sabha adjourned for the budget session recess

Lok Sabha adjourned for the budget session recess, to reconvene on March 9.

Lok Sabha proceedings resume

Lok Sabha proceedings resume after being adjourned due to Opposition ruckus.

TMC MP Derek O’Brian proposes universal minimum wage plan

TMC MP Derek O’Brian has argued for a universal wage floor that would apply across sectors, saying the current structure leaves large sections of the workforce struggling to make ends meet.

Pointing to youth unemployment, he said roughly one in three young people are neither working nor pursuing education or training. Even among those who are employed, he noted, many are not protected by a minimum wage. According to him, national wage levels have hovered around ₹176 per day for nearly a decade. Such low earnings, he said, dampen consumer spending and trap workers in persistent poverty.

O’Brian proposed what he described as a nationwide, legally binding wage threshold that no employer would be allowed to fall below, regardless of industry, type of contract or place of work. He suggested naming the framework the Universal Minimum Annual National Guarantee, or UMANG.

He also laid out a four-point plan to operationalise the proposal. The government, he said, should formally notify a mandatory national wage under existing labour law. The rate should be automatically linked to inflation and updated every year. Wage classifications should be rationalised to make compliance straightforward. And the guarantee, he stressed, must cover contract labourers, gig workers and those in the unorganised sector, not just formal employees.

India-US trade deal: Giriraj Singh accuses Rahul Gandhi of spreading confusion

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of attempting to mislead the public, saying recent remarks by the opposition MP were designed to sow unrest rather than raise substantive concerns regarding India-US trade deal.

“… Rahul Gandhi is trying to create confusion among the people. Agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal made it very clear that the interests of the farmers will not be compromised…” Singh said, dismissing allegations that the government’s policies would hurt cultivators.

His comments came amid a fresh round of exchanges between the ruling party and the Opposition over farm-related decisions and trade issues. Singh insisted that both Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had publicly clarified the government’s position, reiterating that farmers’ interests would remain protected.

Singh went further, questioning Gandhi’s intent. “He is trying to create a confusion in the country. Does he want a civil war? Not just privilege motion, there should be a case against him outside the Parliament too…” he said.

The remarks sharpened the political temperature, with the BJP framing Gandhi’s statements as irresponsible while the Congress has maintained that it is raising legitimate concerns about farmers and trade policy.

AAP's Sanjay Singh slams Agniveer scheme as 'betrayal'

Calling the Agniveer recruitment model a betrayal of young Indians who want to serve in uniform, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said enlisting in the armed forces remains a deeply held ambition for many across the country.

“The Army is pride of India. From 2019 to 2020, many youth gave and cleared the exam. Around 1,30,000 youth gave the exam. Even for the air force, around 7,000 youth passed the exam. But I want to tell you that these youth are sad and hurt that they have not yet been recruited into the Army,” he said, pointing to candidates who cleared earlier rounds but are still waiting for appointments, reported The Hindu.

Singh argued that young applicants approach the recruitment process with a sense of duty and resolve. “Youth from different parts of the country apply for the exam with the courage to fight for the country, no matter what. But the Agniveer scheme has betrayed the people and youth of India,” said Singh .

He also recounted what he described as a troubling encounter during a visit to Jaunpur. A soldier named Harinder Yadav met him there and spoke about his aspirations. “He poured out his heart about his desire to serve as a soldier, but he was made to do servant work for an authority. This should be stopped,” he said.

Govt withholds motion after Dubey’s move against Rahul, says Rijiju

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday said the government had initially decided to move a motion against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for alleged violations of parliamentary rules, but would now hold back following a separate initiative by a BJP MP.

“The government had decided to move a Motion. Rahul Gandhi violated rules and mentioned an unpublished book in an illegal manner; he also mentioned several things in his Budget speech-‘country sold out’ and other nonsense for the PM,” Rijiju said.

He added that the government had multiple grounds to issue a notice. “There are several issues over which we wanted to give him a notice,” the minister said.

However, Rijiju noted that BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has already moved a Substantive Motion. “Private Member Nishikant Dubey has brought a Substantive Motion, so for now, we are dropping the Motion that the Govt was going to bring,” he said.

Clarifying the next steps, Rijiju said, “Any MP can bring a Motion. After the Substantive Motion is admitted, we will decide after discussing with the Speaker whether we can send this to Privilege Committee or Ethics Committee or bring this directly to the House to discuss. It will be decided.”

Congress MP Hibi Eden defends Rahul Gandhi over substantive motion

Amid escalating tensions in Parliament, the Congress on Friday responded to a substantive motion moved by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, asserting that it would continue to raise concerns over farmers and India’s trade negotiations.

Speaking after a party meeting, Congress MP Hibi Eden said the strategy was clear. “We had our parliamentary party meeting yesterday, and we are very clear about how we would take up this issue, the US trade deal and the farmers' issue, inside and outside Parliament,” he said.

Eden emphasised Gandhi’s resolve, stating, “Rahul Gandhi is very committed to the cause of the farmers, and he will, whatever happens to his membership or whatever happens to his political career, not shut his mouth inside Parliament.”

“He will fight for farmers and ensure India is not compromised anywhere in the world. The fight will continue,” Eden added.