Political updates: State BJP units draw plans to counter anger over demonetisation
In other news, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu could return to Amritsar as a contender on a Congress ticket
New Delhi: Mint brings to you your daily dose of political news reported by newsrooms from across the country.
Parliament logjam continues as government, opposition refuse to blink
Deadlock continued in Parliament for the ninth day on Thursday as both the government and opposition refused to blink over the demonetisation debate.
With PRS Legislative Research data showing productivity levels as low as 12% and 27%, respectively, in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, this could cast a shadow on the legislative business of the House, including three bills to roll out the goods and services tax (GST) bill to adhere to the deadline of 1 April. Read More
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan chides SP leader Akshay Yadav for ‘unruly act’
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan warned Samajwadi Party (SP) member of Parliament Akshay Yadav on Thursday after he tore and threw some papers at her while protesting against the government’s demonetisation move.
The incident took place amid continued protests by the opposition parties over demonetisation. Read More
Home ministry focuses on border fencing to keep infiltrators at bay
Cross-border firing continued between Indian and Pakistani forces on Thursday, two days after three Indian soldiers were killed and one of them mutilated along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir.
“There is a lot of action along the LoC. India is responding and we will not tolerate any unprovoked incidents," minister of state for home affairs Kiren Rijiju said. Read More
Navjot Singh Sidhu tipped to be Congress candidate for Amritsar LS seat
More than two years after being forced to vacate his Lok Sabha seat for Union finance minister Arun Jaitley’s general election campaign, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu could return to Amritsar as a contender on a Congress ticket.
If a section of the Congress leadership from the state is to be believed, there is a strong buzz that Sidhu will be the replacement candidate for the Lok Sabha seat which was recently vacated by Captain Amarinder Singh, former chief minister and party’s state unit head. Read More
Onus on Pakistan for ceasefire, says MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup
India is willing to show restraint and end cross-border firing provided Pakistan stops provocative attempts to violate a 2003 ceasefire pact between the two countries, India’s foreign ministry spokesman said on Thursday.
The Indian government is also open to talks, but the onus was on Pakistan given its recent attempts to push terrorists into India under the cover of gunfire from Pakistan as well as its record of supporting terrorist attacks against India. Read More
BJP plays up development agenda for Maharashtra local body polls
Even as demonetisation and the consequent currency crisis play out in rural Maharashtra, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is hard-selling his government’s development agenda in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaign for the municipal council polls in the state.
Fadnavis is leading an aggressive campaign for elections to 164 municipal councils spread over 25 districts on 27 November. Read More
Bengal BJP draws plans to counter Mamata’s agitation
West Bengal’s BJP unit is preparing itself to blunt chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee’s agitation on the demonetisation issue. Banerjee, who is currently in Delhi and busy holding meetings with several opposition parties to widen her movement against the Narendra Modi government, will be back in Kolkata and hold a rally on 28 November. Read More
Sena strikes again, says people want mid-term poll
The Shiv Sena on Thursday sprung a major surprise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, echoing suggestions for a referendum on demonetisation like the one held in the United Kingdom on Brexit. “Will the PM resign if the referendum outcome goes against him?" party chief Uddhav Thackeray asked at a press conference, on the side-lines of a party function at Sena Bhavan, on Thursday. He was responding to a query on his views regarding West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s suggestion of a referendum on demonetisation like the one held on the Brexit issue. “The UK Prime Minister (David Cameron) quit office after the Brexit poll aftermath," he added. Thackeray also suggested a mid-term poll, adding that “people were talking about it". Read More
Anger over cash crunch: Worried Gujarat BJP reaches out to people
The BJP in Gujarat appears to be worried over increasing public disquiet following the demonetisation move, with the party holding a series of meetings since last Friday to find ways to tackle the problem. In one such meeting on Monday with senior leaders and MLAs, chief minister Vijay Rupani had sounded a sense of urgency to deal with the impact of cash crunch. Read More
Soumonty Kanungo from Kolkata, Abhiram Ghadyalpatil from Mumbai and Maulik Rajnikant Pathak from Ahmedabad also contributed to the wrap
Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!