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After Gabbar Singh Tax, Rahul takes ‘Shut Up India’ dig at Modi

Published

9 years ago

on

Rahul Gandhi

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Congress vice president slammed PM Narendra Modi over the perception of dissent being muzzled in India, also termed growing unemployment in India as a Modi Made Disaster

Days after he coined the phrase Gabbar Singh Tax to take a dig at the Centre’s rollout of the Goods and Services Tax regime, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi escalated his attacks at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, asserting that the continuing disappointment in India over growing unemployment was a MMD – Modi Made Disaster.

The Congress vice president, who spoke at the annual general meeting of PHD Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi on Thursday, pulled no punches to hit out at the Prime Minister.

With the Congress and BJP set for a direct electoral clash in poll-bound Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in December, Rahul made sure that his attacks were focused on Modi and on facts linked directly with the apparent problems facing the country and its economy instead of being a purely political broadside. The event also gave Rahul a chance to reach out to India Inc, which in the past three years, seems to have deserted the Congress party and firmly backed Modi’s leadership – a situation that appears to be changing now in the aftermath of demonetisation and the GST rollout.

In an address that showed Rahul’s metamorphosis from a gaffe-prone leader to one who is capable of launching a diatribe that hits on crucial political as well as economic issues with surgical precision, he systematically outlined the challenges facing India while squarely blaming Modi and his government for all of these troubles.

Rahul began by asserting that while the country’s electorate had, in May 2014, reposed its faith in Modi due to the feeling that “he had the ability and understanding to develop and implement a vision for the coming decade” but then went on to claim that “that expectation lies shattered” today.

Recalling his experience of listening to Modi’s first speech in Parliament as the country’s Prime Minister, Rahul said that he had been left disappointed at the Premier’s lack of vision while adding: “what really disturbed me was the condescending tone that ran through his entire speech like a thread. And that tone has embedded itself in the psyche of this government and it has become the bedrock of its immense arrogance.”

The Congress vice president reiterated his oft-quoted jibe at the Modi government – that it doesn’t trust Indians – alleging that “for some reason the PM and his government are absolutely convinced that every single person in India is a thief,” and that “there is no one in the government who is ready to listen to the pain of our people.”

With the BJP already facing flak over the row triggered by comments made by its leaders against the Taj Mahal, Rahul made it a point to incorporate the controversy in his address, saying: “People looked up to us for our values and leadership… today they laugh as we are busy debating whether one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal, was actually built by Indians?”

The Congress vice president described Modi’s demonetisation decision as “a move, taken without thought, without consultation or concern for its consequences” and asserted that the “Prime Minister used his vast powers to unleash terror on the citizens of India.”

He then took a swipe at Modi’s pet dialogue – of his chappan inch ki chhati (56 inch chest) – suggesting that “To make millions of Indian citizens stand in queues for over two months, desperately running from one ATM to another, many dying in the process, millions losing jobs and livelihood –you surely need someone with a big chest, but a very small heart.”

Rahul next targeted Modi and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley over the state of the economy. “The way this regime is working, or not working… has lead to a double tap killing of the Indian economy. Commandos in hostage situations fire what is called a double tap, two quick, closely placed shots fired at the chest to ensure that their terrorist target is dead. Modi and his government have fired a double tap at the heart of our economy, first notebandi and then a badly conceptualised and implemented GST.”

Rahul then raised the issue of joblessness in the country, calling it “extremely worrying” and cautioned: “We are staring at a disaster. I am not talking of technology making jobs redundant as is happening in the west. This is a pure man-made disaster or in Modi ji’s terminology a  MMD- ‘Modi Made Disaster.”

Speaking on the growing perception among a section of Indian citizens, especially those who aren’t ideologically aligned with the BJP, of being prevented from speaking their minds on a variety of issues by rabid right-wing activists, particularly on social media platforms, the Nehru-Gandhi scion said: “Startup India is welcome for the economy, but it cannot be accompanied by ‘Shut Up India’ in society.”

“What gives Startup India its strength is freedom of expression, thought and dissent. You choke this and you choke entrepreneurship,” Rahul added.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Nandigram bypoll on October 6 after Suvendu Adhikari vacates seat

The Election Commission has announced October 6 as the polling date for the Nandigram bypoll, with votes to be counted on October 9.

Published

6 hours ago

on

September 7, 2026

By

Suvendu-Adhikari

The Election Commission has announced the schedule for the Nandigram bypoll in West Bengal, with voting set to take place on October 6. The counting of votes will be held on October 9.

The by-election has been necessitated by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari vacating the Nandigram Assembly seat after winning the constituency as well as Bhabanipur in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Adhikari decided to retain Bhabanipur and give up his Nandigram seat.

The Election Commission said the poll process will formally begin with the issue of the gazette notification on September 9.

Nandigram bypoll schedule

According to the election schedule, candidates can file their nominations until September 16. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on September 17, while September 19 will be the last date for withdrawal of candidature.

Polling in Nandigram will be conducted on October 6 and votes will be counted on October 9. The Election Commission has said the entire election process will be completed by October 11.

Why is a Nandigram bypoll being held?

The Nandigram Assembly seat fell vacant after Suvendu Adhikari resigned from the constituency.

Adhikari had contested the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections from both Nandigram and Bhabanipur and won both seats. He subsequently chose to retain Bhabanipur and vacate Nandigram, making a by-election necessary for the constituency.

The Nandigram contest is also significant because Adhikari had defeated Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee from the constituency in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.

Rejinagar bypoll also scheduled

The Election Commission has also announced a by-election for the Rejinagar Assembly constituency in West Bengal. The Rejinagar seat became vacant after Aam Janata Unnayan Party founder Humayun Kabir gave it up.

Polling for Rejinagar will also be held on October 6, with counting scheduled for October 9.

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Telangana Assembly clash: Congress targets BRS over remarks against Speaker

Telangana Assembly witnessed a political clash between Congress and BRS over alleged remarks against Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar. Revanth Reddy demanded action against BRS MLC Tata Madhu.

Published

7 hours ago

on

September 7, 2026

By

A political confrontation erupted in the Telangana Assembly on Monday as the ruling Congress and Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) clashed over alleged objectionable remarks against Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy condemned the remarks allegedly made by BRS MLC Tata Madhu and demanded an apology from BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao. Tata Madhu, however, denied making any statement targeting the Speaker.

The controversy unfolded on the opening day of the Telangana Assembly session, which also witnessed a separate confrontation between BRS leaders and police outside the Assembly premises.

Revanth Reddy demands action against BRS MLC

Raising the issue in the House, Revanth Reddy said the remarks against the presiding officer could not be tolerated. He demanded that K Chandrashekar Rao apologise and sought the resignation of the BRS leader accused of making the remarks.

The Chief Minister also called for the membership of the legislator responsible for the alleged remarks to be revoked.

Congress leaders said the matter was particularly serious as Gaddam Prasad Kumar is a Dalit leader holding the constitutional post of Speaker.

SC legislators from the Congress also met Revanth Reddy and urged strict action against Tata Madhu.

Congress seeks suspension of Tata Madhu

The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee demanded the immediate suspension of Tata Madhu from the Legislative Council over the alleged remarks against the Speaker.

Congress workers also protested against the BRS MLC by burning his effigy.

The BRS legislator, however, denied making objectionable remarks against the Speaker. He maintained that the comments attributed to him were not directed at Gaddam Prasad Kumar.

BRS leaders detained outside Assembly

The controversy inside the House came amid another confrontation outside the Telangana Assembly.

BRS working president K T Rama Rao, former minister T Harish Rao and other party leaders were detained by police after they attempted to enter the Assembly premises wearing black T-shirts.

The BRS leaders were protesting against what they described as the Congress government’s performance during its 1,000 days in office.

The confrontation between BRS leaders and police added to the tension surrounding the opening day of the Assembly session.

Telangana High Court intervenes

The political dispute also took another turn after the Telangana High Court directed the Director General of Police not to prevent BRS MLAs from entering the Assembly.

The court’s intervention came amid the Opposition’s allegations concerning the treatment of its legislators outside the Assembly.

With Congress demanding disciplinary action over the alleged remarks and the BRS accusing the government of suppressing the Opposition, the first day of the Assembly session ended amid a sharp political confrontation.

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India clears Rs. 1.1 lakh crore defence procurement plan for radars, mine layers

India has cleared defence procurement proposals worth around Rs. 1.10 lakh crore for the Army, Navy and Air Force, including radars, mine layers, helicopters and electronic warfare systems.

Published

7 hours ago

on

September 7, 2026

By

Rajnath Singh

The Defence Ministry has cleared military procurement proposals estimated at around Rs. 1.10 lakh crore for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, in a major push to strengthen operational capabilities and promote indigenous defence manufacturing.

The proposals were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The ministry said the DAC accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for a range of acquisitions. AoN is the first stage of the defence procurement process.

Nearly 98 per cent of the approved procurements are expected to be sourced from Indian industry, according to the Defence Ministry.

What the Army will get

The Army-related approvals include Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance vehicles, high-mobility vehicles, self-propelled mechanical mine layers, Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs), trawl tanks and the Sarvatra bridge system.

CBRN reconnaissance vehicles will be used to detect and monitor areas contaminated by chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agents.

The high-mobility vehicles are intended to support troop movement and logistics in difficult terrain. The trawl tanks and Sarvatra bridge system will help combat formations with mobility and crossings during military operations.

Advanced Light Helicopters will be used by both the Army and the Air Force for operations across different terrains and mission requirements.

Navy to receive Arudhra radars

For the Indian Navy, the DAC approved the procurement of Arudhra radars, along with the design, development and subsequent procurement of Marine Gas Turbines (MGTs).

The Marine Gas Turbine programme is aimed at developing a key propulsion system for warships while reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.

The Arudhra radars will replace existing air-route surveillance radars at naval air stations and are expected to strengthen the Navy’s surveillance capabilities.

Air Force gets electronic warfare systems

The Indian Air Force also received approval for projects aimed at strengthening the capabilities of its fighter aircraft, transport fleets and helicopters.

Among the approved systems is the Ground-Based Multi-Purpose Jammer (GBMPJ). The ministry said the jammer will provide electronic warfare capability against adversary radar networks.

Approval was also given for the installation of the Defence Forces Secure Access Card system.

Push for domestic defence manufacturing

The latest approvals are part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen the operational capabilities of the armed forces while promoting self-reliance in defence manufacturing.

The Defence Ministry said nearly 98 per cent of the approved procurements will be sourced from Indian industry, potentially giving further impetus to domestic defence production.

The Rs. 1.10 lakh crore figure represents the estimated value of the procurement proposals that received the DAC’s Acceptance of Necessity at this stage. It does not by itself mean that all the equipment has already been contracted or delivered.

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