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

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9 years ago

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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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Parliament to take up anti-paper leak amendment bill, MSME reforms in Monsoon Session today

Parliament is set for a key legislative day as the Lok Sabha considers amendments to the anti-paper leak law and the Rajya Sabha discusses bills related to national honour and MSME reforms.

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7 hours ago

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July 28, 2026

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Parliament

Parliament is set for an important day of legislative business on Tuesday, with both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha scheduled to take up key bills covering public examinations, national honour and the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.

The Lok Sabha is expected to consider amendments to the law aimed at preventing unfair practices in public examinations, while the Rajya Sabha will deliberate on legislation related to national honour and reforms in the MSME framework.

Lok Sabha to consider Public Examinations Amendment Bill

Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh is scheduled to move the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha.

The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.

The House will begin proceedings with the Question Hour. Later, several Union ministers, including Jitin Prasada, Ram Nath Thakur, Nityanand Rai, SP Singh Baghel, BL Verma, Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Pabitra Margherita, are slated to lay papers on the table.

Rajya Sabha to discuss national honour, MSME bills

In the Rajya Sabha, the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026 will come up for further consideration. Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to move the bill for passage after a discussion that followed a motion introduced by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on Monday.

The Upper House will also witness the introduction of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by Union Minister Jitan Ram Majhi.

According to the proposed legislation, the amendments seek to strengthen the mechanism for addressing delayed payments, facilitate the enforcement of arbitral awards and provide states with greater flexibility in deciding the composition of Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Councils.

NDA leaders attend ‘Mangal Milan’ meeting

Ahead of the day’s parliamentary proceedings, senior NDA leaders, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh and Nirmala Sitharaman, arrived for the alliance’s ‘Mangal Milan’ meeting.

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Centre first offered to shift Dharmendra Pradhan from Education ministry, CJP rejected: Reports

Sources claim the Centre initially proposed shifting Dharmendra Pradhan to another ministry during talks with the CJP, but protest leaders insisted only his resignation would end the agitation.

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7 hours ago

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July 28, 2026

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As protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) intensified in New Delhi over the demand for then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, the Centre initially proposed transferring him to another ministry instead of removing him from the government, according to sources.

The proposal was reportedly conveyed during negotiations between Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh and representatives of the CJP. However, the offer was rejected as the protest leaders maintained that only Pradhan’s resignation would meet their demand.

Centre proposed ministry change during first round of talks

According to sources, JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka at Nadda’s residence on July 20. The meeting took place while police action against protesters was underway in the national capital during the Parliament march called by the group.

During the discussions, the Union ministers reportedly suggested moving Dharmendra Pradhan from the Education Ministry to another portfolio in an effort to resolve the standoff.

However, the CJP negotiators rejected the proposal, reiterating that the protest would continue unless Pradhan resigned from the Union Cabinet.

Sources also said the ministers informed the CJP that appointing or reshuffling ministers was the Prime Minister’s prerogative.

CJP maintained resignation was the only acceptable solution

According to sources, the CJP refused to consider any compromise short of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation.

The negotiators reportedly believed that accepting a ministry change instead of a resignation would trigger a backlash from the protesters participating in the movement.

Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Education Minister on Saturday, just hours before the third round of talks between the CJP and Union ministers. Following his resignation, the CJP announced that it was calling off its protest.

Rahul Gandhi also opposed a portfolio change

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi had also said that merely changing Dharmendra Pradhan’s ministry would not satisfy students or the Opposition.

He had stated that Pradhan should be removed from the government, saying the former Education Minister had become “a symbol of the mess in the education system.”

Dharmendra Pradhan cited national interest in resignation note

In his resignation letter, Dharmendra Pradhan said he had stepped down to prevent what he described as anti-national forces from taking advantage of the agitation over examination paper leaks.

In a two-page resignation note posted in Hindi on social media, he said his decision was aimed at ensuring that the country’s unity remained intact and that students’ futures were not affected by legal complications, allowing them to focus on their studies and careers.

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CJP claims government assures protection for protesters after midnight meeting

CJP says the government has assured protection for protesters after a late-night meeting, with notifications expected from more BJP/NDA-ruled states while the party keeps its protest threat on hold.

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7 hours ago

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July 28, 2026

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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Tuesday claimed it received fresh assurances from government representatives following a late-night meeting, with the group saying steps would be taken to protect protesters from legal action in more BJP/NDA-ruled states.

The development came hours after the party warned it could resume its agitation, alleging that promises made during earlier negotiations on police action against protesters were not being implemented.

CJP claims fresh assurances after midnight meeting

In a post shared on X at around 1 am, CJP Chief Spokesperson Saurav Das said government representatives met party leaders for nearly three hours and shared official notifications issued by the Bihar and Assam governments.

According to Das, the notifications guarantee the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters, the release of detainees and assurances that no future action will be taken against those who participated in the demonstrations.

He also claimed the government reaffirmed its commitment to issuing similar notifications from the Union government and other BJP/NDA-ruled states.

“Hopefully, the agreed upon language shall be used. No protester will be left alone. We are all in this together,” Das said.

CJP says discussions focused on safeguarding protesters

In a video message released after the meeting, Das said the party conveyed its concerns that previous assurances might not be fully implemented.

He said government representatives presented the Bihar Home Department’s press release stating that FIRs against protesters would be withdrawn and that no future action would be taken.

Das added that discussions also covered the possibility of other state governments issuing similar notifications to ensure protesters do not face legal proceedings.

According to him, the government assured the party that notifications addressing these concerns would be issued by Tuesday and that protesters would remain protected from future action.

He also said the CJP would continue working to ensure that every protester who participated in demonstrations across the country is protected from legal action.

Fresh protest threat put on hold for now

The latest developments came after the CJP warned on Monday that it could return to the streets if cases against protesters were not withdrawn.

The Abhijeet Dipke-led movement, which began as a satirical campaign and derived its name from an insult, ended its 37-day protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over the weekend after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Education Minister, one of the group’s key demands.

Earlier on Monday, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that despite earlier assurances, protesters continued to face police action in some parts of the country.

He claimed that students had been arrested in Bihar and West Bengal, while volunteers supporting protesters in Delhi and other states were facing surveillance or detention.

Ranka demanded the immediate withdrawal of all FIRs against protesters, the release of detained students and an assurance that no fresh FIRs would be registered. He warned that the group would resume protests if those demands were not met.

Rajasthan also covered, claims CJP

Later on Monday night, Das said the party had also received assurances regarding Rajasthan.

He claimed authorities had guaranteed that no action would be taken against protesters in the state and that no FIRs had been registered or would be registered.

Das further said the party was continuing discussions to ensure other BJP/NDA-ruled states issue notifications with language that clearly protects protesters from legal action.

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