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Himachal Pradesh financial crisis: CM Sukhvinder Singh Sikhu, state ministers not to draw salaries for 2 months

BJP MLAs led by Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur staged a walkout after alleging a scam in the excise department, which is also under the Chief Minister.

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Himachal Pradesh financial crisis: CM Sukhvinder Singh Sikhu, state ministers not to draw salaries for 2 months

In the wake of the Himachal Pradesh government’s financial crisis, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sikhu announced on Thursday that he and his cabinet ministers, chief parliamentary secretaries and board chairmen would defer their salaries, allowances and other benefits for the next two months.

CM Sukhvinder Singh Sikhu, while making the announcement in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, urged all MLAs including those from the Opposition BJP to voluntarily defer their salaries and allowances for the time being. Notably, the Congress has 40 MLAs and the BJP 28 MLAs in the 68-member House.

Nonetheless, BJP MLAs led by Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur staged a walkout after alleging a scam in the excise department, which is also under the Chief Minister. The walkout followed CM Sukhvinder Singh Sikhu’s reply that revenue generated through the 2024-25 excise policy was much higher than the total excise revenue generated under the BJP’s five-year tenure.

Jairam Thakur, a former chief minister, slammed Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, asserting that liquor vends were auctioned below the reserved prices. The former CM alleged that the number of liquor vends, especially of county-made liquor, was reduced. He claimed that contractors are selling liquor bottles at prices higher than the MRP printed on them, and that the entire excise policy was formulated only for the benefit of big players in the industry.

The Leader of Opposition further stated that bidding for a number of liquor vends was cancelled with the excuse that there were no bidders. However, the same vends were later allotted by the state government to its favourite liquor contractors, he continued.

Responding in the House, CM Sukhu urged BJP leaders including Thakur and Randhir Sharma to submit a complaint and said their allegations would be investigated. Speaking to the reporters outside the Assembly, Jairam Thakur urged the authorities to check the backgrounds of liquor contractors in Una and Kangra districts as well as in Nurpur town.

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Ajit Pawar’s son seeks detailed probe into Baramati plane crash

Jay Pawar has demanded a comprehensive probe and action against the aviation firm after the Baramati plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar and four others.

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Jay Pawar, the younger son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the plane crash near Baramati that claimed his father’s life along with four others on January 28.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Jay Pawar raised concerns over what he described as “possible serious lapses” that may have led to the fatal accident. He asserted that the aircraft’s black box is not easily destroyed and stressed that people of Maharashtra deserve to know the complete truth behind the crash.

Demand for action against aviation company

The ill-fated Learjet 45XR aircraft was operated by VSR Ventures Private Limited. Jay Pawar urged authorities to conduct a detailed probe into the firm’s operations and sought a ban on the aviation company pending investigation.

“A detailed investigation of possible serious lapses and irregularities of the aircraft firm should be done in a detailed and impartial manner,” he said.

The crash occurred near the Baramati airstrip, resulting in the deaths of Ajit Pawar and four others.

Call for CBI probe and sabotage allegations

Jay Pawar’s statement came a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident.

Separately, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged there was reason to suspect sabotage in the crash and called for a multi-agency investigation involving experts.

During a press conference last week, Rohit Pawar also questioned the past record of Captain Sumit Kapoor, who was piloting the aircraft on the day of the crash. He referred to the pilot’s previous three-year suspension for alcohol consumption.

AAIB seeking support to retrieve CVR data

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting a detailed probe into the crash. According to the agency, special technical assistance has been sought to retrieve data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the Learjet 45 aircraft involved in the accident.

The investigation is ongoing.

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PM Modi sends congratulatory letter to Tarique Rahman after swearing-in

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla handed over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman following his swearing-in and extended an invitation to visit India.

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Tarique Rehman

Om Birla on Tuesday met Tarique Rahman and delivered a letter from Narendra Modi, congratulating him on assuming office and inviting him to visit India.

The meeting took place shortly after Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister following his party’s victory in the recently concluded parliamentary elections.

According to details shared, Birla also spoke to Rahman over the phone to personally convey PM Modi’s congratulations.

In his letter, PM Modi extended his greetings to Rahman on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s win in the parliamentary elections and on his appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

“I extend my warmest congratulations to you on the victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party at the just-concluded parliamentary elections in Bangladesh and on your appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh,” the letter read.

The communication also included an invitation for the newly sworn-in leader to visit India.

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Navjot Kaur Sidhu says Rahul Gandhi disconnected from ground realities

Navjot Kaur Sidhu criticises Rahul Gandhi after exiting Congress, alleging corruption in the Punjab unit and predicting defeat in upcoming state elections.

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Rahul-Gandhi

Former Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu has launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi soon after her exit from the party, accusing him of being detached from ground realities and failing to address concerns within the Punjab unit.

Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Sidhu said that Gandhi, who serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has not worked at the grassroots level and is unaware of what is happening within the party in Punjab. She stressed that understanding “ground zero” realities is crucial for leadership and said living in a “dream world” would not help the party.

Drawing a comparison with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sidhu said that while Gandhi speaks well and “talks sense”, his actions do not align with his words. She claimed there is nothing personally against the Prime Minister and challenged critics to find evidence of wrongdoing against him.

Sidhu also alleged widespread corruption within the Punjab Congress leadership. She claimed she sought an appointment with Gandhi for eight months to inform him about what she described as “injustice” and internal damage to the party. According to her, party tickets had already been sold, and she warned that Congress is likely to lose the state polls next year if corrective measures are not taken.

In a direct message to Gandhi, she said that if he is unaware of developments within his own party, then he does not deserve the leadership position. She further alleged that corrupt individuals surround him while honest leaders are ignored.

Sidhu claimed that she and her family were promised key roles, including a deputy chief minister post with seven departments and a Member of Parliament position for her, but were ultimately given nothing.

Last week, Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, announced that Sidhu had been expelled from the party. The announcement followed her own declaration that she had quit.

The 62-year-old leader was earlier associated with the BJP and served as an MLA from 2012 to 2016 before joining Congress. Recently, she levelled serious allegations against Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, claiming that ₹500 crore was being demanded in exchange for the Chief Minister’s post if the party wins the upcoming elections. She was suspended after making those remarks.

With Punjab heading towards elections next year, her allegations add to the turbulence within the state unit of the Congress.

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