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Shivakumar, Deora detained in Mumbai, rebel MLAs move SC for acceptance of resignations

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Shivakumar, Deora detained in Mumbai, rebel MLAs move SC for acceptance of resignations

The on-going Karnataka government crisis escalated further today (Wednesday, July 10) with Congress leaders DK Shivakumar, Milind Deora and others were detained and taken away in a police van from outside theRenaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel when they went to meet the 10 dissident JD(S)-Congress legislators who have been staying at the premises since Saturday.

The rebels had earlier approached Mumbai Police, saying they felt “threatened” by their state leaders and do not want to meet them in this regard.

They have moved the Supreme Court and it is likely to take up the plea filed against Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar for not accepting their resignations.

Kumar had rejected the resignations of nine of 14 coalition MLAs on the ground that they were not tendered in the correct format. The Speaker has fixed dates over the next six days to meet and interview the five MLAs whose resignations were found to be in order.

The Speaker’s decision gives the Congress-JD(S) combine breathing room to pull the government back from the brink of collapse — if the resignations were accepted, the alliance would have been reduced to a minority of 103, less than BJP’s 105, in the 224-member House, after two Independent MLAs, too, withdrew support and tendered resignations Monday.

Earlier today, Congress troubleshooter Shivakumar morning was stopped at the gates of the Mumbai resort where the 10 rebel MLAs are staying. Shivakumar was accompanied by JD(S) MLA Shivalinge Gowda.

Shivakumar insisted that he has “booked” a room in the hotel. He said he will not leave without meeting the MLAs. Amid the chants of “Shivakumar go back,” the Congress leader said, “I only have a heart that I have come to extend to my friends…politics is an art of possibility,” he said.

“I’ve booked a room here. My friends are staying here. There has been a small problem, we’ve to hold negotiations. We can’t go for a divorce immediately. There is no question of threatening, we love and respect each other,” he told reporters outside the hotel.

Last night, the 10 rebel MLAs had approached the police seeking security as they feared that Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and DK Shivakumar will “storm” into the premises and threaten them when they reach Mumbai.

Tight security cover — State Reserve Police and Riot Control Units — has been deployed around the hotel after the letter.

While Congress and JD(S) leaders try to rescue the coalition government from the deep crisis, former Karnataka chief minister and BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa said it was still not late for the Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to quit – in view of the Assembly session that starts day after tomorrow, on July 12.

Yeddyurappa said Kumaraswamy should go since his government “doesn’t have the numbers” and “make way for a BJP government” in the state.

Yeddyurappa, who according to a Hindustan Times report was on his way to meet the Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala with the demand to sack Kumaraswamy government, added that “the coalition government had lost the moral right to continue.”

Earlier, the 76-year-old BJP state president in Karnataka had suggested that “it was not late” for Kumaraswamy to quit in the view of the looming Assembly session from July 12.“On 12th July, Assembly session will begin but they don’t have the numbers, it will be an illegal session. It is not too late; you (Karnataka CM, HD Kumaraswamy) should resign and make way for a BJP government, he said.”

Yeddyurappa said that he will also meet the Karnataka Assembly Speaker at 3 pm today to register protest over alleged tearing of resignation letters of some rebel MLAs by Congress leader & MLA DK Shivakumar on Saturday.

“I will meet the Speaker at 3 pm today. Speaker has still not condemned tearing up of resignations (of rebel MLAs) by DK Shivakumar. Tearing up of resignations is an ‘apradh’ (offence) that is unforgivable,” said Yeddyurappa.

Also Read: Karnataka crisis: JD(S), Congress ministers resign to pave way for reshuffle after 14 MLAs quit

In a separate development the rebel MLAs from both the Congress and the JD(S)moved Supreme Court accusing the Speaker of abandoning his constitutional duty and deliberately delaying acceptance of their resignations. Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter tomorrow.

The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, who said the court will consider listing the case tomorrow. The petition alleged that the Speaker had acted in a partisan manner and was deliberately not accepting their resignations.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi who appeared for the rebel MLAs pressed for an urgent hearing saying “time is the essence” in the matter. “We will see,” the bench, which also comprised justices Deepak Gupta and Aniruddha Bose said.

The Speaker has fixed dates over the next six days to meet and interview the five MLAs whose resignations were found to be in order. The Speaker’s decision gives the Congress-JD(S) combine some breathing room to try and pull the government back from the brink of collapse.

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Rahul Gandhi returns from US to attend CWC meeting after Pahalgam terror attack

Rahul Gandhi returned to New Delhi early Thursday, cutting short his US trip following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack. He is set to attend the Congress Working Committee meeting amid heightened political and security activity.

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Rahul Gandhi

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, arrived in New Delhi early Thursday morning, having cut short his official visit to the United States. His return comes in response to the recent deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, including one foreign national.

Gandhi is scheduled to participate in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting at the party headquarters in New Delhi at around 10:30 am. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh had earlier announced the change in Rahul Gandhi’s itinerary due to the grave security situation in the Kashmir Valley.

The government is reportedly preparing for an all-party meeting on Thursday, likely to be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, to deliberate on the national security response to the attack. The attack, which occurred at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, is being described as the most severe since the 2019 Pulwama incident.

Centre responds with strong diplomatic and security measures

In the wake of the violence, the Indian government has initiated a series of stringent actions aimed at sending a message to Pakistan, which it holds responsible for supporting cross-border terrorism. Among the measures announced are the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and the immediate closure of the Attari integrated checkpost.

Additionally, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri declared that Pakistani nationals will no longer be allowed to travel to India under the SAARC visa exemption framework. These announcements came after a high-level Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. The CCS condemned the attack unequivocally, expressing deep sorrow for the victims and stressing the need for swift action.

Victims’ families demand justice

Emotions ran high across the country as families performed last rites for the victims. Among those killed was Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, whose funeral was held in Karnal. Another victim, Manjunath Rao from Shivamogga, was remembered by family and friends who called for firm government action against terrorism.

This latest incident has reignited national concerns around security in Jammu and Kashmir, especially given its scale and the timing following the revocation of Article 370 in 2019.

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Stalin reminds PM Modi’s statements as Gujarat CM after his crying for funds remark

During the event, Stalin inaugurated over 6,700 completed projects worth ₹1,166 crore in Tiruvallur, laid foundations for 7,300 new initiatives, and distributed welfare benefits to 2.02 lakh residents.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday took aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a government event in Ponneri, Tiruvallur district, invoking Modi’s own words as Gujarat’s Chief Minister to counter recent remarks about Tamil Nadu’s demands for funds.

Addressing a gathering, Stalin refuted Modi’s claim from a Rameswaram visit that Tamil Nadu leaders were “crying” for central funds regardless of allocations.

“With utmost respect, I remind the Prime Minister of his own stance as Gujarat CM, when he said states aren’t beggars pleading for Union handouts,” Stalin said.

He recalled Modi’s criticism of the Centre’s partisan fund allocations and accusations of Governors running “parallel governments” in opposition-ruled states. “When Tamil Nadu seeks its rightful share, how is it ‘crying’? I’m asserting our state’s rights, not groveling. I learned this from our leader Kalaignar [Karunanidhi],” Stalin asserted.

Minister S.M. Nasar, MPs S. Jagathrakshakan and Sasikanth Senthil, legislators T.J. Govindarajan, Durai Chandrasekar, S. Chandran, V.G. Raajendran, A. Krishnaswamy, K. Ganapathy, S. Sudharsanam, Collector M. Prathap, and senior officials attended the event.

Stalin also challenged Shah’s recent Chennai statement that Tamil Nadu’s demands were “diversionary tactics.” He posed pointed questions to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, “Can you exempt Tamil Nadu from NEET? Guarantee no Hindi imposition? Ensure our representation isn’t reduced post-delimitation? Specify the funds allocated to our state?”

Stalin emphasised that Tamil Nadu’s fight is for all states’ rights, citing the DMK’s landmark Supreme Court victory against Governor R.N. Ravi’s delay in approving Bills. “This historic ruling shows we act when the Centre fails,” he said.

Highlighting national awareness of Tamil Nadu’s struggle, Stalin dismissed Shah’s accusations of diversion, urging, “If our demands are distractions, why haven’t you addressed them clearly?” He underscored the state’s resolve to protect its interests, rooted in principles of federalism and justice championed by DMK’s legacy.

During the event, Stalin inaugurated over 6,700 completed projects worth ₹1,166 crore in Tiruvallur, laid foundations for 7,300 new initiatives, and distributed welfare benefits to 2.02 lakh residents.

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Priyanka Gandhi accompanies Robert Vadra to ED office for second day in Gurugram land probe

Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, appeared before the ED for the second day in the Gurugram land case.

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Robert Vadra Priyanka Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied her husband Robert Vadra to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office on Wednesday as he appeared for questioning for the second consecutive day in connection with the Gurugram land case.

Mr Vadra, the brother-in-law of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, was seen exchanging a hug with Ms Gandhi before entering the ED office. He is under scrutiny in a money laundering probe linked to a 2008 land deal in Manesar-Shikohpur area, now known as Sector 83 of Gurugram.

Focus of the probe: land deal from Congress tenure in Haryana

The investigation stems from a land transaction executed by Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company in which Mr Vadra was formerly a director. In February 2008, Skylight purchased 3.5 acres of land from Onkareshwar Properties for ₹7.5 crore. At that time, Haryana was governed by a Congress-led administration under then Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

In September 2012, four years after the acquisition, Skylight sold the same land to real estate developer DLF for ₹58 crore. The deal later drew public attention after senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who was then heading the Land Consolidation and Land Records department in Haryana, cancelled the land mutation, citing violations of the State Consolidation Act and procedural discrepancies.

Haryana Police registered an FIR to examine the deal in 2018, further intensifying the legal scrutiny.

ED questions Vadra under PMLA

On Tuesday, Mr Vadra was questioned for nearly five hours by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), during which his statement was recorded. The businessman has consistently maintained that the case is part of a political vendetta and emphasized that he has cooperated fully with all investigative agencies, submitting numerous documents over the years.

Calling for a closure to what he described as a decades-old matter, Mr Vadra said cases like these should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely.

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