On Friday, the Rouse Avenue Court, Delhi partly allowed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s application by granting him a no objection certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an ordinary passport valid for 3 years.

Rahul Gandhi surrendered his diplomatic passport after he was disqualified as an MP after the conviction order in the Modi surname criminal defamation case in a Surat Court in March this year.

Gandhi had sought a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the issuance of an ordinary passport before the Court.

The Congress leader is an accused in the National Herald Case of which BJP leader Subramanian Swamy is the complainant.

Swamy opposed Gandhi’s plea syaing that if the leader will be allowed to travel abroad, it may affect the ongoing investigation in the National Herald case.

Swamy said before the court that the passport shall be allowed for a year and be renewed every year.

The court observed that the National Herald matter is ongoing since 2018 and has been making foreign visit. It added that there is no concern of him fleeing away or absconding and it is fundamental right to travel.

Swamy also stated that Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship was under question as he held a British citizenship, to which, Gandhi’s counsel Tarannum Cheema opposed saying two petitions demanding criminal proceedings on the citizenship matter had earlier been dismissed by the higher courts.

The Congress leader is expected to fly to the US next week, On June 4 he would be addressing a public rally at Madison Square Garden, New York, it would be Gandhi’s first public rally in USA.

Gandhi is also expected to deliver a talk at the Stanford University.

The National Herald matter is case based on a private criminal complaint by Subramaniam Swamy against former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and others, alleging them for cheating, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

The Supreme Court today granted an interim bail to former Delhi Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Satyendar Jain on medical grounds.

Jain has been granted a bail for 6 weeks by the apex Court. The bail has been granted till July 11 and the next Supreme Court hearing on the matter would take place on July 10.

The bail has been granted on certain conditions, the Court ordered the bail after observing Jain’s health conditions that he needs to get treated in a private hospital of his choice.

Justice JK Maheshwari while ordering the bail said Jain shall not meet and influence any witness related to the case against him. The Court also said, Jain cannot travel out of Delhi during his bail period and directed he cannot temper with the evidence.

The bail comes just a day after Jain was admitted to an ICU in Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital, Delhi.

On Wednesday night, Jain collapsed inside the washroom in his Tihar Jail’s ward, he was immediately rushed to the Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital, then he was admitted to the LNJP hospital after he complained of breathing problems.

The AAP had shared a picture last night that showed Jain lying in a hospital bed with an oxygen mask in his face.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has denied the medical reports presented by Jain saying it cannot be trusted and demanded an examination by a special panel of doctors in AIIMS.

The AAP leader has been in Jail since his arrest in May 2022 by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money laundering case.

After an ED investigation, it said during 2015-16, when Jain was a Minister in the Delhi government, the companies that were beneficially owned and controlled by him had entries of Rs 4.81 crore immovable assets, received from shell paper companies against the cash transferred to Kolkata through hawala.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday, has appealed the opposition parties to re-think on their proposed decision to boycott the inauguration event of newly constructed Parliament building by PM Modi on Sunday.

Singh while speaking to media said no politics should be done on the new Parliament building inauguration as it is a symbol of the Democracy and an aspiration of the people of this country.  

Singh further urged the opposition parties to give a second thought on their decision of boycotting the inaugural event of the new Parliament building.

The newly built Parliament building is all set to be inaugurated by PM Modi on May 28, a decision that has stirred a political uproar between opposition and the BJP-led Centre.

On Wednesday, a total of 19 like-minded opposition parties expressed their wish to boycott the new Parliament building inauguration ceremony.

The list of opposition parties to avoid the event include Congress, Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party, Nationalist Congress Chief, Shiv Sena (UBT), Janata Dal (United), Trinamool Congress, DMK and many others.

The parties released a joint statement mentioning that the decision of the inauguration by PM Modi is an insult to the constitution and democracy and alleged that it is a move taken to sideline the President.

Several opposition parties who have distanced themselves from joining the group  and have announced their decision to attend the event are Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal, Andhra Pradesh’s YSRCP and TDP, former PM HD Devegowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) and Mayawati’s BSP.

Yesterday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also made an appeal to the opposition parties to change their stand and re-think about their decision to boycott the  inaugural event.

On May 18, Lok Sabha Secretariat informed about Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had sent an invitation to PM Modi to inaugurate the newly built Parliament.