Amidst the row between the Centre and the Congress over Rahul Gandhi’s London remarks where Gandhi claimed Democracy to be under attack in India, Union Petrol Minister Hardeep Singh Puri added another jibe at the Congress leader.

Puri in a press conference on Monday countered the Congress leader’s claims by raking up the curb of civil liberties in Indira Gandhi’s era. The Union Minister in his statement at the press conference also demanded an apology from Wayanad MP.

Union Minister in his statement said that a person has the freedom to speak when he goes out of the country, however, he further added and said that along with the freedom comes a great sense of responsibility. He further highlighted that India is the world’s oldest democracy, but the Congress leader says Indian democracy is facing an attack on the basic structure.

The Union Minister, in the press conference, also questioned if Rahul Gandhi remembers that Indira Gandhi invoked article 356 over 150 times to deny a legitimately elected government.

Read Also: Mamata Banerjee struck deal with PM Modi to defame Rahul Gandhi: Congress

The row over Rahul Gandhi’s remark on democracy in London continued in the Parliament on Monday as well. As per the reports, pandemonium unraveled in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as the Centre raised issues of Rahul Gandhi’s speech and demanded apology, whereas, the Opposition parties demanded JPC into the Adani stocks case. Following the bedlam, the houses were adjourned till 2 PM.

A similar predicament was followed previously on Friday where the Centre and the Opposition raised issues according to their concerns. The leaders and ministers of the rulling BJP has been time and time again demanding apology from Rahul Gandhi for his statements about Indian democracy being under attack.

Most recently the 8 Opposition parties also wrote to PM Modi alleging the Centre of using central agencies to crack down on Opposition parties. The letter by the Opposition parties did not include signatories from Congress.

Mamata Banerjee struck deal with PM Modi to defame Rahul Gandhi: Congress

Tamil Nadu Budget 2023-24: Free bus ride for women, Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to women, free breakfast scheme for primary students

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Monday presented the Budget for the financial year 2023-24 in the State Legislative Assembly in Chennai.

The CM Stalin-led government said reforms led to the decline in revenue deficit from about Rs 62,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore.

While tabling the budget, Rajan said fare-free travel for women in State-run buses, and a breakfast scheme for government school students are among the several schemes being implemented for the financial year 2023-24.

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Tamil Nadu Budget 2023-24 highlights

• Monthly financial assistance for severely affected differently-abled persons increased from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000.
• Rs 1,500 crore will be allotted for improving infrastructure in government schools such as constructing new buildings.
• Free breakfast scheme for primary students.
• State announces Rs 1,000 per month for eligible women homemakers. Rs 7,000 crore will be allotted this year for the scheme.
• Chola Museum will be set up in Thanjavur.
• Rs 5 crore will be allocated to translate BR Ambedkar’s works into Tamil.
• Rs 305 crore earmarked for bicycles for school students
• Rs 25 crore will be allocated for factory skill schools and Metro rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai.
• Chennai will turn into a hi-tech global sports city.
• Rs 18,661 crore will be allotted to the health and family welfare department.
• A New Multispecialty facility will be built in Stanley Medical College Hospital along with a nursing College and hostel.
• The solatium for defense personnel who sacrificed their lives during duty will be doubled from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh.
• Government colleges and polytechnics to get new classrooms and labs at the cost of Rs 200 crore.
• Civil service aspirants will get monthly stipend of Rs 7,000 for preparing mains exam
• Rs 3,993 crore will be allotted for the waiver of various loans including gold and education loans.
• Rs 10 crore to be allotted to the animal welfare board to strengthen the ABC programme and to control the stray dog population.
• Rs 2,000 crore announced for Neithal festival project for the restoration of the sea, and beaches.
• Rural roads covering more than 5,140 km would be laid at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore in FY24.
• Rs 14,000 crore to be allocated towards subsidy for TANGEDCO.
• Rs 5,346 crore to be allotted for the old age pension scheme.

Delhi liquor policy case: Telangana CM’s daughter K Kavitha appears before ED for second round of questioning

Farmers to hold massive rally today in Delhi’s Ramlila Ground, check roads to avoid

The Congress on Monday claimed that West Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee want to save herself from raids by probe agencies and has thus struck a deal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “defame” Rahul Gandhi and the grand-old party.

In a statement to news agency ANI, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that Mamata Banerjee was speaking on the directions of PM Modi as ‘didi’ and PM have made a deal “to defame the image of Rahul Gandhi and Congress.”

Chowdhury claimed that Banerjee wants to “save herself from ED-CBI raids” and is thus speaking against the Congress and Rahul Gandhi to make the Prime Minister happy.

The Congress leader was reacting to the West Bengal CM’s recent comments on Rahul Gandhi wherein she alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was portraying the Congress scion as a hero in their bid to divert attention from burning issues.

Read Also: Delhi liquor policy: Telangana CM’s daughter K Kavitha appears before ED for second round of questioning

Addressing her Trinamool Congress (TMC) party workers during an internal meeting in the West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Sunday, Banerjee accused the ruling BJP’s efforts to stall parliament proceedings in their demand for an apology from Rahul Gandhi, as an attempt to “make a hero” out of the Wayanad MP so that no one questions PM Modi.

Banerjee alleged that the BJP was trying to shift focus from current issues by stalling proceedings over Rahul Gandhi democracy remarks in the UK.

The second leg of the budget session—which began amid turmoil last week— has been marred by logjams as neither the ruling BJP, nor the Congress-led Opposition, are budging from their respective demands.

While the BJP are demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his comments on the Indian democracy during a recent speech in London, the Opposition has intensified its push for a demand asking for a Joint Parliamentary Probe (JPC) into the Adani-Hindenburg report.

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