Rahul Gandhi’s mic goes off as he raises NEET issue in Lok Sabha, alleges Congress
New Delhi: The Congress party has alleged that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was 'silenced' during a Lok Sabha session on Friday when his microphone was turned off as he began discussing the NEET issue.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 12 noon following a commotion from Opposition members who demanded a discussion on alleged NEET irregularities. The Congress accused Speaker Om Birla of preventing Rahul Gandhi from speaking on the matter, stating on social media that his microphone was cut off.
On its Instagram account, the Congress claimed that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yet to address the education-related concerns troubling the nation, Rahul Gandhi attempted to voice the concerns of the youth in the Lok Sabha. The party asserted that despite the seriousness of the NEET issue, Gandhi's microphone was switched off.
The Congress described the incident as an attempt to suppress the youth's voice. The Kerala unit of the party questioned the Speaker's actions on its 'X' account, and MP Deepender Singh Hooda expressed anger over the situation, demanding an immediate discussion on the issue.
Social media users supported the Congress's stance, urging the Speaker to allow the Opposition to raise youth-related concerns. One user even challenged Speaker Birla to cut off PM Modi’s microphone in a similar manner.
जहां एक ओर नरेंद्र मोदी NEET पर कुछ नहीं बोल रहे, उस वक्त विपक्ष के नेता राहुल गांधी जी युवाओं की आवाज़ सदन में उठा रहे है.
— Congress (@INCIndia) June 28, 2024
लेकिन...
ऐसे गंभीर मुद्दे पर माइक बंद करने जैसी ओछी हरकत करके युवाओं की आवाज़ को दबाने की साजिश की जा रही है. pic.twitter.com/NhJnZZVM66
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Trump says Islamic State group leader was killed in joint US-Nigerian mission
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump said US and Nigerian forces killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria in a mission carried out Friday.
Trump announced the joint operation in a late-night social media post that offered few details. He said Abu Bakr al-Mainuki was second in command of the Islamic State group globally and “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.”
The US viewed Al-Mainuki as the key figure in IS organising and finance, and believed he was plotting attacks against the United States and its interests, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to share sensitive information.
Born in Nigeria's Borno province in 1982, al-Mainuki took the helm of the IS branch in West Africa after the group's previous leader in the region, Mamman Nur, was killed in 2018, according to the Counter Extremism Project, which tracks militant groups.
Al-Mainuki was based in the Sahel area, the monitoring group said, adding that it is believed that he fought in Libya when IS was active in the North African nation more than a decade ago. He was sanctioned by the US in 2023.
Trump in December directed US forces to launch strikes against the Islamic State group in Nigeria, though he released little detail then about the impact.
Nigeria has been battling multiple armed groups, including at least two affiliated with IS.
The Friday night operation was the latest instance in a string of covert missions abroad that Trump has announced this year, starting with the stunning overnight raid in January to capture and remove Venezuela's then-leader Nicolás Maduro and whisk him to the US, followed nearly two months later by the launch of strikes that kicked off the war with Iran.
