Intercept order proves Modi is 'insecure dictator': Rahul Gandhi

Vartha Bharati | 21-12-2018 | 20:03:00 IST

New Delhi, Dec 21: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre's move to authorise 10 agencies to intercept information on any computer system, saying converting India into a police state won't solve his problems but only proves he is an "insecure dictator".

"Converting India into a police state isn't going to solve your problems, Modi Ji. It's only going to prove to over 1 billion Indians, what an insecure dictator you really are," Gandhi said on Twitter.

The government has said it has authorised 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt all the data contained in "any" computer system and asserted that this was being done to prevent "any unauthorised use of these powers".

The new order, issued late Thursday night, "does not confer any new powers" to any security or law enforcement agency, the Union Home ministry said in a statement.

Opposition parties led by the Congress joined hands on Friday to oppose the government's move, describing it as unconstitutional, undemocratic and an assault on fundamental rights.

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Odisha: BJD suspends 6 MLAs for cross-voting in RS polls

21-03-2026 ¦ 21-03-2026 IST

Courtesy: PTI

Bhubaneswar (PTI): The Biju Janata Dal on Saturday suspended six of its MLAs for cross-voting during the recent election to four Rajya Sabha seats from Odisha.

The suspended legislators were Chakramani Kanhar of Baliguda seat, Naba Kishor Mallick of Jayadev constituency, Souvic Biswal of Choudwar-Cuttack, Subasini Jena of Basta, Ramakanta Bhoi of Tirtol and Devi Ranjan Tripathy of Banki, an order by party chief Naveen Patnaik showed.

The suspension decision was taken at the opposition party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting presided over by Patnaik.

The six MLAs were issued a show-cause notice on March 17.

They submitted their replies on Friday evening, and those were found not satisfactory, said the BJD's chief whip in the Assembly, Pramila Mallik.

The ruling BJP won two of the four Rajya Sabha seats while the opposition BJD and a saffron party-backed Independent candidate bagged one seat each in the biennial polls held last Monday.

While the total number of BJP legislators and Independent MLAs supporting the ruling party was 82 in the 147-member House, the saffron party candidates secured 93 first preference votes, which was 11 more than its strength in the Assembly.

Of these 11 votes, eight were of BJD MLAs and three of Congress legislators, an official had said.