PM asking people not to panic but is himself panicked for different reasons: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid concerns over reported LPG shortage, saying the PM is asking the people not to panic but is himself panicked for “completely different reasons”.
Gandhi alleged that the prime minister is panicked because of the Epstein files issue and the Adani Case in the US.
He made the remarks after several opposition MPs, including himself and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex over the shortage of commercial LPG cylinders to demand answers from the government over it.
Speaking with reporters after the protest, Gandhi said, "The PM is saying there is no need to panic, but the PM himself has panicked for completely different reasons... he is panicked because of Epstein, he is panicked because of the Adani case, he is not able to come inside the House."
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"You saw yesterday that the prime minister's chair was empty. So, he is telling the country not to panic but has panicked himself," Gandhi added.
Several opposition MPs from the Congress, DMK, TMC and SP, among others, staged a protest near Parliament's Makar Dwar, raising slogans such as 'Naam Narender, Kaam Surrender' and 'Modi ji, LPG'.
The women opposition MPs, including Priyanka Gandhi, sat down with a mock brick cooking stove and raised slogans against the government.
In a post on X in Hindi, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, "When the country is grappling with a severe crisis, Prime Minister Modi ji is engrossed in election tours.
"There is a severe shortage of LPG across the country, and people are standing in queues. Countless small and large industries are being forced to bear the consequences of the BJP's failure. But the government has no answers. Only false claims," he said.
The failure of diplomacy is a serious issue, and the result of the mismanagement of energy is being borne today by the 1.4 billion people of the country, he claimed.
"Narendra Modi ji, bahut hui 'Mann ki Baat, zara sansad mein aa kar kariye 'mudde ki baat' (Enough of 'Mann Ki Baat', come to Parliament and talk on real issues)," the Congress chief said.
With the House being adjourned shortly after meeting at 11 am amid sloganeering by the opposition demanding a discussion on the West Asia situation, Gandhi sat with suspended opposition MPs on the steps of the Makar Dwar and had tea with them.
The opposition has been demanding a full-fledged discussion on the West Asia situation and its impact on India.
Prime Minister Modi on Wednesday appealed to people not to panic and assured them that public interest will be protected. He expressed confidence in tackling the LPG crisis, where the short supply of commercial LPG has crippled the country's hotel sector.
From induction cooktops and microwaves to firewood and solar options, restaurants, street food vendors, and catering businesses across the country are scrambling for alternatives as a shortage of commercial LPG cylinders begins to disrupt kitchens amid the widening conflict in West Asia.
With the government prioritising domestic cooking gas supply to households as the war disrupts global fuel lifelines, businesses dependent on commercial LPG -- from small eateries to high-end restaurants -- are watching the situation anxiously, with some even staring at possible closure in the days to come.
In the national capital Delhi, irregular LPG supply has gripped kitchens across the city, and many restaurants are left with stock for a day or two, fearing temporary closure and concerns over staff wages. Industry representatives say many eateries in the capital are trying to manage the situation through adjustments.
Amid the growing concerns, the government and oil companies have sought to reassure the people that domestic LPG cylinders remain secure.
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EC hands over probe into gherao of seven judicial officers in Bengal's Malda to NIA
Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission of India on Thursday handed over the probe into the gherao of the seven judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district to the NIA, following a Supreme Court directive.
Observing that West Bengal was the "most polarised state", the Supreme Court delivered a stinging indictment of the state administration after seven judicial officers engaged in SIR exercise were held hostage by protesters in Malda district and directed a CBI or NIA probe into the incident.
In an April 2 letter to the National Investigating Agency, the poll body referred to the apex court's order and directed it to probe the Wednesday incident.
Talking to PTI, a top official of the poll body said the NIA team would reach West Bengal on Friday.
Slamming the state administration for its "complete failure" and inaction over the "deplorable" gherao and attack on the officers during the Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of the voters list, the court also asked the EC to "requisition adequate Central Forces and deploy them at all places where judicial officers are adjudicating the objections".
West Bengal will have a two-phase poll -- on April 23 and 29.
The Supreme Court further said the incident was a "brazen attempt not only to browbeat the judicial officers" but also amounted to a challenge to the authority of this Supreme Court.
The top court gave the order after it took suo motu cognisance of a letter from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court detailing a harrowing night where the judicial officers, including three women and a five-year-old child, were held captive by a mob for over nine hours without food or water.
The incident occurred during the SIR exercise in the Kaliachowk area of Malda district, and as per the order, seven judicial officers were gheraoed by "anti-social elements" at a BDO office starting at 3:30 PM on Wednesday.
The officers were rescued by security forces around midnight on Wednesday after they were gheraoed over the alleged deletion of names from the electoral rolls, officials said.
