PM Modi must be present when 'Pahalgam-Op Sindoor-Trump' discussed in Parliament: Congress
New Delhi (PTI): With the Monsoon session of Parliament starting on Monday, the Congress said Prime Minister Narendra Modi owes it to the country to be present when the issue of 'Pahalgam-Operation Sindoor-President Trump' is finally taken up for discussion.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also took a swipe at Modi over his foreign visit this week, saying "48 hours later, the Super Premium Frequent Flyer" will start yet another foreign visit and the "people of Manipur will have more cause for disappointment".
Prime Minister Modi will pay a four-day visit to the United Kingdom and the Maldives from Wednesday to shore up overall bilateral ties and formalise the landmark India-UK free trade deal.
In a post on X before the start of the session, Ramesh said, "Very shortly the nattily dressed Prime Minister will give his usual Desh ke Naam Sandesh through the media outside the Parliament Building before the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. This will be full of his usual platitudes and hypocrisy."
"Prime Minister Modi is very, very, very rarely present in Parliament. He speaks once a year on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. But this time he owes it to the country to be present when the issue of Pahalgam-Operation Sindoor-President Trump is finally taken up for discussion," Ramesh said.
The Government on Sunday had indicated its willingness to discuss in Parliament Operation Sindoor, a key opposition demand at an all-party meeting on eve of the Monsoon session, even as the INDIA bloc insisted that Prime Minister Modi should respond on the matter as well as on the US President's 'ceasefire' claims and SIR in Bihar.
The Congress on Sunday had demanded that Prime Minister Modi himself should respond to debates in Parliament's Monsoon session on various issues, including Pahalgam attack, US President Donald Trump's ceasefire claims and Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
During the Monsoon session of Parliament, the Opposition is set to corner the government on several issues.
Leaders of the INDIA bloc also held a meeting to chalk out their joint strategy and present a united face in attacking the government on intelligence failures that resulted in the Pahalgam attack, Trump's ceasefire claims, besides on SIR in Bihar.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
