PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi shake hands as they welcome new Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, set to be the Leader of the Opposition, shook hands today in parliament as they together welcomed the newly re-elected Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla. This marks a fresh chapter in the 18th Lok Sabha.
Rahul Gandhi is the third member of the Gandhi family to take the post of Leader of the Opposition, following his father, Rajiv Gandhi, who held the position from 1989 to 1990 and his mother, Sonia Gandhi, who served from 1999 to 2004.
Pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab declared the election results after the Opposition, which had put forward Congress MP K Suresh as its candidate, chose not to push for a vote on the motion.
Following the announcement, Prime Minister Modi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju approached Birla's seat in the front row of the treasury benches to escort him to the Speaker's chair, with Rahul Gandhi accompanying them.
"It is a matter of honour that you have been elected to this chair for the second time. I congratulate you on behalf of the entire House and look forward to your guidance for the next five years. Your sweet smile keeps the entire House happy," ," PM Modi said, congratulating Birla.
"I would like to congratulate you on behalf of the entire opposition and the INDIA alliance. You are the final arbiter of people's voice. The government may have political power, but the Opposition also represents the voice of the people. The Opposition would like to assist you in your work, and I am confident you will allow us to speak in the House," Rahul gandhi said.
The history of the Leader of the Opposition in India dates back to 1969 when Ram Suhag Singh first held the post. Since then, this role has evolved to become a cornerstone of parliamentary democracy. The Leader of the Opposition plays a key part in the appointment of key officials such as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC), and members of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Lokayukta.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
