'This is India, not North Korea': Rahul slams PM over action against Youth Congress members
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday strongly criticised the police action against his party's youth wing activists over the "shirtless protest", drawing a sharp parallel between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government and the authoritarian regime in North Korea.
"This is India, not North Korea," Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said in a post in Hindi on X and asserted that peaceful protest is the soul of democracy and not a crime.
He said the world's largest democracy is being slowly pushed in a direction where dissent is labelled as treason and asking questions is called a conspiracy.
When those in power start seeing themselves as the nation and dissent as the enemy -- that is when democracy dies, Gandhi said.
"In today's India, under the rule of a compromised PM, peaceful protest has been turned into the biggest crime. The world's largest democracy is being slowly pushed in a direction where dissent is labelled as treason and asking questions is called a conspiracy," the former Congress chief said.
"Think about it, no matter the issue, if you raise your voice against those in power through constitutional means, then batons, lawsuits, and jail are almost a certainty," he said.
Youth tormented by paper leaks raised their voices for their future and were met with blows from batons, he claimed.
"The country's proud women wrestlers demanded a fair investigation into serious allegations against a powerful BJP leader. Their cries were defamed, their movement crushed, and they were forcibly removed from the streets.
"A peaceful demonstration took place at India Gate in support of a rape victim. The demand for justice was deemed an inconvenience to the system and dispersed," Gandhi said.
When the Youth Congress peacefully protested against a US Trade deal harmful to the country, they were branded "anti-national" and arrested, he said.
When ordinary people stood up against poisonous air, even concerns for the environment were dismissed as "politics" and suppressed, Gandhi said, adding that when farmers protested for their rights, they too were labelled anti-national.
"Tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons, and batons -- these became the means of dialogue. When tribals stood up for their rights to water, forests, and land, suspicion was cast upon them too -- as if demanding one's rights is a crime. What kind of democracy is this, where a Compromised PM fears questions? Where crushing dissent is becoming the nature of governance?" he said.
Asking questions is not democracy's weakness, it is its strength, he said.
"Democracy grows stronger when the government listens to criticism, responds, and remains accountable. Modi ji, this is India, not North Korea. When those in power start seeing themselves as the nation and dissent as the enemy -- that is when democracy dies," Gandhi said.
His remarks came after a high-voltage standoff between the police teams of Delhi and Shimla came to an end following a dramatic 24 hours on Thursday morning, after the Delhi Police team was finally cleared to head back to the national capital along with the three Youth Congress activists arrested in connection with the "shirtless protest" at the AI Summit.
The "shirtless protest" at Bharat Mandapam on February 20 prompted a significant security response, with police earlier invoking charges including rioting and promoting enmity under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president, Uday Bhanu Chib, and former national spokesperson, Bhudev Sharma, were arrested in connection with the case on Tuesday. Both were subsequently produced before a Delhi court and remanded to police custody for interrogation.
According to the Delhi Police, a total of 11 people have been arrested so far.
On Saturday midnight, Delhi Police raided Himachal Sadan in the national capital amid reports that IYC workers who had participated in the protest were provided accommodation there.
आज भारत में Compromised PM के राज में शांतिपूर्ण विरोध करना ही सबसे बड़ा “अपराध” बना दिया गया है।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 26, 2026
दुनिया के सबसे बड़े लोकतंत्र को धीरे-धीरे ऐसी दिशा में धकेला जा रहा है, जहां असहमति को देशद्रोह और सवाल पूछने को साज़िश बताया जाता है।
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Karnataka Minister directs officials to expedite integration of 28 services in various depts
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil on Thursday directed officials to expedite the integration of the remaining 28 services in various departments under the SWS.
The direction was issued at a review meeting on EoDB and Single Window Committees held at Vidhana Soudha, attended by senior officials from various departments.
In a statement, Patil said, "We face intense competition from neighbouring states. We have studied their policies and regulations and are determined to establish a system that is even more efficient and industry-friendly," he said.
Under the Single Window System, 115 services across 20 departments have already been integrated, the minister said, adding the remaining 28 services have been prioritised for time-bound implementation.
Patil said Revenue, Forest, Home, Environment, Primary Education, Fire Services and Energy departments are among the services.
According to the minister, the goal is to ensure that investors do not lose valuable time and are encouraged to invest in Karnataka.
He sought cooperation of all the government departments to make it happen.
Referring to emerging challenges, he said Karnataka has long been a frontrunner in the IT sector but the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has introduced new uncertainties.
He stressed that all departments, including KIADB, must ensure swift approvals for industrial projects.
Patil underlined that entrepreneurs should not be subjected to "unnecessary delays," he said, adding that clearances for electricity connections, Fire Department NOCs and Pollution Control Board approvals must be issued promptly.
Detailing the reforms, the minister said the time limit for Fire Department NOCs has been reduced from 60 days to 21 days, while electricity connection approvals have been cut from 25 days to 10 days. Permission for lift and escalator operations has been brought down from 40 days to 20 days, and new water connection approvals from 42 days to 30 days, he said.
The Labour Department will now issue industrial licences and boiler registrations within 14 days instead of 30 days, he said, noting that necessary notifications have already been issued.
"These amendments will soon be placed before the Cabinet and formalised through legislation on a fast-track basis," Patil said.
He further stated that timelines at the State Pollution Control Board have been significantly reduced.
Change-of-land-use permission within Bengaluru city limits, which earlier took up to 120 days, will now be granted within 45 days.
With 32 data centres currently operating in the state, Patil underscored the importance of uninterrupted power supply and called for the development of dedicated data centre clusters with exclusive power lines.
A ministerial-level meeting will soon be convened to identify suitable locations and ensure essential infrastructure, including power connectivity, he said.
