TMC won't attend swearing-in ceremony: Sudip Bandyopadhyay
Kolkata (PTI): The Trinamool Congress (TMC) will not attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony, said Sudip Bandyopadhyay, the party's leader in the Lok Sabha.
"BJP leader Prahlad Joshi had called and invited us to attend the swearing-in ceremony, but our party has decided not to participate," Bandyopadhyay said.
On Saturday, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had announced that the party would not attend the swearing-in ceremony of the new government. "Neither have we received an invitation nor are we attending it," she had said.
Narendra Modi is set to take oath as Prime Minister at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7.15 pm on Sunday. Before the ceremony, those set to be part of the council of ministers are scheduled to attend a tea party at the Prime Minister's residence.
Santanu Thakur, one of the 12 BJP MPs from Bengal, is likely to get a ministerial berth, sources said. Thakur, the former minister of state for ports, shipping, and waterways, neither confirmed nor denied receiving an invitation to the tea event.
During a closed-door meeting with MPs, Banerjee expressed her belief that the NDA government would not complete its full term.
"Mamata Didi told us that she is confident that with BJP not getting the majority mark, the NDA government won't last long," a senior TMC leader present at the meeting said.
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.
Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of news over dog bite leading to rabies
New Delhi(PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of a media report of dog bite incident leading to rabies, saying it contained some "alarming and disturbing figures".
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan termed the news item published today in Delhi edition of English daily Times of India as "very disturbing and alarming".
The news report was about the death of a six-year-old girl, who was attacked by a rabid stray dog, in the national capital.
Taking cognisance of the news report, the bench said, "The news item contains some alarming and disturbing figures and facts."
It said every day, hundreds of dog bites were being reported in the city and on its outskirts, leading to rabies and ultimately, children and aged were falling prey to the dreadful disease.
"We take suo motu cognisance of this news item," the bench ordered.
It asked the apex court registry to register it as a suo motu petition in public interest.
"Let this order be placed along with the news report before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders," the bench said.
On July 15, while hearing a separate plea alleging harassment over feeding of community dogs in Noida, the apex court had asked the petitioner, "Why don't you feed them in your own house?"
The top court told the petitioner's counsel, "We should leave every lane, every road open for these large hearted people? There is all space for these animals, no space for humans. Why don't you feed them in your own house? Nobody is stopping you."
The observations came in a plea arising out of a March 2025 order of the Allahabad High Court.
The petitioner claimed harassment and said she was unable to feed community dogs in line with the Animal Birth Control Rules.
_vb_57.jpeg)