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NEW DELHI, OCT 19: Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday launched the upgraded Agri Welfare Portal to provide farmers across the country with direct, easy access to government schemes, financial assistance and reliable agricultural information on their mobile phones. Addressing the launch programme, Chouhan said that with the upgraded portal, farmers will no longer need to visit multiple government offices or navigate different websites to obtain information about schemes or submit applications. The platform will also bring together Farmer Producer Organisations, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies, agricultural scientists, researchers and startups, creating a common digital platform for the wider agricultural ecosystem. The platform will serve as a single-window gateway to major government initiatives, including PM-KISAN, AgriStack and the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, making it easier for farmers to access relevant services and information through a common interface. The minister said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clear vision is to ensure that the government remains accessible to citizens and farmers at all times through their mobile phones. Technology could fulfil its true purpose only when it reached farms and rural communities and made farmers’ lives easier.” Emphasising the importance of reliable information, Chouhan directed officials to ensure that the portal remained accurate and regularly updated. He said outdated or incomplete information could undermine public trust in the system, making continuous updates essential to its success. He also stressed that the language and processes must be simple enough for small and marginal farmers, including those with limited formal education, to understand and use the platform with ease. To help farmers make effective use of the portal and other digital tools, a special training campaign will be conducted through Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the country. Information on the Ministry’s schemes, subsidies, rules and digital services will be available on a single portal, reducing the time and effort farmers spend navigating multiple platforms, according to an official statement. Built with rural users in mind, the portal is lightweight and user-friendly, enabling smooth operation on basic smartphones and in areas with weak internet connectivity. Farmers will be able to access authentic information on weather conditions, scientific farming practices, the availability of seeds and fertilisers, and prevailing market prices for agricultural produce, the statement added. (Source: IANS)  

NEW DELHI, OCT 19: Questioning the Congress’ demand for an all-party meeting, the government on Monday asserted that it has made consistent efforts for dialogue with the opposition for the passage of the delimitation-linked women reservation bill and what is now required is constructive cooperation from all parties. In a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju underlined that the government values the participation of all political parties in deliberations and discussions on all matters of national importance and expressed the hope that the Congress will play a constructive role and not obstruct important future legislations. Rijiju wrote in response to Kharge’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an all-party meeting before the Constitution amendment bill is taken up for consideration in Parliament. “I am writing to you to clarify certain points and place on record the facts regarding the efforts made by the government to engage with the Opposition on this subject. “First, with regard to your observation that the Parliament has not been prorogued even though 64 days have elapsed since the House was adjourned sine die on 13 August 2026, I would like to clarify that there is no constitutional requirement prescribing a specific period within which a House must be prorogued following its adjournment sine die,” he said. The parliamentary affairs minister said the mere fact that a House has not been prorogued during such an interval does not, by itself, give rise to any constitutional or procedural impropriety or irregularity. He said there have been innumerable instances in the past in which Houses remained unprorogued for long periods, extending up to 87 days. In 2008, the Lok Sabha sat for two days, on July 2lst and 22nd, for the confidence motion; the House was then kept unprorogued, reconvened on October 17, 2008, and was adjourned on October 24 to meet again on December 10. Rijiju said there are several other such instances: 1987 (76 days), 1989 (54 days), 2006 (49 days), 2013 (49 days) and 1963 (41 days). “Second, the government has consistently sought the opposition’s support and cooperation for the consideration and passage of the Delimitation Amendment Bill. The government has reached out to the Congress party, being the principal opposition party, on several occasions,” he said. The minister said he wrote to Kharge on March 16, March 26 and April 12 this year and had also discussed the matter with him personally and sought his support and cooperation. Rijiju said that during the Monsoon Session, he also met Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, personally for a discussion and sought his cooperation on this subject. “However, after repeated requests, the Congress party didn’t give dates for a discussion, after which the government’s outreach had extended to other political parties. “Consultations were held with representatives of parties including the DMK, SP, YSRCP, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), AIMIM and BJD with a view to facilitating dialogue and building a broader consensus in support of the proposed legislation,” he said. In these circumstances, the minister said, it is not clear why the demand for consultation is being made repeatedly, when the government has already made sustained efforts for dialogue. What is now required is constructive cooperation from the opposition parties, rather than a repetition of the same demand without due regard to the consultations already undertaken, the minister said. “These efforts reflect the government’s firm willingness to undertake consultation and constructive parliamentary engagement. I reiterate that the government remains committed to the basic principles of parliamentary democracy and to facilitating meaningful dialogue through the effective functioning of Parliament,” he said in the letter. PTI  

NEW DELHI, OCT 19:’ Upping the ante over the Ram temple donation theft case, the Congress on Monday questioned the “silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and asserted that it is the responsibility of the country’s citizens to punish the “chanda chors blinded by the arrogance of power”. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh demanded that full accounting of offerings at the temple be made public, roles of all responsible persons investigated, and no official be spared accountability. In a post in Hindi on X, Ramesh said, “‘Chanda chori, Aastha dhokha. Ram ke naam se satta paayi, chanda chori par chuppi chaayi’. The BJP, which rose to power by invoking the name of Lord Ram, will meet its downfall due to the sin of this theft.” The special investigation team (SIT) was constituted in a manner that suited the very individuals accused, he alleged. “The massive theft at the Lord Ram Temple in Ayodhya came to light on June 4, 2026. Nine days later, on June 13, 2026, the UP government—acting upon a request from the Trust—formed an SIT. On August 17, the Home Department submitted the final report to the same Trust; as expected, it granted a clean chit to Champat Rai and Anil Mishra,” Ramesh said. “The theft was captured on camera 105 times. Footage recorded between April 27 and June 5, 2026, shows staff members—tasked with counting the funds—hiding bundles of currency notes,” he said. Those responsible for the treasury issued the clean chit, and since the treasurer held responsibility for the funds, the most significant questions naturally fall upon him, he said. “Saints in Ayodhya have pointed out that the treasurer, Govind Giri, ought to have been aware of the inflow and outflow of funds. Nevertheless, on July 7, he claimed that Champat Rai had no role in this scandal,” he said. Ramesh claimed that the extent of the theft remains hidden and to this day, the nation has not been informed about the total amount of money or the value of the precious items stolen. “A preliminary report dated June 23 clearly indicated that oversight protocols were not being followed and that the control room was frequently left unattended. Why has there been no investigation into who else was involved or held responsible? How could the investigation be closed without ever disclosing the actual figures regarding the theft?” he said. Low-level staff in jail, while those in high positions remain free, he said. “An FIR was registered on June 25, and eight individuals involved in the counting process were arrested the following day; however, no former office-bearer of the Trust is named in the FIR. Why have there been no rigorous interrogations by the ED or CBI?” he said. In Ayodhya, Lord Ram had signalled his displeasure by causing the BJP’s defeat — a warning the party failed to grasp, allowing the theft of temple offerings to continue — the Congress leader said, referring to the BJP candidate’s defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the constituency. “One cannot expect the BJP government to investigate those linked to the Sangh Parivar who are involved in the theft of these offerings. Therefore, the Congress demands that the entire matter of the theft of offerings at the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya be investigated in an independent, impartial, and transparent manner, under the supervision of the Supreme Court,” he said. A full account of all offerings must be made public, the roles of all those responsible must be examined, and no official should be shielded from accountability, Ramesh demanded. “More than four and a half months have passed since the theft of donations at the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya came to light, yet Chief Minister Ajay Singh Bisht and Prime Minister Narendra Modi remain silent,” he said. “It now rests with the citizens of this country to hold these individuals—who have stolen donations while blinded by the arrogance of power—accountable and ensure they are punished,” Ramesh said. Earlier this month, the Congress alleged that the likes of former general secretary of the Ram Temple trust Champat Rai were being shielded in the Ram temple donation theft probe and hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “silence” on the issue, saying “arrogance of power is suicidal”. The opposition party had also asked why there was a 21-day delay in filing an FIR after a video regarding the stolen amount reached Rai on June 4. Ramesh had asked whether the objective of the investigation was merely to catch petty thieves, or was it also to fix accountability for those under whose watch and patronage these events transpired. The Congress has raised an array of questions about the investigation into the theft of donations at the Ram temple by the SIT and said only an impartial and transparent probe under the Supreme Court’s supervision can reveal the truth. The opposition party has also questioned Prime Minister Modi’s silence on the issue, saying it implies that the thieves “enjoy his protection”. The Congress’s persistent attack on the BJP comes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly polls early next year. (Source: PTI)    

MARGAO, OCT 18: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans “vote theft” from behind the scenes, which is operationalised by Home Minister Amit Shah and implemented by CEC Gyanesh Kumar. Claiming that Modi, Shah, and the Chief Election Commissioner are having “sleepless nights”, he said they will face justice and pay the price for ‘vote chori’. Addressing a rally in Margao in south Goa, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha accused the Centre of creating a “system” akin to a quid pro quo, which he claimed involves awarding contracts to select billionaires who do the government’s bidding. Gandhi had led strident protests against the SIR and Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi. Before addressing the rally, Gandhi participated in the Congress’s ‘Goy Rakhon Yatra’ on its concluding day and walked two kilometres with workers and leaders. “There is no confusion anymore. Gyanesh Kumar implements the vote theft, Amit Shah operationalises it, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi does the entire planning from behind the scenes,” he told the gathering. He said the Congress is a protector of the Constitution, adding that Modi, Shah and Gyanesh Kumar know they can’t escape from us. “PM Modi, Amit Shah and CEC Gyanesh Kumar will face justice and pay the price for what they have done,” he added. Appealing to voters to give the Congress a full majority in the 2027 Goa assembly elections, Gandhi urged party workers and citizens to continue reaching out to people across the state. “You think about Goa. In Delhi, in a short while, we will deal with Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. You don’t need to worry about that. The work is underway; their expiry date is approaching. “I guarantee you that we are going to deal with Modi, Amit Shah and Gyanesh- all of them. They cannot escape,” Gandhi added. He claimed there were more than 45 defamation cases against him, including those filed by people associated with Modi and Shah; however, no case had been filed against him for alleging that the prime minister was involved in vote theft. “They are afraid that if a case is filed over the allegation of vote theft, then it will become a full-fledged legal matter and they will get entangled in it,” he said. The Congress leader claimed that his party had proved with evidence that vote theft had taken place in Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Assam. “Votes of opposition were removed, votes were added in favour of the ruling party, and voters were shifted between districts and brought in from other states,” he alleged. Gandhi urged Congress workers to remain vigilant during elections, saying they were “the guardians of the Constitution” and had a responsibility to expose alleged electoral malpractice. “In Delhi, we have put them under pressure. Gyanesh Kumar cannot sleep at night; Narendra Modi cannot sleep, Amit Shah cannot sleep, because they know that sooner or later, the Congress party will ensure that justice is done,” he said. Accusing the BJP-led Union government of favouring industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani, Gandhi alleged that infrastructure projects and other economic opportunities were being handed over to billionaires in exchange for publicity and political support. “This is their system. This is how their system works: give billionaires money, give them contracts, give them land. In return, the billionaires do their marketing,” he alleged. Referring to Goa, Gandhi alleged that the state government was snatching land belonging to farmers and poor people and selling it to “outsiders”. He said the cancellation of the (regional) master plan had enabled the government to hand over land to its associates and accused it of exploiting Goa’s natural and cultural wealth for financial gain. “Goa is a paradise, one of the most beautiful places in the country, with a great culture,” he said, alleging that the state’s land was being taken away and handed over to billionaires. He alleged that the BJP-ruled Goa had the highest unemployment in the country and that young people were leaving the coastal state to seek opportunities abroad. “They have destroyed the entire system and dismantled the employment structure,” the Congress MP said. Gandhi also accused the Goa government of widespread corruption, describing it as a model that leaders from other states could study. “Earlier, there was the Gujarat model of Narendra Modi. Here, there is a special Goa model of corruption,” he said, adding that the model had to be dismantled. On education, Gandhi criticised the alleged use of force against students protesting in Delhi and accused the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh of influencing appointments in universities. “India used to have a world-class education system earlier, but now pellet guns are being used against student protesters,” he alleged. He said students were raising concerns over alleged vote theft, unemployment, the cost of education and inflation. “This country does not belong to any one organisation. This country does not belong to the RSS. This country does not belong to the BJP. This country belongs to the people of India,” the Opposition leader added. Gandhi said Goa belonged to its people and not to the chief minister or ministers, adding that residents should have access to education, healthcare, employment and a protected environment. During his speech, he took potshots at the Prime Minister. “Have you observed? Have you noticed? Where is the 56-inch chest of Modiji these days? He cannot stand in front…” Gandhi said. He said the Congress would continue its fight against the BJP’s ideology and urged party workers to maintain their efforts after the conclusion of the yatra. The 27-day-long ‘Goy Rakhon Yatra’ (campaign to protect Goa) covered all 40 assembly constituencies in the coastal state with the aim of strengthening the Congress’ grassroots presence ahead of the assembly polls. The party said the Yatra was a movement to safeguard the state’s land, environment, cultural heritage and identity.  (Source: PTI)      

NEW DELHI, OCT 17: Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and Convener Abhijeet Dipke was on Saturday granted conditional bail by a Delhi court after being arrested in connection with the party’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ rally at the Central Park in national capital’s Connaught Place. According to the Delhi Police, Dipke was granted bail by the Special Executive Magistrate court after he signed a ‘peace bond’. A similar bond was signed by the CJP founder and leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, while they were being released following their detention ahead of the October 10 protest. CJP’s Legal Affairs Head Ratna Singh confirmed that Dipke was released following the bail. In a post on social media platform X, she said: “Abhijeet Dipke released.” Earlier in the day, Singh complained of delay in court procedures. “The hearing was supposed to happen at 12 p.m. It’s 3:38 p.m. and no sign of it. If this isn’t deliberate then what is? Release Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Abhijeet Dipke along with other detainees. You can’t take away people’s liberty by delaying the entire process,” she had said in a previous post on the social media platform. On Friday, Dipke was detained while on his way to join the protest rally in Connaught Place and was later arrested. All India Students’ Association (AISA) President Neha Bora was also detained near Mandi House as police tightened security across the heart of Delhi. She was released briefly after her detention. The CJP had called for a ‘Tiranga Assembly’ at Connaught Place’s Central Park at 5 p.m. on Friday, permission for which was denied by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). Ahead of Friday’s proposed rally, the Delhi Police had served Dipke two notices informing him that Connaught Place was not a notified protest site and that the NDMC had not granted permission for the proposed Tiranga Yatra. According to officials, one of the notices was issued on behalf of the New Delhi district authorities under the Delhi Police Act, instructing individuals not to visit Central Park, as Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was in force. A second notice was issued to Dipke by the South West Delhi authorities, reminding him that he, along with CJP Co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were previously ‘bound down’ (placed under a legal undertaking) following their preventive detention at the airport and subsequent production before a court. This relates to the court’s directive requiring them to refrain from causing any public disturbance for a period of one year. (Source: IANS)

NEW DELHI, OCT 17: The Supreme Court has declared the right to access and use the internet as a fundamental right of children and directed the Centre to create a national database for detection of sexually explicit visual content depicting minors on digital platforms and their removal. The top court passed the order on a plea of NGO Just Rights for Children Alliance, in which it had taken note of an alarming increase in child sexual exploitation and abuse material (CSEAM) that was being circulated on social media platforms. A bench of justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran, while referring to earlier decisions of the court, said that the internet is, without a doubt, the marketplace of ideas, creative expression and information, and its value is priceless, not merely in the information it holds, but in the access it affords to adults and children alike. “In view of the foregoing, we have no hesitation in saying that the right to access and use the internet is a fundamental right of every individual under Article 21 read with Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. Our children, irrespective of their age, enjoy the same rights, and to deny the same altogether would be as absurd as saying children below a certain age do not have a conscience worth protecting or a freedom of speech worth expressing,” it said in its 137-page order passed on October 15. Senior advocate HS Phoolka represented the NGO, which works in the field of child sexual exploitation, child trafficking and child marriage. The court said that its observation does not mean that there should be no age-based restrictions. “We acknowledge that some form of safeguards are necessary for the safety of our children online and the moderation of the content accessible at their fingertips,” it said, adding that there could be a system that places greater emphasis on parental consent, guidance and oversight on the access to social media platforms by children along with a dedicated “child mode” for such accounts with measures proportionate to the object of ensuring their safety. It clarified that nothing stated hereinabove would preclude the Union of India from restricting the access of children to specific categories of content or services that are inherently harmful to them, such as adult content websites, etc. The court further said that the safety of our children and their freedom are not at odds with each other, and they were entitled to both. “For many children, particularly in remote areas, it is often the only source of learning and information. Likewise for children with special needs, the internet is often the only place where they are able to find company in others like them,” it said. The top court said the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution has never been understood as being confined to the right to speak alone and has always been construed to include the right to know and to receive and impart information and ideas. “The means by which measures relating to age-based restrictions are achieved are themselves an overreach. Such processes, inevitably, always require identifying and ascertaining the age of each and every user, continuous collection and monitoring of sensitive data and an overall disproportionate risk of misuse and surveillance, the kind which finds no place within the right to privacy of our people,” it said. The bench said the experience of other jurisdictions which have deployed such restrictions is equally instructive in discerning that the efficacy of these measures remains far from established. It said restrictions reveal that children do not cease to use the internet merely because the law prohibits them from doing so, and they continue to use the same, albeit without the knowledge of their parents or the authorities, and move to other platforms and websites that are unregulated and even more unsafe. “Such restrictions also make children who are being enticed or threatened on the internet reluctant to report the same to parents, guardians and trusted adults out of fear of reprisal for using the internet. This would significantly undermine the safety of our children, who are already apprehensive about confiding such incidents, even without such restrictions, and defeat the avowed object of the POCSO Act,” it said. The top court said keeping children away from social media platforms would, by no stretch of imagination, reduce incidents such as those revealed in the news report placed before the court. “Without proper safeguards and earnest efforts by all stakeholders in the detection and removal of CSEAM, such material will continue to circulate and embolden those who seek out the same,” it underscored. Ruling out a complete ban on the internet for children, the bench said, “All that we are trying to say is that any blanket restriction on the access to the internet by children is nothing more than unproven measures of proven disproportionality. No jurisdiction has, so far, been able to demonstrate that children are any safer on account of such measures.” The bench said its efficacy is at best contested, and without question, not a substitute for the initiative and efforts required from all the stakeholders, be they the intermediaries, the law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology or the courts. The top court issued a slew of directions to curb the “alarming rise” in sexual abuse content on social media platforms and intermediaries. (Source: PTI)      

NEW DELHI, OCT 17: Leaders of the INDIA Bloc on Saturday condemned the detention of people protesting against the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the police action undermined the fundamental principles of democracy and restricted citizens’ right to express dissent. The Opposition leaders criticised the detentions of protesters and activists in the national Capital, arguing that peaceful demonstrations were an essential part of a democratic system and that the authorities should not use restrictions to silence those questioning the government or constitutional institutions. The criticism came after Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke was detained from Connaught Place ahead of his proposed ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march in Delhi on Friday. He was subsequently placed under preventive arrest. All India Students’ Association (AISA) President Neha Bora was also detained on Friday and later released with certain conditions. Reacting to the developments, Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha member Awadhesh Prasad told IANS that opposing injustice had always been a central principle of socialist politics. “It has always been the nature of us socialists to stand against injustice. Wherever injustice occurs, the Samajwadi Party has consistently raised its voice against it. If this is being described as an undeclared Emergency, then it certainly appears to be so. If restrictions are imposed on protests and demonstrations, it affects the Fundamental Right to freedom of speech and expression. This situation is similar to an Emergency,” Prasad said. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member V. Sivadasan also criticised the police action, alleging that protesters had been detained for prolonged periods without being adequately informed about the reasons for their detention. “Students, youth, and workers were detained by this police. Including the police officers, they don’t know what the reason is. Only because of directions from the Home Ministry were these endless students and protesting people detained for long hours, including girl students. The girl students, women members of different political parties, were detained for long hours in the police station. It is basically against human rights,” Sivadasan told IANS. He further referred to the detentions of Abhijeet Dipke and Neha Bora, claiming that hundreds of students had also been arrested or detained during the demonstrations. “They were manhandled. These things are not suitable for a democratic nation. Our fight will continue,” Sivadasan said. Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput also launched a sharp attack on the BJP over the detention of people participating in the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march. “Those who oppose the Tricolour can only be the sons of the British. Those who have arrested the people who carried out the Tiranga March can only be the followers of the British. Just like the British used to do it with the freedom fighters, the anti-national and anti-people BJP has done the same,” Rajput told IANS. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Priyanka Chaturvedi, also questioned the detention of people participating in a march involving the National Flag, maintaining that the right to protest and express disagreement with the government was fundamental to democracy. “Detaining someone for hoisting the Tricolour is not right. Protesting is a democratic right, as Sushma Swaraj ji and Arun Jaitley ji used to say. This is not just the Opposition’s right, but everyone has the right to express their dissent towards the government,” Chaturvedi told IANS. “However, the way detentions are taking place and the designated protest site has been de-notified, shows that the foundation of democracy is weakening,” she added. The INDIA Bloc leaders’ remarks came amid continuing protests against the ECI over allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. (Source: IANS)  

NEW DELHI, OCT 16: Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing to launch a nationwide campaign from next week to counter what it describes as misleading claims by the Congress regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the Election Commission of India. As part of the proposed campaign, the BJP will present facts before the public to address the questions and allegations raised by the opposition over SIR and the functioning of the Election Commission. Party MPs, MLAs and other senior leaders are likely to be assigned responsibilities to take the campaign to people in their respective constituencies. According to the top BJP sources, the party is preparing a detailed 24-page dossier containing responses to the questions and allegations raised by the opposition. The document is expected to serve as reference material for party leaders and workers during public outreach activities. The campaign will also be conducted through social media and other communication platforms to reach a wider audience and present the party’s position on the issue. In addition to addressing the opposition’s current allegations, the BJP plans to highlight instances in which it alleges that the Congress, during its tenure in power, misused the Election Commission and other institutions. The party intends to use these examples to counter the Congress’s criticism and present its arguments before the public. The campaign is expected to involve coordinated efforts by party leaders and organisational units across the country, with an emphasis on presenting factual information and responding to the opposition’s claims regarding electoral processes and the Election Commission. The proposed initiative comes amid an ongoing political debate over SIR and the role of the Election Commission, with the BJP preparing to take its response directly to the public through a coordinated nationwide outreach programme. (Source: ANI