Assam CM slams Rahul Gandhi for ‘betraying' nation; praises Owaisi, Tharoor

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday praised several opposition leaders for defending India's stance on international platforms following the country's retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, while launching a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of undermining national interests.
Speaking during a discussion in the Assam Assembly about the successful 'Operation Sindoor', CM Sarma acknowledged the efforts of opposition figures like Shashi Tharoor, Asaduddin Owaisi and Supriya Sule, commending them for standing up for India on foreign soil.
'I am thankful to Congress and other opposition leaders, especially Shashi Tharoor, who have strongly defended India's position abroad. Leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi and Supriya Sule also upheld the nation's honour outside the country,' CM Sarma said.
However, the Chief Minister drew a sharp contrast with Rahul Gandhi, accusing the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha of betraying both the nation and the armed forces.
'Rahul Gandhi did not stand with the country. He betrayed the nation. He betrayed our armed forces,' the Assam CM alleged, criticising Rahul Gandhi for raising questions about India's military losses during the conflict.
CM Sarma claimed that while Gandhi repeatedly sought details on India's casualties during the operation, he showed no concern about the damage inflicted on Pakistan.
'There's a difference between questioning losses after a military operation and doing so while it's ongoing. Rahul Gandhi chose the latter — and never once asked what losses Pakistan suffered,' the Chief Minister asserted.
Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, and the resolution in the Assembly marked a unified acknowledgment of the Indian armed forces' role in the counter-offensive.
Earlier on Monday, CM Sarma asserted that the government would speed up the process of deporting illegal immigrants from the state to safeguard the indigenous community.
While speaking at the Assembly, CM Sarma said: "The state government is set to use the 1950 law to expel the illegal immigrants here. The apex court of the country has also given a nod regarding this. The administrative machinery will work accordingly to make Assam free from illegal immigrants.'
The Chief Minister also pressed for safeguarding the interests of Assamese people. He said, 'I am an Assamese first and a Chief Minister later.'
The Assam government has decided to invoke a little-known law from 1950 -- the Immigrants (Expulsion from Assam) Order -- to fast-track the deportation of undocumented immigrants, bypassing the usual judicial process.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Time of India

12 minutes ago

• Time of India

Trump is open to regime change in Iran, after his admin said that wasn't goal

The Trump administration on Sunday sent a series of conflicting messages to Iran - with US officials initially indicating a willingness to resume negotiations after a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites and President Donald Trump talking up the possibility of regime change. "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change', but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???" Trump posted on social media. "MIGA!!!" The posting on Truth Social marked something of a reversal from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing. "This mission was not and has not been about regime change," Hegseth said. The Trump administration has made a series of intimidating statements even as it has simultaneously called to restart negotiations, making it hard to get a complete read on whether the US president is simply taunting an adversary or using inflammatory words that could further widen the war between Israel and Iran. Live Events Up until the US president's post on Sunday afternoon, the coordinated messaging by Trump's vice president, Pentagon chief, top military adviser and secretary of state suggested a confidence that any fallout would be manageable and that Iran's lack of military capabilities would ultimately force it back to the bargaining table. Hegseth had said that America "does not seek war" with Iran, while Vice President JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. But the unfolding situation is not entirely under Washington's control, as Tehran has a series of levers to respond to the aerial bombings that could intensify the conflict in the Middle East with possible global repercussions. Iran can block oil being shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, attack US bases in the region, engage in cyber attacks or double down on a nuclear programme that might seem like more of a necessity after the US strike. All of that raises the question of whether the strikes will open up a far more brutal phase of fighting or revive negotiations out of an abundance of caution. Inside the US, the attack quickly spilled over into domestic politics with Trump choosing to spend part of his Sunday going after his critics in Congress. Trump, who had addressed the nation from the White House on Saturday night, returned to social media on Sunday to lambaste Rep Thomas Massie, who had objected to the president taking military action without specific congressional approval. "We had a spectacular military success yesterday, taking the bomb right out of their hands (and they would use it if they could!)" Trump said as part of the post on Truth Social. At their joint Pentagon briefing, Hegseth and Air Force Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that "Operation Midnight Hammer" involved decoys and deception, and met with no Iranian resistance. Caine indicated that the goal of the operation - destroying nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan - had been achieved. "Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," Caine said. Vance said in a television interview that while he would not discuss "sensitive intelligence about what we've seen on the ground," he felt "very confident that we've substantially delayed their development of a nuclear weapon." Pressed further, he told NBC's "Meet the Press" that "I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time. I think that it's going to be many many years before the Iranians are able to develop a nuclear weapon." The vice president said the US had "negotiated aggressively' with Iran to try to find a peaceful settlement and that Trump made his decision after assessing the Iranians were not acting "in good faith." "I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbours, not to be a threat to the United States, and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears," Vance said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on CBS's "Face the Nation" that "there are no planned military operations right now against Iran, unless, unless they mess around and they attack" US interests. Trump has previously threatened other countries, but often backed down or failed to follow through, given his promises to his coalition of voters not to entangle the United States in an extended war. It was not immediately clear whether Iran saw the avoidance of a wider conflict as in its best interests. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the US inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Israeli airstrikes that began on June 13 local time targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals, prompting retaliation from Iran and creating a series of events that contributed to the US attack. While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was "fully responsible" for whatever actions Tehran may take in response. "They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities," he said at a news conference in Turkey. "I don't know how much room is left for diplomacy." China and Russia, where Araghchi was heading for talks with President Vladimir Putin, condemned the US military action. The attacks were "a gross violation of international law," said Russia's Foreign Ministry, which also advocated "returning the situation to a political and diplomatic course." A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement warned about the risk of the conflict spreading to "a global level". British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies. His office said he talked on Sunday with Trump about the need for Tehran to resume negotiations, but Trump would have posted his remarks about regime change after their conversation. The leaders of Italy, Canada, Germany and France agreed on the need for "a rapid resumption of negotiations." France's Emmanuel Macron held talks with the Saudi crown prince and sultan of Oman. Iran could try to stop oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Oil prices increased in the financial markets as the war between Israel and Iran had intensified, climbing by 21% over the past month. The Pentagon briefing did not provide any new details about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Hegseth said the timeline for the strikes was the result of a schedule set by Trump for talks with Iran about its nuclear ambitions. "Iran found out" that when Trump "says 60 days that he seeks peace and negotiation, he means 60 days of peace and negotiation," Hegseth said. "Otherwise, that nuclear programme, that new nuclear capability will not exist. He meant it." That statement was complicated as the White House had suggested last Thursday that Trump could take as much as two weeks to determine whether to strike Iran or continue to pursue negotiations. But the US benefited from Iran's weakened air defences and was able to conduct the attacks without resistance from Iran. "Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission," Caine said. Hegseth said that a choice to move a number of B-2 bombers from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday was meant to be a decoy to throw off Iranians. Caine added that the US used other methods of deception as well, deploying fighters to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped a total of 14 bunker-buster bombs on Iran's sites at Fordo and Natanz. The strikes occurred Saturday between 6:40 pm and 7:05 pm in Washington, or roughly 2:10 am on Sunday in Iran.

Hindustan Times

29 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

Murugan conference begins, BJP hits out at DMK for ‘hurdles'

The courts delivered justice for the massive conference held for Tamil deity Lord Murugan in Madurai, BJP state chief Nainar Nagendran said on Sunday while accusing the ruling DMK for trying to obstruct the event. Murugan conference begins, BJP hits out at DMK for 'hurdles' 'We organised this (the conference) to protect our culture. We may not have got justice from the DMK government but we got justice from the courts and the conference is a huge success,' said Nagendran. The Muruga Bakthargalin Aanmeega Maanadu (Spiritual Conference of Devotees of Murugan) was embroiled in controversy, with the Tamil Nadu police imposing several conditions, including restricting the 11-day programme to three days. On June 13, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court, granted permission for the event but asked the Hindu Munnani to comply with the conditions laid down by the police in Madurai. The conference organised by right wing outfit Hindu Munnani with the backing of the BJP was held under tight security as scores of people thronged to visit the replicas at the venue made of six abodes (known locally as Arupadai Veedu) of Lord Murugan that's present across Tamil Nadu. The conference to celebrate the Tamil deity was attended by Andhra Pradesh's deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan, former BJP state president K Annamalai and the BJP's ally and Tamil Nadu's main opposition, the AIADMK. 'Certain groups who make fun of our culture and faith and call it secularism will disappear,' Kalyan said speaking in Tamil. Union home minister Amit Shah who on June 8 from Madurai urged people to participate in large numbers is likely to visit TN again in July - his third since April- ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Shah, in his speech a week ago, drew in Lord Murugan over the Thiruparankunram issue. In February, there was tension at a temple (one of the six abodes of Lord Murugan) in Thiruparankundram near Madurai after members of Hindu Munnani held a protest against a demand by a few Muslim organisations to rename the hillock, which is also home to a dargah as Sikander malai (hillock). At the time, the residents belonging to the Hindu and Muslim communities said that they have coexisted peacefully for generations. But Shah said that the DMK had insulted Hindu worshippers here. 'Five lakh people have come today to Madurai for the conference for our ideology despite knowing that they will get wet in the rains today. This is a warning for the ruling government,' Annamalai said. He added that the Hindu religion was under threat referring to the attack in Pahalgham and India's response to Operation Sindoor. This is not the first time that the BJP has drawn in on Lord Murugan. The party made a similar outreach through the vetri vel yatra (victorious spear held by Lord Murugan) which was launched by then president of the BJP state unit L Murugan trying to appropriate the significance of the deity before the Tamil Nadu assembly elections in the yatra received a tepid response, it became the talking point as the then state government, led by BJP's ally the AIADMK, denied permission for the yatra. BJP leaders defied orders and courted arrest as they carried on with the yatra for three weeks across Tamil Nadu. Later, 'Vetrivel, Veeravel' became the BJP's war cry during the election campaign. BJP national leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Shah began their rallies by raising the slogan. Sunday's conference comes a year after the DMK, known to have been established with rationalist tenets, also organised a conference for Lord Murugan last year. Last August, the DMK government organised a two-day conference on Lord Murugan as part of its efforts to oppose the BJP painting them as anti-Hindu and to manage the fallout of deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's controversial remarks against Sanatana Dharma.

The Hindu

32 minutes ago

• The Hindu

Morning digest: June 23, 2025

Iranian Parliament votes to close vital Strait of Hormuz after U.S. strikes on nuclear sites, disruptions likely to impact oil prices for India Iran's Parliament, the Majlis, has reportedly approved the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attacks by the U.S. on Iranian nuclear facilities, the country's state-owned media PressTV reported on Sunday (June 22, 2025), citing Esmaeil Kowsari, a member of the Majlis. According to the report, the final decision on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz lies with Iran's Supreme National Security Council. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, and is one of the world's most important oil trade routes. India imports about 80% of its oil requirement, meaning that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz will likely impact the price of oil that India purchases. The Strait of Hormuz is also a vital trade route for ships travelling to and from India. United Nations chief warns of cycle of retaliation after U.S. bombs Iran United Nations chief Antonio Guterres warned Sunday (June 22, 2025) against yet 'another cycle of destruction' and retaliation following the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, which he said marked a 'perilous turn' in the region. 'I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East,' the secretary-general told an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. 'The people of the region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation,' he added. 'Anti-Naxal' campaigns to continue in monsoon, says Amit Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said that for the first time, 'anti-Naxal' operations would continue during the monsoon even as he reiterated his appeal that Naxals lay down arms and join the mainstream. 'Every time during the rainy season, Naxalites used to get rest, but this time, we will not let them sleep during monsoon and we will move further to achieve the target of 31/3 (2026, to eliminate Naxalism_,' Mr. Shah said, laying the foundation stone for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus and a Central Forensic Science Lab in Chhattisgarh's Nava Raipur Atal Nagar. India debunks claims of U.S. using Indian airspace for Iran strikes, PIB Fact Check confirms India on Sunday (June 22, 2025) dismissed as 'fake' claims by certain social media handles that the U.S. fighter jets used Indian airspace to launch strikes against Iran. The U.S. bombed three nuclear sites in Iran on Sunday (June 22, 2025), with U.S. President Donald Trump warning of additional strikes if Iran retaliates. 'Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian airspace was used by the United States to launch aircraft against Iran during Operation #MidnightHammer. This claim is fake,' PIB Fact Check said in a post on X. NIA nabs one more in Maoist revival conspiracy case The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday (June 22, 2025) arrested a key accused involved in the attempts to revive a Communist Party of India (Maoist) Northern Region Bureau (NRB) terror module. The agency also seized digital devices, including hard drives, pen drives, and mobile phones, as well as other 'incriminating' material during a search in the West Delhi house of the accused person identified as Vishal Singh, originally from Uttar Pradesh's Mathura. 'Investigations have revealed that the accused, a member of the CPI (Maoist), had delivered a drone to leaders of the banned terror outfit in Chhakarbanda/Panchrukhiya forest area of Bihar to further its anti-national activities,' the probe agency said. INS Tamal, India's last imported warship, to be commissioned on July 1 The Indian Navy is all set to commission its latest stealth multi-role frigate INS Tamal on July 1 at Kaliningrad in Russia. This will be the last warship of the Indian Navy to have been built outside India and the eighth in the series of Krivak-class frigates inducted from Russia over the past two decades. The ceremony will be presided over by Western Naval Commander Vice Admiral Sanjay J. Singh in the presence of several high-ranking Indian and Russian government and defence officials. ECI considers intensive house-to-house verification to update electoral rolls before Bihar Assembly election Amid allegations by Opposition parties over alleged manipulation of voter rolls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said it was contemplating intensive house-to-house verification for the revision of electoral rolls before the upcoming Bihar Assembly election. This approach is being considered as, in the past, persistent concerns have been raised by various civil society organisations, political parties, and agencies on the inclusion or deletion of names of electors from the rolls, sources in the ECI said. Another flight from Iran carrying 311 Indians lands in Delhi; over 1,400 evacuated so far India on Sunday (June 22, 2025) evacuated more than 300 Indian nationals from Iran amid the escalating tensions between the Persian Gulf nation and Israel following the U.S. bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said 311 Indians landed in Delhi on a special flight from the Iranian city of Mashhad. With the fresh batch of evacuees, the total number of those brought back from Iran now stands at 1,428. Three-hundred eleven Indian nationals arrived in New Delhi on a special flight from Mashhad at 4:30 p.m. on June 22, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. DGCA launches comprehensive safety audit to ensure aviation safety The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has launched a comprehensive safety audit to provide a holistic evaluation of the aviation sector by meticulously examining safety, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. The aviation regulator's new audit framework is expected to proactively identify systemic vulnerabilities, enhance resilience and ensure strict adherence to the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and India's national aviation objectives. The move to strengthen the safety infrastructure comes days after the tragic crash of London-bound Air India flight AI-171 moments after takeoff in Ahmedabad. Air India to temporarily reduce flights operated with narrow-body planes on 19 routes Air India on Sunday (June 22, 2025) said it will temporarily reduce 118 weekly flights operated with narrow-body planes on 19 routes and suspend services on three routes. The announcement comes days after the Tata Group-owned carrier said it will cut international flights operated with wide-body planes by 15% temporarily. In a statement, the airline said it is going for 'temporary cuts of less than 5% to its overall narrow-body network'. It said, 'This voluntary decision leads to the temporary suspension of Air India's services on 3 routes and reduction of frequency on 19 routes. The changes are effective until at least 15 July 2025.' U.S. travel advisory warns citizens of crime, rape, terrorism in India, urges 'increased caution' The U.S. has issued an advisory for its citizens travelling to India, urging 'increased caution' due to crime and rape, and advising them not to travel to certain parts of central and eastern parts of the country due to terrorism. The travel advisory issued last week states that 'rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India' and violent crimes, including sexual assault, happen at tourist sites and other locations. It added that terrorists, who target tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls and government facilities, may attack with little or no warning. The advisory also tells U.S. citizens not to travel to parts of Central and East India 'due to terrorism.' Iranian ambassador says U.S. 'decided to destroy diplomacy' with strikes on nuclear sites Iran said Sunday (June 22, 2025) that the U.S. 'decided to destroy diplomacy' with its strikes on the country's nuclear programme and that the Iranian military will decide the 'timing, nature and scale of Iran's proportionate response'. Iran's United Nations ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, spoke to an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council hours after the U.S. inserted itself into Israel's war against Iran by striking three nuclear sites inside the Islamic Republic. U.S. President Trump hints at potential regime change in Iran The Trump administration on Sunday (June 22, 2025) sent a series of conflicting messages to Iran — with U.S. officials initially indicating a willingness to resume negotiations after a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites and President Donald Trump talking up the possibility of regime change. 'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change', but if the current Iranian regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn't there be a regime change?' Mr. Trump posted on social media. 'MIGA!!!' At least 20 dead in Syria church attack; Government blames Islamic State At least 20 people were killed Sunday (June 22, 2025) in a suicide attack on a church in Damascus, authorities said, with Syria's Interior Ministry blaming a member of the Islamic State group. The international community condemned the attack, the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, and the first on a church there since the country's civil war erupted in 2011. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that 'a suicide attacker affiliated with the Daesh (IS) terrorist group entered the Saint Elias church in the Dwelaa area of the capital Damascus, where he opened fire and then blew himself up with an explosive belt'. Over 100 firefighters battle large wildfire on eastern Greek island of Chios More than 100 firefighters assisted by water-dropping helicopters and planes were battling a large wildfire burning near the main town of the eastern Aegean island of Chios Sunday (June 22, 2025), with emergency services ordering the evacuation of a dozen areas. The fire department said three separate blazes had broken out in the morning and mid-day on Sunday (June 22, 2025) near the town of Chios. The flames were fanned by strong winds, leaving firefighters struggling to contain what turned into one large blaze. The fire department said it was sending an arson investigation team to the island. Ind vs Eng, 1st Test Day 3: Bumrah hands India a slender lead Trying to get near a 471-run first-innings total would have been a steep climb for most sides. But so emphatically did England turn the tables on India that for most of day three of the first Test in Headingley, it was the visitors — despite a rejuvenating, cool breeze blowing across the ground — who resembled a pack of tired cyclists staring at a hulking mountain. England, from an overnight 209 for three, fought India to a standstill, ending its first essay just six runs adrift. For the remaining two days, the forecast is for grey skies. That means India has to bat well, both for time and runs. India showed the stomach for a fight by reaching 90 for two, propelled by a silken K.L. Rahul knock (47 batting, 75b, 7x4). Jasprit Bumrah got a deserved fifer (24.4-5-83-5), but by the time the 31-year-old earned his fourth and fifth wickets.