Politics

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has sharply criticized Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the recent detention of protesting farmers at the Shambhu border. Bittu accused Mann of acting under the influence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, stating that the Punjab CM was prioritizing political interests over the welfare of farmers. Opposition parties, including Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, have also condemned the detentions, calling for the immediate release of farmer leaders and the fulfillment of their demands, including a legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Maharashtra Congress President Harshvardhan Sapkal's comparison of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb has sparked a major controversy. During a press conference on Sunday, Sapkal described Fadnavis as a "cruel ruler," akin to Aurangzeb, accusing him of supporting religious issues while ignoring cases like the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The BJP swiftly condemned the remarks, demanding strict action and labeling the comparison as "childish." Opposition leaders, while disapproving of the personal attack, also criticized the government’s functioning, with some suggesting that Sapkal’s statement reflected his concerns about the state’s leadership. The Maharashtra government has vowed to seriously consider action against Sapkal for his remarks.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for choosing to engage in a podcast with Lex Fridman instead of holding press conferences. Ramesh accused Modi of avoiding media interactions and instead seeking comfort with a foreign podcaster aligned with the right-wing ecosystem. He also took issue with Modi’s comments on the importance of criticism in democracy, arguing that the prime minister had systematically weakened institutions meant to hold his government accountable. Ramesh called this a glaring example of hypocrisy, claiming Modi has gone after critics with unprecedented intensity.

Pawan Kalyan, the Janasena Party chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, criticized Tamil Nadu politicians for their alleged hypocrisy over the issue of Hindi imposition. During a speech at his party's 12th foundation day, Kalyan questioned why these leaders oppose Hindi while allowing their movies to be dubbed in the language for financial gain. His comments came amidst ongoing criticism from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who labeled the National Education Policy (NEP) as a "saffronized policy" aimed at promoting Hindi. Superstar Chiranjeevi also backed Kalyan’s stance, praising his speech and expressing support for his leadership.

In a move that has sparked controversy, the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, replaced the rupee symbol (₹) with the Tamil letter for "Ru" in the state’s 2025-26 Budget logo. The decision was quickly criticized by the BJP, which accused Stalin of insulting Tamilians, pointing out that the rupee symbol was designed by Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam, the son of a former DMK MLA. This change comes amid the ongoing opposition by the Stalin government to the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.