On Nehru's birth anniversary, BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan urged Rahul and Sonia Gandhi to return 51 cartons of Nehru's papers to the Prime Ministers' Museum and Library.
Kesavan says the collection includes Nehru's letters with Edwina Mountbatten, and that the cartons were taken back in 2008 under the UPA government.
The Union culture ministry says the papers were sent to Sonia Gandhi that year at her request, and the museum has kept asking for them back.
News India Xtra@newsIndiaxtraThe BJP has accused the Congress of silence over a rape allegation against Jharkhand MLA Bhushan Bara. At a Delhi press conference, MP Bansuri Swaraj said top leaders including Rahul Gandhi had not commented.
Police registered a POCSO case on Friday after a 14-year-old domestic worker at his official residence alleged he raped her on August 5, and she later became pregnant. Swaraj also called the party's anti-patriarchy slogans empty.
Bara, a two-term MLA, calls the accusations false and says people the party had kicked out are behind them.
News India Xtra@newsIndiaxtraPrime Minister Narendra Modi came to the aid of a 70-year-old BJP worker who felt faint during the inauguration of the COSMOS-Mysuru Planetarium on Friday. Prema Simbayya, a former Nanjangud Town Municipality president, was on stage when she grew dizzy and nearly collapsed. Modi had her given electrolytes and arranged for a doctor from his convoy to look after her.
News India Xtra@newsIndiaxtraTelangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao defended the visa cancellations for several foreign invitees to the Bharat Summit. He said critics of the Modi government were invited to cause chaos.
Congress leaders, including Shashi Tharoor, say about 115 of the 315 foreign speakers were refused entry or had visas revoked last minute by the Union Home Ministry, despite clearance from the foreign ministry. The foreign ministry says visa decisions are strictly a national matter.
News India Xtra@newsIndiaxtraA plan to hold a special Parliament session on the Delimitation Bill has triggered a sharp row. Opposition parties are questioning the BJP's motives.
Union Minister Chirag Paswan says the government wants to pair delimitation with the Women's Reservation Bill. He cited Bihar, where a 50% rise in its 40 Lok Sabha seats would bring the total to 60, with a third of them reserved for women.
Critics note the women's quota was already passed in 2023 and only needs implementing. AAP's Sanjay Singh argues the NDA lacks the two-thirds majority the bill needs.
News India Xtra@newsIndiaxtraOn Friday, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari slammed Congress for backing Raj Thackeray's social media post on Chhath Puja, saying divisive politics like this will drive the party toward its own ruin.
Tiwari said people in Maharashtra have rejected such posturing and that Chhath is widely revered there, pointing to Devendra Fadnavis, a devotee of the festival who is making preparations for those observing the fast.
