Manickam Tagore

News India Xtra@newsIndiaxtra

Congress MP Manickam Tagore says Amit Shah should first get PM Narendra Modi to debate Rahul Gandhi in public. The contest, he argues, should be between the head of government and the Leader of the Opposition.

Tagore's reply came a day after Shah, at a rally in Haryana, asked Gandhi to press Modi for a special Parliament session. Tagore called that a cover for a delimitation bill and said Gandhi wants a neutral venue, claiming his mic is repeatedly cut off in the House.

Tagore also pointed to a whole session lost after Shah declined to address alleged pellet-gun use against students.

News India Xtra@newsIndiaxtra

The Madras High Court has let DMDK leader Vijaya Prabhakaran drop his 2024 election petition against Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore.

He said he wanted to focus on public life instead of pursuing a two-year-old case. No one came forward to take over the petition after public notices, and the judge found no sign of a deal behind the move.

Tagore had won by just 4,379 votes, and the petition had raised charges including vote-buying and irregularities in counting. The Election Commission will be told the case is closed.