Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday hit back at the BJP for its criticism of Rahul Gandhi over his visit to Germany next week, asking why are they raising questions on the leader of opposition when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spends "almost half of his working time outside the country". Rahul Gandhi will visit Germany from December 15 to 20 during which he will engage with the Indian diaspora and meet German ministers, according to the Indian Overseas Congress. The BJP took a swipe at Gandhi over his visit, saying, "Rahul is LoP -- leader of Paryatan." "Once again Videsh Nayak is doing what he does best! Going for a foreign tour! Parliament is on till 19th Dec but Reports suggest Rahul Gandhi to visit Germany from Dec 15-20! Rahul is LoP - leader of paryatan," BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X. "During Bihar elections too he was abroad and then in Jungle Safari," he added. Asked about BJP's attack on Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi told reporters, "Modi ji spends almost half of his working time outside the country... Why are they raising questions on the leader of opposition (in Lok Sabha) travelling?" Earlier, Balwinder Singh, president of Indian Overseas Congress, Germany, said, "The Member of Parliament and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit Germany from December 15 to 20. He will be accompanied by Indian Overseas Congress Chairperson Sam Pitroda." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
10 December,2025 08:20 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIUnion Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi sparred over the allegations of 'vote chori' in the Parliament on Day 8 of the Winter Session. Soon after Shah’s address in the Lok Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition asked the Home Minister to conduct a debate on his three press conferences (PCs) pertaining to his claims of 'voter Chori', news agency ANI reported. To this, the Home Minister retorted, "Parliament won't function as per his wish." The heated exchange between the duo occurred when Gandhi interjected Shah when he was addressing the Lok Sabha on the discussion on electoral reforms. Slamming the Opposition over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Home Minister stated that he has answers for all their allegations, including Gandhi's three PCs, ANI reported. "In his press conference, the LoP levelled allegations that the voter list is not corrected and needs to be rectified. So, what is SIR? It is the procedure to sanitise the voter list,” Shah said. The Home Minister further added, “He is opposing even when we are undertaking the process... Your defeat is certain; the voter list doesn't have anything to do with it. He said that the BJP never has to face anti-incumbency. Anti-incumbency is only against those who work against the public interest." Shah also emphasised, “It is true that the BJP had to face anti-incumbency very rarely... But it is not as if we have never lost any election after 2014... Double standards won't work in a democracy. When you win, EC is great. When you lose, EC is useless and works at BJP's behest. I have answers for various of their allegations, including three press conferences.” Interrupting the Home Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha challenged him to a debate on his three PCs regarding allegations of 'vote chori'. Gandhi, while interrupting the Home Minister, emphasised, "Yesterday, I asked why Election Commissioners were given full immunity. We want to understand their thinking behind it. He (Amit Shah) talked about Haryana. He cited one example. There are several other examples. There are 19 lakh fake voters there. Actually, let us have a debate at my press conference. Amit Shah ji, I challenge you to have a debate on my three press conferences." Responding to the Opposition leader's remarks, the Home Minister said that the former would not decide the order of his speech and should remain patient. To this, the Home Minister said, "The Leader of Opposition (LoP) asked for answers to his questions. 'You can't run the parliament with your obstinacy. I will decide the order of my speech. The parliament won't function like this. He should be patient. I will answer each and every point." Gandhi slammed the Home Minister and called it a "completely defensive response". "This is a frightened response; this is not a genuine response," said the Congress lawmaker. The Leader of Opposition has held at least three major press conferences since August, during which he has alleged widespread "voter fraud and manipulation by the Election Commission (EC) in collusion with the ruling BJP." The conferences focused on alleged systematic voter deletion and duplicate entries in Karnataka and Haryana electoral rolls. (With inputs from ANI)
10 December,2025 07:54 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentA woman died after the owner of an illegal clinic and his nephew allegedly performed a surgery on her by watching a YouTube video here, police said on Wednesday.The incident took place in the Kothi police station area, where the duo was allegedly running a clinic without valid authorisation, they said. According to police, Munishra Rawat, wife of Tehbahadur Rawat, was suffering from a stone-related ailment. On December 5, her husband took her to Shri Damodar Aushdhalaya in Kothi, where clinic operator Gyan Prakash Mishra allegedly told him that the pain in her abdomen was due to stones and advised an operation, estimating the cost at Rs 25,000. Before the surgery, the husband deposited Rs 20,000, police said. In his complaint, Tehbahadur alleged that Mishra, described as a 'quack', was under the influence of alcohol and started the procedure after watching a YouTube video. He alleged that Mishra, in an inebriated state, made a deep incision in his wife's abdomen, cutting several veins, following which she died the next evening on December 6. Mishra's nephew assisted him during the procedure. Kothi SHO Amit Singh Bhadoriya said a case has been registered against the clinic operator and his nephew for causing death by negligence, along with sections under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. Efforts are on to arrest the accused duo, who are absconding, he said. Police said the nephew, Vivek Kumar Mishra, is employed with an ayurvedic hospital in Raebareli, and the illegal clinic was allegedly operated for several years under the cover of his government job. On Tuesday, Kothi community health centre superintendent Sanjeev Kumar sealed the clinic, they added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
10 December,2025 07:48 PM IST | Uttar Pradesh | PTIDelhi's Saket Court on Wednesday granted a 36-hour transit remand of Ajay Gupta to the Goa Police in the nightclub fire case, following his arrest. He will reportedly be taken to Goa for further investigation. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Vinod Joshi, while granting Gupta's 36-hour transit remand, directed him to be produced before the court concerned at Goa, reported news agency ANI. The district court in Delhi has also directed the Goa Police to take care of the medical issues Gupta is facing. Goa Police produced Gupta before the Saket Court following his arrest in the national capital. The investigation officer moved an application seeking Gupta's transit remand. While seeking his remand, the officer cited the ongoing IndiGo crisis and sought 36 hours of transit remand, ANI reported. The fire which erupted at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub in Goa had claimed the lives of 25 people. Meanwhile, two other accused, Gaurav and Saurav Luthra, have absconded to Thailand, and the search for them is underway. The Delhi Police informed the Rohini Court that the accused brothers had left the country soon after the Goa nightclub fire tragedy, and a non-bailable warrant (NBW) had already been issued against them by a Goa court. Opposing their plea for protection, the state submitted that the brothers were deliberately evading investigation and should not be granted any interim relief. The accused, however, told the court through their counsel that they apprehend arrest immediately upon landing in India. They argued that they had travelled to Thailand for work-related reasons and now wished to return but feared custodial action. Their lawyers emphasised that the applicants only sought brief transit protection to approach the competent court in Goa. The Rohini Court took up the transit anticipatory bail applications on Wednesday and questioned their maintainability, noting that the applicants were not presently within the territorial jurisdiction, reported ANI. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that an inquiry report on the incident will be ready within eight days, even as the state begins disbursing compensation to families of the victims and intensifies safety audits and enforcement across entertainment venues, ANI reported. Furthermore, the district administration on Tuesday demolished part of the Romeo Lane restaurant in Vagator, Goa. (With inputs from ANI)
10 December,2025 07:39 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentFour people were injured in a blast at a site where gunpowder was being manually dried up during the ongoing Hornbill festival in Nagaland's Kisama village, an official said on Wednesday. The incident occurred on the premises of a morung, belonging to the Sangtam tribe, on Tuesday when the gunpowder caught fire and burst, he said. Morung is a traditional cultural house of the Nagas, set up by the respective tribes, to showcase heritage, customs and village life to visitors at Kisama, where the festival was underway. "The four people were injured in the incident and were taken to a hospital. Three of them had minor injuries, while one sustained severe burn injuries on his face and hands. He is now out of danger," the official said. The gunpowder to be used for handmade muzzle-loading firearms, an attraction of the festival, was being dried up when the blast occurred. The Hornbill festival of Nagaland, an annual 10-day tourism promotional event of the state government, commenced on December 1 and will conclude on Wednesday night. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
10 December,2025 07:31 PM IST | Nagaland | PTIAmid the ongoing aviation crisis, the Delhi High Court (HC) on Wednesday pulled up the Union Government over the widespread cancellations and delays of Indigo flights. The court further asked why the situation was allowed to precipitate into a nationwide turmoil that stranded lakhs of passengers and inflicted losses on the national economy. A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an independent judicial probe into the episode, asserted that the crisis is not confined to causing inconvenience to passengers, but it also affects the economy of the country, news agency IANS reported. While hailing the initiatives taken by the civil aviation ministry and the DGCA, the Delhi HC said, "We appreciate the steps taken by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation and DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation). However, what bothers us is how such a situation was allowed to precipitate, leaving lakhs of passengers unattended at airports.” The Chief Justice Upadhyaya-led Delhi HC Bench, while passing the order, further stated, "Such a situation is not confined to causing inconvenience to the passengers but also affects the economy of the country, as in the present day, fast movement of passengers is an important aspect to keep the economy functioning." During the hearing, the court also asked the Centre to explain the legal provisions available to act against errant airlines, IANS reported. While referring to powers vested in the DGCA and the Centre under the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, the bench asked, "In case an airline fails to adhere to directions, what is the provision available to you? Are you helpless? We want to know under which provision or policy decision you would take action against them." While filing a reply on behalf of the government, the Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma submitted that a high-level committee had been constituted and that the DGCA had issued a show-cause notice to Indigo, which had "apologised profusely", reported IANS. The Additional Solicitor General further added that fare caps were imposed within two days of the crisis. However, the court also noted that ticket prices had already skyrocketed to Rs 30-40,000 by then, causing a major mishap across the country. "If there was a crisis, how could other airlines take advantage? How was this allowed?" the court questioned. Meanwhile, senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, who appeared for Indigo, put up the company’s defence and said that the disruption was a first-time event in 19 years of the airline’s operations and was caused by "multiple factors", including technical issues. Directing strict adherence to the DGCA’s compensation rules, the Delhi HC said, "IndiGo must 'immediately' begin compensating passengers," adding that compensation should not be limited to cancellations but must account for the "agony caused by hostile staff and prolonged delays." Taking note of the inadequacies in the PIL, the chief justice-led bench remarked that it was invoking its jurisdiction in view of the public interest involved. The matter will be heard next on January 22, 2026, with the HC directing that the inquiry report, if ready, be placed before it in a sealed cover. (With inputs from IANS)
10 December,2025 07:20 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentIn a major breakthrough, the air intelligence unit (AIU) of the Pune Commissionerate on Monday seized over 2.29 kg of hydroponic marijuana valued at approximately Rs. 2.29 crore at Pune International Airport, news agency ANI reported. A passenger from Bangkok has been arrested in connection with the case. According to officers, AIU personnel intercepted the passenger who had arrived on IndiGo flight 6E-1096 from Bangkok based on profiling and specific intelligence inputs. Following this, a detailed examination of his checked-in baggage led to the recovery of 2,299.44 grams of hydroponic weed concealed in two airtight sealed packets, ANI reported. An officer, while briefing about the incident, said, “The contraband was thereafter seized by the authorities under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Moreover, the passenger was taken into custody, and further investigation is underway." Meanwhile, on the same day, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) dismantled a clandestine mephedrone manufacturing facility in Wardha, Maharashtra, during a targeted operation. The operations conducted on December 7 and 8 resulted in the seizure of 128 kg of mephedrone, valued at approximately Rs. 192 crore, along with 245 kilograms of precursor chemicals, raw materials, and a complete processing setup, ANI reported. Acting on specific intelligence, DRI officers conducted discreet surveillance, followed by a search operation in a remote, shrub-covered area of Karanja (Ghadge), nearly 60 km from Wardha. During the operation, officers uncovered a fully functional synthetic drug processing setup, including makeshift reactors, vessels, and other equipment used for the illicit manufacture of mephedrone. The seizure comprised both finished product and precursor chemicals essential for its synthesis. “Three persons operating the facility, including the mastermind, who also acted as the financier and chemist, along with his two associates, were apprehended,” a statement issued by DRI further stated. It also said, “All three were found to be actively involved in the manufacturing and distribution network of mephedrone and have been arrested under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985." (With inputs from ANI)
10 December,2025 07:08 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentThe licences of 176 retailers and 39 wholesalers have been cancelled across Maharashtra over the sale of substandard medicines, Food and Drug Administration Minister Narahari Zirwal informed the state assembly on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question raised by BJP MLA Amit Satam and others, Zirwal said that as part of a special FDA campaign, samples of cough syrup and other medicines were sent for testing and analysis, news agency PTI reported. "Licences of 176 retailers and 39 wholesalers were cancelled. Further, 136 retailers and 93 wholesalers were inspected. Show-cause notices were issued, and licences were cancelled for selling substandard cough syrups," he said. Zirwal said fake cough syrups were detected in drug stores and companies during the FDA drive in October 2024. Doctors, clinical establishments, and pharmacists were instructed not to prescribe or sell medicines containing propranolol, he added, according to PTI. He said 36 samples were tested across Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Aurangabad, and Nagpur divisions, out of which 34 were found substandard. The medicines included treatments for hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis, heart disease, and blood purification, reported PTI. Six samples of a paediatric cough syrup brand were also found to be of inferior quality. "Some components were altered or combined, and medicines were sold under new names. Fake and substandard medicines were even supplied to government hospitals by unauthorised companies," Zirwal said. The minister added that drug testing and control work in several districts had been affected as 176 posts of drug inspectors were vacant. Maharashtra has three testing laboratories in Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune, and efforts are underway to upgrade labs in Nashik and Pune. 109 posts of drug inspectors will be filled through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission, Zirwal said. Approval of registered housing societies must to operate liquor shops on their premises: Ajit Pawar Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also heads the excise department, announced a new policy regarding liquor shops in the state. Shops selling Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and country liquor will now require mandatory consent from registered housing societies before operating from commercial spaces on their premises. "Permission from registered housing societies will now be compulsory for both categories of liquor shops. The policy must be enforced uniformly throughout Maharashtra," Pawar told the Lower House while responding to a question raised by BJP MLA Shankar Jagtap from Chinchwad assembly constituency in Pune. Jagtap had raised concerns over liquor shops in the Chinchwad-Kalewadi area, citing Vikrant Wine, which allegedly started operations in violation of norms. "The building was incomplete when permission was granted, and the licence was issued on the basis of incomplete documents," he said, demanding action. Pawar reiterated the mandatory requirement of housing society consent for liquor vends and informed the House about the action taken against the two shops reported earlier. During the Budget session in March, he had announced that a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from housing societies would be mandatory for liquor shops wishing to operate from commercial premises within residential complexes. (With PTI inputs)
10 December,2025 07:06 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentTwo Pune Police officials have been dismissed from service over lapses in the investigation of last year’s Porsche car crash, a senior police official said on Wednesday, reported the PTI. The Pune car crash, which occurred in the early hours of May 19, 2024 in Kalyani Nagar, involved a high-end Porsche car that was allegedly driven by a 17-year-old teenager under the influence of alcohol. The car fatally ran over two techies riding a motorcycle. Inspector Rahul Jagdale and Assistant Police Inspector Vishwanath Todkari, both attached to Yerawada police station and already suspended for negligence and delayed reporting in the case, have now been formally dismissed, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said. A proposal to sack them had been sent to the home department in March 2025, according to the PTI. An internal inquiry found lapses in case registration and delays in collecting blood samples. Police said the teenager’s blood samples were taken only at 11 am, several hours after the accident, and were allegedly replaced with those of his mother, as per the PTI. The juvenile involved has been released from an observation home, while his mother is out on bail. Nine other accused, including his father, Sassoon Hospital doctors Ajay Tawre and Shreehari Halnor, a hospital staffer, and three middlemen, are currently in jail for allegedly tampering with blood samples, the news agency reported. The high-end luxury car allegedly driven by the minor under the influence of alcohol knocked down two motorbike-borne IT professionals, one of them a woman, in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area in the wee hours of May 19, killing them. The case caused a national uproar after JJB member L N Danwade granted bail to the accused on very lenient terms, including writing a 300-word essay on road safety. Later, a committee was formed by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department of the Maharashtra government to probe the conduct of two JJB members in connection with the bail given to the minor accused, reported PTI. The police had also submitted the final report to the JJB detailing all evidence against the 17-year-old boy in the car crash case. (with PTI inputs)
10 December,2025 07:03 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentEleven senior Naxalites carrying a collective reward of Rs 82 lakh surrendered before Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla in Gadchiroli district on Wednesday, news agency PTI reported, quoting officers. Four of the cadres were in ‘uniform’ when they laid down their arms before the DGP, a police release said. According to the police, a large number of Naxal cadres have become disillusioned by what they termed the “hollow Maoist ideology,” frustrated by the violence inflicted on civilians, and drawn towards the state’s surrender-and-rehabilitation policy implemented since 2005. Owing to sustained operations by the Gadchiroli Police and the Central Reserve Police Force, 112 Maoists have surrendered in the district this year alone, PTI reported, quoting the release. Those who surrendered on Wednesday include divisional committee members Ramesh Lekami (57) of Gadchiroli and Bhima Kowasi (35) and platform party committee members Poriye Gota (41), Ratan Oyam (32), and Kamal Veladi (30), all from Chhattisgarh. Others who gave up arms are area committee members Poriye Veladi (36) and Ramaji Pungati (35), and platoon members Sonu Kato (19), Prakash Pungati (22), Sita Pallo (22), and Sainath Made (23). As per the state’s rehabilitation policy, if a group of Maoists surrenders together, they are eligible for collective assistance of Rs 10 lakh announced jointly by the Central and Maharashtra governments. In all, 146 hardcore Naxalites have surrendered in Gadchiroli since 2022. Four Naxalites with Rs 23-lakh bounty surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker Four Naxalites — including one involved in the 2009 Madanwada-Korkoti ambush in which 29 security personnel were killed — surrendered before police and Border Security Force (BSF) officers in Kanker District on Wednesday, a senior police officer said. The cadres, including two women, collectively carried a reward of Rs 23 lakh, Kanker Senior Superintendent of Police IK Elesela said. They surrendered under the “Poona Margem” initiative, which aims at rehabilitation and social reintegration of Maoist cadres. The programme launched by the Bastar Range Police is emerging as a transformative effort to bring lasting peace and development across the seven districts of the region, Elesela added. Of those who surrendered, Kajal alias Rajita Vedada (19), a member of Company No 10 in the Gadchiroli division of Maoists, carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh. The remaining three — Manjula alias Laxmi Potai (37), Vilas alias Chaitu Usendi (42) and Ramsai alias Lakhan Marrapi (42) — carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, he said. Between 2006 and 2025, Potai, a member of technical team of West Bastar Division, was involved in 16 Naxal incidents, including the 2009 Madanwada-Korkoti ambush in which the then Rajnandgaon District Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinod Choubey and 28 other security personnel were killed, he said. (With PTI inputs)
10 December,2025 05:55 PM IST | Gadchiroli | mid-day online correspondentThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out searches at five places in Maharashtra's Pune and Baramati as part of its money-laundering investigation into an alleged Rs 10-crore cheating case linked to investment schemes in the dairy sector, officials said. Officials said the action was taken after complaints that several businessmen had been tricked with promises of unusually high returns. According to ED sources, officers searched two locations in Pune and three in Baramati. The searches targeted properties linked to Vidyanand Dhairi and Anand Lokhande, residents of Jalochi in Baramati taluka, who are under investigation for their suspected involvement in the fraudulent investment scheme. The probe began after allegations that a couple had collected money from several businessmen in Mumbai and Pune by promoting a dairy-investment plan that supposedly offered attractive profits. ED sources said some senior government officials had also invested in the scheme and were allegedly cheated, which led to a deeper financial inquiry. Baramati Dairy Private Limited had earlier filed a complaint accusing Lokhande and others of cheating the company of Rs 10.21 crore. The ED is now examining the flow of money, bank transactions and property documents to determine how the funds were moved and whether more people or organisations were involved. An ED officer said the searches focused on securing financial records, digital data and other evidence related to the suspected diversion of investor funds. The agency is expected to issue further summons after analysing the seized material. The investigation is still in progress.
10 December,2025 05:51 PM IST | Mumbai | Anish PatilADVERTISEMENT
