Politics Archives - National Times

10 Aug

Lok Sabha Braces for Fresh Clash as Four Bills Listed, Opposition Plans to Raise Jantar Mantar Action

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, Politics, TrendingLok Sabha

New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): The government is set to press ahead with its legislative business in the Lok Sabha on Monday, but the proceedings could once again be overshadowed by the continuing confrontation between the ruling side and the Opposition. Four Bills are scheduled to come up before the House, including the Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026, while Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to move two separate pieces of legislation. At the same time, Opposition parties are preparing to raise the alleged police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20. The continuing dispute has already caused repeated interruptions…

10 Aug

Dialysis, Heart Care And Knee Replacements Among Top 10 Procedures Covered Under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingMukh Mantri Sehat Yojana

CHANDIGARH (GURPREET SINGH): A serious illness doesn't just test a patient's health, it often tests a family's finances. Bhagwant Mann Government's Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana is steadily changing that reality in Punjab by taking the cost of expensive medical treatment out of the equation. The numbers tell the story. Under the scheme's ten most frequently availed procedures alone, 2,44,468 cashless treatments worth more than ₹316.50 crore have already been provided. From patients who require dialysis several times a week to those undergoing heart surgery, knee replacement or emergency Caesarean delivery, the scheme is covering treatments that many families would otherwise…

10 Aug

Punjab Assembly Session Ends Today: School Fee Regulation, Outsourced Staff Bill Among Key Proposals

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingBhagwant Mann, Punjab News

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Punjab Assembly is set to wrap up its monsoon session on August 10, with the government preparing to table around eight bills on the concluding day. The proposed legislation includes measures aimed at regulating fee hikes in unaided educational institutions and changing the framework governing thousands of outsourced government workers. The Punjab State Outsourced Personnel Bill is among the most closely watched proposals. The legislation is expected to cover nearly 65,000 outsourced employees by bringing them into direct contractual arrangements with the state government. The move would effectively reduce their dependence on private outsourcing agencies and…

09 Aug

Arvind Kejriwal Questions Ethanol Policy, Says Petrol Vehicle Demand Shift Could Hurt Economy

Rajeev Sharma0 CommentsIndia, Politics, TrendingArvind Kejriwal

New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): Former Delhi chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has raised concerns over the government's ethanol-blending policy, arguing that a changing preference among car buyers could have a broader impact on the automobile sector and the economy. Kejriwal's remarks came in response to a social media post claiming that petrol-powered cars were increasingly being left unsold at dealerships as consumers turned towards CNG and electric vehicles, partly due to concerns over E20 fuel. “People have stopped buying petrol cars. Govt shud reverse its ethanol policy. Else it will hurt economy very badly,” Kejriwal posted. E20 fuel…

08 Aug

‘Akali Dal aka ‘Beadbi Party’ Has Lost All Credibility; Now Desperately Seeking Compromise With BJP To Revive Politics,’ Says Baltej Pannu

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingBaltej Pannu

CHANDIGARH (GURPREET SINGH): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media Incharge Baltej Pannu on Saturday said that the ‘Beadbi’ Party (Akali Dal) and its Chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had repeatedly compromised their political position for political gains and were now desperately seeking an understanding with the BJP. Calling out Sukhbir Badal, AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said, “Today Sukhbir Singh Badal is saying that he fully agrees with some of the Bills being brought by the BJP government at the Centre. But the people of Punjab remember very well that when the farm laws were introduced, the entire Badal family…

08 Aug

Punjab BJP Leadership Summoned to Delhi After Sukhbir Badal’s Meeting With PM Modi

nishuthapar10 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingPM Modi, Punjab, Punjab BJP, Sukhbir Badal

New Delhi/Chandigar (Gurpreet Singh): The BJP's central leadership has called Punjab BJP president Kewal Dhillon and state organising secretary Mantri Srinivasulu to Delhi for discussions, a day after Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The development comes amid heightened political activity in Punjab, with the BJP assessing its organisational preparedness and electoral strategy ahead of the next Assembly elections. Leaders leave Ludhiana meetings midway Dhillon and Srinivasulu were in Ludhiana on Saturday, where they were attending meetings with the BJP's recently elected state office-bearers and district presidents. However, both leaders reportedly left the programme before…

08 Aug

Sukhbir Badal’s Meeting With PM Modi: What Led to the Delhi Visit and Renewed Talk of SAD-BJP Alliance?

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingNarendra Modi, Sukhbir Badal

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi has once again brought the possibility of an electoral understanding between the SAD and BJP into focus ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. While neither party has confirmed any alliance, sources indicate that the meeting was preceded by a series of discussions in Chandigarh, internal political assessments and an eventual late-night communication from the Prime Minister's Office. A political trail that began in Chandigarh The developments reportedly gathered momentum after Badal met Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini at his official…

05 Aug

AAP Accuses BJP of Political Vendetta After ED Action Against PSIDC Officials

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingPSIDC, Punjab

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has strongly criticized the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) action against officials linked to the Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC), alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using central investigative agencies to target political opponents instead of addressing public concerns. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ruling party claimed that the BJP was attempting to divert attention from growing public dissatisfaction by launching what it described as politically motivated investigations. AAP alleged that the Centre has repeatedly used agencies such as the ED, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Income…

03 Aug

Punjab Assembly’s Monsoon Session Opens Today; Government Braces for Opposition Offensive

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingPunjab Assembly

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Punjab Legislative Assembly will convene its Monsoon Session on Monday, with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government expected to face sharp questioning from the opposition over several pressing issues. The session, scheduled to continue until August 10, is considered the final monsoon sitting before the present Assembly completes its tenure. The day's proceedings will begin at 11 a.m. with members paying homage to departed leaders and eminent personalities. The House will then move to Question Hour and Zero Hour, allowing legislators to seek clarifications from the government and raise matters related to their constituencies as…

01 Aug

Punjab Police Exposes Haryana-Based Cheating Syndicate; Harjot Singh Bains Says, “We Will Not Allow Anyone to Defame State’s Education System”

Gurpreet Singh0 CommentsPolitics, Punjab, TrendingHaryana, Punjab

CHANDIGARH (GURPREET SINGH): Punjab Police has exposed a Haryana-based inter-state cheating syndicate led by a Bhiwani mastermind that allegedly used sophisticated technology to facilitate cheating in the BFUHS Faridkot pharmacy examination, Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Friday, asserting that the operation had exposed Haryana’s organised cheating network and put to rest allegations of a paper leak. Pointing out that the Haryana Government allowed the racket to flourish for years, he said the Bhagwant Mann Government would not allow anyone to defame Punjab’s education system, which has transformed from “Udta Punjab” into “Pardha Punjab.” Addressing a press conference…