‘You don’t know me, who I am’: Sonia Gandhi threatened by Smriti Irani in Lok Sabha, alleges Congress

News Network
July 29, 2022

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New Delhi, July 29: The Congress on Thursday accused BJP MPs of subjecting its president Sonia Gandhi to "brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation" in the Lok Sabha and some MPs demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sources said Congress leaders also met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding action against Union minister Smriti Irani and other BJP MPs.

The speaker told them to give it in writing and he will look into their complaint, they said, adding the party later submitted a letter to Birla seeking his intervention in sending the matter to the privilege committee.

Several Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Jairam Ramesh, spoke out as the face-off between their president and Irani in the Lok Sabha chamber added to the already raging row over party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury referring to President Droupadi Murmu as 'rashtrapatni'.

The remark on India's first tribal president drew a fresh battleline between the Congress and the BJP, which demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi.

As the Lok Sabha adjourned soon after 12 noon, Gandhi walked across to the treasury benches and sought to know from BJP member Rama Devi why she was dragged into the issue.

Irani intervened and was seen gesturing towards Gandhi and apparently protesting Chowdhury's remark. Gandhi at first tried to ignore Irani's protestations but was soon seen gesturing towards the minister and speaking angrily.

"The brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation of one of the most dignified ladies of Indian politics Sonia Gandhi inside (Parliament) by the BJP was traumatic and sickening," Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said in a tweet, adding that it reflected the mentality of a mob.

"Adhir Ranjan made a mistake and he accepted it but the way Sonia Gandhi was treated, it shows that the expectations they (BJP) have from us, they are unable to show it towards others," he said.

Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Irani behaved inappropriately with Sonia Gandhi and used derogatory words.

"Smt. Sonia Gandhi was talking to a BJP MP Rama Devi. Smriti Irani surrounded Sonia Gandhi and called her abusive words in a very derogatory manner. When Sonia ji politely told her that she is not talking to her and am talking to another MP, Smriti Irani shouted 'you don't know me, who I am'. Many MPs of other parties and Congress MPs are witness to this incident," he said in a statement in Hindi.

"What is this maryada? Can an MP not even talk to a fellow MP? Smriti Irani can keep her point in a political way. Why is she adopting a heckling attitude with a senior MP and a party president. It is against the dignity of Parliament and politics. Political opposition apart, but is such kind of behaviour with a senior MP justified," he asked.

He also put out a Twitter post asking if rules were only meant for the Opposition.

Veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge echoed the outrage.

"The behaviour & unparliamentary conduct of many MPs & Ministers of BJP have been nothing short of outrageous today.

"Doesn't (sic) personal attacks on Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi call for suspension or is this 'honour' reserved only for asking legit parliamentary questions?" he asked on Twitter.

In the letter addressed to Birla, Congress wrote, "We seek your intervention in sending the matter to the privilege committee as the unruly behaviour of those alleged members may warrant the suspension from the House."

Congress MP Jyotsna Mahant alleged that Irani disrespected Sonia Gandhi and spoke while pointing a finger at her. "This is shameful. The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must apologise for this behaviour."

Another Congress leader Geeta Kora said the behaviour Gandhi was subjected to was "not acceptable".

"The incident that happened in Parliament is a black spot in its history. The behaviour towards a senior MP, Sonia Gandhi, is unacceptable. Women and male MPs surrounded her, made objectionable comments and Irani spoke to her while pointing a finger at her repeatedly. She could have been hurt in the incident. I strongly condemn such behaviour and Smriti Irani and the prime minister should apologise in Parliament," Kora said.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot said Sonia Gandhi has "considered service, unity, progress and prosperity of the country as her first duty. Her humble nature and respect for all in every situation is well known.

"The indecent behaviour by BJP leaders in the House today is condemnable".

Congress MP Manickam Tagore also slammed Irani for what he said was "highly condemnable behaviour".

Chowdhury has said he never intended to disrespect the president and his 'rashtrapatni' remark was a "slip of the tongue". He accused the BJP of making a "mountain out of a molehill" over the issue.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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Agencies
November 22,2025

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New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has again claimed to have solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, repeating his assertion during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office.

Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump said he “enjoyed” the meeting, which he described as “great.”

During remarks in the Oval Office, with Mamdani standing next to him, Trump repeated his claim that he solved the May conflict between India and Pakistan.

"I did eight peace deals of countries, including India and Pakistan,” he said.

On Wednesday, Trump had said he threatened to put 350 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they did not end their conflict, repeating his claim that he solved the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say “we're not going to go to war.”

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Mamdani emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to sit at the helm of the largest city in the US.

He had been the front-runner in the NYC Mayoral election for months and defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and political heavyweight former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate and was officially endorsed by Trump just hours before the elections.

Indian-descent Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

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News Network
December 5,2025

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New Delhi, Dec 5: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers issued a public apology this evening after more than a thousand flights were cancelled today, making it the "most severely impacted day" in terms of cancellations. The biggest airline of the country cancelled "more than half" of its daily number of flights on Friday, said Elbers. He also said that even though the crisis will persist on Saturday, the airline anticipates fewer than 1,000 flight cancellations.

"Full normalisation is expected between December 10 and 15, though IndiGo cautions that recovery will take time due to the scale of operations," the IndiGo CEO said. 

IndiGo operates around 2,300 domestic and international flights daily.

Pieter Elbers, while apologising for the major inconvenience due to delays and cancellations, said the situation is a result of various causes.

The crisis at IndiGo stems from new regulations that boost pilots' weekly rest requirements by 12 hours to 48 and allow only two night-time landings per week, down from six. IndiGo has attributed the mass cancellations to "misjudgment and planning gaps".

Elbers also listed three lines of action that the airline will adopt to address the issue.

"Firstly, customer communication and addressing your needs, for this, messages have been sent on social media. And just now, a more detailed communication with information, refunds, cancellations and other customer support measures was sent," he said.

The airline has also stepped up its call centre capacity.

"Secondly, due to yesterday's situation, we had customers stranded mostly at the nation's largest airports. Our focus was for all of them to be able to travel today itself, which will be achieved. For this, we also ask customers whose flights are cancelled not to come to the airports as notifications are sent," the CEO said.

"Thirdly, cancellations were made for today to align our crew and planes to be where they need to start tomorrow morning afresh. Earlier measures of the last few days, regrettable, have proven not to be enough, but we have decided today to reboot all our systems and schedules, resulting in the highest numbers of cancellations so far, but imperative for progressive improvements starting from tomorrow," he added.

As airports witnessed chaotic scenes, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stepped in to grant IndiGo a temporary exemption from stricter night duty rules for pilots. It also allowed substitution of leaves with a weekly rest period. 

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said a high-level inquiry will be ordered and accountability will be fixed.

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