All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)-aligned Humayun Kabir — a suspended Trinamool MLA — has announced his plan to launch a new political party in West Bengal on December 22. He claims to be “Bengal’s Owaisi,” citing personal assurances from Asaduddin Owaisi, and intends to contest 135 of the state’s 294 assembly seats in 2026. Kabir warned that the “Muslim vote bank” of Trinamool will be finished — positioning his party as a Muslim-representative alternative, and potentially altering communal and electoral dynamics in Bengal ahead of next year’s polls. PC: NDTV)

A drug bust in Madhya Pradesh has created a political controversy after 46 kg of cannabis was seized in Rampur Baghelan. Police arrested Pankaj Singh Baghel, who named Anil Bagri, brother of Urban Development Minister Pratima Bagri, as a supplier. The seizure, valued at nearly Rs 9.23 lakh, came after a tip-off. Minister Bagri said criminals will not be spared, regardless of relations. The opposition Congress criticized the BJP government, questioning law-and-order oversight. Bagri, one of the youngest ministers in Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s cabinet, faces scrutiny as the case unfolds and political pressure mounts. (PC: The Indian Express)

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition, raised three questions in Parliament during the debate on electoral rolls. He asked why the CJI was removed from the panel selecting election commissioners, why election commissioners were given legal immunity, and why CCTV footage of elections can be destroyed after 45 days. He said these steps threaten democracy. Gandhi also made four demands: 1) give machine-readable voter lists one month before elections, 2) stop destroying CCTV footage, 3) allow experts access to EVMs, and 4) change the law that lets election commissioners act without accountability.

Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of “vote chori” during a debate on electoral reforms in the Lok Sabha. He cited cases of duplicate voter entries in Haryana and Bihar, and said the Election Commission was acting under government influence. Gandhi claimed a Brazilian woman’s photo appeared 22 times in Haryana’s voter list and that over one lakh duplicate names were found in Bihar. He questioned why the Chief Justice was removed from the panel that selects Election Commissioners. Gandhi also accused the RSS and BJP of “capturing” key institutions. The BJP and Election Commission have denied all his allegations. (PC: NDTV)

Opposition MPs walked out of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after the Speaker refused their demand for a full debate on the IndiGo crisis. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said aviation safety is “non-negotiable” and blamed internal rostering problems for the flight cancellations. In the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Ashok Singh accused the government of ignoring passenger troubles and called the DGCA a “rubber stamp”. The Houses also prepared for a long discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Rahul Gandhi will open the debate, while the government says it is ready to counter false claims made by the opposition. (PC: HT)

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta recently said that “AQI is like a temperature,” claiming sprinkling water around pollution‑hotspots can reduce AQI levels. Her remarks triggered sharp backlash from Kejriwal. He accused her government of “hiding” pollution data by sprinkling water near air‑quality monitors to artificially lower readings. Kejriwal’s post on social media questioned when “this new science” started — implying that treating air quality like temperature is absurd. The controversy has reignited public scrutiny of official air‑quality claims in the capital amid serious pollution concerns. (PC: NDTV)

Punjab Congress suspended Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of former cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, following her controversial claim that one needs a “₹500 crore suitcase” to become Chief Minister. The remark, made while discussing her husband’s political prospects, triggered a political storm, drawing criticism from opposition parties and Congress leaders alike. Congress described her statement as “undermining party discipline” and suspended her with immediate effect. Navjot Kaur defended herself, saying her words were misinterpreted and based on hearsay, not a personal allegation. The episode exposed internal tensions in Punjab Congress ahead of upcoming elections. (PC: PTI)

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi accused PM Modi of selectively quoting Jawaharlal Nehru's 1937 letter to Subhash Chandra Bose during the Lok Sabha Vande Mataram debate. She stated "communalists manufactured" objections to remaining stanzas, which Modi omitted. Earlier, Modi claimed Nehru accepted Jinnah's sentiments, suggesting Vande Mataram's Anandamath association could instigate Muslims. Priyanka noted only two stanzas were adopted in the assembly where Ambedkar and RSS leader Shyama Prasad Mukherjee were present, questioning why they didn't object then. She challenged the government to list Nehru's "blunders" for parliamentary debate. Speaker Om Birla opened discussions commemorating Vande Mataram's 150-year journey as India's timeless symbol of national resolve.

Parliament's Vande Mataram debate signaled an intense BJP-TMC battle ahead of West Bengal's 2026 assembly elections. Prime Minister Modi traced the National Song's 150-year history, accusing Congress under Nehru of truncating lyrics for "appeasement" politics. TMC MPs spoke in Bangla, challenging BJP's appropriation. TMC's Saugata Roy objected to Modi calling writer Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay "dada," insisting on "Bankim babu" which Modi accepted. Union Culture Minister Gajendra Shekhawat's error calling him "Bankim Das" gave TMC ammunition, branding BJP "arrogant" and "anti-Bengal." TMC plans leveraging this to prove Modi disrespects Bengal icons. While BJP positions itself as "insider" honoring Bengal's legacy, TMC hopes the debate favors themelectorally.

Parliament held a special discussion to mark 150 years of Vande Mataram on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the debate and called the song a sacred mantra that inspired India’s freedom movement. A light moment followed when Modi referred to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as “Bankim Da”. Trinamool MP Saugata Roy objected and said the correct term was “Bankim Babu”. Modi accepted the correction and joked that he hoped he could still call Roy “dada”. Modi said the song united the nation and should inspire India to reach its goals by 2047. The Winter Session will continue till December 19. (PC: HT)