TMC irked as it fails to get permit for rally
The Trinamool Congress this past week claimed that the Centre has denied it permission to hold a protest rally at the Ramlila Maidan in October against the blocking funds of Bengal under Central schemes. Earlier this month, TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had announced the ‘Delhi Chalo’, saying the party would hit the streets of Delhi on October 2.
AAP’s 83-fold hike in allowances raise concerns
Officials are deeply concerned about Aam Aadmi Party’s decision to raise allowances for councillors by 83 times, viewing it as a populist move. This decision comes at a time when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is struggling to meet its financial obligations, which poses a significant financial burden. AAP-led MCD recently approved a substantial increase in the meeting allowance for each councillor, raising it to Rs 25,000 from the previous Rs 300 per meeting. Mayor Shelly Oberoi said that orders have been passed to all 250 councillors irrespective of their political party.
Arvinder Singh Lovely appointed DPCC president
The Delhi Congress, for the longest time, has opposed an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, openly criticising its leadership. However, the central leadership of the Congress party now aims to join forces with AAP, in view of the opposition alliance ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, under the banner of “INDIA”. Now, Arvinder Singh Lovely has been named the new DPCC President. This move is intended to mend relations with AAP. Lovely, who previously held this position in 2013 during a more conciliatory phase towards AAP, is known for his role during AAP’s 49-day government with Congress support in 2014. Unlike the vacating chief and other Delhi Congress leaders who have openly criticised AAP, Lovely refrained from any such statements. His reappointment is seen as a step towards a potential coalition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
DMRC takes action ahead of G20 Summit
In anticipation of the G20 Summit, the Delhi Metro Railways Corporation (DMRC), initiated a special drive on Friday to prevent male passengers from entering ladies’ coaches on its trains. The DMRC, on social media, said that this joint drive with CISF and DMRP will run from 6 PM to 10 PM on all lines for the next 10 days, concluding on September 10, 2023. However, female commuters expressed scepticism, questioning the timing of the drive and whether it was merely a show of discipline to charm the international visitors.
