POLITICS

PM Modi's speech today in the Parliament to feature response to Rahul Gandhi's allegations of US deal done under distress!

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to use his reply to the President’s Address today to mount a detailed counteroffensive against Rahul Gandhi’s charge that the recent India–US trade agreement was signed “under pressure” and “sold the country. Government sources indicate Modi will frame the deal as a strategic economic breakthrough that protects farmers and industry, while accusing the Opposition of undermining India’s global credibility by linking the agreement to US cases involving Adani and references to Epstein files. The speech is also likely to stress that negotiations were conducted from a position of strength, portraying Gandhi’s “compromised PM” line as politically motivated mischaracterisation.

Home Minister Amit Shah not keen on Sharad Pawar joining the NDA?  

Following Ajit Pawar's tragic death in a plane crash on January 28, 2026, which has left the NCP factions in flux, reports suggest Amit Shah may not be keen on Sharad Pawar's NCP(SP) joining the NDA, potentially stalling merger talks that were eyeing an early February announcement under leaders like Sunetra Pawar. Speculatively, this reported reluctance—echoing past frictions—could prompt the BJP to prop up a loyal Ajit faction splinter to secure Mahayuti's Maharashtra grip, marginalizing Pawar ahead of polls, though his political savvy or court interventions on symbols might still pivot dynamics by mid-2026.