A political row broke out after a video from the Congress Independence Day event in New Delhi showed Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge making hand gestures during the rendition of Vande Mataram. Rahul Gandhi was also seen making a similar gesture. Critics claimed the leaders were asking workers to stop the national song. Congress leader Ashok Gehlot dismissed the issue, saying, “There is no controversy.” The row comes amid a wider political fight over Vande Mataram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticised Congress over its history with the song. Congress has not yet given a detailed explanation of the gestures.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day appeal for political parties to support early implementation of the 33% women’s reservation in legislatures. Ramesh described Modi’s pitch as “dishonest” and accused the government of “double-faced hypocrisy,” arguing that the Centre had delayed implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Modi, in his Red Fort address, urged parties to help ensure women’s reservation becomes effective and said political credit should not matter. The controversy centres on the 2023 law’s implementation being linked to census and delimitation processes, prompting opposition criticism over the timeline. (PC: The Hindu)

The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday stressed the strong ties between India and Italy after a political exchange involving Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy at a party event. He questioned the idea of “hug diplomacy” and hugged party leader Sandeep Dikshit on stage. Dikshit then made a reference to Meloni. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s ties with Italy have expanded and strengthened in recent years. He said diplomatic discussions should remain respectful. The BJP also criticised Gandhi, accusing him of crossing the limits of political discourse.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of remaining on the sidelines while Pakistan emerged as a mediator in efforts to resolve the Iran war. Speaking at the Rachnatmak Congress National Convention in Delhi, Gandhi said India had missed a “huge opportunity” to leverage its relationships with both Iran and the United States. He criticised the government’s foreign policy, arguing that India’s ties with the two countries could have enabled New Delhi to play a meaningful role in efforts to end the months-long conflict. Gandhi contrasted India’s position with Pakistan’s emerging mediation role and questioned why the government failed to use its diplomatic relationships to make India more relevant in resolving the crisis.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya has demanded that West Bengal be renamed “Paschim Banga”, saying the state’s name is closely linked to its history and creation in 1947. Speaking during a debate on the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, Bhattacharya welcomed the proposal to rename Kerala as Keralam. He said West Bengal was created after Partition and argued that changing its name to Bengal would ignore the history behind its formation. “West Bengal is not just a name; it has a history. We want the name to be changed to Paschim Banga,” he said. He also supported other renaming demands. (PC: The Telegraph)

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has ordered police action against people making derogatory remarks about freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose on social media. Adhikari said such posts should be deleted and followed by an apology, stressing that the law would apply equally to MLAs, MPs and government officials. His direction came days after BJP MP Ananta Maharaj described Netaji as a “war criminal” and questioned his leadership and the Azad Hind Fauj. Adhikari also directed MLAs to establish Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Seva Kendras in their constituencies. The state will provide ₹30,000 per month to support the centres, subject to conditions. (PC: X)

Kangana Ranaut on Wednesday clarified her controversial “gutter” remark, saying it targeted a specific section of young people, not the entire youth population. The BJP MP and Mandi Lok Sabha representative said her comments were misinterpreted as blanket criticism of young people. Ranaut explained that those who identify themselves as “cockroaches” would naturally “live in a gutter,” adding that she would reject such a description if applied to her. She stressed that discussing youth involved in drugs, betting, gambling or the dark web did not mean condemning all young people. Her remarks followed criticism of young participants in Cockroach Janata Party protests, whom she called “Generation Gutter”. She also criticised Rahul Gandhi’s conduct in Parliament and predicted his current Leader of Opposition term would be his last.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin? No — Chief Minister Vijay has moved a resolution opposing the proposed delimitation exercise and seeking to permanently retain the Lok Sabha’s existing 543 seats. The resolution argues that southern states should not lose parliamentary representation because of population-control measures. It also calls for maintaining the existing inter-state seat allocation and implementing 33% reservation for women in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections using the current 543 constituencies. The Tamil Nadu Assembly subsequently passed the resolution on August 12. The move follows the state government’s recent anti-NEET legislation and intensifies its opposition to proposed changes in parliamentary representation. (PC: PTI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on August 12 offered the Opposition a 24-hour window to end the ongoing Parliament logjam, proposing discussions from 3 pm Wednesday to 3 pm Thursday. Shah asked the Opposition to submit a letter to the Speaker by 2 pm and assured that he would remain present to hear all concerns and answer questions. The deadlock has centred on alleged police action against students during NEET protests and demands for a discussion on alleged Ram Temple donation theft. Shah blamed the Opposition for disrupting proceedings, while Rahul Gandhi rejected the offer, demanding accountability over the alleged crackdown on protesting students. (PC: India Today)

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose has announced plans to launch the Azad Hind Party, drawing inspiration from recent Gen Z-led protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Bose said the proposed political outfit will focus on young people and seek to promote Netaji’s inclusive and secular ideology. He alleged that widespread corruption across politics and institutions has left India’s youth increasingly frustrated with the existing system. The announcement marks another shift in Bose’s political journey. He recently resigned from the Trinamool Congress after joining the party ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, following an earlier stint with the BJP. Bose had previously called his decision to join the BJP a “mistake” before leaving the TMC citing personal reasons. (PC: Indsia Today)