PM Modi Replies in Rajya Sabha Amid Chaos
Following a historic disruption in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha to reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.
- Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla revealed he had advised the PM to skip the Lower House address due to “concrete information” that Opposition members planned to surround his chair for an “unexpected act. In the Upper House, the PM taunted the Opposition’s sloganeering, stating that India is on an “unstoppable journey” toward Viksit Bharat. He highlighted the nation’s high growth and low inflation as signs of a “stable and moving” economy.
Amit Shah Launches ‘Bharat Taxi’
Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially launched Bharat Taxi, India’s first cooperative-based ride-hailing platform. Unlike existing aggregators, Bharat Taxi is designed to give ownership and higher value creation to the drivers (referred to as sarathis), aiming to end “exploitative” private aggregator models.
Anurag Kashyap Refutes ‘Epstein Files’ Link
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap broke his silence regarding his name reportedly appearing in the unverified Epstein Files released by the US DOJ. The documents allegedly referred to a “famous Bollywood director” invited to an event in Beijing in 2017. Kashyap told , “I have never been to Beijing in my life!” He dismissed the mention as a “clickbait” error based on random invitations he frequently receives but ignores.
PCB Invokes ‘Force Majeure’ in T20 World Cup Boycott
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is reportedly preparing to use a “Force Majeure” clause to defend its refusal to play India in the T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the boycott is a “gesture of solidarity” with Bangladesh (who were replaced by Scotland in the tournament). The ICC and BCCI have dismissed the “Force Majeure” claim as legally weak, warning Pakistan of severe financial sanctions and point forfeiture if they fail to fulfill the fixture.
India Rejects US Claim of ‘Russian Oil Ban’
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has officially pushed back against Donald Trump’s claim that India agreed to stop buying Russian oil as part of the new India–US trade deal. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that “ensuring energy security for 1.4 billion people” remains the supreme priority. While India confirmed the 18% reciprocal tariff rate and increased trade ties, it clarified that decisions on sourcing hydrocarbons (including from Russia and Venezuela) would be based strictly on commercial and national interests.