Today in Politics: PM Modi to address YUGM conclave; Rahul Gandhi to visit Raebareli amid state Cong revamp

The statement added the conclave aims to catalyse large-scale private investment in India’s innovation ecosystem and accelerate research-to-commercialisation pipelines.

Rahul Gandhi in Raebareli

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is set to begin a two-day visit to his parliamentary constituency Raebareli and neighbouring party bastion Amethi in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.

On the first day, he will inaugurate a solar plant in Raebareli, inaugurate a statue of Subhash Chandra Bose and also visit the Rae Coach factory. He will also attend a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA).

The trip will also mark his first visit to his former constituency Amethi since the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Gandhi’s visit comes against the backdrop of an overhaul of the Uttar Pradesh Congress unit. Having faced resentment at the district level over its recent revamp of the party’s district units, the Congress is moving cautiously while making changes in its state unit, as reported by Maulshree Seth.

The party is making attempts to not just accommodate proper caste combinations but maintain the delicate balance between old and new faces. Sources said the Congress would take one more month to complete its re-organisation in the state as it is preparing the team that will take the lead for the 2027 Assembly elections.

Pegasus spyware pleas in SC

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a batch of pleas seeking a probe into the alleged unauthorised use of Pegasus spyware for surveillance.

On August 25, 2022, the top court said the technical panel appointed by it to probe the unauthorised use of Pegasus found some malware in five of 29 examined cell phones but it could not be held that the Israeli spyware was used.

The Supreme Court in 2021 had ordered a probe into the allegations of the use of Israeli spyware by government agencies for targeted surveillance of politicians, journalists, and activists and appointed technical and supervisory committees to examine the matter.

Delhi HC to hear bail plea on 2023 Parliament breach

The Delhi High Court will on Tuesday hear the bail plea of Neelam Azad, who was arrested in the December 2023 Parliament security breach case.

The high court has asked the police to explain whether carrying or using a smoke canister, which is not lethal, is covered under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for the offence of terrorist activities.

In a major security breach on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack, two accused allegedly jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans. Around the same time, two other accused, including Azad, allegedly sprayed coloured gas from canisters while shouting slogans outside Parliament.

Nomination deadline for vacant RS seat

A day ahead of the Tuesday deadline for nominations for the Rajya Sabha seat from Andhra Pradesh, vacated after the resignation of former YSR Congress Party MP V Vijayasai Reddy, the BJP named old RSS hand Paka Venkata Satyanarayana as its candidate.

Though its NDA allies Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and JanaSena Party (JSP) have an overwhelming majority in the state Assembly, the BJP managed to secure the support of the TDP to name a candidate of its own.

While former Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai and former Union Minister Smriti Irani were among the names floating around for the Rajya Sabha seat, party insiders describe Satyanarayana “loyal party worker who had grown along the ranks of the BJP”. With Satyanarayana being from the OBC Goud community, the BJP hopes it can also send a signal to the backward classes.

Though voting is scheduled for May 9, no other candidate is likely to file a nomination and Satyanarayana’s road to the Upper House seems clear.

– With PTI inputs