BJP leader Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed as pro-tem speaker by President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, sparking accusations from Congress of ignoring the claim of their own eight-term MP, Suresh, to the post. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back at Congress, accusing them of misleading and lying to the people for politicizing the appointment. He also clarified that Suresh's lack of uninterrupted tenure as an MP disqualified his seniority for the position.
In response to the opposition's demand for a discussion on the alleged irregularities in competitive examinations like NEET and NET, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan accused the Congress and its allies of spreading lies and misleading students. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech in Rajya Sabha, assured that the government will not spare anyone playing with the future of students and strict steps will be taken. Meanwhile, an American jewellery designer discovered that the 478 pieces of jewellery made in Jaipur were fake, prompting the police to file an FIR against the accused jewellers who have since fled.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a veiled jibe at the INDIA bloc in his address to the Lok Sabha, stating that the people had shown their support for the BJP-led alliance by electing the NDA government for a third successive time. He also highlighted the government's "policy of zero-tolerance" towards corruption and expressed gratitude towards first-time parliamentarians for their behaviour and valuable contributions to the debate. PM Modi also addressed the criticism of ethnic violence in Manipur, stating that the government prioritizes "justice for all" in every decision.