Evening News Report: Modi attacks House opposition, MPs walk out; LS Speaker says he asked PM to skip House & more India News

Here are the top 5 stories of the day:

“Thak gaye, chale gaye”: Prime Minister Modi attacks opposition MPs strike in Rajya Sabha

Opposition members chanted slogans and went on strike as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the House of Representatives. Targeting the Congress party, Modi said the NDA government had spent much of a decade correcting “mistakes of the past”, including in economic management and infiltration. Opposition MPs raised slogans demanding that opposition leader Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak. Prime Minister Modi took a jibe at Mallikarjun Haq, suggesting he consider “siting down” and raising slogans, considering his age. Shortly after the speech began, the opposition went on strike. Follow live updates here

Speaker Om Birla says he asked PM Modi to skip House fearing chaos

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said he has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to attend the House during the debate on the motion of thanking the President for his speech, citing intelligence that an “inappropriate incident” may have occurred near the Prime Minister’s chair. Birla said the decision was taken to prevent riots and protect parliamentary traditions, adding that the prime minister agreed to the request to maintain decorum. Read the full story here

MEA says India’s energy security is top priority on Russian oil

India’s foreign ministry said India’s energy security remains its core priority, responding to US President Donald Trump’s remarks that India may stop buying Russian oil. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India’s oil import decisions are guided by national interests, market conditions and global developments. He added that India has not publicly committed to stopping purchases of Russian oil or diverting supplies to the United States or Venezuela.His remarks came after Trump claimed Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop buying Russian oil as part of a broader trade understanding and that India could increase imports from the United States and even Venezuela. Read the full story here

T20 World Cup: Suriya says India will travel to Colombo to play Pakistan

India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav said despite the uncertainty over Pakistan’s participation, the Indian team will adhere to the ICC World Cup schedule against Pakistan in Colombo. He said India has not refused to play and the team’s travel plans are in place. “Our flight to Colombo is booked. We are leaving,” Surya said, adding that the situation would become clearer closer to the game. Read the full story here

Amit Shah launches ‘Bharat Taxi’, plans to roll it out across the country

Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched India’s first cooperative-led ride-hailing platform ‘Bharat Taxi’ after a successful pilot. The service has been launched in Delhi-NCR and Gujarat and is expected to be expanded across the country within three years.“In three years, Bharat Taxi will be launched across the country, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Dwarka to Kamakya,” Shah said while launching the platform. He added that the platform will be owned by the drivers themselves and profits will be shared directly with them, stressing that the government will not get involved in the taxi industry. Read the full story here