Rush Hour: HC declines to stay rebel TMC leader as LoP, six Uddhav Sena MPs skip party meet & more

The Calcutta High Court declined interim relief in a petition challenging West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose’s decision to recognise expelled Trinamool Congress MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of Opposition. The plea had been filed by TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who argued that the speaker had ignored the party leadership’s decision to nominate him as leader of Opposition.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 28. Read on.

Messaging platform Telegram was becoming the new “dark web”, enabling illegal activities and linking criminals, the Union government claimed before the Delhi High Court. The claim was made in an affidavit filed to oppose Telegram’s petition challenging an order restricting access to its services in India until June 22, ahead of the NEET-UG re-examination for seats in medical colleges.

The court had asked the government about the extent of the alleged illegal activities on Telegram. The bench reserved its order in the matter. Read on.

Six of the nine Lok Sabha MPs of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) skipped a meeting of its parliamentary party amid speculation that they may defect to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led rival faction. The meeting was attended by the other three Lok Sabha MPs of the Uddhav Sena and the party’s lone Rajya...

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