Think tanning and pigmentation are the same? Experts decode the crucial differences between the twoTanning and pigmentation are often used interchangeably, but there’s quite a difference between the two. Experts decode the difference. Published on: May 26
‘Don’t visit Sikkim if you litter’: Anand Mahindra sparks civic sense debateAnand Mahindra’s X post on littering in Sikkim has gone viral, sparking debate on civic responsibility and tourist behaviour. Updated on: May 26, 2026 4:46 PM IST By Vaishali Kapila Share via Copy link Industrialist
China and Pakistan have reached a "new broad consensus" on deepening strategic ties to beef up development of a joint economic corridor and establish the port of Gwadar as a regional connectivity hub, the neighbours said on Tuesday (May 26, 2026)
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.Backpacking across Europe? A solo traveller and content creator suggests the perfect packing listA solo traveller shares the smartest Europe backpacking essentials
Woman shows ladoos melting in Delhi heat, says ‘Inki abh barfi banegi’A viral video showing boxes of ladoos turning into a soft mess has left the internet amused, as people react with memes and relatable summer experiences. Updated on: May 26
Chhattisgarh: Congress grills BJP on opium cultivation issue
Chhattisgarh: Congress grills BJP on opium cultivation issue
Congress legislators raised the issue of illegal cultivation of opium, allegedly at the farm of a local BJP functionary, in the Chhattisgarh Assembly on Monday (March 9, 2026).
The Opposition MLAs caused a ruckus in the House alleging that the BJP leader Vinayak Tamrakar was involved in the farming in Durg district and claimed that he enjoyed protection from the ruling party. They also moved an adjournment motion over the issue which was disallowed by the chair leading to protest and subsequent suspension of 29 Congress MLAs.
The Leader of the Opposition Charan Das Mahant raised the matter during the Zero Hour and said that opium cultivation was taking place about 50 km from the State capital Raipur.
The LoP claimed that Mr. Tamrakar was involved in illegal farming. Mr. Tamrakar, who has now been suspended from the party, has been named in the FIR, he said.
He claimed that there appeared to be administrative collusion in the case, and accused the government of wanting to make Chhattisgarh, which is known “dhan ka katora” (rice bowl) of the country, “afeem ka katora” (opium bowl) by 2047.
Joining him, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel claimed the District Collector had earlier identified the field as belonging to Mr. Tamrakar, but the police had not made him the main accused in the FIR.
Instead, a man from Rajasthan who worked at the farm was listed as the prime accused, followed by another farm worker, while Mr. Tamrakar was named third in the FIR, he said. The FIR lacked key details such as the exact landholding and ownership of the property, Mr. Baghel claimed.
Congress members demanded a discussion by moving an adjournment motion notice in the House. The party alleged that maize and wheat crops had been planted around the opium fields to conceal the illegal activity.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma replied on the issue and said that a joint team comprising police, officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), excise and revenue departments conducted a raid at the site.
Due to darkness, the site was secured on the first day and the seizure operation resumed on March 7 in the presence of a chief judicial magistrate. Three accused— Vikas Vishnoi, Manish Thakur and Vinayak Tamrakar— were arrested and produced before a court the same day, Mr. Sharma added.
A case has been registered at Pulgaon police station under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Authorities seized opium plants weighing 62,424.4 kg, valued at about ₹7.8 crore, he informed. He also informed the House that between 2024 and February 2026, the State registered 2,947 cases related to narcotics trafficking and arrested 5,177 accused.
After Mr. Sharma’s reply, the Chair disallowed the adjournment motion. Dissatisfied, Congress members began sloganeering and entered the well of the House, leading to their automatic suspension. The Chair announced the suspension of 29 Congress members, following which they sat on the floor of the House and continued shouting slogans against the government.
After the issue surfaced on March 7, BJP suspended its Kisan Morcha functionary Mr. Tamrakar from the party for tarnishing its image.
Meanwhile the Congress party also announced a street protests on the issue.
“On the call of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee, in protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s protection to the drug trade, a protest/demonstration is to be held on March 12, 2026 by gheraoing the BJP office in all the district headquarters of the State including the capital Raipur,” read a party statement issued on Monday (March 9, 2026) evening.
Published - March 10, 2026 09:57 am IST
Indian National Congress / Chhattisgarh
Source: TheHindu
Related Posts: More Karnataka Congress legislators backing Shivakumar travel to Delhi Opium’ perfume lands Indian man in ICE custody Kavitha accuses former BRS legislators of graft Poppy cultivation on 8 acres destroyed Raised issue of President's 'insult' with new Bengal Guv Powerful groups trying to divert attention from issue of illegal immigrants in Manipur 14 questions raised by President Murmu in Presidential Reference Ladli Behna Yojana Payout Raised To Rs 1 Prashant Kishor has raised hundreds of crores of rupees through shell companies Eyebrows Raised As NCP Leader Announces Tentative Dates For Maharashtra Local Body Polls
Martha Mitchell was a flamboyant Washington DC socialite whose husband was embroiled in the Watergate scandal. Her shocking claims of a violent abduction and a "dirty business" were ridiculed as delusional – until they turned out to be true. Martha Mitchell was a character; everyone agreed on
1 days ago
From the academic year 2026–27, bilingual classes will be introduced in all government schools across 15 districts of the state. While the government had earlier announced that English would be introduced in LKG classes, a fresh directive now states that an Urdu-English bilingual medium will also
1 days ago
Trading scalpel for golf irons: Indian-origin golfer Manav Shah’s stirring journey to US OpenTrading scalpel for golf irons: Indian-origin golfer Manav Shah’s stirring journey to US Open Updated on: May 26, 2026 4:14 PM IST PTI Share via Copy link New Delhi
1 days ago
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that he was not in favour of Islamabad joining the Abraham Accords to normalise relations with Israel. Also read | Pakistan deploys jet squadron, thousands of troops to Saudi Arabia amid escalating Iran war tensionsPakistan’s Defence Minister
1 days ago
AIADMK MLA Esakki Subaya submitted his resignation today. He is the fourth MLA from the party to resign in two days. Subaya supported former ministers C Ve Shanmugam and S P Velumani. Three other AIADMK MLAs also resigned yesterday. They are expected to get tickets for upcoming byelections from the
1 days ago
Kimi Antonelli extended his lead in the drivers' championship after Mercedes team-mate George Russell retired from the Canadian Grand Prix. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished second and Max Verstappen's Red Bull made up the top three. Russell was successful earlier in the weekend when he converted
1 days ago
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of three persons who died in February 2003 during protests seeking to declare the Bhojshala-Kamal Maula mosque complex in Dhar district as a temple, The Hindu reported
1 days ago
2026 Honda City facelift on wishlist? Key genuine accessories you can buyThe 2026 Honda City facelift can be accessorised with a plethora of genuine accessories. Published on: May 26, 2026 1:40 PM IST By Mainak Das Share via Copy link Limited Time Deals on Popular cars Volvo XC90 ₹ 97
1 days ago
Lawyer seeks to register Cockroach Janta Party separately from US-based founderSudhir Jakhar, the lawyer calling himself the party’s national convener, submitted the application to the ECI secretary Updated on: May 26, 2026 1:57 PM IST By Harsh Yadav Share via Copy link A lawyer from Haryana’s
1 days ago
South Korean seven-piece BTS have won Artist of the Year at the American Music Awards (AMAs) for the second consecutive year, cementing their status as one of the world's biggest bands. The award, considered the ceremony's grand prize, is just the latest crown jewel for the so-called kings of K-pop
1 days ago
The ET Most Innovative AI Product Awards 2026 recognises the AI Platforms, Infrastructure & Developer Tools category. It highlights the technologies powering the next phase of enterprise AI from platforms and MLOps to observability and developer tools. These innovations are enabling scalable
1 days ago
Vedant Shrivastava posts correct CBSE answer sheet, alleges marks slashed for right answerClass 12 student Vedant Shrivastava has received his correct answer sheets after CBSE admitted to a mix-up with his Physics paper. Updated on: May 26, 2026 1:13 PM IST By Sanya Jain Share via Copy link Class
1 days ago
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced plans to boost the state's economy to Rs 10 lakh crore by 2028. He stated the tabling of the Uniform Civil Code bill demonstrates the government's dedication to the rights of minority women. Sarma also noted the election results reflected public
1 days ago
Air India has rolled out an upgrade to its Maharaja Club loyalty programme, allowing members to earn and redeem Maharaja Points on Air India Express flights covering more than 55 destinations across South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Asia. The move broadens the scope of the airline group’s
1 days ago
Hansal Mehta has long been recognised as one of India’s most emotionally observant storytellers. Whether through the raw realism of Shahid, the intimacy of Aligarh, the unsettling tension of Scam 1992 or the deeply human narratives that run across his body of work
1 days ago
Tech Tonic | Ferrari Luce, Sir Jony Ive, and a subversion of ethosFerrari Luce is trying to tell the carmakers of the world that cars don’t have to feel like driving a tablet. Published on: May 26, 2026 11:43 AM IST By Vishal Mathur Share via Copy link The first car from Sir Jonathan Paul Ive
1 days ago
SC stays Delhi HC ruling against barring law students over attendance shortageA bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta passed the interim order while issuing notice on a petition filed by the Bar Council of India (BCI) against the November 2025 judgment of the Delhi HC Published on: May 26
1 days ago
Hema Malini’s blush pink saree for receiving Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan is all about elegance and simplicity. See picsVeteran actor Hema Malini looked graceful in a blush pink saree as she accepted late actor Dharmendra’s Padma Vibhushan at the 2026 ceremony in New Delhi
1 days ago
Bengaluru traffic police slaps auto driver over accident, viral video sparks outrageMany on social media have tagged Bengaluru Police, urging them to take a look into the matter where a cop allegedly slapped an auto driver. Published on: May 26
1 days ago
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday (May 25, 2026) called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resume bombing Beirut in response to increased explosive drone attacks by Hezbollah on Israeli troops and northern Israel towns. Mr
1 days ago
has reported a net profit of Rs 48.4 crore for FY26, its first full financial year after the completed its with , marking a turnaround from a Rs 216.7 crore loss in the previous year.Total income more than doubled to Rs 1,402.7 crore in FY26 from Rs 603.8 crore in FY25
1 days ago
Partnership, the firm cofounded by Indian entrepreneurs , Sanjeev Kumar and Ashish Kumar, has launched a dedicated frontier-tech investment platform, (Fundamentum Frontier Advisors), with Rs 3,000 crore to invest in artificial intelligence and deeptech startups.Of this, Rs 2
1 days ago
The admission process for IGNOU July 2026 session has commenced for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and online programmes. Interested students can apply by visiting ignouadmission.samarth.edu.in. The Indira Gandhi National Open University has started the admission process for the July 2026
1 days ago
Editorial independence is core to our work. Some links may earn us a commission, without influencing our opinions.From instant coffee to incredible: The best easy-to-use brewers for a better morningGood coffee at home no longer needs cafe visits, as these coffee machines can handle espresso
1 days ago
5 crystals to bring luck and financial growthGemstones are tools to connect your goals with your actions and mindset. Here are five crystals that are often linked with luck and financial growth. Updated on: May 26, 2026 1:20 PM IST Edited by Kanakanjali Roy Share via Copy link While crystals are
1 days ago
The U.S. military said it carried out “self-defence” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats placing mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations were “proceeding nicely”. The strikes were done “to protect our troops from
1 days ago
Wall Street is abuzz with next month’s expected blockbuster debut of Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite maker SpaceX, but few of the biggest IPOs in recent years have paid off for investors who bought in when the deals came to market. A Reuters analysis of the 50 IPOs with the highest
1 days ago
