New Delhi, Aug 22: BJP leaders on Saturday stepped up their criticism of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of failing to discharge his responsibilities and questioning his stance on the Vande Mataram issue. At the same time, Trinamool MP Saugata Roy praised Rahul Gandhi for taking up the cause of protesting students and described his intervention in getting an FIR filed in the pellet gun use case as a major achievement.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh, speaking in Mumbai, claimed Rahul Gandhi had not fulfilled the responsibilities associated with the post of Leader of Opposition. Referring to recent developments, Singh accused the Opposition of raising the Vande Mataram issue for political purposes.

Singh said, “Rahul Gandhi is unfortunately the Leader of Opposition of India, but he has never fulfilled the duties of a LoP. Yesterday’s incident was related to the pellet-gun case to remain in the media. The Opposition is talking about Vande Mataram. Even in 1937, it was removed under the pressure of Jinnah. And now Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister of the country. He worked to restore it…”

In West Bengal, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh also targeted LoP Gandhi over his political activities, questioning his decision to visit other places instead of Jharkhand, where students have been protesting over issues concerning them.

Ghosh said, “He isn’t going to Jharkhand, where students are protesting for their own interest. Their government is in power there, and the decision taken by the government was proven wrong by the court. So now, there is nothing left for Rahul Gandhi to do…”

BJP leader T.R. Sriniwas said, “Yesterday, there was entire FIR drama of Rahul Gandhi at the Parliament Street Police Station over the so-called Jantar Mantar fiasco. I would like to say to Rahul Gandhi, there was a drama in the late 80s and 90s called ‘Bakra Kishton Pe’. Now, what you are doing is ‘politics kishton pe’. This is what is happening. You are not a full-time politician, sir. You come at your leisure, do some drama, and go away. This is what you have done.”

However, Trinamool MP Saugata Roy defended LoP Gandhi’s intervention in the students’ protest and praised his role in raising the issue of filing of an FIR over the pellet gun issue.

Roy said, “I am happy that Rahul Gandhi, as a Leader of the Opposition, fought for the students’ cause. He staged a protest for nine hours, and finally, an FIR was registered regarding the police action and police atrocities against the students. This is a major achievement for Rahul Gandhi.”

The contrasting reactions highlight the political divide over Gandhi’s recent actions, with BJP leaders questioning his role as LoP while the Trinamool has backed his intervention on behalf of protesting students.

Hyderabad, Aug 22: Two people were killed, and several others were seriously injured after a reactor blast triggered a fire at a pharmaceutical unit in Telangana’s Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, officials said on Saturday.

According to the police, the incident occurred late on Friday night while workers were changing shifts.

The pharma company is located in the Pochampally mandal area, according to police.

“A tragic industrial accident occurred late on Friday night at Hazelo Lab Private Limited, a pharma unit near Dothigudem in Pochampally mandal. A reactor explosion resulted in the deaths of two employees and left several others injured,” an official told media.

Upon receiving the information, police and the fire department, along with rescue and relief officials, reached the spot, officials said.

They added that the workers were rescued and the injured were admitted to the nearest hospitals for treatment. Two were declared dead by the medical officials.

The blaze triggered by the blast was brought under control by the fire officials.

Police said that a case has been registered and an investigation into the incident is underway.

The cause of the blast is unknown, and officials are investigating to determine what could have led to the tragedy, police said.

Further details are awaited.

In a separate incident, a blast occurred at a factory in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district, killing three engineers and leaving one injured.

The explosion occurred late on Friday at Maa Chhinnamastika Cement and Ispat Private Limited, a sponge-iron factory located in Hehal, under Patratu block of the Ramgarh district, officials said.

According to officials, the fire broke out during production work at the power plant site of the factory. This caused panic among the workers in the night shift.

Upon receiving the information, police and the fire department arrived at the scene and rescued the workers. However, three engineers and the workers were trapped inside the factory.

The injured have been shifted to the nearest hospital.

The factory management has said that the cause of the blast is likely overheating in the plant.

Tehran, Aug 22: Iran on Saturday condemned the new economic sanctions by the United States and said that the result would be the “complete erosion of sovereignty as the foundational basis of the UN-based inter-State system”.

The remarks came after US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday “the most crushing economic operation ever taken” against any country providing a lifeline to Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei, taking to X, said, “The United States’ declaration of new economic sanctions on Iran is far more than continued unlawful ‘economic warfare’ against a single country. It is an assertion of extraterritorial sovereignty over every independent Member State of the United Nations.”

He further argued that no country can legally compel foreign banks, companies or airports, subject to the “exclusive jurisdiction” of their respective countries, to “abandon lawful commercial relations” with another country.

“Such secondary sanctions find no foundation in international law. They violate the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in Article 2(1) of the UN Charter and breach the customary prohibition on intervention affirmed by the International Court of Justice in the Nicaragua case. Economic coercion designed to force a sovereign State to alter its lawful policy choices constitutes an outright internationally wrongful act,” Baqaei said.

He warned that, when these measures are combined with a naval blockade that amounts to “military aggression”, the US’ demands reduce the sovereignty of other countries to “something provisional, conditional, and susceptible” to being revoked by another power.

“Compliance purchases no immunity or respect; it merely concedes that one’s banks, enterprises, and airports operate only under a foreign licence,” Baqaei added.

He stressed that the final result of this policy would be the erosion of sovereignty as the fundamental basis of the UN Charter.

“The end result would be the complete erosion of sovereignty as the foundational basis of the UN-based inter-State system, and a recipe for an abysmal return to full-scale classic colonialism,” he added.