Furore in Rajya Sabha over AK Hegde’s remarks against constitution, secularism

Agencies
December 27, 2017

New Delhi, Dec 27: A united Opposition on Wednesday disrupted proceedings in the Rajya Sabha protesting against controversial comments reportedly made by Union Minister Anant kumar Hegde on changing the Constitution and secularism.

Congress, SP and BSP members trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans seeking Hegde's removal and forcing Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to adjourn the proceedings till 12 pm.

The trouble started during the laying of the official papers on the table of the House as opposition members shouted "shame, shame" when Hegde, who is Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, rose to lay the papers listed against his name.

Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad sought a clarification from the mnister as he could leave the House soon after laying papers.

True to this, Hegde sat in the House for a while listening to Opposition protests against his controversial statement that the BJP would change the Constitution by excluding secularism from the preamble. Soon thereafter, he left the House.

Azad asked if a minister does not believe in the Constitution, does he has a right to remain as a minister.

"A minister who has no faith in the Constitution has no right to be a minister. He has no right to be a Member of Parliament," he said.

Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of the TMC said secularism is inscribed in the preamble of the Constitution and asked if a minister is allowed to denounce the same preamble in public.

Naresh Agarwal of the SP said the Constitution is the Ramayana and Gita of democracy and any minister who abuses it and its founder Baba Saheb Ambedkar should be removed.

At this, Naidu interjected to ask members to refrain from bringing Babasaheb Ambedkar into the controversy.

But the Opposition members remained unrelenting and trooped into the Well raising slogans.

Naidu asked members not to raise slogans and ordered that nothing they were saying would go on record.

He then allowed Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and Republican Party of India founder Ramdas Athawale to speak.

Athawale praised the prime minister for honouring the memory of Ambedkar with a fitting memorial and said it was Congress which had insulted Ambedkar.

"Don't create a ruckus. You are going to be defeated in general elections in 2019 and 2024," Athawale told the Opposition.

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy claimed Ambedkar did not include the word secularism in the Constitution.

Naidu tried to restore order but all his efforts went in vain. "How much should I tolerate. This is not acceptable. This is not done," he said as slogan shouting continued unabated.

As Opposition members continued their noisy protest and demanded a discussion on the issue, Naidu said no discussion can take place without a proper notice.

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News Network
February 25,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 25: A day after Karnataka minister BC Patil felt the need for a law to shoot people who raise pro-Pakistan and anti-India slogans, another BJP MLA on Monday said such people should be shot at sight or exiled to the neighbouring country.

Appachu Ranjan, MLA from Madikeri, said a woman named Amulya had raised Pakistan Zindabad slogan at Bengaluru during a CAA-related meeting.

"People saying Pakistan Zindabad, despite living in our country- eating food and drinking water available here- they should be shot at sight. Or else such people should be exiled to Pakistan, and no one should should show softness towards them and fight cases in their favour," he said at Somwarpet in Kodagu.

Amulya Leona, a woman who raised pro-Pakistan slogans at an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act rally in Bengaluru on Thursday, has been booked for sedition and remanded to judicial custody.

She had raised "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans thrice after the organisers, under the banner of "Save the Constitution", invited her to address the gathering in the presence of All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

Agriculture minister Patil on Sunday had expressed the need for a legislation to shoot such people, and said he would make a request to the prime minister in this regard. "A law should be brought in the country that who ever raises slogans against India and in favour of Pakistan, they should be shot at sight. Bringing such a law is important," Patil had said.

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News Network
April 29,2020

Bantwal, Apr 29: Two people were injured after the truck laden with poultry feed rammed into the compound wall of after catching fire on Wednesday, at Marnabailu near Melkar.

Police said the injured were the driver and an assistant in the truck. They were admitted to a private hospital at Mangaluru.

However, it is not yet clear whether the truck transporting poultry feed from a company at Kandur caught fire after colliding against the electric pole or with the compound wall.

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News Network
July 6,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 6: Karnataka government has revised quarantine norms according to which those entering the State from other states, including from Maharashtra, shall be placed in 14-days home quarantine.

Until now, the state government had issued that those returning from Maharashtra are to be placed under 7-day institutional quarantine followed by 7-day home quarantine.

A fresh state government order with the subject line "Regulation of movement of persons from other States to Karnataka" reads: "Whereas the State Government vide Order dated June 30, issued unlock 2 guidelines which permit reopening of more activities in a calibrated manner, in areas outside the Containment Zones, and to extend lockdown in Containment Zone upto July 31. The guidelines also permit unrestricted interstate movement of persons and goods adhering to the SOPs/ Guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Revenue (Disaster Management)".

Whereas, the Department of Health and Family Welfare issued revised SOP for the moment of persons from other State to Karnataka vide document dated June 8, this year, further, quarantine norms were modified vide Orders of even number dated June 15 and June 26.

"The quarantine norms are regularly reviewed and calibrated with the prevailing Unlock 2 guidelines and infusion of technology and community involvement to enforce the strict home quarantine. In light of the above, the quarantine norms issued vide Order dated June 26, has been further modified and is follows--Persons coming from other State to Karnataka, including Maharashtra shall be placed in 14-days Home Quarantine," the order read.

"The other conditions as specified in the Order dated June 15 and aforementioned SOP enclosed issued on June 8 by the Department of Health and Family Welfare shall continue to be in force until further orders," it added.

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