Turmoil in Parliament over scribe's meeting with Hafiz

July 15, 2014

New Delhi, Jul 15: The turmoil over the meeting of a journalist with terror mastermind Hafiz Saeed today stalled Parliament for the second consecutive day, with Government stating it has nothing to do with it and terming it as "diplomatic misadventure of a private individual".turmoil

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha saw disruptions as soon as the two Houses met for the day, with opposition Congress seeking suspension of Question Hour to get government's response over the "serious" matter.

Both Houses were again disrupted during the Zero Hour with Congress members expressing concern over the meeting and entering the Well raising slogans.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told Rajya Sabha that the government has nothing to do with either the visit or the meeting between Ved Pratap Vaidik and Saeed. "It is a diplomatic misadventure of a private individual," he said.

In Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said government has nothing to do with a journalist meeting India's one of the most wanted terrorists Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan recently.

"Allegation that the government facilitated the journalist's meeting with Hafiz Saeed is false and baseless," Swaraj said.

The issue led adjournment of the Rajya Sabha twice and Lok Sabha once.

Jaitley said in the Upper House that the concerns of the Leader of the Opposition are also the concerns of the entire country.

"Yesterday, I clearly said in unambiguous terms that Government of India has nothing to do with either his visit or his meeting with someone whom we regard as a terrorist," he said.

"The person or his views has nothing to do with either the government or my party," Jaitley said leading to uproar with slogan-shouting Congress members storming the Well.

As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled for the day, Congress members led by Mallikarjun Kharge were on their feet demanding a reply from the government on the reported meeting of the journalist with Saeed, India's one of the most wanted terrorists who was also the mastermind of the 26/11 attack.

When Speaker Sumitra Mahajan declared that Question Hour will not be suspended, Congress members trooped into the Well shouting slogans like 'Vaidik ko mat bachao' (Don't save Vaidik), 'Home Minister jawab do' (Home Minister give reply), 'Hafiz ka sach batao' (Tell us the truth on Hafiz affairs).

Amid uproar, Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party members Mehbooba Mufti and Tariq Hameed Karra too came to the Well protesting against the killing of "innocent" in Gaza due to the bombing by Israel.

They were carrying placards that read 'Gaza needs our voice', 'In solidarity with Gaza' and shouted slogans like 'Speak India Speak'.

Mahajan asked the members not to disturb Question Hour and warned the PDP members not to show placards as it was against the Parliamentary rules.

Earlier, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said government would make a statement on the issue of journalist meeting Saeed only when the Chair allowed.

The Speaker told the opposition members not to take the House for granted by staging protests during Question Hour.

"Suspension of Question Hour is not done. Question Hour is for all the members. If you do not want the Question Hour, drop it. I do not have any objection. But do not make it (disruption) a precedent," she said.

Congress leader Kharge said they tried to raise the issue yesterday at least twice but in vain as there was no response from the government which forced them to stage protest today.

Members of Left parties too supported the PDP protest against Israel's bombing in Gaza and stood in the aisle demanding a reply from the government.

RJD member Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav opposed the introduction of a new examination pattern by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and asked the government to intervene.

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News Network
March 10,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 10: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on monday thanked PM Narendra Modi  for extending birthday wishes to him in malayalam.

"Thank you, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for this elaborate birthday greeting in shudh sahitya Malayalam! Am touched by your thoughtfulness," Tharoor tweeted with a picture of the letter from Modi.

In another tweet, the Congress MP also posted its translation, that reads,

Tharoor, who is an MP from Thiruvananthapuram, turned 64 on march 9.

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SmR
 - 
Tuesday, 10 Mar 2020

Is he next Scindia waiting to board the BJP ship?

 

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News Network
February 2,2020

Mumbai, Feb 2: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday slammed the BJP-led central government on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and said that the new law only serves the objectives of the Sangh Parivar of turning India into a Hindu Rashtra.

He said that in order to achieve their objectives, the "communal elements" are trying to divide India's people through the same strategy as employed by the British colonisers in the past.

Lauding people in Mumbai for their protests against CAA, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR), the Kerala chief minister also outlined three reasons for his government's decision to reject the Citizenship Amendment Act.

"Over the last several weeks, Mumbai citizens made clear their unyielding opposition to efforts made by Hindutva elements to tear apart the secular fabric of our society. I express solidarity with struggles being made across the city in defence of secularism and the Indian Constitution," Vijayan said at an event here.

The chief minister was addressing the 'Mumbai Collective' here on the topic of 'National struggle against communalism'.

"The government of Kerala is acting as per the Constitution. Like Kerala, other states are also looking at CAA as against the fundamentals of the Constitution. It (CAA) violates basic human rights and is divisive and deeply discriminatory," CM Vijayan said, adding that the new citizenship law only furthers the Sangh Parivar's objective of creating a Hindu Rashtra.

He said the CAA needs to be rejected for three basic reasons.

"First, it is against the letter and spirit of our Constitution. Secondly, it is highly discriminatory and violative of human rights. Thirdly, it seeks to impose philosophy of Sangh Parivar with its mission of Hindu Rashtra," the chief minister said.

Vijayan also participated in the human chain organised by Left Democratic Front (LDF) against CAA and NRC and said that "the law is a threat to the secularism of this country".

The newly enacted law is facing stiff opposition across the country with several non-NDA states including Kerala, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Punjab refusing to implement it.

Rajasthan, Kerala and Punjab have passed resolutions against the recently amended law in their respective state Assemblies.

The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

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News Network
April 19,2020

New Delhi, Apr 19: The government on Sunday prohibited the sale of non-essential items through e-commerce platforms during the ongoing lockdown, four days after allowing such companies to sale mobile phones, refrigerators and ready-made garments.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla issued an order excluding the non-essential items from sale by the e-commerce companies from the consolidated revised guidelines, which listed the exemption given to the services and people from the purview of the lockdown.

The order said the following clause "E-commerce companies. Vehicles used by e-commerce operators will be allowed to ply with necessary permissions" is excluded from the guidelines.

The previous order had said such items were allowed for sale through e-commerce platforms from April 20.

However, the reason for reversing the order is not known immediately.

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