News Analysis India

Tag: Gujarat assembly

  • Bhupendra Patel takes oath as Chief Minister of Gujarat for second term

    By Online Desk

    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupendra Patel took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second straight term in Gandhinagar on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries.

    He was administered the oath as the 18th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a function held at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar.

    BJP MLAs Kanubhai Desai, Rushikesh Patel, Raghavji Patel and Balwantsinh Rajput took oath as Cabinet ministers.

    Additionally, Kuvarji Bavaliya, Mulubhai Bera, Kuber Dindor, Bhanuben Babariya were sworn in as Cabinet ministers.

    BJP MLAs Harsh Sanghavi and Jagdish Vishwakarma took oath as ministers of state (Independent charge). 

    EDITOR’S OPINION | Mt Modi and the lesser peaks, drawn to scale

    In the just-concluded Gujarat Assembly elections, counting for which was held on December 8, the BJP won a seventh straight term by winning record 156 seats in the 182-member House. The Congress won 17 constituencies and AAP 5.

    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bhupendra Patel took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for a second straight term in Gandhinagar on Monday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries.

    He was administered the oath as the 18th chief minister by Governor Acharya Devvrat at a function held at the Helipad Ground near the new Secretariat in Gandhinagar.

    BJP MLAs Kanubhai Desai, Rushikesh Patel, Raghavji Patel and Balwantsinh Rajput took oath as Cabinet ministers.

    Additionally, Kuvarji Bavaliya, Mulubhai Bera, Kuber Dindor, Bhanuben Babariya were sworn in as Cabinet ministers.

    BJP MLAs Harsh Sanghavi and Jagdish Vishwakarma took oath as ministers of state (Independent charge). 

    EDITOR’S OPINION | Mt Modi and the lesser peaks, drawn to scale

    In the just-concluded Gujarat Assembly elections, counting for which was held on December 8, the BJP won a seventh straight term by winning record 156 seats in the 182-member House. The Congress won 17 constituencies and AAP 5.

  • EC declares 2-phase Gujarat poll dates, counting on December 8

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases. The polling for 89 seats under the first phase will take place on December 1 and voting for the remaining 93 seats is scheduled on December 5, announced Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday. The counting of votes will be on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh.

    On October 14, the Election Commission (EC) declared the date for elections in Himachal but didn’t announce Gujarat election schedule. Dismissing the criticism for intentionally delaying the poll announcement for Gujarat, allowing the ruling BJP to roll out more welfare schemes before the model code of conduct comes into effect, Kumar stated that the Commission had to take multiple factors into consideration including weather, last date of the term of the assembly and the number of days the model code of conduct should be in force.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been visiting Gujarat to unveil a slew of schemes and lay the foundation for various projects ahead of the polls. The term of the Gujarat assembly ends on February 18, 2023 and the elections have been announced 110 days in advance, Kumar said. 

    “Delay is also because of the recent unfortunate incident (Morbi bridge collapse). There was state mourning in the state till Wednesday and there are also multiple factors,” Kumar added. The notification for the assembly elections will be issued on November 5 and November 10 for the first and the second phases respectively.

    The last date for filing of nominations will be November 14 and November 17 for the first and second phase respectively. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on November 15 and November 18. The last date for withdrawal of nominations for the first phase is November 17 and for the second phase it is November 21. These elections along with a few more in other states in  2023 are being seen as crucial in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    NEW DELHI: The Gujarat assembly elections will be held in two phases. The polling for 89 seats under the first phase will take place on December 1 and voting for the remaining 93 seats is scheduled on December 5, announced Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday. The counting of votes will be on December 8 along with that of Himachal Pradesh.

    On October 14, the Election Commission (EC) declared the date for elections in Himachal but didn’t announce Gujarat election schedule. Dismissing the criticism for intentionally delaying the poll announcement for Gujarat, allowing the ruling BJP to roll out more welfare schemes before the model code of conduct comes into effect, Kumar stated that the Commission had to take multiple factors into consideration including weather, last date of the term of the assembly and the number of days the model code of conduct should be in force.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been visiting Gujarat to unveil a slew of schemes and lay the foundation for various projects ahead of the polls. The term of the Gujarat assembly ends on February 18, 2023 and the elections have been announced 110 days in advance, Kumar said. 

    “Delay is also because of the recent unfortunate incident (Morbi bridge collapse). There was state mourning in the state till Wednesday and there are also multiple factors,” Kumar added. The notification for the assembly elections will be issued on November 5 and November 10 for the first and the second phases respectively.

    The last date for filing of nominations will be November 14 and November 17 for the first and second phase respectively. The nomination papers will be scrutinised on November 15 and November 18. The last date for withdrawal of nominations for the first phase is November 17 and for the second phase it is November 21. These elections along with a few more in other states in  2023 are being seen as crucial in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

  • Ahead of Assembly polls, Gujarat govt to form committee for Uniform Civil Code implementation 

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Ahead of the Assembly polls in Gujarat to be held by the year-end, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state on Saturday decided to set up a committee to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

    Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi said the state cabinet cleared a proposal to constitute the committee during its meeting held on Saturday.

    This is considered the last meeting of the Bhupendra Patel-led cabinet as the schedule for the state elections is expected to be announced next week.

    “The committee will be headed by a retired high court judge and will have three to four members,” Union minister Parshottam Rupala said.

    Earlier, the BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh had announced implementation of the UCC in their states.

    ALSO READ | Uttarakhand to be first state in country to implement Uniform Civil Code since Independence

    AHMEDABAD: Ahead of the Assembly polls in Gujarat to be held by the year-end, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state on Saturday decided to set up a committee to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

    Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi said the state cabinet cleared a proposal to constitute the committee during its meeting held on Saturday.

    This is considered the last meeting of the Bhupendra Patel-led cabinet as the schedule for the state elections is expected to be announced next week.

    “The committee will be headed by a retired high court judge and will have three to four members,” Union minister Parshottam Rupala said.

    Earlier, the BJP governments in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh had announced implementation of the UCC in their states.

    ALSO READ | Uttarakhand to be first state in country to implement Uniform Civil Code since Independence

  • Gujarat Assembly passes bill to tackle stray cattle menace in urban areas

    By PTI

    GANDHINAGAR: Aimed at prohibiting the movement of stray cattle on roads and public places in urban areas of Gujarat, the state Assembly on Friday passed a bill that mandates cattle-rearers to obtain a licence to keep such animals in cities and towns and get them tagged, failing which they may face imprisonment.

    The bill was passed in the House in the wee hours of Friday following a seven-hour-long heated debate on it that had started around 6 pm on Thursday.

    Opposition Congress vehemently opposed the “Gujarat Cattle Control (Keeping and Moving) In Urban Areas Bill”, and threatened to launch a state-wide stir against the BJP government for bringing such a “black Act”.

    While tabling the bill, Minister of State for Urban Development Vinod Moradiya said the practice of keeping cattle, such as cows, buffaloes, bulls and goats in urban areas is causing trouble for the city-dwellers as the cattle-rearers let their animals stray on roads and other public places.

    “When authorities impound such stray cattle, the cattle-rearers take them back after paying fees and again release them on roads. This is causing problems for the people. Many people have died after being hit by such stray cattle. This practice is also not good for cows because they die on roads eating plastic,” the minister said.

    Under this law, cattle-rearers will be required to acquire a licence from a competent authority to keep their cattle in urban areas, which comprise eight cities – Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar and Jamanagar – and 156 towns.

    “Without that licence, no person will be allowed to keep cattle in the city limits. Within 15 days of getting the licence, the owner will be required to get their cattle tagged and refrain from letting the cattle move on roads or any other places in the city,” Moradiya said .

    If the owner fails to get its cattle tagged in 15 days, he will be punished with imprisonment which may extend up to one year or a penalty of Rs 10,000 or both, the bill document said. The sale of fodder for cattle in non-designated areas in cities is also prohibited under the bill.

    According to the bill, any person who assaults officials or creates hurdles during cattle catching operation, will be punished with one year of imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 50,000. In case of seizure of the tagged cattle, the owner will be slapped with a penalty of Rs 5,000 for the first time, Rs 10,000 for second time and 15,000 as well as an FIR for the third time.

    Cattle without tag will be seized and shifted to a permanent cattle shed by the authorities and released after taking a fine of Rs 50,000. Congress MLA Raghu Desai and Lakha Bharwad, both belonging to Maldari or cattle-rearer community, warned the government of a state-wide stir if the Bill was not withdrawn.

    “There are 50 lakh cattle-rearers in the state and 70 per cent of them are poor and illiterate. Keeping cattle is our fundamental right and this bill is a direct attack on it. This bill is a conspiracy to displace us. We will not keep quiet. We will launch a state-wide stir against this black act,” Desai said.

    Bharwad said, “BJP took votes in the name of cows all these years. And now, its government wants people to get licences for keeping the cows. This bill will only result in unnecessary harassment of my community. I want you to withdraw this bill for the sake of cows, considered as mother.”

    In its defence, the BJP government said the bill is only meant to regulate the stray cattle and will not create any trouble for the law-abiding cattle rearers.

    Minister of Law and Justice Rajendra Trivedi asked the Congress not to politicise the issue because it was the high court, which had recently directed the state government to enact such a law to tackle the menace of stray cattle.

    The bill was finally passed through majority vote following a lengthy debate that ended at 1 am on Friday.

  • BJP MLA Jetha Bharwad elected Deputy Speaker of Gujarat Assembly

    By PTI

    GANDHINAGAR: Veteran BJP MLA Jetha Bharwad was elected as the new Deputy Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly on Monday, the first day of the monsoon session.

    The election of Bharwad (71), who was pitted against senior Congress MLA Anil Joshiara, was decided by majority through a voice vote in the 182-member Assembly, where the ruling BJP enjoys a clear edge with 112 legislators.

    On the first day of the two-day monsoon session of the Assembly, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel proposed Bharwad’s name for the vacant post of Deputy Speaker.

    Since the Congress had fielded Joshiara for the post, Speaker Nimaben Acharya called for a voice vote and declared Bharwad elected as the new Deputy Speaker.

    The opposition Congress has 65 MLAs.

    Though Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani of the Congress demanded a division of votes, Acharya rejected his request, saying BJP’s majority is “clearly visible in the House”.

    Bharwad is a five-time MLA from Shehra in Panchmahal district.

  • BJP MLA Nimaben Acharya set to become Gujarat Assembly’s first woman Speaker

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Senior BJP MLA Nimaben Acharya is all set to become the first woman Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly as the opposition Congress has supported her nomination for the post.

    She is likely to be elected unopposed to the post when the Assembly meets for two days on September 27 and 28 for the monsoon session.

    The speaker’s post fell vacant after Rajendra Trivedi resigned on September 16 and joined the new state cabinet of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

    Trivedi is now Revenue as well as Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Minister in the BJP government.

    Ahead of the session, the Assembly secretariat had invited nominations for the election of new speaker and deputy speaker.

    On Friday, Trivedi along with the party’s chief whip Pankaj Desai presented the nomination papers of Acharya for the post of speaker and that of Jetha Bharwad for the post of deputy Speaker.

    “The Assembly secretary has checked and accepted the nomination papers of both Nimaben and Jetha Bharwad.

    Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani has also supported Nimaben’s nomination for the post,” Trivedi told repoters in Gandhinagar.

    However, although the Congress has agreed to support Acharya’s nomination, the party has decided to field their own candidate for the post of deputy Speaker citing the “past tradition” of the Assembly.

    “As per the tradition, the post of deputy speaker was always given to the opposition.

    When Congress was in power, we followed it and gave this post to the opposition.

    But the BJP never respected this tradition ever since it came to power in Gujarat,” Dhanani told reporters.

    “While we support Acharya for the post of speaker, we have decided to field our senior MLA Anil Joshiara, who is a tribal and a qualified doctor, for the post of deputy speaker,” the Congress leader added.

    Now, an election for the post of deputy speaker is imminent when the House meets on September 27.

    However, the numbers are not in favour of Congress.

    In the 182-member Assembly, Congress’ strength is just 65, while the BJP enjoys majority with 112 MLAs.

  • Gujarat Assembly passes bill penalising fraudulent conversion by marriage

    By PTI
    GANDHINAGAR: The Gujarat Assembly on Thursday passed an amendment bill which provides for a prison sentence of upto ten years and a maximum fine of Rs 5 lakh for fraudulent or forcible conversion by marriage.

    The bill amended a 2003 law which penalises religious conversion through coercion or allurement.

    As per the government, the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2021 sought to curtail “emerging trend in which women are lured to marriage for the purpose of religious conversion”.

    The main opposition Congress voted against the bill.

    BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh recently enacted similar laws banning `fraudulent’ conversions through marriage.

    As per the amendment, a forcible “conversion by marriage, or by getting a person married, or by aiding a person to get married” shall invite imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh.

    If the victim is a minor, woman, Dalit or tribal, the offender may be punished with a jail term of four to seven years and a fine of not less than Rs 3 lakh.

    If an organisation violates the law, the person in charge can be sentenced to a minimum of three years and a maximum of ten years in jail.

    A fine of upto Rs 5 lakh can also be imposed in such cases.

    The bill was passed after a day-long discussion in the House.

    While introducing the bill in the House, Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said that “love Jihad is a hidden agenda behind religious conversions” and listed such alleged incidents in Gujarat and elsewhere.

    Leader of Opposition Paresh Dhanani said love doesn’t see religion or caste.

    “Love has no boundaries, it sees no religion, no caste, it is a feeling and there should be no curb on it. No one can curb the feelings,” said the Congress leader.

    Congress MLA Imran Khedawala tore a copy of the bill saying it was anti-minority.

    BJP members wanted Speaker Rajendra Trivedi to take action against him.

    But Khedawala then tendered apology, so the Speaker did not take any action.

    The amendment also provides that a marriage solemnised for the purpose of unlawful conversion shall be declared void by a court.

    The burden of proving innocence shall lie on the accused person.

    Any aggrieved person, his/her parents, siblings, or any other person related by blood, marriage or adoption may lodge an FIR under the law.

    The offences under the Act will be cognisable and non-bailable and shall not be investigated by an officer below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

    The amendment also defines “allurement” as promising “better lifestyle, divine blessings, or otherwise”.

    The BJP government had said it was necessary to prohibit “forcible conversion by marriage” and hence section 3 of the Act needed to be amended.

    “The Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 seeks to deal with religious conversion through allurement, force or by misrepresentation or by any other fraudulent means. However, there are episodes of religious conversion promising better lifestyle, divine blessings and impersonation,” as per the government’s statement.

  • Bill penalising conversion by marriage to be tabled in Gujarat Assembly

    By PTI
    GANDHINAGAR; A bill penalising forcible or fraudulent religious conversion by marriage with three to ten years in jail and a fine of upto Rs five lakh is likely to be tabled in the Gujarat Assembly next week.

    The bill, which amends a 2003 Act, seeks to curb the “emerging trend in which women are lured to marriage for the purpose of religious conversion” as per its “statement of object”.

    The copy of the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill was made available in the Assembly on Friday.

    Similar laws have been enacted in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

    The bill says it is necessary to prohibit “forcible conversion by marriage or by getting a person married or by aiding a person to get married,” and hence the amendment is being carried out.

    The Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 deals with religious conversion “through allurement, force or by misrepresentation or by any other fraudulent means”.

    “However, there are episodes of religious conversion promising better lifestyle, divine blessings and impersonation.

    There is an emerging trend in which women are lured to marriage for the purpose of religious conversion,” the bill says.

    The amendment also defines “allurement” as promising “better lifestyle, divine blessings, or otherwise”.

    “Forcible conversion by marriage, or by getting a person married” shall invite imprisonment of 3-5 years and up to Rs 2 lakh fine.

    If the victim is a minor, a woman, a Dalit or tribal, then the offenders may be punished with a jail term of 4-7 years and a fine of not less than Rs 3 lakh.

    If any organisation is found violating the law, the person-in-charge can be sentenced to between three years to ten years in jail and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh can be imposed.

    Marriages solemnized for the purpose of such conversion will be declared void.

    Also, the burden of proof shall lie on the accused.

    Parents, siblings or any other person related by blood, marriage or adoption to the victim can lodge a complaint.

    Offences will be non-bailable.

  • Gujarat: Seven MLAs tested COVID-19 positive since start of budget session

    By PTI
    GANDHINAGAR: At least seven MLAs have tested positive for coronavirus since the budget session of the Gujarat legislative Assembly began on March 1.

    Two legislators from the Congress and one from the BJP tested positive for the infection on Tuesday, Speaker Rajendra Trivedi informed the House.

    Although the infections are on the rise in the state, no decision has been taken to cut short the budget session, which is scheduled to end on April 1.

    Earlier, BJP MLAs Shailesh Mehta, Mohan Dhodiya, Babubhai Patel and Ishwar Patel were found positive for coronavirus, while Congress MLAs Naushad Solanki and Punja Vansh and BJP MLA Vijay Patel tested positive on Tuesday.

    As a precautionary measure, the Speaker announced a ban on entry to visitors in the Assembly premises.

    “Apart from the MLAs, staff members and personal secretaries of several ministers also tested positive for the infection recently. I have already asked officials not to issue any visitor pass for the premises till the Assembly is in session,” Trivedi said.

    Sergeants have also been directed not to permit any visitors inside the premises, he said.

    “I urge ministers not to call anyone in the Assembly premises. You can meet them at your main offices, but not inside the Assembly complex. This also applies to MLAs,” the Speaker told the House.

    He informed the MLAs that the House is sanitised daily using UV light radiation, and also urged them to get tested in case they were feeling uneasy.

  • Congress MLA evicted from Gujarat Assembly for wearing T-shirt

    By PTI
    GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Congress MLA Vimal Chudasama was on Monday evicted from the Legislative Assembly on the orders of Speaker Rajendra Trivedi for coming to the House wearing a T-shirt.

    While the Speaker insisted that MLAs maintain decorum and refrain from wearing T-shirt in the House, the opposition Congress opposed Trivedi’s decision, claiming there was no rule prohibiting members from wearing specific clothes while attending the House proceedings.

    Around a week back, Trivedi had asked first-time MLA Chudasama not to come the House wearing a T-shirt and urged him to take care next time.

    The Speaker was of the opinion that MLAs should either wear a shirt or kurta, to maintain their dignity and decorum of the House.

    When Chudasama (40), who represents the Somnath Assembly seat, again came to the House wearing a T-shirt on Monday, Trivedi reminded him of his earlier instruction and asked him to come back after wearing a shirt, or a kurta, or a blazer.

    Upset with the Speaker’s order, Chudasama argued there was nothing wrong in the T-shirt and that he even did campaigning wearing the same outfit and won the Assembly poll.

    “I sought votes wearing a T-shirt. This T-shirt is a certificate given to me by my voters. You are disrespecting my voters,” Chudasama told the Speaker.

    Unfazed, Trivedi insisted on a proper dress code for MLAs and asked Chudasama to leave the House and come back only after changing the T-shirt with something formal, like a shirt.

    “I don’t want to know how you approached your voters. You are disrespecting Speaker’s order. You can’t come to the House wearing whatever you want just because you are an MLA. This is not a playground. There are protocols to follow,” said Trivedi.

    As directed by Trivedi, three to four sergeants then escorted the MLA out of the House without using any force.

    After his exit, BJP minister Pradeepsinh Jadeja moved a proposal to expel Chudasama for three days for “arguing with the Speaker”.

    However, in a lenient approach, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani withdrew the proposal and urged Congress leaders to convince Chudasama to follow rules about the dress code.

    “Even our minister Jayesh Radadiya used to wear T- shirt. But, he immediately changed it and came back wearing a kurta as soon as the Speaker pointed out. T-shirt doesn’t look good inside the House. I urge Congress leaders to convince Chudasama,” Rupani said.

    Coming to Chudasama’s defence, some Congress members claimed there is no such rule about dress code.

    “The MLAs must have the freedom to chose their attire. Nowhere it is written that MLAs can’t wear T-shirts. This is a violation of constitutional rights,” Leader of the Opposition Paresh Dhanani claimed.