News Analysis India

Tag: Lok Sabha

  • Tamil Nadu BJP: Won’t respond to speculations but will do whatever party says: Annamalai on contesting Lok Sabha polls

    CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai on Friday termed as ‘speculations’, him contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls but said he will abide by any decision the party takes. The former IPS officer said he had no “personal prejudice or any likes and dislikes in BJP.”

    “Whatever the party tells me I have to obey, that is the nature of the party. Today the party has asked me to complete the state level yatra (En Manna En Makkal) and we have just finished that,” he told reporters here.

    He said the BJP has “given me some responsibility” about the growth of the party in the state and he was doing that. Apparently referring to the upcoming Lok Sabha contest, he said, “tomorrow morning if the party tells me do that, I will do that.”

    “I am not going to respond to speculations. Whatever our senior national leadership decides my duty is to obey and make sure it is implemented on the ground,” the state BJP chief added.

  • Parliament Budget Session Live Updates: PM Modi Addresses Lok Sabha Over Ram Temple Contruction

    BJP MP Satya Pal Singh initiated the discussion and said that Lord Ram belongs to everyone and not Hindus alone. He also said the construction of the temple was “historic”.

  • White Paper on UPA decade: Congress lacked 'neeyat and niyam', says FM Sitharaman

    White Paper on UPA decade: Congress lacked 'neeyat and niyam', says FM Sitharaman

  • PM Modi Calls Himself ‘Sabse Bada OBC,’ Accuses Congress Of Indulging In Hypocrisy |

    NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a fiery response to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in Parliament on Monday, proudly proclaimed himself as ‘Sabse Bada OBC,’ slamming the Congress for what he termed as ”hypocrisy” and ”double standards” in dealing with leaders from Backward communities.

    Congress Insulted Karpoori Thakur, OBC Leaders: PM

    In a scathing attack on the Congress, PM Modi accused the party of disrespecting Karpoori Thakur, a stalwart from Bihar who dedicated his life to democratic principles and constitutional values. He highlighted the recent conferment of Bharat Ratna on Thakur, underscoring the challenges he faced during his tenure as Bihar CM in 1970.

    “Congress party and UPA government did not deliver justice with OBCs. A few days ago, Karpoori Thakur ji was conferred with Bharat Ratna. In 1970, when he became Bihar CM, what was not done to destabilise his government? Congress can’t tolerate OBCs…They keep counting how many OBCs are there in the government. Can’t you (Congress) see the biggest OBC here (pointing towards himself)?” PM Modi said in his reply to the ‘Motion of Thanks’ on the President’s address.

     

    #WATCH | “Can’t you (Congress) see the biggest OBC here?….” asks PM Modi to Congress.

    “Congress party and UPA govt did not do justice with OBCs. A few days ago, Karpoori Thakur ji was conferred with Bharat Ratna. In 1970, when he became Bihar CM, what not was done to… pic.twitter.com/AqMemfzLNw
    — ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2024

     

    UPA’s Injustice To OBCs

    Continuing his offensive, PM Modi criticized the UPA government for failing to deliver justice to OBCs. He pointed out the formation of the National Advisory Council during their tenure, questioning its lack of OBC representation and influence. “During the UPA Government, an extra-constitutional body was formed. The government could not have its way before that body. National Advisory Council – did it have any OBC members? Find out,” he added.

    Inflation Legacy Of Congress: PM

    PM Modi delved into history, linking Congress to inflation. He recalled popular songs during Congress governance – ‘Mehngai Mar Gayi’ and ‘Mehngai Dayain Khaye Jaat Hai.’ Blaming Congress for inflation during their rule, he highlighted the insensitivity of their approach. “Two songs on inflation were superhits in our country – ‘Mehngai Mar Gayi’ and ‘Mehngai Dayain Khaye Jaat Hai’. Both of these songs came during Congress’ governance. Inflation was in double digits during UPA’s tenure, it can’t be denied. What was their government’s logic? Insensitivity. They said – you can have expensive ice creams but why do you cry about inflation?… Whenever Congress came to power, it strengthened inflation,” he added.

    Lok Sabha Adopts Motion Of Thanks 

    Lok Sabha adopted the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address after PM Modi’s impassioned response, where he not only lambasted the opposition but also outlined the government’s achievements. The motion passed through a voice vote, concluding a spirited debate with over 60 members participating.

    Budget Session Dynamics

    The ongoing budget session, possibly the last before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in April-May, witnessed President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint sitting of the two Houses, setting the tone for the upcoming political events.

  • Mamata Banerjee to skip meeting on simultaneous polls in Delhi

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said she would skip the meeting of the ‘one nation one election’ committee in New Delhi on Tuesday, citing engagements related to the upcoming state budget. The TMC supremo said she has communicated to the committee chief, former President Ramnath Kovind, about her inability to attend the meeting. “I have cancelled my New Delhi trip… The state budget will be presented in the assembly on February 8, and there are only two days to go. In this situation, I had to call off the visit,” Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat. “I have already spoken to Kovind ji about this,” she said. The chief minister said TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kalyan Banerjee will be present at the meeting in the national capital.

    The committee is mandated to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats keeping in view the existing constitutional framework.

    Banerjee had last month written to the panel members, expressing her disagreement with the concept of simultaneous polls, contending that it would be against the basic structure of “constitutional arrangements”.

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  • Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill, 2024: Check Key Provisions Here |

    New Delhi: The government on Monday tabled the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Bill 2024 in Lok Sabha, aimed at addressing paper leak cases with stringent measures. According to the proposed legislation, all offenses related to unfair means in the conduct of public examinations will be cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable.

    If the bill is passed, individuals involved in unfair practices during examinations could face imprisonment for a minimum of three years, extendable to five years, along with a fine of up to ten lakh rupees.

    Additionally, the service provider for the examination may be fined up to Rs 1 crore, and the proportional cost of the examination will be recovered from the company. The service provider will also be prohibited from taking any contracts to conduct examinations for a period of four years.

    The bill introduces further severe penalties and provision of imprisionment extending upto 10 years for the service provider, Director, Senior Management, or any person associated with the service provider firm or institution where the examination was conducted if the examination is found to be rigged with their consent. 

    In case of organized crime involving a person or a group of persons, including the examination authority, service provider, or any other institution, the bill mandates imprisonment for a minimum of five years, extendable to ten years, and a fine of not less than one crore rupees.

  • PM Narendra Modi To Reply To Motion Of Thanks On Presidential Address Today |

    New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks on Presidential address delivered on January 31, 2024, in the Parliament on Monday. Ahead of his motion of thanks the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) issued a three-line whip to its Lok Sabha MPs asking them to be present in the House today.

    President Droupadi Murmu had addressed the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on January 31, the first day of the Budget Session. On February 1, the Centre presented the Union Budget for 2024-25. The government said that the Budget was presented with a focus on economic policies that foster growth, facilitate inclusive development, improve productivity, and create opportunities for various sections while noting that it will pay utmost attention to the eastern region including states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal to make them growth engines as part of goal to make India a developed country by 2047.

    Meanwhile, as per the List of Business in the House for the day, Lok Sabha MPs Ravneet Singh and Ramshiromani Verma will lay on the table the minutes of the twelfth sitting of the Committee on Absence of Members from the sittings of the House held on December 14, 2023.

    MPs PP Chaudhary and NK Premachandran will present the 28th report of the Committee on External Affairs (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) on the subject ‘Countering Global Terrorism at Regional and International Levels’.

    BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar will make a statement regarding the status of implementation of the recommendations contained in the 49th Report of the Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development on ‘Functioning of Directorate General of Training’ pertaining to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

    Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present a statement (Hindi and English versions) of estimated receipts and expenditure of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2024-25.

    In Rajya Sabha, while the discussion over the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address is to resume, MPs Ashok Kumar Mittal and Prakash Javadekar will lay on the table, a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Twenty Eighth Report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) on ‘Countering Global Terrorism at Regional and International Levels’ in the House today.

    Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav will introduce the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024 Bill in the Rajya Sabha today to amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

    The last session before Lok Sabha polls expected to be held in April-May this year will be spread over eight sittings spread over a period of 10 days and may conclude on February 9. 

  • PM Modi to reply on ‘Motion of Thanks’ in Lok Sabha today; BJP MPs asked to remain present in House

    New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Lok Sabha on Monday. President Droupadi Murmu had addressed the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on January 31, the first day of the Budget Session.Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a three-line whip to all its MPs in Lok Sabha to be present in the Lower House on the fourth day of the ongoing Budget Session. Apart from this, as per the List of Business in the House for the day, Lok Sabha MPs Ravneet Singh and RamshiromVerma will lay on the table the minutes of the twelfth sitting of the Committee on Absence of Members from the sittings of the House held on December 14, 2023.

    MPs PP Chaudhary and NK Premachandran will present the 28th report of the Committee on External Affairs (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) on the subject ‘Countering Global Terrorism at Regional and International Levels’.

    BJP MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar will make a statement regarding the status of implementation of the recommendations contained in the 49th Report of the Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development on ‘Functioning of Directorate General of Training’ pertaining to the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present a statement (Hindi and English versions) of estimated receipts and expenditure of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2024-25.In Rajya Sabha, while the discussion over the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address is to resume, MPs Ashok Kumar Mittal and Prakash Javadekar will lay on the table, a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Twenty Eighth Report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs (Seventeenth Lok Sabha) on ‘Countering Global Terrorism at Regional and International Levels’ in the House today.

    Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav will introduce the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution)

    Amendment Bill, 2024 Bill in the Rajya Sabha today to amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

    The last session before Lok Sabha polls expected to be held in April-May this year will be spread over eight sittings spread over a period of 10 days and may conclude on February 9.

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  • tejashwi yadav: JDU will soon be non-existent: Tejashwi Yadav

    After Nitish Kumar parted ways with the grand alliance, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav conveyed his best wishes to Kumar and BJP while warning that the game has just begun.

    “I would always respect Nitish Kumar as he is like a guardian, and I have no grudges against him. I wish good luck to BJP which has taken him back into their fold,” Yadav told media persons in Patna. “But I want to say that the game has just begun. It’s not over yet. In last 17 months, we worked on every aspect of developing Bihar and handed record appointment letters for government jobs. The people of Bihar are with us.”

    Yadav told the media that JDU would become non-existent in 2024. Yadav and his party RJD had a fair idea of what was in the offing over the last few days. On Sunday morning, a full-page advertisement was published by the party giving credit to Yadav for several initiatives like caste survey, quota hike, government jobs and others. Yadav told the media that his party would take credit because all the ministers under whom the work was executed were from RJD.He said this would not impact INDIA bloc much and he would reach out to the people of Bihar.

    In the 2020 assembly elections, Yadav had set the narrative of unemployment which resonated well among the voters. As a result, though NDA formed the government with 125 seats and 35% vote share, the alliance of RJD, Congress and CPI(ML) secured around 36% votes and won 110 seats. RJD emerged as the largest party winning 75 seats.

    RJD leaders told ET that they will launch a special drive to reach out to the youth and all sections of society before the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

  • Chirag Paswan terms as ‘hypothetical’ speculations of BJP joining hands with Nitish

    Amid political uncertainty in Bihar, former Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan on Friday disclosed that he was “in constant touch with the top BJP leadership” but termed as “hypothetical” the question whether Chief Minister Nitish Kumar would be acceptable to him as a new NDA partner. Paswan, who had come to the Bihar capital on Thursday evening, spoke to journalists at the airport, saying he has “cancelled” engagements in the state to hold deliberations over the “crucial next few days” in Delhi.

    “I have been in constant touch with the top BJP leadership. I spoke to them before coming here last evening when I held a meeting of party workers. I am going back to Delhi. I have cancelled my trip to late Karpoori Thakur’s village in Samastipur and to Sitamarhi, which I had been wanting to visit after having paid obeisance at Ayodhya”, he said.

    Paswan, who now heads Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), said his party is a “committed NDA ally in Bihar”. “Therefore, we are keeping a watch on the situation in the state where the next two or three days may be crucial. The BJP, which is the largest constituent of the alliance, is keeping me in the loop. We will be holding more talks in Delhi,” he said.

    The young Jamui MP, who is known to have no love lost for Nitish Kumar and whose rebellion during the 2020 assembly polls has been blamed by the ruling JD(U) for its debacle, was also asked whether he would now be comfortable with the Bihar chief minister as an alliance partner.

    “These are hypothetical questions which I would not like to answer. There can be no end to such speculations”, said Paswan. He also scoffed at reports in a section of the media speculating that if Kumar made a return to the NDA, Paswan could switch sides and seek an alliance with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, the current Deputy CM. “These are baseless reports which erode the credibility of the fourth estate,” fumed Paswan.

    Paswan’s comments came amidst a strong buzz that Kumar, a key figure in the opposition bloc INDIA, was now done with the anti-BJP coalition and exploring possibilities with his old ally which he had dumped less than two years ago.

    However, neither Kumar’s JD(U) nor the BJP has dropped a clear hint in this direction.

    JD(U)’s political advisor and spokesperson K C Tyagi has been asserting that his party saw itself as “the architect of INDIA” and wanted to remain a part of the coalition though developments in West Bengal and Punjab were a cause for concern.

    State BJP president Samrat Choudhary, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the party’s principal strategist, in Delhi on Thursday, asserted that the talks centred around Lok Sabha polls.

    “Our top leaders like Amit Shah and national president J P Nadda have said, in public, that the doors of BJP were closed. As a party worker, I abide by the stand. Nitish Kumar, to us, is a politician who changes his allies like clothes”, said Choudhary.