News Analysis India

Tag: Parliament

  • Defer implementation of new criminal laws: Jairam Ramesh

    Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday demanded that the enforcement of the three criminal laws, which are to come into force from July 1, be deferred, saying the Bills were “bulldozed” through Parliament. In a post on X, Ramesh said the implementation of the Bills be deferred to enable a thorough review and re-examination by a reconstituted Standing Committee on Home Affairs as they were passed at a time when 146 MPs had been suspended.

    “On Dec 25 2023, the President of India had given her assent to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. The three far-reaching Bills had been bulldozed through Parliament without proper debate and discussion, and at a time when 146 MPs had been suspended from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha,” Ramesh said.

    “Earlier the Bills had been bulldozed through the Standing Committee on Home Affairs without detailed interactions with stakeholders across the country and completely ignoring the written and very detailed dissent notes of a number of MPs belonging to different political parties, including the Indian National Congress, who were members of the Standing Committee,” he said. Ramesh said the three new laws are to come into effect from July 1, 2024, and the Congress is of the firm opinion that the date should be deferred to enable a thorough review and re-examination of the laws by the reconstituted Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

    He said the panel should have more extensive and meaningful consultations with various legal experts and organisations “who have serious concerns on the three laws as they stand”, after which it should be scrutinised by the 18th Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as well.

    On Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding deferment of the implementation of the three criminal laws, saying they were “hurriedly passed”. Similar demands have been made by the DMK as well.

  • 54 MPs including ex-PM Manmohan Singh, 9 Union ministers retiring from Rajya Sabha

    As many as 54 members of the Rajya Sabha including former prime minister Manmohan Singh and nine union ministers are set to retire on Tuesday and Wednesday with some not returning to the Upper House. Former prime minister Singh ends his 33-year-long parliamentary innings in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (April 3), just as former party chief Sonia Gandhi will enter the Upper House of Parliament for the first time.

    Singh, who is known for ushering in several bold reforms in the economy, became a member of the House for the first time in October 1991. He was the finance minister in the Narasimha Rao government from 1991 to 1996 and the prime minister from 2004 to 2014.

    Sonia Gandhi will enter the Upper House for the first time from Rajasthan, filling the seat that will fall vacant after 91-year-old Singh completes his tenure on April 3. Seven Union ministers — Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister Purshottam Rupala, Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, MoS External Affairs V Muraleedharan, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Narayan Rane and MoS Information and Broadcasting L Murugan — end their tenure in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

    Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will end their tenure on Wednesday.

    All these Union ministers, except Vaishnaw, are contesting the Lok Sabha elections and have not been given another term in the Upper House. Vaishnaw and Murugan have been given another Rajya Sabha term. As many as 49 members are retiring on Tuesday (April 2), while five are retiring on Wednesday (April 3).

    Of those retiring from the Upper House include Samajwadi Party’s Jaya Bachchan who has been renominated to the Council of States by her party for another term. So is Manoj Kumar Jha, who has been renominated by his party RJD for another term in the Rajya Sabha from Bihar, and Naseer Hussain (Congress), who has been renominated from Karnataka.

    Abhishek Singhvi of the Congress party, whose tenure in Rajya Sabha ends today will not be in the upper house as he lost his election from Himachal Pradesh.

    Among others who will be retiring include BJP’s national media in-charge Anil Baluni, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Garhwal seat in Uttarakhand,

    Besides, BJP’s Prakash Javadekar, a former union minister and Sushil Kumar Modi, former deputy chief minister of Bihar, also retire from the Rajya Sabha and have not been renominated by the party.

    BJP’s Anil Jain also retires on Tuesday as he has not been given another term by the party and so has Saroj Pandey from Chhattisgarh, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election in the state.

  • 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

  • On BJP’s White Paper, Congress Mulling ‘Black Paper’ Move Against Modi Government |

    The Congress party is planning to bring a ‘Black Paper’ against the BJP government after the ruling party said it will present a ‘White Paper’ on earlier UPA government’s economic mismanagement. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to present the report. As the government plans to present the white paper, the ongoing budget session of the Lok Sabha has been extended until Saturday, February 10. There will be no Question Hour session on the extended date. As per a Lok Sabha Secretariat notification issued on Wednesday, extension of the current session of Lok Sabha, as announced by the Chair today (7.2.2024) and agreed to by the House, the current session of Lok Sabha has been extended up to Saturday, February 10, 2024, in order to provide sufficient time for completion of essential items of Government Business.

    The BJP has planned to present the White Paper which will show the mismanagement of the economy by the earlier UPA government and the steps taken by the Modi government to improve the situation. It may be notable that under PM Narendra Modi, the Indian economy has become the fifth largest in the world from 11th in 2014.

    The last session before Lok Sabha polls expected to be held in April-May this year was started with the address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of two Houses on January 31. It was earlier to be concluded on February 9.

    Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, stated that his party is prepared to address any papers the government brings to the House. “Narendra Modi has Congressphobia. We are ready to fight. The government can bring a ‘White Paper’, Red paper, black paper, we have no problem. However, Mehul Choksi’s papers should also be presented to the House,” Chowdhury told ANI.

    Welcoming the idea of bringing a ‘White Paper’ to the House, BJP Lok Sabha MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy said that the document is a much-awaited call and should be brought so that the public becomes aware of the corruption that occurred during the UPA tenure before 2014. “The government has passed the finance bill and the interim budget. If I recall correctly, the PM mentioned in his speech that they would present a White Paper on the mess that prevailed prior to 2014. I think it is likely to be listed tomorrow. It is a much-awaited call,” said Rudy.

  • PM Modi to reply on ‘Motion of Thanks’ in Rajya Sabha today

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

    President Droupadi Murmu had addressed the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on January 31, the first day of the Budget Session.

    PM Modi replied to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Lok Sabha on Monday.During his speech, he said that the third term of his government is not far and this time the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win 400 seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party, individually will get 370 seats.

    “A Ram Temple of Lord Ram was built which will continue to give new energy to the great tradition of India. Now the third term of our government is not far. Maximum 100 days left. The whole country is saying that ‘Abki baar 400 paar’. I don’t go into numbers but I can see the mood of the country. It will make the NDA cross 400 and BJP will get 370 seats,” PM Modi said.

    “We all saw the abolition of 370. Article 370 was abolished before the eyes of these many MPs and with the power of their votes. Nari Shakti Adhiniyam became law in the second term. From Space to the Olympics, there is an echo of the power of women’s empowerment. People have seen the projects that were pending for years being completed,” he added.A general discussion on the Union Interim Budget 2024-25, and the Interim Budget on Jammu and Kashmir 2024-25 is also to be started in the Upper House today after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address.Apart from this, as per the List of Business in the House for the day, Rajya Sabha MPs Harnath Singh Yadav and Ram Nath Thakur will lay on the table, a copy of the statement showing action taken by the government on 62nd Report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing on the action-taken by the government on the Observations/Recommendations contained in the Fifty-Third Report on ‘Demands for Grants (2023-24)’ of the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (Department of Fisheries).

    MPs Satish Chandra Dubey, and Dr Ashok Bajpai will lay on the table, a copy of the following reports of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (2023-24): Thirty Ninth Report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (2023-2024) on “Regulation of Weights and Measures with specific reference to Dispensing Machines at Fuel Stations” pertaining to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Department of Consumer Affairs); and Fortieth Report of the Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (2023-2024) on “Transforming Fair Price Shops” pertaining to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (Department of Food and Public Distribution).

    Union MoS, Danve Raosaheb Dadarao will make a statement regarding status of implementation of recommendations contained in the 37th Report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel on ‘Import of Coal – Trends and issue of self-reliance (2022-23)’ pertaining to Ministry of Coal.

    The Budget Session, which began on January 31, will be spread over eight sittings spread over a period of 10 days and may conclude on February 9.

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  • ‘Immature, Non-Serious….’: Anurag Thakur Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi On Mocking Vice Prez Jagdeep Dhanakar |

    New Delhi: In a scathing remark to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that the leader is ‘immature and non serious’ for joining TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee’s “misdeed” as he mimicked the vice president of India while Gandhi recorded him doing so. “Rahul Gandhi is immature, non-serious and undemocratic. Whether inside the house or outside, this is shameful,” Thakur said.

    He added, “Gandhi, who has been a member of the parliament for so long, has been criticised multiple times for his actions. The country will not forgive Rahul Gandhi for what he did. If an MP was into a misdeed, then he should have stopped him instead of joining him.”

    Earlier this week, a viral video of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kalyan Banerjee showed him seemingly imitating Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar. The video also showed Rahul Gandhi recording Banerjee’s act. 

    #WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu: On Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, “Rahul Gandhi is immature, non-serious and undemocratic. Whether inside the house or outside, this is shameful… Either by his actions or his speech, he has been criticised multiple… pic.twitter.com/jUMpitoN7l


    — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023

    The video drew strong criticism from BJP leaders with Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemning the incident. In a tweet on X, formerly known as Twitter, Dhankar said, “He (PM Modi) told me that he has been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting but the fact that it could happen to a Constitutional office like the Vice President of India and that too in the Parliament was unfortunate. 

    Soon after the video went viral, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar said, “Just a while ago I saw on a television channel that there is no limit to how low one can stoop. Your senior leader was found shooting a video of an unparliamentary act of one of the suspended MPs, sitting out on protest… I just want to say that good sense may prevail on them.”


    Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, defending his action, said that he did not share the video. “Who insulted and how? MPs were sitting there, I took their video which is on my phone. Media is saying this, Modi ji is saying that but no one has said anything.”

    Similarly, Kalyan Banerjee said that he considers mimicry as an “art” and that he did not intend to hurt anyone. 

    “I have no intention to hurt anyone. However, I have a question. Does he (Jagdeep Dhankhar) really behave like this in Rajya Sabha? Mimicry is an art and it was also done by the PM in Lok Sabha between 2014 and 2019,” the TMC leader said. 

    In another development to the mimicry row, a Delhi-based advocate has also filed a complaint against Banerjee. The case has been transferred to the New Delhi district police.

  • Rahul Gandhi Corners BJP Govt Over Parliament Security Breach, Attacks PM Modi, Amit Shah At Jantar Mantar Protest |

    NEW DELHI: Congress Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a blistering attack on the Narendra Modi government over the recent security breach at Parliament and asked the ruling disposition to fix accountability for the shocking security lapse. The Congress leader also reiterated that unemployment and inflation due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies were the reasons behind the Parliament security breach.

    Addressing a huge gathering of supporters at the Jantar Mantar, Rahul Gandhi said, “2-3 youths entered Parliament and released smoke. At this moment, BJP MPs ran away. In this incident, there is the question of a serious security breach, but there is another question of why they protested this way. The answer is unemployment in the country.”

    Hitting out at the national media, Rahul said, “The media did not talk about unemployment in the country. But it talked about Rahul Gandhi recording a video where suspended MPs were sitting outside the Parliament…”

    In a powerful display of dissent, leaders from the Opposition bloc, INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance), began their nationwide protest at the Jantar Mantar on Friday in response to the recent suspension of 146 MPs from Parliament. The latest round of protests from the Opposition members comes after days of disruption and chaos at the Parliament in the wake of the incident on December 13, where two individuals breached the Lok Sabha chamber, releasing smoke from canisters.

    Nationwide Outcry: INDIA Alliance Mobilizes Against BJP Government

    Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, announced on Thursday that the protest is not limited to the capital. Simultaneous demonstrations will unfold in all district headquarters across the country, denouncing what he termed the “immoral and illegal” behavior of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. He emphasized the opposition’s commitment to upholding democratic values and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the security breach issue in the House.

    “The PM should come and speak in the house first. This is really condemnable! We are repeatedly requesting the speaker of the Lok Sabha and the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The members of the ruling party are disturbing the proceedings. This shows that they (the BJP) don’t have faith in India’s democracy. The constitution and democratic practices should be upheld. Tomorrow, INDIA leaders will protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. Throughout the country, Opposition leaders will protest against this immoral and illegal behaviour of the BJP government,” Kharge said on Thursday.

    Rahul Gandhi Takes The Lead: Congress Leader To Join Protest

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi arrived at the protest venue -Jantar Mantar, around 11 AM to take part in the ongoing protest. Besides Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and several other top leaders of the INDIA bloc were seen taking part in the ‘Save Democracy’ protest against mass suspension of MPs at the Jantar Mantar. The protest aims to draw attention to the suspension of opposition MPs and the perceived disregard for parliamentary norms.

     

    #WATCH | Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and NCP chief Sharad Pawar and leaders of INDIA parties take part in ‘Save Democracy’ protest against mass suspension of MPs, at Jantar Mantar in Delhi pic.twitter.com/nxslPhTB1V
    — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023

     

    Kharge Condemns BJP’s Conduct, Calls For Prime Minister’s Accountability

    In a scathing critique, Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the conduct of the ruling party, accusing them of disrupting proceedings and undermining India’s democracy. He called on Prime Minister Modi to address the House before anything else, emphasizing the opposition’s repeated requests for a discussion on the security breach.

    National Outcry: Protests Escalate Across States

    Congress MP Shashi Tharoor echoed Kharge’s sentiments, emphasizing the need for nationwide protests. He asserted that the INDIA alliance protest would be widespread, demonstrating the opposition’s united stand against what they perceived as an assault on democracy. “It’s appropriate to protest and all of us will be at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The INDIA alliance protest will happen everywhere (Friday) morning in all the states because we want to show the public that if they’d run Parliament like this and won’t listen to the opposition then they are ruining the democracy,” said Tharoor.

    AAP MPs Join The Fray: Support For INDIA Bloc Grows

    Adding to the momentum, AAP MPs, including ND Gupta, Sandeep Pathak, Sant Balbir Seecehwal, and Sanjeev Arora, will join the INDIA bloc protest, further amplifying the collective voice against the government’s actions.

    The ongoing winter session of Parliament has witnessed an unprecedented wave of suspensions, with three more Congress MPs -D K Suresh, Deepak Baij, and Nakul Nath -joining the list of suspended lawmakers.

    Protests, March Against Suspension Of MPs

    On Thursday, INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk in protest of the suspension of opposition lawmakers. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s alleged violation of parliamentary privilege for not addressing the security breach issue in the House. The lawmakers carried a large ‘Save Democracy’ banner and placards reading ‘Opposition MPs Suspended,’ ‘Parliament Caged,’ and ‘Democracy Expelled’ during the march.

    What Led To The Suspension Of MPs?

    The suspension of 145 MPs during the current winter session of Parliament stems from a critical incident on December 13. Two individuals breached the sanctity of the Lok Sabha chamber, unleashing smoke from canisters and triggering a chain of disruptions initiated by the opposition.

    The primary catalyst for the suspension lies in the Opposition’s persistent interference with House proceedings, demanding accountability for the security breach. Their pivotal request revolves around a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking clarity on the circumstances surrounding the breach.

    This ongoing saga has resulted in the suspension of a significant number of lawmakers, with 100 from the Lok Sabha and 46 from the Rajya Sabha facing disciplinary action. The suspension, attributed to their involvement in “creating chaos and disrupting proceedings,” underscores the profound impact of the December 13 incident on the parliamentary landscape.

    The Opposition, at the moment, remains resolute in its demand for accountability and an open discussion on the security breach issue, setting the stage for a continued standoff in the days to come.

  • With Nearly No Opposition, Lok Sabha Passes Bill To Appoint CEC, Election Commissioners |

    New Delhi: In a significant move, the Lok Sabha passed the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 on Thursday. Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal underscored that the bill, prompted by a Supreme Court ruling, seeks to regulate the appointment and service terms of the CEC and election commissioners.

     

    Lok Sabha passes the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023.
    — ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2023

     

    Key Provisions And Changes

    The bill encompasses crucial facets such as appointment procedures, qualifications, the establishment of Search and Selection Committees, terms of office, salaries, resignations, removals, leaves, and pensions for the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners. Notably, the legislation addresses the void in the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991, which lacked provisions for qualifications and search committees.

    Meghwal emphasized the Supreme Court’s directive that the President, based on a committee’s advice, appoints the CEC and election commissioners. The committee includes the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, or the leader of the largest opposition party, and the Chief Justice of India. Pending parliamentary legislation, the Supreme Court’s norm remains in force.

    Law Minister’s Clarifications And Amendments

    Meghwal clarified that the bill’s amendment designates the Law Minister, not the cabinet secretary, as the head of the search committee. The President will appoint the CEC and ECs following the Selection Committee’s recommendation, consisting of the Prime Minister, a Union Cabinet Minister, and the Leader of the Opposition or the leader of the largest opposition party in Lok Sabha.

    This bill is slated to replace the Election Commission (Conditions of Service of Election Commissioners and Transaction of Business) Act, 1991.

    Opposition Slams Centre Over Passage Of Bill In Absence Of MPs

    Despite the bill’s swift approval, major opposition parties refrained from active participation in the debate due to the suspension of 97 members for “misconduct” during the winter session. Opposition members have voiced serious concerns, asserting that this legislation represents “one of the biggest blows to democracy” in the past nine years.

    Congress leaders conveyed their apprehensions, highlighting a perceived shift from ‘electoral credibility’ to ‘elections compromised’ under the Modi government. The passage of this bill marks a pivotal moment in India’s electoral landscape, prompting discussions on its potential impact on democratic processes.

  • “This action is inappropriate”: Sachin Pilot hits out at BJP over suspension of MPs

    After the suspension of 143 MPs from Parliament, Congress leader Sachin Pilot hit out at the BJP and asked if the opposition did not have the right to put forward its view.

    “The issue is that they are suspending the MPs. They are making different headlines…Does the Opposition not have the right to put forward its view? This action is inappropriate,” Sachin Pilot told reporters.

    A total of 143 MPs–97 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha–have been suspended so far for creating a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses, demanding a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah about the Parliament security breach incident. Amid the controversy over the mimicry incident of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday asked for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response over insulting his political opponents in the last 20 years and said that BJP leaders are fuelling the mimicry row to divert attention from real issues.

    The remarks came after Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday revealed the details of his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi, where the latter mentioned that he had been at the receiving end of such insults for twenty years and counting.

    In this regard, Jairam Ramesh shared a video on X (former Twitter) where PM Modi is targetting senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.”The Prime Minister has said that he has been suffering insults for the last twenty years. But what will he say about the way he has insulted his political opponents and used abusive and indecent language against them in the last 20 years? This is their cliched way of diverting attention from the real issue,” Jairam Ramesh posted on X, roughly translated from Hindi. The controversy erupted after suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee, during the protest with other suspended MPs at Parliament’s Makar Dwar, was seen mimicking Vice Presiden Jagdeep Dhankhar, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen filming the Trinamool MP using his phone.

    Hitting out at the media for not discussing the suspension of members extensively, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that the media is entirely focused on showing the mimicry incident and not highlighting the pain and agony of the suspended MPs, adding that what can be done if the “media is running on one line”.

    Addressing reporters in New Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, “MPs were sitting there, I shot their video. My video is on my phone. The media is showing it. Nobody has said anything.150 of our MPs have been thrown out (of the House) but there is no discussion on that in the media. There is no discussion on Adani, no discussion on Rafale, no discussion on unemployment.”

  • Opposition giving muted, indirect support to security breach: PM Modi

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hit out at the Opposition for giving “muted and indirect” support to the security breach incident in Parliament. However, he asked BJP MPs to maintain decency and decorum while responding to Opposition’s charges.

    Taking a dig at the Opposition, Modi suggested that with their current approach over the security breach in Parliament last week, it looks unlikely that the Opposition would be able to match its 2019 performance. “How can a party believing in democratic values overtly or covertly justify it,” the PM said, according to BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad. He was briefing the media after the BJP parliamentary party meeting.

    The conduct of these parties indicates they have made up their mind to remain in Opposition and are practising for it, Modi said, adding that the nation has also made up its mind to keep them there and to reduce their strength even further.”We should expose the Opposition, keeping in mind to keep our voice under control, and stay within the limits of democracy. In the coming days, no matter whether others are participating or not, we must participate in Parliament’s proceedings,” he said, noting that some important bills are coming up for discussion in the two Houses.

    Slamming opposition parties for disrupting Parliament proceedings, Modi said they were giving “political spin” to the incident in frustration over its losses in the recent assembly polls. Their goal is to throw out his government but the government’s goal is to ensure a bright future for India, he added.

    “Some People are uniting in their intent to remove BJP from power while we are patriots working for the betterment of India. They are utilising their strength to remove the government while we are utilising our strength for the betterment of India,” Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said, quoting the PM.