News Analysis India

Tag: Piyush Goyal

  • Opposition parties in Parliament have shown worst possible behaviour: Piyush Goyal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The opposition parties in Parliament have probably shown the “worst possible” behaviour that they could and have left nothing to imagination in destroying the foundation of Indian democracy, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has said.

    The Prime Minister introduced ministers in both the Houses and that is a tradition that’s been going on for 70-odd years and the opposition for the “first time” did not even allow that, he said.

    “They have left nothing to imagination in destroying the very foundation, the very pillar of our Indian democracy, richly earned, richly deserved, but sadly put at this altar of competitive opposition competitive politics,” the minister said at the TIMES NOW India at 75: The Freedom Summit.

    He added that this time around, the opposition has exceeded all limits of tolerance.

    “That is the reason we demanded action, and there needs to be deterrence. Maybe even stricter deterrence. We are grateful to the honourable Supreme Court for the very strong judgement and strictures in the Kerala Assembly matter.

    ALSO READ | ‘Sorry state of affairs’: CJI N V Ramana on lack of debate in Parliament

    “And I do believe that this time around, some of the members will have to suffer the consequences of their actions,” Goyal said.

    Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on August 11, bringing an end to the stormy Monsoon session which was scheduled to conclude on August 13.

    Opposition protests over the Pegasus snooping row, farm laws and other issues had continuously marred the proceedings since the start of the session on July 19.

    The Question Hour witnessed disruptions on most of the days during this session, while the House managed to pass a raft of bills, including the Constitution amendment bill that will allow states to make their OBC lists.

    Further, the minister said that it truly is a “very unfortunate” situation that when the country is preparing to celebrate India at 75, “we have had this very unfortunate and very unpleasant experience over the last four weeks where some sections of Parliament have demonstrated a deep frustration at the series of losses, a deep sense of insecurity about their future”.

    ALSO READ | Opposition, ruling party are like my two eyes, says Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu

    Goyal alleged that the disruption was a pre-planned strategic decision, which was made well before the session.

    “And sadly, that gradually translated into a competitive scenario where parties were wild with each other for space not to show good performance, not to show to the people their active participation or high quality debate, high quality speeches, important issues which affect the people of India, but really a competition of who can disrupt better, who can harm the temple of democracy more,” he said.

  • You reap what you sow: Opposition leaders’ dig at India Inc over criticism by Piyush Goyal

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Opposition leaders on Saturday latched on to a media report on Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s criticism of business practices of Indian industry to attack the government with some also taking a swipe at India Inc for backing the ruling dispensation, saying “you reap what you sow”.

    Speaking at a CII plenary session, Goyal reportedly asserted that the business practices of Indian industry went against national interests.

    According to a report in the Hindu, Goyal repeatedly singled out the Tata Group in his comments and said, “Kya aapke jaisi company, ek do aapne shaayad koi videshi company kharid li… Uska importance zyaada ho gaya, desh hith kam ho gaya? (A company like yours, maybe you bought one or two foreign companies, now their importance is greater than national interest)?” However, sources close to the minister said his comments were represented out of context.

    “The thrust of his interaction was on national interest. The minister’s heart-felt appeal must be viewed in its entirety and not singled out for slander,” a source close to him said.

    Several Opposition leaders tagged the media report and attacked the government for the criticism of India Inc.

    Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said he was flabbergasted at Goyal’s “unprovoked attacks” on Indian industry.

    “First, he ensured Rajya Sabha did not function at all, and now this bizarre tirade! He couldn’t be speaking without official sanction, could he?” Ramesh said in a tweet.

    Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill claimed that by making this statement, Goyal has mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan “Ease of doing business in India”.

    “BJP Ministers confusing ‘Govt andhbhakti’ with ‘deshbhakti’ while pretending to be franchise holders of Nationalism!” Shergill tweeted.

    On one hand the BJP government has given a contract to build the new Parliament of India to the Tatas and on the other hand BJP minister Goyal, according to media reports, is calling them anti-national, he said, adding that “BJP doublespeak knows no limits”.

    Some leaders also took a swipe at India Inc for backing the BJP government in recent years.

    Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said, “You reap what you sow INDIA INC.”

    “Bombay Club 1.0 created NDA/BJP Govt between 2012-2014. Threw collective weight behind one individual and not even one party. And now @PiyushGoyal terms them anti-national,” the former Union minister tweeted.

    Taking to Twitter, Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha said, “Dear Corporate India, Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Best wishes.”

    Slamming the remarks, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the kind of language used against industry captains and calling their work against the nation’s interest is shameful to the core.

    “CII should demand an apology instead of helping him by pulling down the video. Stand up to bullying!” she said.

    All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi also took a dig at the government over Goyal’s comments, saying Prime Minister Modi wants to take them into confidence but the minister wants to hold them accountable.

    How will this work, he asked.

    Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra took a dig at Goyal over what she said was an “unhinged rant” at the CII meeting, saying the “pressure of working in an underperforming one man show must really be getting to them”.

    Anil Swarup, a former Secretary of the government of India, said he had doubted it but Goyal did make the comments and asserted that what is appalling is that no one from the industry protested.

    “The industry acted worse than civil servants (at least some protested) when they were pilloried & called ‘Babu’ in Parliament,” he said.

    Reacting to the comments, former IPS officer M Nageswara Rao said he was happy that Piyush Goyal spoke from his heart.

    “In less than a decade India’s Rich became Super-Rich, while Non-Rich struggle to make both ends meet. All because of Central Govt’s extraordinary focus on EASE OF DOING BUSINESS, rather than on EASE OF LIVING,” he tweeted.

  • Team of eight ministers defends Modi government, calls for action against ‘unruly’ Opposition MPs

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  With the Opposition hitting the street over Wednesday’s Rajya Sabha ruckus, the government fielded a team of eight Union ministers on Thursday who alleged that the agitating MPs had attempted to strangulate a woman marshal in the upper House, while calling for stringent action against the erring members.

    Union ministers Pralhad Joshi (Parliamentary Affairs), Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Textile), Anurag Thakur (Information and Broadcasting), Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi (Minority Affairs), Bhupender Yadav (Environment and Labour), Arjun Ram Meghwal (MoS, Parliamentary Affairs), Dharmendra Pradhan (Education)  and V Muraleedharan (MoS, External Affairs) were pressed into service by the government.

    “Marshals do not belong to any party. They are for the security of the House, Chair and members. But attempts were made to strangulate a woman marshal. The MPs stood on the table of the reporters. Some of them threw rule books at the Chair, which could have even hurt if they hit the presiding officer or the secretary general. This is unprecedented and unruly behaviour, which requires a thorough probe and stringent action,” said Goyal.

    “A lady marshal was manhandled by opposition MPs. Opposition’s behaviour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was a new low for parliamentary democracy. Opposition’s approach of my way or highway is highly condemnable,” he added further.

    Rejecting the opposition’s allegations that people were brought from outside the Parliament, Goyal, who is also leader of the house, said there were 30 marshals in the Rajya Sabha at the time of ruckus, 18 men and 12 women.

    “No one from outside was brought in,” he said, adding he and the group of ministers met Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the House and made an earnest appeal that the strongest possible action should be taken against the opposition MPs for their deplorable behaviour and manhandling marshals.

    Trouble in the upper House unfolded after the Insurance Amendment Bill was taken up for discussion and passage in the Rajya Sabha, with scores of marshals throwing a ring around the reporters’ table and the Chair. Joshi said they had called on Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and demanded a probe.

    “The Opposition should apologise to the country for their actions in Rajya Sabha. We demand a special committee be constituted to look into all aspects of the unruly behaviour of the Opposition MPs. Actions which may deter a repeat in future should be taken against the erring MPs,” said Goyal.

    The tumultuous Monsoon session of Parliament was curtailed by two days on Wednesday, after opposition MPs jostled with marshals in the well of the house when they were trying to move towards the chair and the treasury benches.

    Echoing similar sentiments, Joshi said a strongest action is must against those who broke the rules.

    It was predecided by the Congress and its friendly allies that Parliament should not be allowed to function in the monsoon session, Joshi alleged.

    Talking about ruckus in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, he said, “Yesterday morning, we were literally threatened that if you dared to pass more bills after passage of the OBC bill there will be more damage.

    ” Referring to an incident when an opposition leader was seen above a table inside the upper house, Thakur said the secretary general’s table in Rajya Sabha is not meant for dancing and protesting.

    He alleged that “anarchy from streets to Parliament” was the Opposition’s only agenda during the monsoon session.

    He demanded that the Opposition must apologise to the nation for its disruptive behaviour during the monsoon session.

    Earlier in the day, a group of union ministers, including Joshi, Goyal and Naqvi, called on Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu at his official residence here.

    Separately, a group of opposition leaders also met Naidu and complained against the alleged heckling of MPs including some women.

    The ministers, on the other hand, are believed to have complained against the alleged unruly behaviour of some opposition members in the House on Wednesday.

    On Wednesday, Naidu broke down over the ruckus in the House and equated the act of some opposition MPs to “sacrilege in the temple of democracy”.

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also likely to meet Vice President Naidu in the evening.

    Leaders of several opposition parties on Thursday marched in protest against the government on several issues, including Pegasus, farm laws, and alleged manhandling of their MPs in Rajya Sabha, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi saying the voice of people was crushed in Parliament and democracy was “murdered”.

    Top leaders of several opposition parties met in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and then walked in protest from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk.

    Those who attended the meeting included Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, Kharge, Sanjay Raut, Tiruchi Siva, Manoj Jha and other opposition leaders.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Pegasus row: Opposition MPs protest inside Parliament premises; Piyush Goyal meets Naidu

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Congress, DMK and Shiv Sena MPs protested against the alleged Pegasus snooping controversy in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside Parliament premises on Friday.

    The protesting MPs demanded a Supreme Court-monitored judicial probe in this matter.

    The MPs carried banners with the slogan “#Pegausus Snoop Gate”.

    Earlier on Thursday, TMC MP Santanu Sen snatched the statement on Pegasus matter from Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Rajya Sabha and tore it into pieces, amid the ongoing standoff over the Pegasus issue between the Centre and Opposition.

    The Opposition has alleged that names of several Indian politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists have appeared on the leaked list of potential targets for surveillance by an unidentified agency using Pegasus spyware. This comes following reports published in The Wire.

    Prior to joining the protest, the Congress MPs attended a meeting at Parliamentary Party (CPP) office.

    Several Congress leaders, including former party president Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest against the Centre’s farm laws in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises on Thursday.

    Congress held protest marches in different states seeking a Supreme Court-monitored probe into allegations of surveillance using Pegasus spyware.

    The party has also demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.

     Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda has given a suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha on Friday on the issue of farmers’ agitation.

    ALSO READ | Pegasus row: Paper snatching episode rocks Rajya Sabha as more names show up in the snooping list

    The suspension of business notice has been given under rule 267 of Rajya Sabha proceedings.

    Another party MP B Manickam Tagore on Friday has moved a motion of Adjournment of the business in Lok Sabha to discuss over ‘Pegasus Project’ media report.

    “I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance namely:- that the house do discuss the recent allegations in the media of the government carrying out spying and online surveillance of several senior Opposition leaders, constitutional authorities, reporters and activists using the Israeli software Pegasus and which could have grave implications for the right to privacy of individuals guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution,” wrote the Congress MP to Lok Sabha Secretary-General.

    Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal on Friday met Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu over the issue of snatching of a paper from the hands of IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and tearing it off by TMC MP Santanu Sen yesterday, said sources.

    Deputy Leader of Rajya Sabha Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Minister of State Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan were also present at the meeting.

    The development comes after TMC MP Santanu Sen on Thursday snatched the statement on Pegasus matter from Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Rajya Sabha and tore it into pieces.

    Following this, there was a verbal feud between BJP and TMC MPs. Marshals intervened to bring the situation under control.

    Heated words were exchanged between Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Sen after the latter snatched a paper from Vaishnaw while he was speaking on the ‘Pegasus Project’ report in Rajya Sabha.

  • Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to be deputy leader of House in Rajya Sabha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has been named as the Deputy Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, sources said on Monday.

    Naqvi succeeds Piyush Goyal, who has been appointed as the Leader of House in Rajya Sabha.

    The minority affairs minister is known for his wide knowledge of parliamentary affairs and had also served as the minister of state for parliamentary affairs during the first term of the Modi government.

    The appointment of Naqvi, who is known for having cordial relations with leaders of parties across the political spectrum, assumes significance as it comes at a time when the Opposition is raring to corner the ruling dispensation over a host of issues, including handling of the second wave of COVID-19, rise in fuel prices and farmers’ stir.

  • Piyush Goyal meets senior Opposition leaders ahead of Monsoon Session

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Newly-appointed Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal met senior Opposition leaders including former prime minister and Congress veteran Manmohan Singh, his party colleague Anand Sharma and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning Monday.

    Sources said Goyal met the former prime minister Friday and Anand Sharma Thursday evening.

    He spent around half an hour with Manmohan Singh.

    The meetings were termed courtesy calls on the senior opposition leaders.

    The interactions with senior opposition leaders are also being seen as an outreach exercise by the government ahead of the Parliament session.

    The interactions come days after Goyal was named the Leader of House in Rajya Sabha in place of Thaawarchand Gehlot who has been made the governor of Karnataka.

    The session beginning Monday would conclude on August 13.

    The government has listed 17 new bills for introduction in the session, including three to replace ordinances issued recently.

    BJP MPs are also expected to introduce private members’ Bills on population control and uniform civil code.

  • Union Minister Piyush Goyal to be Leader of House in Rajya Sabha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union minister Piyush Goyal has been appointed as the leader of house in Rajya Sabha, sources said on Wednesday.

    He will succeed Thawar Chand Gahlot who has been appointed the governor of Karnataka.

    The Parliamentary Affairs Ministry has intimated the Rajya Sabha Secretariat that Goyal will be the Leader of House, the sources said.

    Goyal, a two-time Rajya Sabha MP, is currently the deputy leader of the NDA and is also Union Minister in the Cabinet.

    He is holding the charge of various ministries, including commerce and industry, food and consumer affairs, and textiles.

    Prior to becoming a minister in 2014, Goyal was the treasurer of the party.

    He was also engaged by the BJP in poll management activities and for managing logistics during the election.

  • Request protesting farmers to return home: Union Minister Piyush Goyal

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: As farmers’ protest against the new farm laws entered eighth month, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday appealed to protesting farmers to end their agitation and return home.

    He said Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has also appealed to farmers to end the protest while stating that the government is ready to resume talks on the provisions of the three farm legislations.

    “I will request that farmers return to their homes. The law is pro-farmer and farmers across the country have welcomed it,” Goyal told reporters here.

    ALSO READ | Centre ready to talk to protesting farmers, but not on repeal of three agri laws: Narendra Singh Tomar

    He added that protesting farmers can give their suggestions.

    The government and farmer unions have held 11 rounds of talks so far, the last being on January 22, to break the deadlock and end the farmers’ protest.

    Talks have not resumed following widespread violence during a tractor rally by protesting farmers on January 26.

    Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at Delhi’s borders for seven months now in protest against the three new farm laws that they say will end state procurement of crops at minimum support price.

  • Jyotiraditya Scindia writes to Piyush Goyal to allot fund for Gwalior-Sheopur rail project

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: BJP Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia has written a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, saying a broad gauge rail project in Madhya Pradesh has been stalled as only Rs 25 crore were allotted for it in the last Railway Budget against the work cost of around Rs 3,000 crore.

    The work is related to the conversion of a rail line from narrow gauge to broad gauge in the Gwalior-Sheopur section, where train operations are closed since March 2020, the parliamentarian from MP pointed out in his letter dated June 19.

    “The Ministry of Railways had approved this project in FY 2012-13. The tender process has been completed. The project costs around Rs 3000 crore, but the work could not move forward as only Rs 25 crore were allotted for it in the last Railway Budget,” Scindia said.

    He said this rail track is the lifeline for lakhs of citizens of Gwalior, Morena and Sheopur districts and the closure of train operations has been creating problems for them.

    “Therefore, you are requested to kindly approve the necessary budget for the change of gauge, so that the work on the said railway section can be completed expeditiously and the operation of passenger trains can be resumed,” Scindia said.

  • Rail union demands compensation on a par with frontline workers in case of death on duty during Covid

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Demanding compensation on a par with frontline workers, the largest union of the Railways said that railwaymen losing their lives while working during the coronavirus crisis deserved Rs 50 lakh as compensation.

    In a letter to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, general secretary of the All India Railwaymen’s Federation Shiva Gopal Mishra said around 1,500 railway staffers died during the pandemic while more than one lakh have been infected by the virus.

    He said that more than 65,000 have recovered and joined their duties again, adding while a letter of appreciation from the minister lauding their dedication was encouraging, a parity in compensation would be of great help for the families.

    “We also appreciate the prime minister when during ‘Mann Ki Baat’ he called railwaymen as corona warriors.

    AIRF, since the beginning has been demanding parity between different cadres who are working 24×7 during this corona period and scarifying their lives.

    However, It is quite unfortunate that while other categories of front line workers viz medical staff, security forces, sanitation staff etc.

    are being paid Rs 50 lakh as compensation but Railwaymen are being paid Rs 25 lakh only.

    “This is an absolute discrepancy and we request that it should be removed immediately by equalising the compensation of Rs 50 lakh to boost the morale of Railwaymen as well as their families,” Mishra said in his letter.

    “We hope the benefits announced for other corona warriors will also be given to railwaymen. AIRF, has already raised this issue in details to the CEO/Chairman,” he said.