News Analysis India

Tag: Rajya Sabha

  • My Rajya Sabha nomination sends message that TMC reaching North-East, says Sushmita Dev

    By ANI

    KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress (TMC) Leader, Sushmita Dev on Wednesday said that her Rajya Sabha nomination sends a message to the country about the party reaching the North-East to expand its footprint outside West Bengal.

    While speaking to ANI, Dev said, “This will give an important message to the entire country that TMC is not just a party of West Bengal but is now also reaching the North-Eastern states.”

    “I am extremely grateful to my leader, Mamata Di that she has given me an opportunity to file my nomination and contest the Rajya Sabha election,” she added.

    Dev, a former Congress MP from Silchar, Assam joined TMC last month.

    The Election Commission had earlier this month announced bypolls for six Rajya Sabha seats across five states. The six Rajya Sabha seats include two in Tamil Nadu and one seat each in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam and Madhya Pradesh. Voting for all seats is scheduled for October 4.

  • Rajya Sabha TMC MP Arpita Ghosh tenders resignation

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: TMC MP Arpita Ghosh has resigned from the Rajya Sabha and her resignation has been accepted by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, a notification from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said on Wednesday.

    Her resignation has taken many of her own party members by surprise.

    “Ms. Arpita Ghosh, an elected Member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), representing the State of West Bengal, resigned her seat in the Rajya Sabha and her resignation has been accepted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha w.e.f. the 15th September, 2021,” the notification said.

    Ghosh was among those suspended during the ruckus in Rajya Sabha jn the recently concluded parliament session where both MPs and marshals were allegedly injured.

  • TMC nominates Sushmita Dev for Rajya Sabha bypoll

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday named Sushmita Dev, who recently joined the party after quitting the Congress, as its candidate for bypoll to a Rajya Sabha seat. The seat in the state fell vacant after Manas Bhunia quit the upper house having won assembly elections from Sabang in Paschim Medinipur.

    We are extremely pleased to nominate @SushmitaDevAITC to the Upper House of the Parliament.@MamataOfficial’s vision to empower women and ensure their maximum participation in politics shall help our society to achieve much more!
    — All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) September 14, 2021
    Bypoll to six Rajya Sabha seats, including the one in Bengal, will be held on October 4. “We are extremely pleased to nominate @SushmitaDevAITC to the Upper House of the Parliament. @MamataOfficial’s vision to empower women and ensure their maximum participation in politics shall help our society to achieve much more!” the party tweeted.

    Dev, who was one of the national spokespersons of the grand old party and its women’s wing chief, switched over to the Mamata Banerjee-led camp last month. She has been assigned the job of looking after party’s functioning in Assam and Tripura.

    Dev, a prominent face in Tripura politics where the TMC is trying to get foothold before the Assembly elections scheduled to be held in 2013, was overwhelmed with TMC’s announcement. 

    “I am extremely grateful to Mamatadi and Abhishek (Banerjee). I don’t know whether I deserve it or not, but I will do my best to take party’s vision forward. It is great to see that she (Mamata) wants more women in Parliament,” Sushmita said. 

    According to political observers, the TMC’s nomination is significant as Sushmita has been campaigning in Assam and Tripura with a goal to expand the party’s influence in the northeast.

  • Former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes passes away at 80

    Express News Service

    MANGALURU: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes breathed his last at a private hospital in the city on Monday. He was 80. 

    Oscar was hospitalised on July 19, a day after he fell down unconscious during morning exercise in his Mary Hill apartment.

    A blood clot was detected in his brain following which he was being treated in ICU. His health condition was being closely being monitored by a team of renowned doctors including those from AIIMS, Delhi. He was critical initially but recently, sources close to him said he had started responding to the treatment. 

    His wife Blossom, son Oshan, and daughter Oshanie were present when he breathed his last. 

    Born in Udupi, Oscar was first elected to the seventh Lok Sabha from Udupi Lok Sabha constituency in 1980 and continued to win from the constituency four more times in 1984, 1989, 1991, and 1996. He was a Rajya Sabha member at this death. 

    Oscar was parliamentary secretary to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He also held several portfolios including road transport and statistics in the UPA government led by Dr Manmohan Singh. He was considered close to the Nehru-Gandhi family.

  • Election Commission declares bypolls to seven Rajya Sabha seats in six states

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday announced dates for bypolls to seven Rajya Sabha seats that have fallen vacant due to various reasons like resignations, death and end of tenure of members.

    According to a notification issued by the EC, there are two such seats in Tamil Nadu and one each in West Bengal, Assam, Maharashtra, Puducherry and Madhya Pradesh.

    The Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha (RS) seat got vacant after BJP leader and former Union cabinet minister Thaawarchand Gehlot was elevated as the Karnataka Governor in July.

    The polls to all these seven seats will take place on October 4, the EC said.

    The two seats in Tamil Nadu fell vacant due to the resignation of AIADMK leaders K P Munusamy and R Vaithilingam who are now members of the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly.

    The West Bengal Rajya Sabha seat fell vacant after resignation of TMC leader and cabinet minister in West Bengal government Manas Ranjan Bhunia.

    In Assam, the seat held by assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary fell vacant after he resigned from the membership of the upper house of Parliament and his earlier party, the Bodoland People’s Front, and joined the BJP before the recent polls in the state.

    The BJP may field Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal from the Assam seat as he is yet to become a member of either house of Parliament.

    The Maharashtra seat got vacant due to the death of Congress leader Rajeev Satav in May this year due to COVID-19 infection.

    In Puducherry, the RS seat will fall vacant soon as the term of incumbent member N Gokulakrishnan ends on October 6.

    The EC said in its order that all “broad guidelines of COVID-19” have to be followed during the election process, that is from the time of issue of notification to the counting of votes.

    “The chief secretaries of states concerned are being directed to depute a senior officer from the state to ensure that the extant instructions regarding COVID-19 containment measures are complied with while making arrangements for conducting the election,” the poll panel said.

  • Old vs young as Congress weighs Rajya Sabha MP options

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: With the Election Commission announcing election to one of the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, Congress is likely to again witness an old-versus-young tussle. The party has to choose between veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, a member of G23 letter writers, and Praveen Chakravarty, chief of the party’s data analytics cell and former party chief Rahul Gandhi’s close aide.

    Discussions have started in Congress to nominate a candidate for the lone seat it is likely to get for being alliance partner in the state. There are three Rajya Sabha seats vacant in Tamil Nadu on the state’s demand, elections will be held separately.

    Azad, who was leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and retired in February, has support of the DMK as joint candidate for the upper House, but some leaders close to the Gandhis have expressed reservations over him.He is among the leaders who wrote to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in August, 2020, over leadership vacuum and elections in the party. The group came under attack from close aides of the Gandhis.

    Sources said that Chakravarty, who was the brain behind the party’s 2019 campaign for NYAY (minimum income guarantee) scheme, is emerging as the choice of the top leadership though a final decision is yet to be taken.

    “Despite these leaders’ rebellion against top leadership, the Congress chief has heard them and accommodated them in a few committees. But sending Azad to Rajya Sabha looks difficult, especially when veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge was brought to Rajya Sabha and nominated as Leader of Opposition,” said a senior leader.

    Unlike Kapil Sibal and a few other prominent and senior Congress leaders, Azad has not been vocal about organisational changes in the last few months and has been focussing on issues in Jammu and Kashmir, the state he comes from.

    No smooth sailing for Azad?According to a section of Congress leaders, sending senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to Rajya Sabha looks difficult, considering that veteran leader Mallikarjun Kharge has already been brought to Rajya Sabha and nominated as Leader of Opposition. Azad’s role in demanding organisational elections may also go against him, if sources are to be believed. 

  • INTERVIEW| This government is not willing to discuss real issues: Rajya Sabha MP Syed Nasir Hussain

    Express News Service

    ENGALURU: The recent monsoon session ended in an impasse between the government and opposition, and marked a new low in parliamentary discourse. The opposition claimed that it wanted a meaningful discussion on the issues facing the nation — inflation, farmers’ agitation, Pegasus issue, mishandling of the COVID pandemic, and the Chinese incursions — but the government “failed to discuss real issues and was arrogant and stubborn”, Congress Party Whip and Rajya Sabha MP Syed Nasir Hussain said.

    In the past, the ruling Congress blamed the opposition BJP, now the tables have turned and the BJP is blaming the opposition for disrupting the House. What do you have to say?

    Under Rule 267, the opposition raised the issue of inflation and fuel price, which has crossed Rs 100, the farmers’ agitation which went on for more than eight months, and during which more than 500 farmers died.

    We wanted to discuss the Pegasus snooping issue, as phones of judges, journalists, defence officials and opposition leaders were spied upon, and are asking for an impartial inquiry monitored by the Supreme Court. Germany, France, Canada, Algeria, Hungary have already set up a probe.

    What is the government afraid of, if it was serious, it could have called for a discussion. This is why the opposition was agitating.

    House Chairman Venkaiah Naidu shed tears, what is your response?

    Those in power should function impartially. He should be above politics. Instead of shedding tears and pointing out that he is helpless, he could have convinced the government to have a discussion on these vital issues. Both the government and those looking after business in the Rajya Sabha failed on this count.  Kharge said the PM did not have a minute to talk to Rajya Sabha members.

    The PM, who had 11 hours and 45 minutes for rallies in West Bengal, did not have a minute to talk about inflation, farmers’ agitation, COVID mismanagement and other issues. The Home Minister, too, did not come to answer questions on phone tapping. Each bill was discussed for an average of nine minutes, which is a mockery of parliamentary process.

    The treasury benches have alleged that opposition members behaved in an uncivil manner in the House of Elders?

    The House of Elders is supposed to have a deeper and mature discussion on important issues, this is what the opposition is asking for. Whatever happened in the past four weeks is only because of the government’s immature approach to the request from opposition benches to raise urgent issues.

    What do you have to say about women marshals being manhandled?

    Selectively releasing a 2-minute 40-second doctored video to the media — which goes against House rules — and later blaming the opposition is only a cover-up for surreptitiously passing an important bill like GIC, especially as it was not even listed.

    Add to this three layers of security with a ‘women shield’ of marshals to pass an important bill was a cheap move by the government. Two of our women MPs were manhandled and injured seriously, we have taken it up with the Rajya Sabha chairperson.  

    Is there a plan to end the logjam?

    This government has been arrogant, adamant and stubborn. If the government and opposition sit across the table, things can be sorted out.

  • Union ministers call on Naidu, demand action against Opposition for unruly scenes in House

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Seven Union ministers met Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday and demanded action against some Opposition members for their alleged unruly acts in the House on August 11.

    The ministers met Naidu and described the Opposition members’ actions as “unprecedented, extreme and violent”, sources said.

    They said the ministers handed over a memorandum to the chairman in this regard.

    During the meeting with Naidu, the delegation also referred to marshals being prevented from discharging their duties inside the House.

    Naidu said he will look into the matter and take a decision regarding the appropriate course of action.

    The ministers who called on the Rajya Sabha chairman were Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupender Yadav, Arjun Ram Meghwal and V Muraleedharan.

    Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh was also present at the meeting.

    Naidu also held a meeting with Panel Vice Chairman Sasmit Patra, who was in the chair when the unruly incidents took place in the Rajya sabha.

    The chairman visited the Parliament House on Saturday and watched the entire video recording of the scenes in the House, including the scuffle involving some members and marshals, on August 11.

    Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla have discussed the matter earlier and have hinted at strong action against the erring MPs.

    The sources said the Rajya Sabha chairman is exploring various options, including the setting up of a high-powered committee, to look into the incidents and recommend steps to avoid their recurrence in the future.

  • Opposition, ruling party are like my two eyes, says Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday asserted that the Opposition and the treasury benches in the House were like his two eyes and are equal for him.

    Naidu said this during an informal interaction with a small group of media persons after the conclusion of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

    The Chairman said that proper vision is only possible with both eyes. He said he held both sides in equal esteem and it was the collective responsibility of both sides to enable smooth functioning of the House.

    “If anybody held a different view about his handling of the proceedings in the House, he would leave it to their wisdom,” Naidu said.

    When the issue of persistent disruptions was raised by the media persons, Naidu said that the legislatures are meant for debate and discussion and outside political battles should not be fought on the ‘Table of the House’.

    On the action being contemplated against some unruly scenes in the Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session, Chairman Naidu said that after detailed consideration, which is underway, an appropriate view would be taken at the earliest.

    On Bills being referred to the Select Committee of the House, Naidu said, “whenever differences persisted on such matters in the House, the House collectively takes a decision and the Chair can not force it one way or the other.”

    CCTV footage of the ruckus between Opposition MPs and marshals in the Upper House had emerged on Thursday.

    In the video footage, marshals can be seen forming a human shield to block Opposition MPs from going towards the Chairman’s podium.

    Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Wednesday, two days before the scheduled end of the session.

    All through the session that began on July 19, opposition members forced adjournments in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over their various demands including a probe into allegations of surveillance through Pegasus spyware and repeal of three farm laws.

  • 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)