Will resolve India's joblessness, but not his or her party's: PM Modi

During the address, responding to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on the issue of unemployment, PM Modi said he will resolve the problem of joblessness in the country, but not his or that of his party's. On one occasion, without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi referred to the Congress leader's comments he had reportedly made about "youth beating up Modi with sticks over the lack of jobs", and said he would increase the number of Surya Namaskars (a yoga exercise) so that his back can bear the sticks. When Gandhi questioned Modi about unemployment, the prime minister said he was waiting for the Congress leader's reaction, but it took him 30-40 minutes. "I have been speaking for 30-40 minutes, but it took this long for the current to reach. Many tube lights are like this," Modi said, prompting the ruling NDA members to burst into laughter. Later, Congress leader Manish Tewari said the PM indulged in “stand-up comedy, half-truths and rank communalism” in his speech.

Cost of information

Seeking information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act may soon become expensive in Madhya Pradesh. According to sources, a proposal to increase the fee 10 times has been mooted by the department concerned. The state government is examining the viability of the proposal. If passed, people may have to pay Rs 100 instead of Rs 10 they are paying now. The idea, say sources, was to put Madhya Pradesh on a par with some other states that have imposed big fees to process RTI applications. But RTI activists in the state say the government is taking the step to restrict the growing number of RTI applications. 

Perfect fit for Parliament

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the motion of thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha was marked by ideological sparring as well as wit and humour. As the PM entered the Lok Sabha around 12.30 pm, the Bharatiya Janata Party MPs stood up to welcome him, shouting “Jai shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata ki jai”, to which the Congress MPs responded with “Mahatma Gandhi ki jai”. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “It is just a trailer”. Never at a loss for words, the PM responded, “Mahatma Gandhi may be trailer for you, but he is life for us”. Later, Modi, took a dig at Chowdhury for frequently rising from his seat and interrupting him, saying that he is publicising the government’s 'Fit India' campaign in the Parliament.