Page 2 - Lok Sabha Mps

Nitish Kumar hosts NDA meeting to boost coordination for Bihar polls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday convened a meeting of the ruling NDA in the state to ensure better coordination among alliance partners in the run-up to assembly polls due next year. Leaders of JD(U), BJP and smaller partners Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya Lok Morcha and Hindustani Awam Morcha thronged the chief minister's 1, Anne Marg residence for the meeting. "Our party leader has been asserting that the NDA will win 200 plus seats of the 243-strong House. For that perfect synergy among constituents is a must. Today's meeting has been called for that purpose," Ashok Choudhary, state minister and JD(U) national general secretary, said. State BJP president Dilip Jaiswal concurred, "A fine coordination saw us through the Lok Sabha polls this year. Carrying it forward will help us secure a two-thirds majority in the assembly elections." Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) state president Raju Tiwari said that "2020 is a thing of the past", when asked about the ..

Terror funding accused Kashmir MP Rashid Engineer gets bail: Who is he?

Lok Sabha MP Rashid Engineer reached Srinagar on Thursday after getting an interim bail. In his first comments, he vowed to fight for justice while targeting the BJP over the abrogation of Article 370

Law ministry invites proposals to 'comprehensively evaluate' MP-MLA courts

The Union law ministry has invited proposals from top institutes, including IIMs, IITs, law universities and judicial academies, to carry out a "comprehensive evaluation" of special courts set up to hold expeditious trial of criminal cases involving MPs and MLAs to assess their functionality, efficacy and overall impact. The proposals have been invited under 'Scheme for Action Research and Studies on Judicial Reforms' of the Department of Justice which functions under the law ministry. Following the directions of the Supreme Court in 2017, the central government had facilitated setting up of 12 special courts in states for expeditious trial of criminal cases involving MPs and MLAs. Accordingly, 12 special courts -- two in Delhi and one each in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala -- were constituted. Ten such courts are currently functional in nine states. The special courts of Bihar and Kerala

SC dismisses plea against election of Amritpal Singh as Lok Sabha MP

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea against the election of jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh as an MP from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib. The petitioner claimed before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan that Article 84 of the Constitution deals with qualification for membership of Parliament and says that a person shall not be qualified to be chosen to fill a seat in Parliament unless he is a citizen of India. "In this case, respondent number four (Amritpal Singh) had said that he does not owe allegiance to the Constitution of India," the petitioner, who appeared in-person, said. "You file an election petition," the bench said. The petitioner said he was not a voter of Khadoor Sahib constituency but was "deeply hurt" by the statements given earlier by Singh. "It is a matter of evidence. There are procedures prescribed. There are provisions in the Representation of the People Act," the bench observed. "Thank you. Dismissed," the bench said while refusin

KC Venugopal likely to chair Public Accounts Committee: What is it?

Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal and Amar Singh are part of the committee, which was previously headed by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

Stay alert in proceedings or lose chance to ask question: LS speaker to MPs

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday asked members to be alert during House proceedings or else, he said, they will lose the opportunity to ask supplementary questions during the Question Hour. Birla said this after Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal was unable to respond to the speaker's call on time. During the Question Hour, a question posed by Badal related to Punjab was listed in the agenda for discussion. When Birla took Badal's name for a few times, she failed to respond in time as she was apparently busy talking to a fellow member. At this, the speaker decided to move on to the next question. Soon after, the Shiromani Akali Dal MP responded and urged the speaker to allow her to raise the issue. "I have called your name thrice. But you were busy in talking. You have to be alert when your question is listed. I want to tell all Honourable members that if you don't pay attention to the proceedings, you will not get the chance to raise issues," Birla said. The spea

Oppn raises paper leaks issue; LS Speaker asks for constructive discussion

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha on Monday that there is a very serious problem in the country's examination system, prompting Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to issue a strong rebuttal and state that there was no evidence of paper leaks in the last seven years. As the opposition sought to corner the government over the issue of paper leaks, Speaker Om Birla also weighed in saying it was not right to raise questions about all exams and that members should discuss about developing a better examination system. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is probing the alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET. The agency has lodged six FIRs. The NEET-UG is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions. On the first day of the Budget session of Parliament, Opposition members raised the issue of exam paper leaks. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said there w

HC points mistakes in Bharti's plea against Swaraj, asks to file it again

The Delhi High Court on Monday pointed out several mistakes in AAP leader Somnath Bharti's petition challenging BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj's election in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on grounds of alleged corrupt practices, and asked him to file a corrected one. Justice Manmeet PS Arora said at the outset that there were a lot of typographical errors which made it difficult to understand the averments in the petition. Even the reference to respondents in the petition did not correlate with the respondents mentioned in the memo of parties and synopsis, the counsel said. The court gave Bharti 10 days to file a corrected petition and listed the matter for further hearing on August 14. When Bharti's counsel urged the court to issue notice to the respondents on the petition, the judge said, "There are too many mistakes. Correct the petition first. I can't issue notice like this. I will simply adjourn it. Please file a corrected petition." Both Bharti and Swaraj contested from the New Delhi Lok S

Rulings by chair not to be criticised, MPs reminded ahead of Parl session

Rulings given by the chair should not be criticised directly or indirectly in or outside the House and members should not raise slogans, including "Vande Mataram" and "Jai Hind", MPs have been reminded ahead of the Parliament session beginning Monday. The members have also been reminded that displaying "exhibits" on the floor of the House is "not in order". The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has come out with excerpts from the "Handbook for Members of Rajya Sabha", drawing the attention of the members to parliamentary customs and conventions and parliamentary etiquette. The excerpts were published in a Rajya Sabha bulletin issued on July 15. The session begins on July 22 and is slated to conclude on August 12. "The decorum and the seriousness of the proceedings of the House require that there should be no 'thanks', 'thank you', 'Jai Hind', 'Vande Mataram' or any other slogans raised in the House," the bulletin said. It noted that rulings are given by the chair according to the precedent

Not Khalistani supporter, should be released immediately: Amritpal's mother

The mother of jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who took oath as a member of Parliament on Friday, said her son is not a Khalistani supporter and demanded that he be released immediately so that he can work on the issues on which he fought the elections. Meanwhile, celebrations broke out in Singh's native village Jallupur Khera in Amritsar and the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency where people distributed sweets after he was administered oath. Singh and Kashmiri leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who were granted parole to take oath as members of the Lok Sabha, were sworn in as MPs amid heavy security in and around the Parliament complex. They took oath in the chamber of the Lok Sabha speaker after completing formalities. They were brought to the Parliament complex by security personnel this morning. Singh is lodged in a prison in Assam's Dibrugarh district for offences under the National Security Act. He was flown from Assam to Delhi on a four-day custody parole, for ..

Congress postpones programme to felicitate new Lok Sabha MPs from UP

Congress postponed its programme to felicitate the newly-elected Lok Sabha members from Uttar Pradesh that was scheduled for Friday. UP Congress chief Ajay Rai told PTI that the programme has been postponed but did not give any reason for the postponement. Party sources, however, said that they did not want the programme to be held in Lucknow on the day senior party leader Rahul Gandhi visited Aligarh and Hathras to meet the family members of the stampede that killed 121 people. The Congress, which had contested the recently-concluded Lok Sabha election with the Samajwadi Party, has won six seats from UP, which sends 80 MPs to the Lower House -- the highest for any state. Rai said that a fresh date for the programme will be decided soon. All party candidates who had contested the elections will be called for the programme, he said. Rahul Gandhi, who won the Lok Sabha elections from Rae Bareli seat, had earlier this morning visited the families of the stampede in Aligarh and ...

Amritpal Singh to be taken to New Delhi for oath-taking as MP today

An eight-member team of the Punjab Police would escort jailed 'Waris Punjab De' activist Amritpal Singh to New Delhi for his swearing-in as an MP, an official said. Singh, who has won the Lok Sabha polls from the Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab, has been granted four-day parole for the swearing-in. The police team, led by a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)-rank official, arrived here on Thursday afternoon and is scheduled to escort Singh, lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, to New Delhi in a special flight amid tight security for the swearing-in on Friday. Singh's lawyer Rajdev Singh Khalsa said he would be taken to Delhi aboard a "military aircraft" for the swearing-in. Singh's parole orders are stringent, prohibiting him or his relatives from making any public statements during his visit to New Delhi. Moreover, any form of media coverage, including videography or circulation of statements, is strictly prohibited. In addition, Singh has been instructed not to engage in a

Average vote share of LS poll winners in 2024 came down to 50.58% : ADR

The winners of Lok Sabha elections 2024 won an average of 50.58 per cent votes, down by 2 per cent as compared to the last general elections, according to an analysis by the poll rights body ADR. Among the elected MPs with declared criminal cases, 42 per cent won with a vote share of 50 per cent and above, the ADR report said. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) have released a comprehensive analysis of the vote share in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, examining 542 out of 543 constituencies. The Surat constituency in Gujarat was excluded from the analysis as its candidate was elected unopposed. Winners in the 2024 elections secured an average of 50.58 per cent of the total votes polled, a decrease from 52.65 per cent in 2019. Notably, 279 winners (51 per cent) achieved more than half of the total votes in their constituencies, while 263 winners (49 per cent) failed to reach the half-way mark. Among the major parties, the BJP had 75 out of

Jailed radical preacher Amritpal likely to take oath as LS member on Jul 5

Jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who recently won the Khadoor Sahib parliamentary seat in Punjab, is likely to take oath as Lok Sabha member on Friday. The chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, who is currently lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail along with nine associates under the National Security Act, has been granted a four-day parole to enable him to take oath, officials in Amritsar said. Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, an Independent MP from Faridkot, said Amritpal Singh is likely to take oath as MP on July 5. "I went to meet Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at his residence in Delhi on Wednesday. He said the oath will be administered on July 5," Khalsa told PTI over phone. He also said that clearances and permissions from various quarters to enable Amritpal Singh to take oath have come. "I understand that he will be flown in from the prison for taking oath, which will be in the private chamber of the Speaker," he said. Khalsa said the sole purpose of his meeting the Speaker o

Rahul Gandhi protests 'selective expunction' of parts of his Monday speech

In his letter to Birla, Gandhi said while the Chair derives powers to expunge certain remarks from the proceedings of the House but the stipulation is only those kinds of words

Samajwadi Party's Ayodhya win was 'Ram's will': Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha

Akhilesh Yadav says that INDIA bloc's win in 2024 Lok Sabha elections marked the end of communal politics in India, while speaking in Parliament

Truth can be expunged in Modi's world, but not in reality: Rahul Gandhi

A defiant Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said truth can be expunged in the world of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but not in reality, hours after significant parts of his Lok Sabha speech were deleted by the chair. "Whatever I had to say, I have said and that is the truth. They can expunge as much as they want, but the truth will prevail," Gandhi told reporters in Parliament complex. The Congress leader was responding to questions on certain remarks he made during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha on Monday. "Truth can be expunged in the world of Modi ji, but in reality truth cannot be expunged," Gandhi said. In his first speech as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi had launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines. Gandhi's remarks drew massive protests from the treasury benches and a rare intervention from the prime minister, who slammed the Cong

Goa CM demands apology after Rahul's dig at BJP calling them 'not Hindus'

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said Congress MP Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the Lok Sabha and crores of Hindus all over the world for his comments on the community. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) also condemned Gandhi's remarks, claiming he had "attempted to portray Hindus as violent." Gandhi, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, took a swipe at the ruling BJP in the House on Monday, saying those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in "violence and hate" round the clock. "All religions and all our great men talk about non-violence and fearlessness, but those who call themselves Hindus only talk about violence, hatred and falsehood....Aap Hindu ho hi nahi (You are not Hindus)," he said. After Gandhi's comments, Goa CM Sawant termed the Congress as arrogant. "This is INC's Nafarat ki Dukan! Calling Hindus 'Hinsak' is a brazen insult, disrespect towards Hindus. LoP @RahulGandhi must apologise, to the the House and Crores of Hindus all over the world," Sawant s

Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP of dividing people; parts of his speech expunged

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP in the Lok Sabha on Monday, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines, drawing massive protests from the treasury benches, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi slamming the Congress leader for calling the entire Hindu community violent. Besides Modi, who intervened twice, at least five cabinet ministers interjected during Gandhi's speech that lasted for about an hour and 40 minutes, with Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an apology from him. "It is not just one religion that talks about courage. In fact, all our religions talk about courage," Gandhi said in his debut speech as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha that was watched by his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from the visitors' gallery. The Congress leader was speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the president's address to a joint sitting of Parliament. Gandhi quoted ...

'Aap Hindu ho hi nahi': Rahul Gandhi attacks Modi govt in Lok Sabha

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticises Modi government's Hindu stance, Agniveer scheme, and misuse of agencies such as the ED in Lok Sabha