Page 113 - Lok Sabha

'Cash for query' scandal: Dubey moves Lokpal against Moitra, demands probe

The move by the BJP Lok Sabha MP to move the anti-corruption watchdog against Moitra comes at a time when the Ethics Committee of the Lower House is already looking into the allegations against her

Election season dawns, demand for charter helicopters hits the sky

Helicopter rentals for election rallies soar 25 to 50 per cent

Hiranandani submits 'sworn', notarised affidavit to Ethics Committee

Moitra had said in the press release that the "contents of the letter are a joke" and that "he was forced to sign a white paper"

Roadmap on simultaneous polls with Kovind committee to be shared on Oct 25

The Law Commission will share next week its roadmap on holding simultaneous polls with the high-level committee headed by former president Ram Nath Kovind. The panel has invited the Law Commission on October 25 to seek its views on how simultaneous polls can be held in the country. The high-level panel, which had in its first meeting recently decided to seek views of political parties, has now written to them to elicit their views on holding sustainable simultaneous polls in the country. In a communication to the parties, it has sought an interaction with with them on a "mutually agreed date", sources said citing the letter. They said parties have also been given an option to send their views in writing in the next three months. Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi-headed law panel is working on a formula to synchronise all assembly polls by extending or reducing the tenure so that these elections can be held along with Lok Sabha polls 2029 onwards. The law panel is devising a mechanism to e

INDI-alliance partners questioning Congress on seat allocation, claims BJP

It opposed the clause in the draft legislation, which mandated that it would be implemented only after a national census and a delimitation exercise

Committee calls BJP MP Dubey for statement in complaint against Mahua

The Lok Sabha's Ethics Committee on Wednesday asked BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and advocate Jai Anant Dehadrai to appear before it for "oral evidence" on October 26 in connection with his "cash for query" allegations against TMC MP Mahua Moitra. "Oral evidence of Dr. Nishikant Dubey, MP, in respect of complaint dated 15 October, 2023 given by him against Smt. Mahua Moitra, MP for alleged direct involvement in cash for query in Parliament," the subject of the Lok Sabha secretariat communication to him read. The letter sent by a secretariat official said, "I am directed to state that the Committee on Ethics has decided to hear you in the above matter, in person, on Thursday, 26 October, 2023..." Dubey has accused Moitra of taking "bribes" from a businessman to ask questions in Parliament and urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to constitute an "inquiry committee" to look into the charges against her. Moitra has hit back, saying she "welcomes any move against her after the Lok Sabha Speaker

LS Speaker refers complaint against TMC MP Mahua Moitra to ethics panel

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has referred BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's "bribe-for-query" complaint against Trinamool Congress member Mahua Moitra to the Ethics Committee of the lower House. Dubey has accused Moitra of taking "bribes" from a businessman to ask questions in Parliament and urged Birla to constitute an "inquiry committee" to look into the charges against her. Moitra has hit back, saying she "welcomes any move against her after the Lok Sabha Speaker is finished dealing with pending charges against him (Dubey)". The Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha is chaired by BJP member Vinod Kumar Sonkar. On Sunday, Dubey wrote to Birla under the subject "Re-emergence of nasty 'Cash for Query' in Parliament, Direct involvement of Smt. Mahua Moitra, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) for serious 'Breach of Privilege', 'Contempt of the House' and a 'Criminal Offence' under Section 120-A of IPC". Citing a letter he has received from an advocate, Dubey said the lawyer has shared "irrefutable"

Centre directs YouTube to put disclaimers on 'fake news' channels

Attempt to bring down misinformation before elections

LS Speaker meets EU Parl VP, protests resolution on India's internal issues

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday lodged a strong protest with European Parliament Vice President Nicola Beer over its resolution on India's "internal issues". Birla told the European Parliament Vice President that every nation and Parliament is sovereign and internal issues of other countries should not be discussed by others. In July, the European Parliament had adopted a resolution calling on the Indian government to act "promptly" to halt the violence in Manipur and protect religious minorities. "Birla underlined India's sovereignty and protested against bringing a proposal in the European Parliament on India's internal issues," the Lok Sabha Secretariat said in a statement. India had dubbed the July resolution "unacceptable" and "reflective of a colonial mindset". Birla invited the European Parliament vice president to witness the festival of democracy during Indian general elections scheduled for next year. Beer congratulated Birla for a successful P20 Summit and empha

Govt completes Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, ops begin Nov 1

Freight corridors are special tracks made for goods trains, aimed to decongest the railway network, ensuring faster movement of goods

EVMs have increased transparency, efficiency of poll process: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said nearly 100 crore Indians will be eligible to vote in the Lok Sabha elections next year and asserted that the electronic voting machine has increased transparency and efficiency of the country's electoral system. Addressing the inaugural session of the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers' Summit (P20) here, he invited the delegates to visit India again next year to witness the "festival of democracy" (the next Lok Sabha elections due in 2024 summer). He said the large voter turnout in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls shows the trust people have in the country's parliamentary practices. Over 67 per cent of the 91 crore eligible voters had exercised their franchise in the last parliamentary polls. He said the electoral process of the country has been modernised and now the electronic voting machine (EVM) has been in use for the past 25 years. The EVM has brought transparency and efficiency to the election process he said, adding now election results a

Congress to take out 'Pratigya' rallies in all 7 LS constituencies of Delhi

In the first phase of the 2024 general election campaign, the Congress will organise "Pratigya" rallies in all the seven Lok Sabha segments of Delhi and the first such rally will be taken out at Bawana in the North-West parliamentary constituency on October 15. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said the rally at Bawana will be taken out at 3 pm on Sunday and the AICC's Delhi in-charge, Deepak Bawaria, will address it. Lovely said before the rally, Congress workers will cover 15 km in their vehicles mounted with party flags to reach the venue. "To expose the failures of the BJP government (at the Centre), the Delhi Congress will mount a do-or-die battle against the saffron party. In the first phase of the election campaign, the Congress will organise Pratigya rallies in all the seven parliamentary constituencies and the first such rally will be taken out at Bawana," he said. Lovely also said a "Jawab Do, Hisab Do" campaign wi

Elections and their discontents

EC pushes for fiscal responsibility

Modi govt weighs giving small farmers more cash ahead of LS polls in 2024

If approved, the plan would cost the government an extra Rs 20,000 crore, according to the people, on top of the Rs 60,000 crore budgeted for the programme in the current fiscal year

Objectionable remarks row: Bidhuri skips LS Privileges Committee meeting

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, who was scheduled to appear before a parliamentary panel on Tuesday in connection with his controversial remarks against BSP's Danish Ali, excused himself from the appearance citing prior engagements, sources said. Bidhuri is busy in campaigning for the party in poll-bound Rajasthan where the BJP has made him in-charge of Tonk district, which has four assembly seats. Assembly polls are due in the state on November 23. The Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha had asked Bidhuri for "oral evidence" in relation to complaints received from several MPs against him and BSP MP Ali for "alleged improper conduct during the discussion on Chandrayaan-3 mission in the House". While several opposition MPs had demanded action against Bidhuri, some BJP members said Ali "incited" him and also made objectionable remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A member from Gujjar community, Bidhuri has been drafted in by the BJP for poll work in Tonk, where it is present in a larg

If Modi govt comes to power again, it will lead nation to destruction: Cong

The opposition Congress in Kerala on Monday said that if the Narendra Modi government comes to power for a third time, it will lead the country to destruction and therefore, the grand old party decided to unify all secular groups to defeat the BJP. Former Leader of Opposition in the Kerala assembly and senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala made the statement while speaking to reporters in New Delhi. Chennithala said Congress took the initiative to create the INDIA bloc or front with the deliberate intention of ensuring, at any cost, that the BJP does not return to power for a third time. "If the Narendra Modi government comes to power for a third time, it will lead the country to destruction. There is no doubt about that," he said. That is why the Congress decided to unify all secular groups to fight against the BJP, he added. His remarks come a day after Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned that if the BJP comes to power for a third time, the country would be in an .

Fuel price hike unlikely despite oil price surge as polls loom: Moody's

Petrol and diesel prices are unlikely to be increased despite firming raw material costs because of upcoming general elections next year, Moody's Investors Service said. Three state-owned fuel retailers -- Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) -- which control roughly 90 per cent of the market, have kept petrol and diesel prices on freeze for a record 18 months in a row. This is despite the raw material (crude oil) cost surging last year, leading to heavy losses in first half of 2022-23 fiscal year before easing oil prices propelled them to profitability. International oil prices have firmed up since August, leading to margins of three retailers turning negative again. "High crude oil prices will weaken the profitability of the three state-owned oil marketing companies in India -- IOC, BPCL and HPCL," Moody's said in a report. "The three companies will have limited flexibility to pass on higher raw mate

INDIA bloc a challenge, BJP doesn't take elections casually: Pradhan

The opposition INDIA bloc is a challenge, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday, adding he has requested his party to allow him to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from his home state Odisha. In an interview with PTI, Pradhan, who is a Rajya Sabha member, said the BJP doesn't take any elections casually and the party's agenda is to ensure that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets to serve the nation for a third term. Asked about whether the INDIA bloc is a real challenge, Pradhan said, "I consider this as a challenge." "The BJP and the NDA do not take any election casually. From ground workers to top leaders, everybody takes each election very seriously and the prime minister leads us from the front, provides a report card of his work, appeals to the people, and exposes the misleading statements and double standards of the opposition. "Some people make alliances out of fear, arrogance or selfishness. They form alliances without principles. Our ...

Two-day P-20 summit to begin from October 13: LS Speaker Om Birla

Speaker Lok Sabha announced on Friday that Two day P-20 Conference will be inagurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 13th October 2023

Goldman Sachs cautious on 'expensive' Indian stocks ahead of elections

The polls are likely to have a bearing on economic policy and reforms at a time the world's fastest-growing major economy is increasingly seen as an alternative to China