Tag: Parliament

France braces for another day of mayhem and violence

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PARIS — France is bracing for fresh chaos Tuesday with a day of protests planned against Emmanuel Macron’s detested pensions reform, and trade unions calling for a general strike.
Protests last Thursday descended into turmoil with clashes between police and protesters, and scenes of violence across the country. In the wake of the unrest, which resulted in more than 450 arrests, the French president was forced to cancel a state visit by King Charles III amid security concerns.
Public transport, universities, schools and public services are expected to be disrupted again Tuesday. The impact of the industrial action is being felt across all sectors and areas of public life. A rolling strike of waste collectors in Paris has meant that trash is still piled high in parts of the French capital, and a strike at refineries has led to fuel shortages at some petrol pumps.

Despite widespread unrest, the French president pledged last week that he would not backtrack on the pensions reform which raises the age of retirement to 64 from 62, saying it was “necessary” for the country to balance the books of its generous pensions scheme.
The French government sparked outrage when it invoked article 49.3 of the French constitution to pass its pensions reform, in a controversial move that bypassed a vote in parliament it was expected to lose. The government narrowly survived two motions of no confidence in the National Assembly after the controversial move.
Tuesday’s protest could be an indicator of whether Macron’s inflexibility whips up more discontent on the street or whether the protest movement is starting to subside. French police have been accused of using heavy-handed tactics and it is likely that students and pupils will join protests in greater numbers. On Saturday, a man was left in a critical condition after clashes with police at a French water reservoir project.
Stalemate over pensions reform
Ahead of the protests on Tuesday, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne called for talks with trade unions and announced she would no longer use article 49.3 except when it comes to budgetary measures.
“Obviously there are tensions over the reform, we need to listen,” she told AFP on Sunday. “[We need] to calm the country and give the French some answers promptly.”
A demonstration of Totalenergies striking employees outside the Gronfreville-l’Orcher refinery | Lou Benoist/AFP via Getty Images
However, talks between the government and trade unions over the pensions reforms are at a standstill. Macron has said he is open to discussing a range of issues including working conditions, pay and work-related strain, but not the pensions reform. Trade unions say they would agree to talks only if the government agreed to re-examine the legal age of retirement.
With no clear way out and in the wake of a string of violent incidents over the last weeks, there are fears within the trade unions that France may be facing a socio-political crisis similar to the Yellow Jackets movement that rocked the country in 2018-2019.
Trade union leader Laurent Berger warned Monday that France was in “a total state of tension.”
“There is a common will [with the government] to find an exit for this protest movement and not descend into a madness that might take hold of the country, with violence and resentment,” he warned in an interview with French channel France 2.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

March 23, 2023
Finland on course for NATO membership after Hungarian vote

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The Hungarian parliament ratified Finland’s NATO membership on Monday, putting Helsinki one step closer to joining the alliance but leaving Sweden waiting in the wings.
Members of Hungary’s parliament voted by a margin of 182 to 6 in favor of Finnish accession.
Helsinki now only needs the Turkish parliament’s approval — expected soon — to become a NATO member.
Hungary’s move comes after repeated delays and political U-turns.
Hungarian officials spent months telling counterparts they had no objections and their parliament was simply busy with other business.
Budapest then changed its narrative last month, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — who has an iron grip over his ruling Fidesz party — arguing the point that some of his legislators had qualms regarding criticism of the state of Hungarian democracy.
Finland and Sweden have been at the forefront of safeguarding democratic standards in Hungary, speaking out on the matter long before many of their counterparts.
But earlier this month — just as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that he will support Finland’s NATO membership — the Fidesz position flipped again, with its parliamentary group chair then announcing support for Helsinki’s bid.

Turkey’s parliament is expected to ratify Finnish membership soon. But it is keeping Sweden in limbo, as Turkish officials say they want to see the country implement new anti-terror policies before giving Ankara’s green light.
Following in Turkey’s footsteps, Hungary is now also delaying a decision on Sweden indefinitely — prompting criticism from Orbán’s critics.
Attila Ara-Kovács, a member of the European Parliament from Hungary’s opposition Democratic Coalition, said that Orbán’s moves are part of a strategy to fuel anti-Western attitudes at home.
The government’s aim is “further inciting anti-Western and anti-NATO sentiment within Hungary, especially among Orbán’s fanatical supporters — and besides, of course, to serve Russian interests,” he said.
“This has its consequences,” Ara-Kovács said, adding that “support for the EU and NATO in the country is significantly and constantly decreasing.”
A recent Eurobarometer poll found that 39 percent of Hungarians view the EU positively. A NATO report, published last week, shows that 77 percent of Hungarians would vote to stay in the alliance — compared to 89 percent in Poland and 84 percent in Romania.
But Hungarian officials are adding the spin that they do support Sweden’s NATO membership.
The Swedish government “constantly questioning the state of Hungarian democracy” is “insulting our voters, MPs and the country as a whole,” said Balázs Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister’s political director (no relation to the prime minister).
It is “up to the Swedes to make sure that Hungarian MPs’ concerns are addressed,” he tweeted on Sunday. “Our goal,” he added, “is to support Sweden’s NATO accession with a parliamentary majority as broad as possible.”

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

March 23, 2023
It’s not just TikTok: French also warn against WhatsApp, Instagram

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PARIS — In a typically French move, France’s top lawmakers are refusing to side with the United States and single out China’s TikTok.
This week, top members of France’s National Assembly strongly encouraged fellow MPs to “limit” their use of social media apps and messaging services, according to a damning internal email seen by POLITICO. The recommendation does include Chinese-owned TikTok — at the heart of a storm on both sides of the Atlantic — but also features American platforms such as Snap and Meta’s WhatsApp and Instagram, alongside Telegram, founded by Russian-born brothers, and Signal.
“Given the particular risks to which the exercise of their mandate exposes MPs using these applications, we wish to appeal to your extreme vigilance and recommend that you limit their use,” wrote Marie Guévenoux and Eric Woerth from Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party and Eric Ciotti from conservative Les Républicains.
France’s narrative of putting Chinese and American companies in the same basket is in stark contrast to moves by other European countries, including the Dutch government, which decided to target apps from countries that wage an “offensive cyber program” against the Netherlands, such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
But refusing to pick sides and follow the United States’ geopolitical lead is a long political tradition in France, which is often accused of anti-American bias. During the Cold War, French President Charles de Gaulle tried to position his country as an alternative between the U.S.’s capitalism and the Soviet Union’s communism.
“France has not mourned the loss of its power and is trying to resurrect the so-called third way, also carried by [European commissioner] Thierry Breton,” said Asma Mhalla, a tech geopolitics lecturer at Columbia University and Sciences Po. “This will serve as a political argument to put French sovereignty and French tech back on the table,” she added, arguing that the next step will likely be to promote French apps instead.
And indeed, the top lawmakers’ letter encourages members of parliament to use French software WIMI for project management and collaborative work.
Their main issue with foreign social media apps is that Chinese and American laws are extraterritorial. The personal data gathered via the platforms — including contacts, photos, videos, and both professional and personal documents — could be used by foreign intelligence services, they argued in their email.

During Macron’s tenure, France has fought tooth and nail against the U.S. Cloud Act, a piece of legislation that allows American authorities to seize data stored on American servers even if they’re located abroad. Paris has even come up with a specific set of rules for cloud services to try and shield European data from Washington’s extraterritorial reach.
In China, an intelligence law also requires domestic technology companies to hand over data to state authorities on subjects anywhere in the world.
“The U.S. are well aware that all their arguments used against TikTok — namely that Chinese law is extraterritorial — awkwardly echo what the Europeans have been reproaching them for some time,” said Mathilde Velliet, a researcher in tech geopolitics at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).
“On the other hand,” she added, “the U.S. also believes they cannot be put on the same footing as China, because they’re a European ally with a different political and security relationship, and because it’s a democracy.”
Washington and EU capitals including Paris and Brussels also engage in dialogue on data security issues and cyber espionage, which is not the case with Beijing.
In the National Assembly’s corridors, however, the top lawmakers’ decision to call out foreign platforms from both the U.S. and China was very much welcome. “It’s all starting to look like a third way, which would be European sovereignty,” said Philippe Latombe, an MP from Macron’s allied party Modem. “And that’s good news.”
Océane Herrero contributed reporting.
This article has been updated.

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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )

March 23, 2023
Uganda’s Parliament passes bill criminalising identifying as LGBTQ

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Kampala: Uganda’s Parliament has passed a bill to criminalise people identifying as LGBTQ and under which a person can be jailed for up to 10 years.
As homosexual acts are already illegal in the east African country, now under the proposed Anti Homosexuality Bill 2023, friends, family and members of the community would have a duty to report individuals in same-sex relationships to the authorities, the BBC reported.
The bill, which was first tabled earlier this month, passed with widespread support in Parliament late Tuesday.
It will now go to President Yoweri Museveni who can choose to use his veto or sign it into law.
The bill also stipulates that a person who is convicted of grooming or trafficking children for purposes of engaging them in homosexual activities faces life in prison.
Individuals or institutions which support or fund LGBT rights’ activities or organisations, or publish, broadcast and distribute pro-gay media material and literature, will also face prosecution and imprisonment.
While introducing the bill in Parliament, opposition lawmaker Asuman Basalirwa said that it aims to “protect our church culture; the legal, religious and traditional family values of Ugandans from the acts that are likely to promote sexual promiscuity in this country”, reports CNN.
“The objective of the bill was to establish a comprehensive and enhanced legislation to protect traditional family values, our diverse culture, our faiths, by prohibiting any form of sexual relations between persons of the same sex and the promotion or recognition of sexual relations between persons of the same sex,” he added.

But small group of Ugandan MPs on a committee scrutinising the bill argued that the offences it seeks to criminalise are already covered in the country’s Penal Code Act.
Lawmaker Fox Odoi-Oywelowo spoke out against the bill, saying that it “contravenes established international and regional human rights standards” as it “unfairly limits the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ persons”.
Rights advocacy group Human Rights Watch had warned earlier this month that the law would violate Ugandans’ rights to freedom of expression and association privacy, equality, and non-discrimination, CNN reported.
Uganda made headlines in 2009 when when it introduced an anti-homosexuality bill that included a death sentence for gay sex.
Lawmakers passed a bill in 2014, but they replaced the death penalty clause with a proposal for life in prison. But that law was ultimately struck down.
Same-sex relations are banned in about 30 African countries, where many people uphold conservative religious and social values.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 22, 2023
BJP, Congress exchange barbs as parliament logjam continues

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New Delhi: The disruptions in parliament continued for the seventh day on Tuesday with no indications yet of the logjam ending soon as both BJP and the opposition sharpened their attack on each other.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were first adjourned till 2 pm and then for the day amid sloganeering by the members of the opposition and treasury benches.
While the BJP members continued to demand apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in UK, the opposition insisted on JPC on the Hindenburg-Adani row.
Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman urged members to allow the Houses to function.
Lok Sabha passed the Budget for Jammu and Kashmir for 2023-24 and the Supplementary Demands for Grants for the Union Territory amid the din in the House and sloganeering by opposition members over their demand.
The House also passed Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation (No 2) Bill 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill 2023.
In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar said people expect members to exemplify the highest traditions. “They expect us to engage in deliberation and enlighten the people at large,” he said.
As the din continued, he adjourned the House till 2 pm. When the House reassembled, talked about his experience across the political spectrum and said he also had been a member of Congress party.

“I greatly appreciate what the Leader of the Opposition has indicated as to how many political parties I have traversed. I have benefited from enormous experience of towering giants in various political parties, starting with Chaudhary Devi Lalji, Sharad Pawarji, etc. And I have been a member of the Congress Party and most of my friends are on left side…”
“Yes, Janata Dal, with Chaudhary Devi Lalji. We had towering giants in Janata Dal at that point of time. I have also had the privilege of being a member of the largest party on the planet. So, I have traversed and, in the process, I have gathered experience. My involvement with these parties has been very impactful and my not being associated with some parties may also be impactful,” he said.
Dhankar said he was earlier member of parliamentary board of NCP along with Praful Patel. “We are all friends, friends of long standing,” he said.
As the members persisted with their demands, he adjourned the House for the day.
The two Houses will not meet on Wednesday on the occasion of Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Chaitra Sukladi, Cheti Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba
Dhankhar called a meeting of the floor leaders of different political parties in Rajya Sabha twice on Thursday in an attempt to break the logjam in the House over the issues raised by both ruling as well as opposition parties.
In the meeting, he underlined that it is prime duty of the members to run the proceedings of the House in an orderly manner which is the essence of democracy and the expectation of the people. During the one and half hour-long meeting, Dhankhar highlighted that the House is meant for debate and discussion in a collaborative manner, and not for confrontation and deadlock.
The first meeting was held at 11.30 am in which leaders of BJP, YSRCP, BJD and TDP were present. However, floor Leaders of other parties did not attend. The Chief Whip of the Congress Party and also the floor leader of the DMK Party called on the Chairman separately before the meeting and expressed their inability to attend the meeting. The Chairman indicated to these two leaders that this would not help the cause of democracy and his feelings be so conveyed to the leaders.
Members from Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK, AAP, BJD, RJD, CPI (M), JD(U), AIADMK, NCP, SP, SS, CPI, TRS and AGP were among those not present.
Thereafter, the Rajya Sabha Chairman made another appeal to the floor leaders of the Parties, who absented from the first meeting, to revisit their decision and attend the second meeting which was held at 2:30 pm.
The second meeting was attended by Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Dr Harivansh, Sharad Pawar (NCP), Dr Keshav Rao (TRS), Shri Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Dr Shantanu Sen (TMC), M Thambidurai (DMK), Sasmit Patra (BJD), GK Vasan (Tamil Maanila Congress), Birendra Prasad Baishya (AGP); Union Minister Leader of House Piyush Goel and Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Palhad Joshi.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri V. Muraleedharan and Chief Whip of BJP in Rajya Sabha Laxmikant Bajpai were also present.
To engage in further consultation, the Chairman has scheduled the next meeting at 10.00 am on March 23 with a request to all floor leaders to make it convenient to attend.
Outside the Parliament, both BJP and Congress launched sharp attacks on each other.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra compared Rahul Gandhi to Mir Jafar and Congress leader Pawan Khera hit back.
Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil also held a press conference and alleged that BJP MPs didn’t let Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge speak in the House twice despite the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha permitting him.
Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker seeking permission to speak in the House to respond to the allegations levelled at him by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
“I had written to you on March 17 seeking your permission to respond to totally baseless and unfair charges hurled at me by senior ministers in the Lok Sabha. I am making such a request again. I am seeking this permission under the conventions of Parliamentary practice, the constitutionally embedded rules of natural justice and Rule 357 of the Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha,” he said.
Gandhi said that the Rule 357 of the Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha allows him to respond to the allegations in the Parliament.
“A member may, with the permission of the speaker, make a personal explanation although there is no question before the House, in this case, no debatable matter may be brought forward, and no debate shall arise”.
Hitting out at the BJP, the Congress leader termed the allegations against him as “scurrilous” and “defamatory”.
“Members of the ruling regime have made scurrilous and defamatory claims against me both within and outside Parliament. As a result of these allegations, and the rules invoked by these individuals, it is only appropriate that you kindly me a right to reply as contained in Rule 357 which allows for personal explanations,” he said.
Sambit Patra, who addressed a press conference earlier in the day, said Rahul Gandhi has to apologize for his remarks in the UK.
“Rahul Gandhi will have to apologize in Parliament. He always defames the nation. He is the present-day Mir Jafar of Indian polity. He asked the foreign powers to intervene in the country. This is a consistent ‘conspiracy’ of Congress and Rahul Gandhi. His participation is least in Parliament and he says that no one allows him to speak,” Patra alleged.
“Mir Zafar did the same thing, he gave 24 Parganas to get help from East India Company and now Rahul is doing the same kind of politics. He is asking for help from foreign countries so that he becomes ‘Shazada’ in India,” Patra added.
Mir Jafar had betrayed Siraj ud-Daulah and helped the East India Company in the battle of Plassey in June 1757.
Hitting back at Patra, Pawan Khera said that the BJP spokesperson would soon get a “strong answer”.
“Criticizing government is not criticizing the nation. Government should understand this. The debate does not make democracy weaken instead it strengthens it. The government is doing this drama because they are trying to escape the opposition’s questions,” he said.
“They are worried that Rahul Gandhi might again ask the PM about his relations with Adani. There is no JPC probe yet, this is the reason they are creating so much drama. He will get a strong answer soon. We are also learning from them (BJP) how to give answers. Soon action will be done on his statement: Pawan Khera on Sambit Patra’s statement that Rahul Gandhi is ‘Mir Jafar’ of the present era,” he added.
In his press conference, Gohil referred to the Rajya Sabha record details and said the moment Kharge’s name was called, the ruling party members started sloganeering and the House was adjourned.
He added that as soon as Kharge stoop up to speak at 2 pm when the Rajya Sabha resumed, sloganeering from MPs of the party in power started and the House was adjourned for the day.
Gohil alleged that BJP is seeking apology from Rahul Gandhi just because it wants to divert attention from Adani issue on which the Opposition parties are demanding JPC.
Gohil said that Union Minister Piyush Goyal refers to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in London which is against the rules.
He asserted that Rahul Gandhi had not said anything objectionable on foreign soil and rather termed the threat on democracy in India as an ‘internal problem’ which had to be dealt with by the citizens of the country only, and had in fact ruled out the need for interference from outside.
“If someone has to apologise, it is PM Modi as he had disrespected our country and our forefathers in many countries on various occasions, Gohil said.
He alleged that PM Modi had “belittled our achievements in 70 years” during his visits abroad by stating that nothing had been done during all these years.
The Parliament has witnessed continuous disruptions since it met for the second part of budget session on March 13.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 22, 2023
Boris Johnson admits he misled UK Parliament, but in ‘good faith’

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London: Former British prime minister Boris Johnson’s written defence in response to an influential parliamentary committee was published on Tuesday and in it he accepts that he misled Parliament over the partygate scandal of COVID lockdown law-breaching parties at Downing Street, but did so in “good faith”.
Johnson is due to give oral evidence to the House of Commons Privileges Committee this week and made written submissions ahead of that, in which he criticises the panel for going “significantly beyond its terms of reference”.
The 58-year-old backbench Tory MP also tries to discredit the cross-party committee’s interim report, describing it as “highly partisan”.
“I accept that the House of Commons was misled by my statements that the Rules and Guidance had been followed completely at No. 10,” reads his evidence.
“But when the statements were made, they were made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time. I did not intentionally or recklessly mislead the House on 1 December 2021, 8 December 2021, or on any other date. I would never have dreamed of doing so,” he said.
The former prime minister, whose exit from 10 Downing Street last year had been hastened by the partygate scandal, had repeatedly denied COVID lockdown rules were broken within government quarters when asked in the Commons.
With specific reference to a surprise birthday party for him in June 2020, the former prime minister expresses shock at having been handed a fine for it following a Metropolitan Police investigation because no cake was eaten.
“I was in the Cabinet Room for a work meeting and was joined by a small gathering of people, all of whom lived or were working in the building. We had a sandwich lunch together and they wished me Happy Birthday. I was not told in advance that this would happen. No cake was eaten, and no-one even sang happy birthday’. The primary topic of conversation was the response to Covid-19,” he writes.

The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK group took to Twitter to say that it is “sickening” that Johnson claimed he acted in “good faith” while accepting he misled the House of Commons over partygate.
The parliamentary committee also hit back to say his submission contains “no new evidence” in his defence.
“The evidence strongly suggests that breaches of guidance would have been obvious to Mr Johnson at the time he was at the gatherings,” the Privileges Committee had said in its interim report released earlier this month.
Johnson is due to give oral evidence to the committee on Wednesday, following which it will submit its report to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. It will be up to him to sign off on any sanction against his ex-boss, which could involve a suspension from Parliament if found to have knowingly misled Parliament.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 21, 2023
TMC MPs hold protest demanding Adani’s arrest in Parliament

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New Delhi: Donning caps printed with images of Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trinamool Congress MPs on Tuesday held a protest in the Parliament complex here demanding the arrest of the businessman and alleged that the central government was shielding him.
The party, which had not participated in protests held by the Opposition on the Adani issue recently, again stayed away from the one held by the Congress and other parties in the Parliament House corridor to press for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe and chose to hold its demonstration separately.
“The partnership with the BJP is helping Adani. There is an understanding between Modi and Adani and that is why Parliament has failed to function,” alleged TMC Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay.
TMC MPs were seen wearing caps with a picture of Adani and Prime Minister Modi printed on them during the protest. Party leaders claimed that spent days trying to get around 100 such caps printed as no printer in Delhi was ready to do it.
The party finally got them printed in a shop in Uttar Pradesh, a leader said.
“Adani should be arrested. Modi is trying to protect Adani in the one lakh crore rupees scam. This is also the reason why they are not allowing any discussion in Parliament.
“TMC leadership has already demanded that the 10 non-BJP states should begin their own probe into this and ensure that public money is not misused,” said TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien.
Bandyopadhyay demanded that the prime minister should speak on the issue.

“PM Modi should explain this in the House how LIC-SBI money ended up with Adani,” he said.
TMC leaders shouted slogans like “Desh ka hua bura haal, Modi bane Adani ki dhaal!” and held placards.
“Under the patronage of PM, India has become a safe haven for capitalist cronies who act with apparent impunity to loot the masses,” Bandyopadhyay alleged.
“The cat is out of the bag: @BJP4India is an apologist for financial fraud. Their attempts to stall Parliamentary discussions on the Adani issue are proof of their complicity. We refuse to sit back and watch our financial institutions be bled dry and the common man be looted,” the TMC tweeted from its official handle.
The TMC had also skipped a march of the Opposition to the Enforcement Directorate office earlier last week.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 21, 2023
Parliament logjam continues as BJP, opposition persist with their demands

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New Delhi: The logjam in parliament extended to the sixth successive day on Monday with the treasury benches and the government sticking to their stands.
The parliament has not been able to conduct any substantial business since the start of second part of the budget session on March 13 with the BJP seeking apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the United Kingdom and several opposition parties seeking Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row.
Members from the treasury benches and opposition resorted to slogneering over their demands with both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seeing similar scenes.
The two Houses were first adjourned till 2 pm and then for the day.
When the Lok Sabha met on the sixth day of the second leg of the budget session, opposition members came near the Speaker’s podium over their demand on Adani issue.
Speaker Om Birla said he will allow members to speak within rules after the question hour.
He said the members from the opposition and treasury benches can come to his chamber to find a solution to the impasse.
Birla said that people want the Parliament to function. As the din continued, he adjourned the House till 2 pm.

The BJP and Congress leaders continued their barbs at each other outside the parliament.
Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri attacked Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in UK, the Congress leader said that criticism of the Prime Minister or his government is in no way an “attack on India”.
Puri, who held a press conference, said if any individual goes outside the country he has the freedom to speak but along with that freedom comes a sense of responsibility.
“We are the world’s oldest democracy but Mr Gandhi goes to UK and says Indian democracy is facing an attack on the basic structure.”
The Union minister said Rahul Gandhi should apologise for his remarks.
He also hit back at the Congress, saying that it was under the Indira Gandhi regime that civil liberties were curbed.
“His (Rahul Gandh’s) grandmother invoked Article 356, 150 times to suspend and dismiss legitimately elected state governments,” Puri said.
In his remarks at Cambridge University in the UK, Gandhi had said that everybody knows and it’s been in the news a lot that Indian democracy “is under pressure and under attack”.
“I am an Opposition leader in India, we are navigating that (Opposition) space. The institutional framework which is required for a democratic Parliament, free press, the judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation, moving around all are getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy,” he had said.
Rahul Gandhi, who was in his constituency Wayanad on Monday, hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party over its persistent attack for remarks in the UK,
“Now, there is confusion in the minds of the PM, BJP and RSS. They are under the impression that they are India. The PM is an Indian and not India. No way an attack on the PM, BJP or RSS is an attack on India. But by attacking independent institutions of India, they’re attacking India. And I won’t stop saying this,” Gandhi said at a public meeting.
He lashed out at the Centre over the Delhi Police notice to him in regard to his speech in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, and said that he will “fight for the truth”.
“I am not scared of BJP, RSS or Police. No matter how many cases are filed against me or how many times you send the police to my home and insult me, I will still fight for the truth. Those who always lie won’t be able to understand honest people,” he said.
“I understand that farmers are facing huge difficulties not just in Wayanad but in the whole country. The central and state governments are also trying to displace farmers in the name of environmental protection. I am always ready to help the farmers,” Gandhi added.
The budget session will conclude on April 6.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 21, 2023
BRS, SP skip Oppn meet at Kharge’s chamber in Parliament premises

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New Delhi: After a week-long bonhomie among the opposition parties, the BRS and the Samajwadi Party on Monday skipped the meeting at leader of opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in Parliament House, but later both attended the joint press conference.
Trinamool has already been maintaining a distance, while the AAP was present in the meeting.
Apart from the Congress, the following parties attended the Monday meeting — DMK, RJD, CPI(M), CPI, NCP, JD(U), AAP, IUML, SS (Uddhav),JKNC, MDMK, RSP, Kerala Congress and JVCK.
The Samajwadi party (SP), which was absent in the meeting, later addressed the joint press conference of the opposition MPs at the Vijay Chowk.
The SP skipping the meeting following Akhilesh Yadav’s meeting with Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata is significant as it is trying to maintain distance with the Congress.
Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav said, “BJP is scared that if JPC investigates, the nexus between Adani and the Central government would get exposed and the real culprit would come before the people. The public is angry because they think that they would lose their money.”
Yadav added, “It is a strange situation when the government is not making a statement even when the public is perturbed. We are seeing for the first time that the government is not making any statement even when there is such a serious scam, let alone a probe. So, they definitely are guilty.”
Earlier, Kharge earlier told the mediapersons that the Congress has asked for time tomorrow (Tuesday) for Rahul Gandhi to speak in the Lok Sabha.

“If allowed, he (Rahul Gandhi) will speak in Parliament tomorrow,” Kharge said.
Gandhi had met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla last week, seeking time to speak in the House regarding his comments made in London earlier this month on democracy under attack in the country.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 20, 2023
Budget session: Opposition parties to meet at Parliament today

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New Delhi: Like-minded opposition parties are likely to meet on Monday in Parliament to chalk out a strategy to the floor of the House.
The meeting is likely to be held at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge’s office in Parliament.
Notably, the proceedings in the two Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the fifth day on Friday as the ruling BJP and opposition parties sought to vociferously raise their issues.
The acrimony continued to play out outside the Parliament with leaders from BJP and Congress targeting each other over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks and the Adani issue.
After the Lok Sabha met for the day, opposition members came near the Speaker’s podium over their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row. The BJP members raised the demand for an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in the United Kingdom, alleging that they had maligned institutions in the country.
Congress alleged that the audio was muted after they raised slogans that Rahul Gandhi should be allowed to respond to allegations of BJP leaders against him.
Congress members alleged that there was no audio for about 20 minutes of the House proceedings.
Government sources said the audio was muted due to a “technical fault”.

The Rajya Sabha also witnessed disruptions and was adjourned for the day. The House earlier took up some of the listed business.
The second part of the Budget session began on March 13.
BJP leaders continued to mount attack on Rahul Gandhi outside the Parliament over his remarks during visit to United Kingdom.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda said Rahul Gandhi has become a permanent part of the “anti-nationalist toolkit”.
“It is unfortunate that the Congress party is indulging in anti-national activities. After being repeatedly rejected by the nation, Rahul Gandhi has now become a permanent part of this anti-nationalist toolkit,” Nadda told ANI.
He accused Rahul Gandhi of seeking “intervention of another country in the internal matters of India”.
“Rahul Gandhi, what is your intention when you demand the intervention of another country in the internal matters of India? At a time when India is becoming the 5th largest economy in the world and G20 meetings are being held here, Rahul Gandhi on foreign soil is insulting the nation and the Parliament,” Nadda said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hit back at Nadda over his remarks against Rahul Gandhi.
“They (BJP) themselves are anti-national. They never took part in India’s freedom movement, worked for the Britishers and they are calling others anti-national? They are doing this to deviate from issues of unemployment and inflation,” Kharge alleged.
“Can Rahul Gandhi ever be anti-national? Are people who debate about democracy anti-national?. I condemn JP Nadda’s remarks. There is no point of apologising. We will give a strong reply to this in the Parliament. Rahul Gandhi will himself reply on this, that’s why they (BJP) are scared,” he asked.
Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “insulted” the country on multiple occasions.
“PM Modi said people and businessman say that what sin I committed to have born in India’. Those who insulted the people of the country is calling us anti-national? First, he should apologize,” Kharge said.
Rahul Gandhi refused to respond to Nadda’s jibe against him.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his “unfortunately I am MP” remark at a press conference which he subsequently corrected after being checked by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
The clip of the press conference where Rahul Gandhi is being corrected by Jairam Ramesh went viral.
“Sometimes, the truth comes out naturally, and as Rahul rightly said, unfortunately, he is a member of the Parliament, because of the way he uses foreign soil to defame and spread lies about the same prestigious institution, the Parliament of India, of which unfortunately he is a member,” Thakur told ANI.
“Today ‘RAHUL’ stands for ‘Regretful Awful Hateful Ungrateful Liar,’” he added.
The Union Minister said that Rahul should come and issue an unconditional apology.
“But he is still putting conditions to that. Is he above the rule of the land? Is he above the rules and procedures of the House? Does the Gandhi family still feel that they are above the country and the Parliament?” Thakur asked.
“He (Rahul Gandhi) has to understand that the Parliament is run as per the rules and procedure of the House and as per the direction given by the honourable Speaker. But that can only happen if he comes to the House and reads the rules and procedures. I believe he will understand that and come and apologise to the House and the Parliament,” Thakur added.
Rahul said on Thursday hoped to speak in Parliament in detail after four ministers made allegations against him over his remarks in the United Kingdom.
“So, if Indian democracy was functioning, I would be able to say my piece in Parliament. So, actually what you are seeing, is a test of Indian democracy. After four leaders of the BJP have made an allegation about a Member of Parliament, is that Member of Parliament going to be given the same space that those four Ministers have been given or is he going to be told to shut up? That’s what the real question in front of this country is right now,” Rahul Gandhi said.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor defended Rahul Gandhi and there is nothing he should apologise for.
“Rahul Gandhi never demanded foreign forces come to our country to save our democracy. He hasn’t said anything he should apologise for. It’s nonsense,” Tharoor told ANI.
“Democracy, in our country, is in danger and everyone should know about it. I didn’t hear anything wrong in it”, added Congress MP Tharoor.
In his lecture at Cambridge University Rahul Gandhi had said that everybody knows and it’s been in the news a lot “that Indian democracy is under pressure and under attack”.
The first week of the second part of the budget session of Parliament has been marred by disruptions with the two Houses not able to conduct any major business. The budget session of parliament will conclude on April 6.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 20, 2023