Tag: persist

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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#Parliament #logjam #continues #BJP #opposition #persist #demands
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 21, 2023
Moderate rains to persist for the next 24 hours in Telangana

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Hyderabad: With heavy clouds circling the state, Telangana is likely to receive light to moderate rainfall on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with most areas to receive moderate rains in the next 24 hours.
Districts listed under the radar of the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS) will receive moderate rains including Mancherial, Kumuram Bheem, Mulugu, Siddipet, Bhadradri and Suryapet. All other districts are expected to receive light rains.
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) area is likely to receive light rains in the next 24 hours. Maximum temperatures are expected to be in the range of 29 degree Celsius to 32 degree Celsius, while the minimum temperatures are likely to be in the range of 18 degree Celsius to 21 degree Celsius.
In the state, the maximum temperatures are expected to be in the range of 32 degree Celsius to 35 degree Celsius, while the minimum temperatures are likely to be in the range of 18 degree Celsius to 22 degree Celsius.
In the last 24 hours, the highest rainfall of 47.3 mm was recorded in Kapra and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts under the GHMC area.
The highest rainfall of 118.8 mm in the state was recorded in the Venkatapuram, Mulugu district.
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#Moderate #rains #persist #hours #Telangana
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 19, 2023
Imran Khan urges party to persist in struggle amid scuffle between police and supporters.

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Lahore: Pakistan’s ousted prime minister Imran Khan Tuesday asked his supporters to stand up for their rights and continue the struggle even if he is killed or arrested, hours after clashes erupted between the police and his party workers who gathered outside his residence here to foil his arrest in the Toshakhana case.
Khan’s video message was released by his party on social media as police arrived at his Zaman Park residence to arrest him.
Police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse Khan’s supporters, who reportedly hurled stones at policemen, resulting in injuries.
In the video message, Khan urged his supporters to come out for real freedom as police arrived to arrest him. “They think that after my arrest, the nation will fall asleep. You have to prove them wrong,” 70-year-old Khan said in the video.
“God has given me everything, and I am fighting this battle for you. I have been fighting this battle all my life, and I will continue to do so,” he said.
“If something happens to me and I am sent to jail or if I am killed, you have to prove that you will struggle without Imran Khan and not accept the slavery of these thieves and of the one person who has been making decisions for the country,” he said.
A senior police officer of Islamabad police said that his team has come here to arrest the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman in the Toshakhana case.
Khan has been in the crosshairs for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit.

TV footage showed police slowly approaching the Zaman Park residence of Khan behind an armoured vehicle that was dispersing his supporters with a water cannon.
Khan’s supporters, who had covered their faces with pieces of cloth, pelted stones at policemen.
According to reports, Islamabad Deputy Inspector General (Operations) Shahzad Bukhari, who was leading the police team, was injured. He was seen walking with the help of two officials. Both Khan’s supporters and policemen were injured in the clashes.
PTI leader Shireen Mazari shared a video in which tear gas could be seen entering Khan’s residence.
“They’re shelling Imran Khan’s house too, a leader who requested everyone to stay peaceful and patient. Democracy seems to be suspended in the country, no?” the official Twitter handle of the party tweeted.
Meanwhile, the party’s deputy leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the PTI leadership is ready to find out a “possible way out” to avert bloodshed.
“Show me the warrant. I will first read and understand it. Then, I will speak to Imran Khan and my lawyers,” he told the police.
Khan’s party moved the Islamabad High Court against the arrest warrants issued in the Toshakhana case.
Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq fixed the hearing for Wednesday while rejecting the party’s request to conduct the hearing today.
The plea has been fixed for hearing tomorrow (March 15) despite the objections raised by the registrar’s office, Khan’s lawyer Ali Bukhari said.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, however, said that officials would arrest Khan in accordance with the court’s directives and produce him in court.
The official Twitter handle of the party earlier urged supporters and workers to gather outside the residence and ‘remain peaceful’.
A large number of PTI workers equipped with clubs and sticks were present outside Khan’s residence to resist the police action.
The police blocked all roads leading to the house of the PTI chairman by placing containers and riot personnel took positions to launch the operation.
Senior PTI leader Farukh Habib told reporters that come what may Imran Khan would not surrender to police in fake cases. “The arrest warrants in the case related to threatening a female judge were today suspended by the Islamabad High Court. Let’s see what new warrants police have brought with them now,” Habib said.
One activist of Khan’s party was killed on Wednesday during a crackdown on his supporters who gathered outside his residence in Lahore, defying a government ban on rallies in the city.
On Monday, the Lahore police had booked Khan in a case related to the killing of the PTI worker – Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah – in a road accident.
Earlier, the Lahore police had registered an FIR against Khan and 400 others for the murder of Shah. “The new FIR has been registered against Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin Rashid and a number of other PTI men for abetment to murder, concealing facts and evidence related to the death of Zille Shah,” a senior police officer told PTI.
He said the police may arrest Khan and others nominated in the FIR after direction from the “top”. The PTI had accused the police of murder of Shah after inflicting brutal torture on March 8.
This is the 81th FIR against Khan since the PML-N led federal coalition came into power 11 months ago after toppling his government through a no-confidence motion.
Khan Monday led a march of thousands of his supporters, a day after he called off his party’s election rally following a ban on public gatherings in Punjab’s provincial capital. The former cricketer-turned-politician’s supporters threw rose petals at a convoy carrying him to Data Darbar shrine.
Khan was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
Since his ouster, Khan has been clamouring for immediate elections to oust what he termed was an “imported government” led by prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif has maintained that elections will be held later this year once the parliament completes its five-year tenure.
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#Imran #Khan #urges #party #persist #struggle #scuffle #police #supporters
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 14, 2023
Kochi: Fire from Brahmapuram waste plant under control, thick smoke continues to persist

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Kochi: Giant plumes of toxic smoke continued to rise from the Brahmapuram waste plant here on Sunday evening as hundreds of firefighters, including Naval personnel, battled to bring the blaze that has gone on for four days under control.
A senior police officer said that the fire appeared to be extinguished, but huge amounts of smoke was still rising from the site and therefore, it may not have been quelled completely.
Aerial visuals of the site aired on various channels showed huge and thick plumes of smoke billowing from the site which appeared to be completely ravaged by the fire.
Meanwhile, the district administration declared Monday as a holiday for Anganwadis, kindergartens, day care centres and children of classes 1 to 7 of government, aided, unaided, CBSE and ICSE schools located in Kochi city and neighbouring gram panchayats and municipalities.
Earlier in the day, Kerala Industries Minister P Rajeeve said that the fire was under control and would hopefully be extinguished by evening.
He and State Health Minister Veena George said that the smoke due to the blaze was not a matter of concern.
Their announcements came while speaking to reporters after a high-level meeting at the Ernakulam District Collectorate here.
They said that people need not stay indoors as recommended on Saturday and can move out by taking precautions, like wearing N95 masks.

However, those with breathing problems, like asthma, the elderly, children and pregnant women should try and avoid getting exposed to the smoke and should wear masks if going out, the Ministers said.
George also said hospital records of the city do not indicate any medical cases due to the smoke.
Nevertheless, arrangements, like dedicated beds for those affected by the smoke generated due to the fire, have been made in all government hospitals and medical colleges in the city.
Besides, two oxygen parlours and a round the clock medical team of doctors have been put in place in Brahmapuram.
Regarding the decisions taken in the meeting, Rajeeve said that all stakeholders were of the view that there needs to be a coordinated effort to deal with such situations.
In lieu of that, it was decided to put in place a system comprising a coordination committee of representatives from the Kochi Corporation, fire services, police, health services, electricity board and fire safety officials of Bharat Petroleum and CIAL.
Also, it was decided in the meeting that a panel comprising officials of the corporation and the panchayat, where the waste plant is set up, and including the District Collector and the local MLA will meet every three months to discuss problems in that area.
After the prevailing issue is resolved, the corporation will also take urgent steps to ensure proper road connectivity to the area — another decision taken in the meeting according to Rajeeve.
The Minister further said as a result of the more than 3-day long fire, waste collection in Kochi has come to a standstill and therefore, in the meeting it was resolved that the corporation and the District Collector would take steps to put in place a temporary arrangement for removing garbage from the city.
The issue of bio-mining, which has not been taking place at the waste plant for some time, will be tackled by Local Self Government Minister M B Rajesh.
Earlier in the day, a fire officer engaged in the fire-fighting at the waste plant said it was taking time to quell the flames as there were layers of plastic underneath which got heated up and prevented the fire at the top from cooling down.
Lack of rains and wind also played spoilsport against the fire-fighting efforts and there was a second instance of a fire breaking out during the operations.
He said the fire tenders have been mobilised from divisions of other districts like Kottayam and Alappuzha.
In addition to all these, the phosgene gas generated by the fire is leading to nausea, dizziness among the firefighters which also affected operations.
According to police, 25 fire-fighting units, which included tenders from Thrissur, Kottayam and Idukki districts as well as those of the Indian Navy and Bharat Petroleum, battled the blaze since morning.
Air quality in parts of this port city was found to be poor this morning due to the fire.
According to the data on the Kerala Pollution Control Board website, the PM 2.5 and PM 10 particulates’ level in the air in Kochi were way above the prescribed standards.
The level of PM 2.5, tiny particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter that can enter deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream, was found to be 279.58 ug/m3, at around 8.30 AM today, as against the normal standard of 60.
PM 10, particles with diameter less than 10 micrometres, level were recorded at 324.65 as against a normal of 100.
The fire broke out in the waste dumped at the plant on Thursday.
Officials had maintained that such incidents happen every year around this time due to the extreme heat.
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#Kochi #Fire #Brahmapuram #waste #plant #control #thick #smoke #continues #persist
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 5, 2023