Is this true face of Indian democracy?

February 20, 2014
Lucknow, Feb 20: The Uttar Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday witnessed a “topless” protest from opposition members during the governor’s address to the joint session of the House, even as senior minister Azam Khan said that he was expecting “full exposure”.

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As soon as Governor B L Joshi began his address, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members carrying placards, posters and banners, denouncing the Akhilesh Yadav government, stormed into the well of the House. Two Rashtriya Lok Dal members took off their shirts in protest against the government’s failure to clear farmers’ sugarcane dues. Sudesh Sharma and Veer Pal Rathi astonished members of the treasury benches with their bare chests, as the governor left the House without completing his address.

Amid chaos and din, the House was adjourned for the day.

Ruling party members decried the behaviour of the opposition members with Azam Khan terming them “besharm” (shameless). “They should be ashamed of what they did in the House,” Khan said later. In a vein of sarcasm, Khan said, “I was expecting full exposure.”

Rathi and Sharma, however, defended their behaviour. “We had no alternative. This government has become so insensitive to the problems of sugarcane farmers, that their plight does not move it. Despite making a promise, the government did not ensure the payment of the arrears of farmers,” they said.

The BJP had earlier announced that its members would boycott the address of the governor.

Later, BSP and Congress leaders accused the government of failing completely on the law and order front. “Jungle raj prevails in UP. The government has failed. SP leaders have created terror in the state,” alleged BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya.

PDP MLA slaps marshal

Peoples’ Democratic Party MLA on Wednesday slapped a marshal in Jammu and Kashmir Assembly as proceedings were marred by unruly scenes.

During discussion of the grants of Agriculture Ministry, PDP MLA Syed Bashir trooped into well of the House to highlight shortage of ration for migrants. But, Speaker Mubarak Gul ordered his removal from the House and as the marshals were leading him out, other PDP MLAs rushed into the well. Amid unruly scenes, the Speaker ordered their eviction from the House too.

RS official heckled

An official of the Upper House was heckled by a section of agitating members on Wednesday. When Secretary General Shumsher K Sheriff stood up at noon to read out a message from the Lok Sabha on passage of the Telangana Bill, TDP member C M Ramesh, who was agitating in the well since morning, tried to snatch the paper from him. As the MP was trying to take the papers from Sheriff, Parliament staff moved in to protect him and the document. “It is very unfortunate. The staff should not be attacked,” Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha P J Kurien said.

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News Network
April 25,2024

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The Election Commission of India on Thursday announced that it had taken cognisance of violations to the Model Code of Conduct by both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

While Modi has indulged in a diatribe against Muslims, without naming them, using terms like 'infiltrators' and 'those with more children', Rahul has been accused of making a false claim about 'rise in poverty'.

Both the BJP and INC have raised allegations of causing hatred and divisions based on caste, religion, language, and community, ANI reported.

While the EC had initially refused to comment on Modi's speeches, sources had told PTI that the commission was 'looking into' the remarks made by the BJP leader.

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April 25,2024

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Kolkata: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh or Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari could have been the prime minister, said Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, subtly taking a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders relegated to the second rung of the organisational echelons.

Banerjee’s nephew and the TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on the other hand, attempted to stoke trouble within the BJP’s unit in West Bengal, saying that at least 10 more state legislators of the saffron party were keen to join his party and in touch with him.

"You (Rajnath Singh) are surviving at the mercy of Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi). You are saluting Modi daily to save your chair. You or Nitin Gadkari could have been the PM (prime minister) today," the TMC supremo said in an election rally at Ausgram in Bolpur Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday. "There would have been no problem...at least there would have been a gentleman in the chair who knows minimum courtesy," she added.

Banerjee was responding to Singh’s diatribe against herself and the TMC government led by her. The defence minister, who had addressed an election rally in Murshidabad on Sunday, had criticised the TMC government for alleged corruption and anarchy in West Bengal.

Singh had referred to the attacks on the Enforcement Directorate officials on January 5 during a raid at the residence of the TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district of the state. It was followed by an agitation by local women protesting against atrocities by Shahjahan and his aides known to be owing allegiance to the TMC.

Singh questioned how the state government, led by a woman as the chief minister, could allow such atrocities on women to take place. He went on to say that Banerjee had lost all ‘mamata’ (affection and compassion) for people.

Banerjee shared a cordial relationship with Singh since the days when they both were ministers in the central government led by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Singh avoided personally criticising Banerjee in the past.

He, however, went ballistic against Banerjee on Sunday, triggering a strong response from the TMC supremo on Wednesday.

"The BJP is trying to get into the game of breaking parties, but they can't win in it. They poached two of our MPs, and we replied by taking two of their MPs, Arjun Singh and Babul Supriyo. Recently, by using ED raids, they inducted Tapas Ray. At least 10 top leaders of the BJP are in the queue to join the TMC," Abhishek said in another election rally in Murshidabad on Wednesday.

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April 29,2024

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In yet another setback to the Congress party amid the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, its candidate from Indore Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his nomination on Monday, April 29, days before voting.

Interestingly, he had reached the Collector's office with BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola to withdraw his nomination. He also reportedly joined BJP. 

Senior BJP leader and state cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya in a post on X said Bam was welcome to join the BJP.

"Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Indore Akshay Kanti Bam is welcome in the BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party national president J P Nadda, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and state president VD Sharma," he said in the post.

The Congress had fielded Bam against sitting BJP MP Shankar Lalwani from the Indore Lok Sabha seat, where polling will be held on May 13.

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