In a 1st for an Ex-US President, Donald Trump charged over secret documents

New Delhi, Sept 22: BSP MP Danish Ali has approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for action against BJP member Ramesh Bidhuri over remarks made by the latter regarding him, during the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Chandrayaan 3 mission last night. The Speaker has expunged the remarks, but did not take any strict action.

BJP leaders said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had apologised immediately after Bidhuri made the remarks in the Lok Sabha. “He apologised to the House as the Deputy Leader and ensured the smooth functioning of the proceedings,” a source in the BJP said.

In a new low in the Indian parliamentary traditions, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri on Thursday (September 21) abused a fellow MP from the BSP in the Lok Sabha, sparking massive outrage in political circles.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3, Bidhuri called BSP MP Danish Ali “Muslim ugrawadi” (Muslim terrorist), “Bharwa” (pimp), and “katwa” (circumcised). Ali is a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP from Uttar Pradesh's Amroha Lok Sabha seat. 

As Bidhuri was making derogatory remarks against him, former Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Harsh Vardhan may be seen having a laugh.

Congress MP K Suresh, who was in the Chair at the time the remarks were made, said he has ordered the remarks to be expunged from the records, reported PTI. The clip of Bhiduri’s remarks has surfaced on social media and has drawn flak from several quarters, including Opposition leaders who have called for strict action against him.

Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday took “serious note” of certain objectionable remarks made by BJP member Bidhuri in the House and warned him of “strict action” if such behaviour is repeated in the future, officials said.

Rajnath Singh also expressed regret over the “objectionable” remarks. Singh said he had not heard Bhiduri's remarks and urged the Chair to expunge them from the proceedings if they have hurt the opposition members, according to PTI. “I express regret if the Opposition is hurt by the remarks made by the member,” said Singh, the Deputy Leader of the House.

‘Apology an eyewash’

On the other hand, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh called Singh’s apology an “eyewash”. “[It is a] complete shame what Bhiduri said,” Ramesh told reporters. “Rajnath Singh’s apology is not acceptable… it was a half-hearted apology, an afterthought…it is an eyewash. Bhiduri has spoken in a language that is an insult not just to Parliament but to every Indian,” Ramesh continued, wondering why the MP had not yet been suspended.

Ramesh said the BJP MP’s utterances make a mockery of what Prime Minister Narendra Modi keeps reiterating --- “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas”. He said strictest possible action should be taken against him while wondering if this isn’t the case fit for suspension. He said AAP MPs Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha stand suspended for exercising their democratic right of protest inside the Parliament, while Bidhuri has spoken in a language that is not only an insult to Danish Ali but to every MP and also every Indian.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to take action against Bidhuri. She said the Speaker could “feel free” to initiate a privilege motion against her for “calling you out”. “But I am asking you here and now -- what action are you taking against Ramesh Bidhuri?” she tweeted.

“I have seen Ramesh Bidhuri as MLA in the Delhi Assembly. He was better during those days. I guess, in Parliament, his upbringing has been ably done by Modi-Shah. New Parliament. New India,” tweeted Congress leader Pawan Khera. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also slammed Bidhuri for using “filthy language” in Parliament and termed it “sickening”. She asked whether the Speaker would take action against him.

A powerful earthquake in Morocco has killed more than 1,000 people and injured hundreds more, the country's deadliest tremor in more than six decades, toppling houses in remote mountain villages where rescuers dug through rubble for survivors.

The Moroccan government says death toll in earthquake near Marrakech has reached 1,037, with more than 1,200 injured.

The magnitude 7.2 quake struck in Morocco's High Atlas mountains late on Friday night. Most of the fatalities are in mountainous areas outside Marrakech, the nearest city to the epicentre, its updated toll showed.

Residents of Marrakech, the nearest big city to the epicentre, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars.

The Interior Ministry, in its televised statement on the death toll, urged calm and said the quake had hit the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant.

Montasir Itri, a resident of the mountain village of Asni near the epicentre, said most houses there were damaged. "Our neighbours are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village," he said.

Further west, near Taroudant, teacher Hamid Afkar said he had fled his home and there had been aftershocks following the initial quake.

"The earth shook for about 20 seconds. Doors opened and shut by themselves as I rushed downstairs from the second floor," he said.

Morocco's geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2. The US Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 6.8 and said it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5km.

Ighil, a mountainous area with small farming villages, is about 70km southwest of Marrakech. The quake struck just after 11pm (3am UAE time).

The earthquake is Morocco's deadliest since a 2004 tremor near Al Hoceima in the northern Rif mountains which killed over 600 people.

World leaders react

Leaders worldwide have expressed their condolences and offered to help in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Morocco, which claimed the lives of at least 600 people. The 6.8-magnitude quake struck a mountainous area 72 kilometres southwest of tourist hotspot Marrakesh at 11:11 pm Friday, the US Geological Survey reported.

European leaders offered condolences, as did Russian President Vladimir Putin and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, along with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “devastated" by the earthquake in Morocco. “We are all devastated after the terrible earthquake in Morocco," Macron said on X, formerly known as Twitter, while onboard a flight to the G20 summit in India. “France stands ready to help with first aid."

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel which established diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2020, ordered “any necessary assistance." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered solidarity and support to the people of Morocco in the wake of this terrible earthquake. “Spain is with the victims of this tragedy and its families," he wrote on X.

Bengaluru, Sept 11: The federation of private transport associations have called off the ‘Bangalore Bandh’ after Karnataka government assured to fulfil their promises. From the morning, the private transport system was halted as cabs, taxis and other private buses stopped operating across the IT capital.

The major demand of the unions is to extend the government's Shakti scheme to even the private players in the state as they are severely hit by the free transport scheme to women. The government has already said that it is practically not possible to extend the Shakti scheme to private buses.

The auto unions have also demanded a ban on bike taxis in Karnataka, which is affecting their livelihood. The government said that it must seek a legal opinion on their bike taxi ban demand. Welfare board for drivers, insurance for auto drivers and lifetime tax on commercial goods vehicles are among the other demands. A total of 30 demands were presented to the transport department by the unions in previous meetings.

Earlier, transport unions had held discussions with state transport minister Ramalinga Reddy on July 24, just three days before they initially scheduled a protest for July 27.

However, Reddy had then said that he will take it to the notice of the chief minister and discuss the issues with him. After not hearing back from the government, the associations decided to go on a strike for a day on September 11. After minister Ramalinga Reddy promised the fulfillment of demands, the bandh was called off on Monday afternoon.