logo
Minister says aircraft crash probe ‘unbiased'

Minister says aircraft crash probe ‘unbiased'

Responding to supplementary questions during Question Hour on the first day of the House in the monsoon session of parliament, the minister said, 'We want to stand by the truth. We want to find out what exactly happened, and that is only going to come out once the final report (of AAIB) is tabled. We have to respect the process of investigation, and once that happens, then we can talk about what happened, how it happened, and then corrective measures can be taken.'
The AAIB recently released its interim report on the crash involving an Air India Boeing 787-8 aircraft en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on June 12, claiming the lives of 260 individuals, including 19 people on the ground.
Naidu said media, in India and the West, were presenting diverse viewpoints and narratives. 'I want to tell you that the way we are seeing the probe is through facts,' he said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

After logjam in first week, Parliament to discuss Pahalgam, Sindoor from Monday
After logjam in first week, Parliament to discuss Pahalgam, Sindoor from Monday

Indian Express

timean hour ago

  • Indian Express

After logjam in first week, Parliament to discuss Pahalgam, Sindoor from Monday

AFTER a week of disruptions and adjournments, Parliament is all set to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor next week as the Opposition has agreed to the agenda for special discussions. The breakthrough came in a meeting of Speaker Om Birla with senior leaders of various parties, where it was decided that the LS would discuss the April 22 terror attack and Operation Sindoor, beginning Monday for 16 hours, and the RS would discuss the same beginning Tuesday, again for 16 hours, said Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. Criticising the Opposition for 'disrupting' Parliament proceedings through the week, Rijiju told reporters, 'All issues cannot be discussed together… The Opposition has raised several issues, like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar and others. We have told them that Operation Sindoor will be discussed first. We will decide which issues will be discussed after that… Operation Sindoor will be debated for 16 hours in Lok Sabha on Monday (July 28) and for 16 hours in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (July 29)…' Asked if PM Narendra Modi will speak in Parliament during the discussion, another key demand of the Opposition, Rijiju said the government cannot decide the speakers of Opposition parties, and vice versa. He expressed hope that the 'Opposition will allow Parliament to function from next week' and lamented the waste of resources and efforts gone into preparing answers for questions to be asked by MPs during Question Hours, which did not take place in first week amid Opposition protests. The Congress, meanwhile, accused the government of hiding behind technical reasons and not clarifying whether there will be a discussion on the SIR or not. 'We didn't raise the Pahalgam and Operation Sindoor issue in the House as we had demanded that PM Narendra Modi should be in the House during that, but he is abroad and it's not possible,' Congress's deputy leader in the LS Gaurav Gogoi said after the meeting with the Speaker. 'We were demanding that the Bihar SIR be discussed in the House, but the government is not clarifying whether this issue will be discussed in the House or not. They are hiding behind technical reasons,' he said. Though the Opposition has been demanding that PM Modi be present in the House during the discussion, there is no final word on whether he would reply to the debate. A BJP leader said the list of BJP speakers for the special discussion in both Houses was being prepared, adding that top ministers were expected to participate. Friday again saw no significant legislative business in both Houses, much like the four days preceding it. BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, who was in the chair when the LS met post-lunch at 2 pm, rebuked the protesting Opposition MPs. 'Nobody is benefiting from this ruckus. People have sent you to raise their issues and you are disrupting the House,' he said. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the 'Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024' is a very important proposal concerning STs and should be taken up for discussion. 'It is a very important Bill. Are they (Opposition) against the STs?' Meghwal said. As the Opposition MPs continued their protest, Pal adjourned the House till Monday. In the first half, Speaker Om Birla began the House proceedings with a mention of the 26th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas on July 26 (Saturday). 'In the Kargil war (1999), our Army faced geographical and climatic challenges and showed its valour… Today, we pay homage to the soldiers who sacrificed everything for the nation,' Birla said, following which the House observed brief silence. When the Opposition began its protest again, the Speaker told them: 'Come to meet me if you want a discussion. In consultation with the government, I will find a way out to discuss issues. This is not the proper way in the largest democracy of the world… Planned obstruction is not good for democracy. In Question Hour, we should uphold the healthy tradition of the House.' As the din continued, the Speaker adjourned the House till 2 pm. The Rajya Sabha too saw Opposition uproar over SIR in Bihar, forcing the Chair to adjourn the House for the day. The Upper House witnessed the first adjournment till noon soon after it convened at 11 am. When the House met at noon for the Question Hour, BJP MP K Laxman sought to know the details of Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan from Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. When Chouhan rose to speak, the Opposition MPs raised slogans that the SIR exercise be stopped. Chouhan said he wanted to answer the question, but the Opposition protests continued. BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari, who was in the Chair, requested the protesting MPs to return to their seats. With the Opposition members unrelenting, the House was adjourned for the day. Vikas Pathak is deputy associate editor with The Indian Express and writes on national politics. He has over 17 years of experience, and has worked earlier with The Hindustan Times and The Hindu, among other publications. He has covered the national BJP, some key central ministries and Parliament for years, and has covered the 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and many state assembly polls. He has interviewed many Union ministers and Chief Ministers. Vikas has taught as a full-time faculty member at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Symbiosis International University, Pune; Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai; and as a guest professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Vikas has authored a book, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab (Primus, 2018), which has been widely reviewed by top academic journals and leading newspapers. He did his PhD, M Phil and MA from JNU, New Delhi, was Student of the Year (2005-06) at ACJ and gold medalist from University Rajasthan College in Jaipur in graduation. He has been invited to top academic institutions like JNU, St Stephen's College, Delhi, and IIT Delhi as a guest speaker/panellist. ... Read More

Opposition paralyses House again over Bihar rolls
Opposition paralyses House again over Bihar rolls

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

Opposition paralyses House again over Bihar rolls

Opposition paralyses House again over Bihar rolls NEW DELHI: Proceedings of both Houses of Parliament were disrupted for the fifth consecutive day Friday as opposition kept up its demand for a discussion on SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, despite repeated assurances from the Chair that govt was ready for all discussions. Both the Houses failed to transact Question Hour and later Zero Hour before it was adjourned for the day due to ruckus caused by protesting MPs from opposition benches who assembled in the well of the House and shouted slogans against govt. RS deputy chairman Harivansh said he received 28 notices seeking suspension of business to discuss SIR, Bengali migrant issues, and India-UK FTA. Similar notices were received in LS but not admitted by the Speaker. Opposition escalated its protest against SIR with the MPs marching from Gandhi statue to main entrance of the Parliament building, shouting slogans and seeking a roll back of SIR. The climax came when Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge led the MPs, including Dharmendra Yadav of SP and Rahul Gandhi, in tearing of the symbolic SIR in the form of a red card and dumping it in a dustbin placed in the middle of the gathering. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Up to 70% off | Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo Kharge said SIR is RSS design to rob SC/STs, OBCs, minorities and the poor of their right to vote. In LS, before adjourning the House for the day, BJP made a point with Jagdambika Pal in the Chair rebuking opposition members for not taking up matters important to their constituents. He told them that they are not serious about even taking up private members' bills, which have the same importance as the bills brought by govt, which are discussed by members in the House. The House was finally adjourned till Monday. While Pal continued to persuade the protesting MPs to go back to their respective seats and allow discussion on the private members' bill, Meghwal mentioned 'The Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of Goa Bill, 2024'. A bill concerning STs should be taken up for discussion, he said, and asked: "Are they against STs?". Pal told opposition MPs to desist from disrupting proceedings. "The Speaker has taken the initiative," he said referring to Om Birla's meeting with opposition members for running of the House, assuring them of taking up for discussion all issues raised by them. "The whole week has been washed out. People of the country have some expectations, but you don't want this House to run," Pal told the protesting MPs as he adjourned the House.

No protest, sloganeering in M.P. Assembly, says circular for Monsoon Session; Congress slams move
No protest, sloganeering in M.P. Assembly, says circular for Monsoon Session; Congress slams move

The Hindu

time3 hours ago

  • The Hindu

No protest, sloganeering in M.P. Assembly, says circular for Monsoon Session; Congress slams move

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly Secretariat has prohibited protests and sloganeering in the Assembly premises in the upcoming Monsoon session that is scheduled to start from July 28, with the move drawing a criticism from the Opposition Congress. The ban was issued in a circular dated July 10 issued by A.P. Singh, Principal Secretary, M.P. Assembly concerning security protocols ahead of the upcoming session. 'Hon'ble Members are also requested that under the Standing Order 94(2) of Hon'ble Speaker, sloganeering and demonstrations in the Assembly premises by Hon'ble Members are prohibited,' said the circular, that also includes various other security protocols. Slamming the move, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Umang Singhar said that the decision was taken 'under pressure from the government'. 'The government, which gives false and fake statistics in the Assembly, is issuing such rules and orders by pressurizing the Speaker to protect itself from being exposed. This is the murder of democracy,' he said, while reiterating the Congress's demand of live streaming the House proceedings. 'Article 194 of the Constitution gives special powers to the MLAs to raise the public's issues in the House. We strongly oppose this move and like before, we will raise public issues loudly in the upcoming session,' he said. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Singh, however, said that this was a routine circular that is issued for security purposes ahead of each session. 'There is no new or special provision in it. No ban has been imposed separately. Such circulars are issued before each session with such requests and the rest is left on the members' wisdom,' he said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store