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Hindustan Times
40 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Kharge writes to RS deputy chair on CISF officers blocking protests by MPs
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday wrote to deputy chairman Harivansh, saying that he was 'shocked' at the manner in which Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were made to enter the Well of the House during a protest, and pointed out that the situation did not warrant such security measures. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that he was 'shocked' at the manner in which Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel were made to enter the Well of the House during a protest (PTI) 'We are astonished and shocked at the manner in which CISF personnel are made to run into the Well of the House when the members were exercising their democratic right of protest,' the Congress president said in the letter. He added: We saw this yesterday and we saw this today as well. Has our Parliament been reduced to such a level? This is most objectionable and we condemn it unequivocally.' The letter came hours after some MPs of TMC and DMK tried to enter the Well during a protest against the special intensive revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, but were blocked by security personnel at the entry point. However, as some MPs sneaked into the Well and raised slogans, six CISF personnel entered the Rajya Sabha to form a human chain in front of the Chair, leading to outrage of protesting leaders. According to eyewitnesses, on Thursday too, three personnel formed a group in front of protesting Opposition leaders in Parliament. The CISF took charge of security of the Parliament complex in May last year in the backdrop of a breach on December 13, 2023. Until that day, the security of Parliament was jointly managed by Delhi police, Parliamentary Security Service (PSS) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). 'Marshal are posted right at the gates of the House and come inside only if the speaker asks them to come inside. This season, CISF personnel are on marshal duty too. The new marshals entered the house only after they were called by officials. As is the norm, the officials pressed the bell and called the new marshals inside. The earlier marshals who were part of PSS had worked in the Parliament House for years and were recognised by everyone. The new marshals who entered the house after being summoned weren't recognised and that created the confusion,' an official aware of the matter said.
United News of India
an hour ago
- United News of India
Both Houses of Parliament adjourn amid Opposition ruckus over SIR in Bihar
New Delhi, Aug 1 (UNI) Both Houses of Parliament adjourned for the day today following persistent protests by Opposition over Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. Lok Sabha witnessed two adjournments while Rajya Sabha one. Lok Sabha was first adjourned upto 2pm shortly after it assembled for the day. After the Lok Sabha convened at 2 PM, Presiding Officer Krishna Prasad Tenneti called for the proceedings of the House. However, the Opposition members trooped into the Well of the House shouting slogans like "SIR pe charcha ho (hold discussion on SIR), Loktantra ki hatya band karo (Stop murder of democracy), SIR wapas lo (withdraw SIR). Some members were even holding placards with slogans written on them. Objecting to their actions, the Presiding Officer reiterated, "We've repeatedly told you not to bring placards or disrupt the House in this manner. You are not following the rules. I once again urge you to return to your seats." Tenneti said, "The Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, has been pending for a long time. Twice I have requested for a discussion". Meanwhile, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the bill aimed at enhancing representation for tribal communities in Goa. Addressing the Opposition, he questioned, 'By obstructing proceedings, are you opposing the bill? Are you against the tribals?' The presiding officer again requested, "This is a very important Bill. we are talking about the tribals of Goa. There is no representation of tribals and don't you want this discussion?" However, the commotion continued. The Chair then adjourned the house to meet again on August 4, (Monday) at 11 AM. As soon as the House met for the day, Speaker Om Birla called for the question hour. Opposition members immediately entered the well of the House holding placards and raising slogans. The Speaker objected to their actions and urged the agitating members to allow the House proceedings to continue. The sloganeering persisted as the protesting members ignored the Speaker's repeated appeals. The Opposition continued with sloganeering and Birla adjourned the House till 2 PM. Meanwhile, similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha. As soon as the Upper House convened for the day, Opposition members raised slogans demanding an urgent discussion on the alleged irregularities in the Bihar voter list revision. The uproar led to an early adjournment till 12 noon. When the House reassembled, the protests resumed, prompting Deputy Chairman Harivansh to adjourn proceedings for the day. Harivansh informed the House that he had received 30 notices from members across party lines under Rule 267 seeking suspension of business to allow discussions on a range of issues. Among them were Prof Manoj Jha (RJD), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Neeraj Dangi, Rajni Patil, and Renuka Chowdhury (Congress), Sagarika Ghosh (Trinamool Congress), and John Brittas (CPI-M), all of whom sought debate on the Bihar SIR. Additional notices were submitted by members on diverse issues: rising violence against women in Odisha (BJD members Niranjan Bishi, Sultadevi, Sasmit Patra), alleged discrimination against Bengali workers in other states (Trinamool MPs Sameerul Islam and Mausam Noor), the arrest of two nuns in Chhattisgarh (AA Rahim, CPI-M), US tariffs on Indian products (Sanjay Singh, AAP and Ramjilal Suman, SP), and layoffs in the IT sector (V. Sivadasan, CPI-M). The Deputy Chairman clarified that none of the notices met the procedural requirements and were therefore disallowed. As Ashok Kumar Mittal (AAP) was called to speak during zero hour, Opposition members stormed the well of the House, raising slogans such as 'Stop Vote Theft' and 'Raise Your Voice on SIR'. Harivansh appealed for order, reiterating that the Election Commission is a constitutional authority and the matter is sub judice before the Supreme Court. 'The conduct of the House is governed by rules, and the nation is watching,' he remarked, before adjourning the session. UNI RBE AJ RB
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Parliament logjam continues as Opposition parties push for SIR debate
The INDIA bloc has intensified its protests against the Election Commission of India (ECI)'s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, with eight Opposition parties writing to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Friday to push a special discussion on the issue even as their protests threatened to derail the remaining part of the monsoon session. Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh conducts the proceedings of the House on Friday. (Sansad TV/ANI Video Grab) 'We… express deep concern over the ongoing voter list revision in Bihar, especially a few months before the state assembly elections. This is unprecedented. The EC has indicated that similar exercises will soon be undertaken across the country. Given the widespread apprehension about the transparency, timing and intent of this process, the matter requires the urgent attention of the House,' said the letter signed by representatives of the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the DMK, the Trinamool Congress, the NCP (SP), the Shiv Sena (UBT), the RJD and the RSP. The letter highlighted the Opposition's consistent efforts to raise the issue during the ongoing session and in several interactions with the central government. 'While the government has stated its willingness to discuss all issues, including this one, no date has yet been fixed for such a discussion,' it said. Opposition leaders have been holding demonstrations in the Parliament complex seeking a discussion on the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar, and demanded its rollback. On Friday, too, the Rajya Sabha failed to function, with Opposition leaders like TMC's Nadimul Haque, Sagarika Ghosh, Derek O'Brien, Tiruchi Siva (DMK), and Sanjay Singh (AAP) staging protests in the Well of the House. In the morning session, deputy chairman said he received 30 adjournment notices under Rule 267 for discussion on SIR, alleged discrimination against Bengali migrant workers in other states, impact of the US decision to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Indian imports, and mass layoffs in the Indian IT sector, among others. Harviansh said that since the notices do not conform to the detailed directions given by the Chair, they were declined. The move triggered protests by Opposition members who raised slogans and stood in the aisle. The Chair then allowed Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) to speak, who also sought a discussion on SIR, but was denied permission since the matter is sub judice. The Chair's repeated efforts to ensure smooth functioning went in vain, and the proceedings were adjourned within 11 minutes. Similar protests hit the afternoon session too. The government, for its part, has blamed the Opposition for trying to 'politicise the issue of electoral reforms'. 'They know that the issue of SIR is subjudice, they know that the ECI being a constitutional body cannot be discussed in the House. Yet, they are trying to politicise an issue which is essentially a reform that all political parties have sought,' a senior government functionary aware of the matter said. Multiple BJP leaders said various political parties have petitioned the ECI for cleaning up the electoral rolls and ensuring that there is no duplication of names, inadvertent deletions or inclusion of bogus names. A party leader from Bihar said even in the past SIR of the electoral roles have been conducted, but it was for the first time that the issue is being politicised 'with a view to discredit the poll panel'. 'Every party has a polling agent present at every booth. These people are responsible for ensuring the sanctity of the voters list and are familiar with the process that is followed for ensuring that only eligible votes are included. If they find irregularities in the voters list, they should flag it to the election commission instead of creating a false narrative about the exercise,' the leader said. Responding to a question on whether the ruling side will reach any compromise with the Opposition for a discussion on SIR in Parliament, the first functionary quoted above said the government will stick to parliamentary procedures and norms. TMC MP Derek O'Brien said, 'Modi-Shah government have not allowed a debate in the last nine years in Parliament on an issue raised by the Opposition. Last one was Nov 2016 on demonetization. Parliament is supreme. Nothing is out of bounds to discus. Skittish coalition looking for excuses to flee from Parliament.'
