Lalu dreams of winning Bihar polls, but can't even manage his family: Union Minister Giriraj Singh
Singh claimed that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would form the government again in Bihar under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Ranchi, Jun 26 (PTI) Taking a dig at RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday said the former Bihar chief minister is dreaming of returning to power in the state, even as he struggles to manage his family affairs.
Singh was here to participate in a mock parliament session organised by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency.
Later addressing media persons, Singh alleged that democracy was murdered by the Congress during the Emergency.
He also accused the Jharkhand government of patronising Bangladeshi infiltrators.
'Jharkhand is sitting on a heap of explosives, and that is Bangladeshi infiltrators. While infiltrators are being identified across the country, they are being welcomed in Jharkhand,' Singh alleged.
He claimed that the state's tribal population was declining rapidly.
'There is no identity of Jharkhand without tribals. Today's youths have to launch a movement to save the tribals and Jharkhand's existence,' he added.
Singh also urged the state government to implement Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, commonly known as the PESA Act, at the earliest.
The PESA Act, which recognises the rights of tribal communities in Scheduled Areas, was enacted in 1996. The law is yet to be implemented in the state. PTI SAN SAN MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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Hindustan Times
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- Hindustan Times
Rajnath appreciates US for backing India's fight against terror
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First Post
an hour ago
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PM Modi's 5-nation, 8-day tour: Which nations is he visiting, why they matter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is beginning his five-nation tour today (June 2). This trip, his longest diplomatic foray in nearly a decade, will see him visit Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. But what do we know about the trip? And why are these nations important to India? read more Follow us on Google News Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to undertake a long diplomatic trip overseas. PTI/File Photo Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a long diplomatic tour today (June 2). Modi's five-nation tour, his longest diplomatic foray in nearly a decade, will see him visit Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia. The tour, which begins in Ghana, will conclude in Namibia on June 10. But what do we know about the details of the trip? And why are these nations important? Let's take a closer look Ghana Modi's will kick off his trip overseas in Ghana on July 2 and 3. This will be Modi's first visit to the West African nation as prime minister. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD No Indian prime minister has visited Ghana for nearly three decades. Modi will meet Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, who recently took office after a huge win at the polls. Mahama previously visited India in 2015 for the India-Africa Forum Summit. The two men will discuss how to deepen ties and the possibility of a vaccine hub being created in Ghana. Agriculture, defence and critical minerals will also be on the agenda. A number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed. Modi is also set to address Ghana's Parliament. Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa speaks at Raisina Dialogue on March 18, 2025. India and Ghana have had a long and fruitful relationship. India and Ghana established diplomatic relations in 1957 – immediately after it achieved independence. In fact, India had opened a representative office in Accra in 1953. 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India was one of the first countries that raised the question of Namibian independence at the UN. Trade between the two countries touched $650 million in 2023. India's top export to Namibia was refined petroleum. Its other exports were petrol, pharmaceuticals and rice. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Its top import from Namibia was diamonds. Its other top imports were bulk minerals, ores, iron and steel. India, which is looking to diversify its energy sector, sees Namibia, which has plentiful supplies of uranium, diamonds, copper, phosphates and other minerals, as a great potential partner. Namibia in 2022 also sent India eight cheetahs that were released in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. With inputs from agencies
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
BJP MPs protest parliament panel inviting Prakash Raj, Medha Patkar; meeting cancelled
A parliamentary committee meeting ended abruptly on July 1 as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs protested against the panel's decision to hear activist Medha Patkar and actor-turned-activist Prakash Raj. The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, headed by Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, had called Patkar and Raj to hear her views on the implementation and effectiveness of the land acquisition law enacted by Parliament when the Congress-led UPA government was in power in 2013. Patkar had led protests against raising the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat and is accused by the ruling party of working against the country's development interests in the name of public and environmental causes. Former Union minister and BJP MP Parshottam Rupala was joined by other lawmakers from his party as they walked out of the meeting, with some dubbing Patkar as "anti-national". A BJP MP wondered if leaders from Pakistan could also be called to such a meeting, news agency PTI said, Ulaka, the panel's chairperson, however, defended the decision, saying that it is standard practice for a parliamentary committee to hear civil society members and other stakeholders on various issues. "We wanted to hear their views on the land acquisition law. We wanted an opinion from everyone, but they (BJP) didn't allow it," he told news agency PTI. Out of the 29 members of the committee, 14 members, including the chairman, were present, and a majority of them were from the BJP and its allies. The meeting's agenda was to hear from different stakeholders on the implementation and effectiveness of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, a UPA-era Act. Representatives of the Department of Land Resources (Ministry of Rural Development), the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, non-government organisations (NGOs), experts, and other stakeholders were to speak before the panel. Among those invited before the panel were officials from the Environment and Forest Ministry and activists, including Patkar and Prakash Raj, also an actor who has often criticised the BJP's politics. Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda also attended the meeting, according to PTI. A BJP MP said they were not told about the decision to ask Patkar to share her views with the committee. Generally, sources said, it is the chairman's prerogative to pick names, though members can make suggestions. A BJP member said their primary objection was to calling Patkar, who was the face of the 'Narmada Bachao Andolan' protest against a determined push by the Gujarat government, headed then by Narendra Modi as chief minister, to raise the height of Sardar Sarovar Dam. The state government's views finally prevailed, and Modi, who took over as prime minister in 2014, has often spoken about the efforts to stall the project since its foundation in the 1960s. As the BJP MPs walked out, Ulaka said he decided to end the meeting due to a lack of quorum. "As per rule, a quorum of 10 members is required. When the BJP MPs walked out, there was no quorum, and the meeting ended," he said. BJP MPs objected to Patkar appearing before the panel, and called her 'anti-national,' according to sources quoted by news agency PTI. A miffed MP also wondered if the prime minister of Pakistan could be called for questioning by the panel, the news agency report said. When the meeting started, opposition MPs were of the opinion that Patkar should be heard, to which the BJP MPs did not agree. Asked about the incident, Patkar said she was invited to appear before the panel, and while she and others were waiting, they saw some MPs leave. We wanted to hear their views on the land acquisition law. We wanted an opinion from everyone, but they (BJP) didn't allow it. She added that later, they were informed that the meeting had ended. Patkar said she had also appeared before parliamentary committees earlier. "I have never experienced anything like this before. It is important to talk about the land acquisition law," she said.
