MP Satnam Sandhu seeks Bharat Ratna for Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Raising the demand on the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, Sandhu said, 'It is ironic and deeply painful that even after 77 years of independence, these legendary martyrs have not been awarded the Bharat Ratna. Their ideology and sacrifice continue to inspire generations of Indians, especially the youth.'
Calling the move a 'true tribute to their martyrdom', Sandhu said the demand reflected not only 'the public sentiments of Punjab and its people but the entire nation's conscience'. He described the trio as 'symbols of India's unrelenting spirit, resilience and resistance against colonial oppression'.
Appealing to the Centre to 'awaken the national consciousness', the MP added, 'Under the Modi government, real national heroes are being honoured, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or socio-economic status. I urge the Union government to keep this spirit alive by conferring Bharat Ratna on Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Udham Singh and Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra.'
Sandhu also recalled their sacrifices: 'Bhagat Singh, who embraced martyrdom at 23, remains a lasting symbol of fearless defiance; Udham Singh avenged the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by assassinating General O'Dwyer in London; and Madan Lal Dhingra, one of the earliest revolutionaries, shocked the British Empire by killing Curzon Wyllie in 1909.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi Assembly set for stormy start to five-day session
New Delhi Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal at the Delhi Assembly premises on Sunday. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo) Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday kicked off the Delhi Assembly's paperless initiative and inaugurated a solar power project on the premises, clearing the decks for a stormy five-day Monsoon Session from Monday, during which waterlogging woes, CAG audits and new bills are set to be tackled. According to the official list of business, on the first day, the government is likely to introduce the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill and table two Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India reports on the previous government's performance. In the run-up to the session, Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government on the school fee bill, alleging it will lead to 'windfall gains for private schools.' The Delhi Congress announced a march outside the Vidhan Sabha on the opening to protest demolition drives in slums and the alleged failure of the state government to start ₹2,500 monthly assistance to Delhi's women. The session will also mark multiple firsts: Delhi's Assembly's first fully digital session and the assembly complex being run entirely on solar power. Agenda: CAG, edu bill The assembly proceedings will commence around 2pm on Monday, with the assembly tentatively likely to convene over five days, between August 4 and 8. The list of business issued by the assembly secretariat states that the assembly will begin with MLAs raising issues under Special Mention (Rule-280). It will be followed by the chief minister Rekha Gupta tabling CAG reports on the 'state finances for the year 2023-24' and 'Welfare of building and other construction workers' for 2023. CAG reports have been a major friction point between the AAP and the BJP, with the latter accusing the AAP of withholding CAG's findings. In previous assembly sessions, CAG reports on the performance of the previous AAP government related to health, liquor, transport and pollution, among others, have already been tabled. On Monday, education minister Ashish Sood will also introduce 'The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025' for discussion. Under the proposed law, the government plans to introduce major reforms in the city's school fee regulation regime, which will apply to all 1,677 private unaided schools in Delhi. The bill also fixes factors for determining the fee, stiff penalties for non-compliance and a three-tier fee regulation structure involving committees at the school, district, and state levels, which will institutionalise parental participation in the process. The move comes against the backdrop of widespread protests by parents across Delhi earlier this year, alleging arbitrary and excessive fee hikes by private schools. The AAP has slammed the bill, alleging it would benefit private schools. 'Until now, a single parent could file a complaint, but the new law will empower the education mafia to act with impunity,' AAP state president Saurabh Bharadwaj said. Besides the bill, the assembly will also see the presentation of reports from the Business Advisory Committee and Rules Committee, and the annual accounts report of the power regulator DERC. Paperless session Union law minister Arjun Mehwal on Sunday inaugurated the integration of the E-Vidhan platform, which advances the assembly's digital transformation by enabling a paperless legislative process for administrative efficiency and reducing the institution's carbon footprint. Members, ministers and the chief minister also tried their hands on the new system a day ahead of the formal beginning of the session. Meghwal said that the launch of the NeVA platform under the 'One Nation, One Application' initiative of Digital India 2.0 not only signifies an infrastructure upgrade, but a shift in institutional values. 'With full implementation expected in the upcoming Monsoon Session, the Delhi Assembly will transition to completely paperless operations. This fusion of climate responsibility and administrative reform must begin at the heart of democratic institutions,' he said. Speaker Vijender Gupta said that the work of the E-Vidhan system was completed in just 100 days. 'A trial run of the new system is scheduled for 11am tomorrow, followed by a House sitting at 2pm, which will be held entirely on solar power without using electricity from conventional sources,' Gupta said. The first trial on Sunday offered firsthand experience of the digital interface, which includes smart delegate units with microphones and voting panels, RFID access, multilingual support, real-time document access via iPads, and an automated audio-visual system with cameras. Chief minister Rekha Gupta said that Delhi's capital legislature must lead the way in India's transition to sustainable and efficient governance. 'With the rollout of NeVA in the monsoon session, the Delhi Assembly is poised to offer a more transparent, accessible, and digitally empowered legislative experience,' she said. Solar power On Sunday, a 500 kW solar power plant was launched on the assembly premises, making the complex fully powered by solar energy. It is expected to help save ₹1.75 crore annually. Mehwal said: 'Delhi Assembly's complete transition to solar energy has set a benchmark for legislative and public institutions nationwide.' Speaker Gupta said that the building was constructed in 1912 and housed the country's first Parliament, due to which 'heritage and development will go hand in hand'. 'The financial savings would be reinvested in developmental work for the welfare of Delhi's people. By embracing both clean energy and digital workflows, the Delhi Assembly is contributing directly to India's net-zero targets and setting a national example of climate-conscious governance,' he said. In a statement, the assembly secretariat said that the Delhi Assembly has become the first legislature in India to run entirely on renewable energy.
Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Man dies by suicide in Kolkata, family claims he was living in fear of NRC
Kolkata: A 63-year-old man was found hanging in his residence in Kolkata on Sunday morning, with his family claiming that he had been living in fear that he would be sent to Bangladesh if the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was implemented. The victim worked as a non-teaching staff member at a private school in Dhakuria in south Kolkata.(For representation/PTI) Initial probe revealed that the deceased, Dilip Kumar Saha, had arrived in Kolkata in 1972 from Nawabganj in Dhaka and had been living in Anandapally West in the Regent Park area, a police officer said. Saha worked as a non-teaching staff member at a private school in Dhakuria in south Kolkata. "This morning, his wife called him several times, but received no response from inside his locked room. She then called their niece-in-law from a neighbouring house. They broke open the door to find him hanging from the ceiling fan," the officer said. The deceased's wife Arati Saha said her husband had been worried that he would be deported to Bangladesh after implementation of the NRC. "He has been under severe stress for quite some time regarding this. There was no other tension. He came to Kolkata in his childhood. He was afraid that he would be sent to a detention camp and then pushed back to Bangladesh, where he had nobody. He had valid voter ID card and other documents," she said. It is suspected that this fear led him to take his own life, the police officer said, adding that a suicide note has been recovered from the room. The matter is being investigated, the officer said. Power Minister and local Trinamool Congress MLA Arup Biswas reached the place and spoke to the family members. "This is what the fear of being thrown out of the country could do to a man. What they (Centre) have started in the name of the SIR shows their anti-people attitude, and the result is in front of you," Biswas said.
Hindustan Times
36 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Centre didn't comply with NGT order on Great Nicobar project: Plea
The Union government has not complied with the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) April 3, 2023 order on revisiting the deficiencies in the environmental clearance granted to the Great Nicobar Holistic Development project, a petitioner challenging the green nod to the key project has claimed before NGT. The petitioner prayed that ecologically sensitive areas be excluded from project areas. (AFP) In a 39-page detailed submission made on July 24 by petitioner-environmentalist Ashish Kothari said the objective of this application is to seek the enforcement and implementation of the law. The petitioner highlighted that the three terms of reference for the NGT-appointed high-powered committee (HPC) were not met — specifically related to coral transplantation, environmental baseline data collection and review coastal regulation zone (CRZ) boundaries of the proposed port project. On April 3, 2023, NGT directed that clearance dated November 11, 2022 be revisited in the light of 'some unanswered deficiencies' pointed out by the appellants which need to be addressed. 'By way of instance, it is pointed out that out of 20,668 coral colonies, 16,150 are proposed to be translocated without any mention of threat to the remaining 4,518 coral colonies. It is pointed out that ICRZ Regulations prohibit destruction of corals. Further, data collected for impact assessment is only of one season as against requirement of three seasons. It is also shown that part of the project is in the CRZ IA area where Port is prohibited,' the NGT had said. HT had reported on April 7, 2023 that NGT had constituted a high-powered committee, headed by Union environment ministry secretary, to revisit the environmental clearance (EC) granted by the ministry to the Great Nicobar township and area development project. Experts, however, have questioned how a subordinate authority headed by the environment secretary revisit the green nod granted by its own ministry? In the submission to NGT, the petitioner has pointed out that several clauses of the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification, 2019 and its annexure prohibit the destruction of corals. Annexure I to the notification prohibits destruction of corals, coral reefs and surrounding areas and allows coral transplantation activities only when necessary for regeneration after obtaining permission under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Activities like dredging and discharge of ballast water are also prohibited in and around coral reefs. 'Even according to the MoEFCC, the HPC has only looked at the Zoological Survey of India's (ZSI) proposal to translocate coral colonies, and has agreed with the recommendation of ZSI. The mandate of the law, the fact that coral reefs are protected and that their translocation is not permitted by law etc. have not even been considered by the HPC,' the submission said. Importantly, the petitioner has pointed out that fringing coral reefs around the island have been marked clearly in the draft ICRZ coastal land use plans prepared under the 2019 notification but they are not there in the approved land use plans. 'Even according to the MoEFCC, the ZSI's report itself states that 16,150 coral colonies need to be translocated due to the port project. The ICRZ Notification, 2019 does not permit such transplantation to facilitate or clear the area for a port. Coral reefs and their associated biodiversity are extremely sensitive and cannot be moved around to suit the convenience of project proponents,' the submission added. It further claimed that the second aspect of TOR was also not met. 'The MoEFCC and the HPC have failed to see that the requirement of comprehensive EIA, i.e, an EIA based on three season data collection, is mandated under the ICRZ Notification, 2019 and the EIA guidance manual itself requires data collection of more than one season...' it said, adding that the survey of ecology and biology was conducted between December 14 and 22, 2020, and the survey of leatherbacks was conducted between February 12 and 18, 2021 and hence the season was not covered. The third ToR was to 'Review the boundaries of the port project with respect to ICRZ Notification, 2019.' The tribunal in its April 2023 verdict has observed that 'it is also shown that part of the project is in the CRZ IA area where Port is prohibited.' The 2019 notification lists mangroves, corals and coral reefs, biologically active mud flats, turtle nesting grounds, nesting grounds of birds as CRZ IA — ecologically sensitive areas. 'It is submitted that coral reefs, turtle nesting sites, megapode (bird) nesting grounds, mangroves, etc. do not and cannot magically disappear to suit the convenience of the project proponent. It is shocking that the HPC has relied only on a report of the NCSCM, the consultant of the project proponent, to come to the conclusion that no part of the project area falls under CRZ IA,' the submission said. The petitioner also prayed that ecologically sensitive areas be excluded from project areas. 'Unless this tribunal directs the exclusion of admitted CRZ IA areas such as coral reefs along the coast, turtle nesting grounds, megapode nesting grounds, biologically active mudflats etc. from the project area, they will be converted and destroyed,' it said. The matter was heard by NGT's eastern bench on July 24. People aware of the matter said additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati submitted that the ministry did not violate any law and was aware of the sensitive nature of the island's environment and has ensured that sustainable development is achieved while keeping in mind the strategic requirements to ensure national security. The hearing was adjourned and the tribunal directed the MoEFCC to produce the revised layout which excludes all the CRZ-1A areas from the port, according to lawyers. The matter will be heard again on August 6. ASG Bhati did not respond to HT's request for a comment on whether the ministry will be making a submission on other concerns raised in the application. The Great Nicobar Holistic Development Project has four major components: an international container transshipment terminal (ICCT); an international airport; a power plant; and a township. The total cost is estimated at ₹81,800 crore. The Nicobar Islands fall in the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot and cover the western half of the Indonesian archipelago. Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav in August last year said that 'exemplary mitigation measures' have been incorporated to minimise the environmental impact of the project, 'keeping the strategic, national and defence interests' in mind. .
