Delhi Confidential: First-hand Learning
Deputy head of Russia's Mission in India, Roman Babushkin, on Wednesday began his 90-minute-long media interaction in New Delhi with 'shuruaat karenge', quickly adding 'Shree Ganesh karenge'. On being asked about Russia's support to India's air defence system, he said 'you mean Sudarshan Chakra' as declared by PM Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech. 'Next time, ask in Hindi, I can answer better,' he told the mediapersons.
Amid the uproar over the Constitution amendment Bills tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the internal dynamics of the TMC were also on display. The party was the first to storm the well of the House when Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Bill. TMC member Kalyan Banerjee rallied the party's MPs on to the Opposition side of the well. TMC MP Mahua Moitra and a few party MPs entered the well on the Treasury side. A few minutes later, Banerjee, too, came to the Treasury side and it was at this moment that papers were thrown at Shah by some women MPs, leading to a near scuffle between TMC and BJP MPs. Not long ago, a war of words between Moitra and Banerjee had ended up with TMC chief Mamata Banerjee replacing the party's leader in the House and also its chief whip.
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Hans India
6 minutes ago
- Hans India
Removal Of PM, CMs Jailed On Serious Charges: Chaos in LS as Shah tables 3 Bills
New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday introduced in the Lok Sabha three Bills for the removal of Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and Ministers under arrest for 30 consecutive days on serious charges, drawing fierce protests from Opposition MPs, who tore up copies of the draft law and marched close to his seat shouting slogans. In a charged atmosphere, several Opposition MPs spoke against the introduction of the Bills, claiming they violated constitutional principles, targeted federalism, turned the jurisprudence 'innocent until proven guilty' on its head, were open to misuse for political reasons and threatened to turn the country into a police state. Shah, however, batted for an enhanced standing for moral values in public life, saying, "We cannot be so shameless that we continue to occupy constitutional positions while facing serious charges". On his proposal, the Bills were sent by the House to a Joint Committee of Parliament, comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha for scrutiny. The committee, whose members will soon be named, has been asked to submit its report to the House by the last day of the first week of the next session, expected in the third week of November. As soon as the Bills were introduced soon after 2 pm, Opposition members trooped into the well, raising slogans and some even tore copies in front of Shah for the sight to be captured by cameras broadcasting the home minister's remarks. A few BJP members, including Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju and Ravneet Singh Bittu, stepped out of their seats to prevent Opposition members from coming near Shah and waved them to go back to their side of the aisle. When Congress MP K C Venugopal questioned Shah about his claim of public morality by referring to his arrest in a criminal case when he was the Home Minister of Gujarat in 2010, the senior BJP leader hit back. He said he wanted to set the record straight as he had resigned on moral grounds before his arrest on "false" allegations and did not join a constitutional position till he was discharged by the courts. "What are they (opposition) teaching us about morality? I had resigned. And I want moral values to rise. We cannot be so shameless that we continue to occupy constitutional positions while facing charges. I resigned before arrest," Shah said. Opposition MPs, including AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi and Congress' Manish Tewari and Venugopal, and RSP's N K Premachandran, spoke against the introduction, terming the proposed law against the Constitution and federalism. The Home Minister also said that the Bills will be sent to the Joint Committee of Parliament, where members of both Houses, including those from the Opposition, would get an opportunity to give their suggestions. The three Bills are the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill 2025; the Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill 2025; and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2025. The constitutional amendment bill will require the support of at least two-thirds of the members in both Houses. The ruling alliance currently lacks such a majority on its own. The Bills have proposed that if Prime Minister, Union Ministers or Chief Ministers, are arrested and detained in custody for 30 consecutive days for offences that attract a jail term of at least five years, they will lose their jobs on the 31st day. Demanding that Shah withdraw the Bills, Tewari said they were "squarely destructive" of the basic structure of the Constitution and turned the fundamental principle of the rule of law that a person is innocent till proven guilty on its head. The Bills give due procedure a go-by and make an investigating officer the "boss of Prime Minister of India", he asserted. The Congress MP said the proposed law distorts parliamentary democracy by undermining the will of the people through mere custody bereft of judicial determination. It also opens the door for political misuse by the state's instruments whose arbitrary conduct has been "frowned" upon by the Supreme Court, he added.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
Paper ‘Storm' Sweeps Lok Sabha Over Bills To Oust ‘Tainted' Ministers
What Are The Bills For? Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday tabled a Constitutional amendment bill that triggered a ruckus in the House. The Bill proposes the removal of PM, CMs, Union and state ministers jailed for 30 consecutive days on charges which carry a conviction of five years or more. Shah also moved a motion to send the Bills to a Joint Parliamentary Committee for detailed discussion. Bills Torn, Papers Fly Opposition MPs tore copies of three bills and flung bits at Amit Shah. The bills included the Constitution (130th Amendment), J&K Reorganisation, and the UT Bill. Minister Kiren Rijiju had slammed opposition MPs, warning people would not forgive 'insults to democracy.' The Centre objected to the showdown that took place and accused MPs of disrespecting people's mandate. Why Is Opposition Against The Bills? Opposition leaders accused the Centre of trying to create a 'police state' through the new bills. Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the bills, calling them an attack on the principle of separation of powers. Congress MP Manish Tewari said the Bill "throws all existing constitutional safeguards to the winds. This amendment is unnecessary and unconstitutional".
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First Post
34 minutes ago
- First Post
After weeks of protests by Democrats Texas House approves redrawing of map requested by Trump
The Republican-led Texas House passed a redrawn congressional map on Wednesday, following a request by US President Donald Trump after weeks of protests by Democrats aimed at stalling the efforts The Republican-led Texas House passed a redrawn congressional map on Wednesday, following a request by US President Donald Trump after weeks of protests by Democrats aimed at stalling the efforts. Before the passing of the legislation, the initiative had already triggered a redistricting arms race between red and blue states. Now that the bill has been passed in the House, the measure will go to the state senate, where it is expected to pass as soon as Thursday. It is pertinent to note that before the legislation was passed, Democratic state representatives filed a series of amendments to the bill, which were voted down. The party also raised objections to taking up redistricting before flood relief, to the house rules, which require a police escort when leaving the chamber, and to the proposal itself. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Democrats emphasised that the mid-decade change reduces the voting power of people of colour and serves as a Republican political gain and further gerrymanders the state at the cost of democracy. 'We're ready to meet Trump where he is, which is on a dirt road,' said Democrat Nicole Collier, livestreaming from a bathroom off the legislative floor. 'We're ready to get down and dirty.' The Democrat who trapped herself in the chamber Collier has refused to sign a pass and permit a police escort for leaving the house floor, and has been trapped in the chamber as a result. While speaking to Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey on a Zoom call and the Democratic National Committee chair, Ken Martin, Collier said she was being told she had to end the live stream or face a felony charge, abruptly leaving the meeting. The Democrats have been resisting the bill for weeks as the Republican-led Texas government finds ways to deal with the resistance. 'This bill intentionally discriminates against Black and Hispanic Texans and other Texans of colour by cracking and packing minority communities across the state of Texas,' said Chris Turner, a Democratic representative from Arlington. 'It is a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution.' Meanwhile, Republican leaders have rejected racial animus as an element of the redistricting, insisting that the redrawing of the map would increase the number of districts with a Hispanic voting age majority from seven to eight. It is pertinent to note that, based on the voting results from 2024, five congressional seats would change party from Democratic to Republican under the new map, which they argue is legally allowed. 'You want transparency,' said representative Todd Hunter, the Corpus Christi Republican who drafted the redistricting bill. 'The underlying goal of this plan is straightforward: improve Republican political performance … We are allowed to draw congressional districts based on political performance, as recognised by the US Supreme Court in Rucho v Common Cause. These districts were drawn primarily using political performance to guide the redrawing of districts.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Under the US Voting Rights Act, lawmakers need to draw lines with great awareness of the racial composition of the electorate, to avoid packing them into a single district and reduce their influence in other districts, or to spread them in other districts to such an extent that it dilutes their voting strength as a group. California aimed to neutralise the move Meanwhile, the Democratic-led state of California is scheduled to vote on Thursday morning on a suite of bills that would advance Newsom's redistricting plan to 'neutralise' Texas's gerrymandering effort. However, the state needs to approve the new map through a November special election. California has made it clear that the move would only take place if Texas or another Republican state moves forward with their mid-decade redistricting plan. On Tuesday, the California plan earned the support of former President Barack Obama, who said it was a 'responsible' response to the Texas effort. Last month, Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives fled the state with the intent of denying a quorum to the legislature to block a vote on the redistricting bill. However, they abandoned their exile after the California legislature began advancing a redistricting bill of its own.
