Oppn ruckus halts Lok Sabha till Friday, Goa ST representation bill left undiscussed
As TDP leader Krishna Prasad Tenneti took the Chair, opposition members immediately began shouting slogans, demanding a discussion on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and other pressing issues.
The uproar drowned out scheduled business, including the presentation of party committee reports by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and matters under Rule 377 raised by Janardan Mishra concerning rural development and Panchayati Raj.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal attempted to introduce the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, a landmark legislation aimed at ensuring ST representation in Goa's Legislative Assembly for the first time.
However, the opposition refused to engage, prompting Meghwal to express frustration: 'This is a historic opportunity for Scheduled Tribes in Goa. You are denying them a voice in the House.'
Meghwal accused the opposition of deliberately stalling debate on tribal issues, stating, 'You don't want this House to discuss the rights of the Scheduled Tribes. This is not the behaviour expected in the world's largest democracy.'
Despite repeated appeals from the Chair to maintain decorum, opposition MPs continued to wave placards and chant slogans.
Acting Speaker Tenneti warned that placard-waving violated Parliamentary norms and urged members to return to their seats.
With no cooperation forthcoming, he adjourned the House for Friday. The disruption marks the fourth consecutive day of protests in Parliament's monsoon session, with opposition parties demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's response on the Bihar voter roll revision, Operation Sindoor, and the Pahalgam terror attack.
As legislative paralysis deepens, questions loom over whether crucial Bills, including those affecting tribal representation and maritime law, will receive due consideration before the session ends on August 21.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Share of AC berths doubled in last decade in long-distance trains
In the last decade, the share of air-conditioned (AC) berths/seats in non-suburban trains (long-distance trains) has doubled, while the share of non-AC berths/seats has declined considerably in India. In parallel, the share of passengers who travelled in AC coaches has tripled, while the share of those who travelled in second class has declined considerably. Suburban trains are meant for short distances, usually up to 150 kilometres, to facilitate movement within cities, suburbs, and extended suburbs. These trains operate with electrical multiple units rakes or EMUs. Non-suburban trains cover longer distances and this analysis is restricted to them. These conclusions assume significance, given that the Indian Railways is keen on increasing the number of AC three-tier coaches in long-distance trains — the only class of travel which has fetched consistent profits for the organisation — in place of sleeper and other coaches. While news reports show that in many long-distance trains, sleeper and second class coaches are being substituted with AC three-tier coaches, the government has refuted such claims in a recent reply in the Lok Sabha. In a question answered on July 23, the Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, had said that the share of non-AC coaches has 'significantly increased to about 70%'. However, the data shared in the reply does not specify the base year from which this increase was calculated. The data shared by the Minister also claimed that in FY25, 1,250 general coaches have been utilised in long-distance trains, while the corresponding figures for AC coaches were not divulged. However, data for non-suburban trains collated from the Indian Railways Annual Reports of 2023-24 and 2013-14 show substantial increase in AC berths/seats. In the last decade, the share of non-AC berths/seats declined from over 84% to 68% of the total available berths/seats in non-suburban trains, while the share of AC berths/seats increased from close to 16% to about 32% as shown in the chart below. The increase in berths/seats was particularly pronounced in AC three-tier coaches. The share of these in the total increased from around 10% to 24% in the last decade. On the other hand, the share of berths/seats in sleeper coaches decreased from 33.3% to 29% and the share of 'other non-AC' coaches came down from 51% to 39%. An analysis of the percentage increase and decrease in berths/seats over the past decade also highlights a growing preference for AC coaches. In 2023-24, the berths/seats in AC three-tier coaches had increased by 238% from 2013-14. In contrast, the berths/seats in sleeper coaches increased by only 21% and 'other non-AC' coaches increased by only 6.4% in the same period as shown in the chart below. A similar pattern can be seen when analysing the number of passengers who travelled across various classes of non-suburban trains. For instance, the share of passengers in AC three-tier coaches in total increased from less than 2% in 2013-14 to 7.5% in 2023-24. In contrast, the share of those in second class mail/ordinary coaches in total declined from over 88% to 75.5%. Those in sleeper mail/ordinary coaches increased from 8.3% to 13.2% as shown in the chart below. An analysis of the percentage increase and decrease in passengers carried also shows a similar pattern. In 2023-24, the number of passengers in AC three-tier coaches increased by 201% from 2013-14. On the other hand, those carried in second class mail/ordinary coaches decreased by 36%. Passengers carried in sleeper mail/ordinary coaches increased by just 18.6% as shown in the chart below. devyanshi.b@ vignesh.r@
New Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
House logjam over SIR continues
NEW DELHI: The face-off between the Opposition and the government continued on Friday as both Houses of Parliament were adjourned over the demand for a discussion on the special intensive revision (SIR) of Bihar electoral rolls. The INDIA bloc, including the Congress, TMC, DMK and RJD, wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla demanding a special discussion on the EC's SIR in Bihar. 'We, the undersigned Members of Parliament representing various Opposition parties, wish to express our deep concern over the voter list revision in Bihar, especially a few months before the state assembly elections,' the letter read. This is unprecedented. The Election Commission 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. In the letter, the parties said the Opposition has consistently raised the issue since the start of the session. 'It was reiterated in several interactions with the government, including the all-party meeting held on Sunday, July 20,' it said. '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. A special discussion in the Lok Sabha will allow MPs to seek clarity and ensure transparency, they pointed out. 'We, therefore, urge you to schedule a special discussion on the ongoing voter roll revision without any further delay'. Earlier in the day, a united INDIA bloc held a protest march at the gate of Parliament demanding the rollback of ongoing SIR in Bihar.
Hans India
18 minutes ago
- Hans India
Botcha points out that state's law and order maintenance has gone haywire
Visakhapatnam: YSRCP MLC Botcha Satyanarayana pointed out that anarchy prevails in the state with the coalition's inefficient governance. Speaking to the media in Visakhapatnam on Friday, he said that the state suffers from lack of law and order and the ruling party resorts to making derogatory remarks against women. 'The crime rate has gone up in the state after the coalition government came to power. Rapes and assaults against women and minors have increased in an alarming manner. Also, ganja peddlers are getting the support of the government,' the MLC criticised. During YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's Nellore, Botcha Satyanarayana recalled, police imposed unwarranted restrictions and dug up roads to prevent people from gathering. 'It clearly indicates that the government is scared of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and there is growing intolerance among people,' he stated. The language being used by TDP leaders against women leaders including RK Roja and ZP chairperson U Haritha shows their audacity and respect for women, the MLC mentioned. Vizag has been gravely exploited by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his coterie by allotting prime lands at low prices. 'Lands worth Rs 1,500 crore are being given on long lease to Lulu Group. Former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy promoted IT in Vizag while the coalition is merely exploiting the resources,' he said. Students did not get fee reimbursement, farmers are not getting MSP and there is no crop insurance or input subsidy, while women are cheated by false promises, the MLC added.
