Canada polls: 6 Indo-Canadians with Gill as surname get elected to parliament
There was just a single Gill present in the previous House, but that number has risen to seven.
So, veteran MP Marilene Gill of the Bloc Quebecois is a Francophone Quebecker, who retained her seat of Cote-Nord – Kawawachikamach – Nitassinan in Quebec will have plenty of company.
But the six newcomers are all Indo-Canadians with roots in Punjab and curiously, all of them are represent the opposition Conservative Party.
Among them, businessperson Amarjeet Gill made a splash as he defeated Cabinet Minister Kamal Khera of the ruling Liberal Party.
Also on the list is Parm Gill, who was in the provincial Cabinet in Ontario before successfully making the transition to national politics and winning the riding (constituency) of Milton East - Halton Hils South, though with a slender margin.
Making history in a sense was retired police officer Harb Gill, who won the riding of Windsor West. As the local outlet Windsor Star noted, 'In what many might see as a shocking upset, Conservative Harb Gill has ousted 23-year NDP incumbent Brian Masse in Windsor West, flipping the riding blue for the first time in its nearly six-decade history.'
Meanwhile, 25-year-old businessperson Sukhman Gill, who was born on his family's blueberry farm in the area, won the Abbotsford – South Langley riding in British Columbia.
Alberta provided two more Gills.
Dalwinder Gill, who is in real estate, captured Calgary McKnight defeating incumbent Liberal MP George Chahal.
Finally, Amanpreet Gill, former president of the Dashmesh Culture Centre, emerged victorious from Calgary Skyview.
The Gill numbers could have been higher but Conservative candidate Harjit Singh Gill lost to sitting MP Sukh Dhaliwal from Surrey-Newton in British Columbia.
And accountant Amy Gill could have joined the group as its only Liberal member, but she narrowly lost to sitting New Democratic Party MP Don Davies from Vancouver Kingsway, by a margin of just over 300 votes.
Why this sudden profusion of Gills? 'It's a common name in Canada, and they (the candidates) had a good name in the community and were approached by the party,' explained Maninder Singh Gill, managing director of the Surrey-based Radio India.
He said the immigration of the community to Canada was drawn from 52 villages around Moga, Ludhiana and Faridkot in Punjab.
He pointed out their presence in politics wasn't new as Lachhman Singh Gill was briefly Chief Minister of Punjab between 1967 and 1968.
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Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
Monsoon session of Parliament washed out
BJP MP Arun Govil and other MPs leave amid rain, after the adjournment of the Lok Sabha during Monsoon Session, at the Parliament House Complex in New Delhi. (ANI) NEW DELHI: Monsoon session of Parliament ended Thursday the way it began on July 21 - with opposition MPs in the well, adjournments, and washout of proceedings. The month-long parliamentary session was dominated by controversies about Bihar electoral rolls review and Pahalgam terror attack , with INDIA bloc on the offensive. When Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tried to conduct the proceedings on Thursday, reminding the protesting members that it was the last day of the session, his pleas were met with barbs from a few members about a discussion on SIR still being possible on the last day. Opposition offensive on SIR during the session was met with resistance from govt, leading to daily protests involving use of placards and aggressive sloganeering, which were preceded by large demonstrations at Parliament entrance every morning. At the end, an anguished Birla blamed "organised disruptions" for fall in productivity. Out of 120 hours allotted for proceedings, LS functioned for around 30% of its scheduled time and RS - where the disruptions were eclipsed briefly by the shock resignation of vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar on the first day of the session - for around 39% of its allotted time. The only orderly business conducted was the discussion on Pahalgam attack-Operation Sindoor, which occupied LS and RS for two days each over three days. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo When opposition drew up its list of issues for discussion ahead of the start of session, Pahalgam and SIR figured on the top. While govt agreed to discuss the Indo-Pak clashes, it rebuffed any bid to discuss Bihar SIR. And even as SIR remained the dominant trigger for confrontation, govt's surprise move at the near end of the session to bring three bills prescribing automatic dismissal of CMs and ministers jailed for 30 days aggravated the situation, with near scuffles in LS in the presence of home minister Amit Shah on the penultimate day. If the washout was a rare occurrence under the all-dominant Modi govt, the reasons were two-fold: increased Congress and opposition strength in the 18th Lok Sabha and complete unity in the anti-BJP axis, including for upcoming vice-presidential election. TMC's unquestioned siding with opposition made a big difference, as there was no discordant note in strategy and execution. The last washout that opposition members recalled was the 2023 winter session when the issue of new criminal laws to replace CrPC and IPC had led to mass suspensions from both Houses. Congress' Manickam Tagore blamed BJP for the deadlock: "More than 239 MPs demanded a full discussion on 'vote chori' and SIR. What did they get? Zero minutes of debate." On the other hand, BJP ally and RLD MP Rajkumar Sangwan said, "Opposition's behaviour was unfortunate. It did not allow the House to function properly."
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Himachal assembly monsoon session: Congress, BJP spar over pending DA, arrears to government
Uproar, commotion marked the fourth day of the monsoon session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly on Thursday as Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party exchanged barbs over the issue of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and arrears for state government employees. Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during monsoon session in Shimla on Thursday. (File) Congress blamed the delay and pendency of DA on poor fiscal health of the state owing to restriction imposed by Union government on state for implementing Old Pension Scheme (OPS), while MLA's of the saffron party moved out of the House as protest against what they termed as 'political replies' of chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. The ruckus began during the question hour when BJP MLA from Una, Satpal Satti, raised the matter of pending DA and arrears. Dissatisfied with the government's reply, the BJP MLAs moved out of the House raising slogans. Responding to the question, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhu said, 'State's financial health is not good but we hope improvement. We will release the pending instalments of dearness allowance (DA) once the financial condition of the state improves. We have paid 11% DA last year and have also made provision in the budget, which will be paid to the employees.' Sukhu said, 'We sanctioned OPS as a result of which the Centre blocked additional borrowing of ₹1,600 crore for the state, adversely impacting its fiscal health. When I raised the issue with the Centre we were pressurised to switch to UPS.' 'Despite economic constraints, our government has taken major decisions in favour of employees. All dues will be cleared once the financial position improves,' he added. BJP MLA from Sullah, Vipin Singh Parmar, accused the CM of misleading, by saying that during the budget session you had assured to release the pending DA by May but the same had not been paid. Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur remind the state government that they came to power with the support of the employees and thus they are accountable towards them. Jai Ram said, 'You (CM) keep harping and blaming the former government.' Later talking to the media outside the assembly, Jai Ram said, 'Chief minister was repeatedly giving political answers in the House rather than addressing the core issue. The Congress government came to power because of the support of employees, and the promises made to them must be fulfilled. In his Budget speech, the CM announced that the pending 3% DA instalment would be released by May, but now August is ending and employees still have not received their dues. A total of 11% DA is pending.' He added, 'When the CM makes an announcement in the House, it is considered the government's 'full and final commitment'. But this government is failing to fulfil its own announcements. Instead of answering on the DA issue, the CM is referring to the arrears left by the previous government and making political statements.' Jai Ram reminded that when the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government left office, there was also a burden of arrears, but the then BJP government cleared them. Urging the government to stop using financial constraints as an excuse, the LoP said it should honour its commitments and implement its promises without delay. Meanwhile, the CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu while addressing media, hit out at the opposition over moving out of the assembly on the issue of pending DA and arrears, said, 'Those who are talking about employees today are the same people who once ordered water cannons and lathi charges against them. They never implemented the OPS when in power and are now pretending to be well-wishers of employees.' Wrong power bill data in assembly: CM assures action Congress MLA Raghubir Singh (RS) Bali on Thursday, during zero hour, raised the issue of 'wrong and inflated' power bill presented in assembly during the ongoing monsoon session, and demanded probe into it. BJP MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma, on Wednesday had sought the details of 14 months of electricity bills for residences of 10 Congress leaders, occupying government houses, including the CM and deputy CM. 'The matter was significant because the figures presented in response to a question were part of the assembly's official record a final document of the state and were later published in newspapers and circulated on social media,' Bali said. The bill for Bali's official residence, was shown as ₹6,78,000. Bali had moved into the residence in July 2023. After analysing and 'doing a DNA of the bill,' Bali found it to be inflated. Later talking to the media, Bali said, 'When I asked for the full details from January 2023 to July 2025, my actual bill for 32 months came to ₹2,98,308 – far lower than the ₹6.78 lakh as stated in the assembly. This discrepancy exists not just in my bill, but in others too,' he said. 'The CM's residence is much bigger than mine, yet my bill amount was high,' he said. Terming the matter a question of dignity for his constituency of Nagrota Bagwan, Bali said, 'If this was done deliberately, it is a very serious issue. Figures that go to the assembly must be thoroughly checked at the highest level.' Bali announced that henceforth, he would personally pay the electricity bills for his official residence. 'Even though my actual bill is less than that of several ministers, I will no longer have it paid from the government account. This is about the honour of my constituency and my family,' he said. Referring to the data discrepancy, Bali pointed out that Sudhir Sharma had sought details of only 14 months. 'Why only 14 months? Why not 12 or 24 months? This makes me suspicious. For 14 months, my bill was shown as ₹6.78 lakh, while the CM's clarification said it was actually around ₹1.4 lakh,' he said. Bali insisted that the variation in bills for 10 residences must be investigated. Responding to the issue of inflated power bills for legislators, CM Sukhu said that some MLAs had been handed bills for a period of 14 months, which included arrears. Sukhu told the house that the bills of ministers are issued by the electricity department but payments are made through the PWD. 'In this case, PWD mistakenly added arrears to the actual bill, which inflated the figure from ₹1.68 lakh to ₹6.78 lakh. Even in my case, a wrong bill of ₹3.76 lakh for 14 months was shown, whereas the actual payable amount was ₹1.47 lakh,' the CM said. Sukhu assured the house, 'The matter will be investigated, if any deliberate mischief was done in presenting wrong figures, responsibility would be fixed'. Taking cognisance of the matter, speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania directed that the issue be cross-examined, terming it a 'serious lapse' that should not be repeated. Govt will consider increasing the rent of rest houses in Himachal: CM CM Sukhu said that the state government will consider increasing the rent of the rest houses in Himachal. This assurance came in response to the concern raised by MLA from Kasauli, Vinod Sultanpuri, about the very low tariffs of government rest houses in tourist destinations. Sultanpuri pointed out that rest houses across Himachal, many located at premium spots and are being rented out to the public at rates as low as ₹500 a night. 'In Kasauli, even small homestays charge ₹2,500 per night. Tourists from Haryana and Punjab prefer staying in government rest houses because of low tariffs and they even carry mobile kitchens, adversely affecting the homestays.' He also raised the issue of the poor condition of the rest house in his area Kasauli and demanded its improvement. CM assured that the concerns will be sympathetically considered. Registration of committees will be done through SDM: Agnihotri Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri told the House that registration of cooperative committees in the state will now be done through SDM. He gave this assurance to Congress MLA from Indora, Malender Rajan, who had raised the issue of registration of two or three committees in each panchayat. NOC from the fire department will be sympathetically considered: CM CM Sukhu assured the house that the issue of NOC from the fire department will be sympathetically considered regarding the home stays running in old houses in Manali area. He was responding to the issue raised by MLA Bhuvaneshwar Gaur. The CM said that keeping in mind the tourism sector, the government will also consider relaxation in the conditions of the fire department for old houses. MLA should send proposals for new projects: Anirudh Singh Rural Development and panchayati raj minister Anirudh Singh, in response to MLA Balbir Verma's question, said that he should send a new proposal to the CM for the development schemes of his area. Verma alleged that the state government had withdrawn money from the his constituency and had sought details as to when the money will be returned. Doctors are needed: Barsar MLA BJP MLA from Barsar Inder Dutt Lakhanpal raised the issue of poor health services. He said that Barsar Hospital has become a referral hospital due to lack of doctors. He questioned the government whether his hospital would be developed as an ideal health institution. Replying to him, health minister Colonel Dhani Ram Shandil said that Barsar civil hospital is being developed as Adarsh Swasthya Sansthan. He informed that posts of six specialist doctors, eight staff nurses and two operation theatre assistants are being sanctioned in such institutions. Along with this, machinery and equipment are also being purchased through Himachal Pradesh Medical Services Corporation Limited. Assembly demands Bharat Ratna to Himachal's first CM The assembly on Thursday, through voice note, passed a resolution demanding Bharat Ratna to Himachal's first CM Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar. Assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania said, 'The resolution passed in the Himachal assembly will be sent to the Government of India. In this, Bharat Ratna will be demanded from the Centre in view of Dr Parmar's contribution to the country before independence and for the formation of Himachal after independence.' On the Private Member's Day, Congress MLA from Nahan, Ajay Solanki, listed Dr Parmar's contribution to the country and the state in the House. Supporting the resolution, industries and parliamentary affairs minister Harshvardhan Chauhan said, 'Parmar was a man who could leave his office and travel back in a public bus, dressed simply, living only on his salary.' Revenue and Horticulture, Jagat Singh Negi said that it was because of Parmar's vision that Himachal is known today for its roads, horticulture, agriculture and education. 'When we talk about development, we must remember his time as CM, when he would walk for hours to reach far-flung tribal areas without expecting anything in return, only to connect with the people.' Deputy chief minister Mukesh Agnihotri said, 'In one voice this resolution should be sent so that he gets the highest civilian award.' Education minister Rohit Thakur said, 'From institutions like the high court to HPU, many pillars of our present-day state were built during his era.' Former minister and MLA Sukhram Chaudhary said history is shaped not by events but by the work of great leaders like Parmar. Born on 4 August, 1906, in Sirmaur, YS Parmar was a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress. He has contributed a lot in bringing Himachal Pradesh into existence and laying the foundation of its development. He became the CM of Himachal from 1952 to 1956, MP in 1957 and the CM of Himachal for the second time from 1963 to 24 January, 1977.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Lok Sabha Lost 84 Hours In Monsoon Session Due To Forced Adjournments
New Delhi: Parliament's Monsoon session, which concluded on Thursday, saw frequent disruptions that overshadowed legislative business, with the House losing over 84 hours to forced adjournments, the highest in the 18th Lok Sabha. The month-long session that started on July 21 had 21 sittings with 37 hours and 7 minutes of effective business, according to the Lok Sabha secretariat. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that all parties had decided at the beginning of the session that discussions would be held for 120 hours in this session. "The Business Advisory Committee also agreed to this. But due to continuous deadlock and planned disruptions, we could barely work for 37 hours in this session," he underlined. Despite the disruptions, the government managed to introduce 14 Bills and secure passage of 12 key legislation, including the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025, and the National Sports Governance Bill, 2025. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju told reporters after the conclusion of the session that it was successful and fruitful for the country and the government, but unsuccessful and harmful for the Opposition. Among the Bills introduced were the three seeking the removal of the prime minister, chief ministers and ministers arrested for 30 days on serious criminal charges, which were introduced on Wednesday by Home Minister Amit Shah, triggering acrimonious scenes in the Lok Sabha. While legislative business progressed, private members' Bills saw no traction, with none introduced, discussed or passed during the session. The session also recorded 537 matters raised under Rule 377, including matters of urgent public importance. However, none of the 61 notices received for discussions on matters of public interest were admitted. Parliamentary oversight remained active with committees presenting a total of 124 reports, including 89 by departmentally related standing committees and 18 by financial committees. Ministers made 53 statements on various issues during the session. In the Question Hour, 419 starred questions were admitted but only 55 were answered orally. Meanwhile, 4,829 unstarred questions were admitted.
