Tag: MPs

Annamalai

Annamalai Refuses To Comment On BJP-ADMK Breakup

By LokMarg

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai on Monday refused to comment on the AIADMK resolution that declared the breaking of its alliance with BJP just a few months before the Lok Sabha election.

“I will speak to you later. I don’t speak during Yatra. I will speak later,” Annamalai told ANI when asked about the development during his ‘En Mann En Makkal’ (My Land My People) Yatra which is currently in Coimbatore.

AIADMK passed the resolution in its meeting of headquarters functionaries, district secretaries, MPs and MLAs at its headquarters in Chennai. 

“The state leadership of the BJP has been continuously making unnecessary remarks about our former leaders, our general secretary EPS (K Palaniswami) and our cadres for the past year. In today’s meeting, this resolution was passed unanimously that AIADMK will break all ties with BJP and NDA alliance,” AIADMK leader KP Munuswamy said while announcing the decision to reporters.

Annamalai was blamed by the AIADMK leadership in the past for the rift in the alliance. His statement against top leaders of Dravidian movement like CN Annadurai irked them so much that they reportedly asked the BJP’s central leadership to remove him from the post of state BJP president. 

Munuswamy alleged that the state BJP has been intentionally attacking former Chief Minister Jayalalitha and Annadurai.

“The state leadership of BJP in the NDA alliance has been purposely attacking the AIADMK Party, former CM and leaders Annadurai and Jayalalitha. BJP State leadership also criticised AIADMK conference which was held at Madurai on August 20. This hurt cadres of AIADMK,” Munuswamy said.

The relationship between the AIADMK and the BJP had hit a low during the last few months.

On September 18, AIADMK announced that the BJP is no longer their ally alleging that BJP State President Annamalai was crossing the “alliance dharma” lines. AIADMK leaders also heavily criticised Annamalai for his remarks on Annadurai and Periyar.

Both the AIADMK and the BJP frequently engaged in war of words with one another on social media. Leaders from both parties refused to comment on the alliance in public.

On September 22, AIADMK top leaders C V Shanmugam, Thambidurai, SP Velumani, Thangamani, KP Munusamy, Natham Viswanathan met BJP leaders at Delhi.

Both parties refused to comment on the developments of the meeting. However, sources suggested that the AIADMK meeting in Delhi was not fruitful. (ANI)

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INDIA Alliance Team To Visit Manipur

INDIA Alliance Team To Visit Manipur On July 29-30

By LokMarg

A team of opposition MPs belonging to I.N.D.I.A is slated to visit Manipur on July 29 and 30 amid their demand for a detailed discussion in Parliament on the situation in the state, which has seen ethnic violence.

The visit comes even as the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has accepted the notice given by the opposition parties for no-confidence motion against the government.
The opposition leaders have said that they decided to go for no-confidence motion to seek reply from the government and the Prime Minister on various issues including the situation in Manipur.

Opposition parties have been protesting in Rajya Sabha over their demand for a detailed discussion on Manipur violence and a statement from the Prime Minister.

“A team of INDIA alliance MPs will visit Manipur on July 29, 30,” an opposition leader said.

Oppsition parties have been pressing for their demand since the beginning of the monsoon session of Parliament on July 20. The government has said it is ready for debate on the issue but the opposition has inisisted on debate under adjournment motion.

Both Houses of Parliament saw disruptions on Thursday also.

Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Manipur and announced several steps to restore peace. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had visited the state in June.

Twenty-six opposition parties had named their alliance as I.N.D.I.A during their meeting in Bengaluru earlier this month.  (ANI)

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Dilli Ka Darbaar

LS Passes Multi-State Cooperative Societies Amendment Bill

By LokMarg

Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill with Home Minister Amit Shah stating that Modi government has taken several steps to revive the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) to make them viable and multi-dimensional.

The Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, was passed after a brief debate amid sloganeering by opposition MPs over their demands for a detailed discussion on the Manipur situation and a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amit Shah, who is also Minister of Cooperation, said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet has given approval to the bill aimed at increasing transparency, accountability and profit in multi-state cooperative societies.

The minister, who replied amid continuous sloganeering by opposition MPs, said that a provision has been made for the Election Authority to conduct fair elections and the Authority will be as powerful as the Election Commission and there will be no government interference.

In addition, if one-third vacancies are created in the Board, a provision has been made to hold elections again for the vacant posts. Along with this, there are also provisions for discipline in board meetings and smooth functioning of cooperative societies.

The chairman, vice-chairman and members of the committees will be required to call board meeting in three months. He said that in order to bring transparency in the governance of the cooperative societies, a provision has been made to give majority to the equity shareholders.

Amit Shah said that reservation to one Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe and one woman in the committees has been provided in the bill. He said that non-compliance of various constitutional requirements can lead to disqualification of the board members.

Shah said that in the recruitment process of employees, no one will be given job in blood relations or distant relations. He said that the Right to Information has also been included in this bill. The Minister said that with the passing of this bill, a new era will begin in the country’s cooperative movement.

The Union Minister of Cooperation also informed the Lok Sabha about the various steps taken by the Ministry of Cooperation to strengthen cooperatives in the country. He said that since independence, all the people associated with cooperative sector in the country wanted that cooperatives should be given importance by the Central Government and a separate Ministry of Cooperation should be formed.

He said that fulfilling this decades-old demand, Prime Minister Modi formed a separate Ministry of Cooperation. Noting that cooperative movement in India is about 115 years old, he said this movement has given the country many important enterprises like Amul, Kribhco, IFFCO, which are source of employment for lakhs of people.

He said that no attention was paid to cooperatives in the last 75 years nor was there any brainstorming on this in the country’s parliament at the national or state level. Shah said that in the next 25 years, the cooperative sector will once again strongly contribute to the development of the country.

The Union Minister said there have been many major changes in the cooperative sector of the country in the last two years. He said that Prime Minister Modi has taken the initiative towards the computerization of 63,000 PACS across the country at a cost of Rs 2500 crores.

This will ensure the linkage of the PACS with District Cooperative Banks, State Cooperative Banks, and NABARD. Shah said that after computerization, the process of audit of PACS will be completely online and they will be able to do many different kind of business.

He said that the Modi government prepared model bye-laws for PACS and sent them to all the states and, except Bengal and Kerala, all the states have accepted them and today PACS across the country are running under a similar law.

Shah said that now PACS will be able to do the work of FPO as well and 1100 PACS have already been registered as FPO. The minister said that PM Modi has given gas cylinders to crores of people in the country under initiatives launched by the Centre and now PACS will also be able to do the work of LPG distribution.

PACS will also be able to function as retail outlets, run Janaushadhi Kendras, and do the work of water distribution by functioning as a water committee and will be engaged in the storage, as well. The Modi government, he said, has ended the injustice done to cooperatives for years and brought cooperative and corporate taxes at parity.

He said that farmers of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh sell their sugarcane to cooperative sugar mills but a 30 percent income tax was imposed on it. He said that PM Modi has completely abolished the tax on the profit of the farmers and not only this, he has also made a provision to refund the tax paid earlier.

Shah said the Modi government decided to form three new multi-state societies to strengthen cooperatives. The first society will act as a platform to export the produce of the farmers. The second society will associate small farmers with the production of seeds and through this farmers with one acre of land will also be able to associate with seed production.

The third society will provide suitable prices to the farmers for their produce by marketing their organic products across the country and the world. Shah said that apart from this, the Modi government has also decided to set up a cooperative university for cooperative education in the coming days. The National Cooperative Database will also be started soon.

He said that there was never a national cooperative policy in the country between 2003 and 2020, but before Diwali this year, the new national cooperative policy will be formulated which will put the map of cooperatives in front of the country for the next 25 years.

Amit Shah said that the Modi government has striven to free crores of people in the country from poverty in the last 9 years. Detailed provisions for reforming the election process of members, bringing transparency in the society, strengthening the monitoring system, and ease of doing business have been made in the Bill.

A release said that provisions have also been made in the bill, regarding discipline and professionalism among the members of the society, and representation of weaker and marginalized sections in the board of directors.

The Bill also provides for redemption of government shares with the prior approval of the government, liquidation after providing an opportunity of being heard to the multi-state co-operative society, and enforcement of the Banking Regulation(BR) Act, 1949 on co-operative banks. (ANI)

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah

I Am Ready For Discussion: Shah On Manipur

By LokMarg

Urging the opposition party MPs in Lok Sabha to let the House function smoothly during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that he is ready for discussion on Manipur issue and that it is important that the country gets to know the truth on this “sensitive” matter.

As the members of the Lok Sabha met at 2 pm after being adjourned at 12 pm, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stood from his seat to address the Lower House.
After the House reassembled at 2 pm, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, amid continuous sloganeering from the opposition party MPs, said, “Honorable members, you have been demanding discussion on Manipur for two-three days.” He then appealed to the Union Home Minister to address the House on the issue.

During his address, Shah said that he does not understand why the opposition does not want to allow discussion on the Manipur issue.

“I urge all the respected members of the opposition that on a very sensitive issue, many members have demanded a discussion by the ruling party and the opposition, I am ready for the discussion. I do not know why the opposition does not want to allow discussion,” Shah said.

“I request the leader of the opposition to let the discussion happen and this truth should be known to the whole country, it is very important,” he added.

While Shah was speaking sloganeering continued from opposition benches with a few MPs leaving their seats and raising placards in the House with “INDIA stands with Manipur people”, written on them.

The Lok Sabha Speaker also urged the members of the opposition parties to let the house function smoothly. With continuous sloganeering, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day to again meet at 11 am on Tuesday. (ANI)

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'Rajya Sabha Day'

Engage In Meaningful Debates For Progress Of Nation: RS Chairman To MPs

By LokMarg

On the occassion of ‘Rajya Sabha Day’, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday appealed all MPs to engage in informed and meaningful debates and deliberation for the progress of the nation.

Reminding on this day in 1952 the Rajya Sabha was constituted, Dhankhar noted the importance of the Council of States and asserted that “the House should be a platform for debate, dialogue, deliberations and discussions, and called for its rightful role in Amrit Kaal.”
“On this significant occasion, I appeal to members of the Upper House to resolve to protect the dignity of the Rajya Sabha, and engage in informed, meaningful debates and deliberations for the greater progress of the nation in Amrit Kaal,” Dhankhar appealed.

The Rajya Sabha Chairman’s message to all MPs came as the House has been facing adjournments everyday since the second leg of the Budget session started on March 13.

Dhankhar said that the ‘Council of States’ as defined in our Constitution plays a critical role in our polity.

Upholding the federal principle of our democracy, the Chairman said, the Rajya Sabha contributes towards welfare of the people by voicing their concerns and acting as a platform for erudite discussions.

“The terms ‘Upper House’ or ‘House of Elders’ though not part of official glossary, amply reflect uniquely significant importance of this institution.

“Nation justifiably expects us to lead by example in setting, sublime Parliamentary traditions worth emulating by all others. The House should be a platform for debate, dialogue, deliberations, and discussions, and not a theatre of disruptions and disturbances,” Dhankhar added. (ANI)

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Supreme Court on living will

SC To Hear Plea For Lifetime Ban On Convicted MPs, MLAs From Contesting Elections

By LokMarg

The Supreme Court on Tuesday posted for next week hearing in a plea seeking to debar convicted Members of Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies from contesting elections for life.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice Hima Kohli and JB Pardiwala said that it will hear the matter next week as it was hearing other matters.
Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, who was appointed amicus curiae to assist the top court in the matter, told the bench, “I am requesting, some urgent orders are required.”

The bench said it will hear the matter next week.

A recent status report submitted before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated that there are 51 MPs and 71 MLAs, sitting and former, who stand accused by the agency of offense under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The report does not specify exactly how many of those are sitting MPs/MLAs and how many are former MPs/ MLAs.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has also submitted a similar report stating that a total of 121 cases are pending trial against sitting and former MPs and MLAs.

The number of MPs involved in those cases is 51 out of which 14 are sitting, 37 are former and 5 are deceased. The report further stated that 112 MLAs are involved in CBI cases out of which 34 are sitting, 78 are former and 9 are deceased.

The number of cases pending investigation against MPs and MLAs by the CBI is 37, the report of the CBI submitted.

Hansaria also filed a report pursuant to an order passed by the court seeking a status report relating to the pendency and grant of sanctions for prosecution, the expected time for completion of the investigation, and reasons for the delay in the same.

In his report Hansaria highlighted a “glaring case of inordinate delay” in the trial of cases against lawmakers, submitting that many cases were pending for over five years.

He sought directions to ensure that courts dealing with case against lawmakers should exclusively try such issues.

The plea filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay sought direction that convicted parliamentarians and State legislators, former and sitting, should be disqualified and banned for life from contesting elections to Parliament or Assemblies.

The plea also sought speedy disposal of cases against them and pointed out that while judges and babus were suspended for such activities, politicians were condoned by the law.

As of now, convicted politicians are banned from polls for six years.

The Central government in an affidavit filed in 2020 had rejected the idea of a lifetime ban on convicted persons contesting elections or forming or becoming an office-bearer of a political party.

It had said that disqualification under the Representation of the People Act of 1951 for the period of six years was enough for legislators.

Hansaria had earlier filed the report in the apex court and informed that a total of 4,984 criminal cases against former and sitting MPs and MLAs are pending before various sessions and magistrate courts across the country, an increase of 862 such cases in the last three years.

In August 2021 the top court directed that no prosecution against sitting former MPs and MLAs will be withdrawn without the permission of the High Court of the concerned state.

It had further directed that judges hearing the criminal cases against MPs and MLAs in Special Courts should continue in their current posts until further orders of the Supreme Court. (ANI)

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