tirupati l friday l june 28, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION 12 rajya sabha MPs held guilty of misconduct for causing disruptions Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee on Thursday held 12 opposition MPs guilty of misconduct for disrupting the House’s proceedings last year rules broken amid protest on manipur issue The MPs, including Aam Admi Party’s Sanjay Singh, were accused of unruly behaviour in Rajya Sabha on August 11, during protests by the Opposition demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak on the Manipur violence. Singh is accused of rushing into the well of the House and pointing at the Chair seeking discussion on the issue | P7 ■ 140+ Mps told to adhere to code of conduct ■ All of the lawmakers have since appologised. The panel, in its report, told them to “scrupulously adhere to exemplary conduct” Among the 12 MPs held guilty are Shaktisinh Gohil, Sushil Gupta, Sandeep Pathak, Naranbhai J Rathwa, L Hanumanthaiah, Syed Nasir Hussain, Kumar Ketkar, Phulo Devi Netam and Jebi Mather Hisham lawmakers suspended in both houses during last year’s winter session CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Emergency a punching Tribals of ASR village demand a school bag for Murmu as well U s h a Pe r i @ Visakhapatnam Sengol row after SP member’s suggestion RA J E SH K U MAR THAK U R @ New Delhi A day after Speaker Om Birla deplored Emergency President , Droupadi Murmu followed suit on Thursday, describing it as the biggest and darkest chapter of a direct attack on the Constitution, in her first address to a joint session of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha. Murmu also expressed grave concern over frequent disruptions in Parliament because of differences between the treasury and the Opposition benches. She hailed the record turnout of voters in J&K in the general elections, saying the Kashmir valley has given a befitting reply to the enemies of India who spread false propaganda at global forums. The President also touched upon various policy initiatives like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) but was silent on the BJP’s promise of a Uniform Civil Code and the One Nation, One Poll proposal. Murmu said, “The Constitution of India has stood up to every challenge and every test in the past decades. Even when the Constitution was in the making, there were forces in the world who wished India to fail”. After the Constitution came into force, it was attacked many times. “The imposition of Emergency on June 25 in President Droupadi Murmu addresses the joint sitting of Parliament | PTI Samajwadi Party MP R K Chaudhary’s demand to replace the Sengol installed next to the Speaker’s chair with a copy of the Constitution triggered a war of words on Thursday. While Opposition leaders supported him, the ruling BJP lit into Chaudhary for disrespecting Indian and Tamil culture. Chaudhary had written to Speaker Om Birla demanded that the Sengol, a symbol of transfer of power when India got Independence, be removed as it represents monarchy 1975 was the biggest and darkest chapter of direct attack on the Constitution,” she said. It drew wide criticism on the Opposition benches. As for the ruling NDA, Murmu said the government is taking all efforts to make the Constitution embedded in public’s consciousness. She pointed out that even in J&K, the Constitution is now fully in force. Giving the Opposition a bit of advice, President Murmu said, “Opposition of policies and obstruction of parliamentary functioning are two different things. All of us are responsible for ensuring that no obstacle comes in the way of achieving the resolution of Viksit Bharat.” Amid the row over alleged malpractices in the holding of NEET-UG and the cancellation and deferment of a few other competitive exams, Murmu said, “My government is committed to a fair investigation and ensuring strict punishment to the culprits. Even earlier, we have witnessed many instances of paper leaks in different states.” Speaking about the government, she said the people have given the NDA a clear and stable mandate for a third time. Opposition to press for debate on NEET in Parliament today P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi amid the nationwide outrage over allegations of paper leaks and irregularities involving the National Testing Agency (NTA), the opposition parties said they will demand a discussion on the matter and bring adjournment motions in both Houses of Parliament on Friday The . decision was taken at the meeting of the floor leaders of the INDIA bloc at the residence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. An Opposition leader who attended the meeting told this newspaper that all the parties unanimously decided Policy switch to make full fighter jets in India SHAHID F ARIDI @ New Delhi Not content with piecemeal Make in India initiatives in its defence procurement, the Union government has made a policy switch to buy as many as 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) only from a vendor who is ready to set up a manufactuting unit in India for the entire aircraft. It also wants transfer of technology and full production in India in a joint venture with a local partner. A new global tender incorporating these conditions is likely to be floated soon. The radical shift in policy is expected to delay the MRFA ac- quisition further. sault’s Rafale, Boeing’s Super India has 31 squadrons of Hornet F/A-18, SAAB’s Gripen, fighter jets as against the sanc- Lockheed Martin’s F-21, Rustioned strength of 42. sian MiG-35 and the EurofightA large number of parts of er Typhoon. fighter aircraft purchased earSources said French compalier are already being manny Dassault, makers of Raufactured in India under fale, which has been the the offset obligations. frontrunner to bag the 114 This is the first time contract, is not keen to that the government transfer technology for will be insisting on production in India. deal manufacturing comThe Indian government plete aircraft in India has already bought 36 Rawith technology transfer. fale jets for the Indian Air Approximately valued at $20 Force and is likely to go ahead billion, the MRCA is said to be with its decision to purchase 26 one of the world’s biggest de- Rafale Marine to replace the fence deals in recent times. ageing MiG-29s being used on Among the aircraft in the race I N S Vi k r a n t a n d I N S to bag the contract are Das- Vikramaditya. MRFA CS Neerabh’s tenure extended by six months Laddha repatriated to AP cadre The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has repatriated Inspector General of Police (IG) rank officer Mahesh Chandra Laddha to his parent cadre Andhra Pradesh with immediate effect. An order to this effect was issued on June 26, instructing the 1998 batch IPS officer to intimate the date of relieving from the CRPF. It may be recalled that the State govt placed the services of Laddha at the disposal of the MHA in 2020 for appointment to the post of CRPF IG on deputation for five years | P4 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Centre on Thursday extended the tenure of Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad by six months. The 1987 batch IAS officer was due to retire from service on attaining superannuation on June 30. The State government had sent a request to the Centre on June 16, seeking extension of his tenure for a period of six months from July 1 to December 31, 2024 under Rule 16 (1) of All India Services (Deathcum-Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. The Department of Personnel and Training issued an order to this effect on Thursday . After the TDP-led NDA formed government in the State, the then Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy went on leave and was subsequently transferred. Later, Neerabh Kumar was appointed as the Chief Secretary He assumed office on June 7. . The government is of the belief that Neerabh Kumar, who has vast experience in administration, can put governance in the State back on track as pre-poll promises are set to be implemented in the coming days, sources said. Tangellabanda tribals staged a protest after pupils were forced to wait for two hours to cross a swollen stream to reach home from school | Express The Union government has been encouraged by its success in getting US company GE Aerospace Defence and Systems to produce fighter jet engines in India in collaboration with the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. As per the deal signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s last visit to the US, GE will transfer 80% technology of its F414 jet engines that will power the Mk2 version of India’s indigenously-developed Light Combat Aircraft. The gover nment has increased the FDI sectoral limit in defence to 74% to make the country a defence manufacturing hub. 65.18cr PENSIONS ON JULY 1 lakh TO RECEIVE `4,399 The State government has made all arrangements for the disbursal of `4,399.89 crore towards social security pensions (NTR Bharosa) to all the 65.18 lakh beneficiaries at their doorstep in a single day on July 1 | P4 Two men arrested by CBI being taken for medical checkup in Patna | pti to move adjournment motions on the NEET row in both Houses of Parliament. The parties will demand a debate on NEET in both Houses before the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address takes place, said a senior leader. This is to ensure that NEET History for Rainbow nation South Africa cruised past Afghanistan to enter their first-ever Men’s World Cup final gets adequate time for discussion, he added. While Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi will raise the issue in the Lok Sabha, Kharge will lead take it up in the Upper House. Sources said the Opposition parties will not relent until discussion happens. Meanwhile, the CBI on Thursday made its first arrests in the NEET-UG paper leak case, taking two persons—Manish Kumar and Ashutosh Kumar—in custody in Patna for allegedly providing safe accommodation to aspirants and giving them leaked question papers and answer keys. Proteas pace lights up Trinidad On a Trinidad and Tobago surface that had immense variable bounce, South Africa pacers Marco Jansen (3/16), Kagiso Rabada (2/14) and Anrich Nortje (2/7) attacked the stumps consistently and reaped the rewards to dismiss Afghanistan for just 56 runs South Africa cruise through Knowing what is needed to make history, South African openers bided time but at the same time picked up crucial runs before eventually taking the team home. With the victory, South Africa men finally broke the semifinal curse they have had since in the ICC events over the past couple of decades Reeza Hendricks(L), and Aiden Markram No word on the ambitious One Nation, One Poll, Uniform Civil Code Students from Tangellabanda village faced a daunting task on Wednesday while returning home from school as they were forced to wait for two hours, along with their teacher, to cross the swollen Gangavaram stream. They were able to cross the stream only after the flow receded. Parents of these students have raised concerns that frequent downpour often forces their children to stay home, hindering their access to education. They are now urging the district Collector and Rain affects India semifinal On a rain-hit morning, Rohit Sharma married intent with execution as his unbeaten 26-ball 37 took India to 65/2 off 8 overs before the heavens opened up. After Jos Buttler asked India to bat, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant departed but Rohit and Suryakumar kept the scoreboard moving | P11 Paderu ITDA project officer to establish a school in their village. The incident has brought to the fore the struggle of 25 students, studying from classes I to V who have no other option, , but to walk two kilometres daily and cross the seasonal water stream, which swells during heavy rains, to reach the MPP School in Gangavaram. A tribal hamlet with 27 families belonging to the Konda Dora Adivasi tribe, Tangellabanda comes under Kiverla Panchayat, Anantagiri mandal in Alluri Sitarama Raju disP4 trict. Annual report Alarming rise in hate speech in India: Blinken E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ New Delhi THERE has been a ‘concerning increase’ in anti-conversion laws, hate speech, and demolition of homes and places of worship of minority communities in India, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Releasing the annual State Department report on international religious freedom in Washington on Wednesday (local time), Blinken said not just India but governments around the world are increasingly targeting individuals, shuttering places of worship, forcibly displacing communities, and imprisoning people based on their religious beliefs. He also noted that attacks against Jews and Muslims have increased in the US after the Gaza war started. The 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom says 10 out of India’s 28 states have laws restricting religious conversions for all faiths. Some of these states also impose penalties for religious conversions done for the purpose of marriage, it adds. The report says that in 2023, Christians and Muslims were arrested in India under laws banning forced religious conversions, adding that in some cases, these laws were abused to harass religious minorities. US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Rashad Hussain said: “In India, Christian communities reported that local police aided mobs that disrupted worship services over accusations of conversion activities, or stood by while mobs attacked them and then arrested the victims on conversion charges.” The report notes the Indian government’s plan to enact a Uniform Civil Code has been opposed by Muslim, Sikh, Christian, and tribal leaders as well as some state governments on fears that it will turn the country into a Hindu Rashtra. Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu set to lead TDP in Lok Sabha E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla informing him about the appointment of Narasaraopet Lok Sabha MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu as the Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party (TDPP) leader. A delegation of TDP leaders, led by Union Minister of State Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, called on the Lok Speaker on Thursday and handed over the letter to him. As three-time MP from Sri- A delegation of TDP leaders, led by Union Minister Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, called on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday | EXPRESS kakulam Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu was given a Union Cabinet berth, the TDP chose Krishna Devarayalu to lead the party in the Lower House of Parliament. Additionally MPs Daggumal, la Prasada Rao and Byreddy Shabari were elected as the Deputy leaders. TDP MPs BK Parthasarathi and Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy were elected as the Secretary and Treasurer respectively, while GM Harish Balayogi was appointed as the whip. Dr Satyanarayana Naupada was appointed as the office secretary . Naidu also sent the copy of the letter to Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Further, it has been learnt that the TDP MPs requested the Speaker to allocate a spacious chamber for the TDPP With 16 . Lok Sabha MPs, the yellow party is the second largest party in the NDA after the BJP . Meanwhile, the TDP is hopeful of making a re-entry into the Rajya Sabha as the party has 135 seats in the State Assembly . Currently, the TDP has no representation in the Upper House of Parliament as tenure of Kanakamedala Ravindra, the party’s lone RS MP, ended in April.
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