Page 5 - Lok Sabha

Naxal violence down by 77% over past decade: Center informs Lok Sabha

The violence perpetrated by Naxals has come down by 77 per cent in just over a decade while casualties of the security forces and civilians have also declined by 90 per cent, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the geographical spread of violence has significantly reduced and only 176 police stations of 45 districts reported Left Wing Extremism violence in 2022 as compared to a high of 465 police stations of 96 districts in 2010. "The number of LWE related violent incidents have come down by 77 per cent in 2022 in comparison to the high of 2010. The number of resultant deaths (security forces and civilians) have also reduced by 90 per cent from an all time high of 1005 in 2010 to 98 in 2022," he said replying to a written question. The minister said the decline in geographical spread is also reflected in the reduced number of districts covered under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme. Number of SRE districts reduced from 126

J&K budget passed in Lok Sabha amid protest, House adjourned till March 23

Amid vociferous protests by the Congress-led opposition, the budget for Jammu and Kashmir was passed in Lok Sabha through voice vote on Tuesday.

Planning a 'negative list' of nations for cross border data transfer: Govt

The legislation will empower the cross-border flow of data across all countries "by default" unless a country features on the negative list

Smuggled gold seized at airports doubled in FY23, FinMin tells Lok Sabha

Mumbai witnessed 50 per cent growth in gold seized in FY23 compared to the pre-pandemic year of FY20

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm amid uproar over Rahul's democracy remark

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm Monday amid ruckus in the House over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's democracy remarks. As soon as the proceedings started, members of the treasury benches began raising the issue. Opposition members, including those from the Congress, also began shouting slogans demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into alleged stock manipulation by the Adani Group. Speaker Om Birla repeatedly urged the members to allow the House to function. As the members refused to relent, Birla adjourned the proceedings. Parliament's Budget session has been a washout since the beginning of its second part on March 13, with the BJP demanding an apology from Gandhi. During his interactions in the UK, Gandhi had recently alleged that the structures of Indian democracy were under attack and there was a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions.

Have sought time for Rahul Gandhi to speak in Lok Sabha tomorrow: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said time has been sought for Rahul Gandhi to speak in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and he will make his statement if allowed. Kharge also slammed the BJP-led government over the Delhi Police team reaching Gandhi's residence on Sunday to inquire about his "women are still being sexually assaulted" statement made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. "They are trying to divert attention from the issues we have been raising. It has been 46 days since the yatra was completed and they are asking now, 'whom did you meet'. Lakhs of people connected with the yatra and met him (Gandhi) for five minutes and they are asking to identify people," Kharge told reporters here on Monday before leaving to attend Parliament. Gandhi's speech was made in Jammu and Kashmir and the police are asking about it here, the Congress chief said. "This is an attempt to target and harass. They want to weaken us by intimidation, but we will not get scared or be weakened," Kharge said. A

What explains the Congress-BJP fracas over Rahul Gandhi?

One has to understand that shutting up and sitting at home is no longer an option for the Congress. It is engaged in a battle for survival

We will defeat BJP on all 80 seats: Akhilesh Yadav on 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be "defeated" on all 80 seats in the state of Uttar Pradesh in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls

Paradise regained: J&K puts in elbow grease to get Srinagar ready for G20

The government notified a new policy for the industrial development of the region in 2021

Congress is essential to any meaningful opposition in 2024: Jairam Ramesh

No Opposition front to take on the BJP is possible without the Congress and if a coalition is formed for the 2024 general elections, the party will have a central role in it, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said. In an interview with PTI, Ramesh, however, said it was too early to talk about all this right now as the Congress' first priority was the upcoming elections in Karnataka and the string of state polls this year. Ramesh's remarks come after both Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Uttar Pradesh's Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party (SP) saying the two parties would stay away from both the Congress and the BJP, and indicating possible talks with other regional players ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Asked whether the TMC and SP's actions could jolt Opposition unity, Ramesh said, "The TMC, Samajwadi, people keep meeting, the Third Front, Fourth Front will continue to be formed, but it is necessary to have the Congress in the Opposition." "If an ...

Having attained national party status, AAP to go full throttle for 2024

After turning into a national party, the Aam Aadmi Party has now started preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. While on the one hand, the party is working to form new organisational structures

Women at centre of country's development vision: Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla Saturday highlighted the increasing role of women in elected bodies while noting that 115 of them are currently Members of Parliament as against only 15 women in the Constituent Assembly which had a strength of 389 at the time of Independence. Addressing female students at Daulat Ram College here, Birla said women are now playing a leading role in different sectors and added that over 14 lakhs of them are members of elected bodies across the country, leading its social and economic transformation, according to a statement from his office. The country is now moving forward with the vision of women-centric development, he said, asserting that only education can ensure their social independence. From flying fighter planes to deployment at borders and in para-military forces, women are on the frontline of every field, Birla said. They are triggering a massive social change by running self-help groups in huge numbers, the Lok Sabha speaker said. It is often s

Govt bats for simultaneous polls; cites savings for public exchequer

The government on Friday batted for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies, saying it would result in huge saving to the public exchequer, as it listed out "imperatives" such as amending the Constitution and bringing all political parties on board before carrying out the gigantic exercise. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said a parliamentary panel had examined the issue of simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies in consultation with various stakeholders, including the Election Commission. The Committee made certain recommendations in this regard. "The matter now stands referred to the Law Commission for further examination to work out a practicable road map and framework for simultaneous elections ...," Rijiju said. Simultaneous elections, he noted, would result in huge savings to the public exchequer and avoid replication of effort on part of administrative and law and order machinery in holding ...

Lok Sabha adjourned for day due to protests over Rahul's remarks in UK

Lok Sabha proceedings were again adjourned for the day on Friday due to slogan shouting by the opposition and protests by the ruling party members over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "democracy-under-attack" remarks made in London recently. This was for the fifth consecutive day that the House did not function ever since the second half of the budget session began on March 13. As soon as the Lok Sabha assembled for the day, some Congress members trooped to the Well of the House shouting slogans and demanded that Gandhi be allowed to speak in the House. They also demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into alleged stock manipulation by the Adani Group, a business conglomerate headed by industrialist Gautam Adani. The members of the treasury benches also raised counter-slogans from their seats, demanding an apology from Gandhi for his remarks. The turmoil continued for about 20 minutes, with Speaker Om Birla urging the members to allow the House to function ...

Parliament adjourned till March 20 amid protests by treasury benches, oppn

Parliament was adjourned for the day on Friday amid continued protests by both treasury benches and opposition members over Rahul Gandhi's remarks and Adani issue

Cong's Tewari gives adjournment notice in LS to discuss Freedom of Speech

Congress MP Manish Tewari gave an adjournment notice in Lok Sabha to have a discussion on the essence, substance and spirit of Freedom of Speech accorded to Members of Parliament

Told Lok Sabha Speaker I have right to respond in Parliament: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said he has told Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that four ministers have made allegations against him and he has the right to respond to that in Parliament. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Gandhi said he is hopeful though not very sure that he would be allowed to speak in Parliament on Friday. "As an MP my first responsibility is to reply in Parliament, only after that I can explain in detail before you," he told reporters. The former Congress chief said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is yet to reply to moot questions he asked in his last Parliament speech about the Adani Group. Earlier in the day, Gandhi arrived in Parliament House after his return from abroad and met Birla urging him to allow him to speak in Lok Sabha. Gandhi's remarks during his recent trip to the UK have rocked Parliament, with both houses failing to transact any significant business on the first four days of the Budget session's second half. Dur

LS adjourned till Friday amid noisy protests by treasury benches, oppn

As soon as the Lok Sabha convened, treasury benches started shouting slogans on seeing Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who was present in the House

Only BJP members allowed to speak in Parliament, says TMC MP Mahua Moitra

In a tweet on Thursday, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said that Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla was allowing 'only BJP' ministers to speak in the parliament

RS, LS adjourned till 2 pm amid noisy protests by Opposition members

Parliament was adjourned till 2 p.m. on Thursday amid ruckus by the treasury and opposition members in both Houses