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S. Africa’s Parliament calls for pressure on Israel

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.(Photo: twitter.com/PresidencyZA)

Calling the ICJ verdict “a significant human rights victory,” the parliament said “the ruling vindicates South Africa’s position on an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in Gaza”…reports Asian Lite News

The South African parliament welcomed the “landmark ruling” of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the country’s genocide case against Israel, calling on the international community to apply pressure on Israel to comply with the order. According to a statement issued by the parliament on Friday evening, the ICJ has determined that Israel’s actions in Gaza are “plausibly genocidal” and has indicated provisional measures on that basis. Calling it “a significant human rights victory,” the parliament said “the ruling vindicates South Africa’s position on an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in Gaza.”

In the statement, the South African parliament called on Israel to respect the binding measures and to cease all plausibly genocidal acts in Gaza and against the Palestinian people. “There is now no credible basis for Israel and its supporters’ indiscriminate military actions in the name of self-defense. The ruling is a clear demonstration of Israel’s non-compliance with international law, including the Genocide Convention,” said the parliament. Therefore, it noted, the ruling compels Israel to stop immediately all hostilities in Gaza and allow more UN humanitarian aid. “Considering the measures ordered by the court, we call on governments, parliaments, and the international community to respond by applying pressure on Israel to comply with the order,” it added. The parliament also called on the United Nations Security Council, upon formal notification of the ICJ’s order and pursuant to its statute, to ensure swift action as “no government or state is above the law.” On Dec. 29, 2023, South Africa filed an application to the ICJ for proceedings against Israel, concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide related to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The order is binding on Israel, and must be respected by all states that are party to the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, he said, adding that South Africa expects Israel, as a self-proclaimed democracy and a state that respects the rule of law, to abide by the measures handed down by the ICJ. “As South Africa, we thank all in the international community who have supported our application, including a number of countries who have declared their intention to be part of our application,” he said. “It is our earnest hope and wish that this court order paves the way for an end to this crisis, for an end to the terrible loss of life and hardship, and for the crucial first steps to be taken towards reconciliation and a just, lasting peace,” said Ramaphosa. South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation on Friday also welcomed the ICJ’s order, saying the ruling marks a decisive victory for the international rule of law and a significant milestone in the search for justice for the Palestinian people.

On December 29, 2023, South Africa filed an application to the ICJ for proceedings against Israel, concerning alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide related to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The decision “gives the clear message that in order to do all the things that they are asking for, you need a ceasefire for it to happen”, said Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN. Algeria, the Arab representative on the council, requested the meeting late on Friday after a closed-door discussion of the UN’s 22-member Arab group. “So fasten your seat belts,” Mansour said, hinting that the Arab group would push for a halt in the fighting. The UNSC, long divided on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, has only agreed to two resolutions since the October 7 Hamas attacks that led to Israel’s massive offensive on the Gaza Strip. In December, it demanded aid deliveries “at scale” to Gaza’s besieged population, while Israel’s ally, the United States, has kept out calls for a ceasefire despite international pressure. Hamas’s October 7 attacks killed about 1,140 people in Israel, according to authorities. Palestinian fighters also seized about 250 people and Israel says 132 of them remain in Gaza, including the bodies of at least 28 of them. XXX UN chief hopes Israel will ‘duly comply’ XXX Meanwhile, The UN Chief Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that he hopes Israel will “duly comply” with the ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), ordering it to take action to prevent acts of genocide being carried out in war-torn Gaza, the media reported. Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary General, told reporters in New York that Guterres had taken note of the orders from the UN’s top court, which made the ruling as part of a genocide case brought by South Africa, CNN reported. In the statement, Guterres reiterated the legally binding nature of ICJ decisions, adding that he trusts “that all parties will duly comply with the Order from the Court”.

The UN Chief has repeatedly called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, expressing deep concern about the “unprecedented” number of civilian casualties and the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation in the enclave, CNN reported. In a rebuke of Israel, the ICJ on Friday said Israel must “take all measures” to limit the death and destruction caused by its campaign in Gaza but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire. The ICJ’s decisions are binding and cannot be appealed, but it has no way of enforcing them, CNN reported. Israel previously indicated it would not abide by the ruling.

ALSO READ-  South Africa Seeks Israel’s Adherence to ICJ Ruling

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India suspends close to 100 MPs from Parliament

Congress Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal said that now Parliament is for the suspension of the opposition MPs, not for debate and discussion.”…reports Asian Lite News

In a major escalation of tensions between the Opposition and the BJP-led government at the Centre, 78 MPs were suspended from both Houses of Parliament on Monday, taking the total number of suspended MPs in this session to 92 after which Opposition leaders termed it a “murder of democracy.”

The reason behind the suspension of Opposition MPs for the rest of the Winter Session was cited as “misconduct” and failure to adhere to the directions of the Chair.

But 92 MPs from the Parliament were suspended following a ruckus over the demand by the Opposition of a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah on Parliament security breach incident.

When the Lok Sabha resumed proceedings in the afternoon, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion to suspend 30 opposition MPs for “misconduct” and “utter disregard” to the chair. Three other Congress MPs’ suspension has been referred to the Privileges Committee.

In addition, the duration of suspension of three other MPs from the Congress – K. Jayakumar, Abdul Khaleque, and Vijay Vasanth – will be determined by the Privileges Committee.

Meanwhile, of the 45 suspended MPs, 34 have been suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session, which concludes on December 22, while 11 have been suspended until the reports of the Rajya Sabha’s Committee of Privileges are received.

In the Rajya Sabha leader of the house Piyush Goyal moved a motion to suspend 34 members of the opposition for “misconduct” and “continuously shouting slogans and even entered the well of the house during the course of the day thereby violating the rules of the house.”

In addition, eleven other MPs’ suspension was referred to the Privileges Committee by Goyal to determine the duration of their suspension.

Including TMC’s Derek O’Brien on December 14, a total of 46 MPs have now been suspended from the Rajya Sabha.

Following the suspensions on Monday, opposition MPs have lashed out at the Modi government for being “autocratic.”

Rajya Sabha MP and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that “democratic norms are being thrown into the dustbin by an autocratic Modi government by suspending 47 MPs.”

“With an Opposition-Less Parliament, the Modi government can now bulldoze important pending legislations, crush any dissent, without any debate.” he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He added that the opposition’s demands include a statement from Shah on the security breach and a discussion in both houses.

Moreover, Congress leader Salman Khurshid said that this is adverse to Parliamentary democracy.

“It is wrong. This is not democracy. This is adverse to Parliamentary democracy,” he added.

Congress MP Randeep Surjewala said that in the 75 years, perhaps this is the saddest day for Parliamentary democracy.

“In 75 years, perhaps this is the saddest day for Parliamentary democracy. What are the MPs and Opposition of the country saying? We are only demanding that the Union Home Minister should give a statement on the security breach…Stifling the voices of MPs and weakening the entire Opposition, by making it an Opposition-free Parliament – is this democratic?…The suspension of MPs shows the arrogance of Modi Government, it shows that it neither trusts Parliamentary decorum nor the Constitution or democracy of the country,” Surjewala said.

On suspension of Opposition MPs, TMC MP Satabdi Roy said, “It is obvious that 43 MPs have been suspended to protect one MP. This has never happened before…We will be outside the House from tomorrow…Let’s see what further step is taken.”

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan said that BJP government wants the House to function without opposition.

“BJP government wants the House to function without opposition. They want no opposition MP to be present to ask questions and point out their mistakes…Their only aim is to run the government like Hitler,” Ranjan said.

Moreover, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhya said that BJP wants to suppress the Opposition in Parliamentary democracy.

“BJP wants to suppress the Opposition in Parliamentary democracy. They are trying to gag the voice of the Opposition. We will discuss the matter, there is INDIA Alliance meeting tomorrow…All allies of INDIA Alliance will get closer to each other after this incident,” Bandyopadhya added.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal said that now Parliament is for the suspension of the opposition MPs, not for debate and discussion.”

“The House is functioning with only one purpose that is to suppress the entire voice of the opposition and to suspend maximum people, those who are raising the issues of the people and security…Now Parliament is for the suspension of the opposition MPs, not for debate and discussion,” Venugopal said.

“We take it as a badge of honour to be suspended from Parliament at the hands of a fascist regime. After 47 Lok Sabha MPs, the BJP has also suspended Rajya Sabha MPs to suspend a wholesale 92 opposition leaders. Why stop at 92? Why don’t you score a century in style? The people of India are watching, Mr. Modi. When you silence them in this brutal fashion, they will make their voice heard when it counts. If you silence us in Parliament, we will make every street echo in protest. That is our firm resolve,” he posted on X.

Congress Lok Sabha Chief Whip K Suresh said that we demanded the revoking of the suspension of Lok Sabha MPs.

“We demanded for Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in Lok Sabha. The recent incidents in Lok Sabha are a very serious issue…It is a national security issue. That’s why the Home Minister should come to Lok Sabha and make a statement. But the Government is not ready to do that…We also demanded the revoking of the suspension of Lok Sabha MPs…It was a BJP MP who issued the pass and that pass brought the two youngsters to the gallery…This is a serious security lapse…They are going to suspend all Opposition leaders…They don’t want Opposition Members in Lok Sabha…Without Opposition MPs, they have to pass very important legislations…That is why, they are doing this,” Suresh said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that such tyranny is not acceptable to the country.

“Such tyranny won’t work. It is not acceptable to the country. They received this mandate on the trust of the people. They received the mandate because they had considered national security an important issue. But the most secure building is being attacked today. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Minister speaks on it. If we demand your statement, you suspended us from the House – this is not acceptable to anyone. We will continue to fight for this…If we are being suspended because we are demanding (statement), then this is a badge of honour for us,” Chaturvedi said.

DMK MP TR Baalu said that the House has to be run peacefully but it depends on the behaviour of the ruling party.

“Today 33 Lok Sabha MPs have been suspended…The House has to be run peacefully but it depends on the behaviour of the ruling party. Nothing like this has happened in the history of the Indian Parliament. The government’s response is very poor,” Baalu said.

Accusing the Congress and its allies of “embarrassing” the country with their conduct, Goyal told reporters that opposition members brought placards and willfully disrupted parliamentary proceedings despite the decision taken earlier that placards would not be allowed in the Houses. (ANI)

ALSO READ-Attack Inside Parliament Intended to Affect 2024 Verdict

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No passes for visitors’ gallery till further orders

New Delhi, Dec 13 (ANI): A video grab taken from the India TV channel shows an unidentified man jumping from the visitor's gallery of Lok Sabha, causing a scene using a colour smoke in the House during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi on Wednesday. (ANI Photo/India TV)

In a security breach in Lok Sabha, two men jumped into the House from the visitors’ gallery and had canisters in their hand, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said…reports Asian Lite News

After the security of Parliament was breached, the Secretary General of Lok Sabha has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs over a review of security and decision has been taken that no passes will be issued for the visitors’ gallery till further orders, Sources said.

Earlier, Lok Sabh Speaker Om Birla met with leaders of political parties over the security breach incident, and he agreed with the Opposition leaders raising concerns related to security, assuring that security would be reviewed.

According to sources, the Secretary General of Lok Sabha has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs over a review of security.

No passes will be issued for the public gallery till further orders. Speaker Om Birla has also taken charge of the matter related to issuing passes to personal assistants of MPs, sources added.

On the 22nd anniversary of the Parliament terror attack, there was a major security breach when two intruders entered the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitor gallery during Zero Hour.

In a security breach in Lok Sabha, two men jumped into the House from the visitors’ gallery and had canisters in their hand, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said.

They released yellow gas from canisters and shouted slogans before being overpowered by MPs.

Visuals showed an unidentified man jumping from the visitor’s gallery of Lok Sabha after which there was a slight commotion. The House was adjourned till 2 pm.

The incident happened when members were raising matters of urgent public importance and BJP MP Khagen Murmu was raising his issue.

Simultaneously, two individuals, including a woman, sprayed colored gas and shouted slogans outside the Parliament premises.

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that two men jumped into the House from the visitor’s gallery and had canisters in their hands. (ANI)

ALSO READ-No passes for visitors’ gallery till further orders

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Two bills passed on first day of winter session

New Delhi, Dec 04 (ANI): Proceedings of the Rajya Sabha underway on the first day of the Winter Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on Monday. (ANI Photo/Sansad TV)

The bill was passed by a voice vote after a reply by the Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw…reports Asian Lite News

The first day of the Winter Session of Parliament saw two bills being passed with the Rajya Sabha also deciding to discontinue suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha.

The Standing committee reports on ‘The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023’, ‘The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023’, and ‘The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023’ were tabled in the two Houses. The reports were submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on November 10 by Brij Lal, MP and Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The three bills are on the agenda of the government for passage in the winter session of Parliament.

The report of Ethics Committee, which looked into cash-for-query allegations Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, was not tabled in the Lok Sabha though it was in the listed agenda.

Rajya Sabha passed the Bill to repeal the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 and to consolidate and amend the law relating to the post offices in India.

The opposition members raised questions over some provisions of the bill and asked if the government wanted to create a “surveillance state”.

The government rejected the apprehensions of the members. Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan said provisions have been made for reasons of national security and there were similar provisions in the previous version of the Post Office Bill too.

“The government has a right to keep track of illegal substances like narcotics being transported through postal networks and this is in the public interest,” Chauhan said.

The Bill states that the Central Government may, by notification, empower any officer to intercept, open or detain “any item in the interest of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, emergency, or public safety or upon the occurrence of any contravention of any of the provisions of any law for the time being in force”.

The bill was passed by a voice vote after a reply by the Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The bill provides that Post Office shall provide such services as the Central Government may by rules prescribe and the Director General of Postal Services shall make regulations in respect of activities necessary to provide those services and fix the charges for such services.

The bill provides India Post will not incur any liability with regards to its services, except any liability prescribed through rules.

Participating in the debate, opposition members said the bill provides that the government can open any parcel.

YSRCP’s V Vijayasai Reddy supported the Bill and said it is a step towards three pillars of good postal service, reliability, reach, and relevance.

Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi raised surveillance concerns “under the garb of reforms”.

The MP said that clauses 9 and 10 of the Post Office Bill can lead to surveillance and authorities responsible will not be held liable once this Bill is passed.

Chaturvedi also mentioned that she wrote a letter to the government about messages received by some Opposition members about possible hacking.

CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar said he was grateful to the Communications Minister for retaining the name of the Bill in English so that it is “understandable to each and every Indian”.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha alleged that the Post Office Bill has “Big Brother syndrome”.

“The legislation betrays a ‘Big Brother’ syndrome that plagues the government as it will give the government unchecked power to open, read, detain and intercept mail and take whatever action they like, without due limitations embedded in the law. The grounds to open and intercept mail are vague and the Bill fails to specify procedures for allowing such interception,” Chadha said.

He also raised the issue of the recent iPhone hacking alerts and called for an investigation by a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the attack.

Lok Sabha passed the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which is in line with the government’s policy of repealing all obsolete laws or pre-independence Acts which have lost their utility.

The Government in consultation with the Bar Council of India has decided to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879. It has decided to amend the Advocates Act, 1961 by incorporating the provisions of section 36 of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879 in the Advocates Act, 1961 so as to reduce the number of superfluous enactments in the statute book.

Replying to the debate on the Bill, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the bill would also help to regulate the legal profession by a single Act, the Advocates Act, 1961.

Rajya Sabha on Monday decided to discontinue suspension of Raghav Chadha holding him “guilty of breach of privilege” but noting that the suspension suffered by him so far be taken as sufficient punishment.

The motion for discontinuing the suspension of Raghav Chadha, on the first day of the winter session of Parliament, was moved by BJP member GVL Narasimha Rao after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to do so.

Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11, during the Monsoon session.

The report was presented in the House by CPI-M member Elamaram Kareem.

The Chairman said the committee after “deep and thoughtful consideration” has found Raghav Chadha guilty of both the charges levelled against him.

“Charge one (is) that he intentionally and deliberately presented misleading facts to the media, misinterpreted proceedings of the council, resulting in affront to the authority of Chairman Rajya Sabha and engaged in outrageous defiance of the resolutions of the house and directives of the honourable chairman of the Rajya Sabha,” Dhankhar said. (ANI)

ALSO READ-18 crucial Bills listed for winter session  

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Winter session of Parliament to be held from Dec 4

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a post on X that the session will have 15 sittings spread over 19 days…reports Asian Lite News

The winter session of Parliament will be held next month from December 4 to 22. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in a post on X that the session will have 15 sittings spread over 19 days.

“Winter Session, 2023 of Parliament will commence from 4th December and continue till 22nd December having 15 sittings spread over 19 days. Amid Amrit Kaal looking forward to discussions on Legislative Business and other items during the session,” he said.

The session will be held a day after the declaration of results of assembly polls in five states – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Telangana.

The outcome of the polls is expected to have resonance in the session.

While the government will seek to push its legislative agenda, opposition parties are likely to press for discussion on issues of concern for them.

Several important Bills are likely to be taken up for consideration and passage during the Winter Session, including three legislations seeking to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Evidence Act, and the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as a Bill related to the appointment of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.

Another item on the agenda will be the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee’s report on the “cash-for-query” allegations against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, recommending her expulsion from the Lok Sabha. In order for the expulsion to come into effect, the House must adopt the panel’s report.

This will also be the first full session to be held in the new Parliament building. A five-day Special Session had been held in September, during which the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had ceremonially moved their sittings to the new building.

The historic Women’s Reservation Bill was the first legislation to be passed in the new Parliament building. It seeks to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State assemblies.

The 75-year history of the old Parliament building was also commemorated during the Special Session. That building will now be used as an additional space for parliamentary events, and a part of it will be converted into a museum to preserve the history of the iconic structure.

The Winter session will be concluded before Christmas and will be the last session of the parliament this year.

The BJP-led NDA government called a five-day special session of the Parliament in September. The special session was conducted in the new parliament building, in which the government discussed the 75-year history of the old parliament building, which will be retrofitted to provide additional space for parliamentary events and a part of the old building will be converted into a museum to preserve the history of the iconic structure.

However, the winter session in 2022 – from 7 December to 23 – was the shortest in recent decades, with only 13 sittings. The winter session in 2021 – from 29 November to 22 December – convened for 18 days. In 2019, it was scheduled from 18 November to 13 December, with 20 sittings. The Parliament did not have a winter session in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Earlier, a 5-day-long special session of Parliament was held to enter the new Parliament building from September 18 to 22. The special session witnessed historical moments when the first session in the new  building was organised and the Women’s Reservation Bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) passed. Parliamentarians also took part in the discussion on Parliament’s 75-year journey, starting from the Constituent Assembly that first met on December 9, 1946.

Earlier, the Monsoon Session of 2023 was held from July 20, 2023 to August 11, 2023. Lok Sabha functioned for 43% of its scheduled time and Rajya Sabha functioned for 55%. Twenty-three Bills were passed during this session. This session also saw the discussion on the first no-confidence motion of the 17th Lok Sabha.

his session saw high legislative activity despite Parliament working for just half of its scheduled time. Most Bills were passed with little scrutiny. 56% of Bills introduced in this session were passed by both Houses. On average, a Bill introduced in this session was passed within eight days of introduction.

For example, Bills expanding the discretionary powers of the LG in Delhi, allowing for mining of strategic minerals like lithium, and regulating personal data were passed by Parliament within seven days of introduction. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023 was passed within five days of introduction.

Out of 25 Bills introduced, three have been referred to committees. In this Lok Sabha, so far, 17% Bills have been referred to Committees. This is lower as compared to the last three Lok Sabhas. Of the 23 Bills passed in this session, seven have been examined by Standing Committees.

ALSO READ-Parliamentary Panel to Review 3 Bills to Replace Criminal Laws

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Special Parliamentary Session Marks 75 Years of India’s Parliament

The Parliamentary committee on Privileges will also present its report in both the Houses on Monday…reports Asian Lite News

A discussion on the Parliamentary journey of the past 75 years will be held on Monday on the first day of the special session of Parliament.

“Parliamentary journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha – Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings will be discussed on September 18,” an official Lok Sabha bulletin said.

According to official sources, the special session, which also includes consideration and possible passage of four bills, will continue till September 22 and is likely to be held in the new Parliament building.

The Parliamentary committee on Privileges will also present its report in both the Houses on Monday.

The committee led by BJP MP Sunil Kumar Singh, had recently decided to revoke the suspension of leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury from the Lower House.

Chowdhury was suspended during the Monsoon Session for his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the no-confidence motion debate.

The motion for his suspension was moved by Parliamentary affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi. 

“This House having taken the serious note of the gross, deliberate and repeated misconduct of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in utter disregard to the House and authority of Chair resolves that the matter of his misconduct be referred to Committee of Privileges of the House for the further investigation and report to the House and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury be suspended from the service of the House till the Committee submits its report,” Joshi had said.

Modi to address LS on first day of special session

Prime minister Narendra Modi will address the Lok Sabha at 11 a.m. on the first day of the special session of Parliament Monday, sources informed.

The session will be held in the existing Parliament House, however from September 19 onwards, the session will resume from the new building.

Parliamentary affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that on Monday the special session will begin in the existing Parliament House, while on Tuesday, a photo session will be held in the existing building.

After that, a function will be held in the Central Hall of Parliament and then the session will resume from the new building, Joshi said.

“Once the sittings of the special session begin from the new Parliament building on September 19, they will held there till September 22,” the minister told mediapersons.

A discussion on the 75 years journey of Parliament will be held on Monday.

ALSO READ-RS to discuss Parliamentary journey during special session

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Congress to Attend Special Parliament Session, Sonia to Write Letter to PM

The source said that during the Parliamentary strategy group meeting, the party MPs, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, decided to attend the special session with a positive agenda…reports Asian Lite News

The Congress will be attending the special session of Parliament, and Sonia Gandhi will write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking to know the agenda, and also flagging some pressing issues.

The Congress’ Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday held a meeting with the party’s Parliamentary strategy group. 

A party source said that the Congress will not be boycotting the special session that will begin on September 18 and go on till September 22.

The source said that during the Parliamentary strategy group meeting, the party MPs, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, decided to attend the special session with a positive agenda.

The source also said that Sonia Gandhi will be writing a letter to the Prime Minister in the next few days for the agenda of the special session. 

She will inform the Prime Minister about the Opposition’s demand to discuss a series of issues.

The source said that the plan for Sonia Gandhi to write to PM Modi was even endorsed by all INDIA bloc Parliament floor leaders, who met at the residence of Kharge to discuss the strategy for the five-day special session.

This came after the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) decided in its two meetings that it wants to raise the Adani Group and demand for a JPC, price rise, unemployment, the Manipur situation, economic, political and foreign issues in the session beginning September 18.

Meanwhile, another party source said that at the meeting of the floor leaders at Kharge’s residence on Tuesday night over dinner, the leaders also discussed some attempts by the ministers and government officials to use Bharat instead of India.

On Tuesday, a controversy broke out over a G20 dinner invitation that described Droupadi Murmu as President of Bharat, instead of President of India.

The party source said that the INDIA parties will oppose any move to drop India from the Constitution. 

ALSO READ-PM Modi meets US Congressional delegation

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Parliament readies for launch of 2024 Lok Sabha campaign

The 2024 campaign is about two different paths for India during coming decades. Another term in office is essential for Prime Minister Modi to complete the work he began in 2014, writes Prof. Madhav Das Nalapat

Parliament will witness the start of the campaign by both the ruling as well as opposition parties for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections next week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a hat-trick by securing a BJP majority in the next Lok Sabha, on the lines of the previous two. As for his likely opponent, a lower court found the Congress Party’s de facto Prime Ministerial candidate Rahul Gandhi guilty of criminal defamation and imposed the maximum sentence prescribed for the offence. As a consequence of the judgement, Rahul was disqualified from being an MP.

The Gujarat High Court concurred with the lower court view, only to have the matter stayed by the Supreme Court, thereby ensuring his return to the Lok Sabha. Had Rahul Gandhi used his immense influence over the previous government to consign the colonial-era law relating to criminal defamation to the trashcan, he would not have had to go through the temporary inconvenience of being deprived of his Lok Sabha seat. A criminal defamation law belongs only to a colonised and not a free people. It is to be hoped that it will be removed from the statute books by the present government in the same way as so many other colonial-era laws and regulations have been since PM Modi took over in 2014.

Several of the laws passed in the present Monsoon Session of Parliament have a transformative nature, such as the legislation relating to ease of business. This de-criminalises several business practices that are legal elsewhere but were banned in India. In the US, the second largest democracy in the world, with rare exceptions, financial misdemeanours are punished with fines rather than with imprisonment. As a consequence, the exchequer gains revenue rather than incur the additional cost of yet another person joining the penal population of the country.

In the US, where business is concerned, prison time is given in rare cases of deliberate and substantial fraud, and not otherwise. During his tenure, especially in the second 5-year term, considerable distance has been covered by PM Modi in making India a destination where an official or a business mistake made in good faith is not used as an excuse to prosecute and ruin a person. Should Prime Minister Modi return to his current office after the coming polls, a clearing away of the web of enterprise and initiative stifling (where businesspersons and officials are concerned) laws and regulations is likely to continue. If the BJP were to lose the polls, the policy path that will be taken by the opposition alliance in such a matter is unclear.

The 2020s are an era of decoupling, and not merely from China. As a consequence of ageing populations, large numbers of Japanese, South Korean and Taiwanese SMEs and MSMEs are relocating from their home countries to nearby destinations which are lower cost and have a relative abundance of young and skilled talent. Where India is concerned, it needs to be remembered that some of the ASEAN members are emerging as potent competitors, especially for relocating SMEs and MSMEs, both sectors which are significant job creators. Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia have improved the availability and standard of their educational institutions, thereby providing a sufficient pool of manpower for foreign companies seeking to relocate not just from China but from their own shores.

The opposition parties’ meet in Bengaluru. (Photo IANS)

Ensuring that India is able to out-compete such countries in attracting external investment will need several more reforms, which is why the nature, leadership and composition of the next Union Government will be of overwhelming importance to the fortunes of youth in particular. On the matter of key elements of economic policy, as yet the stand of the I.N.D.I.A coalition is not known, and neither is the likely composition and direction of its government, were the group to emerge the victors in 2024. During the 1950s until the mid-1980s, it was considered the divine right of government to expropriate private property, a tendency still present in the form of numerous efforts by various state governments to seize private properties “for the good of the people” when they lack title to them, nor has the transfer been agreed to by the owners.

Fear of the courts is not a limiting factor in such property grabs, as the legal system is clogged with tens of millions of cases, and the laws so framed that substantial delay is commonplace, except in relatively rare cases of rapid intervention by a High Court or the Supreme Court. Redressal is often delayed for such a long period that often the owners pass away or lose interest in spending more and more time and money fighting cases that have lasted for decades. Justice sans delay is central to attracting investors, and the expectation is that the Supreme Court will put in place measures that have this effect.

PM Modi with BJP President J.P. Nadda, Home Minister Amit Shah during BJP Parliamentary meeting in New Delhi. (Photo Qamar Sibtain IANS)

CONSEQUENTIAL ELECTION

The attitude towards court judgements often has an impact on the popularity of a government. After the courageous Shah Bano got a verdict in her favour in 1985 through the Supreme Court, rather than stand by her, the government of the day passed legislation that nullified the verdict. From that time onwards, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s political fortunes began to slide downhill. The error of believing that a small group of religious exclusivists accurately represents a vibrant community that now numbers close to 200 million has been repeatedly made. In Rajiv Gandhi’s case, several so-called “modern” minds of different faiths convinced him to pass the legislation that he did, rather than side with his own minister, Arif Mohammad Khan, who supported the Shah Bano verdict and urged its implementation.

As the welcoming reaction to recent measures such as the abolition of the practice of Triple Talaq has shown, those who look to the future rather than remain tethered to the past are overwhelmingly in the majority in our country. In the case of the abolition of Article 370, Kashmir has benefitted from a measure that nullified a provision that was implicitly based on the discredited Two Nation theory. Hindus and Muslims are a single nation, Indians together. Equally welcome would be the passage of a Uniform Civil Code that ensures privileges to women that some long-established modes lack would be welcomed by all communities. Mary Roy, the mother of activist Arundhati Roy, fought and won her case relating to inheritance rights for women in the Christian community.

Rather than change the law as happened in the case of Shah Bano, the government accepted the verdict, as did the Christian community. Those who had warned of the verdict’s severe disruption and turmoil within a community that has inter alia set up a large number of educational institutions across India were proved wrong, as would those be who predict a doomsday scenario were a Uniform Civil Code to become the law of the land, just as it is in the US, Europe, and several Muslim-majority countries. The good news in India is that women in particular are making their presence and ability felt in several fields, as are young people. They deserve good governance, they deserve an enabling environment for their brighter futures.

Where the reforms needed for that to happen are concerned, much will depend on which group of parties emerge victorious in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The difference between a continuation of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and an alternative government made up of the 26 coalition partners is likely going to be substantial. The differences between the two cut across the fields of foreign, economic and domestic policy. The 2024 campaign is about two different paths for India during coming decades. Another term in office is essential for Prime Minister Modi to complete the work he began in 2014, the fact that is what makes the coming Lok Sabha election so consequential.

Prime Minister Modi has made central to his campaign issues such as the anti-corruption drive, the refusal (as witnessed at Galwan in 2020) to allow more land grab by the PLA, and showing that “PM Cares” is not just a slogan but a reality in terms of practical policy. Those who have brought forward the No Confidence motion will seek to disprove that such is actually the case. What the people of India will expect to hear during the 8-9 August debate on the motion and the Prime Minister’s reply on 10 August as to what the future that either side is planning for India, and how that future is to be made a reality.

The policies favoured by the two sides and the different futures they result in are what is of concern to the voter. It is important for both sides to show in detail what the difference is, so that an informed choice can be made while voting. What is expected are clarity and completeness in the alternative road maps presented by the two opposing sides for going on the path to the future of India. Such is what the people expect from the leaders speaking on the motion on both sides. More and more voters are becoming aware that the 2024 polls are on track to being the most consequential where their lives are concerned, and that the debate that will take place in Parliament on the motion before it will give a pointer to what is in store if one side or the other wins the 2024 contest for the Lok Sabha.

In the case of the government, the record of Prime Minister Modi is open and substantial. The parties seeking to overthrow the present government need to show what the alternative offered by them is, not in flowery poetic expressions but in real-life prose, and who the individuals are who will carry out the promises made. Thus far, neither has been revealed to the public.

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-Top News Europe

European Parliament adopts new rules to boost energy savings

MEPs insisted that the scheme should in particular cover the public sector, which will have to reduce its final energy consumption by 1.9 per cent each year…reports Asian Lite News

MEPs approved plans, already agreed with the European Council, that set new energy-saving targets for 2030, as part of the European Green Deal.

The law will set energy-saving targets for both primary and final energy consumption in the EU. Parliament adopted the legislation by 471 votes to 147, with 17 abstentions. It will now also have to be endorsed by the Council of Ministers before it can enter into force. Member states will have to collectively ensure a reduction in energy consumption of at least 11.7 per cent at the EU level by 2030 (compared to the projections of the 2020 Reference Scenario). A robust monitoring and enforcement mechanism will accompany this objective to make sure member states deliver on their national contributions to this binding EU target.

By 2030, member states need to save on average 1.5 per cent per year. The annual energy savings will begin at 1.3 per cent in the period until the end of 2025, and will progressively reach 1.9 per cent in the last period up to the end of 2030.

The saving targets should be met through local, regional and national measures, in different sectors, e.g. public administration, buildings, businesses, data centres, etc. MEPs insisted that the scheme should in particular cover the public sector, which will have to reduce its final energy consumption by 1.9 per cent each year.

Member states should also ensure that at least 3 per cent of public buildings are renovated each year into nearly-zero energy buildings or zero-emission buildings. The directive also establishes new requirements for efficient district heating systems. (ANI/WAM)

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-Top News Arab News

Israeli parliament nod for controversial bill

Overnight between Monday and Tuesday, the bill passed the first of three readings required for it to become law…reports Asian Lite News

The Israeli parliament on Tuesday voted early in favour of a controversial bill that limits part of the Supreme Court’s powers, part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned judicial overhaul.

Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary has thrown Israeli society into turmoil and sparked nationwide massive demonstrations ever since it was first announced in January, reports Xinhua news agency.

Overnight between Monday and Tuesday, the bill passed the first of three readings required for it to become law.

All 64 lawmakers of the far-right coalition government voted in favor, while 56 lawmakers voted against.

As the results were announced at the plenum, opposition lawmakers erupted in shouts of “Shame! Shame!”.

Prior to the vote, hundreds of protesters staged rallies outside the Knesset building, while another group managed to enter the building and was subsequently forcibly removed.

The provision was proposed by Netanyahu’s far-right government, which was inaugurated in late December 2022.

If fully passed after an additional two rounds of votes, the provision would prevent the Supreme Court from overturning government decisions based on the grounds of “reasonability”.

It is a key provision in the contentious overhaul, which seeks to diminish the powers of the Supreme Court.

Opponents say that the overhaul will undermine the rule of law, while Netanyahu contends the change is needed to curb the overly activist Supreme Court.

The leaders of the grassroots movement against the overhaul, including prominent legal experts, economists, hi-tech entrepreneurs and former senior security officials, have announced plans for a “Disruption Day” on Tuesday.

As part of the protest, demonstrations are held across the country, and major highways, including those leading to Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport, will be blocked.

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