Former Union minister E Ahamed collapses during President's address, hospitalised

Indian Union Muslim League MP and former Union minister E Ahamed collapsed during President Pranab Mukherjee’s address to the joint session of Parliament on Tuesday. Ahamed was immediately rushed to hospital, reported ANI. 78-year-old Ahamed, who is the president of Indian Union Muslim League, had complained of uneasiness and breathlessness, sources said.

The Parliament staff tried to give him first aid but as his pain continued, he was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, PTI reported.

Member of Parliament E Ahamed taken to hospital after he got severely ill

— ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2017

Member of Parliament E Ahamed taken to hospital after he got severely ill

— ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2017

E Ahemad has been a seven-time member of parliament, first elected in 1991. Currently, he is representing the Mallappuram Lok Sabha constituency. He served as the Minister of State for External Affairs and Human Resources and Development under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Tuesday is the first day of the Budget Session. The President inaugurated the session by addressing a joint session of both houses of the parliament. The Union Budget will be presented on Wednesday.

In his address, President Pranab Mukherjee favoured a constructive debate on simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assemblies and funding of polls to eradicate money power.

The Government, he said, is also committed to combating terrorism and to ensure that perpetrators of such acts are brought to justice.

In his address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament marking the opening of the Budget session, Mukherjee referred to the government’s demonetisation decision to fight blackmoney and corruption as also the surgical strikes across the LoC as bold decisions, both of which were received with thumping of desks by members.

“Frequent elections put on hold development programmes, disrupt normal public life and impact essential services and burden human resource with prolonged period of election duty.

“My government welcomes a constructive debate on simultaneous conduct of elections to Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. Funding of elections to eradicate misuse of money power also needs to be debated,” he said.

In the speech, which is the Government’s narrative on what it had done during the year and what it plans to do in the new financial year, the President said Government would welcome any decision taken by Election Commission in this regard after consultations.

With inputs from PTI