Parliament session Day 4: From heated discussion on atrocities on Dalits to NIT bill's passage

Amidst the stormy discussions over derogatory remarks on the BSP chief Mayawati, Kashmir unrest and recent incidents of atrocities on Dalits in various parts of the country, the day four of Parliament’s Monsoon Session saw the passage of National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Lok Sabha on Thursday. Key issues discussed in Lok Sabha:  - Kashmir unrest and Pakistan’s role in it Pakistan played a “key role” in fomenting the recent trouble in Kashmir and it was sponsoring terrorism in India, Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Observing that the situation in the Valley was “normalising” gradually, he singled out Pakistan for fomenting trouble there, saying it had played a “key role” in fuelling tension and that terrorism in India was sponsored by it. Referring to the ‘black day’ observed by Pakistan on the killing a Hizbul Mujahedin terrorist in Kashmir, he said it has no right to interfere in India’s internal matters, but it was doing so to deflect attention from its failures as the people there were fighting along sectarian lines. [caption id=“attachment_2907556” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] PTI[/caption] “If there is terrorism in India, then it is Pakistan sponsored,” the Home Minister said. He also announced in Lok Sabha that an expert committee will be set up to recommend alternatives to pellet guns, a non-lethal weapon blamed for causing fatal injuries and blindness among protestors in Kashmir. Replying to a discussion on the Kashmir unrest, Singh said the committee will submit its report in two months. He also rejected apprehensions of some members that terrorism was on rise in the valley as he reeled out figures to suggest that it had gone down with the security forces eliminating more militants. - Quality of rural roads constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna A question during the Question Hour on the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) this morning virtually turned into a full debate with several members venting their ire on the failure of district administrations in taking them along while deciding on new projects under the scheme. Members from BJP, its ally Akali Dal, Congress, Left parties and AAP were seen raising the issue vociferously from their respective seats. They included Harish Meena (BJP), P Chandumajra (SAD), Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Cong), Dharamvir Gandhi (AAP) and Badaruddoza Khan (CPM). This prompted Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to say that there was a need to check the “gaps”. She said while orders from the Centre are clear, often the meetings of vigilance committees headed by MPs are not held. She said such meetings should ideally take place every three months and MPs should use it as a “weapon” to get things done and ensure promptness and quality. - River-linking projects  The ambitious river-linking projects will be implemented only in those states which favoured it while those opposed would be left out, Government said in Lok Sabha on Thursday. Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said that “Tamil Nadu has always cooperated to the project but Kerala opposed to it due to certain concerns. The Prime Minister has made it clear that we should discuss the project only with those states which have given consent to it. “We would not force any state unless and until it (the state) gives its consent. Till the time Kerala comes on board,  there will be no discussion with the state on the river-linking project,” she said during Question Hour. Bharti’s statement came when the House saw noisy exchanges between AIADMK members, who favoured river-linking projects, and Kerala MPs who are opposed to it. - Amendment of electoral laws An Election Commission proposal to amend electoral laws to empower it to either postpone or countermand polls if evidence emerge of use of money to influence voters is under examination of the government, the Lok Sabha was informed. Against the backdrop of allegation that parties were doling out cash and gifts to woo the electorate, the Commission had on June 6 asked the government to insert a new clause ‘58B’ in the Representation of the People Act to allow “adjournment of poll or countermanding of election on the ground of bribery.” “The proposal is under examination of the government,” Minister of State for Law PP Chaudhary said in a written reply. - ‘Office of profit not defined in any law’ Against the backdrop of 21 AAP MLAs facing the prospect of disqualification for holding the post of parliamentary secretaries in the Delhi government, the Centre today said that the expression ‘office of profit’ has not been defined in “any law”. The government also made it clear that taking steps for disqualifying the legislators working as parliamentary secretaries is a state subject and the central government has no role in it. Responding to a question on whether the posts of parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the country comes under the ambit of office of profit and steps being taken to disqualify such legislators, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha that there are no posts of parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the Union of India. - Derecognition of Aam Aadmi Party BJP and Congress joined hands to demand derecognition of Aam Aadmi Party by the Election Commission over using the image of the Golden Temple on its youth manifesto and the recent case of suicide of by its woman activist over an alleged case of sexual exploitation. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi referred to the suicide case in Delhi and said the case filed earlier by the victim relating to outraging of modesty by an AAP activist should now be treated as abetment to suicide and action taken against top AAP leaders including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.  She also demanded derecognition of AAP by the EC. - Proposal for driving licence for gearless scooter after 16 There is a proposal to allow licence for driving gearless scooters after 16 years of age,  Parliament was informed. A group of ministers has recommended a number of suggestions, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan told Lok Sabha in a written reply. - Strengthening public transport A slew of steps are under way to improve public transport in the country that include a scheme to provide assistance to states to augment fleet, Parliament was informed. “The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has introduced a scheme for providing central assistance to the states / UTs / State Road Transport Undertakings for strengthening public transport system,” Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.   Key issues discussed in Rajya Sabha:  - Dalit protests in Gujarat Terming the flogging of Dalit youths in Gujarat as “a stigma on mankind,” Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday assured expeditious inquiry into the incident and said the probe has been handed over to the CID crime branch of the state police. Replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the incidents of atrocities on Dalits in different parts of the country, Singh also strongly condemned derogatory remarks against Mayawati by a now-suspended member of his BJP and said he had felt “ashamed” about the remarks. “We should be concerned about verbal violence as it also hurts,” Singh said. He said the incident of atrocity against Dalits was unfortunate and said 16 persons have been arrested while four police officials have been suspended. The minister also talked about the crisis of credibility concerning politicians, saying that all political parties should take it up as a challenge. Referring to crime statistics about Gujarat mentioned by opposition members in the house earlier, Singh cited crime data to show that there had been more such incidents in opposition-ruled states.  Several members participated in the debate. - Atrocities on the Dalit community BSP chief Mayawati was unrelenting on BJP over the attack on her by Uttar Pradesh leader Dayashankar Singh, saying his sacking was not enough and the party itself should have filed an FIR against him. She alleged in Rajya Sabha that atrocities on Dalits are on the rise in BJP-ruled states in the name of cow protection and the centre should call an all-party meeting to find a solution to this issue. Referring to the incident of atrocity on Dalits in Gujarat, she said the state government, instead of CID probe, should set up a separate team to conduct the inquiry in fast track mode. Expressing concern that suggestions emanating from the debates on Dalits are not implemented, the BSP chief said there has been a disturbing trend that atrocities on Dalits occur during the period of Parliament session. “The matter is discussed. Leaders give suggestions. In reality, nothing happens, just lip service is done.” Referring to the recent thrashing of Dalits by a cow protection group in Una in Gujarat, Mayawati said: “It is happening in BJP-ruled states on a large scale. Earlier it was against Muslims and that has stopped. Now, they are targeting Dalits.” She accused BJP-ruled Gujarat government of being a “mute spectator” and trying to suppress” the issue and urged the Centre to speak to the state government to address the matter at the earliest. “My demand is please talk to the state government to give justice. Although you have sent Chief Minister to visit the place, that is not enough,” the BSP leader said. She demanded that the “negligent” police officers should be brought to book so that such cases are not repeated. - India to launch satellite jointly developed with the US in 2021 The Indian space agency and US Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are jointly working on the development of Dual Frequency (L&S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Imaging Satellite named as Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (Nisar), slated to be completed and launched by 2021, parliament was told on Thursday. The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will be responsible for design and development of S-band SAR, Spacecraft Bus, data transmission system, spacecraft integration and testing, launch using heavy rocket geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) and on-orbit operations, Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, who also holds charge of the Space Department, told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. - Rajya Sabha ‘poll rigging’ The Congress on Thursday raised the issue of alleged rigging of Rajya Sabha biennial polls in Haryana, and demanded a CBI probe. The issue was raised in the upper house by Congress member from Haryana Shadi Lal Batra. - Rising prices of pulses and vegetables Taking a jibe at BJP for rising prices, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said when the ruling party will go to seek votes, it will face the ire of housewives as the prices of pulses and vegetables have skyrocketed. “BJP had said it will bring ‘achche din’ (good days), but now people are saying bring back our ‘bure din’ (bad days),” Tiwari said while raising the issue of price rise during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha. He said while industrial growth has remained flat, inflation has risen to 5.77 percent and exports are declining. As per latest government data, retail inflation inched up to a 22-month high of 5.77 percent in June on increase in food prices including cereals and vegetables. - Attacks on African nationals Recent attacks on African nationals were neither racial nor premeditated acts against a particular community but spontaneous criminal attacks by anti-social elements, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed the Rajya Sabha. To ensure the safety of Africans and avoid repetition of such instances, the government is trying to accommodate in campus hostels the African students who are studying in India on scholarships since such attacks have taken place outside campuses, she added. To help prevent the recurrence of any such attacks, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh will hold meetings with African community in major metropolitan cities where they reside and he will be accompanied by Secretary (Ecnomic Relations) and police commissioners of these cities. “A sensitisation campaign is also being carried out,” she said, adding, “I have written to seven states which have more presence of African nationals to do sensitisation on pattern of that done in Delhi to avoid recurrence of such incidents.” - India’s NSG bid India’s membership continues to be under consideration of the NSG and the government was engaging with all members of the 48-nation grouping for an early decision on country’s application, Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh said. Noting that the recent Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Plenary meeting in Seoul (June 23-24) concluded without a  decision on India’s membership, Singh said the broad sentiment within the NSG was to take this matter forward. At the Plenary, China, and some other countries had opposed entry of an non-NPT signatory into NSG. Replying to a written question in Rajya Sabha, the minister also said that engagement was stepped up with China before the Seoul NSG Plenary. “India’s membership continues to be under consideration of the NSG. The merits of India’s candidature have been recognised by a majority of the NSG members, including informal bilateral Joint Statements. It is for the NSG to judge the merits of other candidates,” Singh said. - Abolition of NEET exam Ahead of the second phase of NEET exam, AIADMK members in Rajya Sabha demanded an abolition of such an entrance test for admission to medical and dental colleges in the country. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test-II (NEET-II) for medical and dental courses on 24 July in compliance with the Supreme Court orders on the NEET and the Ordinance promulgated by the government. - AAP leader Bhagwant Mann’s video act Aam Aadmi Party lawmaker Bhagwant Mann filmed a video entering Parliament by crossing several security layers and posted it on social media, inviting attack from MPs across party line, who termed his act as a security breach. In the video, which went viral, Mann was seen showing entry gate through which MPs enter Parliament House and saying how strong is the security. “The car is registered with the Lok Sabha. It has a sensor, which has the vehicle details. As soon as so you come near the gate, the sensor identifies the car and announces the name and number of the car,” Mann says in the video with him crossing several layers of the security. Justifying the act, Mann said he intended to show people how does the Zero Hour questions are submitted and MPs wanting to raise their issues chosen through a lucky draw. In Parliament House, while Mann is explaining how the process works, he is also requested by a staff not to film anything. “Has my video put the Parliament in danger? How is this illegal? I will again make a video and put it. Let the notice come,” a defiant Mann said in response to reporters query whether his act was a security breach or not. The MPs also demanded that the matter be investigated. Terming the act as “improper”, former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee hoped that the Speaker will take a timely and appropriate step in this regard. JD(U) MP KC Tyagi said he was surprised and scared as the video exposed loopholes of the security. Key legislations passed: - Even as the Rajya Sabha session continued in its 6-hour, the discussion on the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill (CAMPA) was postponed to Monday 25 July. -  The National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was passed by Lok Sabha. With inputs from agencies