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Modi seeks opposition’s cooperation in Parliament session

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sought the cooperation of all opposition parties for the smooth conduct of Parliament’s monsoon session, saying that raising of issues by the opposition afforded the government an opportunity to reconsider its position and move forward.

Modi, speaking at an all-party meeting held a day before the start of the monsoon session, said it was the expectations and hope of the people that Parliament should run smoothly and there should be a discussion on various issues.

The monsoon session is slated to end on August 10.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said that the meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere.

He said the Congress and other opposition parties assured that they will cooperate fully in the smooth functioning of the two houses.

Kumar said that Modi, who spoke in the end, told the leaders that if they raised issues in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, it will benefit the country.

“If the house runs, it is a win-win situation for the ruling party, the opposition and the people. When the opposition raises issues, ask questions, and discusses, it provides the government an opportunity to reconsider and move ahead,” Kumar quoted Modi as saying.

He said Modi told the opposition leaders that every effort should be made for the smooth functioning of Parliament.

Kumar said the government was prepared to address all issues raised by the opposition. The government had apprised the opposition leaders of its legislative agenda for the session.

Opposition leaders said that they will raise a number of issues, including mob lynchings, problems of farmers and alleged attempts to curtail reservation for weaker sections in universities.

Swami Agnivesh beaten up in Jharkhand, 20 detained

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Social activist Swami Agnivesh was taken to hospital with injuries on Tuesday after suspected Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists thrashed him at Pakur in Jharkhand while shouting “Jai Shri Ram” slogans.

Police said the 78-year-old saffron robed activist was pounced upon as he stepped out of his hotel to take part in the 195th Damin Mahotsav at Littpara. Pakur is located around 360 km from Ranchi.

“I am against any sort of violence. I am known as a peace-loving person. I don’t know why I was attacked,” a visibly shaken Agnivesh told NDTV.

Agnivesh was flanked by tribals who were holding bows and arrows when the mob attacked him.

Even as he kept asking what they wanted, the attackers thrashed him. Agnivesh fell on the ground but the beating continued. His aides did their best to save him.

“They punched, kicked and dragged me on the ground. They also used cuss words,” he told NDTV.

Agnivesh said there were no policemen around. Local reporters had told him that the BJP youth wing’s workers were outside his hotel to protest against his visit but he was completely taken aback by the violence, he said.

“I offered to hold a dialogue with them. But nobody came to speak to me. I was going to a sammelan (seminar) with my tribal friends when they launched an attack… Without any warning, they pounced on me,” Agnivesh said.

The activist likened the attack to mob lynchings that have been reported in several states in the past one year.

An injured Agnivesh, who was in pain, was later taken to a hospital.

(IANS)

Congress to raise lynching, women’s safety in monsoon session

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The Congress party on Tuesday said it will raise the issues of mob lynching and women’s safety besides many other important matters in Parliament’s monsoon session which begins on Wednesday.

“To make this session a success, we will support the government. We hope we will be allowed to highlight important issues of the country,” senior Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge said at a press conference here.

He said that in Monday’s all-party meeting, it was decided that the opposition would raise some important issues in the session.

“We have come to a conclusion that this government has failed to keep its promises in the last four years,” Kharge said.

Slamming the government over rise in mob lynching cases, the Congress Lok Sabha member said: “Lynching, cow vigilantism and felicitating lynchers has become a norm across the country. We want to discuss this issue during this session.”

He maintained that the Narendra Modi government has failed on every front. It has not been able to fulfil the promises they made in their manifesto like providing employment to the youth and many others, Kharge pointed out.

“We want to know from the government how many jobs were created and how much investments we received (in the last four years.”

Referring to the Thomson Reuters report, the Congress leader said: “After the latest report on woman safety in India, we believe it is an important issue and needs to be discussed.”

“We also want to discuss the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, to strengthen and restore it. The government is trying to abolish reservation in appointments to the vacant faculty positions in the universities. We will be raising this issue as well,” he said.

The opposition parties would also be raising the issue of Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, which received about Rs 745 crore within first five days after demonetisation was executed.

“The Congress as a responsible party wants Parliament to function,” he underlined.

India accounts for 1/5th of global deaths from floods

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India accounts for one-fifth of global deaths due to floods, according to government data that lends perspective to a new World Bank study that says climate change will lower the standards of living of nearly half of the countrys population by 2050.

As many as 107,487 people died due to heavy rains and floods across India over 64 years between 1953 and 2017, according to Central Water Commission data presented to the Rajya Sabha on March 19. Damage to crops, houses and public utilities was reported to be Rs 365,860 crore — or as much as three per cent of the country’s current GDP — the data shows.

“The main reasons of floods have been assessed as high intensity rainfall in short duration, poor or inadequate drainage capacity, unplanned reservoir regulation and failure of flood control structures,” according to a reply to the Rajya Sabha.

With heavy rains sweeping western India, many cities such as Mangaluru, Mumbai and Junagarh have flooded during the 2018 monsoon season. Over 30 people died in floods that inundated 58 villages.

“Temperatures have been rising across the [South Asia] region, and are projected to continue increasing for the next several decades under all plausible climate scenarios,” the World Bank study, published on June 28, said.

These changes will result in more frequent flooding, greater water demand and increased heat-related medical issues.

South Asian cities such as Kolkata, Mumbai, Dhaka and Karachi — that are home to over 50 million people — face a substantial risk of flood-related damage over the next century, the report said.

India is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change. It has increased the frequency of downpours as well as the gaps between rainy days during the monsoon, as IndiaSpend reported earlier.

As India’s climate warms, extreme weather, such as intense rain and floods, is predicted to worsen.

The new World Bank study mentioned above said the worst affected states by 2050 would be Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Seven of the 10 most affected districts will belong to Vidarbha, Maharashtra.

India could see a six-fold increase in population exposed to the risk of severe floods by 2040 — to 25 million people from 3.7 million facing this risk between 1971 and 2004, based on a study published in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed journal.

“India is highly vulnerable to floods,” according to the National Disaster Management Authority, a government body. “Out of the total geographical area of 329 million hectares (mha), more than 40 mha is flood prone.”

Over 1,600 people die every year due to floods, affecting nearly 32 million people. More than 92,000 cattles are lost every year, seven million hectares of land is affected, and damage is over Rs 5,600 crore.

“High losses from floods reflect India’s inadequacy to cope with the current variability in climate, let alone future climate change,” Ashvani Kumar Gosain, professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, told IndiaSpend earlier.

States that are flood-prone include West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.

“Intense rains during the monsoon season cause rivers like Brahmaputra, Ganga and Yamuna to swell their banks, which in turn floods the adjacent areas,” according to this reply to the Lok Sabha on April 4.

There are 226 flood forecasting stations across 20 states, two Union territories and 19 river basins to monitor floods in the country. The government plans to expand the network to 325 stations by March 2020.

Minor widow killed by brother-in-law

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A minor widow has been done to death in the national capital allegedly by her brother-in-law and two others, two months after her husband committed suicide, police said on Tuesday.

After the death of her husband, the 16-year-old had started living with her parents. Two days prior to her killing, she had gone to her maternal grandparents in Badarpur, where the incident took place, according to the police.

On Monday evening, she was found unconscious with stab marks on her body, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Chinmoy Biswal said.

“She was immediately shifted to Apollo Hospital where she was declared dead,” Biswal said.

Her grandparents told the police that the victim’s brother-in-law, Amit, along with two others, came and stabbed the girl with a knife and fled.

Modi has become Dhritrashtra, BJP Duryodhan: Congress

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Accusing the BJP-led Central government of trying to create a divide among Hindus and Muslims ahead of 2019 elections to polarise the society, the Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become blind like Mahabharata character “Dhritarashtra” in his pursuit of power.

The party also compared the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with another Mahabharata character, Duryodhan, and said it is disrobing social harmony and brotherhood.

“Modi government is trying to create a divide among Hindus and Muslims in order to polarise the society ahead of elections, which reflects the unhealthy mindset of its ministers and the Prime Minister,” said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala.

“Sensing defeat in 2019 general elections, Prime Minister Modi has become blind like Dhritarashtra due to his lust for power. By spreading hatred and pursuing divisive politics, he is aiming to win the election,” he added.

He said: “BJP’s sole aim is to grab power. Power-hungry BJP is playing the role of Duryodhan.

“But Modiji should understand that Godse’s ideology can never defeat Gandhi’s ideology. He asks about Congress’ religion. Our religion is Indianess. Congress has represented every citizen, every religion, caste, language, customs and region,” said Surjewala.

The Congress leader said the BJP is the new version of East India Company. “Divide and rule was then their principle, divide the society is now BJP’s principle.”

Referring to the collapse of part of a canopy at PM’s rally in West Bengal’s Midnapore town on Monday, in which over 25 persons were injured, Surjewala said: “Although a canopy collapsed in Prime Minister’s rally and people were injured, a power-hungry Modiji continued his speech.”

“Gujarat, Assam and Maharashtra are badly affected by floods, but he is busy with rallies,” he added.

Facebook joins Skill India Mission to empower youth

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Social media giant Facebook on Tuesday entered into a strategic partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to empower youth and entrepreneurs with digital skills in India.

The partnership, signed in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, will enable Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to incorporate Facebook’s training on Digital Marketing Skills in its courses, besides providing trainees with access to local, domestic and international markets.

The programme includes courses on Digital Marketing, Online Safety and Financial Literacy in regional languages with Facebook imparting training to people nominated by the NSDC. This will up-skill job seekers and increase their prospects of employment.

“We are delighted to partner with the National Skill Development Corporation to help in upskilling the youth of the country and also empower local businesses by providing training and resources to build up a digital presence and grow their businesses beyond what the traditional offline economies offer,” Ankhi Das, Public Policy Director, India, South and Central Asia – Facebook, said in a statement.

“This skilled workforce and successful businesses are imperative for boosting employment and economic growth in the country,” she added.

The collaboration will also enable trainees to have access to Facebook’s Jobs tool to easily search for job openings. They can easily search for jobs in their Facebook app or visit www.facebook.com/jobs through their mobile phones while controlling the sharing of information with prospective employers.

“The partnership with Facebook aims to leverage the digital opportunity which can assist in creating a market place for many businesses and service offerings for candidates getting trained under our skill ecosystem and; also act as an information kiosk for knowledge sharing,” said Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

“With Facebook’s expertise and support, we are taking a step towards utilising the immense potential of digital skills for the economic betterment of the country,” he said.

Under the Skill India Mission, nearly one crore youth in the country are being annually skilled, reskilled and upskilled through various central government programmes.

Facebook’s previous training programmes on Digital Marketing Skills have upskilled more than 200,000 youth and entrepreneurs under the #BoostYourBusiness programme across 16 states in the country.

Under the network giant’s #SheMeansBusiness programme, another 30,000 women entrepreneurs are currently being trained, the company said.

In 2017, Facebook launched Digital Training Hub which aims to train 500,000 youth and entrepreneurs by 2020.

I erase hatred, fear, I’m Congress: Rahul hits back at BJP

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit back at the BJP over alleged “Congress is for Muslims” remarks, spelling out in a tweet the philosophy of the party that “stands with the last person in the line” whose religion or caste doesn’t matter.

In a widely shared and liked tweet, Gandhi said: “I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalized and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me.

“I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear. I love all living beings. I am the Congress.”

The tweet, not directed at any individual or a party, apparently came in response to BJP’s unabated criticism over his reported remark that the Congress was a party of Muslims.

The BJP has been latching on to these remarks Gandhi reportedly made during a meeting with Muslim intellectuals. The ruling party said Gandhi and his party were indulging in communal politics ahead of the 2019 elections.

The alleged remarks were reported by an Urdu daily even as one some participants in the meeting denied Gandhi made such controversial reference.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi both targeted the Congress President over the issue.

“I read in the newspapers that (the) naamdaar (referring to Gandhi) said the Congress is a party of the Muslims. I am not surprised… When the previous Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) was in charge, he said openly that the first use of natural resources should be with Muslims,” Modi said at a public meeting in Azamgarh of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

Kejriwal orders action against corruption in RTO

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After a surprise inspection of one of Delhi’s biggest Regional Transport Offices, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday warned of strict action against officers who indulge in corruption with help from touts.

As Kejriwal and Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot landed at the RTO office at Burari, scores of agitated drivers of autorickshaws and commercial vehicles virtually mobbed them, complaining that nothing happens without the touts’ involvement.

“All the auto drivers and commercial vehicle drivers have complained that it is only when they come through a tout that their work is done quickly,” Kejriwal later told the media.

“Otherwise, the work remains pending for months. We will take strict action against all the officers found indulging in corrupt practices,” he said.

He announced that from August 1, all the work done at Burari RTO would be decentralized and that the Delhi government would try to open 5,000 vehicle fitness centres across Delhi.

“Earlier, people had to stand in long queues to get a fitness certificate. This also led to rampant corruption. Now, we will decentralize and open 5,000 more centres in Delhi,” he said.

Kejriwal instructed officers to make a list of all the complaints and the action taken for the last 10 days and submit a report to him by 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

Modi ‘diverting’ people’s attention says Samajwadi Party Ram Gopal Yadav

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The Samajwadi Party today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “diverting” people’s attention from “rising” cases of rape and crime against women across the country. “Not even Sambhal, cases of crime against women and rape are rising steadily across India. The Prime Minister is trying to divert the attention of the people,” SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav told reporters here.

He was responding to a question on the alleged gangrape of a woman in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh. The SP leader, however, did not elaborate on how the PM was trying to divert the attention of the people. The party had convened a press conference to be addressed by SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav at his residence.

Mulayam, however, did not attend the conference and instead his cousin Ram Gopal addressed the media on issues related to the Ram Manohar Lohia trust. The meeting of its trustees was held here today. In his various public rallies in the recent past, Prime Minister Modi has targeted the opposition for ignoring development and turing a blind eye to the plight of the farmers.

The opposition, including the Congress BSP and SP, has in turn hit back accusing the BJP of polarising the society in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Referring to the Ram Manohar Lohia Trust, Ram Gopal Yadav said it would build a school and a community centre at its headquarters in Hydreabad. It would also publish several works of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia which have so far not be brought in the public domain.

Though Mulayam’s son and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and SP patriarch’s younger brother Shipval Singh are trustees, they did not attend the meeting. Shivpal Yadav’s relations with Akhilesh and Ram Gopal had turned sour during the recent feud in the Yadav clan.

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