11:15 Ahead of no-trust vote, Speaker accepts Jay Panda’s resignation : The effective strength of Lok Sabha has reduced to 533 with two more seats falling vacant, sources in Parliament said today, after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted BJD MP Baijayant Jay Panda’s resignation and Jose K Mani of Kerala Congress (M) was nominated to Rajya Sabha. Mani quit the lower house after being nominated to Rajya Sabha.
The developments come as Parliament is set to take up tomorrow the Opposition sponsored no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government.
Ten seats are lying vacant and therefore the majority mark in the house now stands at 266. Panda, who represented the Kendrapara constituency in Odisha, had resigned on June 12.
He met Mahajan yesterday and requested her to accept his resignation. Later he tweeted about his meeting with the Speaker.
In January this year, the parliamentarian was suspended from the Biju Janata Dal for alleged anti-party activities. The Lok Sabha will tomorrow debate and vote on the no-confidence motion against the Modi government – the first since the BJP-led NDA came to power four years ago – after the Speaker admitted their notices.
The no-trust motion in Parliament that was moved and accepted by Speaker Mahajan for the first time in 15 years, however, does not pose a threat to the government as the NDA enjoys a comfortable majority. — PTI
11:08 Cong MPs in a huddle in Parliament a day ahead of no-trust vote: A day after the Congress exuded confidence over the success of the ‘no-confidence motion’ against the Modi government and accused it of failing on all fronts by not keeping its promises made to the people, the party leaders are now in a huddle in Parliament.
The Lok Sabha would take up a debate on the opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government brought by the Telugu Desam Party and opposition parties, with speaker Sumitra Mahajan admitting the notice, yesterday.
The House will take up the debate (on the motion) on Friday, 20 July. The discussion will be held for the full day, followed by voting on it, Mahajan announced in the House when it reassembled after the lunch break on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.
Just a day before the debate, here’s what the opposition is looking like.
DMK: MK Stalin said that in spite of having no option to vote for the no confidence motion in Parliament, the DMK supported the motion brought by the TDP. “We request AIADMK also to support the no confidence motion in Parliament,” Stalin, the party’s working president said.
TMC: Has issued a whip to its MPs asking them to be present on Friday to discuss and vote for a no-confidence motion against the Centre.
TMC leader Derek O’ Brien said that they have issued a whip to all 34 members of TMC. “We have decided that we will send all 34 TMC Lok Sabha MPs on a whip to be present for discussion and voting of no-confidence motion in the Parliament on Friday,” said O’Brien.
Despite Friday being a Martyrs day, the TMC will be sending its members. Dinesh Trivedi, another TMC leader said “21st of July is a very important day for TMC. We observe it as a martyrs day for 14 youth TMC workers who were killed. All 34 MPs of TMC are therefore busy.”
AIADMK: The AIADMK did not endorse the no-confidence motion on Wednesday. Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai remained seated in the front row and so were his colleagues.
Shiv Sena: Though an ally, it has been a constant thorn on the side for the BJP. To the BJP’s relief, Sanjay Raut said the party will vote against the no-confidence motion. “In a democracy, the voice of the Opposition should be heard first even if it consists of one person. Even we (Shiv Sena) will speak when it is required. During voting, whatever Uddhav Thackeray directs us, we will do.”
The opposition parties brought in no-confidence motion against the government on issues like Grant of special status to Andhra Pradesh, lynchings, atrocities against women and dalits and dilution of a law meant for Scheduled Caste
Meanwhile, the Congress has given an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha over the issue of mob lynching.
File pic.
10:29 Mob refused to listen to my appeal: Swami Agnivesh: Social activist Swami Agnivesh said his appeals to the mob that attacked him in Jharkhand’s Pakur district on Tuesday went unheard.
“The Supreme Court gave a strong verdict on mob lynching. But at the time the verdict was being delivered, I was being attacked by a mob. I appealed to them (mob) to speak to me but they didn’t listen,” he told ANI.
Earlier in the day, Swami Agnivesh said he could have been murdered in the “planned” attack.
Agnivesh further demanded an inquiry by a retired or sitting judge of the Ranchi High Court in the matter.
The spiritual leader lodged a complaint with the Ranchi police stating that a group of people allegedly belonging to the RSS, and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) entered the premises and assaulted him.
Soon after the incident, the state government headed by Raghubar Das provided security to Agnivesh.
Jharkhand Urban Development Minister CP Singh on Wednesday said that self-proclaimed spiritual leader and social activist Swami Agnivesh sponsored the attack on himself.
He said, “I think he sponsored an attack on himself. He is a huge hypocrite. He talks against Hindus, makes anti-national comments, supports Kashmiri separatists and naxals.”
09:59 News conference with Putin was strong: Trump: US President Donald Trump said today he had a “strong news conference” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, rejecting the political outrage it triggered in America as “fuss” created by the “fake news”.
US lawmakers blasted Trump for not backing the American intelligence community’s claim that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election during his press conference with Putin on Monday. Senator Jeff Flake, a Republican and a vocal critic of Trump, had labelled his performance as “shameful”.
The press conference in Helsinki was one of the “most disgraceful performances” by an American president in memory, Republican Senator John McCain had said. “I think I did great at the news conference. I think it was a strong news conference,” Trump told CBS news, responding to a question on criticism of his performance at the press conference.
“I totally disagree”, Trump said when asked former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had termed it “the most serious mistake in your presidency”. “You have people that said, ‘You should have gone up to him. You should have walked up and started screaming in his face’. We’re living in the real world. OK?” Trump said.
He lashed out at the media for turning every positive development into negative and making a “lot of fuss about a lot of things”. “I don’t know what the fuss is all about. I think we did extremely well. And I think the press makes up the, look, it’s fake news. And people understand. I think the press largely makes up a lot of the fuss about a lot of things. And I’m not talking about everything,” Trump asserted.
“It’s crazy. You do something that’s positive, and they try and make it as negative as possible. Not all. And I have to say this, some of the most honourable people I know, some great people, are reporters, journalists.
But the level of dishonesty in your profession is extremely high,” he said. When told that the press covered the substance and the wording of the press conference accurately, Trump said he did not care what was covered.
“They don’t, they didn’t cover my meeting. The important thing, frankly, was the meeting that lasted for two and a half hours, or almost two and a half hours. And in that meeting, we discussed many, many things that were very, very positive for both countries,” he said.
“Things emerged out that were very important. Nuclear proliferation between Russia and the United States, that’s 90 per cent of the nuclear weapons. Protection of Israel. He feels good about that, I feel good about that, very good about that. That was a big factor,” Trump said.
He said the two leaders also talked about North Korea. “He said he will help. He agrees with what I’m doing. He thinks I’m doing a great job with respect to North Korea. He said he would help. I think he will. Let’s see what happens,” Trump said. — PTI
09:43 Mumbai: Elphinstone Road station renamed as Prabhadevi : The Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai has been renamed as Prabhadevi station. The new name came into effect from the midnight of July 18.
“Necessary changes are being made on station boards, indicators, PA system, etc for the benefit of passengers,” read a statement.
Around 23 people were killed and over 39 injured in a rush-hour stampede at the same railway station in September last year.The station code for newly renamed Prabhadevi station will be PBHD. — ANI
09:38 7 naxals killed in encounter in with security forces in Chhattigsarh: At least seven naxals, including three women, were today gunned down in a fierce encounter with security forces in Chhattigsarh’s insurgency-hit Bijapur district, police said.
The skirmish took place at around 6 am in the forest near Timinar and Pusnar villages along the border of Bijapur and Dantewada districts when a joint team of District Reserve Guard and Special Task Force was out on an anti-Maoist operation, state’s Deputy Inspector General of Police (anti-naxal operations) Sundarraj P told PTI.
Acting on a tip-off, security forces had launched the operation from Dantewada district in the forest along the border of the two districts, he said.
While they were cordoning off jungles of Timinar and Pusnar villages, located around 450 km away from the state capital Raipur, in Bijapur, the exchange of fire broke out between the two sides, he said. “After guns fell silent, bodies of seven naxals, including three women, were recovered from the spot,” the DIG said. Besides, two Insas rifles, two .303 rifles, one 12 bore gun and a few muzzle loading guns were also recovered from the spot, he said. Further details are awaited as the search operation was still underway in the area, he added. — PTI
09:07 No-trust motion: TDP MP refuses to attend crucial session, says he is ‘fed up’:
A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted Telugu Desam Party’s no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi Government, MP JC Diwakar Reddy has decided not to attend the session as he is “fed up” of his party and the Centre.
“I am not going to attend the Parliament session. You can say that I violated the party whip instructions. I am fed up with Centre and our TDP government. And I am fed up with whole political system. Right now I am in my native place in Anantapur and will come in front of the media with my logics within a week,” Reddy said.
This is the first time that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will face such a motion.
Reddy is a Member of Parliament from Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur constituency.
The Monsoon Session of the Parliament kick-started on Wednesday amid high political drama.
While giving a nod to the No-Confidence Motion, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that the discussion will be followed by voting on Friday.
“The House will take up the debate (on the motion) on Friday, July 20th. The discussion will be held for the full day, followed by voting on it,” Mahajan said.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday announced that all opposition parties have come to a consensus to move the Vote of No Confidence Motion in the Monsoon Session.
— ANI
09:01 JUST IN: 7 naxals, including 3 women, killed in encounter with security forces in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh: Police official.
08:38 Sharif getting all facilities he is entitled to: Punjab govt:
Jailed former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif is getting all the facilities he is entitled to under the law, the government in Pakistan’s Punjab province said today.
The clarification was issued after former chief minister and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif complained that his elder brother Sharif has been kept in “abysmal conditions” in the Adiala jail.
Punjab Information Minister Ahmed Waqas Riaz told the media that Sharif was given all facilities that he was entitled to.
Separately, Deputy Inspector General Prisons, Malik Mubashir, issued a statement to provide the list of facilities given to Sharif.
Mubashir said that Sharif was jailed in a separate cell in a Better Class portion of the jail and has been issued a steel bed, table, chair, newspapers, sheets for his personal bed, personal clothes, one ceiling fan, two bracket fans and toiletries. He has also been allowed to keep a 21-inch TV.
He also has been provided adequate space to take a walk and he “regularly goes for a stroll in the lawn attached to his cell”.
He said that a special cook has been providing the diet recommended for him by an RIC nutritionist, which includes fruits, salad, dates and qeema (minced meat).
The family members and friends can meet him on Thursdays while his lawyers can meet him on any one day of the week.
Sharif, 68, and his daughter Maryam, 44, were arrested in Lahore on July 13 on their arrival from London after an accountability court found them guilty over his family’s ownership of four luxury flats in London. They were later taken to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
— PTI
08:08 Shiv Sena will vote against Opposition’s trust vote on Friday:
Shiv Sena, the most bothersome member of the BJP-led NDA coalition, will vote against the opposition’s no confidence motion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government will face on Friday, union minister Ananth Kumar has claimed.
“The NDA is united and will vote against the motion.” the union minister said on Wednesday, responding to repeated questions about the Shiv Sena’s stand in Friday crucial vote.
The central government is comfortably placed in the Lok Sabha and there is no risk to its survival. The ruling NDA has 313 members in the 535-member Lok Sabha including the BJP’s 274, a lot more than the 268 that it needs to clear the test.
The opposition has been hoping that allies such as the Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, which has 18 members in the lower house, embarrasses the government on Friday.
The Shiv Sena, known for acting as the proxy opposition, hasn’t spelt out its stand yet.
Over the last year and more, the Shiv Sena frequently hurled stinging darts and insults at the BJP who it has described as the Sena’s “biggest political enemy”,, called the BJP arrogant and the NDA that it leads “almost dead” and showered praises on Congress boss Rahul Gandhi.
00:06 Trump says no other president has been as tough on Russia:
President Donald Trump has claimed that no American president has been as ‘tough’ on Russia as he has been, amid criticism of his Helsinki summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
After a Cabinet meeting in the White House, Trump was asked by a reporter if Russia was still targeting the US, and he responded, ‘No’, directly contradicting what his director of national intelligence, Dan Coats, said Monday.
This was his first Cabinet meeting after his return from a week-long European trip at the end of which he had a summit meeting Putin in Helsinki.
His comments came a day after he said he misspoke during Monday’s Helsinki summit when he appeared to side with Putin over claims of Kremlin meddling in US elections.
“We’re doing very well, and let me tell you, we are doing very well, and we’re doing very well, probably as well as anybody has ever done with Russia. And there’s been no president ever as tough as I have been on Russia,” Trump told reporters during his Cabinet meeting at the White House.
“All you have to do is look at the numbers, look at what we’ve done, look at sanctions, look at ambassadors not there, look, unfortunately, at what happened in Syria recently. And I think President Putin knows that better than anybody; certainly, a lot better than the media,” Trump said.
Earlier in a tweet, Trump said that Russia has agreed to help with North Korea, where relationships with the US is very good and the process is moving along.
“While the NATO meeting in Brussels was an acknowledged triumph, with billions of dollars more being put up by member countries at a faster pace, the meeting with Russia may prove to be, in the long run, an even greater success,” Trump said.
Many positive things will come out of that meeting, he asserted. Trump said so many people at the higher ends of intelligence loved his press conference performance in Helsinki.
“Putin and I discussed many important subjects at our earlier meeting. We got along well which truly bothered many haters who wanted to see a boxing match. Big results will come!” said the US president. — PTI
Source: Rediff