Oppn corners govt over Rafale, RBI

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 12

Both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday opened for the ‘first working day’ to multiple protests ranging from seeking a joint parliamentary committee on the allegations around the Rafale fighter jet deal to demands of ‘making the Ram Mandir’.

Yesterday, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had adjourned after paying tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, among others. Today was the first day on which normal legislative business was to resume. The Lok Sabha adjourned for the day just after 12 noon after protesters rushed to the Well.

In the Lok Sabha, the Congress demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) on the allegations surrounding the purchase of Rafale fighter jets. MP from Gurdaspur Sunil Jakhar moved a motion of adjournment.

The Shiv Sena demanded construction of a Mandir and held placards written in Hindi indicating ‘pehle mandir... phir sarkar’, the obvious reference was to Shiv Sena’s renewed demand of making a temple at Ayodhya. The Shiv Sena is part of the ruling alliance led by the BJP.

The TDP demanded more rights for Andhra Pradesh while the AIADMK demanded stoppage of construction of a dam across the Cauvery and had the same issue in the Rajya Sabha. In the same House, YSR Congress members demanded protection of Cauvery delta farmers and special status for Andhra Pradesh.

In the Rajya Sabha, Congress MPs shouted slogans – from their seats – against the government for its failure in managing the affairs of the CBI and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). When the House was reconvened at 2 pm after two adjournments, Rajya Sabha continued to witness noisy scene with protests. Earlier in the morning, the House witnessed its first adjournment immediately after customary tabling of papers due to disruption caused by members of the AIADMK, DMK, CPM and the CPI who trooped into the Well demanding discussion on floods and related issues.

Nod to disability national trust Bill

Amid noise, the Upper House passed the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities (Amendment) Bill, 2018 following a brief discussion. The proposed amendments entail fixing the term of the national trust chairperson

IN PARLIAMENT

Terror incidents almost double in 3 yrs

Minister of State (Home) Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on Wednesday said the numbers of terror incidents in 2016, 2017 and 2018 (up to Dec 2) were 322, 342 and 587, respectively.  In a written reply, he said the numbers of terrorists neutralised during the corresponding period were 150, 213 and 238. The numbers of security personnel martyred were 82, 80 and 86.

Polio vaccine samples found adulterated

Two samples of a batch of bivalent oral polio vaccine were found to be adulterated and containing type 2 polio virus by the Central Drugs Laboratory, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey told the Rajya Sabha. Some contaminated vials of the vaccine were administered to children in Maharashtra, Telengana, and UP, ministry officials had confirmed, Choubey said. 

15,779 websites hacked during Jan-Nov 

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said As per the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), 33,147, 30,067 and 15,779 websites were hacked during 2016, 2017 and 2018 (up to November), respectively. He added that the government had taken measures to enhance the cyber security and prevent cyber attacks. Meanwhile, Prasad’s deputy SS Ahluwalia said over 2,300 social media URLs were blocked or removed in 2018, up from 1,329 last year in compliance with the court directions.