The Indian Panorama

Tag: Arjun Ram Meghwal

  • Cabinet nod to one nation, one poll Bills; next stop Parliament

    Cabinet nod to one nation, one poll Bills; next stop Parliament

    New Delhi (TIP)- The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, on Thursday, December 12,  approved two Bills to enable simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.

    The draft legislations, which Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal piloted in the Cabinet today and Home Minister Amit Shah elaborated, will be introduced in Parliament during the ongoing session. Plans are afoot to send these Bills to a joint committee of both Houses for comprehensive stakeholder consultations.

    As recommended by the former President Ram Nath Kovind-led panel whose report was accepted by the Cabinet on September 18, the government will move amendments to enable simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies in the first phase. The synchronisation of municipal and panchayat elections with the Lok Sabha and state polls will be left for the second and a later stage. The Kovind panel had said, “As the first step, simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies should be held and in the second step, elections to the municipalities and panchayats should be held within 100 days of the parliamentary and state polls.” To achieve this, the government will introduce a Bill for amending Article 83 (which deals with duration of Houses of Parliament) and Article 172 (which deals with the duration of state legislatures) of the Constitution. This amendment will not need ratification by states. Asked how the synchronisation would be achieved, an official source quoted the Kovind report which said for simultaneous elections to happen, the President would need to notify the date of the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after a General Election as the “appointed date”.

    “The tenure of all state Assemblies constituted by elections held after the appointed date and before the expiry of the full term of the Lok Sabha will be only for the period ending up to the subsequent General Election. Once that is done, all elections to the Lok Sabha and states will be held together,” the source said.

    The amendment Bill is also likely to insert a new Article 82 A to the Constitution to provide that the President may notify the date of the first sitting of the House of the People after a General Election as the appointed date.

    The second Bill will be ordinary and will amend provisions to laws dealing with UTs and the legislative Assemblies of J&K, Delhi and Puducherry to align the terms of these Assemblies with the Lok Sabha and other legislative Assemblies.

    Asked what was envisaged in case of a hung House or a no-confidence motion, the source said, “In such a case, fresh elections may be held to constitute a new House. Where fresh elections are held for the House of the People, its tenure will only be for the unexpired term, which is left until the full term of the Lok Sabha expires. Where fresh elections are held for the state Assemblies, such new Assembly unless sooner dissolved, will continue up to the end of the full term of the House of the People.”             Source: TNS

  • Challenging task ahead for BJP to get hat trick in Rajasthan Lok Sabha election

    Stalwarts in the fray: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Jyoti Mirdha, a Jat dominated candidate of BJP who crossed over from Congress, Vaibhav Gehlot, son of former CM Ashok Gehlot (Photos : social media platforms)

    There is going to be a real challenging task for the BJP to get the repeat in the 2024-Lok Sabha polls in Rajasthan as it had full majority in 2014 and 2019 on all 25 seats.

    By Dr Yash Goyal

    On one hand, the BJP is trying its best to make a hat trick in the state but on the electoral field, the reputation of four BJP ministers and the Speaker is at stake. One-on-one election contest on twelve out of 25 Lok Sabha seats is getting neck and neck as the voting for the first phase on 12 seats is due on April 19, and the second phase on 13 seats on April 26.

    The BJP’s star campaigners are focusing their main goals on four Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav in Alwar, Kailash Choudhary in Barmer, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Jodhpur, Arjun Ram Meghwal in Bikaner, and Speaker Om Birla in Kota-Bundi LS constituencies.

    Besides, the prestige of the top leaders of the BJP and the Congress is precarious in 12 out of 25 seats. These seats are Banswara, Jhunjhunu, Tonk-Sawaimadhopur, Barmer, Nagaur, Kota-Bundi, Jalore, Sikar, Dausa, Churu, Alwar, and Jaipur.

    Congress is in doldrum on the Banswara LS seat as its candidate Arvind Damor did not withdraw his nomination papers in support of INDIA bloc’s Bharatiya Adivasi Party (BAP) candidate Raj Kumar Roat (sitting MLA in Rajasthan). Both the Congress and the BAP are in utter confusion whether to follow the INDIA alliance norms or contest independently. Congress and BAP are in a triangular contest with Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya who quit his Congress MLA seat and joined the BJP. BJP is on a sticky wicket in Barmer, Jhunjhunu, Churu, Nagaur, and Kota LS constituencies where the saffron is facing neck and neck contests against their party rivals.

    It is not going to be a cake walk for LS Speaker Om Birla to get a hat trick on Kota-Bundi seat, as BJP’s senior leader Prahalad Gunjal, who recently joined the Congress party, with the majority of Gurjar, Meena, Minority votes, and enjoying BJP workers’ internal support giving sleepless nights to the Speaker who is canvassing door to door with his family and supporters in Hadoti region.

    Similarly, the BJP is on rough roads of poll battle in Churu as BJP’s MP Rahul Kanswa, who was denied the party ticket and joined the Congress party, is challenging Para-Olympian Devendra Jhajharia. Former BJP Minister Rajendra Rathore who belonged to Churu district and lost the assembly poll last year and was not considered as a candidate for this seat will have a major decisive role on this very seat.

    Nagaur LS seat is another key constituency where BJP’s former alliance partner of Rashtriya Loktantrik Party Hanuman Beniwal, who is become now the INDIA bloc partner is giving a hard poll campaign to BJP’s Jyoti Mirdha, who moved from the Congress to BJP, on the basis to get the Mirdha community (Jat) open support on which the Modi government has a strong reliance.

    An Independent candidate Ravindra Singh Bhati, who was expecting a Congress ticket, has made the Barmer LS seat a triangular contest with the Union Minister Kailash Choudhary (BJP) and Congress’ Umedaram Beniwal.

    BJP’s prominent saint Sumedhanand Sarswati is having a tough poll trail campaign in the Sikar constituency against INDIA block partner of CPI-M Amraram, a farmer leader having the open support of Congress and comrades from adjoining districts of Srigananagar and Haunumangar.

    Former Congress Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has been camping and electioneering in western districts of Rajasthan for the last one month for his son Vaibhav Gehlot who is contesting against the BJP’s newcomer of RSS Lumba Ram Choudhary on the Jalore seat. In the 2019 LS poll Vaibhav had lost the Jodhpur LS seat by a huge margin of 4 lakh votes against the BJP’s Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who is now the Union Minister.

    Young Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s blue-eyed candidate Murarli Lal Meena (former minister) on Dausa and Harish Meena (sitting MLA) on Tonk-Sawai Madhopur LS seats are vying against BJP’s Kanhaiya Lal Meena, a new face, and Sukhbir Singh Jaunpuria (sitting MP) respectively.

    BJP’s Jaipur-City seat is not going to be a walk over for Manju Sharma, a daughter of former BJP Minister Bhanwar Lal Sharma, as the former Congress Minister and strong young leader Pratap Singh Khachariawas is daily walking on roads and walled city’s narrow lanes and holding poll campaign meeting with folded hands before the voters.

    Bhupendra Yadav, the Union Minister and RS MP, who replaced the sitting MP Balak Nath, is in a one-to-one contest with the Congress’ sitting MLA Lalit Yadav who belongs to the Matsya region of Alwar district and open support of Yadav community, Congress’ traditional voter banks.
    Despite all pros and cons of election complications, the BJP contestants are hoping to win their seats either on Modi face or Lotus symbol.
    (Dr. Yash Goyal is The Indian Panorama Special Correspondent, based in Jaipur)

  • Budget Session 2022: Parliament adjourned sine die; 11 Bills passed by both houses

    Budget Session 2022: Parliament adjourned sine die; 11 Bills passed by both houses

    New Delhi (TIP)- The Budget Session, 2022 of Parliament, which commenced on, 31 January 2022, has been adjourned sine die today i.e. Thursday, 07 April 2022. Speaking about the Budget Session,  Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi stated that during the entire Budget Session, 2022 there were 27 sittings of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. The Minister underlined that the Session, which was originally scheduled to have sittings till 8 April, 2022, was curtailed due to demand of Leaders of various political parties. The Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Culture  Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & External Affairs  V. Muraleedharan were also present in the press conference. The Budget Session, 2022 of Parliament which commenced on Monday, 31st January, 2022 has been adjourned sine die today i.e. Thursday, the 7th April, 2022. In between Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha adjourned for recess on Friday, the 11th February, 2022 to reassemble on Monday, the 14th March, 2022 to enable Departmentally related Standing Committees to examine and report on the Demands for Grants relating to various Ministries/Departments.

    The first part of the Budget Session yielded a total of 10 sittings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.  In the second part of the Session, there were 17 sittings of both Houses. During the first part of the Session, keeping in mind Covid situation Lok Sabha has used Lok Sabha Chamber, Lok Sabha Public Gallery, Rajya Sabha Chamber and Rajya Sabha Public Gallery for its sittings while Rajya Sabha has used Rajya Sabha Chamber, Rajya Sabha Public Gallery and Lok Sabha Chamber for its sittings. Lok Sabha sat from 4 pm to 9 pm (with extended time, whenever required) daily except on 31.01.2022 and 1.02.2022 when they sat first. Rajya Sabha had its meetings from 9 am to 3 pm (with extended time, whenever required) daily except on 31.01.2022 and 1.02.2022 when they sat second. In the second part of the Session, the timing of the Houses was reverted back to the normal hours ie. from 11am to 6 pm (with extended time, whenever required) following all protocols.

    This being the first Session of the year, the President addressed both Houses of Parliament assembled together in terms of Article 87(1) of the Constitution, on 31st January, 2022. Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha was moved by Harish Dwivedi and seconded by Shri Kamlesh Paswan.  This item engaged the Lok Sabha for 15 Hours 13 minutes against allotted 12 Hours. In Rajya Sabha it was moved by Shrimati Geeta alias Chandraprabha and seconded by Shri Shwait Malik. This item engaged the Rajya Sabha for 12 Hours 56 minutes against allotted 12 Hours. The Motions of Thanks were discussed and adopted after reply from the Hon’ble Prime Minister by the two Houses during the first part of the Session.

    The Union Budget for 2022- 23 was presented on Tuesday, the 1st of February, 2022. General Discussion on the Union Budget was held in both Houses in the first part of the Session.  This engaged the Lok Sabha for 15 Hours 35 minutes against allotted 12 Hours and Rajya Sabha for 11 Hours 01 minute against allotted 11 Hours.

    In the Rajya Sabha the working of the Ministries of Development of North Eastern Region, Tribal Affairs, Railways and Labour and Employment were discussed.  The discussion of the working of Ministry of Labour and Employment, however, remained inconclusive. During this Session a total of 13 Bills (12 in Lok Sabha and 01 in Rajya Sabha) were introduced. 13 Bills were passed by Lok Sabha and 11 Bills were passed by Rajya Sabha. Total number of Bills passed by both Houses of Parliament is 11. Some of the major Bills passed by both Houses during the Session are as under :

    The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, to authorise for taking measurements of convicts and other persons for the purposes of identification and investigation in criminal matters and to preserve records and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.

    The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 to (i) unify the three municipal corporations into a single, integrated and well equipped entity; (ii) ensure a robust mechanism for synergised and strategic planning and optimal utilisation of resources; (iii) bring about greater transparency, improved governance and more efficient delivery of civic service for the people of Delhi.

    The Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to amend Part XV.—Tripura of the Schedule to the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to insert “Darlong” community as a sub-tribe of “Kuki” after sub-tribe “(iii) Chhalya” in entry 9 in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

    The Constitution (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to omit Bhogta community from the list of Scheduled Castes in relation to the State of Jharkhand and the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 for inclusion of certain communities in the lists of Scheduled Tribes in relation to the State of Jharkhand. Further, the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 was also passed by Lok Sabha which seeks to— (a) prohibit financing of any activity in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems; (b) empower the Central Government to— (i) freeze, seize or attach funds or other financial assets or economic resources for preventing such financing; (ii) prohibit making available funds, financial assets or economic resources for any prohibited activity in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

    The productivity of Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, 2022 was approx. 129% and that of Rajya Sabha was 98%.

  • Cabinet reshuffle: Political reboot in Modi 2.0 delivered

    The much-awaited Union Cabinet expansion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term has finally taken place. In one of the biggest ministry expansions in India’s history, 36 new ministers have been inducted, seven promoted to Cabinet rank, while 12 sitting ministers have been shown the door. Modi in his second innings, at a time when India is at a critical crossroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, is building a fresh team which will lay the foundation of a new India, and, of course, will help the BJP in the 2024 general elections.

    Modi, running his Cabinet like a corporate chief executive officer, carried out a performance appraisal of various ministers over the past few weeks. The ministers were evaluated on various key performance indicators (KPIs) like vision, mission, objectives, targets versus action plan, impact, communication and outreach.

    Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had introduced a Results Framework Document (RFD) to evaluate the performance of his Cabinet colleagues, but had to shelve it after some ministers opposed such evaluation.

    Modi, however, adopted this people-centric performance approach, giving it his personal touch. He believes that transparency and accountability are the two cornerstones of any pro-people government and feedback from them improves public participation in decision-making.

    Twelve of the 53 ministers (which amounts to 22 percent) who were found lacking were asked to put in their papers. Seven of the 53 ministers (13 percent), who scored well in the evaluation, have been elevated.

    After the July 7 expansion, the Union ministry will now operate at 95 percent capacity, with just four positions vacant.

    Big names like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar, prominent spokespersons of the government, are among the 12 asked to leave. The mishandling of the COVID-19 second wave which has affected the government’s image and led to a dip in Modi’s popularity ratings, has probably cost Health Minister Harsh Vardhan his job.

    The Cabinet reshuffle clearly shows that Modi has taken feedback from all stakeholders and has responded to public opinion. Through this he has also given a message to the new inductees that they need to deliver.

    Modi has also not necessarily opted for domain expertise in the reshuffle to encourage new faces to bring in new ideas to provide solutions. The example being the preference of Kiren Rijiju over Bhupender Yadav for the law ministry.

    Apart from performance, the focus has been on youth, inclusiveness, broader representation to communities, and faces with administrative experience.

    MPs from 25 states and union territories are now ministers in the Union Cabinet. The new Cabinet includes seven former IAS officers, 11 women and 14 ministers below the age of 50.

    The BJP was earlier referred to as a party of the upper caste and ‘baniyas’. It has shed this image over the last few years. A majority of the OBC vote-bank nationally, which was earlier with the Congress and erstwhile Janata Dal, has moved to the BJP. The party won the maximum SC/ST reserved seats in the 2019 general elections.

    Today Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), apart from the upper caste, are its core support block.

    The expansion gives due weightage to people from these communities and bolsters the image of the party as the champion their cause.

    Currently, 27 ministers out of 77 are from the OBC community, 12 from the SC and eight from the ST community, representing around 60 percent of the ministry strength.

    This is expected to boost the BJP’s prospects in state elections due next year. Seven states, including the all-important Uttar Pradesh, go to the polls in 2022, with the BJP in power in six of them.

    This mid-term course correction is likely to bring transparency and accountability in governance and help the BJP win the ensuing state as well as general elections with its deft political messaging.

    Here is the complete list of ministers who were newly inducted into the Union Cabinet on Wednesday, July 7

    Narendra Modi: Prime Minister and also in-charge of: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space; All important policy issues; and All other portfolios not allocated to any Minister

    CABINET MINISTERS

    Raj Nath Singh: Minister of Defence

    Amit Shah: Minister of Home Affairs; and Minister of Cooperation

    Nitin Jairam Gadkari: Road Transport and Highways

    Nirmala Sitharaman: Finance and Corporate Affairs

    Narendra Singh Tomar: Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

    Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar: External Affairs

    Arjun Munda: Tribal Affairs

    Smriti Zubin Irani: Women and Child Development

    Piyush Goyal: Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles

    Dharmendra Pradhan: Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

    Pralhad Joshi: Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines

    Narayan Tatu Rane: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

    Sarbananda Sonowal: Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and AYUSH

    Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: Minority Affairs

    Dr Virendra Kumar: Social Justice and Empowerment

    Giriraj Singh: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj

    Jyotiraditya M. Scindia: Civil Aviation

    Ramchandra Prasad Singh: Steel

    Ashwini Vaishnaw: Railways; Communications; and Electronics and Information Technology

    Pashu Pati Kumar Paras: Food Processing Industries

    Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Jal Shakti

    Kiren Rijiju: Law and Justice

    Raj Kumar Singh: Power and New and Renewable Energy

    Hardeep Singh Puri: Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Housing and Urban Affairs

    Mansukh Mandaviya: Health and Family Welfare; and Chemicals and Fertilizers

    Bhupender Yadav: Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Minister of Labour and Employment

    Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey: Heavy Industries

    Parshottam Rupala: Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying

    G Kishan Reddy: Culture; Minister of Tourism; and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region

    Anurag Singh Thakur: Information and Broadcasting; and Youth Affairs and Sports

    MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

    Rao Inderjit Singh: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs

    Dr Jitendra Singh: Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Earth Sciences; Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space

    MINISTERS OF STATE

    Shripad Yesso Naik, Faggansingh Kulaste, Prahalad Singh Patel, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Arjun Ram Meghwal, General (Retd) V K Singh, Krishan Pal, Danve Raosaheb Dadarao, Ramdas Athawale, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, Nityanand Rai, Pankaj Chaowdhary, Anupriya Singh Patel, S P Singh Baghel, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Shobha Karandlaje, Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Darshana Vikram Jardosh, V Muraleedharan, Meenakashi Lekhi, Som Parkash, Renuka Singh Saruta, Rameswar Teli, Kailash Choudhary, Annpurna Devi, A Narayanaswamy, Kaushal Kishore, Ajay Bhatt, B L Verma, Ajay Kumar, Devusinh Chauhan, Bhagwanth Khuba, Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Pratima Bhoumik, Dr Subhas Sarkar, Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Bishweswar Tudu, Shantanu Thakur, Dr Munjapara Mahendrabhai, John Barla, Dr L Murugan, Nisith Pramanik

     

  • Prosecute Modifor COVID Deaths in India

    By Dave Makkar

    In last one year, rather than deploying resources in healthcare & vaccines; Prime Minister of India was busy in promoting himself, superstitions, quackery and mythology for Covid treatment like ringing of bells, banging of plates, clapping, lighting earthen lamps (diya) or candle, using Cow urine, Cow Dung, Quack Ramdev’s Coronil, his own minister Arjun Ram Meghwal’s Bhabhiji Pappad,and showering flower petals from helicopters on healthcare workers.

    On April 21, 2021 India become number 1 country  in the world for highest covid infections with 314,644 cases https://www.google.com/search?q=covid+infections+in+India+on+4-21-21&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS879US879&oq=covid+infections+in+India+on+4-21-21&aqs=chrome..69i57.26014j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

    AND  2,104deaths https://www.google.com/search?q=total+covid+deaths+on+Jan+8%2C+2021+in+USA&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS879US879&oq=total+covid+deaths+on+Jan+8%2C+2021+in+USA&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i22i29i30.17870j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8, beating USA with 300,669  infections & 3,895 deaths on Jan. 8, 2020 in a single day. On April 21,2021 Covid infections in USA haddropped to 64,853&879deaths for a single day.

    300,000 plus covid positive cases on April 21, 2021.
    2,000 plus deaths on April 21, 2021.

    Trump lost elections because of his initial sloppy handling of Covid and rising Covid infections & deaths. Voters punished himfor that despite his administration worked on a war footing to get/develop vaccines by different Pharma companies for the entire world.Under Operation Warp Speed initiated in April-May 2020, billions of dollars were given to Pharma companies in USA, UK & EU countries for rapid development of a Vaccine. His administration totally revamped the healthcare infrastructure from testing tomedical supplies manufactured in USA, to availability of additional beds.

    On Sep. 18, 2020, USA had 48,887 infections with 949 deaths and on that day, Indiahad peaked with 93,337 infections and 1,290 deaths. Think about it, India got almost a year. So did America. The second wave is hitting in America too, and the entire world. Entire universe knew about it that there will be a second and third wave. The only way humanity can be saved is rapid vaccination. Still Modi had no clear vision or plan or will or honesty on vaccinating Indians.

    In USA, as of April 20, 2021 an average of 3.5 million shots are administered each day and nearly 1 in 4 adults are now fully vaccinated. According to CDC about 130 million or 50.4 % of the adult population have been vaccinated, 86.2 million or 33.5% of the adult population from 18 & above had been fully vaccinated. Vaccine doesn’t mean second wave won’t infect. Many have been infected despite being vaccinated. But the good of the bad, for which the second wave has not yet taken the form of an epidemic in America is the vaccine preparedness of this country.  Today, America has 600 million Moderna and Pfizer vaccines in the special warehouses for its 340 million people. On top of that USA’s Fiscal response to Covid is $5.3 Trillion for 340 Million people with $12,900.00 direct cash payment to a family of 4 making less than $75,000.00 plus weekly Unemployment and Covid allowance. Modi’sfiscal response is $90 Billion (IMF data) for 1,400 Million people with no direct cash payment or unemployment to its citizens not even to poorest of the poor.

    In May 2020, a European-led fund-raising effort brought $8 billion in pledges from the world’s governments, philanthropists and leaders for coronavirus vaccine research.By Aug 2020, US, UK & EU with a combined population of 800 million had placed orders for 850 million doses of vaccine. In contrast, India with 1,400 million population under Modi, placed its first order of 16.5 million doses in Jan. 2021 and later, 100 million to the domestic producer Serum Institute of India. A control-freak instinct took over Modi and he announced only Center would buy the vaccines. There will not be any private buying. Non-BJP ruled states like Punjab, Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi have  accused the Centre of not supplying enough vaccines. Modi “Nationalized” India’s private vaccine industry and now Indians are paying with their lives.

    Since Modi had no clear vision or plan or will or honesty on vaccinating Indians; instead of vaccinating 1400 million Indians in the country, sent vaccines and medical supplies to 23 countries to assure India’s victory is all around! Knowingly that India is only 1 % fully vaccinated and 7 % has got one shot! Since Dec 2020 rate of infections was rapidly increasing and Modi ignored it, now when Covid has become epidemic, Modi is asking for Moderna and Pfizer vaccines from America! I mean Modi is forced!! The search for popularity is really a staircase to go down. Modi must understand that the procession of dead bodies cannot be stopped by promoting WhatsApp University. When the dead bodies will talk, can hisfans of WhatsApp University then stop this?

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary steps.

    In last one year, rather than deploying resources in healthcare & vaccines; Prime Minister of India was busy in promoting himself, superstitions, quackery and mythology for Covid treatment like ringing of bells, banging of plates, clapping, lighting earthenlamps (diya) or candle, using Cow urine, Cow Dung, Quack Ramdev’s Coronil,his own minister Arjun Ram Meghwal’s Bhabhiji Pappad and showering flower petalsfrom helicopters on healthcare workers.

    Asia’s richest person Mukesh Ambani & his family were seen banging bells made of gold to scare Covid to go away on the call of Modi!

    Unfortunately, Modi is surrounded by “Yes Men” although some of them are highly educated,not uneducated like Modi, but they also believe in superstitions, quackery, and mythology. Modi takes credit for every work including work done by previous administrations even going back to Nehru, and his own ministers. People around him worship him like a Deity, once his minister now Vice President Naidu said,“Modi is a gift to the nation from God”. Recently, Modi, to look taller than one of the founding fathers,Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, replaced Patel’s name with his at the biggest Stadium in India. Since Dec. 2020 the number of daily infections was going up. A spokesmanof Modi, citing that reason, announced that the Kumbh Mela will not start on Makar Sankrantion Jan 14, 2021 but on March 11 and will end on April 10, 2021. It was not that Modi cared about people getting infected and dying; he was more concerned about 5 state assembly elections and influencing Hindu voters with Kumbh Mela. In January 2021, the rate of infections was much higher, still in Feb 2021, BJP declared Victory on Covid under the able leadership of Modi by passing a resolution.

    BJP declared Victory on Covid under the able leadership of Modi in a resolution, February,2021

    That ebullient mood was communicated across the country.  It is not that they wanted to get the economy going but wanted to get back to campaigning.

    CEC, ignoring the infection numbers in Feb & partial March 2021 declared the election dates for 5 State assembly elections starting from March 27 and ending on April 29. The worst hit was West Bengal with voting in 8 phases from March 27 to April 29, followed by Assam in 3 phases and Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Puducherry on April 6 in a single phase.

    An 8-phase election in Bengal for whole 1 monthand a 3 phase in Assam gave to BJP an edge to play Hindu-Muslim card. It also gave Virus a chance to skyrocketagain because of mega election rallies of BJP, being the 2nd super spreader after the Kumbh Mela that was attracting 1 million devotees a day with a total of 100 million celebrants in a month -long festivitieswith no mask andno social distancing!BJP gave a full-page advertisement in local and national newspapers with Modi’s picture to invite people for Kumbh Mela and election rallies. All of this was done when the country was already grappling with a COVID-19 exponential surge on day-to-day basis.

    BJP gave a full-page advertisement in local and national newspapers with Modi’s picture to invite people for Kumbh Mela. (Image : Courtesy TheHindu, March 31,2021)
    Amit Shah at a road show in Bengal, April 21,2021
    No mask, no social distancing!.. Compare this with a strict lockdown when India had just over 500 cases.

    Since 2014, there is a Hindu vs minority, including lower castes, Hindus and especially Muslims, narrative being promoted in India. It is a narrative to turn Indians against each other; to turn fellow countrymen against each other that they must hate each other based on their religion and caste. This is a sloppy, lazy and promiscuous argument that has been spreading in India since Modi took power in 2014. After the infections crossed 100,000 in a single day on April 6, 2021, Serum Institute asked for Rs 3,000 crore grant from the government so they can increase production. On April 21,2021, CEO of Serum Institute of India Adar Poonawalla told CNBC-TV18 on a question of price of vaccine. He said that GOI had only contracted for 100 million doses. Once the supplies were completed,SII revised the price. The new prices are Rs150 for the Center, Rs 400 for states and Rs 600 for Private Hospitals.

    What Corona did last year –the first wave in India- that was just a trailer of a Tsunami. Because the first wave virus strain came from abroad. The basic immunity level of Indians is a little higher because 70-80% have been living in poor hygienic conditions, breathing foul air and drinking contaminatedwater. These are some of the benefitsof growing up in an immature country!

    Modi ignored the warnings of epidemiologists who insisted that India would see a deadly second wave of Covid.The second wave has three major strains – they are so indigenous that they have mutated Indians in their immune system like in non-home ground adventure. It means, the Second Wave with domestic viruses ismuch more aggressive and much more infectious” and was now predominately affecting young people. Now it is people in their 20s and 30s who are having very severe symptoms and themortality rate among the young people is high.  There is a shortage of beds, shortage of oxygen, shortage of drugs, shortage of vaccines, shortage of testing. Some have died waiting in the hospitals for want of oxygen. Some others died at the hospital entrances waiting to be admitted for necessary treatment.

    India’s health scenario: 3 on a bed in a hospital.
    A Covid patient waits in a car for admittance to the hospital in Ahmedabad.

    India is going to have catastrophic loss of human lives in the coming months and Modi is responsible for all lives lost till now and the ones that will be lost. Modi’s incompetence to deal with the fearful situation can no longer be hidden. It speaks loud in his lack of any vision or plan to deal with the crisis, his criminal negligence of the urgent health care needs of the people in preference for his favorite sport-electioneering- and the mad desire to win elections. He should be held responsible forculpable homicide of thousands upon thousands of children, young men and young women,old men and old women of India. Will justice be done?

    (Compiled & Edited by Dave Makkar)

     

  • Budget session curtailed due to state polls; LS output 114%

    Budget session curtailed due to state polls; LS output 114%

    New Delhi (TIP): Parliament was on March 25 adjourned sine die with the Budget session cut short by 14 days in view of the Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry. The second leg of the session, which began on March 8, was scheduled to end on the April 8. Members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha had urged the government to curtail the session keeping in view of state elections. The demand had become stronger after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla tested positive for Covid-19. After Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Ravneet Singh said, “The Budget session is going on… the entire country is watching. Should we meet the PM in a West Bengal rally?” Even as Minister of State of Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal was telling Ravneet Singh that this was “not correct as the PM had been attending” the proceedings, PM Modi walked into the House. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and several Cabinet ministers were also present on the occasion. In his valedictory speech, presiding officer Bhartruhari Mahtab said 18 Bills were passed and 17 introduced in the House. The productivity of the Lok Sabha stood at 114 per cent during the Budget session and 146 MPs participated in the discussion on the Union Budget, he said. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the Upper House functioned for 104 hours as against the total scheduled time of 116 hours. “Against a total of 33 sittings scheduled, from January 29 to April 8, we are concluding it after having 23 sittings,” he said. The Budget session provided the members of this House an opportunity to deliberate on issues concerning economic growth and recovery, particularly in the post-Covid phase, he said. In a media briefing, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Budget session remained highly productive due to the cooperation of parliamentarians from all parties. The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Bill for setting up the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said despite remaining out of purview of the “3Cs” (CBI, CVC and CAG), it would not be beyond oversight. It would submit its audited reports to both Houses of Parliament besides being duty-bound to submit these as and when sought by the government, she said.                 Source: TNS