Cong urges Birla not to dub farmers' media byte in Parl premises as violation, cites past instances
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday not to regard an interaction of farmer leaders with the media after they met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Parliament complex last week as a violation of decorum, and cited past instances of women filmstars and others interacting with reporters after the women's reservation bill was tabled in the House.
In a letter to Birla, Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said when Gandhi was speaking during a discussion on the Union Budget 2024-25 on July 29, he was told that the decorum of the institution of Parliament was violated when the farmers who had come to meet him spoke to the media.
"First of all, I must point out that non-parliamentarians have spoken to the media earlier too on many occasions. Several women filmstars, artists and sportspersons were invited when the women's reservation bill was introduced, and they had hailed the government's move while speaking to the media," Venugopal said in the letter, according to sources in the Congress.
The Congress had not objected then or on other occasions when visitors to Parliament, including chief ministers and former MPs, spoke with the media, Venugopal pointed out in the letter to the speaker, the sources said.
The opposition party believes that the voice of citizens, whether they are farmers or politicians, strengthens democracy rather than compromising the dignity of Parliament in any way, he said.
"I, on behalf of Indian National Congress, urge you that farmers' interaction with media should not be dubbed as violation of the Parliament's decorum. We should be large-hearted to our 'annadatas' and not be resentful of their right to express themselves, even if in the Parliament premises," Venugopal said in the letter.
"And if the adherence of rules is insisted upon, it should be applicable to all irrespective of their political hue," he added, according to the sources.
During Gandhi's speech, Birla had said one should not raise questions on the arrangements of the House, who to allow and who not to.
In the House, no one other than an honourable member can give a soundbyte and the farmers gave a byte in Gandhi's presence, Birla had said.
A delegation comprising 12 farmer leaders from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka met Gandhi in the Parliament House complex last Wednesday and later, interacted with the media.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
