Congress gives breach of privilege notice over PM Modi's remarks on Nehru surname
New Delhi, Mar 17: Congress leader K C Venugopal on Friday gave Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar a breach of privilege notice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on why former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's family did not use his surname.
The prime minister's remarks were made during his reply to the motion of thanks on the president's address in the Rajya Sabha on February 9 during the first part of the budget session.
"I hereby give a notice of question of privilege against the prime minister of India under Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Council of States (Rajya Sabha) for having cast reflections upon members of Parliament during his reply to the motion of thanks on the president's address on February 9, 2023," Venugopal said in his notice.
He alleged that the remarks prima facie were made in a mocking manner and were not only disgraceful but also insulting and defamatory vis-a-vis members of the Nehru family, particularly Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who are members of the Lok Sabha.
Venugopal said in his notice that the very suggestion by the prime minister on why they did not take Nehru as a surname is "preposterous" by its very nature.
The prime minister, he said, knows very well that the surname of the father is not taken by daughter.
"Despite knowing that, he deliberately mocked....The tone and tenor of the remark is insinuating and derogatory in nature. This clearly amounts to casting reflections upon Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by the prime minister, which breaches upon their privileges and also tantamounts to contempt of the house.
"I seek privilege proceedings against Shri Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, for having made derogatory, insulting, distasteful and defamatory remarks against Smt Sonia Gandhi and Shri Rahul Gandhi which has amounted to breach of their privileges and also contempt of the house," the Congress Rajya Sabha member said in his notice.
The BJP has been demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi after the party launched a major offensive against him over his "democracy under threat" remarks made recently in London. The party alleged that the former Congress chief has defamed India and its institutions on foreign soil.
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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.
The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.
The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.
Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.
“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.
“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.
Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.
“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.
“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.
Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.
Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.
“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.
“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”
Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.
In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.
“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.
“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.
