Lok Sabha proceedings disrupted as DMK members protest over Pradhan's remarks
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New Delhi (PTI): Lok Sabha proceedings were on Monday adjourned for about 30 minutes after DMK members staged protests over Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's remarks that the Tamil Nadu government was "dishonest" on the issue of implementing the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme.
Replying to a question on the PM SHRI scheme, Pradhan said the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has changed its stand on implementing the centrally-sponsored scheme which envisaged strengthening the schools managed by central, state or local bodies.
The state concerned has to sign an MoU with the central government that it would implement the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and in return the central government provides the fund.
"The Tamil Nadu government had initially agreed to sign the MoU. But now they have changed the stand. Many non-BJP-ruled states, including Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, have signed the agreement," he said.
Pradhan said: "They are dishonest and they are ruining the future of the students of Tamil Nadu. They are doing politics".
The minister said at one point of time, the government of Tamil Nadu had agreed to PM SHRI scheme and several (DMK) MPs, who came to see him, conveyed this to him.
"But when they went back, they made a U-Turn. They are doing mischief with the life of the students. They are misleading the people and doing injustice to students of Tamil Nadu. They are undemocratic, uncivilised," he alleged.
Pradhan said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin had also agreed initially "but suddenly some super CM appeared and they took a U-Turn. They just want to do politics".
"Today is March 10. We have still 20 days left in the month of March," he said, indicating the time left for the Tamil Nadu government to sign the MoU on PM SHRI.
Taking strong exception to the minister's remarks, the DMK members registered strong protests by raising slogans against the central government.
Speaker Om Birla asked the agitating members to return to their seats and allow the House to function normally.
Birla said he has given the opposition members opportunity to pose questions and subsequently the minister has replied. "But now you are doing this (protests). This is not good. You are setting wrong precedence. Don't violate the Parliamentary procedures," he said.
However, the DMK members ignored his pleas and continued their protests.
After sometime, Birla adjourned the House till 12 noon.
Last month, Stalin had said he was firm on his stance of not implementing the NEP in Tamil Nadu even if the Centre offered to provide Rs 10,000 crore to the state.
The chief minister said the opposition to the NEP is not merely over the "imposition of Hindi" but there are several other factors that would have serious consequences on the future of students and the social justice system.
The total cost of the PM SHRI scheme will be Rs 27,360 crore spread over a period of five years which includes central share of Rs 18,128 crore.
A total of 12,079 schools have been selected from 32 states and UTs of which 1329 schools are primary, 3,340 schools are elementary, 2,921 schools are secondary and 4,489 schools are senior secondary.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
