CM office in Congress-run states promoting corruption: Anurag Thakur
Hamirpur (HP)(PTI): Corruption has been "promoted" in the office of the chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, Union Minister Anurag Thakur alleged on Saturday, rejecting the opposition's criticism of the ED action in the two states.
He also hit out at TMC MP Mahua Moitra, facing allegations of 'cash for query' levelled by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, and said she should appear before the parliamentary committee that has summoned her and record her statement.
Thakur targeted the Congress governments in poll-bound Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan on the issue of corruption.
Over the last few months, the Enforcement Directorate has claimed to have unearthed coal levy, liquor duty and illegal online betting app "scams" in Chhattisgarh which has a Congress government led by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Also, the ED this week raided the premises of Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra in Jaipur and Sikar as part of a money laundering probe into the alleged exam paper leak case and summoned Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's son in a foreign exchange violation case.
The Congress has alleged political vendetta and that the ED action was linked to the elections in the two states.
"Corruption is being promoted by the governments in Congress-ruled states and if action is taken, the Union government is blamed for it," Thakur told reporters.
Congress party has "miserably failed to deliver and all the guarantees promised by the Congress leaders on the eve of the last assembly polls in 2022 in Himachal were false," the Information and Broadcasting minister said.
Referring to TMC MP Mahua Moitra, the Union minister that when someone is summoned by the parliamentary committee, that person should go to record their statement.
He said that if Mahua has made a mistake then the people of the country have the right to know "why the MPs are being sold".
"Will the country's Parliament now be run by corporate houses," he said while targeting Moitra who has been accused of taking bribes from a businessman to ask questions in Lok Sabha. The TMC MP had denied any wrongdoing.
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What happens to terms Keralite, Keralan: Tharoor's witty take on Keralam replacing Kerala
New Delhi (PTI): Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had a witty take on Kerala's name change on Tuesday, asking what happens now to the terms "Keralite" and "Keralan" for the "denizens" of the new "Keralam".
In a lighter vein, Tharoor said 'Keralamite' sounds like a microbe and 'Keralamian' like a rare earth mineral.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved the proposal for altering the name of Kerala to Keralam.
Ahead of the Cabinet decision announcement, Tharoor said, "All to the good, no doubt, but a small linguistic question for the Anglophones among us: what happens now to the terms 'Keralite' and 'Keralan' for the denizens of the new 'Keralam'?
"'Keralamite' sounds like a microbe and 'Keralamian' like a rare earth mineral ! @CMOKerala might want to launch a competition for new terms resulting from this electoral zeal," he said, sharing the media report on the name change.
The Legislative Assembly of Kerala passed a resolution on June 24, 2024 to alter the name of Kerala to Keralam'.
Thereafter, the government of Kerala requested the government of India to take necessary steps to amend the First Schedule to the Constitution by altering the name of Kerala to Keralam according to Article 3 of the Constitution.
The matter regarding the alteration of the name Kerala to Keralam was considered in the Ministry of Home Affairs, government of India and with the approval of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the draft note for the Cabinet for changing Kerala to Keralam was circulated to the Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, and the Ministry of Law and Justice for their comments.
The Department of Legal Affairs and Legislative Department, and the Ministry of Law and Justice have concurred with the proposal for the alteration of Kerala as Keralam.
After approval of the Union Cabinet, the president of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under the proviso to Article 3 of the Constitution of India.
After receipt of the views of the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala, the government of India will take further action and the recommendation of the president will be obtained for the introduction of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 for the alteration of Kerala as Keralam in Parliament.
Meanwhile, on Monday night, Tharoor said he was truly pleased to see C Rajagopalachari honoured by a statue at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
"He was its first Indian occupant as the only Indian Governor-General of India, before we became a Republic and he yielded his seat to the new President. I have long admired his convictions and was a strong supporter of his Swatantra Party in my student days," Tharoor said.
"His set of values and principles -- liberal economics and support for free enterprise, combined with social justice; strong anchoring in Indian civilization and religious faith but without a shred of communal bigotry; and a staunch faith in the rights & freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, including keeping the government out of our kitchens, bedrooms and libraries -- remain mine to this day," the Congress MP said.
It is sad that there are so few left to follow him today, Tharoor added on X.
