Irani targets Rahul for remarks on hospital for Odisha
Bhubaneswar, June 26: Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday targeted Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on the issue of setting up a multi-specialty hospital in Odisha.
"Congress party's claim that they are for development is ironical. The Congress President even failed to ensure health services for the voters and citizens of Amethi (the constituency of Gandhi)," Irani told reporters here.
Gandhi had attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he had failed to keep his promise of establishing a multi-specialty hospital in Rourkela.
He said Muktikant Biswal, a resident of Muktikanta, walked 1,350 km to Delhi to remind the Prime Minister of his poll promise.
Underlining that the Central government had announced the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the last budget, she hoped that the Odisha government would respond to the health needs of the people of the state and diligently ensure that the health scheme was implemented at the grassroots.
The Union Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would achieve its mission of securing more than 120 seats in the Odisha Assembly elections.
She said the overwhelming support of the people of the state would help the party achieve its goal.
"There are indicators of failure in health, education and law and order in Odisha. On the other hand, there is good governance by the BJP in other states. The BJP will achieve its goal due to these indications of failure," she added.
National BJP President Amit Shah has set a target to secure 120+ seats in the 147-member Odisha Assembly in the 2019 elections.
Irani also criticised the Congress party for imposing Emergency, which she termed a "Black Day" in the history of Indian democracy.
She also remembered the contributions of intellectuals, freedom fighters and leaders from Odisha in safeguarding democracy during the 1975 Emergency.
"After 43 years of Emergency, people should remember it and it should be a day of pledge so that history is not repeated," said Irani.
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Lok Sabha extends tenure of parliamentary panel on Waqf bill
New Delhi (PTI): The Lok Sabha on Thursday adopted a resolution to extend the tenure of the Joint Committee on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill till the last day of the Budget session of Parliament next year.
Committee Chairman and BJP leader Jagdambika Pal moved the resolution in the Lok Sabha, which approved it with a voice vote.
The parliamentary panel’s meetings have become a virtual battleground between the opposition and the ruling party members, who have been vociferously debating the changes to the Waqf Bill proposed by the government.
On Wednesday, the opposition members of the committee staged a walkout and slammed Pal for asserting that the panel's draft report was ready.
Pal and the BJP members of the committee then reached out to opposition members and indicated their willingness to press for an extension of the committee's deadline of November 29 to submit its report to the Lok Sabha.
The Lok Sabha had constituted the committee on August 8 and asked to submit its report on the last day of the first week of the Winter session, which is on Friday.
Following the last meeting of the committee on November 21, Pal had said its draft report is ready. He indicated that the committee's consultation with stakeholders is over and its members will now discuss the report and suggest changes, if any, before it is adopted.
The opposition members took strong exception to this stand in Wednesday's meeting and soon stormed out. They claimed that Birla had assured them that its tenure would be extended.
Opposition parties have stridently criticised the amendments proposed by the bill in the existing Waqf Act, alleging they violate the religious rights of Muslims.
The ruling BJP has asserted that the amendments will bring transparency in the functioning of the waqf boards and make them accountable.
