"Is it sex when brother and sister, mother and son kisses?"
Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi defends Azam Khan
Nawada (Bihar), Jul 28: Former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday defended Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan's remarks against BJP MP Rama Devi in Lok Sabha, saying they were not taken in the right spirit.
"When brothers and sisters, mothers and sons meet and plant a kiss by way of affection, the gesture is not seen as having sexual overtones. Azam Khan's words are not being taken in the right spirit," Manjhi told reporters.
The Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) leader said Azam need not resign but should tender an apology to put an end to the matter.
"I therefore hold the opinion that he need not resign but since all parties have objections he should tender an apology and be done with the matter," Manjhi, who was on a tour of Newada, said.
Participating in the debate on the triple talaq bill on Thursday in Lok Sabha, Khan had referred to the intervention of Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and read out a couplet "... tu idhar-udhar ki baat na kar ..." (do not divert from the topic).
At this, Rama Devi, who was presiding over the proceedings, asked Khan not to "look here and there" and address the Chair.
To this, the SP member made sexist remarks at the Chair, triggering acrimonious scenes.
The remarks were expunged from the records.
Members in Lok Sabha condemned the remarks by Khan against the Bihar MP and demanded exemplary action against him.
Khan was informed on Friday to appear before Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on July 29 and tender an unconditional apology in the House, sources had said.
Rama Devi had said that an apology was not enough and Khan should be suspended from the House for five years.
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US VP JD Vance says Lebanon not part of ceasefire, calls it ‘misunderstanding’
Budapest/Washington: US Vice President J D Vance has said that Lebanon was never included in the ceasefire understanding with Iran, describing the confusion as a “legitimate misunderstanding”.
Speaking to reporters before departing from Hungary, Vance said, “I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn’t. We never made that promise.”
He stressed that the United States had not included Lebanon in the scope of the ceasefire at any stage.
His remarks come amid continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where more than 200 people were reported killed, even as ceasefire talks between Iran and the US move forward.
Vance said Israel had “offered … to check themselves a little bit in Lebanon because they want to make sure that our negotiation is successful”.
He warned that if Iran allows the situation in Lebanon to affect the negotiations, it could derail the talks.
“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart in a conflict where they were getting hammered over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.
