Nehru sat through debate, requested more time for oppn: Cong slams Rijiju for 1954 comparison
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress slammed Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday for contrasting the 10 hours allocated for a debate on the resolution for the Lok Sabha speaker's removal with the two-and-a-half-hour debate on a similar resolution in 1954, saying Jawaharlal Nehru had then requested the bulk of the time be allotted to the opposition.
The debate is likely to conclude on Wednesday with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's response to the resolution.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, said that in Tuesday's debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion for the removal of the Speaker, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Rijiju proudly claimed that 10 hours had been allotted for the debate, whereas in December 1954, only 2.5 hours had been set aside for a similar motion.
"What he forgot to mention was that on December 18, 1954, the prime minister himself sat through and took part in the debate. While speaking, Jawaharlal Nehru requested the deputy speaker, who was presiding in the House, that the bulk of the time should be allotted to the opposition," Ramesh said on X.
When the motion was moved in the Lok Sabha on December 1, 1954, the Congress had 364 MPs in a House of 489 members, he pointed out.
"On December 18, 1954 (as on later occasions in 1966 and 1987), there was a deputy speaker in the Chair in the Lok Sabha while the motion against the Speaker was being debated. Since mid-2019, there has been no deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha, which is a clear violation of the Constitution," Ramesh said.
Intervening in the debate on the resolution for the removal of Om Birla from the Speaker's post, Rijiju on Wednesday slammed TMC's Saugata Roy for questioning the decision on who will preside over the proceedings during the discussion on the opposition's resolution.
"Such senior MPs should know that in 1954, when the opposition party brought a resolution against G V Mavalankar, a full day's time was demanded for discussion. Jawaharlal Nehru had allocated an hour and a half.
"There was a lot of debate over it, and finally, a consensus was reached on a two-hour discussion. Within that two-hour time, the minister had 15 minutes. Today, we are having a discussion for two days. This government is not going to run away. You are comparing a two-and-a-half-hour discussion with a two-day debate," Rijiju said.
Hitting back at the BJP leader, Ramesh shared on X a screenshot of the 1954 debate's transcript.
It quoted the prime minister Nehru as saying, "Normally you do adopt some kind of proportion, but I would like to submit that in this particular case, more time should be allowed to the opposition than to the government benches.
"We do not wish to take too much time, and I hope the hon. members on this side will not take up too much time of the House in their speeches. Naturally, we will have to say something, which we will do. But. I would submit for your consideration that the Opposition should have more time," Nehru had said.
The ruling NDA on Tuesday strongly defended Speaker Om Birla in the Lok Sabha, asserting that the resolution for his removal was brought only "to create spectacular headlines", while the opposition accused him of partisanship, claiming he made "baseless" allegations about certain women MPs and did not permit Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to express his views on "critical issues".
Participating in the debate on the resolution, several opposition MPs said Birla has good relations with members but stressed that they want him to conduct the House proceedings "fairly" without succumbing to "pressure" from the government, as they questioned his decisions on the suspension of their colleagues.
Treasury bench members, however, insisted that Birla was impartial and that the opposition MPs faced action due to their improper conduct.
Though the Constitution allows the Speaker to be present in the House to defend himself or herself and to vote, Birla preferred to stay away from Tuesday's proceedings.
In yesterday's debate in the Lok Sabha on the motion for the removal of the Speaker, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs proudly claimed that 10 hours has been allotted for the debate whereas in Dec 1954, only 2.5 hours had been set aside for a similar motion. What he forgot to… https://t.co/ZyLjtK4an7
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 11, 2026
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
