Opposition holds protest against suspension of MPs from Parliament
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday alleged that Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had brought casteism to Parliament, after the Vice President had slammed a TMC leader's mimicry of him and called it an insult to his background as a farmer and Jat.
Kharge made the remarks after opposition MPs marched to Vijay Chowk from Parliament to protest the suspension of 143 MPs from the House.
The Congress president, flanked by MPs and leaders of INDIA bloc parties, alleged that it was a matter of breach of privilege of the House that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken outside Parliament while it was in session and did not apprise the House over the Lok Sabha security breach incident.
"We wanted to raise Parliament security breach issue as to why it happened and who is responsible," Kharge said.
The opposition wanted to speak on the issue but Prime Minister Modi and Home minister Shah did not turn up, even as the PM continued to make speeches elsewhere, Kharge said.
INDIA bloc leaders will protest at Jantar Mantar Friday against suspension of MPs and nationwide protests will also be held in all district headquarters against the government's "immoral and illegal" behaviour of this government.
He also alleged that the government doesn't want the House to function.
In an apparent reference to the mimicry issue and Dhankhar's remarks on it, Kharge said, "I am sorry to say that the Rajya Sabha Chairman has in a way brought casteism to Parliament by raising an issue."
A political row broke out on Tuesday after Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerjee derisively mimicked Dhankhar during the opposition's protest on the stairs of Parliament against the MPs' suspension, drawing strong condemnation from the ruling BJP.
Dhankhar had given vent to his anguish in Rajya Sabha, saying he was personally hurt as his farmer and Jat backgrounds were targeted.
Two more opposition members in Lok Sabha were suspended on Wednesday for displaying placards, taking the total number of members of the lower House against whom such action has been taken to 97.
With these fresh suspensions, the total number of members suspended from the Lok Sabha as well as the Rajya Sabha since December 14 has gone up to 143.
After two men jumped in the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13 and released smoke from canisters, the opposition has been disrupting House proceedings demanding a statement from Shah on the security breach.
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Hare Krishna temple in Bengaluru belongs to ISKCON Society Bengaluru: SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday held that the Hare Krishna temple in Bengaluru belongs to the ISKCON Society in the city.
The top court allowed the plea of ISKCON Bangalore challenging a Karnataka High Court order that ruled in favour of ISKCON Mumbai over control of the iconic Hare Krishna temple and educational complex in Bengaluru.
A bench comprising Justices A S Oka and Augustine George Masih delivered the verdict.
ISKCON Bangalore had moved the top court on June 2, 2011 challenging the high court's verdict of May 23, 2011.
In the plea, ISKCON Bangalore, represented by its office-bearer Kodandarama Dasa, contested the high court judgment that overturned a 2009 order of a local court in Bengaluru.
The trial court had earlier ruled in favour of ISKCON Bangalore, recognising its legal title and granting a permanent injunction against ISKCON Mumbai.
However, the high court reversed this ruling and upheld a counterclaim by ISKCON Mumbai, effectively granting them control over the temple.
The legal tussle pits two societies with similar names and spiritual missions against each other.
ISKCON Bangalore, a Karnataka-registered society, contends that it has been operating independently and managing the Bengaluru temple for decades.
ISKCON Mumbai, registered under the national Societies Registration Act of 1860 and the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950, claims that ISKCON Bangalore is merely its branch and that the property in question rightfully belongs under its jurisdiction.
