Punjab: Locals block traffic in protest against LPG crisis
Phagwara (PTI): Angry locals blocked vehicular traffic for about 15 minutes near Bhagwan Valmiki Chowk on Phagwara-Hoshiarpur road here on Friday, citing an alleged shortage of cooking gas.
Eyewitness accounts said that the blockade caused significant inconvenience to commuters.
The disruption was resolved after the intervention of Phagwara Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Bharat Bhushan and the traffic police.
Shouting slogans against the government and some unscrupulous elements allegedly black marketing of LPG cylinders, several protesters claimed that they had been going without LPG cylinders for the last several weeks.
They specifically mentioned a nearby gas agency, claiming they had been instructed to book gas online either early in the morning or late at night.
"Even though we have booked the cylinders, we are forced to make repeated visits to the gas agency without receiving gas," an angry local stated.
They complained that well-connected individuals were able to obtain LPG cylinders with just a phone call, while the less fortunate were struggling to secure their supply.
The shutters of the gas agency in question were closed, and no statement could be obtained from its owner.
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Defeat of Constitution Amendment Bill betrayal of nation's woman power: Adityanath
Lucknow (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath termed the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha "betrayal of the woman power" of the nation.
A Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated on Friday.
In a post on X in Hindi, late on Friday night, Adityanath said, "Today, a dark chapter has been added to the history of India's great democracy. The Opposition's obstruction of the passage of the Constitutional Amendment Bill essential for the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' is a blow to the honour of 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India). It is a betrayal of the entire woman power of the nation; it is an infringement upon their democratic rights.
"The Congress-led 'INDI' alliance has exposed its anti-women mindset. The women of the nation are watching and understanding everything. They will remember this deceit and injustice, and when the time comes, they will surely give a reply. Under the leadership of our Prime Minister @narendramodi ji, the NDA alliance will continue its unwavering efforts to protect the honour, dignity, and rights of women, and to ensure their empowerment."
While 298 members voted in support of the Bill in the Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. The Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
This was for the first time that a Bill under the Modi government was defeated in Parliament.
