Report on Waqf bill tabled in Rajya Sabha amid uproar
New Delhi (PTI): The report of the joint committee of Parliament on the Waqf bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha amid uproar on Thursday, with the proceedings briefly adjourned following a heated debate between the treasury and the opposition benches.
Opposition MPs led by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that dissent notes were deleted from the report, a charge denied by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was tabled by BJP member Medha Vishram Kulkarni, a member of the panel.
The tabling of the report was followed by uproar by members from the opposition benches.
The clamour continued as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar tried to read out a message from President Droupadi Murmu.
"Don't show disrespect to the president of India..." Dhankhar said and urged Kharge to ask the opposition members to take their seats.
As the uproar continued, the Upper House was adjourned till 11:20 am.
When the Upper House reconvened, the chairman read out the message from the president that she had received the expression of thanks by members of the Rajya Sabha on her address to a joint sitting of Parliament on January 31.
When the chairman tried to proceed with the Zero Hour, opposition members continued to protest and some MPs trooped into the well of the House.
Leader of the House JP Nadda regretted that the Rajya Sabha was not in order when the president's message was read out.
Chairman Dhankhar said Samirul Islam, Nadimul Haque and M Mohamed Abdulla "created chaos and disruption in the House".
Kharge was then called to speak.
The Congress chief said the dissent notes of opposition MPs in the report on the Waqf bill was redacted from the report.
"The report of the joint committee of Parliament on Waqf… in which several members had given their dissent note has been taken out. Bulldozing the report by only keeping the views of the majority members is not right. It is condemnable, anti-democratic," he said.
Calling it a "fake report", he said it should be withdrawn and sent back to a committee.
The MPs are protesting not for personal reasons but because of the injustice being done to a community, he said.
"This is not about any individual... These MPs are not protesting for their own sake, they are protesting for the community against which injustice is being done," Kharge said.
DMK's Tiruchi Siva and AAP's Sanjay Singh also objected to the alleged removal of dissent notes from the report.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju, however, denied the charge.
"There is no deletion or removal of any part of the report. Don't mislead the House. Opposition members (are) making unnecessary issues. The allegation is false," he said.
Union ministers Bhupender Yadav and Nirmala Sitharaman also accused the opposition parties of misleading the Upper House, prompting another heated exchange between the treasury and the opposition benches.
The Congress' Syed Nasir Hussain accused Rijiju -- who is also the Union minority affairs minister -- of misleading the House and said, "My own dissent note has been redacted."
TMC member Saket Gokhale said it was not a "religious" but a "Constitutional issue".
Rijiju reiterated that the report had all annexures and nothing was taken out.
The opposition MPs then staged a walkout and the House proceeded with the Question Hour.
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Rajnath, Shah, other Union ministers change social media profile photos to 'Op Sindoor' logo
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other top ministers on Thursday changed the display pictures on their social media profiles to mark the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor following a call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The prime minister, earlier in the day, shared a digital poster depicting the now widely recognised logo of Operation Sindoor and urged others to do the same as a mark of respect to the armed forces.
Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, with Indian forces conducting precision strikes on multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
After launching the military operation, the Indian Army, in a post on X, at 1:51 am on May 7 had said, "Justice is served. Jai Hind!"
On its first anniversary, the Indian military on Thursday said, Operation Sindoor -- "precise in action, eternal in memory" -- reflected the country's determination to defend its sovereignty with courage, coordination and strength.
The Army, the Navy, the Indian Air Force, the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) and the defence ministry also updated the display pictures on their social media profiles to mark the anniversary.
Defence Minister Singh, while updating his profile photo on X, said Operation Sindoor stands as a "powerful symbol" of national resolve and preparedness, and that their actions reflected unmatched precision, and set a "benchmark" for modern military operations.
"On the anniversary of Operation Sindoor, we salute the valour and sacrifices of our armed forces, whose courage and dedication continue to safeguard the nation. Their actions during the operation reflected unmatched precision, seamless jointness and deep synergy across services, setting a benchmark for modern military operations," he wrote.
"Operation Sindoor stands as a powerful symbol of national resolve and preparedness, showing that our armed forces are always ready to act decisively when it matters most. It also stands testament to India’s steady advance towards achieving #Atmanirbharta, enhancing capability while reinforcing resilience," he added.
The Ministry of External Affairs, led by its minister Jaishankar, also marked the anniversary, and reasserted and amplified India's diplomatic stand on this operation.
"A year ago, #OperationSindoor demonstrated the nation's resolve to defend itself against cross-border terrorism from Pakistan. With its decisive actions, India ensured accountability for terrorist actions. And underlined that such a serious threat to peace and security will be effectively countered. Under the leadership of PM @narendramodi, India stands strong and determined to convey a message of zero tolerance for terrorism," the EAM posted on X.
Earlier in a separate post, Jaishankar too changed his profile picture and posted an image of the Operation Sindoor logo on the timeline.
Home Minister Shah, in a post on X, said, "Operation Sindoor stands as an epochal mission of India that will always remind our enemies of the infallible striking power of our armed forces."
After Indian forces had launched the operation in the early hours of May 7, Pakistan later also launched offensives against India, and all subsequent counter-offensives by India were also carried out under Operation Sindoor.
The military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, lasting nearly 88 hours, halted after they reached an understanding on the evening of May 10.
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi and Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil too updated their profile photos.
The Indian Army in an early morning post wrote, "#OperationSindoor India's resolute response calibrated and precise. Committed to safeguarding sovereignty and its people. #JusticeServed Jai Hind".
It also shared a video clip encapsulating the circumstances that led to the decisive military action in the early hours of May 7 last year, as well as some footage offering a glimpse to the military might of India.
"India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers," PM Modi had earlier said in his address, whose excerpt is part of the widely shared clip.
Recalling the military action launched on the intervening night of May 6-7, the Indian Air Force put out the anniversary post on X at 1:05 AM.
"Operation Sindoor Justice served. Precise in action, eternal in memory-Operation Sindoor continues. India forgets nothing-India forgives nothing. #operation #Sindoor #operationsindoor #IAF," the IAF posted.
The Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) also posted the anniversary message at 1:05 AM, saying, "Symbol of national resolve #OpSindoor JAI HIND #OpSindoor #indianarmedforces #NationalSecurity".
The Indian embassies in the US, the UK, Spain, France, Germany and Italy also updated their display pictures on their social media profiles.
The embassies in France, Germany, Spain and Italy posted on X in French, German and Italian, amplifying the message of the Indian leadership on Operation Sindoor's anniversary in the respective countries.
The Indian Embassy in the UK posted on X, "One year of #OperationSindoor A tribute to India’s resolve, unity, and unwavering stand against terrorism. Saluting the courage and sacrifice of our armed forces who protect the nation with pride and honor. #OpSindoor #IndiaAgainstTerrorism #IndianArmedForces #NationalSecurity #IndiaFirst #SaluteOurForces #JaiHind #OperationSindoorContinues".
The Indian embassy in Israel also changed its profile photo on X and reposted PM Modi's post, and the X account of the embassy in Iran too changed the display picture to the logo of Operation Sindoor.
The Indian Navy in an early morning post on X said Operation Sindoor reflected India's determination to defend its sovereignty with courage and strength.
"Nation's Resolve. Forces United In moments that test a nation's will, the Indian Defence Forces stand united - resolute in purpose, precise in action and unwavering in commitment. #OperationSindoor reflects India's determination to defend its sovereignty with courage, coordination and strength. #OpSindoor #NationFirst #IndianNavy @HQ_IDS_India @adgpi @IAF_MCC," the Navy posted and changed its profile photo.
