'New low': Deve Gowda expresses anguish over shouting, name-calling and sloganeering in Parliament
Bengaluru (PTI): Expressing anguish over disruptions in Parliament, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Thursday said democracy can be saved only if everybody maintains dignity and decorum.
The 90-year-old JD(S) supremo, who is also a Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, voiced his displeasure about the shouting, name-calling and sloganeering that are marring parliamentary proceedings these days.
"I came to attend Parliament despite ill-health, but have been very disappointed by what is happening. From my long experience, I say this is a new low. Democracy can be saved only if everybody maintains dignity and decorum," Gowda said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Shouting, name-calling, sloganeering will only destroy what is left of our system," he said.
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday after Leader of Opposition M Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a discussion under Rule 167 on Manipur and insisted on the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the House.
Members of the ruling parties were on their feet protesting against Kharge's demand.
On this, Kharge said, "What will happen if the prime minister comes to the House? Is he 'paramatma' (almighty)? He is not God."
Sloganeering from ruling benches intensified after Kharge's remark on the PM. Amid the ruckus, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the House till 2 pm.
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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.
