© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Beloved Bengal: Three words from Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had MPs smiling on Monday afternoon. While Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien was speaking on the government’s appropriation Bills, he spoke of his “beloved state of Bengal”. Before O’Brien could continue, Dhankhar corrected him by adding, “our beloved state”.
Members could be heard laughing — one MP remarked that Dhankhar, who had been West Bengal Governor before becoming the Vice-President earlier this year, loved the state “even more”. As Governor, Dhankhar had his share of run-ins with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Active and intervening: Always an active member in Lok Sabha, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday made some interesting interventions. When DMK member Kanimozhi rose to raise an issue of public importance, she complained that not one Cabinet minister was present to listen to the MPs. Before the presiding officer reacted, Dubey pointed out that the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeast, Kishan Reddy, was present. And, Dubey said, “he is a Cabinet minister.”
Later, when BJP’s Ratan Lal Kataria was called to raise his matter, and Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the Chair, greeted him on his birthday, Dubey said: “Sir, it is not his actual birthday. I heard him saying so.”
Weak, er, weaker: The BJP, which had earlier identified 140 ‘weak’ seats and sent Union ministers and senior leaders to focus on them ahead of 2024 elections, has now decided to increase the number to 160. The ministers and the senior leaders were visiting the 140 constituencies that were divided into various clusters frequently to monitor booth-level activities of the party and the implementation of the Centre-initiated welfare schemes under its “pravas programme”.
The top leadership has now decided to extend the programme to 20 more seats — to be identified and assigned to various leaders — as the party foresees challenges for Lok Sabha elections, it is learnt.
