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Journalism of Courage
When many party colleagues were struggling to figure out the entry and seating arrangements, among others, on the first day in the new Parliament building, Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram had something else in his mind: he was looking for the new canteen. “I am hungry. I have to find out where I will get food,” he was heard telling party colleagues. Since MPs had to reach the old Parliament House for the photo session before 9.30 am Tuesday, many had left home without breakfast. With the function in the Central Hall continuing until lunchtime, and the Lok Sabha scheduled to begin soon thereafter, many were heard complaining. But Karti managed to locate the canteen and had mutton biryani, thus becoming the first MP-customer of the new canteen.
As the simultaneous polls panel chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind gets ready for its first meeting Saturday, the committee’s secretariat is being set up by the Union Law Ministry at the Jodhpur Hostel office complex near India Gate. Security on the premises, which has offices of the Tourism Ministry, the Central Vista Oversight Committee, and the National Disaster Response Force, has been strengthened. CISF personnel have been deputed and entry of visitors has been stopped. The panel’s name, though, has not been added to the signboard yet — apparently to avoid marking the site for potential protesters.
At the new Parliament building, MPs were welcomed with a special hamper — a jute bag with a copy of the Constitution, a booklet, a stamp and a commemorative coin. The booklet names all MPs till date and details of the new complex, with notes from President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. The names of MPs were inscribed on the jute bags.
