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Journalism of Courage
As MP after MP took turns to praise Lok Sabha Secretary-General G.C. Malhotra, who retires on Sunday, one member referred to his cheerful disposition. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee quipped: 8220;You have an angry speaker and a smiling secretary-general.
Rising numbers
RPI member Ramdas Athavale was the most exuberant of the leaders who lauded Malhotra. Athavale suggested the secretary-general contest an election and even offered him a ticket as others watched amused. Assuming they both won the next Lok Sabha election, their numbers would swell from a tally of just two as the BJP8217;s had done post-1984 8220;aur hum BJP ki chhutti kar denge8221;, Athavale said.
8217;Would you resign?8217;
BJP8217;S Mahadeorao Shiwankar posed an unusual supplementary question to Minister of State for Railways R Velu in the middle of question hour in the Lok Sabha. Pointing to the Railway8217;s failure to keep accidents in check he asked the minister: 8220;Would you resign?8221; The Speaker stepped in, asking the Minister: 8220;Would you resign?8221; Velu replied with an emphatic 8220;no8221;.
Snub of the day
Rajya Sabha MP and constitutional expert Fali S. Nariman objected to the government8217;s not spelling out why it was providing PIOs dual citizenship in the Citizenship Amendment Bill. 8220;Citizenship is too important an issue to be left to the executive to decide about its regulations and conditions8230;It8217;s not the Essential Commodities Bill that we can leave it for officials to decide,8221; he said.
Poll veteran
P G Kurien told a fellow MP in the Rajya Sabha: 8220;What do you think, I have contested seven Lok Sabha elections.8221; He quickly added: 8220;And I have won six, not like you.8221;
