In the House

Deputy Chairman K Rehman Khan,who was presiding over the House,intervened when he could not find any Cabinet minister when BJP’s Bhagat Singh Koshyari raised a special mention on the 2010 Kumbh Mela in Hardwar. He said it could not proceed and adjourned the House for five minutes.

It later turned out that Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi was present but had walked up to the Opposition benches to speak with BJP leader Arun Shourie. Ravi,who had not heard the Chair,explained,“In the pandemonium I did not hear when the Chair. I regret the inconvenience caused. Earlier in the day,the RS was adjourned when a mention of Bundelkhand region’s backwardness led to a furore.

‘Bill soon to check judicial accountability’

NEW DELHI: In a bid to introduce “accountability” in the judicial system,the Centre is planning to introduce the Judges Standards and Accountability Bill in Parliament.

Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Thursday told the Rajya Sabha that a proposal seeking to replace the Judges Inquiry Bill with the Judges Standards and Accountability Bill may soon be sent to the Cabinet. “That will definitely be a new path-finding Bill with an innovative approach to reassert and reassert ourselves to constitutional aspirations,” the Law Minister said.