Tags:
Journalism of Courage
FROM THE CHAIR
You did not allow me to listen to her, and now you want me to allow you to react. No, you cannot do it.Why are you doing this? You are the people who are creating noise. Am I creating any problem? What are you doing? You are allowing your people to shout in the House, and then you are asking me to allow you. It is very bad on your part.
P J KURIEN,
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman, to agitated AIADMK members after Kanimozhi raised the matter of crib deaths in Tamil Nadu during Zero Hour
Key questions
Indians in Iraq
How many immigrant Indians have returned from the Middle East and Africa?
Recently, 6,977 persons have been evacuated from Iraq and 3,284 persons have been evacuated from Libya. However, there may be other persons who have come back to India on their own and the assessment in this regard is not feasible.
Does the government propose to bring in reforms in labour laws in order to attract foreign investment or otherwise, and which are the Acts proposed to be amended?
The Ministry of Labour and Employment receives demands to amend labour laws from various stakeholders from time to time in order to bring them in tune with better enforcement of labour laws, streamlining inspection mechanisms, more coverage of labour rights, and emerging needs of the economy which includes facilitating investment… The government is actively considering amendments in the Child Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1986, the Factories Act, 1948, the Mines Act, 1952, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Apprenticeship Act, 1961 and the Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Act, 1988.
Que 5: Madhusudan Mistry, Congress
On why he wanted to raise the issue of the PM’s wife, Jashodaben, filing an RTI application
Why is this important?
The issue she has raised is about the entire system of protecting VVIPs. When VIPs themselves feel they are not safe with their guards, then it is serious. It needs to be found out why they feel like that. The entire system has to be thoroughly checked.
So why is your party and the rest of the opposition not interested?
Perhaps they see it as a private person’s issue. But I don’t think it is a private person’s issue.
How did she get the security?
That is what she has been asking. We have no idea. At whose instance has security been provided? That is what her RTI is all about. She should have got SPG protection. It should have been from here (Delhi), not from Gujarat.
There is a view that this issue falls in the personal sphere.
It does not. It also shows the character and mind of the Prime Minister whom she might know quite well. Because she is his wife. What kind of person he could be. That is also an issue. The issue she has raised does not pertain to only her. It has to be seen in the wider perspective.
So why didn’t the Chair allow you to raise it?
I cannot tell you that. I can’t divulge the reason for not admitting my notice. I had a talk with the Chairman. The notice was there. It was not admitted. But I have given a second notice in a different form. Let me see whether they allow me tomorrow.
— Manoj CG
