New Delhi:

Hitting out at the Congress Party over the Emergency imposed in 1975, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Kiren Rijiju said the Union government has taken a big step to observe June 25 as the “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” to ensure that an incident like the Emergency is never repeated.

Taking a jibe at Congress for holding a copy of Constitution, Kiren Rijiju said that the Congress party “murdered” the Constitution in 1975 and is now doing “drama” by holding a copy of it.

“We can never forget how the Constitution was murdered on the night of 25th June 1975…We have to set an example that what Congress did is not repeated. It is our duty to save the Constitution…” Kiren Rijiju told ANI.

“It is very important for the country. Important for the Constitution. It is our obligation to protect the Constitution given to the country by Dr BR Ambedkar Sahib,” he added.

His reaction came hours in response to the Centre’s announcement to observe June 25 as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas”(Constitution Murder Day).

The government said that every year on June 25, the country will remember the great contribution of those who endured the “inhuman pain” of the Emergency of 1975. A notification has also been issued by the Government of India to celebrate June 25 as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’.

Recounting the events that unfolded during the days of Emergency, Kiren Rijiju further said, “Congress party murdered the Constitution and then stages a drama by holding a copy of the Constitution. It is a very wrong thing. Those who were persecuted in 1975…the kind of torture done by the Congress party on the innocent people, putting an end to civil rights, Freedom of press, expression, all was finished. To avoid such incidents, (the government has) taken a big step.”

To pay tributes to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency 1975, the Central government has declared June 25 as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day).

Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) made the announcement in a gazette notification pointing “a proclamation of Emergency was made on 25th June 1975, following which there was gross abuse of power by the government of the day and people of India were subjected to excesses and atrocities”.

“Whereas, people of India have abiding faith in the Constitution of India and the power of India’s resilient democracy; Therefore, Government of India declares 25 June as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ to pay tribute to all those who suffered and fought against the gross abuse of power during the period of Emergency and to recommit the people of India to not support in any manner such gross abuse of power, in future,” the notification read.

Soon after the notification was issued, Union Home Minister Amit Shah posted on X, “On June 25, 1975, the then PM Indira Gandhi, in a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of our democracy by imposing the Emergency on the nation. Lakhs of people were thrown behind bars for no fault of their own, and the voice of the media was silenced.”

Amit Shah added, “The Government of India has decided to observe the 25th of June every year as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.’ This day will commemorate the massive contributions of all those who endured the inhuman pains of the 1975 Emergency.”

Appreciating the decision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the 1975 Emergency as a “dark phase of Indian history”.

“To observe 25th June as #SamvidhaanHatyaDiwas will serve as a reminder of what happens when the Constitution of India was trampled over. It is also a day to pay homage to each and every person who suffered due to the excesses of the Emergency, a Congress unleashed dark phase of Indian history,” PM Modi posted on X.

Earlier on June 26, the Lok Sabha adopted a resolution condemning the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as Speaker Om Birla read out the resolution condemning the act and said that June 25, 1975, will always be known as a black chapter in the history of India.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A day after the BJP submitted a notice against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha over alleged inaccuracies in his speech, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said any member trying to mislead the House will not get away easily and the “rules will get them”.

Mr Rijiju was referring to a notice submitted in Lok Sabha by BJP member Bansuri Swaraj urging the Speaker to take cognisance of her notice against certain inaccuracies in Mr Gandhi’s speech on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address.

“When the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha kept on lying about many things, including facts and figures, a notice was put to the Speaker and we have requested the Speaker to take appropriate action. We are waiting for the action,” Mr Rijiju said in response to questions on the issue.

The minister said rules apply equally to everyone as no member is above the Chair in the House.

“Nobody can expect to escape. There is no special privilege for anyone just because he comes from a privileged family,” Mr Rijiju said.

“If anybody wants to misuse the position in the House to mislead the House, he will not easily get away. Rule will get them,” the Parliamentary Affairs minister said.

After Mr Gandhi’s speech on Monday on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address, Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Mr Rijiju accused the Congress leader of making “untruthful” claims about a host of issues, including the Agnipath scheme and the compensation paid to locals in Ayodhya.

Under Direction 115 of the Speaker, a member wishing to point out any mistake or inaccuracy in a statement made by a minister or any other member can, before referring to the matter in the House, write to the Speaker pointing out the particulars of the mistake or the inaccuracy and seek permission to raise the issue.

The member may place before the Speaker such evidence that she or he has in support of the allegation.

The Speaker can bring the matter to the notice of the minister or the member concerned to ascertain the factual position. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge went head-to-head with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Monday over the Prerna Sthal issue, which refers to moving statues of national icons, including Mahatma Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar, from the front to the rear of the Parliament complex.

Announced last month, the relocation triggered furious protests from an opposition that has frequently protested against the BJP government at the large bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi.

In a stormy opening session of the Rajya Sabha this morning, Mr Rijiju hit out at the opposition, asserting, “These statues were not placed in a secluded area, but at a proper designated area… Prerna Sthal… in which all statues of important leaders are placed.”

To this Mr Kharge launched a counterattack by saying, “He doesn’t know… he doesn’t know about the committee. This decision should have been first discussed with committee members.”

My statement on relocation of statues of major leaders in the Parliament House Complex —

1. The statues of many great leaders, including Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, have been removed from their prominent places in the Parliament House Complex and relocated to a…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 16, 2024

“All action should have been taken later,” Mr Kharge said.

The Congress boss has been insistent, since the shift of the statues (approx. 50 of them) was announced, the government has failed to follow protocol. Last month he released a detailed statement on X, arguing the “arbitrary” action “violates the basic spirit of our democracy”.

“Each statue and its location across the Parliament House complex holds immense value and significance… All this has now been brought to a naught in arbitrary and unilateral manner.”

READ | Parliament Statues Row Rumbles On As Prerna Sthal Opens

“There is a dedicated committee for installing portraits and statues of national leaders and MPs in the Parliament complex… which includes MPs from both Houses. However, the committee has not been reconstituted since 2019,” Mr Kharge declared.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat said the shift was because “visitors were not able to view these statues conveniently”. “For this reason, all statues are being respectfully installed in a grand Prerna Sthal…”

The Prerna Sthal was inaugurated by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who called the spot “motivational and inspirational”. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said, “People get inspiration from such great men… I think the Prerna Sthal will always inspire the coming generations.”

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New Delhi:

The BJP and the Congress have gone to the mattresses, again.

This time the two are fighting over the appointment of BJP leader and seven-time MP Bhartruhari Mahtab as Pro Tem Speaker, a post active only for the first days of a new Parliament. The Pro Tem leader usually administers the oath to new MPs and conducts the election for a full-time Speaker.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to announce the new Speaker’s name on Wednesday, two days after the first sitting of the newly elected 18th Lok Sabha. Once the Speaker is elected – by a simple majority, meaning the BJP’s pick is unlikely to fail – the Pro Tem’s post ceases to exist.

The Congress – which was expecting Kodikunnil Suresh, a Dalit leader and an eight-time MP from Kerala, to be named Pro Tem – has criticised the BJP over the appointment of Mr Mahtab. Senior leader KC Venugopal called it “an attempt to destroy democratic and parliamentary norms…”

READ | BJP’s Bhartruhari Mahtab Is Pro Tem Speaker, Congress Says “Mistake”

“Government should explain why it chose to overlook K Suresh… what was the factor that disqualified him? Are there deeper issues… perhaps beyond just seniority,” he asked.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back Friday, stating “I have to say it with great regret… I feel ashamed that the Congress talks like this. I was hoping that this Lok Sabha session would start with a good mood… and that we can have a productive and co-operative parliament meet.”

“But what I have been seeing since yesterday, especially the issue that Congress has created regarding Pro Tem Speaker… Congress is doing so many wrong things it is trying to mislead people.”

“Congress said we violated the rules while appointing Pro Tem Speaker. I want to tell you… whatever steps were taken to were done according to the rules…Congress should not do politics…”

#WATCH | On BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab appointed pro tem Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says, “…I have to say it with great regret that I feel ashamed that the Congress party talks like this. First of all, they created an issue about the… pic.twitter.com/iKwodsMRg3

— ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2024

Mr Rijiju said tradition dictates the longest continuously-serving MP is appointed as Pro Tem, and that the choice is Bhartruhari Mahtab, who won Cuttack from 1998 to 2019 as part of ex-Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s BJD before jumping to the BJP this year to win a seventh consecutive term.

Sources told NDTV Mr Mahtab is also being considered for the full-time post.

READ | Speaker Name On June 26, Odisha, Andhra Leaders On List: Sources

Meanwhile, Mr Suresh and four others – the DMK’s TR Baalu, the Trinamool’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay, and the BJP’s Radha Mohan Singh and Faggan Kulaste – have been appointed to assist Mr Mahtab.

Mr Rijiju told press the selection of a Pro Tem Speaker is based on the ‘father of the House’ concept from the British parliament, in which the longest continuously-serving MP is given the title.

It was in line with that custom that Mr Mahtab was chosen as Pro Tem, Mr Rijiju said as he also criticised the Congress for deriding the Odisha MP, who is one of the senior-most members.

There were, however, exceptions in 1956 and 1977, news agency PTI said. In ’56 Sardar Hukam Singh was named Pro Tem followed by DN Tiwari in ’77. Neither were then the senior-most members.

Responding to the Congress’ fierce attacks, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also acknowledged Mr Suresh as an eight-time MP but pointed to breaks in 1998 and 2004. “So it is not consecutive,” he said. Mr Mahtab, he underlined, had won Cuttack seven consecutive times.

READ | Who Will Be Lok Sabha Speaker? Big Question As Modi 3.0 Begins

Mr Rijiju also hit back at Mr Suresh’s claims that the appointment of the Odisha MP showed the BJP “will continue to bypass parliamentary procedure…” The Congress leader was referring to the election of Virendra Kumar Khatik in 2019; Mr Khatik then was a seven-time consecutive MP with wins from Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar between 1996 and 2004, and in Tikamgarh from 2009 to 2019.

In the 17th Lok Sabha there was also the BJP’s Maneka Gandhi, then an eight-time MP but with one break; she won Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit in 1989 (with the Janata Dal) and then lost in 1991 to the BJP’s Parashuram, before claiming seven straight Lok Sabha wins between 1996 and 2019.

Mr Rijiju pointed out Mrs Gandhi was not Pro Tem in 2019 due to the break.

Earlier the Congress’ Mr Suresh claimed Mrs Gandhi had, in fact, been offered the post but turned it down as she had not been made a Union Minister.

“The senior-most MPs then were myself and Khatik, who was chosen. This time too, we are senior-most. He was made a cabinet minister and therefore, automatically, as per Lok Sabha rules, I should have been made Pro Tem,” he said.

“My name was recommended but when the government sent recommendations to President Droupadi Murmu… my name was avoided,” he claimed.

READ | Lok Sabha Speaker’s Election Expected On June 26

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin June 24, with the new MPs taking oath.

With input from agencies

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Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday, a week ahead of the first session of the new Lok Sabha.

Mr Rijiju met Mr Kharge at the Congress chief’s 10, Rajaji Marg residence in what was said to be a courtesy call.

The minister later shared a picture of the meeting in a post on X.

I had a pleasant courtesy meeting with Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress Party President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji. He shared with me about many valuable experiences of his life. Together, we all will work for the nation. pic.twitter.com/FLekmdzepi

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) June 16, 2024

“I had a pleasant courtesy meeting with Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress party president Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji. He shared with me about many valuable experiences of his life. Together, we all will work for the nation,” he said in the post.

Assuming charge of the ministry last week, Mr Rijiju had said there was no need for the government or the opposition to pull each other down on the basis of numerical strength and asserted that he would reach out to everyone for smooth functioning of Parliament.

The first session of the 18th Lok Sabha will begin on June 24 during which new members of the Lower House will take oath and the speaker elected.

President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on June 27 and is likely to outline the new government’s roadmap for the next five years.

The session will conclude on July 3.

The first three days of the session will see the newly-elected MPs taking oath and electing the speaker of the Lower House.

Both Houses of Parliament are expected to reconvene in the third week of July for the presentation of the Union Budget. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Union minister Kiren Rijiju, a veteran of many elections, told NDTV today that the strong support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi across the country will ensure that the BJP will be back in power for a historic third term, no matter what the Opposition says. The Opposition, he added, will soon have a rude awakening. As the BJP surpasses the prediction of the exit polls, the Congress will be routed in states “where they had some little hope,” he added.

Three exit polls predicted yesterday that the NDA will hit the “400 paar” target.

An aggregate of 12 exit polls indicated that the NDA will get 365 seats, the INDIA bloc will get 146 seats. The BJP’s individual score will be 317 seats and the Congress 61, up from the 52 seats it won in the last general election.

Mr Rijiju, who said last month that the BJP will win 313 seats, did not predict any figure, but his travels made one thing clear.

“Across the country — east, west north south — I have seen a very same kind of pattern… that Narendra Modi has to become the Prime Minister again,” he told NDTV in an exclusive interview. Then he added, ‘I want to go one step further. I think we will cross even the figures given by the exit polls. That is my personal reading power of the people and charismatic leadership of Mr Narendra Modi”.

The Opposition, he said, “to discredit the exit polls, is basically making themselves happy for two days”.

“On the fourth, the result will come. So they are preparing to create some kind of confusion and excuses just to get away from the humiliation they are going to be facing. They will be routed in some of the states where Congress was making big claims. They will be routed in those states where they had some little hope,” he added.

New Delhi:

The achievements of the Modi government over the past 10 years mean the on-ground situation in Arunachal Pradesh is “very favourable” for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju told NDTV Friday evening.

Mr Rijiju, 52, expressed confidence the BJP will retain the state’s two Lok Sabha seats, and predicted a clean sweep in the Assembly election that will be held simultaneously. 

“In the entire northeast, the wave is very clear. The achievements of the Modi government over the past 10 years have made the situation very favourable for the BJP and its allies.”

“As far as Arunachal Pradesh is concerned, we are confident of winning both seats… by a record margin. The people are aware of the ground situation and want to give Modiji another opportunity. We are likely to perform better than last time… in the Assembly election also, we are likely to make a clean sweep. We will have absolute majority.”

“I have been representing this constituency since 2004, and I feel peoples’ confidence (in the Modi government) has only grown since then,” he told NDTV.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election the BJP picked up the Arunachal West and East seats, and then dominated the state poll. It won 41 of the state’s 60 seats – a jump of 30 from 2014.

Mr Rijiju is the MP from the Arunachal West seat, which he won by defeating the Congress Nabam Tuki by a massive margin of nearly 175,000 votes. He won this seat in 2014 also, beating another Congress candidate – Takam Sanjoy – by over 40,000 votes.

He has been nominated to defend his seat in this election, in which he faces a familiar, and very experienced, rival – the six-time MLA and two-time former Chief Minister Mr Tuki.

On his contest with Mr Tuki, the Union Minister, said, “He is definitely a senior person in Arunachal Pradesh politics and very experienced. So, I won’t take it lightly…”

However, Mr Rijiju underlined the “very favourable” situation for the BJP and said Arunachal would do its bit to ensure the party, and its allies, achieves its target of winning 400+ seats.

“The plan (assuming he is elected for a third term) is very simple… to contribute to state growth. The good news is that a lot of the infrastructure has been built… so now we will focus on skill development and employment for youth. Arunachal is poised for a big leap.”

“In eight to nine years, we will have one of highest per capita incomes of any state in the country. We have all the resources… just need to utilise it and Arunachal will become a favourable economic and tourist destination,” Mr Rijiju said.

The state will vote in both polls on April 19. The results of the parliamentary election will be on June 4. Results for the 60-member state Assembly will be announced two days earlier.

South 24 Parganas (West Bengal):

In response to Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s allegations on Sunday that the state police is not able to arrest Sandeshkhali prime accused, Sheikh Shahjahan due to legal complications, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that Mr Banerjee is lying and he should apologise.

“He (Abhishek Banerjee) is lying which he should not, he is a Member of Parliament. Why Calcutta High Court will shield a criminal? Torture of women is not a trivial offence. The High Court cannot save him. No court or judge can save him. He has lied, saying that the police could not arrest him due to a High Court stay order. He should apologise. It is a crime to lie,” Mr Rijiju said speaking to reporters on Tuesday.

Speaking on the alleged poor state of law and order in the state, the Union Minister said, “There is no law and order in West Bengal. They are misusing the police.”

Showing support to the women protesters in Sandeshkhali, Mr Rijiju said, “The entire nation stands with the women of Sandeshkhali.”

The Union Minister shared that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita as well as the Women’s Reservation Bill were brought about by the Narendra Modi government for the empowerment of women.

“We have changed the criminal code of the entire country from the perspective of justice under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. We have passed the Women’s Reservation Bill. Women throughout the country as well as from West Bengal are going to bless PM Modi,” Mr Rijiju said.

Earlier on Sunday, Abhishek Banerjee claimed that his party is not defending missing leader Sheikh Shahjahan, but the High Court has tied the hands of the state police.

“The masters and defenders of human rights are saying in the light every day, arrest him, arrest him, what will the police do if the High Court ties their hands? ED officials were assaulted on January 5, the Calcutta High Court constituted a SIT in the incident. The ED appealed and sought a stay on the verdict. The Chief Justice’s bench allowed that request. On March 6, there will be a hearing. How will the police arrest if the High Court ties the hands of the state police administration? The police should be given 15 days or a month to take action based on the FIR,” Mr Banerjee said.

The Calcutta High Court Chief Justice, however, on Monday ordered to add Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan to the Sandeshkhali case.

The High Court Justice asked to issue a notice in the case and said, “There is no reason to not arrest him.”

“Public notice shall be given in this case. There is no stay order in Sandeshkhali cases. There is no reason to not arrest him,” the Court said.

Following this, the Trinamool Congress party said that Sheikh Shahjahan will be arrested in a week.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The BJP on Friday appointed Union minister Kiren Rijiju as the party’s election in-charge for Mizoram where assembly polls will be held on November 7.

BJP national secretary Anil Antony and Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton will serve as the party’s co-in-charges for the elections in Mizoram, the party said in a statement.

Voting for all 40 assembly seats in Mizoram will take place on November 7 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3.

In the last assembly polls held in November 2018, the Mizo National Front (MNF) had secured 26 seats, while the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) had bagged eight seats. The Congress had won five seats and the BJP one.

The BJP also appointed Jatinder Pal Malhotra as the party’s Chattigarh unit president, according to another statement issued by party national general secretary and headquarters in-charge Arun Singh.

All these appointments have been cleared by BJP chief J P Nadda, the party said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India is building a submersible to take a three-member crew on a manned ocean exploration mission – India’s first. The spherical vessel is being built by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.

Here are five points on Matsya 6000: