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Round The States
New Delhi, 11 November 2023
TMC MP Moitra’s
Expulsion
‘FIXED MATCH’, ‘KANGROO
COURT’?
By Insaf
Will the West Bengal TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s “cash-for-query”case
go down in parliamentary history, as claimed by her, is a big question. On
Thursday last, the Lok Sabha Ethics Committee adopted its 479-page report and recommended
her expulsion on grounds of ‘unethical conduct’for accepting gifts and sharing
her Lok Sabha login credentials with an unauthorised person, having an impact
on ‘national security’. Six members supported the adoption of the report and
four have opposed it.The Opposition members have put in dissent notes and alleged
the inquiry process as a “farce” and a “proverbial kangaroo court!” They insist
the complaint against Moitra has ‘no merit, is unfounded and without a shred of
evidence, and is being used to malign and defame a Lady Member of the Lok Sabha…
the recommendation is ‘erroneous’ and has been framed ‘purely for political
reasons.’A ‘fixed match’ from day one, is what Moitra herself says. Her X post
reads: “first expel & then ask govt to ask CBI to find evidence. Kangaroo
court, monkey business from start to finish”. “Never Waste a Good Crisis they
say... this just helped me double my 2024 winning margin.”
So be it, but there are critical issues
raised, such as there’s no evidence (of cash and gifts) being given or taken
which was made against her; the complaint is ‘pure animosity’ by BJP MPNishikant
Dubey; the first rule of an ethics complaint is it can’t be “false, frivolous,
vexatious” and must be made in good faith; Worse, it will set a dangerous
precedent and open up MPs to all sorts of harassment by interested parties in
future. Besides, the Ethics Committee says Moitra can’t expel, and it’s a
matter for the Privileges Committee. A lot depends on how Speaker Om Birla
proceeds with the report submitted. The recommendation is to be taken up during
the winter session of Parliament, due to meet on December 4. Once the report is
tabled in Lok Sabha, which will then vote on a motion to put the recommendation
into action.Will Moitra be an MP only for a month from now? It won’t be just ‘que sera sera’.* * * *
Bihar
Quota Gamble
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar realises value
of time being of the essence. With an eye on election 2024, the Assembly on
Thursday last unanimously approved the Bihar Reservation Amendment Bill, which
increases quotas for SCs (16% to 20%), STs (1% to 2%), EBCs (18% to 25%) and
OBCs (12% to 15%), -- all from existing 50% to 65%. Importantly, bills
providing for the same in educational institutions and government jobs were
passed unanimously. This just within a month of the caste survey released,
which reveals over one third of families live around Rs 200 a day; among SCs
the number stands at 43.93%; only 7% of population are graduates; and 96% have
no vehicles! Nitish assured the House his government will implement raise in
quota ASAP, adding ‘if Centre gives Bihar special status, the State will excel
even further.’ The big question is will it pass legal test as the bill together
with 10% EWS quota, pushes reservation to 75%, well past Supreme Court’s 50%
ceiling! While time will tell, Nitish managed to show flaws within the BJP.
While the party’s MLAs lent support, the BJP at Centre is hedging on a national
caste census. Well, in present political scenario, no party can afford to
oppose quota raise for the backward and oppressed-- a major vote bank. Indeed,
Bihar has got ‘Mandal politics’ returning. Not only will it have an impact on
Bihar’s polity, economy and society, but the entire nation. BJP’s ‘inclusive
growth’ needs to get realistic?
* * * *
Polluted Delhi
Delhi’s AAP government must be thanking the
rain god. Thursday’s overnight rain in the capital provided much improvement in
the air quality and cleared the smog hovering for over 10 days. Delhi-NCR’s air
quality had declined these past 2 weeks due to a gradual drop in temperatures,
calm winds that trap pollution and a surge in paddy straw burning, forcing the
government to prepone December school winter break to November 9-18, banning
all construction work, and entry of polluting trucks; contemplating odd-even
car-rationing scheme. Doctors have said breathing in the polluted air is
equivalent to smoking approximately 10 cigarettes a day and a report by Energy
Policy Institute, University of Chicago said air pollution is shortening lives
in Delhi by almost 12 years! The Supreme Court too is exasperated observing ‘there
were several reports and committees on the pollution issue, but nothing was
happening at the ground level’. Kejriwal government for one, can no longer pass
on the buck of bad air to Punjab, as it’s in power there. But it continues to
accuse the Centre of not lending a helping hand. It’s now planning inducing
artificial rain through cloud seeding to curb pollution, but this requires
obtaining basic clearances and permissions for using the technology from both
central and the state governments in ‘a time-sensitive matter’. Will the BJP
oblige?
* * * *
Naga Women Voice
Winds of change are indeed blowing in
Nagaland. On Thursday last, at a special session, the Assembly unanimously
passed Nagaland Municipal Bill 2023, which retains 33% reservation for women in
urban local bodies (ULB), paving the way for civic polls stalled for two-odd
decades. However, women’s reservation for chairperson post in municipal bodies
has been denied. Recall in March, the State Election Commission had notified ULB
polls on basis of an earlier Act, which was vehemently opposed by apex tribal
bodies and civil society organisations, forcing the Assembly to repeal the
Nagaland Municipal Act 2001 altogether. With consultations leading to change in
mind, the SEC will soon announce the dates of elections, last held in 2004. The
Bill has also done away with provisions for taxes on immovable property,
however other revenues such as fees, service charges, maintenance charges will
need to be paid by the public. A give and take alright. Chief Minister Rio
would be keeping his fingers crossed women come on board and ‘not let issue of
reservation for chairperson post be a bottleneck in successful conduct of ULB
election.’ The time for Naga women has arrived and all eyes will be on them to
make their mark.
* * * *
Gaming Lesson for TN
The DMK government in Tamil Nadu needs to
play its cards well, literally. On Thursday last,Madras High Court dealt a hand
wherein it declined to include rummy and poker in the list of banned games in
the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online Games
Act, 2022, saying these were ‘games of skill’ and not ‘games of chance’ The
impugned Act, in its entirety, the court said ‘needn’t be held to be ultra
vires…the state is competent to legislate to the extent of prohibiting online
gambling, i.e., games of chance, at the same time, it has got the authority to
regulate online games of skill. The definition of “online gambling” under
Section 2(i) of the Act shall be read as restricted to “games of chance” and
not games involving skill.” The Act was introduced following number of suicides
over alleged monetary loss in online gambling, which was challenged by the All-India
Gaming Federation and other online gaming companies. The court noted: the state
‘miserably failed’ to demonstrate online games of rummy and poker were
different and distinct from offline games of rummy and poker; the State can make
rulesviz time limit, monetary limit, age restriction or such other restrictions
about playing of online games; that in the present case there was no evidence
that public order was disturbed! Go in with good cards, is a lesson Stalin
government should learn.----INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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