FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 INDIA THIS WEEK 1 A W e e k l y N e w s p a p e r Fe a t u r i n g N e w s & Tr e n d s f r o m t h e I n d i a n S u b - C o n t i n e n t P u b l i s h e d f r o m t h e U S C a p i t a l Website: www.indiathisweek.online Vol. 31 No: 36 WASHINGTON DC • Phone: 301-445-0200 /301-445-3543/301-917-4800 • email: indiathisweekads@gmail.com • Friday September 8, 2023 Centre forms eight-member committee to examine ‘one nation, one election’; high-level panel headed by former President Kovind New Delhi [India], September 2 (ANI): The Centre on Saturday constituted an eight-member High-Level Committee to examine the issue of ‘one nation, one election’ and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country. Apart from former President Ram Nath Kovind, who is Chairman, the committee comprises Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Ahir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission Chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, Senior Advocate Harish Salve and for- mer Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari. A government notification said that Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the High-Level Committee as a special invitee. The committee has been set up months before assembly polls in five states and ahead of Lok Sabha polls next year. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had informed about the constitution of the committee on Friday. Right now, a committee has been constituted. A report from the committee will come out which will be discussed. The Parliament is mature, and discussions will take place, there is no need to get nervous. India is called the mother of democracy, there is always an evolution. I will discuss the agenda of the Special session of Parliament,” he said. New Delhi [India], September 5 (ANI): Stating that Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the usual ‘President of India’, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Article 1 in the Constitution can read “Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States” and accused the government of assaulting the idea of “Union of States”. BJP leaders hailed the use of ‘Bharat’. Ramesh accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “distorting history and dividing India” and said the objective of parties in the INDIA bloc is also “BHARAT – Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation” “So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invite for a G20 dinner on Sept 9th in the name of ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the usual ‘President of India’. Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read: “Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States.” But now even this “Union of States” is under assault,” Ramesh said on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter. “Mr. Modi can continue to distort history and divide India, that is Bharat, that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of INDIA parties? It is BHARAT— Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation And Trust. Judega BHARAT Jeetega INDIA!” he added. BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav said the entire country is demanding that the word ‘Bharat’ should be used instead of ‘India’. “The word ‘India’ is an abuse given to us by the British whereas the word ‘Bharat’ is a symbol of our culture...I want there should be a change in our Constitution and the word ‘Bharat’ should be added to it,” he said. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the “Republic of Bharat”. “REPUBLIC OF BHARAT – happy and proud that our civilisation is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL,” he said in a tweet. The G20 Shah, Meghwal arrive at former President Kovind’s residence for inaugural meeting of 8-member panel Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday arrived at the residence of former President Ram Nath Kovind in the national capital for the first official meeting of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ committee. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also arrived for the inaugural meeting of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ panel. The high-powered panel, led by the former President, has been tasked with exploring the feasibility of holding all elections in the country at the same time. The Union Law Ministry, last week, named eight members of the committee, including the former President. However, Adhir, the Leader of the Opposition, in the Lok Sabha, declined to serve on the panel saying its “terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions”. However, according to government sources, he had consented to being a part of the highlevel committee before the names were officially noti- fied. In November 2020, PM Modi, addressing a conference of presiding officers, said, “One Nation, One Election is a necessity for India. There is an election every month in the country, hampering development. Why should so much public money be wasted on holding elections?” (ANI) the President’s House if they have a problem with British rule. “Why did you not say ‘Mahamahim of Bharat’; why did you write ‘President of Bharat’? I feel that they (BJP) are scared of the word ‘India’. Since the INDIA bloc has been formed, PM’s hate towards ‘INDIA’ has increased. If the BJP has so much of a problem with the British rule, they should immediately abandon the Rashtrapati Bhavan because this was the viceroy house earlier,” Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary said on Tuesday. He also asked the Central government to change the word ‘Hindu’ Invite for G20 dinner sent in name of ‘President of Bharat’, says Jairam Ramesh; accuses Centre of assaulting ‘Union of States’ Remember: I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” – King Solomon Summit will be held in Delhi on September 9 and 10. (ANI) Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary amid ‘India vs Bharat’ row As an invitation sent out to G20 world leaders for a dinner organised at the Rashtrapati Bhavan has caused quite a stir, the Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary has also slammed the Centre over its move and said that this is the first step towards ‘changing’ the Constitution of the country. Speaking to ANI, Adhir Ranjan alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ‘scared’ of the word India since the Opposition bloc– the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance was formed. The Congress leader further said that the government should immediately abandon INDIA-BHARAT SEE PAGE 6
September 8, 2023 INDIA THIS WEEK Friday ������������������������������� ���������� �������� �������� ������������������������������������� ������������������������������������� �������������������� ������������������ ������������� ���������������� ����������������������� ��������������������� ������������� ������� ���������������� ��������� ����������� ������������������� ������������ ��������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������� Engagement with ASEAN important pillar of India’s ‘Act East’ Policy: PM Modi ahead of his visit to Indonesia New Delhi [India], September 6 (ANI): Noting that engagement with the ASEAN is an important pillar of India’s ‘Act East Policy’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he is looking forward to exchanging views with leaders of the grouping on the “future contours” of partnership which has now entered its fourth decade. In his departure statement ahead of his visit to Indonesia, the Prime Minister said he is also looking forward to exchanging views with other East Asia Summit leaders on practical cooperation measures to collectively address global challenges. PM Modi will leave for Jakarta on Wednesday evening to take part in the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit. He is slated to return to Delhi on Thursday evening ahead of the G20 Summit. India-ASEAN relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022 and the Summit will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations and chart the future direction of co-operation. “My first engagement will be the 20th ASEAN-India Summit. I look forward to discussing with ASEAN leaders the future contours of our partnership, which has now entered its fourth decade. Engagement with ASEAN is an important pillar of India’s ‘Act East” policy,” PM Modi said. He said the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership entered into last year “has injected new dynamism in our ties”. The Prime Minister said the East Asia Summit provides a useful opportunity to deliberate on issues of importance to the region including food and energy security, environment, health, and digital transformation. “I look forward to exchanging views with other EAS Leaders on practical cooperation measures to collectively address these global challenges. I warmly recall my visit to Indonesia for the G-20 Summit in Bali last year, and I am confident that this visit will further deepen our engagement with the ASEAN region,” he said. PM Modi is travelling to Jakarta at the invitation of Indonesia President Joko Widodo to participate in the ASEANrelated meetings. (ANI)
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September 8, 2023 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK INDIA alliance adds more members to four committees for Lok Sabha elections 2024 New Delhi [India], September 2 (ANI): A day after a meeting of the INDIA alliance, the following members were added to the four main committees including Congress leader Pawan Khera and DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi for upcoming Lok Sabha elections. After a two-day meeting of the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance coalition four main committees were formed in which members of all the political parties were included. Of the 19 members of the Campaign Committee, two more have been included - Tiruchi Siva of DMK and Mehboob Beg of PDP, taking the number of members to 21. Gurdeep Singh Sappal, INC, Sanjay Jha, JD(U), Anil Desai, SS, Sanjay Yadav, RJD, PC Chako, NCP, Champai Soren, JMM, Kiranmoy Nanda, SP, Sanjay Singh, AAP, Arun Kumar, CPI(M), Binoy Vishwam, CPI, Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi, NC, Shahid Siddiqui, RLD, NK Premachandran, RSP, G Devarajan, AIFB, Ravi Rai, CPI(ML), Thirumavalan, VCK, KM Kadar Moidin, IUML, Jose K Mani, KC(M) and TMC (to give name later) are also a member of Cam- paign Committee. Meanwhile, two names have been added to the Working Group for the Social Media Committee Dayanidhi Maran of DMK and Rohit Jakhad of RLD. Supriya Srinate, INC, Sumit, Sharma, RJD, Ashish Yadav, SP, Rajeev Nigam, SP, Raghav Chaddha, AAP, Avindani, JMM, Iltija, Mehbooba, PDP, Pranjal, CPM, Bhalchandran Kango, CPI, Ifra Ja, NC, V Arun Kumar, CPI(ML) and TMC (to give name later) are also a member of Working Group for the Social Media Committee. Adding two members to the Working Group for Media Committee, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi of DMK, and Pawan Khera of INC took the number of members to 21. Furthermore, A Raja of DMK has been added to the Working Group for the Research Committee, which the number to 12. Amitabh Dubey, INC, Subodh Mehta, RJD, Priyanka Chaturvedi, SS, Vandana Chavan, NCP, KC Tyagi, JD(U), Sudivya Kumar Sonu, JMM, Jasmine Shah, AAP, Alok Ranjan, SP, Imran Nabi Dar, NC, Aditya, PDP and TMC (to give name later) are also members of this committee. Leaders from various opposition parties within the INDIA alliance engaged in intensive discussions, beginning yesterday and concluding today, where they formally adopted a resolution outlining their election strategy. The theme they have chosen for the elections is “Judega Bharat, Jeetega India” (India will unite, India will win) in an effort to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government. The third meeting of the opposition bloc INDIA alliance began on Thursday and concluded on Friday with the aim of coming up with an ac- tion plan for the next Lok Sabha polls. The opposition parties, united under the banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), concluded their third meeting in Maharashtra and adopted resolutions to collectively contest the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections while announcing that seat-sharing arrangements would be finalized as soon as possible through a spirit of giveand-take. The first meeting of the joint opposition was held in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. (ANI) Delhi [India], September 3 (ANI): ‘Tourist smart cards’ will be sold through dedicated counters at 36 Delhi Metro stations from September 4-13 in view of the G20 Summit, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said on Sunday. As per a senior official, the tourist smart cards are available on regular days too but, anticipating increased passenger footfall for the G20 Summit, dedicated counters have been opened to sell these cards for a period of 10 days from Monday, a senior official said The 36 stations where these cards will be sold through dedicated counters include Kashmere Gate, Indraprastha, Chandni Chowk, South Extension, Sarojini Nagar, Chawri Bazar, Chhatarpur, New Delhi, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, Lok Kalyan Marg, Supreme Court, ITO, Hauz Khas, Nehru Place, Kalkaji Mandir, Akshardham, Terminal 1 IGI Airport and Karol Bagh. Besides unlimited rides, these cards are of great benefit to tourists as they can seamlessly travel in the entire network from the first train to the last service available for the day, the officials said. The one-day card will be available for Rs 200 while the three-day card will cost Rs 500. This amount also includes a refundable security deposit of Rs 50, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said. These cards will be available in two categories -- one-day and threeday validity -- offering “unlimited rides” in the metro network. The G20 Leaders’ Summit is slated to take place in New Delhi from September 9-10. The dedicated counters have been provided to “facilitate G20 delegates and international visitors who might be interested in exploring the prominent tourist places of the capital city as they arrive in Delhi, owing to the upcoming G20 Summit,” the official said. “It further said that there are no penalties or surcharges levied on the use of Tourist Smart Cards on account of instances like entry or exit mismatch, overstay in the system, overstepping etc. Delhi Metro, India’s largest Metro network, ranked amongst one of the largest Metro systems in the world is well connected to almost all the prominent tourist destinations in the city like Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Akshardham Temple, Kalkaji Temple, to name a few. Tourists can seamlessly reach these tourist places by travelling on various corridors of the Delhi Metro by using these cards. Tourists can also download the ‘Delhi Metro Rail’ app for more details on the network to plan their journeys. The App also includes a dedicated section on the home page by the name of ‘Tour Guide’ where they can find the list of all stations and tourist places nearby. Tourist Smart Cards are also available at all metro stations (except Airport Express Line) across the network. Anyone wanting to explore the city can avail of these cards from the stations at any time during the day, Anuj Dayal, Principal Executive Director said. (ANI) G20 Summit: Delhi Metro to sell ‘tourist smart cards’ through dedicated counters from tomorrow
“Govt could have held deliberations before such big decision”: Rajasthan CM on Centre’s push for ‘One Nation, One Elections’ FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 Over 40 Years Of Experience 5 FAMILY HAIRCUT $ MEN • WOMEN • CHILDREN ROOT TOUCH-UP FOR MEN 20 & up $ SERVICES • BEARD TRIM $500 $ • SHAMPOO 1000 • BLOW DRY $1000 $ 00 • PERM FROM 20 $ 00 • COLOR FROM 20 • HIGHLIGHTS FROM $3500 • SPA PEDICURE FROM $1700 Beauty & Barber Shop Phalodi (Rajasthan) [India], September 3 (ANI): A day after a HighLevel Committee on the possibility of simultaneous elections in the country was constituted, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit out at the Centre saying that the government could have taken such a “big decision after holding deliberations with the opposition”. Gehlot said that a process could have been followed and that now people in the country are doubting the intentions of the government. The Centre on Saturday constituted an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country - ‘One Nation, One Election’. The members of the committee, apart from former President Kovind as chairman, include Union Home Minister Amit Shah; Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury; former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad; former Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari. Responding to it, Gehlot, while addressing a gathering in Phalodi said, “This is such a big decision. You would have held deliberations with the opposition parties together and maybe all would have decided together. Then if you had formed a committee, people would have believed...But now your (BJP-led Central government’s) intentions are being doubted, whether you want to establish democracy (in the country) or not.” The state Chief Minister said that while he believes in democracy, the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre has worn a facade of democracy. “Any criticism against me in a democracy makes me happy. If the criticism holds ground, then I make reforms, because I believe in a democracy. This only benefits the public. If someone criticizes them (BJP leaders), they feel bad...Hundreds of people are in jail in the country for criticizing the government... wearing the mask of our democracy. You are wearing a facade of democracy,” Gehlot added. The notification of the high-level panel by the Centre came just days after it announced a special session of the Parliament from September 18 to 22, on the same day the two-day Mumbai conclave of the INDIA bloc was in progress. However, the government remained tightlipped on the issues to be taken up during the special session. Opposition leaders slammed the BJP-led Centre for announcing a special session without holding prior consultations with them or informing the Business Advisory Committee. According to the Centre, the high-level committee shall start functioning immediately and make recommendations at the earliest. Further, according to the official notification, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, however, declined to serve on the panel, saying its “terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions”. Simultaneous elections for the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha were held till 1967. However, in 1968 and 1969 some legislative assemblies were dissolved prematurely followed by the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1970. This forced a change in electoral schedules for the states and the country. (ANI) 7311 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, VA 22003 info@csbarbernschool.com 5
September 8, 2023 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK Invite for G20 dinner sent in name of ‘President of Bharat’, says Jairam Ramesh; accuses Centre of assaulting ‘Union of States’ INDIA-BHARAT FROM PAGE 1 too if they want to change everything related to ‘outsiders’. “Will you not say Khelo India, Start-up India and Make in India from now? We do not have any problem with the word ‘Bharat’. I just want to suggest that they (the BJP) should change the word Hindu first because it was also given by foreigners and the word India was derived from it. Don’t try to be revolutionary. All these are the signs to change the Constitution. They want to change the first article of the Constitution that saysIndia that is Bharat,” he added. The Lok Sabha MP further suggested that the people of the country should decide whether there should be two names for the nation or as many as they want. “This should not be decided only by a few people. People of the country should be included in the process; they should decide whether they want two names for the country, one or many more,” he added. Notably, this is the first time that the government has used the ‘Republic of Bharat’ instead of India on an official invitation. A government booklet on PM Modi’s upcoming visit to Indonesia for the ASEANIndia Summit also refers to him as the Prime Minister of Bharat. The move, however, has stirred a huge controversy as leaders from Congress and other parties have strongly opposed it, while the ruling dispensation has welcomed the decision. The leaders of the INDIA bloc have claimed that the BJP is nervous about the popularity being garnered by the Opposition parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. “INDIA vs BHARAT is just distraction orchestrated by BJP to divert...”: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee Tr i n a m o o l Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that the ‘INDIA vs BHARAT‘ debate has been orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to divert From The Poet’s Pen INDIA THIS WEEK- June 30, 2023 The Words of Jesus Christ Mark 6 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. 20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. 24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. 25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. 26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. 27 But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, attention from pressing issues such as communal tensions, border disputes and unemployment. The controversy was triggered after the invitation for the G20 dinner was sent out in the name of the President of ‘Bharat’ and not India. “INDIA vs BHARAT is just a distraction orchestrated by the BJP. Let’s cut to the chase and hold the govt accountable for skyrocketing prices, rampant inflation, communal tensions, unemployment, border disputes and their empty rhetoric of Double Engine and Nationalism,” TMC MP posted on X (Former Twitter). The debate started after Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared on X, formerly Twitter, a G20 dinner invite in which Droupadi Murmu was described as ‘President of Bharat’. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that history is being rewritten in the country. The Trinamool Congress supremo questioned the Centre and asked what changed suddenly that we should use only Bharat. “...Today, they (Centre) changed the name of India. In the invitation card for the G20 Summit dinner, it is mentioned ‘Bharat’...In English, we say ‘India’ and the ‘Indian Constitution’ and in Hindi, we say ‘Bharat ka Samvidhan’. We all say ‘Bharat’, what is new in this? But the name ‘India’ is known to the world... What happened suddenly that they had to change the name of the country?... History is being rewritten in the country,” CM Mamata said. (ANI) INDIA THIS WEEK Address: P.O. Box 352, Bryans Road, MD 20616 Phone: 301-445-0200; 301-917-4800 www.indiathisweek.online India This Week is published every Friday by ADV Solutions Inc, Views expressed in this paper are those of the individual writers and not necessarily of India This Week. India This Week accepts no liability for the errors in advertisements or in any of its reports. For remedial actions any errors should be brought to the attention of the editor by the information provided below. Publisher: Chief Editor: Contributing Editors: Dr. Babu Stephen Rajan George Saju Mathew Isaac George Asst. Editors: Manu Jacob Sherena Panjikkaran Special Business Correspondent Elisha B. Pulivarti Business Coordinators Rajan C. George Jithu Johny Panjikkaran Dr. Renuka Misra, Special Correspondent: Geeta Goindi Community Coordinator: Prof. Vinod Goel India Office Manesh Krishna Columnists: Anadi Naik World Religions Dr. Sam Prasad Jillella Photo Journalist: Mathew Karmel, System Admn. & Maintenance: Rajan C. George Layout & Graphics: Prinston Samuel, Business Affairs: Mrs. Molly George CALL US • 301-445-0200 • 301-917-4800 e-Mails: Advertisements: indiathisweekads@gmail.com Press Releases: indiathisweekpress@yahoo.com Web: www.indiathisweek.online “India, that is Bharat, a union of states...” Rahul Gandhi slams centre on ‘One Nation, One Election’ New delhi [india], september 3 (ANI): congress leader rahul gandhi on sunday slammed the bharatiya janata partyled central government for “toying’ with the idea of holding simultaneous lok sabha elections and state assembly elections in the country. According to the congress mp representing wayanad in kerala, the idea of one nation, one election is an attack on the “bharat” which, as per him, is the “union of states. In a message on his social media post, x, formerly known as twitter, rahul gandhi said, “india, that is bharat, is a union of states. The idea of ‘one nation, one election’ is an attack on the union and all its states.” The centre on saturday constituted an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country. The members of the committee, apart from former president kovind, include union home minister amit shah; leader of the opposition in the lok sabha, adhir ranjan chowdhury; former leader of opposition in the rajya sabha, ghulam nabi azad; former finance commission chairman nk singh, former lok sabha secretary general subhash c kashyap, senior advocate harish salve and former chief vigilance commissioner sanjay kothari. The notification of the high-powered panel by the centre came just days after it announced a special session of the parliament from september 18 to 22, on the same day the twoday mumbai conclave of the india bloc was in progress. However, the government remained tight-lipped on the issues to be taken up during the special session. Opposition leaders slammed the bjpled centre for announcing a special session without holding prior consultations with them or informing the business advisory committee. According to the centre, the highlevel committee shall start functioning immediately and make recommendations at the earliest. Further, according to the official notification, union law minister arjun ram meghwal will attend the meetings of the committee as a special invitee. Adhir ranjan chowdhury, however, declined to serve on the panel, saying its “terms of reference have been prepared in a manner to guarantee its conclusions”. Simultaneous elections for the state assemblies and the lok sabha were held till 1967. However, in 1968 and 1969 some legislative assemblies were dissolved prematurely followed by the dissolution of the lok sabha in 1970. This forced a change in electoral schedules for the states and the country. (Ani) Remember: “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. ” JESUS CHRIST
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No-Confidence Motion from page 1 September 8, 2023 Friday INDIA THIS WEEK “It is subterfuge for dismantling federal structure of India”: Kharge attacks Centre over ‘One Nation, One Election’ New Delhi [India], September 3 (ANI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday hit out at the central government over its ‘One Nation, One Election’ push, saying that the centre wants to turn the country into a “dictatorship” by implementing it. Mallikarjun Kharge while taking to social media platform ‘X’, alleged that forming a committee to study on ‘One Nation, One Dictatorship’ is a “subterfuge for dismantling” the federal structure of India. “Modi Govt wants Democratic India to slowly turn it into a Dictatorship,” Kharge wrote on X, adding, “This gimmick of forming a committee on ‘One Nation, One Election’ is a subterfuge for dismantling the Federal Structure of India.” He further said that to implement ‘One Nation, One Election’ in the country, there will be at least five amendments required in the Constitution of India, and a massive change in the Representation of the People Act, 1951. “The Constitutional Amendments shall be required to truncate the terms of the elected Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies, as also at the level of local bodies so that they can be synchronised,” he added. Kharge while putting his argument, asked the Centre whether the proposed committee was best suited to deliberate and decide on perhaps the most drastic disruption in the Indian electoral process without undermining the New Delhi [India], September 5 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Tuesday that the government of India has given another blow to the slavery mentality by replacing ‘India’ with ‘Bharat‘ on the invitation card for the dinner to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan during the G20 Summit. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Dhami posted a picture of the G20 summit invitation and wrote, “Another blow to the slavery mentality. It is a proud moment for every countryman to have ‘The President of Bharat‘ written on the invitation card for the dinner to be held at Rashtrapati Bhavan during the G20 Summit. Long live Mother Bharat!” Notably, this is the first time that the government of India has used the term ‘Bharat‘ instead of the usual term ‘India’ on an official invitation. The move, however, has created a divide among the BJP and Opposition bloc, as several leaders from the INDIA alliance claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government is trying to create a divide by referring to India as Bharat. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused PM Modi of “distorting history and dividing India” and said the “Objective of parties in the INDIA bloc is also Bharat—Bring Harmony, Amity, and Reconciliation. On X, Jairam Ramesh said, “So the news is indeed true. Rashtrapati Bhawan has sent out an invitation for a G20 dinner on September 9 in the name of ‘President of Bharat‘ instead of the usual ‘President of India.’ Now, Article 1 in the Constitution can read, “Bharat, that was India, shall be a Union of States. But now even this “Union of States” is under assault,” Ramesh said. “Mr Modi can continue to distort history and divide India; that is Bharat; that is a Union of States. But we will not be deterred. After all, what is the objective of Indian parties? It is BHARAT— Bring Harmony, Amity, Reconciliation, and Trust. Judega BHARAT. Jeetega India!” he wrote. Aam Adami Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said on Tuesday that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) wants to change the Constitution of the country by ‘removing’ the word ‘India and replacing it with Bharat. “Modi ji hates Babasaheb and wants to change the first article of the constitution written by him, ‘India That Is Bharat‘,” he wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the “Republic of Bharat“. “REPUBLIC OF BHARAT: happy and proud that our civilization is marching ahead boldly towards AMRIT KAAL,” he wrote. The Group of Twenty (G20) Summit is scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10. India held the presidency of the G20 from December 1, 2022, in Indonesia and will continue to work as the G20 president until November 2023. (ANI) Another blow to slavery mentality’: Uttarakhand CM hails ‘Republic of Bharat’ wisdom of any individual. “Should this huge exercise unilaterally be undertaken without consulting the political parties at the National level and at the State level? Should this humongous operation happen without bringing States and their elected governments on board?” he further asked. Raising questions about the policy, Kharge said, “This idea has been extensively examined and rejected by three Committees in the past. It remains to be seen whether the fourth one has been constituted with a pre-decided outcome in mind.” “It baffles us that a representative of the prestigious Election Commission of India has been excluded from the committee,” the Congress President said. As the Centre is defending itself saying that the policy will cut down the expenditure for conducting elections, Kharge said that the logic is like “penny wise and pound foolish”. “The fact that the cost incurred by the Election Commission in conducting all elections between 2014-19 (including Lok Sabha 2019) is around Rs 5,500 crore, which is only a fraction of the Government’s budget expenditure, makes the cost saving logic like a penny wise, pound foolish,” he said. He further said that if the model code of conduct is the problem, it can be changed either by shortening the length of the moratorium or by relaxing the kinds of developmental activities permitted during the election season. “All political parties can reach a wider consensus in this regard,” Kharge said.“The BJP has a habit of overthrowing elected governments by disregarding the mandate of the people. Which has added considerably to the total number of 436 Bye Elections, since 2014 for Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies alone. This inherent greed for power in the BJP has already vitiated our politics and has rendered the antidefection law, toothless,” Kharge added. He further alleged that actions like implementing ‘One Nation, One Election’ would “sabotage” democracy, the Constitution and evolvedtime-tested procedures. “What can be accomplished by simple electoral reforms would prove to be a disaster, like other disruptive ideas of PM Modi. Till 1967, we neither had so many states nor did we have 30.45 Lakh elected representatives in our Panchayats. India is the world’s largest Democracy. We have lakhs of elected representatives, and their future cannot be determined at one go, now. For 2024, the people of India only have ONE NATION, ONE SOLUTION - To get rid of BJP misrule!” the Congress President said. The Centre on Saturday constituted an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country. The members of the committee, apart from former President Kovind, include Union Home Minister Amit Shah; Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury; former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad; former Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari. The notification of the high-powered panel by the Centre came just days after it announced a special session of the Parliament from September 18 to 22, on the same day the twoday Mumbai conclave of the INDIA bloc was in progress. Simultaneous elections for the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha were held till 1967. However, in 1968 and 1969 some legislative assemblies were dissolved prematurely followed by the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1970. This forced a change in electoral schedules for the states and the country.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 8, 2023 9 G20: How India emerged as the voice of Global South New Delhi [India], September 6 (ANI): Throughout its presidency of the G20, India shares a vision of being the voice of the Global South and the country has ensured to walk the talk with its focus on raising concerns. “Our G20 priorities will be shaped in consultation with not just our G20 partners, but also our fellow travellers in the Global South, whose voice often goes unheard,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said last December. When India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, PM Modi set out various visions for the nation’s year-long presidency and the Global South was one of them. Global South is used to refer to developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, while economically developed countries such as the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia and New Zealand constitute Global North. In fulfilling its ambition, India has raised the issues that were concerning the Global South countries on the international forums and at the United Nations meetings and conferences. Recently, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar affirmed that India has walked the talk when it comes to raising issues of the Global South. “So how has India walked the talk, when it comes to Global South? Stress situations normally provide a good indicator of intent and behaviour. During the Covid (pandemic), Madein-India vaccines were sent to about 100 countries. And about 150 nations imported medicines during this period from the Pharmacy of the World,” EAM Jaishankar had said while detailing how India worked to advance the cause of the Global South. At the very beginning of its presidency, India hosted the Voice of Global South Summit virtually in January with representatives from 125 countries. India even ensured that the region remained centre stage at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in May this year. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over the Inaugural Leaders’ session on 12 January. This was followed by eight Ministeriallevel thematic segments dedicated to addressing the most pressing concerns of the developing world. The Summit wrapped up on 13 January with a Concluding Leaders’ Session also hosted by Prime Minister,” according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs. “The participating Leaders appreciated and congratulated the leadership of the Prime Minister for hosting the Summit at a crucial juncture. They expressed hope that the Summit would serve as a catalyst for building a prosperous and inclusive future for the world that takes into account the needs of the Global South,” the statement added. One of the pieces of evidence that India is voicing for Global South is adding the African Union as a full member of the G20. Recently, at the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa, PM Modi said that the Global South is not just a diplomatic term but represents the shared history of these countries against colonialism and apartheid based on which modern relations are being reshaped. “I am grateful to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for giving me the opportunity to share thoughts with the leaders of Africa, Asia and Latin America. In the last two days, we have focussed on the priorities and concerns of the countries of Global South,” PM Modi said. “We believe that giving importance to them is the need of the current generation. We have also decided on the expansion of BRICS. We welcome all new partner countries. It is another step towards making the global institutions and forums competitive,” he added. Later in June, keeping in view the vision of PM Modi for India’s G20 Presidency to attempt to voice the views of the Global South on important international issues, India held a two-day event on International Taxation at the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT), Nagpur in collaboration with South Centre, a Geneva-based intergovernmental policy research think-tank of 55 developing countries, including India. In the event, the G20-South Centre Capacity Building Event on International Taxation titled ‘Two Pillar Solution – Understanding the Implications for the Global South’ comprised two- panel discussions on the Two-Pillar Solution and its alternatives.The discussions during the event focussed on the ramifications of the Two-Pillar Solution for developing economies. The event also included a workshop on Tax Treaty Negotiations. This event is an initiative of the Indian Presidency to bolster capacity building for Indian tax officials of both senior and middle management levels in the area of International Taxation, with a global south perspective. (ANI)
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