Six Congress MPs suspended for unruly conduct
New Delhi, July 24 (IANS): Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday suspended six Congress MPs for five consecutive sittings for improper conduct after they tore up papers and threw them towards her podium. The six MPs – Gaurav Gogoi, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Ranjit Ranjan, Sushmita Dev, M.K. Raghavan and K. Suresh — would have to remain out of the lower House for the whole of this week. During Zero Hour, as the Congress MPs were protesting demanding a discussion on attacks on Dalits and Muslims by cow vigilantes, the six MPs tore up the papers and threw them in the air and towards the Speaker’s podium. “This conduct is not right. It is highly unbecoming and against the rules of the House which seeks to undermine the dignity of the House,” Mahajan said. She said the members were “wilfully obstructing” the House and had caused disorder. She announced their suspension under rule 374 A for “five consecutive sittings”.
Two armed men detained outside Mamata’s residence
Kolkata, July 24 (IANS): Two persons have been detained outside West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s house here on Monday for allegedly carrying arms, the police said. “Sundari Singh Sardar and Sujat Singura, both residents of Purulia district’s Baghmundi, have been detained from outside the Chief Minister’s house here in Kalighat area,” a police officer said. According to police sources, illegal arms were seized from the two persons. They are being questioned by the police to find out why they were roaming near the Chief Minister’s residence with illegal weapons.
Tourists harassed by traffic police: Goa Deputy Speaker
Panaji, July 24 (IANS): Goa Assembly Deputy Speaker Michael Lobo on Monday accused the traffic police of “harassing” tourists in the state, especially in its coastal belt. Domestic tourists, especially honeymooning couples, are routinely harassed by the traffic police, Lobo told the assembly during a discussion on the Home Department’s functioning. “Indian as well as foreign tourists are hassled every second day. If a tourist comes here (and rides a scooter), in his three-day stay he is stopped six times by cops. I don’t want to say beyond that,” Lobo said. Lobo is a legislator from Calangute constituency, which is home to popular beaches. He said the constabulary should be discouraged from imposing fines for traffic violations on visitors. Over four million tourists, including half a million foreingers, visit Goa every year.
Rs 100 crore ransom sought for abducted UP businessman
Lucknow, July 24 (IANS): The kidnappers of Uttar Pradesh businessman Sanjeev Gupta have reportedly demanded Rs 100 crore in ransom from his family even as his whereabouts remain sketchy for a second day. The ransom message sent from Gupta’s mobile phone to his wife Sarika Gupta threatens he will be harmed if the money was not paid. Gupta’s car (UP83 AC-4100) has since been recovered from a mechanic’s shop in Uttar Pradesh while the location of his mobile phone being used by the criminals has been traced to Delhi and Chandigarh. A team of police officers fear the businessman might have been taken to Chandigarh. The Special Task Force also feels that the kidnappers are continuously changing location to escape electronic surveillance. Gupta is a partner in prominent food chain Sagar Ratna, located about 30 km from Firozabad where he lives. He was kidnapped on Sunday.
Cong to launch week-long anti-GST campaign in Delhi on Jul 30
New Delhi, July 24 (PTI): The Delhi Congress will launch a week-long anti-GST campaign on July 30 at all the major markets of the city, intensifying its agitation against the “wrong implementation” of the new tax regime, it said today. It will stage demonstrations at all the 42 major markets across Delhi to “raise awareness on the adverse effects” of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the people, Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said at a press conference. He claimed that the implementation of GST in its present form by the Narendra Modi government had “adversely affected” the small and medium traders as well as consumers. Treatment in hospitals would become costlier and education expenses would also go up under the new tax regime, which was rolled out on July 1, claimed the Congress leader. The cost of building houses would increase by one-thirds, the tax on sale of old vehicles would go up by 43 per cent and prices of fertilisers would also witness a rise, he claimed. “Wrong implementation of GST will not only put an additional tax burden on the people, but also lead to price rise and large-scale unemployment,” said Maken.
