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December 19, 2024 2:47 PM

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Midday News

THE HEADLINES:

  • Both Houses of Parliament face adjournments amid ruckus over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks.
  • Government to refer One Nation One Election related bills to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.
  • Five terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Kulgam district Jammu & Kashmir; Gunfight still in progress.
  • Government allocates nearly 400 crore rupees for road development projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Central Railway to run 34 special trains in view of Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, next month.
  • US Federal Reserve slashes interest rates by point two five per cent for the third time this year to tackle inflation.

 

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Both the Houses of Parliament have been adjourned till 2 PM following opposition parties’ ruckus over the remarks of the Union Home Minister Amit Shah over Dr. BR Ambedkar.

 

In the Lok Sabha, when the House met for the day, opposition parties including Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party and others started sloganeering against the remarks of the Union Home Minister. Some protesting members also trooped into the well. Amid pandemonium, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till 2 PM.               

                    

Similar scenes were witnessed in the Rajya Sabha. When the House met for the day, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disallowed the adjournment notices moved by the Opposition MPs over the remarks of Mr. Shah and other issues. Opposition members from Congress, DMK, Aam Aadmi Party, Samajwadi Party, RJD, Left, and others raised slogans against the Home Minister. The Chairman urged for order in the House, but in vain. Later he adjourned the House till 2 PM.                                                                    

 

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The BJP MPs today staged a protest outside Parliament accusing the Congress of insulting Dr. B R Ambedkar. The party members carrying placards raised slogans against the opposition over the issue. Talking to media, Former Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur alleged that the Nehru-Gandhi family always disrespected Dr Ambedkar. He also alleged that Jawahar Lal Nehru himself conspired against Dr Ambedkar to make him lose elections and forced him to quit politics.

 

Opposition parties also continued their protest in Parliament House Complex on Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on Dr B R Ambedkar. The members from Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, RJD, Left and others joined the protest.

 

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BJP MPs Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput were today injured in the Parliament House Complex today amid protest and counter protest by the ruling BJP and Opposition members. Talking to media, Mr. Sarangi alleged that Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP, who fell on him after which he got injured. He added that he was standing near the stairs when Mr. Gandhi came. Sources said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the injured MPs and enquired about their health. 

 

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju condemned the incident. He alleged that Congress MPs led by Mr. Gandhi assaulted the BJP MP. He objected to the conduct of the senior Congress leader using physical power.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Gandhi has said, when he was trying to go inside Parliament, BJP MPs were trying to stop him. He also alleged that he was pushed and threatened by them. He observed that this was the entrance gate and they have the right to go inside the House.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor told the media that the ruling party MPs obstructing the entrance of Parliament violated the instructions issued by the Lok Sabha Speaker. He added that no member should be allowed to block the entrance. 

 

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge has also alleged that he was physically pushed by some BJP MPs. He has written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and urged for an inquiry into the incident.

 

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Talking to the media outside Parliament, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hit out at the Congress. He accused the Congress of lowering the dignity of Parliament.

 

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The Government will refer the Bills related to One Nation One Election to the Joint Parliamentary Committee comprising 31 parliamentarians. The proposed JPC will comprise of 21 Lok Sabha members and 10 Rajya Sabha members. 

 

The Bills are officially named as the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024.

 

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In Jammu & Kashmir, five terrorists have been killed in an ongoing anti-terrorist encounter with security forces in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district this morning.      An Army spokesperson said, two soldiers also suffered injuries and have been evacuated for medical care. Last night, the cordon and search operation was launched in the area on the basis of specific input about the presence of terrorists. Security sources said, as the joint forces approached the suspected place in Kader village, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately triggering a fierce gunfight. The Army spokesperson said the identity of the killed terrorists is being ascertained.

 

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level security meeting this evening with special emphasis on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha will also attend the meeting, which is being held in New Delhi.

 

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director, IB, Tapan Deka, Senior Army Officers, DGP of Jammu and Kashmir and other senior officers are expected to attend the meeting.

 

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The Centre has allocated 398 crore rupees for the road development projects in Arunachal Pradesh. In a social media post, Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said, the fund has been allocated for 19 State District Road Development projects under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund during 2024-25. He said, these initiatives aim to enhance last-mile connectivity in border regions, facilitating seamless access and fostering socio-economic growth across the state. 

 

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Central Railway has announced plans to run 34 special trains to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The Mela will be held in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26. The special trains will operate from various cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, and others, to ensure a smooth and efficient journey for pilgrims heading to the event. Bookings for Kumbh Mela Special Trains will open from 20 December at all PRS centres and website www.irctc.co.in. 

 

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Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel has said that the medical device sector in India is recognized as a sunrise sector because of immense growth potential, driven by the country’s increasing healthcare needs and emerging market opportunities. Addressing the Annual Health Summit in New Delhi, Ms Patel said, the size of the Indian medical devices sector is estimated to be around 14 billion dollar and it is expected to grow to 30 billion dollar by 2030.

 

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Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava has said that investments in robust healthcare and quality education systems are essential for harnessing the nation’s demographic dividend, driving innovation and ensuring sustainable progress. Addressing the Annual Health Summit in New Delhi, Ms Srivastava noted that India’s healthcare agenda focuses on making healthcare affordable, accessible, and inclusive for every citizen. She also asked industrialists to contribute towards the government goal of TB Mukt Bharat.

 

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Search and rescue operation is underway in the Mumbai boat collision incident in which 13 persons including three defence personnel lost their lives yesterday. As per reports two people are missing.

 

Expressing grief over the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of 2 lakh rupees for the kin of the deceased and 50,000 rupees assistance for the injured individuals. Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has announced that an aid of 5 lakh rupees will be provided to the families of the deceased.

 

According to the Indian Navy, a Navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with a passenger ferry off Karanja, Mumbai last evening.

 

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The US Federal Reserve announced to cut interest rates by 0.25 percent last night the third cut this year. The US Central Bank signaled a slower pace of cuts ahead, triggering a sharp sell-off in the key financial markets. The Fed announced in a statement that Policymakers voted 11-to-1 to lower the central bank’s key lending rate to between 4.25 percent and 4.50 percent.

 

Briefing media about the decision, US Fed Chair Jerome Powell said, While US inflation has eased significantly, however, compared to the US Fed’s long-term target of two per cent the level is still high. He added that the Fed was now “significantly closer” to the end of its current easing cycle.

 

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Domestic benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty 50, crashed over one percent each in the afternoon trade today, following the US Fed rate cut outlook. The 30-share BSE Sensex slipped 930 points to 79, 252and the NSE Nifty50 dropped 241 points to 23,957 when reports last came in. 

 

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The air quality in the National Capital continues to be in the severe category, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 457 as of 1 PM this afternoon. According to the Central Pollution Control Board, some areas of the city have breached the 450 AQI levels into the very poor category.

 

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News Just In.

 

Both houses of the Parliament have been adjourned for the day.

 

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THE HEADLINES ONCE AGAIN”

  • Both Houses of Parliament face adjournments amid ruckus over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks.
  • Five terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Kulgam district Jammu & Kashmir; Gunfight still in progress.
  • Government allocates nearly 400 crore rupees for road development projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Central Railway to run 34 special trains in view of Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, next month.
  • US Federal Reserve slashes interest rates by point two five per cent for the third time this year to tackle inflation.

 

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