TMC MP Moitra’s Expulsion
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