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Triple talaq deadlock continues amid verbal slugfest in Rajya Sabha (Lead)

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New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) The deadlock on the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha continued on Thursday as the government rejected the opposition’s demand to send the controversial legislation to a Select Committee

The government tactically placed the bill in the bottom of priority in the list of business, which the opposition strongly objected to and demanded that its motions for referring the bill to a Select Committee be taken up first. The business list had the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Amendment Bill ahead of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien pleaded helplessness on the ground that the listing of business was the government’s priority and decided to go ahead with the GST bill, triggering an opposition uproar which finally forced him to adjourn the House for the day.

The government has decided to put the triple talaq bill, which seeks to criminalise instant divorce by uttering talaq thrice, for consideration on Friday — the last day of the winter session.

Earlier, the opposition wanted the Chair to put the motions moved by Congress leader Anand Sharma and Trinamool Congress member Sukhendu Shekar Roy for reference of the legislation to a proposed Select Committee be put to vote immediately. They contended that before the House adjourned on Wednesday, a division was to be taken and so the Rajya Sabha should pick up the thread from where it was left.

After some discussion, the two sides agreed to conduct a short-duration discussion on the economy and take up the matter regarding triple talaq bill after that.Following Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s reply to the discussion, the opposition returned to its demand for a vote on the two motions.

Jaitley, who is also Leader of the House, reiterated his arguments and questioned the validity of the two motions saying the statutory requirement of 24 hours advance notice was not given and that the proposed committee was not representative in character.

Citing earlier rulings, he said a parliamentary panel has to represent the character of the House and be a “microcosm of the House”. Jaitley also said the work of a Select Committee was to improve a bill and a “saboteur” cannot be a part of the panel and as such was disqualified to be a part of it.

Intervening, Sharma said even when he had moved the resolution on Wednesday he had given in writing that the names of BJP and NDA MPs could be included in the proposed panel. He demanded that under Rule 131 an unfinished business had to be finished first.

Trinamool’s Roy said the matter came to the House on Wednesday because the government was not agreeable to reference of the bill to a Select Committee during a discussion in the Business Advisory Committee. “I am open to getting government members in the committee.”

Kurien brushed aside Jaitley’s objections saying the two motions have been allowed by the Chairman and he had no powers to change the decision. He said if there were technical defects in the motion, the Secretariat should have gone into it but once admitted by the Chairman, he cannot do anything about it.

Now that the motions have been moved in the House, they have become the property of the Rajya Sabha and only members have the right to decide on their fate, he said.

On 24 hours advance notice, he read out a rule which prescribed a day’s notice but also left it to the discretion of the Chairman whether to admit it earlier.

However, after giving the ruling, Kurien said on priority in finalising the list of business, the government has the final say and cannot give precedence to triple talaq bill over a GST legislation listed before that.

This led to heated exchanges between Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress and Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani, leading to uproar that forced the adjournment of the House for the day.

The government and the opposition members traded charges of being anti-women, with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad asserting that none form the opposition was against the bill but had objections with certain provisions of the legislation which need to be rectified through the Select Committee route.

Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Naresh Agrawal of the Samajwadi Party and Madhusudan Mistry of the Congress cited various rules of the House to convince the Chair that the triple talaq legislation must be taken up and disposed of first.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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