Ahmedabad, Aug 21 (IANS) Gujarat has emerged as one of the states with the highest number of reported dog bite incidents in the country during the previous year, as per Minister of State for Health Prof Satya Pal Singh Baghel.

The Minister was replying to a query during the last monsoon session of Parliament.

Garnering attention for its alarming figures, the state secured the fifth position nationally, with a staggering 1,69,261 documented cases of dog bites.

As many as 1.69 lakh people were bitten by stray dogs in 2022, says the data.     

On an average, 19 people were bitten every hour.

According to the minister, in 2022, Maharashtra reported 45 dog bites per hour, followed by Tamil Nadu -- 42, Andhra Pradesh -- 22, Uttar Pradesh -- 22, Gujarat -- 19, Karnataka -- 19, and Bihar -- 16.

This equates to an average of 464 attacks per day and 19 bites per hour.

Despite the unsettling numbers, there is a notable trend of declining dog bite incidents over the years. The statistics show a decline from 4.31 lakh cases in 2020 to 1.92 lakh in 2021, further dwindling to 1.69 lakh in 2022.

A striking contrast emerges within the data, particularly concerning Ahmedabad.

While the state's overall figures exhibit a reduction in dog bite cases, Ahmedabad paints a different picture. Official records from the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) reveal a stark increase, registering over 58,000 dog bite incidents in 2022.

This figure exceeds the 51,000 cases reported in 2021 by approximately 7,500 cases.

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) The Centre on Friday introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha which completely overhauls the British-era Indian criminal laws, the Indian Penal Code (1860), Code of Criminal Procedure (1898), and the Indian Evidence Act (1872).

Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023 which seeks to replace the IPC, the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 which seeks to replace the CrPC and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 which seeks to replace the Indian Evidence Act in the Lok Sabha on the last day of the monsoon session.

Referring to the three bills for consideration of the Parliamentary standing committee on home affairs, Shah said that the earlier laws strengthened British rule, while the proposed laws will protect the rights of the citizens and give speedy justice to the people.

A new offence on acts of secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities, separatist activities or endangering sovereignty or unity and integrity of India has been added in the revised laws.

The sedition law "has been repealed", the home minister said.

The word "sedition" is not in the proposed law. It is replaced by Section 150 for acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.

"Whoever, purposely or knowingly, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or by electronic communication or by use of financial means, or otherwise, excites or attempts to excite, secession or armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encourages feelings of separatist activities or endangers sovereignty or unity and integrity of India; or indulges in or commits any such act shall be punished with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine," it says.

Shah said the Centre will also introduce the provision of capital punishment in mob lynching cases.

On punishment, the home minister said that under the new laws, the intention is protection of Constitutional justice and not to punish. Punishment is to be given only when an example is to be made.

"The laws that will be repealed... the focus of those law was to protect and strengthen the British administration, the idea was to punish and not to give justice. By replacing them, the new three laws will bring the spirit to protect the rights of the Indian citizen," Shah said in the Lok Sabha.

"The aim will not be to punish, it will be to provide justice. Punishment will be given to create a sentiment of stopping crime," he added.

The death sentence has been retained in the new bills.

The explanation states this: "Comments expressing disapprobation of the measures, or administrative or other action of the Government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means without exciting or attempting to excite the activities referred to in this section."

The legislations also prioritise laws for crimes against women and children, murders and "offences against the state".

For the first time, community service will be one of the punishments for petty offences.

Also, offences have been made gender neutral. In order to deal effectively with the problem of organised crimes and terrorist activities, new offences of terrorist acts and organised crime have been added with deterrent punishments.

The fines and punishment for various offences have also been enhanced.

The home minister said that 475 colonial references have been removed.

He further informed that the bill has been referred to the Parliamentary panel for home affairs so that it can be examined by all lawmakers and also the bar councils and Law Commission.

The new bills were exhaustively discussed during the past four years and 158 meetings were held to finalise the bills, with all the concerned stakeholders.

New Delhi, Aug 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the no-confidence motion is lucky for the BJP-led Centre as the floor test is not for the NDA, but for the Opposition which has moved the motion in the Parliament.

Speaking on the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister said that many members have expressed their thoughts and "I have also heard the speeches of few of the members".

Stating that the people of the country have shown their trust in the NDA government a number of times, Modi said, "I am here to show my gratitude to the people of India." 

Taking a dig at the Opposition, the Prime Minister said that God is kind and if he decides, then through any medium he fulfils the desires of people.

"And I consider this as a blessing that the God suggested the Opposition and they came up with the (no-trust) motion," he said.

"In 2018 too, it was God's wish when the members of the Opposition brought the no confidence motion. And then also I had said that it is not our government's floor test, but it is their (Opposition's) floor test.

"And the same happened when the voting was done. The number of votes could not control the votes which they had earlier. And not only this, when we went to the public, the people announced their no-confidence for them (Opposition) and the in elections, the NDA as well as the BJP got more votes. This means the no-confidence motion is lucky for us," Modi said.

"I can see that you have decided that in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA and the BJP will break all previous records with more brute majority," he added.

The no-trust motion has been brought by the Congress on behalf of the Opposition bloc of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). The debate was initiated on Tuesday by Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) After wink and hug controversy in 2018, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday once again landed in another controversy over his alleged gesture of flying kiss while leaving from the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister for Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday without naming Rahul Gandhi alleged that he misbehaved and "only a misogynistic man can gesture a flying kiss to female parliamentarians."

Speaking in the House, Irani said, I object to something. The one who was given the chance to speak before me displayed indecency before leaving. It is only a misogynistic man who can give a flying kiss to a Parliament which seats female members of Parliament. It shows the khandan (family) he comes from, and what his family and party feel about women.

“Such undignified conduct was never before seen in the Parliament of the country," Irani added.

Her remarks came after Rahul Gandhi spoke in favour of the no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha. After speaking on the no-trust motion, the Congress leader left the House and it is then he is said to have allegedly shared a flying kiss.

Rahul Gandhi's membership was reinstated on Monday by the Lok Sabha Secretariat following a stay on his conviction in the 2019 Modi surname remarks defamation case. 

He was disqualified as MP on March 24 this year, a day after the Surat court convicted him in the defamation case. 

In 2018, during the no-confidence motion against the BJP government, Rahul Gandhi winked. He then went on to hug Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his seat.

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday during the discussion on no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that his "arrogance was burning India like Ravana's arrogance got Lanka burned".

"If we want to hear the voice of people, we will have to crush our arrogance as Ravana was not killed by Lord Ram but his arrogance got him killed and in the same manner Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrogance is burning the whole country."

He said that it was not Lord Hanuman who burned Lanka, but it was arrogance of Ravana that got the Lanka destroyed. 

Gandhi made the remarks while speaking in the Lok Sabha in support of the no-confidence motion.

Before starting his speech in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi first thanked Speaker Om Birla for re-instating him as the MP.  

“First of all want to thank you as you reinstated me in Lok Sabha. And last time when I spoke, I might have caused you trouble. I apologise to you for that. But I spoke the truth. Today, my friends in BJP need not be scared because my speech today is not on that."

Following this, the members from the Treasury Bench objected to his comments.

Referring to the words of famous poet Rumi, Rahul Gandhi said said, “Rumi had said ‘Jo shabd dil se aate hai, wo shabd dil me jate hai’.”

“So I would not be speaking from my mind but from my heart,” he said adding that last year, for over 130 days I walked from one corner of India to another corner, not alone but with many people.

Treasury members again raised their voice on this.

"Initially, when I started (the Bharat Jodo Yatra), I had in my mind that walking 25 km is no big deal if I can run 8 to 10 km every day. Today, when I look at that -- it was arrogance. I had arrogance in my heart at that time. But India erases arrogance, erases it in a second. So, within 2-3 days, my knees started hurting, it was an old injury. In the first few days, the wolf became an ant. 'Jo Hindustan ko ahankar se dekhne nikla, nikla tha wo poora ka poora ahankar gayab ho gaya (The arrogance with which I had come to see India, that arrogance was wiped out)',” he said.

He then said, 'After sometime I started realising that the thing which I loved, the thing for which I am ready to die, the thing I am ready to go to prison of Modiji and for the thing for which I was abused for 10 years, I wanted to understand that. What is this, which has captured my heart, I wanted to understand that."

Sharing his experience of the Yatra from Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari to Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, the Congress MP said, “Everyday I walked with fear and whenever this fear grew some power helped me. One day, I was unable to bear the pain and a young girl gave me a letter that read, don’t worry I am walking with you. She saw my injury and she gave her power. And lakhs of people gave me the power.”

He then said that in the first few days he spoke his mind to the people but after sometime he started listening to them and then he shared their pain.

“After I started listening to the voice of the people and understood their pain, the yatra changed completely. I could not listen to the voice of crowd but the voice of the people who spoke to me, their pain, their wounds and their words became mine,” he shared.

He further said that people say that this is a country while some say there is different languages, different religions.

“This country is a voice and it is the truth. This country is the voice of people, their pain, and their hardships. And if we have to listen to the voice then we have to wipe the arrogance, desires, dreams. When we remove our dream then only we can listen to the voice of India,” he said.

“Now you will ask why you kept this in no-confidence motion? Because if we have to listen to the voice of India then we have to remove the hatred,” Rahul Gandhi explained.

Targeting the Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi said, “When I said that India is a voice of people, the heart, that voice has been murdered in India. It means Bharat Mata has been killed in Manipur. By killing the people of Manipur you have murdered Manipur. You are anti-national as you have killed Bharat Mata (mother India).

“And it is the reason why your Prime Minister cannot go to Manipur as he has killed India in Manipur and in the hearts of the people of Manipur,” he said.

He also said that you (BJP) have killed Bharat Mata in Manipur and till the time you don’t stop voilence you are murdering India.

“The armed forces can bring normalcy in one day but you are not using it as you want to kill India in Manipur. If Modi cannot listen to the hearts of people of India...,” he said.

“Lanka was not burned by Lord Hanuman but it was burned by the arrogance of Ravana. Ram did not kill Ravana but the arrogance of Ravana killed him. You are throwing kerosene in entire India. You threw kerosene in Manipur and then you ignited it. Now you are doing that in Haryana. You are trying to burn entire India and you are trying to kill India,” Rahul Gandhi added.

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that the Delhi Services Bill in no way violates the Supreme Court judgement and it is aimed to corruption-free administration in Delhi.

He also said that the Centre doesn’t need to snatch power, 130 crore people have given us the power.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on the Delhi Services Bill, Shah said, “Delhi services bill in no way violates Supreme Court judgement.”

Replying on the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha, Shah said that the aim is to make sure corruption-free administration in Delhi.

The Home Minister further said that post-independence, Delhi was given an Assembly.

“One must read 239AA carefully. The problem is that you have fought the elections of a UT, but want to enjoy the powers of the state,” Shah said.

Targeting the AAP, the Minister said, “Delhi was governed by BJP, Congress before 2015, but there was never confrontation with Centre.”

He said that such a bill can only be introduced for a Union Territory.

“This is the problem of mentality that one is fighting elections of a UT but seeking powers of a state,” Shah added.

Even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the Rajya Sabha proceedings on Monday as the voting for the Bill is supposed to take place.

The Bill in Rajya Sabha was moved by Shah earlier in the day and several Indian National Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have opposed the Bill.

The Delhi Services Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on Thursday amid walkout by the opposition parties.

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IANS) The central government on Monday sought to play down the restoration of Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership, with Parliamentary affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi saying that the decision was taken as per due legal procedure.

"Speaker made the decision today. We followed the legal process and immediately after receiving the Supreme Court's order, we restored it," Joshi told mediapersons outside the Parliament.

Responding to questions on Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership being restored, the minister denied any delay.

Joshi said that the Supreme Court order staying the Congress leader's conviction in a defamation case had come on August 4, which was a Friday, a weekend. However, Monday being a working day, the decision was immediately taken by the Speaker's office.

Congress had been keen to get Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership restored, as the party wants him to participate in the discussion on the no-confidence motion, which is set to begin from  Tuesday (August 8).

Earlier in the day, the Lok Sabha membership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was restored by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, three days after the Supreme Court had stayed his conviction in a defamation case.

In an order issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat Monday, it was informed that in view of the Supreme Court order dated August 4, Gandhi's disqualification, which was ordered on March 24 this year, stands withdrawn.

The Supreme Court on August 4 had stayed Gandhi's conviction in a defamation case against him.

A Surat court had earlier found him guilty and handed him the maximum sentence of two years’ imprisonment -- leading to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. 

The Gujarat High Court had refused to stay the conviction, after which Gandhi had appealed in the Supreme Court.

Himmatnagar, Gujarat - The youthful savers of Idar tehsil in Gujarat's Sabarkantha district have achieved something extraordinary that could serve as an inspiration for adults. Instead of spending their money on chocolates, ice cream, and other treats, these children, all aged under 18, have amassed savings to the tune of INR 5 crores through the Bal Gopal Mandali, a local cooperative. Union Minister Parsottam Rupala commended the children's initiative in the Lok Sabha.

The Bal Gopal Mandali, situated in Idar, includes around 17,000 children who have collectively saved an impressive sum of approximately INR 16 crores to date. Currently, they have INR 5 crores deposited in the cooperative's children's bank. These feats prove the fallacy that children don't grasp the value of money, a notion the young savers of Sabarkantha district have convincingly disproved.

Ashwini Patel, the circle's president, emphasizes the importance of instilling values and financial responsibility in children from an early age. She suggests that children who acquire the habit of saving early in life will reap lifelong benefits. Money or gifts received from visitors are not used for immediate gratification, like candies or toys, but are deposited in the children's bank's savings box. The collected savings are used for purchasing educational books and materials or act as a safety net during family emergencies.

The origin of this savings tradition traces back to a family in Idar's Laloda village. Since then, the initiative has grown to include nearly 17,000 children. Currently, the group operates in both Sabarkantha and Aravalli districts. The Mandali has established a system in which an agent opens a savings box monthly and deposits the accumulated funds into the Mandali. Union Minister Parsottam Rupala lauded this unique initiative in a recent Lok Sabha session.

New Delhi, August 4 (IANS) The Lok Sabha on Friday passed the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023 and the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, within 40 minutes after short discussions through voice vote, amid protests by opposition members over the Manipur violence.

As the House convened at 12 p.m. opposition members arrived and stood in the Well of the House, displaying placards and shouting slogans.

Rajendra Agrawal, who was officiating the proceedings, urged them to stop the protests and let the House function.

"Yesterday was good (as the discussion on Delhi services bill was held with opposition also participating in it). There should be discussion on the House like yesterday," Agrawal said.

Amid protests, the House took up the two bills for discussion and passing.

Even the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Bill, 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha, which aims to set up the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, while piloting the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, said that "it is an important step towards integration and jointness in the three wings of our armed forces so that they will be able to face the challenges of the future in a united and integrated manner".

He said that he wanted to assure the House that this bill is an important step in the direction of military reforms and does not include any additional financial implications.

Rajnath Singh urged the House to pass the bill as it has been cleared by the Parliamentary standing committee on defence without any changes.

"It will also help create an environment that will strengthen discipline in our Inter-Services Organisations," he said.

The bill was later passed through voice vote after a short discussion. As of now members of the armed forces are governed by three separate laws, i.e the Army Act of 1950, the Air Force Act of 1950 and the Navy Act of 1957.

Only officers from the same service have the authority to discipline those who fall under their respective Acts. This creates challenges in maintaining command, control, and discipline within groups that consist of members from different services.

The lack of disciplinary authority for the commander-in-chief of a joint services command and the officer-in-command of other inter-services organisations is a significant issue.

When any armed forces personnel is accused of a crime they must be sent back to their parent service unit for disciplinary or administrative action.

Whenever there are disciplinary or administrative issues involving personnel from different military branches it becomes even more complicated. This leads to multiple sets of proceedings under each branch's rules, causing delays and affecting discipline.

To address these issues, the new bill aims to make things easier and ensure maintenance of discipline and faster resolution of cases.

Meanwhile, the Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was also passed in Lok Sabha after a short discussion through voice vote.

The bill seeks to amend the Indian Institutes of Management Act, 2017, to upgrade the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) in Mumbai into an IIM. NITIE was set up by the government of India in 1963 with the help of the UN Development Programme and the International Labour Organization.

The bill proposes amendments to the IIM Act of 2017, including increased presidential powers in IIMs which has raised concerns over the balance between accountability and autonomy of these eminent management institutes in the country.

The amendment declares the 20 IIMs across the country as ‘institutions of national importance’.

The bill introduced in Lok Sabha by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan proposes to appoint the President as the ‘Visitor’ to all the IIMs.

As per the proposed changes, the ‘Visitor’ will have powers to conduct audits, and even appoint or remove the chairpersons of the board of governors and directors.

The bill allows the President, as the ‘Visitor’, to appoint the chairperson of the coordination forums for each IIM.

The coordination fora have been proposed for better coordination among all management insinuating common policy objectives.

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill through voice vote, after the Opposition staged a walkout. 

Amid high drama, the lone AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku was suspended from the remaining tenure of the Monsoon Session by Speaker Om Birla after he threw some papers on the chair while standing in the Well of the House. 

Home Minister Amit Shah, launching an all-out attack on the Opposition, while responding to the discussion on the bill, said in Lok Sabha on Thursday that it was only concerned about saving its opportunistic alliance and that is why had participated with full strength to oppose the Delhi services bill, forgetting its concerns about Manipur in the process. 

"It is good to see that today after so many days of disruptions, whatever may have been the compulsions, all opposition parties forgot about their protests on Manipur and demand for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence in the House, and came together to participate in the discussion on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill," Shah said in his response to the discussion on the bill. 

Since it is a bill whose passage will see the exit of AAP from their INDIA alliance, all the opposition parties came together to save the alliance, he said, adding that prior to this bill, the opposition did not allow the House to function and nine important bills had to be passed in the din. 

"You may call anybody to increase your alliance but the fact rains that the next Prime Minister will again be Narendra Modi," Shah said. 

Continuing his attack on the Opposition's INDIA alliance, Shah said that the nation is looking at how two-faced the alliance is. 

"I did not say anything. You only exposed yourself by your actions. Lok Sabha is not the place to mislead the nation," Shah said. 

He said that Delhi was never a full fledged state and it was necessary to bring the bill "as rules were needed to be framed since rules were not being followed". 

The Centre, he added, had the rights to frame rules for Delhi. 

The Home Minister criticised the AAP government in Delhi, saying that it only wanted bureaucratic control over its officials as they were concerned about getting exposed and their misdeeds coming out in the open. 

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday attacked the Centre for bringing the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill 2023 in Parliament.

Speaking against the bill, he sought to know from the government the urgency behind promulgating the ordinance within six days of the Supreme Court deciding in favour of the Delhi government in the tussle over controlling bureaucrats. 

He said the opposition has doubts because if a bill taking away the elected government's powers can be brought for Delhi, then the Centre may "attack" other states too. 

"If you think scams are happening in Delhi, you have so may agencies like ED and CBI. Was it necessary to bring such a bill because of the alleged scams," Chowdhury asked. 

In a sarcastic remark, Chowdhury said he couldn't believe his ears that Home Minister Amit Shah had praised former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. 

"I couldn't believe whether it was day or night when I heard our Amit Shah ji praising Jawaharlal Nehru. I thought I should run up to him and put a sweet in his mouth. Because praise for Nehru and the Congress from his mouth was a pleasant surprise for me," the Congress MP said. 

He was referring to Shah's comments while initiating the discussion on the bill, where he claimed that Nehru, Sardar Patel, C Rajagopalachari and even BR Ambedkar were against Delhi getting full statehood. 

Chowdhury, however, was interrupted by Shah who said he had not praised Nehru. 

"I have not praised Pandit Nehru. I have simply quoted what he has said. If they want to consider this as a praise, I have no objection to that." 

Chowdhury retorted: "You take the support of Nehru whenever you need it. If you had done this all through, we wouldn't have had to see (the events in) Manipur and Haryana. This is Delhi and it is our dil (heart)."

Chowdhury even indirectly attacked BJD MP Pinaki Misra, who had while indicating his party's support to the bill on August 1, has cited the Supreme Court ruling, saying Parliament was fully competent to frame laws on Delhi. 

The Congress MP said that some "flamboyant and erudite" member had supported the bill. 

"We may not be as flamboyant as them, but we know that this bill will hurt the federal structure of the nation," he said. 

DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran also spoke against the bill, and attacked the regular interferences by governors in the affairs of states. 

He said that the Centre's "frustration" of not being able to win in Delhi since the past 25 years was visible behind bringing the bill, which restricts the powers of the Delhi government. 

Maran said that this frustration was forcing the Centre to unleash its allies like the ED and CBI on the opposition. 

He cautioned the Centre not to make devils out of governors. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi sought Maran's apology for his remarks and amid verbal spats between DMK members and the treasury benches, the DMK members staged a walkout. 

Trinamool Congress leader Kalyan Banerji said that the bill was "malicious legislation". 

He added that people's mandate should be respected, which the bill seeks to destroy. 

New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) Amid uproarious scenes and vociferous protests by the Opposition, the controversial Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

The House was adjourned till 3 p.m. soon after the bill was introduced in the House.

The legislation empowers the Delhi lieutenant governor to have a final say in recommendations regarding transfer and posting of Delhi government
officials. 

The bill was introduced in the lower House by Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. Incidentally Home Minister Amit Shah was present in the
House.

Leader of the Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, while opposing the bill, said that it was "a graveyard for cooperative federalism" as services are a
state subject and the legislation encroaches on the powers of Delhi government.

While speaking, his mike was switched off a couple of times.

RSP MP N. K. Premachandran also objected to the bill and questioned it's legislative competence.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi countered the Opposition at this point, saying that Parliament was fully competent to pass the bill.

Congress MPs Shashi Tharoor and Gaurav Gogoi, DMK's T. R. Baalu, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi and TMC's Sougata Roy also opposed the bill.

BJD MP Pinaki Mishra, however, quoted a Supreme Court judgement which stated that the Centre is fully competent to make laws on Delhi government.

He wondered why the bill was being opposed.

However, as soon as the Home Minister Amit stood up to speak on the bill, the Opposition members in large numbers rushed into the Well of the House holding placards, raising slogans, showing placards and tearing papers.

Speaker Om Birla threatened to name the protesting members and adjourned the House till 3 p.m.

Interestingly, the Trinamool Congress members sat on their seats and did not participate in the Opposition's protests.