(1 Dec) Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed repeated adjournments and protests as it debated the issue of intolerance. Similar scenes are expected to continue in the House on Tuesday, as both sides – the Opposition and the treasury benches – will continue their verbal attack against each other. Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is expected to participate in day two of the discussion in Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha, which will conclude the discussion on the Indian Constitution on Tuesday, will also initiate a discussion on intolerance, where Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury are likely to hit out against the government. Tharoor lauds Narendra Modi’s way of handling the crowd during the bomb blast at his Patna rally before Lok Sabha elections. ” I want to know the same what has gone wrong with Modi, who displayed great sense of responsibility during the bomb blast at his rally to avoid panic,” Tharoor. We cannot promote Make in India abroad while promoting intolerance in the country:

Tharoor Congress leader Shashi Tharoor speaks in Lok Sabha on intolerance. BJP MP Kirron Kher thanks NDA govt for respecting film industry. : NCP MP Supriya Sule asks the ruling party to rise to the occasion and introspect over issues like ‘ghar wapsi’ and ‘award wapsi’. Rajnath ji, please tell your ministers and colleagues to think before you talk, says Sule. Let’s not run down Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. They have worked globally: Sule. Speaking during the intolerance debate in Lok Sabha, Galla said politicians must stop dividing people on the basis of caste and religion as it only hurts the nation. “We are misusing the word intolerance,” Galla said, adding that issues like the murder of Dabholkar or the Dadri lynching must be condemned but at the same time questioned how the NDA government at the Centre could be responsible, saying law and order is a state issue. “State governments must take action against such elements and the role of the Centre, if any, must be proved before allegations against the Centre,” Galla said. Speaking on the discussion of India’s commitment to the Indian constitution, O’Brien quoted MS Golwakar, saying the Modi government must clarify what its stand on the Indian Constitution is.

“The non-Hindu people of Hindustan must either adopt Hindu culture and language, must learn and respect and hold in reverence the Hindu religion, must entertain no idea but of those of glorification of the Hindu race and culture . In a word they must cease to be foreigners, or may stay in the country, wholly subordinated to the Hindu nation, claiming nothing, deserving no privileges, far less any preferential treatment-not even citizens’ rights.” M. S. Golwalkar had said. “More that 3000 farmers are committing suicide in Maharashtra, my question to the government is when are they going to release funds to better the situation.” Chavan was speaking on the impact of climate change on farmers. In his response, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the Centre has spoken to state government’s across the country on the issue. “Our team has returned from Maharashtra and in two or three days they will have a meeting. we will address all issues,” Singh said. Opposition MPs took the opportunity to raise concerns about communal violence during the Question Hour forcing Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to intervene and urged MPs to restrict their ‘statements’ to ‘questions.’ Responding to the questions, MoS Home Kiren Rijiju said there were cases of violence that were happening across the country, but it needs to be determined which cases were communal and which were not. Rijiju said the government had no panel to look into cases of communal violence.

As the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting ended, PTI reports that BJP MPs have been instructed not to make any provocative statement that could disrupt the functioning of the House. “BJP MPs told not to make provocative statements as it deflects from PM Narendra Modi’s developmental agenda,” Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said. The government is banking on the support of the Opposition to push important legislation like the GST Bill. Earlier this morning, Left parties protested against the government’s handling of yesterday’s developments in the House. The protests were led by Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury. BJP MPs met this morning to discuss their strategy ahead of what is expected to be a stormy day in Parliament, given Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will both debate the issue of ‘intolerance’. BJP Parliamentary Party meeting underway in Parliament. pic.twitter.com/kTfw8jgihf – ANI (@ANI_news) December 1, 2015 Watch video: Decoding the ‘intolerance’ debate in Parliament On Monday, Lok Sabha witnessed clashes and repeated adjournments as it took up the debate on ‘intolerance’ with the opposition targeting the government and triggering a storm after a CPI(M) member attributed ‘Hindu leader’ comments to The comments by Mohd Salim, who cited an Outlook magazine report while initiating the debate on ‘intolerance, led to a deadlock with the ruling side demanding that he either withdraw these comments or apologise. The logjam, because of which the House was adjourned four times, was resolved in the evening after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan expunged the remarks related to the allegations.

This paved the way for resumption of the debate during which opposition parties like CPI(M) and Congress attacked the government, alleging that intolerance had increased since the NDA government came. BJP hit back by saying that incidents, which were being projected by the opposition as examples of ‘intolerance’, had been taking place in the country for decades. Its member Meenakshi Lekhi also cited Home Ministry figures to insist that incidents of communal violence had come since NDA came to power. In Rajya Sabha, the Opposition raked up the “intolerance” issue to target the government in the society even before the NDA rule which needed to be identified and dealt with firmly, instead of generalising it. Members of the opposition parties like Congress, NCP and BSP sought to corner the government citing incidents of violence against minorities and dalits to suggest “anarchy” and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take strict action against ruling party members for “provocative” comments. BSP chief that Union Minister V K Singh should be “jailed” for his ‘dog’ remarks after the killing of two Dalit children in Haryana. Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said such incidents “have been happening” and not started overnight after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. “There is some amount of intolerance in the society, in different areas. That has to be identified, it has to be localised, it has to be dealt with firmly. Instead of that, we are making it generalised,” he said as he referred to instances of killing of dalits and writers in certain states. “Some people making out of turn statement, we have to condemn, we have to isolate them. they have to be condemnd and disowned,” he said.

(1 Dec) Kathmandu, Dec.1 (ANI): The Nepal Parliament were adjourned on Tuesday for five days after Madhesi lawmakers repeatedly obstructed proceedings over disagreement with the Revised Bill of the new Constitution. The agitating Madhes-based parties continuously demanded that the government of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli address their issues at the earliest. The lawmakers of the Madhesi-based parties trooped into the well of the House and surrounded Speaker Onsari Gharti’s rostrum and chanted protest slogans. The repeated obstructionist behaviour of the Madhesi lawmakers forced Speaker Gharti to adjourn the meeting till 1 p.m. on December 6. Earlier, the meeting of Parliament was adjourned till Tuesday following obstruction by the Nepali Congress, reports the Himalayan Times. NC lawmakers had on Monday objected to Speaker Onsari Gharti after she provided Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal (FSF-N) Chairman Upendra Yadav with time to speak in the House. They had demanded that their party should be given first chance to speak as per the set parliamentary practice.

(30 Nov) Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday launched the first phase of the Mumbai surveillance project under which 1200 cameras have been installed at 434 locations across South Mumbai. The project, which is being implemented by Larsen and Toubro (L&T), was flagged by the former Congress-led UPA government in Maharashtra following the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack, which claimed 166 lives. Fadnavis had earlier said that his government had made significant progress in the project, which has been pending for the last seven years. He also said that the project would be completed in 2016. The entire project involves the installation of 6,000 CCTV cameras in Mumbai at a cost of Rs 949 crores.

Lok Sabha adjourned for an hour following a CPI(M) member’s allegation against Home Minister Rajnath Singh. CPI(M) Politician Mohammed Salim alleged Rajnath for making a statement saying that India got its first “Hindu ruler” after 800 years. Rajnath was quick to deny the allegations and said that he was deeply hurt by Salim’s remark. Mohammed Salim replied saying that he was quoting from a magazine interview and that if he (Rajnath) didn’t make the statement then he should sue the publication

Normally pro-Modi, Baba Ramdev has made a shocking attack on Modi government, saying black money has increased under the BJP dispensation.

He was speaking in ABP News programme Press Conference, which will be telecast at 8 pm today. He said black money is of two types-one that emanates from scams and others by tax evasion.

He didn’t tell when PM Modi’s promise of giving Rs 15 lakh to every citizen would be fulfilled, but he said he had full faith on the government.

The Centre announced that only 638 taxpayers had declared

undisclosed foreign assets worth Rs 3,770 crore -demolishing the tall claims of the government on bringing back all the black money supposedly stashed abroad.

The finance ministry said in a statement that the figures were subject to final reconciliation. The compliance window for making the declarations had been open for three months between July 1 and midnight of September 30.

The taxpayers who have disclosed foreign assets will have to pay a 30 per cent tax and a 30 per cent penalty on the declared amount.

The government is likely to receive Rs 2,262 crore by December 31.

The payout is just over Rs 18 per Indian – a far cry from the Rs 15 lakh that was seared into the collective psyche during the heat and dust of last year’s general election.

Top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his Race Course Road residence. On the second day of the Winter Session of Parliament came the thaw. The ice between the ruling coalition and the main Opposition, the Congress, broke after a long time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the Prime Minister’s residence to discuss the Goods and Services Tax. Even before the meeting, the Prime Minister struck a reconciliatory note in his speech in Lok Sabha by calling for consensus on issues of national interest.

The government, often accused of being unilateral in decisions because it enjoys majority in the Lower House, has put the GST legislation on fast track. It is clear that the government wants to get done with this GST business as soon as possible and hopes to implement it by the next financial year. Based on the experience of countries where GST isalready in action, the government knows the implementation of GST generally will lead to an initial backlash as things are bound to get slightly expensive with the new levy. The sooner the better. The government doesn’t want it to hang fire and singe it in a big election year. The meeting between the leading lights of the government and the opposition saw the two parties discussing other issues as well. In the major reach-out to the main Opposition, the Prime Minister invited Gandhi and Singh over tea at his Race Course Road residence around 7 PM.

“Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh & Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi meet PM. Top ministers are present at the meet,” the PMO said in a tweet. &; PIB India (@PIB_India) November 27, 2015 Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu were also present at the meeting. “Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh & Congress President Smt.Sonia Gandhi meet PM. Top ministers are present at the meet,” the PMO said in a tweet. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes. Jaitley had told the media yesterday that Modi was willing to speak to everyone to get the tax law through. Jaitley, who needs Parliament approval for the GST Bill in the Winter Session to roll out the new indirect tax regime as scheduled from April 1, had said he has spoken to “almost all Congress leaders” on the issue. “We have absolutely no hesitation even at the level of the Prime Minister. We have never had in it in the past, we don’t have it (now). He is willing to speak to everyone,” he had said. Congress had stalled passage of the GST Constitution Amendment Bill in the last session of Parliament over its demand that a revenue-neutral rate not higher than 18 per cent be mentioned in it.

It is also opposed to states being given powers to levy additional 1 per cent tax on supply of goods over and above GST rate. GST Logjam Congress’ three demands 1. GST rate capped at 18 per cent 2. No taxation on interstate sales 3. Tax dispute to be resolved through mechanism Government’s response to the 3 demands 1. Will be difficult to alter the rate in future 2.Tax to reimburse high producing states 3. Not clear on the mechanism What’s the GST Bill 1. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is billed as India’s biggest tax reform since Independence. 2. GST is a single tax on any supply of goods or services and would replace excise, service tax, state Value Added Tax, entry tax and other state levies. 3. VAT regulations and rates generally vary across states but GST would introduce uniform taxation laws across states and different sectors. 4. The taxes would be divided between the state and the Centre, based on a formula that would be acceptable to both. 5. GST Bill will reduces the tax burden on producers. 6. GST will lower overall production cost and increase the output of the economy in the long run. 7. Initially however, GST is likely tocause high inflation rates, administrative costs, and face stiff opposition from states due to loss of autonomy.

Bihar’s new Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav on Tuesday asked government doctors to be present on duty round-the-clock in emergency wards in all hospitals in the state.

Yadav, son of RJD president Lalu Prasad, gave the stern instruction after a review meeting of health department and asked the principal secretary to the health department to ensure that doctors stay at their place of posting, according to an official statement. He also stressed that senior doctors take at least two rounds at the wards in the evening along with regular monitoring and asked the principal secretary to the health department to keep a tab on doctors who absent themselves from duty.

The minister said he would pay surprise visits to any hospital any day to see whether the order was complied with, the statement said. Yadav instructed that life saving drugs should be present in each of these hospitals so that “no patient has to roam here and there for medicines.”

He also ordered to keep CT scan, MRI, X-ray machines and ventilators in good working condition and maintain cleanliness in hospitals.

The minister instructed the superintendent of Patna Medical College and Hospital to ensure that no ‘dalal’ (broker) is seen roaming in the hospital to dupe hapless patients and take them to private facilities.

“If need be security guards should be posted for the purpose,” Yadav said. He also asked for registration of private nursing homes.

The image of him embracing Lalu Prasad Yadav having gone viral, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday sought to defend his anti-graft credentials saying it was the RJD chief who “pulled and hugged him”, and it did not amount to an “alliance”.

Kejriwal said that AAP worked “against BJP” during the Bihar assembly polls and supported the chief ministerial candidature of Nitish Kumar. He termed the JD(U) leader as a “good person” and someone who has done “good work”.

“I go to Rashtrapati Bhawan. All party leaders come there. They meet us. In Nitish Kumar’s swearing in Lalu Yadav was on the stage. He shook hand and pulled me and hugged me. And held my hand and raised it. It was projected and questions were asked. We have not formed an alliance. We are against his record of corruption and we’ll always oppose it,” Kejriwal said.

The AAP chief made the remarks at the party’s National Council meet here. Kejriwal said he was against dynasty politics and the fact that Lalu’s “two sons are ministers. We are against that too.”

“I am happy that questions are being asked. Questions are being asked because people have hope, because they think we are different. Nobody asks questions when other leader hug Lalu ji, it’s good for us,” Kejriwal added.

The Delhi Chief Minister faced flak from various quarters for hugging Lalu, a convict in the fodder scam, at the oath- taking ceremony of Kumar on November 2O. Expelled AAP leader Yogendra Yadav described it as a “shameful” act.

Yadav, said it was not mere hugging, but the defeat of ideals to form a bloc against the BJP. “Political capital of the movement sold to symbols of political corruption.Ashamed!” Kejriwal was criticised even on social media with many even posting a tweet of his that he wrote in October 2013.

“Laloo made crores in fodder scam. But no order for recovery of that money. Just 25 lakh fine and few years in jail. A sweet deal,” the Delhi CM had tweeted.

24 Nov) Washington: Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has not only maintained his top position in the popularity ratings, but has also widened his gap over rivals in the 2016 elections race, latest polls showed today. According to the national opinion polls, released by Fox News, Trump retains the top spot with a record 28 per cent support. He is up by 2 per cent compared to the poll conducted on November 1-3 by the channel.

The popularity of Trump’s closest Republican rival Ben Carson has dropped from 23 per cent to 18 per cent. Two others Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are tied at 14 per cent. Jeb Bush’s popularity remains disappointing at 5 per cent. The latest poll was conducted between November 16 and 19. On RealClearPolitics.Com, which aggregates all the recent national opinion polls, Trump with 27.5 per cent leads his nearest Republican rival Carson with 7.7 percentage point. In another survey, Pew Research Centre said Trump, Rubio, Cruz and Carson get higher favourable ratings among Republicans who are angry at government than among non-angry Republicans, in part because they are better known among the “angry” group.

A year ahead of the election, American public is deeply cynical about government, politics and the nation’s elected leaders in a way that has become quite familiar, it said. The survey, based on more than 6,000 interviews conducted between August 27 and October 4, 2015, found that only 19 per cent say they can trust the government always or most of the time, among the lowest levels in the past half-century. Only 20 per cent would describe government programmes as well run. And elected officials are held in such low regard that 55 per cent of the public says “ordinary Americans” would do a better job of solving national problems, it said. According to Pew, the public finds the government frustrating and badly managed at a general level: 59 per cent say it is in need of “very major reform,” up 22 percentage points since 1997. However at a specific level, in 10 of the 13 areas included in the survey, the balance of opinion about government performance is more positive than negative.

Ahmedabad: Amid widespread complaints of deletion of names from voters’ lists, polling took place on Sunday for the first phase of the two-tiered elections to local self-government bodies in Gujarat, with around 47 per cent of the electorate turning out to cast their ballot. Voting began on a lazy note at 8 a.m. at around 13,000 polling stations in the state. Secured by police and paramilitary personnel, the turnout limped to just over 15 percent by afternoon, leaving political parties worried about their prospects. Polling, however, picked up during the last three hours to hover around an average 47 percent — 4 percent higher than the 43.8 percent in the 2010 municipal elections.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state controls six of the eight municipal corporations — Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar — that went to the polls. The terms of Gandhinagar and Junagadh are yet to end. Rajkot city topped with a maximum of 50 percent turnout, followed by Bhavnagar with 49 and Jamnagar with 47 — all three cities fall in the Saurashtra region that has a sizeable population of the Patel community which is on a warpath with the Anandiben Patel government over their demand for reservation.

The state’s commercial capital Ahmedabad and cultural hub Vadodara too saw around 47 percent voter turnout each. Surat, that cuts and polishes nearly 80 percent of the diamonds exported from the country, scored the lowest turnout of 44 percent. Though no untoward incident or poll-related violence was reported from anywhere, the state election commission (SEC) received a large number of complaints of deletion of names from voters’ lists from all the cities. Official sources said every city must have received an average of three major complaints about absence of and deletion of voters’ names from electoral lists. IANS