BJP MPs come out in Lok Sabha to question ministers from their own party
With the opposition parties still struggling to get over the electoral shock, a section of BJP MPs seem to have decided to hold the ministers accountable.
Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP MP from Chhapra and former Union minister, Wednesday caught Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on the wrong foot. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Prasad claimed that only state-run entities such as BSNL give free services during calamities. Rudy questioned Prasad’s claims, pointing out that even other companies have towers. He tore apart Prasad’s arguments in support of BSNL, pointing out that while the minister’s reply cited an increase in its consumer base, fact was that its consumers increased by 1 per cent against a decrease in income by Rs 1 lakh crore from 2017 to 2018. Rudy also pointed out that there was no accountability for call drops in BSNL services. The telecom minister didn’t have a proper answer to his party colleague’s onslaught.
On Thursday, it was the turn of Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to face heat from BJP parliamentarians on a question related to arbitrary fixation of air fares by the airlines. First they wanted him to reply in Hindi. As soon as Puri switched to Hindi, BJP MPs cornered him on air fares.
Jaishankar breaks convention to accompany Modi on Japan visit
In a first, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has accompanied Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Japan for the G20 Summit. According to convention, the minister usually does not accompany the PM abroad. His predecessor Sushma Swaraj never went with him all through the five years of her ministership. In Osaka, he was seen sitting on the right of the prime minister while National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was on his left.
BJP’s Pratap Sarangi has two ministries but no office
Union minister Pratap Sarangi has no office to function from, but the minister of state has two portfolios: Animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries, and micro, small and medium enterprises. One of his ministries is located in Krishi Bhavan and the other one is in Udyog Bhavan. He has not been able to get an office in either of these buildings and is managing his work from Odisha Bhawan. Sarangi shared his problem with Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan who has requested Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to give a room to Sarangi in Udyog Bhavan.
(Contributors: D.K. Singh and Shanker Arnimesh)
Global diplomacy makes large demands on the time of senior personages, so it makes sense for EAM to have his own travel schedule. However, for an event like a G 20 summit, with a large number of bilateral meetings as well, the presence of EAM can be very valuable. Given the essentially economic nature of the multilateral summit, either FM or at least Commerce Minister could be part of the delegation.