Mumbai, July 11 (IANS) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday asked the political parties to do self-introspection amid explosive and alarming salutation at all levels as democratic politics is witnessing a new low as amity is being lost due to adversarial and confrontational stance.

“It is apparent that presently all is not well with the functioning of our parliament and legislatures. These temples of democracy are suffering the sacrilege of strategised disruptions and disturbance. Dialogue amongst parties is missing. It is essential and there can be no escape,” the Vice President said.

He said that there has to be a friendly collaborative dialogue between all sections of the house, dialogue amongst the party is missing and the level of discourse the manner in which you address is nose-diving.

“Rather than being cordial, it is confrontational, with amiability being displaced by an adversarial stance. Democratic polity is witnessing a new low and there is stress and strain,” the Vice President said.

In his address to both houses of the Maharashtra Legislature, he said there is a need to strictly adhere to democratic values as well as parliamentary traditions in our legislatures.

“Decorum and discipline are the heart and soul of democracy. The strength of democracy lies in the diversity of opinions and the ability to find common ground through constructive engagement,” he said.

The Vice President said it is a system that thrives on dialogue, debate, discussion and deliberation.

“Parliamentarians are not part of a debating society. They do not engage in who wins a debate because they are pursuing a common cause and therefore I strongly commend the parliamentarians and those in the legislature to contribute in humanity, in sublimity and in modesty,” he said.

–IANS

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Kolkata, July 11 (IANS) West Bengal Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday said that he met the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and requested her to stop the “diversion” and “misappropriation” of the centrally sponsored schemes and welfare funds by the state government.

The LoP also handed over a communique to the Finance Minister where he gave details on how alleged diversion and misappropriation of the welfare funds are being done to delay the ensuing financial meltdown in the state.

“After the derailment of industrialisation combined with ‘dole politics’ and ‘vote bank politics’ West Bengal is heading towards widespread financial meltdown. The state is in a jobless pandemic. Now the fear is that the development and welfare funds meant for the people might get unethically diverted, delayed, mismanaged and misappropriated to somehow delay the ensuing financial meltdown in the state,” read the LoP’s letter.

In such a situation, Adhikari, added, in the letter, a close vigilance and scrutiny are needed to be maintained in the public interest so that the state government can be checked before “misuse” or “squander” of the funds.

Adhikari also met the Union Home Minister Amit Shah and briefed him about the post-poll law and order situation in West Bengal.

“He enquired about the victims of the post-poll violence and extended full support regarding the abatement of the same. I handed over a USB drive to him, which contains video footage of the Chopra public flogging incident, Cooch Behar disrobing incident of a lady BJP minority morcha karyakarta, Bankra gang war between two factions of Trinamool Congress, and a Trinamool Congress panchayat member in Murshidabad roaming around with crude bombs and the Ariadaha incident,” Adhikari said.

–IANS

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Visakhapatnam, July 11 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said that Visakhapatnam will be transformed into a Fintech hub.

He also assured industrialists that the state government would provide them with better subsidies in the process of rebuilding the state.

The Chief Minister, who is on a visit to north Andhra, had a virtual interaction with National Council members of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

He appealed to the CII representatives to become partners in the P4 (Public, Private, People’s Partnership) policy.

The Chief Minister announced that a meeting will be organised with the CII representatives in Visakhapatnam sometime this year.

He reiterated that his sole aim is building a poverty-free society. He told the CII representatives that the expertise will be sharpened among the youth through skill census following which the youth will get employment across the globe. “The reforms may do some damage politically, but I am confident that these reforms will certainly be of great help for the people,” he said.

Naidu said that when he became the Chief Minister for the first time of the combined Andhra Pradesh in 1995, the CII was a small organisation which has now grown to global level to influence all sectors across the world.

Pointing out that the reforms in the power sector were introduced first in Andhra Pradesh in 1998, he said that the Regulatory Commission too was formed for the first time in the country in Andhra Pradesh.

“We have introduced the first Emirates flight from Hyderabad to Dubai through Open Sky policy and also laid the foundation for Green Field airport in Hyderabad at that time. Bengaluru and Mumbai took up such projects later,” he said.

The Chief Minister stated that the public policy system and welfare should always be aimed at alleviating poverty.

“We all should work to achieve this,” he added.

Stating that he has short, medium and long-term policies for this, the Chief Minister sought their advice in which way to organise the government programmes.

“Give us guidance and we will move forward in that way by creating opportunities,” he said.

–IANS

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Bhopal, July 11 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday praised the state police for maintaining law and order and eliminating the Maoists in the state.

In the past two years, the Madhya Pradesh Police have killed more than 20 Maoists carrying bounty of more than Rs. 3.5 crore, including the last one on July 8.

Chief Minister said the police should take action as per the law without being biased and assured that his government will have full support to ensure a better law and order situation.

“Take tough action those involved in deteriorating the state’s law and order situation. Out government will support the police action,” the Chief Minister said while addressing a gathering of police personnel and their family members, following a mega plantation drive in Bhopal.

“It is a matter of happiness that a large number of families of police personnel have joined the plantation drive. It is their commitment and responsibility towards the environment,” the Chief Minister said.

–IANS

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Kochi, July 11 (IANS) The Kerala High Court on Thursday rejected a petition filed by a 22-year-old man, who is 40 per cent physically challenged, seeking to take a driving license test.

In his plea, the petitioner, whose right hand is smaller with three fingers only on his right hand, stated he is capable of driving a vehicle and requested the court to direct the Joint Regional Transport Officer to at least assess him.

But the court asked: “How can you drive a vehicle when you are physically challenged?”

On his contention that it would be sufficient to permit him to drive a modified vehicle, once he attains the license, the court then asked him to obtain a modified vehicle first.

“Do you have a modified vehicle? If you have a modified vehicle, then only a license can be restricted so that you will drive only this modified vehicle. Today you obtain the license, you drive any other vehicle like BMW….and hit somebody on the road,” it said in a reference to some recent high-profile accidents.

The court also said that a physical fitness certificate is required, adding that it was not convinced and it could not modify the law to suit the petitioner who is differently-abled.

–IANS

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