NEWS

LJP leader and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan on Tuesday said while it was the Prime Minister’s discretion to make anyone minister, Hajipur MP Pashupati Kumar Paras cannot be made a minister from the LJP quota as the party has already suspended him and four other MPs from primary membership.

Reacting to speculation about Paras getting a cabinet berth, Chirag said, “As per rules, it is a political party that nominates its minister after the PM communicates his decision to a party president about including any of its leaders in the Union cabinet. Paras and four MPs are not yet recognised as a separate group. Nor has Election Commission of India given it a party symbol.”

In a stinging attack on the BJP, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Monday accused the saffron party of giving political colour to the issue of religious conversion in an attempt to hide its failures ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections in five states. She also hit out at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his remarks that the DNA of all Indians is the same, saying it was like “Munh mein Ram, bagal mein chhuri” — a Hindi proverb that roughly translates to having“two-faced nature”.

In a statement, the former chief minister said, “It seems that now they (BJP) want to give political colour to (religious conversions) to cover their weaknesses ahead of the Assembly elections to be held in some states of the country. If this (religious conversion) is really a conspiracy, it is highly condemnable," Mayawati said.

The Bengal government on Tuesday filed a “recall” application in the Calcutta high court seeking modification of the five-judge bench order of July 2 that directed the state to provide all logistical support to the NHRC panel and arrange for rehabilitation of post-poll violence victims while providing them rations.

The state’s move comes after the seven-member NHRC panel submitted a “brief” report in a sealed cover to the larger bench on June 30 on the post-poll complaints it had received and sought time from the court to visit places before submitting a comprehensive report. In the recall application, the state submitted that the larger bench had issued some fresh directives to the administration on July 2 based on the interim report though the state was yet to get access to the report.

In the first Cabinet meeting chaired by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami Sunday night after the swearing-in ceremony passed six resolutions, promising a corruption-free administration to the people, employment opportunities to the youths and uplift of Dalits and backward sections.

Sharing details of the resolutions, government spokesperson and state minister Subodh Uniyal told reporters on Monday that the state government will be committed to ensuring a corruption-free administration and information technology will be used for transparent and fast delivery of services.

A separate resolution promised job opportunities in government services as well as facilitating self-employment for youths.