Oppn takes out protest march
The INDIA bloc MPs on Thursday took out a march from Parliament to Vijay Chowk in Delhi to protest the suspension of 146 MPs, with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has violated parliamentary privilege by speaking on the security breach issue outside the House. Speaking to media, Kharge said it is the right of the Opposition to speak in a democracy, and as representatives of people, it is the legislators’ responsibility to convey the sentiments of the people in Parliament. The Opposition wanted to speak on the issue, but PM Modi and Home minister Shah did not turn up either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, Kharge said. “Parliament is a big panchayat. If one will not speak in Parliament, where would one speak? He should speak in the House first, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Instead, he was speaking outside. This is condemnable,” Kharge said.
Press & registration of periodicals bill passed
The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, repealing the earlier Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867. The Bill has already been passed by Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session. The new statute makes the allotment of title and registration of periodicals simple and simultaneous, through an online system. This would enable the Press Registrar General to fast track the process, thereby ensuring that publishers face little difficulty in starting a publication. The publishers would no longer be required to file a declaration with the District Magistrates or the local authorities and
get such declarations authenticated.