The Rajya Sabha passed the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill on Wednesday. The bill proposes the formation of a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, to declare a person a fugitive economic offender. Courts or tribunals can also bar such offenders or their associated companies from filing or defending civil claims before it. The bill had been passed in the Lok Sabha last week.
Finance Minister Piyush Goyal said the purpose of the bill was to bring back fugitive economic offenders and stop them from fleeing the country. He added that the existing criminal laws are inadequate in dealing with such offenders.
Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh said in the Lok Sabha that relations between India and China are stable, The Indian Express reported. “Matters where there are differences are being handled through dialogue to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution based on mutual respect and sensitivity to each other’s interests, concerns and aspirations,” he said.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had adjourned the House briefly in the afternoon after members of the Trinamool Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party got into heated exchanges over the lynching of four women in West Bengal and a similar incident in Kerala.
After BJP legislator Kirit Somaiya mentioned the cases of lynching, members of the Trinamool Congress and Left parties protested. Somaiya alleged that the women were lynched and stripped in West Bengal and demanded to know what the state government was doing.
As the debate intensified, Mahajan adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes. After the House reconvened, Mahajan said the members are allowed to put forward their opinion on matters, but they need to “remain within their limits”.
Congress leaders submitted their privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharamn for allegedly misleading Parliament on the Rafale deal. The Speaker said the motion was under consideration.
Congress leader KC Venugopal asked the government to order an inquiry into the alleged leak of data of almost two lakh students who had appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test this year. Media reports had said that buyers were willing to pay up to Rs 2 lakh for the candidates’ data. The Central Board of Secondary Education has denied the reports.
“I would also request the government to take proper measures to protect the privacy of the citizens of our country by taking strong measures to curb the data theft,” Venugopal said during the Zero House in Lok Sabha. He added that the incident raises questions about the ability of the CBSE to ensure the sanctity of the examination process.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leader P Karunakaran said Kerala floods should be declared a national calamity. He asked the Centre to increase compensation for those affected by the deluge. “Kerala needs a flood warning station,” Karunakaran said in the Lower House. “Aftermath such as health, water, infrastructure and rehabilitation must be addressed. We need long term measures to address landslides in hilly area.”
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Rajya Sabha that New Delhi was in talks with Dhaka for deportation of Rohingya refugees illegally staying in India. Singh said the Centre has sent an advisory to state governments to identify the illegal immigrants. The Ministry of External Affairs will talk to both Bangladesh and Myanmar if need arises, he added.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said India has already approached Myanmar and Bangladesh on the matter. “Government of India is impressing on them to take back these people,” Rijiju told the Upper House. “The process will be as per the discussion we have with a sovereign country. I cannot give assurance here.”
YSR Congress MP V Vijayasai Reddy apologised to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for his remarks on Tuesday after the chair did not give him extra time to speak on the implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
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