NEW DELHI: Declaring Congress’ goal to “wipe out hunger and malnutrition”, Sonia Gandhi on Monday asked all political parties to set aside differences and support the Food Security Bill so that a “big message” could be sent out about India’s capabilities.

Opening the Congress innings on the debate in the Lok Sabha on the Food Bill, she rejected questions over whether the country had resources to implement the landmark measure.

“It is time to send out a big message that India can take responsibility of ensuring food security for all Indians...our goal is to wipe out hunger and malnutrition all over the country,” Gandhi said about her pet agenda.

Making a strong pitch for smooth passage of the landmark legislation, the UPA Chairperson said the measure is a historic opportunity to provide food security to tens of millions of people in the country which will end the problem of hunger once for all.

She sought to dismiss questions over whether the ambitious scheme could be implemented. “The question is not whether we have enough resources or not and whether it would benefit the farmers or not. We have to arrange resources for it. We have to do it,” she said in the House where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was present.

Gandhi said farmers and agriculture have always remained priority of the UPA.

Agreeing that reforming public distribution system (PDS) was a must for the food law, Gandhi noted that there was basic need to remove the leakages to ensure that benefits of the Food Bill reached the intended beneficiary.

Gandhi said the Congress had made a commitment to the nation in the 2009 election manifesto to bring forward such a legislation. It is one in a series of various rights promised and provided by UPA like Right to Information, Right to Education, Right to Work and Right to Forest Produce. 

Meanwhile, Contending that the Food Security Bill was being brought with an eye on elections, UPA's outside supporter Samajwadi Party today demanded that the measure be kept in abeyance till Chief Ministers are consulted as it would put additional burden on states.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav raised a number of questions over the Bill in the Lok Sabha and said it would badly hurt farmers as there was no guarantee in the provisions that all the produce would be bought by the government.

"It is clearly being brought for elections...Why didn't you bring this Bill earlier when poor people were dying because of hunger?...Every election, you bring up a measure.

There is nothing for the poor," he said participating in the debate on the Bill.

He questioned whether the government had made any assessment about the number of poor in the country. "There is no mention in the Bill... You don't have any figure. You are only going by assumptions," Yadav said, adding the Bill could be brought only after the BPL census was completed.

Yadav said he would support the Bill, which provides for highly subsidised foodgrains to two-third of the country's population, if certain amendments are moved. "This Bill is neither for the poor nor for the farmers."

Emphasising that the measure would put additional financial burden on states, Yadav said the Centre should consult Chief Ministers and till then, keep it in abeyance.

The SP chief, whose party is in power in Uttar Pradesh and son Akhilesh is the Chief Minister, accused the Centre of ignoring the states and violating their rights.

"How much will be the additional burden? Who will bear the additional burden? Will the Centre bear it? There is no mention in the Bill...," he said, adding the states were already facing financial problems. — PTI

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed outrage over the gang rape of a young photojournalist in Mumbai, with many members demanding death for the culprits as Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde assured them of expeditious action against the accused.

His assurance came after Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj asked whether any timeframe has been set for prosecuting those found guilty of the crime, while pointing out that those accused in the December 16 gang rape in Delhi had not yet been sentenced.

“You hang one or two of these beasts fast ... and these incidents will stop,” an agitated Swaraj said amid thumping of desks and support by several members from various parties.

Assuring the agitated members that the Maharashtra government would do its utmost to expeditiously prosecute the accused, Shinde condemned the incident and informed the House that all the five culprits have been arrested.

“Public order and police are subjects exclusively dealt with by the states. The state government of Maharashtra will do its utmost to complete the investigation of the crime and prosecute the accused under law expeditiously,” Shinde said.

In a shocking incident on August 22, a photojournalist was raped in South Mumbai. Since then, the police have collected evidence and completed medical and forensic examination as well as spot evaluation, he said.

Reminding the government of the Delhi gang-rape, Swaraj lamented that the case has not been expedited.

“I am saddened that the Damini (Delhi gang-rape victim) case has not been expedited. Hang one or two (of the culprits) ... such incidents will stop,” she said amid thumping of desks by various members.

“It seems there has a been a flood of such incidents in different parts of the country since then,” she said.

While Harsimrat Kaur Badal (SAD) demanded death penalty to all such culprits, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav condemned the incident and demanded action against self-styled godman Asaram Bapu, against whom a complaint of rape has been lodged by a teenaged girl.

The CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta pointed out that many such incidents were occurring in various places, including Jharkhand where a woman constable was raped recently. He also shouted “Hang Asaram”.

In response to the demands by members, Shinde said in Damini’s case, the trial was going on a day-to-day basis.

With regard to Mumbai gang-rape incident, the minister said the matter would be expedited and taken to a fast-track court. — PTI

NEW DELHI: VHP's controversial Ayodhya yatra rocked Parliament today, with both Houses being disrupted repeatedly due to clashes between the Samajwadi Party and BJP as demands were made for dismissal of the Uttar Pradesh government.

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh launched a scathing attack on BJP, saying it was resorting to hooliganism by disregarding the Constitution and court orders. the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed three adjournments each on the issue in the pre-lunch session.

Raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, the Samajwadi Party chief alleged that BJP is resorting to hooliganism and had attacked the party's office in Delhi following crackdown by the UP government on VHP's yatra. "We know how to stop hooliganism. We have stopped it in the past," he said, accusing BJP of engineering riots.

Charging BJP with violating court orders and disregarding the Constitution, Yadav said they are resorting to anti-national activities. "Since they have no support left, they are looking for excuses. There is no vote bank left with them, so they want riots. They should stop vote bank politics. People are not supporting them. Saints have also condemned them," he said.

This as strongly countered by BJP's Yogi Adityanath who insisted that the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has declared the disputed place as the birthplace of Lord Ram and the saints have been demanding a law for the purpose.

Adityanath accused the SP government of "humiliating the saints and insulting the Hindus" and demanded it should be immediately dismissed. He claimed that SP rule has seen as many as 30 riots, in which the Hindus have suffered. He said the UP government was allotting land in the name of cemeteries.

JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav's questioned as to who had given VHP the monopoly to represent Hindus, who have one lakh castes. This led to immediate protests by BJP members, who were up on their feet.

In the Rajya Sabha, uproar over Ayodhya yatra stalled the pre-lunch sitting with SP and BJP members clashing. Soon after the House met for the day, SP members shouted slogans alleging an attack by BJP workers on their Delhi office, a charge strongly refuted by the main opposition party.

The issue forced two adjournments before Zero Hour as Chairman Hamid Ansari's repeated efforts to restore normalcy in the House did not yield any result. When the House resumed at noon, BJP members came in aisle shouting slogans. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien, who was in the Chair, criticised this saying leaders of parties had decided that they would not raise slogans in the House. Kurien also said the slogans will not go on record.

"It (slogan) won't go on record. It is indiscipline," Kurien said. Members from BJP also shouted slogans but they did not come in the aisle. While Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley remained seated, other BJP members were on their feet. During Question Hour, two Congress members from Seemandhra region kept shouting in the Well holding placards demanding united Andhra Pradesh. They later went back to their seats but kept protesting waving placards from there. — PTI