Why should we apologise, ask 12 suspended MPs
The Hindu
Sit-in and disruptions likely to continue
The impasse between the Opposition and the government over the from the Rajya Sabha continued as neither side was willing to concede any space. The government wants the “errant” MPs to unconditionally apologise on the floor of the House. On the first day of the sit-in at the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Parliament premises, the MPs said it was for the government to apologise for undermining parliamentary democracy.
The Rajya Sabha saw four adjournments on Wednesday, each time after Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the suspension issue. The Opposition parties held another round of meeting at Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence in the evening to discuss the strategy ahead. According to sources, the suspended MPs would continue their protest at the Gandhi statue and simultaneously the issue would be raised in the House.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.