Caroline lucas mp

Apart from facing flak from the Opposition on Dalit issues, the Bharatiya Janata Party is also grappling with rising discontent among its own parliamentarians belonging to the Scheduled Castes. Of the BJP's 282 MPs, 44 belong to the SC. The BJP's Lok Sabha members have alleged that pertinent issues such as the alleged dilution of the SC/ST Atrocities Act, the impression that the saffron party does not support reservations, and escalating police atrocities against Dalits have not been handled well by the party leadership. Their voice of protest comes against the backdrop of the nationwide Dalit protest in the form of the Bharat Bandh on April 2 . Here are 5 BJP MPs who have taken up cudgels against their party leadership for its handling of Dalit issues. D r Udit Raj Bharatiya Janata Party MP Udit Raj on Saturday alleged that members of the Dalit community were being tortured across the country after the violent protests held during the Bharat Bandh on April 2. … [Read more...] about The 5 BJP Dalit MPs who are upset with Modi

'Today, Dalits can become IAS officers, doctors, IPS, MLAs, MPs and even the President due to the Constitution.' IMAGE: Bhim Army Sena members stop a train during the Bharat Bandh call given by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act in Patna, April 2, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo On Monday, April 2, north India witnessed violence during the Bharat Bandh protests which were called by Dalit organisations to protest against the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Already under pressure, the Narendra D Modi government faced internal rebellion when one of its own, Savitri Bai Phule -- the Bharatiya Janata Party MP who represents Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich Lok Sabha constituency -- accused the BJP of not doing enough to defend the rights of Dalits in the country. "I am not opposing the Government of India. I am only saying give respect to Dalits," an anguished Phule tells Rediff.com 's Syed … [Read more...] about The BJP’s Dalit MP who wants Modi to walk the talk

An investigation has been launched at Westminster into smart motorways in response to growing safety concerns. The inquiry by the Commons' Transport Select Committee will also examine the impact of the controversial traffic management system on tackling congestion. Smart motorways involve using the hard shoulder of the multi-lane carriageway for vehicles to increase capacity. However, worries have been mounting over the danger they pose . Earlier this month, a coroner investigating the death of 62-year-old grandmother Nargis Begum on a section of smart motorway on the M1 in South Yorkshire, referred Highways England to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to consider if corporate manslaughter charges were appropriate. Advertisement And last month, a Sheffield coroner ruled that smart motorways "present an ongoing risk of future deaths". More from Politics Alex Salmond: Latest updates as former first minister gives evidence on claims … [Read more...] about Smart motorways: Inquiry launched by MPs into controversial highways amid safety fears

SINGAPORE: Social issues were a dominant topic among the Members of Parliament (MPs) who spoke on the second day of this year’s Budget debate , and these ranged from bridging the class divide, social mobility, enabling the younger generation to reach their potential and engaging the elderly. On Wednesday (Feb 28), MPs who spoke up on these issues included Ms Cheryl Chan, Ms Intan Azura Mokhtar and Ms Joan Pereira, as well as Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Dennis Tan and Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Chia Yong Yong. Below are some of the ideas and suggestions mentioned in their speeches: TAPPING ON THE ELDERLY Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar called on the Government to review the Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates for those above 55. She pointed out that once a worker hits 56 years old, employer CPF contributions are slashed from 17 per cent to 13 per cent, while employee CPF contribution goes down from 20 per cent to 13 per cent - a "drastic … [Read more...] about MPs spotlight social issues during Day 2 of Budget 2018 debates

SINGAPORE: Budget 2018 was passed in Parliament on Thursday (Mar 1), with 89 Members of Parliament (MPs) voting for it, and eight MPs from the Workers’ Party (WP) voting against it. WP chief Low Thia Khiang was not present for the vote. In his speech wrapping up the Budget debate in Parliament, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat addressed issues and concerns on the Budget raised by MPs over two and a half days. Noting that some had asked if the Government’s increased spending for the future could be funded with a "windfall surplus", like the S$9.6 billion one in FY2017, he said the Government's plans to secure Singapore's future cannot be funded on the basis of "episodic windfalls". He pointed out that the FY2017 surplus was largely due to “one-off, exceptional factors” that the Government does not expect to occur every year. “If we are fortunate to have these occasional windfalls, we should do the responsible thing and save most of it for future needs,” he said. “We should not … [Read more...] about Budget 2018 passed in Parliament, with 8 Workers’ Party MPs voting against it