This comes days after the death of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who passed away on 1 September due to age-related ailments.

Alam, the architect of civilian unrest in the Valley in 2010 which left more than a hundred people dead, has spent about half his life in jail in “preventive detention”. Alam holds the unenviable record of having been detained under the harsh Public Safety Act (PSA) 36 times.  To keep him in jail, successive state governments slapped PSA on him from time to time.

Alam, who was charge-sheeted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in October 2019, is at present lodged in the Tihar Jail.

So who is Masarat Alam Bhat?

A militant-turned-political leader, Alam’s political career as a separatist started in 1996. He was a top commander of the pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hezbollah, and after his arrest and release, joined the separatist Muslim League, as per Indian Express. After joining the Muslim League, he rapidly became popular and rose through the ranks to become the party chief.

In 2003, when the Hurriyat Conference split into moderates and hardliners, Alam joined the Geelani-led faction. He was briefly appointed general secretary of the Hurriyat Conference when several of its leaders were arrested. He is known as a close confidante of the late Geelani.

The Hurriyat Conference came into existence in 1993 with 26 groups, including some pro-Pakistan and banned outfits such as the Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front and the Dukhtaran-e-Millat. It also included the People's Conference and the Awami Action Committee headed by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

The separatist conglomerate broke into two factions in 2005 with the moderate group being led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the hard-line headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. So far, the Centre has banned the Jamaat-e-Islami and the JKLF under the UAPA. The ban was imposed in 2019.

A former student leader, Bhat, resident of Zaindar Moholla in Srinagar, has served several years in jail at different intervals since the onset of militancy in 1990.

Both, in 2008 and 2010, the Kashmiris pelted stones, waved Pakistani flags and shouted pro-militant slogans. Both those times, significantly, armed insurgents were invisible in the background — one of whom was identified as  Masarat Alam Bhat — who emerged as a key driver of the unrest in 2010. It subsided with his arrest and multiple detentions over the years.

Alam went to Biscoe, the Valley’s leading missionary school, and went on to become a graduate. Alam's former classmates told The Week that he was an early rebel. “In his first successful agitation, he led a group of boys who demanded permission for Friday prayers,” one of his classmates told the magazine. “The school authorities had to budge.”

In a 2010 interview with journalist Dilnaz Boga, he said infamously been quoted as saying that he has been “a stone thrower since my childhood because stones were the only source of resistance before 1990”. He said Gujjars in Rajasthan had thrown stones to push their demands for reservation in jobs.

When Alam became the “most wanted” separatist in 2010, the coalition of the National Conference and Congress was in power. He got bail when the PDP-BJP government was in power. For Alam, there is no difference in the two alliances’ agendas. “They want to defeat the nation of Kashmir,” he told Scroll.in.

Ashiq Bukhari, the senior superintendent of police who led the operation that resulted in Masarat’s arrest post the 2010 stone-pelting incident, said it took the police months of hard work to track him down. Now retired, he said his team got Rs 10 lakh the police had put on Masarat's head. “Omar (Abdullah) gave us an extra Rs 15 lakh from his own pocket,” he told The Week. Bukhari was Srinagar police chief in 2010.

Alam’s wife, Zahida, has been living with her parents since Alam’s arrests. Her elder brother, Muhammed Salim, was part of the Kashmir militancy and was killed by security forces in 1996. Zahida told HuffPost India “I never had to think twice before consenting to this marriage. I have always been proud of him. We all are.”

His separatist politics have been very clearly stated from the beginning, he has never minced his words. In an interview with Indian Express he had said that “Kashmir is under occupation, and there will be no debate or discussion on that.”

With inputs from agencies

Here's a wrap on the entire episode, in case you missed out on the political drama.

What triggered the ugly exchange?

Rane had slammed Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that the Sena leader had forgotten what year India earned its Independence during his I-Day speech.

"It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to enquire about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given (him) a tight slap," Rane had said in  Raigad district on Monday.

Rane's remarks drew sharp reactions from Shiv Sena, whose workers put several posters in Mumbai and other places, calling him a kombdi chor' (chicken stealer), a reference to the poultry shop he ran in Mumbai's Chembur area five decades ago, during the initial part of his over four-decade stint with the Bal Thackeray-led party.

Who said what?

Rane defended his remarks against Thackeray, saying he hasn't committed any crime. The BJP leader's MLA son Nitesh Rane tweeted a video from a Bollywood movie, hinting at retribution. Nitesh Rane posted a clip on his Twitter handle from the film "Rajneeti", where a character played by actor Manoj Bajpayee says, "Those who spit up in the air should know that it would fall on their face only. There will be a strong reply."

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday distanced himself from Union minister Narayan Rane's remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, while Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said the BJP does not support Rane's comments, but the way he has been targeted, the "party stands behind him 100 per cent". I am not defending Rane's comments, but I will also not express regret," Patil told a regional news channel.

Meanwhile, BJP legislator Prasad Lad alleged that there was a threat to Rane's life adding that the police pushed him and arrested while he was in the middle of a meal.

"Police pushed Rane while he was having his lunch. He is nearly 70. Should a person of such age be treated like this? We feel there is a threat to his life," Lad said.

However, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed the BJP was trying disturb the harmony in Maharashtra, and said "there will be repercussions" if a person makes controversial remarks. "The state will not accept this kind of language. Rane has not only insulted CM Thackeray, but also the people of this state. If a person makes controversial remarks, there will be repercussions, said Malik, whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar also reacted to the ugly spat between ruling and opposition parties. He said, "I do not want to get into this matter. He is acting as per his Sanskar (values imbibed during formative years)."

State minister and Shiv Sena leader Gulabrao Patil, meanwhile, said Rane should be given "shock treatment" as he has lost his "balance". Sena mouthpiece Saamana said that Rane's remarks had embarrassed the Centre. "He has been behaving like a "roadside gangster", it alleged.

"Rane has made the central government hang its head in shame. Given Rane's past record, Modi-Shah should take his comments against Thackeray seriously. If anybody had spoken in this manner about the prime Minister, he would have been booked under sedition charges. Rane's crime is similar," the editorial said.

What's the status of the case?

A court in Mahad, Maharashtra, while granting bail to Union minister Narayan Rane said his arrest over his controversial remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was justified, but his custodial interrogation was not necessary.

More recently, the Nashik Police has issued a notice to Rane, asking him to appear before them for questioning on 2 September in connection with an FIR registered against him over his remarks against Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, an official said on Wednesday.

As per the notice, Rane has been directed to remain present before the investigation officer - police inspector Ananda Wagh - at 12 pm on 2 September at the Cyber police station in Nashik city, located about 160 km from here, he said.

The notice was issued under Section 41 of the CrPC, the official said.

As per the notice, Rane has been directed not to commit any offence in future and not tamper with the evidence (in the case) in any manner whatsoever.

Rane also has been directed to join the investigation as and when required and cooperate in probe into the case, he said.

Rane has also approached the Bombay High Court, challenging the FIRs registered against him. However, the matter is yet to come up for hearing as the bench had refused an expedited hearing.

Soda bottles thrown, stones hurled as Sena, BJP cadre clash

Activists of Shiv Sena and its youth wing staged protests in various cities across Maharashtra against Rane. In Pune's Deccan Gymkhana area, Sena workers slapped posters of Rane with footwear. Yuva Sena workers staged a demonstration in Hadapsar. A stone was hurled at a mall located on JM Road in Pune, a police official said.

In Amravati, Sena workers vandalised the BJP office located in the Rajapeth area and also set various posters installed in front of the office on fire in protest against Rane's remarks. No BJP office-bearer or party worker was present in the office at the time of the incident.

Sena activists poured petrol, brought by them in bottles, on the posters installed outside the office and set them afire around noon. They also hurled stones at the office.

Unidentified persons hurled soda water bottles at Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut's bungalow at Malvan in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district.

Notably, Raut on Tuesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding sacking of Union minister Narayan Rane over his remarks against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

With inputs from agencies

With his arrest, Rane, who holds the micro, small and medium enterprises portfolio in the Modi Cabinet, joins Murasoli Maran and TR Baalu to be the only Central ministers to be arrested in the past two decades.

Rane’s arrest

Union Minister Narayan Rane was arrested on Tuesday by the state police in the coastal district of Ratnagiri where he is travelling as part of the Jan Ashirwad Yatra. The Union minister was arrested over his remarks about slapping Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for what he called Thackeray's "ignorance of the year India won Independence".

Rane had claimed Thackeray forgot the year of Independence during his 15 August address and had to check with his aides mid-speech.

"It is shameful that the chief minister does not know the year of independence. He leaned back to ask about the count of years of independence during his speech. Had I been there, I would have given him a tight slap," Rane said in the public meeting at Raigad.

The 69-year-old was later produced in a court in Mahad in Raigad in the night where he was granted bail on the Rs 15,000 surety with four conditions -- he will have to appear twice before Mahad police and he will have to ensure that the act will not be repeated. The Union minister will have to cooperate with the police for the collection of voice samples. The Union minister will have to ensure that the evidence is not tampered with.

The events also led to tense moments in the state with Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party workers agitating against one another.

Initially, Sena workers in Pune hit the streets, putting up posters against the minister and slapping photos of him with shoes. They also vandalised an office in Amravati.

#WATCH | Maharashtra: A group of Shiv Sena workers pelt stones at BJP party office in Nashik & raise slogans against Union Minister Narayan Rane.

The Union Minister and BJP leader had given a statement against CM Uddhav Thackeray yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Y3A3cWZbTa

— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2021

In Mumbai itself, Sena workers demonstrated outside Rane's bungalow in Juhu, leading to clashes with BJP members.

Sena’s Ratanagiri-Sindhudurg MP Vinayak Raut even wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding Rane’s expulsion from the Cabinet. “Rane has belittled the constitutional framework by his statement. The Jan Ashirwad Yatra conceptualised by the PM was to seek the blessings of the people, instead of it, Rane has been issuing statements for the cheap publicity,” Raut was quoted as saying.

Can a Central minister be arrested? What’s the procedure?

Rane’s arrest has also triggered a debate on whether the state of Maharashtra carried out due protocol to arrest him. According to BJP Maharashtra president Chandrakant Patil, the minister’s arrest was “against protocol” and questioned how it could issue an arrest warrant against a Union Minister suo motu.

So, what does the rules say and what’s the process to be followed?

If Parliament is not in session, a cabinet minister can be arrested by a law enforcement agency in case of a criminal case registered against him.

As per Section 22 A of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business of the Rajya Sabha, the Police, Judge or Magistrate would, however, have to intimate the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha about the reason for the arrest, the place of detention or imprisonment in an appropriate form.

As per Section 135 of the Code of Civil Procedure, a member of Parliament has freedom from arrest during the continuance of the House and 40 days before its commencement and 40 days after its conclusion in civil cases. However, the privilege doesn't extend to criminal cases.

In Rane's case, he has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 189 (threat of injury to public servant), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of public peace), 505 (statements conducive to public mischief), 500 (defamation), 505(2) (circulation of defamatory material), 153-b (1)(c) (commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities) of the IPC.

Infamous league of 3

Narayan Rane's arrest, however, is not the first time that a serving Union minister has been arrested. Rane, in fact, is the third Union minister in India to court arrest.

The first two were the late Murasoli Maran and T R Baalu.

In a highly publicised event, the duo was picked up at midnight by Chennai Police along with former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in connection with a Rs 12 crore ‘flyover scam’ in June 2001.

The arrests came on the complaint filed by then Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner JCT Acharyalu on June 29, 2001.

In visuals, aired on Sun TV, which shocked one and all, the police was seen manhandling Karunanidhi (now deceased) along with then Union Minister for Industries Murasoli Maran (he passed away in 2003) and TR Balu, who was the Union Minister for Environment and Forests at the time.

Maran, who was Karunanidhi’s nephew, had sustained injuries in the scuffle with the police during his arrest and was admitted to a hospital. Baalu had also sustained minor injuries.

They were both released on bail the next day after then Union Defence Minister George Fernandes had visited Chennai.

The arrest of the two Union ministers had caused widespread condemnation.

"In spite of identifying me as the Union minister, they did not care to produce the warrant of arrest and moreover they ill-treated and assaulted me", Baalu had said in a statement, released to the press in Chennai at the time.

Notably, the BJP had also expressed shock over the manner in which the DMK leader and former Tamil Nadu chief Minister M Karunanidhi was arrested by the police at his residence.

Inputs from Agencies

A communique from the Rashtrapati Bhavan said Ganesan will be the new "Governor of Manipur with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office".

Heptulla had demitted office on 10 August and on the same day the charge was given to Sikkim governor Ganga Prasad.

Speaking about his elevation, Ganesan said, "I feel very elated because my services have been recognised. I am prepared to work in any place in India. BJP has given me an opportunity to work in Madhya Pradesh before and now in the northeast," he stated.

"Emotionally, I feel that entire Bharat is one. Now by experience, I will feel that the entire Bharat is one," he added.

On being asked about the current issues in Manipur, Ganesan said he has not taken charge as the governor yet and will only understand the core issues of the state once he takes the charge.

"I am not alone. There is a whole party with me. Together we will be successful in our duties," he added.

He added that coincidentally he has replaced Heptulla twice — once when he became a member of Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh and now when he became the governor of Manipur.

Meanwhile, wishes have begun to pour in from politicians.

Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit and chief minister MK Stalin congratulated Ganesan on his appointment as governor of Manipur. Stalin pointed out that the senior BJP leader from the state had a long political experience.

In a tweet, Stalin, addressed Ganesan as an "elder brother" and recalled the BJP leader's affectionate ties with his late father and former chief minister M Karunanidhi.

மணிப்பூர் மாநில ஆளுநராகப் பொறுப்பேற்கவுள்ள தலைவர் கலைஞரின் அன்பைப் பெற்ற பண்பாளரும்; நீண்ட அரசியல் அனுபவத்துக்குச் சொந்தக்காரருமான அண்ணன் திரு. இல.கணேசன் அவர்களுக்கு வாழ்த்துகள்! pic.twitter.com/gbFySiCcRp

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) August 22, 2021

Purohit said he was delighted and added, "I congratulate Thiru La Ganesan and extend my best wishes for glorious service to the people of Manipur. I wish him peaceful and successful tenure in Manipur," he said in a Raj Bhavan statement.

Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan also extended her greetings to Ganesan. In her message, Soundararajan said she was glad that "the senior BJP leader from Tamil Nadu and my elder brother whom I always hold in high esteem has been appointed the Governor of Manipur."

She said that the experience and administrative capability of Ganesan would be of great help for the development of Manipur.

Agencies

Speaking about his father, Rahul Gandhi said that he was a “man with tremendous vision, whose farsighted policies helped build modern India. He was a wonderful father, a compassionate and loving human being. He will always stay alive in my heart”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also remembered Gandhi on the day. “Tributes to our former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary,” he posted on Twitter.

Tributes to our former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 20, 2021

Apart from PM Modi, other leaders also joined in paying tribute to Rajiv Gandhi. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said Gandhi’s contributions to the “IT, telecom and education sector” would always be remembered.

My tributes to former Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji on his birth anniversary today. His valuable contributions to the IT, telecom and education sector will always be remembered.

— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) August 20, 2021

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma paid tribute to the former Prime Minister.

Humble tributes to former Prime Minister Sri Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary.

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 20, 2021

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also paid his respects to the late politician.

Tributes to former Prime Minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi ji on his birth anniversary.

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 20, 2021

Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy called Gandhi “a forward-looking visionary.” He recalled Gandhi as a humane and kind leader who endeared himself to everyone.

Remembering Bharat Ratna #RajivGandhi on his .

A forward looking visionary, a humane & kind leader, a hard working and warm hearted person, Rajiv ji always endeared himself to anyone and everyone who came in contact with him.

— Komatireddy Venkat Reddy (@KomatireddyKVR) August 20, 2021

Recalling Gandhi as the architect of digital India, Karnataka Congress President DK Shivakumar said that the former Prime Minister was known for his “empathetic leadership and conceived India as a global power”.

Tributes to former PM and architect of digital India, Sri #RajivGandhi, on his 77th birth anniversary.

He was known for his empathetic leadership and conceived India as a global power, which earned him immense respect the world over.#RememberingRajivGandhi pic.twitter.com/JPsJcJYLqL

— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) August 20, 2021

Congress leader Anand Sharma said that India is “grateful and proud” of the memory of the country’s youngest ever Prime Minister. He fondly remembered Gandhi as someone “who truly lived and died for India”.

Fondly remembering India's leader former PM #RajivGandhi ji who truly lived and died for India. A visionary, he led India’s transformation as we leapfrogged to a global leadership position in Communication & IT. India is grateful and proud of his memory. pic.twitter.com/mWNcySXkYA

— Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) August 20, 2021

Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla also paid tribute to the late politician, remembering “his passion and vision for the country”.

Remembering the youngest PM of India under whose leadership our India leapfrogged in technological advancement, made peace in Punjab and the North East and ushered in modernization. A man with a vision and passion for India .
Martyr shri #RajivGandhi ji
शत् शत् नमन pic.twitter.com/J8pCdBHfz0

— Tehseen Poonawalla Official (@tehseenp) August 20, 2021

Rajiv Gandhi served as the seventh Prime Minister of the country from 1984-89. In 1991, the leader was assassinated while he was attending a public meeting in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur.

The facts of what the prime minister said were not in dispute. And yet, his critics fumed at it. They called it polarising, communal, even undermining the sanctity of Independence Day. This had the awkward side effect of some of them perhaps not realising that 14 August is not our day of independence, but that of a toxic neighbour. It was as if the prime minister had walked in upon some grand conspiracy that had been hidden in plain sight. By their nervousness, the Left has betrayed their own mafia-like approach to history.

Like any good investigator, we must now press the question. What is it about the history of partition that they are so unwilling to talk about it?

The prime minister's tweet was just an invitation to think about history. But the instinct on the left was to whitewash and cover up. Why would this reopen the wounds of partition? A wound does not go away simply because you act like it doesn't exist. Instead, it begins to get infected. Why would this polarise society along religious lines? Sensible people don't get their feelings hurt when facts of history are presented before them. And why would this affect the celebratory mood before Independence Day? Triumph and tragedy go hand in hand all the time. Remembering the holocaust takes nothing away from celebrating the victory in World War II.

A nation is defined by its collective memory, which works in two ways. First, when we fix in our memories the horrors of partition, we understand who we are, what dangers we face, and what must never be allowed to happen again. It forces us to think about our place as a civilisation, and then evolve a strategic national doctrine to safeguard that civilization. Second, it helps the rest of the world understand our perspective, hopes and fears and drive our national interest.

This is one of the ways we have been lacking as a nation. We love to complain about how the rest of the world, particularly Western media and academics, distort our motives. For instance, in Kashmir, or in Ladakh, where they unfairly characterise our security interests. When we object, they say we are being too prickly, or have something to hide. They do not understand our perspective, nor our cultural context. But why would they? Have we made a serious effort to make the rest of the world see things from an Indian perspective?

History matters. The government of Israel has taken steps to ensure that the holocaust is never forgotten. Not just in Israel but all over the world. Every visiting dignitary is invited to the holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. There, they spend a few moments reflecting on the six million people who perished under the Nazi regime. This helps the world recognize Israel's interests in every conflict and their need for self-preservation. It helps them understand Israel's unique legal system, including the historical significance of the 'right of return' for Jewish people everywhere. Israel also supports a number of awards, exhibitions, museums, academic researches and other cultural initiatives all around the world to keep history alive.

It is in this respect that it is important for us to fix the partition of India as one of the great tragedies of the previous century. Without understanding partition, the world cannot understand India.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is a perfect case in point. Much of the rest of the world simply failed to recognise our perspective on it. Large sections of Indian society went so far as to say that the CAA actually goes against the spirit of our Constitution! This would not have happened if, in all these years, we had enabled serious reflection on the horrors of partition, as well as the subsequent suffering of Hindus and Sikhs elsewhere on the Indian subcontinent. People would have realised that the CAA is in fact integral to the idea of India!

By moving to recognise 14 August as an official day of remembrance for the horrors of partition, India has made a small but significant beginning. If the public intellectuals of old are getting nervous about this, there must have been something wrong with them to begin with. To press forward with our national interests, we must formulate and adopt a uniquely Indian perspective. And convince the rest of the world about the need for this Indian perspective, along with the historical basis for it.

We have to set this process in motion. None of the excuses made by the Left-wing intellectuals hold up to scrutiny and they know it. But what they may not know is that people, in general, have become wiser to their tricks than ever before. There is now genuine eagerness among people to learn about the facts of history. This eagerness is often fed in crude, unfiltered ways through social media posts and family Whatsapp groups. You can make jokes about the so-called 'Whatsapp University,' but you cannot make the hunger for information go away. You cannot extinguish it with insults, nor by picking on the occasional thing they get wrong. You can deal with it only by accepting the cover ups and whitewashing of the past, apologizing and making amends.

By reacting angrily to a day of remembrance for the horrors of partition, the Left-wing critics have in fact confirmed the worst suspicions of the public. The Partition of India was one of the worst moments of misery in all of human history. Two million people were killed and twenty million were displaced. If that much human suffering has to be buried for the sake of 'secularism,' how do we believe anything they tell us about the idea of India? If we cannot talk about the caravans of desperate people and the trains full of dead bodies, what can we talk about?

Let us open a conversation. About all the things that we are not supposed to talk about.

The author is a scientist, columnist and author. He can be reached at abhishekbanerjee1313@gmail.com

Sushmita Dev

Resigns from primary membership of our Party

While young leaders leave we ‘oldies’ are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it

The Party moves on with :

Eyes Wide Shut

— Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) August 16, 2021

A former Lok Sabha MP from Silchar in Assam, Dev, is currently a national spokesperson of the Congress and the All-India Mahila Congress chief. She offered no reason for her quitting the party. In her letter to Gandhi on Sunday, Dev said she was beginning a "new chapter in my life of public service. Dev has also changed her Twitter bio to a former member of the party and former chief of the Mahila Congress. In her, Dev said she is resigning from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress.

"I cherish my three-decade-long association with the Indian National Congress...I hope I have your good wishes as I begin a new chapter in my life of public service," she said in the letter. Dev had met the Congress president along with other leaders of the Assam Congress on 14 August.

Her Twitter account was also temporarily blocked last week after she shared Rahul Gandhi's picture with the parents of the nine-year-old victim of alleged rape and murder in Delhi. .

Following her resignation, Sibal on Monday said the party is moving on with its "eyes wide shut". "Sushmita Dev resigns from primary membership of our Party. While young leaders leave we 'oldies' are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it," the former union minister said on Twitter. "The Party moves on with: Eyes Wide Shut," he also said.

Sibal, a member of the 'Group of 23' leaders who had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking organisational overhaul, has been demanding that the party be strengthened. The senior party leader on Sunday welcomed the party chief's initiative of bringing like-minded political parties together, but urged her to strengthen her own party, saying no Opposition unity is possible without it.

Sibal, however, said he along with other leaders of the "Group of 23" would continue to demand reforms in the grand old party and keep pushing for its strengthening. "I am happy that Congress president Sonia Gandhi is taking the initiative of bringing about Opposition unity. But our reform agenda has to continue and we will keep pushing for it to strengthen the Congress," he said.

The former Union minister said he and his party colleagues are ready to support these efforts in order to revive and revitalise the Congress. He said Gandhi can "jettison" him if he stands in her way, but he would continue to seek strengthening of the Congress for bringing it to the forefront of Opposition unity.

"This is not about me, but about a revival of the Congress and bringing it to the forefront of Opposition unity. Without the Congress being strong, there can be no Opposition unity," Sibal said. Sibal said Opposition unity will not come about till the Congress is revived and strengthened.

"This project of Opposition unity will fail if the Congress is not strengthened and rejuvenated. I hope the Congress realises the significance of its primacy," he said.

With inputs from PTI

Each side has blamed the other for the early curtailment. While a group of Union ministers on Thursday addressed a joint press conference and demanded that the Rajya Sabha chairman should take the strongest possible action against those who broke the rules of the House, leaders of 11 Opposition parties issued a joint statement on the same day, condemning the "authoritarian attitude" and "undemocratic actions" of the government. So here's a breakdown of what each side has to say.

Opposition must apologise, says Centre

The Union ministers have accused the Opposition leaders of manhandling marshals. Union Minister Piyush Goyal said the Opposition's "my way or highway" approach is "highly condemnable".

Goyal, also the leader of House in Rajya Sabha, said the group of ministers met Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and deputy chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh and made an earnest appeal that the strongest possible action should be taken against the Opposition MPs for their deplorable behavior.

He said the Opposition was unable to accept that the country has given up on them and their behaviour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was a new low in parliamentary democracy.

#WATCH CCTV footage of ruckus by Opposition MPs in Parliament on 11th August pic.twitter.com/S3kvCp1gTz

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2021

"The secretary general's table in Rajya Sabha is not meant for dancing and protesting," Union Minister Anurag Thakur said at the press conference, referring to an incident when an Opposition leader was seen standing on a table inside the Rajya Sabha. He alleged that "anarchy from streets to Parliament" was the Opposition's only agenda during the Monsoon Session and demanded that they should apologise to the nation for their actions.

"We demand that Rajya Sabha Chairman should take stringent action against those Opposition MPs who broke the rules," parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi said.

The day before yesterday, some MPs climbed on top of the tables (in Parliament). They were feeling proud of themselves. They thought they've done something great. They tweeted after shooting its video. Video shooting is not allowed: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi pic.twitter.com/sggb9OC29i

— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2021

Government authoritarian and undemocratic, says Opposition

Meanwhile, leaders of 11 Opposition parties, also on Thursday, accused the government of deliberately derailing Parliament and alleged that Opposition MPs, including women members, were manhandled by outsiders who were not part of Parliament security.

In a joint statement, Opposition leaders condemned the "authoritarian attitude" and "undemocratic actions" of the government and said what had happened in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday was "shocking" and "an insult to the dignity of the House and humiliation of the members."

Accusing the Centre of stonewalling their demand for discussion, the Opposition leaders charged that it was evading a debate on the Pegasus snooping issue. The leaders of Opposition parties earlier met in Parliament and later marched in protest to Vijay Chowk against the government.

The parties whose leaders were present at the meeting include those from the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena, SP, DMK, CPIM, CPI, RJD, IUML, RSP and Kerala Congress (M). TMC, AAP and BSP were not part of the meeting of Opposition leaders that was also attended by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

"What happened in Rajya Sabha yesterday was shocking, unprecedented, sad and an insult to the very dignity of the House and humiliation of the members of the august House," they said in the joint statement.

The Opposition leaders, too, later met Naidu and complained against the alleged manhandling of its MPs.

Ensure smooth functioning of the House, says Venkaiah Naidu

Naidu, who received delegations of opposition parties and the government on that today, listened to their respective versions of events, which took place in the House on 11 August. He told both parties that ensuring the smooth functioning of the House was the collective responsibility of both the government and the opposition.

Before his meetings with the two delegations, Naidu held an hour-long meeting with the senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat on the proceedings and turn of events in the House over the last few days, including the issue of deployment of martials on the last day of the session. He asked them to report back to him on the manner and scale of deployment later in the day.

The officials later told the chairman of the Upper House that no outsiders were deployed as martials in the Rajya Sabha on 10 August. They stated that only the watch and ward staff of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariats were deployed, which is permitted, based on the need. They also informed that only 14 martials were deployed to started with and were gradually scaled up to 42, based on the situation in the House and in view of the incidents in the House on previous days.

The Monsoon Session, which was to conclude on 13 August, was abruptly brought to an end on 11 August. The Lower House functioned for only 21 of the 96 stipulated hours during the entire session and its productivity was at 22 percent. Meanwhile, the Upper House registered a 28 percent productivity, its eighth least productive session since 1999.

The behaviour of the Opposition members was criticised by both the Lok Sabha Speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairman. While Naidu broke down over the ruckus in the House calling it "sacrilege in temple of democracy, Speaker Om Birla said he was "extremely hurt" by the continuous disruptions.

The Lower House functioned for only 21 of the 96 stipulated hours during the entire Monsoon Session this year and its productivity was at 22 percent, Speaker Om Birla informed on the day.

The session, which began on July 19, witnessed Opposition protests both within and without the Parliament over the Pegasus snooping row, oxygen deaths and farm laws, pictures and videos of which flooded the internet.

But despite the pandemonium 20 Bills were passed. Here's looking back at a turbulent 17 sittings that saw legislators tear papers and break glass doors.

लोकसभा का #MonsoonSession आज अनिश्चितकाल के स्थगित हो गया। 19 जुलाई से प्रारंभ हुए इस सत्र में कुल 17 बैठकें हुईं। संविधान (127 वां संशोधन) विधेयक, कराधान विधि (संशोधन) विधेयक, दिवाला एवं शोधन अक्षमता संहिता (संशोधन) विधेयक सहित सदन में कुल 20 महत्वपूर्ण विधेयक पारित हुए। pic.twitter.com/nUFysYC7FP

— Om Birla (@ombirlakota) August 11, 2021

Significant Bills passed

The Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020: The new law is expected to improve the availability of credit to micro, small and medium scale enterprises (MSMEs) since more non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) will now be eligible to offer factoring services to MSMEs.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021: This law would make way for an alternative method of providing a corporate rescue plan for MSMEs.

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by the Lok Sabha on July 28 and by the Rajya Sabha yesterday. Salient features of the Bill include:
- Pre-pack for MSMEs which blends elements & virtues of both formal and informal insolvency proceedings (1/3)

— NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) August 4, 2021

- Under the pre-pack process, a resolution plan is negotiated between the debtor & creditors before formal proceedings start. This combines efficiency, speed, cost effectiveness & flexibility with the binding effect of a formal process. (2/3)

— NSitharamanOffice (@nsitharamanoffc) August 4, 2021

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021: It seeks to strengthen and streamline the provisions for the protection and adoption of children. It makes provision to increase the role of district magistrates and additional district magistrates in matters concerning child care and adoption.

The Essential Defence Services Bill, 2021: The law seeks to prevent workers of the government-owned ordnance factories from going on strike against the corporatisation of the units.

The Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021: It seeks to dissolve certain existing appellate bodies and transfer their functions, such as adjudication of appeals, to other existing judicial bodies.

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021: The legislation provides for the setting up of a commission as the sole authority with jurisdiction over air quality management. It is expected to bring an end to the blame game witnessed in the recent past over air quality monitoring and management among states of the region.

The Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021: The law aims at restoring the powers of states to notify backward classes.

The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021: The law seeks to establish a central university in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Productivity

The Lower House functioned for only 21 hours and 14 minutes, Out of the quorum of 96 working hours, work could not be done for 74 hrs and 46 minutes owing to constant disruption by the Opposition. This is opposed to 167 percent productivity, displayed by the House in the Monsoon Session, 2020.

Questions raised

Ministers in all responded orally to 66 questions in the House and members raised 331 issues under Rule 377.

Loss to the exchequer

As per recent reports in Mint, till 1 August, the Parliament had functioned for 18 hours and spent over 133 crore of the taxpayers' money, which is over seven crore per hour.

Issues that were discussed

Pegasus Snoopgate: The controversy surrounds the alleged usage of Israeli spyware Pegasus by the Indian government to snoop on eminent journalists, politicians, academicians, businessmen and activists. The Opposition has disrupted House proceedings every day seeking an investigation into it.

Three farm legislations: The Centre last year passed three legislations — Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act. Since then a large number of people from the farming community and Opposition leaders have actively demanded that the laws be repealed as they claimed that they would adversely affect small-time farmers.

Price rise: The country witnessed a sharp rise in prices of fuel, with petrol and diesel breaching the 100-mark. Meanwhile, prices of food items have also seen a staggering rise with retail inflation crossing six percent last month.

Oxygen deaths: Another issue over which the Opposition wanted to corner the Union government was deaths due to lack of oxygen during the second wave of the pandemic. During the session, the Union health ministry had claimed that there were no deaths due to lack of oxygen.

Protests rock Parliament

Since the beginning of the Monsoon Session, the Opposition has been accused of stalling the proceedings and disrespecting the House. The prime minister had recently slammed the Opposition, saying "On one hand, our country is scoring goal after goal of victory, on the other, some people, due to political self-interests, are doing such things which make it seem that they are scoring ‘self goals'".

Here are a few pictures of the ruckus in the Parliament in the last three weeks —

Repeat of September 2020, in Rajya Sabha today. ALL opposition parties call out Govt bluff. #FarmerProtests on the streets, MPs inside #Parliament

Govt running away from #Pegasus

Govt running away from repealing Farm Laws. Oppn MPs👇🏻VIDEO pic.twitter.com/Q8sJSUqFnS

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) August 10, 2021

Congress MP Ripun Bora rides a bicycle to the #Parliament to protest against the rise in fuel prices. (ANI) pic.twitter.com/odjWxVS1PW — NDTV (@ndtv) July 29, 2021

Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi drives a tractor to reach Parliament, in protest against the three farm laws pic.twitter.com/JJHbX5uS5L

— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2021

(With input from agencies)