After closely watching the recent developments in Karnataka and Goa, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath has asked all Congress MLAs and those supporting his government to stay in the state capital. Nath addressed an MLA meet late on Wednesday and directed them not to travel outside Bhopal. Bahjuan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Sanjeev Kushwaha missed the meeting although he was in the city that day. It is no secret that BSP MLAs Kushwaha and Rambai are unhappy with the state government and do not get along with some of its ministers. Rambai had publicly stated she wanted a ministry. On Thursday, Kushwaha said that some Congress ministers had an "attitude problem" and that he planned to talk to the chief minister about "the behaviour issues".
A nudge from NITI Aayog
To name or not to name
During the discussion on the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said the Union Budget's relief to the corporates was intended to help two leading industrial houses. Roy named the two houses, which bear the surnames of their founders. The Bharatiya Janata Party's Nishikant Dubey said Roy, under Rule 352 of the Lok Sabha, had defamed two individuals as also those who had these two surnames. Roy argued that he did not take any first names, but had referred to the two corporate groups. Meenakshi Lekhi, who was at that juncture chairing the proceedings, seemed to agree with Dubey that Roy had taken names of two individuals. However, the Biju Janata Dal's Bhartruhari Mahtab intervened to say that there had been several instances in the past when members referred to two other industrial houses, the Tata and the Birla groups, in their speeches. He said the Lok Sabha secretariat should go through the records to find out if those references were also defamatory and come to a conclusion on the issue. Roy then continued with the rest of his speech as no one countered Mahtab's interjection.