Budget Session 2022 LIVE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will make a statement in Lok Sabha today over the “inadvertent” firing of a that landed in Pakistan last week. India on Friday had said that a technical malfunction led to the accidental firing of a missile.
Pakistan Army had said that an Indian projectile had entered the Pakistani airspace and caused some damage to surrounding areas after it fell near a place called Mian Channu in their territory. The Indian Defence Ministry said that it has ordered a court of enquiry into the incident adding that it was a matter of relief that there was no loss of life due to the accidental firing.
Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will make a statement on the prevailing situation in Ukraine at 2.30 pm in Rajya Sabha today. In the second part of the Budget Session in Parliament, Jaishankar will speak on the rescue operation to evacuate Indian students from the war zone in Ukraine and what is India’s stand vis-a-vis the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Central government launched ‘Operation Ganga’ on February 24 to bring back stranded Indians from Ukraine.
Four Central ministers Kiren Rijiju, Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia and General (Retd) VK Singh were sent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to coordinate the efforts for the rescue of the stranded Indians. So far, India has been able to rescue around 22,500 stranded citizens in more than 80 special evacuation flights.
Also, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said the removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, as many as 890 central laws have become applicable in the union territory. Replying to the debate on budget Jammu and Kashmir for 2022-23, she said the laws are enabling people to get what has been denied to them for so long.
“After removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, 890 Central laws have become applicable there. What was denied to the people of Jammu and Kashmir over 70 years will be given to them,” she said. “That which Dr Ambedkar gave for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) is now available for people of Jammu and Kashmir,” she added. Article 370 was nullified in August 2019.
Sitharaman also said that abrogation of Article 370 had been “delayed” and was necessary. The minister talked of the government’s initiatives to boost development in Jammu and Kashmir and said 1,198 startups have been registered.