Year Ender 2023: With the end of another year, Indian political parties found that 2023 was a rollercoaster year with highs and lows mixed in with a dash of controversy. Here is a list of the top five scandals that made news and sparked intense debate in the political community. The controversy over the renaming of India is at the top of the list.
India Vs Bharat Controversy
India’s renaming to “Bharat” began when G20 invitations were sent out with the name of the “President of Bharat” rather than the customary “President of India,” creating a rumour that India was changing its name. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the move, while the opposition denounced the purported renaming as a “assault”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was referred to as the “Prime Minister of Bharat” in a government booklet about his visit to Indonesia for the 20th ASEAN-India Summit, which sparked the controversy. Union Minister Anurag Thakur, however, brushed off all of the discussions, calling them merely “rumours”.
Mahua Moitra Case
The claims that Mahua Moitra, a member of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), accepted bribes to question businessman Gautam Adani in the Lok Sabha were the subject of an investigation. An ethics committee convened to examine the claims. The committee’s recommendations regarding Mahua Moitra’s “unethical conduct” led to her expulsion from the Lok Sabha on December 8. Mahua Moitra has filed a case with the Supreme Court contesting her removal from the Lok Sabha.
Raghav Chadha Suspension
On August 11, the Upper House suspended Raghav Chadha for “breach of privilege” in response to claims that he “forged” the signatures of five Rajya Sabha members on a motion pertaining to the Delhi Services Bill. Allegations were made against Raghav Chadha for allegedly including five MPs on the select committee without their consent. They claim he also falsified their signatures.
In the Lok Sabha, a BJP MP assaulted another MP
BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri made some offensive remarks and verbally assaulted Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali during the Chandrayaan-3 success discussion in the Lok Sabha. The opposition demanded the expulsion of Ramesh Bidhuri, which caused an uproar in the remarks. Although it didn’t happen, the BJP MP was forewarned that “strict action” would be taken should this kind of behaviour recur. The comments have been removed from the Parliament’s archives.
BBC Documentary on PM Modi
A day after it aired in India, the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question” was taken down. The documentary covered Gujarat’s Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure. The documentary series was dubbed “propaganda” by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
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