Congress fumes after losing IT committee, says BJP’s step ‘draconian’

Deputy Leader of the INC in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) steps are “draconian” after Congress lost its chairmanship of the parliamentary committee on IT.
He alleged that the BJP is building the foundation of a surveillance state where citizens’ rights are subjugated and institutional checks are obliterated. “A draconian step by the BJP. It seems like Prime Minister Modi is fascinated by Chinese single-party rule and the Russian oligarchy model. He is building the foundation of a surveillance state where citizens’ rights are subjugated and institutional checks are obliterated,” tweeted Gogoi.
A major reshuffle took place in the parliamentary panels on Tuesday as Congress lost the Home and the crucial Information Technology and Communications panels, among others.
According to an official notification, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who headed the Home panel, was replaced by BJP Rajya Sabha MP and former DGP of Uttar Pradesh Brij Lal, who has been named as the new chair.
Another loss for the grand old party is losing the committee on IT, which was chaired by Lok Sabha MP Dr Shashi Tharoor. The Eknath Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena now has its chairman in three-time Lok Sabha MP Prataprao Jadhav.
The Congress party currently controls the Standing Committee on Environment and Forests. Jairam Ramesh remains as its chairman.
Professor Ram Gopal Yadav from the Samajwadi party, who had been holding the post for a long time as chairman of the Health Committee, has been replaced by BJP MP Bhubaneshwar Kalita.
It will be the loss of a committee for DMK as the party has the chairmanship of the Industry Committee with Tiruchi Siva as chief.
YSR Congress, which previously had Commerce, has swapped for the large Transport, Tourism, and Aviation Committee, which is led by Vijaysai Reddy.
The panel on education, women, children, youth and sports will now be chaired by BJP MP Vivek Thakur after its earlier chairman, Dr Vinay Shahastrabuddhe, retired.
Senior Member of Parliament Jagdambika Pal is now the Chairman of the Energy Panel, whereas the JDU leader, Lallan Singh, will head Urban Development.
The Trinamool Congress, which had one chairman in LokSabha MP SudipBandyopadhyay, will no longer have one.
Several vacancies were created in various committees in addition to the ending of the terms of the standing committee.