Jayant Sinha goes solo

Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance Chairman Jayant Sinha’s move to introduce a Private Member Bill on Digital Competition law raised eyebrows this past week. Reason: Even before the MCA-appointed Committee — which was given three months to frame a Digital Competition law — has completed its deliberations, Sinha fired a salvo by moving a Private Member Bill based on the official discussions that were part of the Standing Committee deliberations on the same issue.

Sinha looked so impatient that he thought BigTech should be regulated forthwith without waiting for three months, critics noted. Some also contend that he might have violated the privilege of the House by using the deliberations of the House Panel headed by him and based on those deliberations coming out with his Private Member’s Bill. Sinha’s later contention that his effort was to give inputs to government did not inspire confidence, they said.

Senegal equation

A few countries were hurt by the government’s curbs on rice in September last year. Senegal, in particular, was irked by the Centre banning exports of fully broken rice, which is used in a delicacy menu there. Senegal mulled banning one of the key commodities it exports to India. But somehow saner elements prevailed. This has helped, as India has now allowed broken rice shipments to the African country on the recommendations of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Driving home the point

A steel magnate who has expressed interest in an automobile venture was recently asked how he will manage the huge competition in the market. In an impromptu response, he said the target is not the mass market but that he wants to build a Tesla in India. Given the backlash Tesla owner Elon Musk is getting for the sharp fall in the company’s share price after taking over Twitter, the steel company owner may have to rethink and aspire to build a Mercedes or Ferrari in India.

Prisoner of his own idea

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification as Lok Sabha member immediately after he was convicted on Thursday by a Surat trial court order may have created a flutter in political circles. However, what became the talk of the town was how Gandhi has now unwittingly become a prisoner of his own idea. Had he not taken a high moral ground and opposed the ordinance promulgated by Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in 2013 to protect convicted lawmakers from instant disqualification, Gandhi could have now saved his disqualification, say political observers. In 2013, Rahul Gandhi had appeared at a press conference addressed by Ajay Maken and tore off the ordinance brought by the UPA government to nullify the Supreme Court verdict striking down Section 8(4) of the Representation of People Act, 1951. This The section gave protection from disqualification for three months!

Gandhi had then stated that the ordinance was “complete nonsense” and should be “torn and thrown out”. Due to this internal conflict in the views of the Congress, the UPA government had to rescind the ordinance. However, this decision seems to have turned the odds against Rahul Gandhi 10 years later, as now he has lost his Lok Sabha membership over his recent conviction.

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