PHOTO: Hindustan Times. Om Birla (right) together with his wife, Amita Birla (left)
On Wednesday, June 19th, Om Birla, a two-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament from Rajasthan, was elected as the speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha.
Birla was unanimously elected with both the support of the BJP-led coalition and the alliance led by the opposition Congress party. Being elected as the speaker was a surprise pick for Birla, however. As a three-term legislator in Rajasthan state assembly, Birla kept a low profile and worked mostly at the local level for his party.
The motion to choose Birla as the speaker was moved by India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. As he was recounting Birla’s contribution in the progress of India, Modi said, “I on behalf of the government and the treasury benches assure you full support in conducting the House. I also assure you that your order will prevail and you must be tough even if anyone from our side (treasury benches) crosses the limit.”
He continues his praise by saying, “Birla represents Kota, a place that is mini-India, a land associated with education and learning. He has spent a number of years serving the public. Not just Rajasthan, his contribution has always been valued across the nation. I remember during the Bhuj earthquake, Birla was a strong helping hand. Similar was the case during Kedarnath tragedy.”
The Lok Sabha, known for its rowdy debates and frequents walkouts, is the lower house of India’s bicameral parliament.
Birla is also a member of the Standing Committee on Energy in Parliament, member of Committee on Petitions and Consultative Committee for the ministry of social justice and empowerment.
https://indianexpress.com/article/india/om-birla-lok-sabha-speaker-live-updates-5787717/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-19/india-s-parliament-elects-low-profile-om-birla-as-speaker
PHOTO: Agencies. Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
The Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said that Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia will be visiting Seoul, South Korea’s capital, next week for a meeting with the South Korean president Moon Jae-in.
During the two-day visit, Moon and Prince Mohammad will discuss ways to expand the countries’ bilateral cooperation to new industrial sectors, including communications technology, health and defense.
Out of all the countries in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia is South Korea’s biggest trading partner and the number one crude oil exporter.
This will be the first South Korean visit by a Saudi Arabian crown prince since 1998.
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190619010100315
By MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr) |
