Demonetisation wasn't the only topic discussed in Parliament on Thursday

Even as demonetisation continued to be the hot topic in Parliament, forcing adjournments in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, other topics too were discussed in Parliament.

Here are the other topics that were spoken of on Thursday.

Government serious about bringing Lalit Modi, Mallya

The government is serious about bringing back Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya, who are facing various allegations, to India, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the two cases in question remain an issue under discussion between the governments of India and the United Kingdom and referred to the joint statement issued during the recent visit of British Prime Minister Theresa May to India.

According to the statement, it was agreed that “ensuring simple and effective visa systems depended critically on cooperation to protect the integrity of border and immigration systems. This included ensuring the timely and efficient return of individuals to their country of origin, as required by their respective national laws,” she said.

Giving details of both the cases, she also said the law enforcement authorities are contemplating various other steps available under the relevant provisions of the PMLA and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the UK in order to bring them back.

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1,877 Indians returned from Saudi Arabia

As many as 1,877 retrenched Indian workers returned to India from Saudi Arabia since August, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

Hundreds of Indian workers have lost their jobs due to slowdown in Saudi economy, triggered by low oil prices and cut in spending by the government.

“As per latest data available, a total of 1,877 workers have arrived in India till November 11. The process is still on,” Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh told Rajya Sabha, replying to a question.

The Indians, who lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia, had started coming to India from August 11, in batches. 

To a separate question, the minister said about 2,700 workers, mainly from Saudi Arabia, have also been either repatriated or rescued by the recruiting agents at their own cost in the last one year.

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India has briefed OIC members about Pakistan’s role in terror

India has, at a high level, briefed its interlocutors in several countries including in the member states of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation about Pakistan’s role in aiding and abetting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajya Sabha was informed.

Replying to a written question on whether the Pakistan government has sent 22 special envoys to world capitals to talk on the Kashmir issue, Minister of State in External Affairs M J Akbar said according to Pakistan media sources, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif designated 22 ‘special envoys’ to apprise the world about the alleged “human rights abuses committed by Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir”.

“The government at a high level briefed our interlocutors in the concerned countries, including in the member states of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, about Pakistan’s role in aiding and abetting terrorism in Jammu-Kashmir and stressed that Pakistan’s policy of glorying anti-India terrorists and supporting cross-border terrorism had negatively affected peace and stability in the entire region. 

“Efforts of these envoys (of Pakistan) do not seem to have gained much traction,” Akbar asserted. 

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Public transport sees 436 cases of sexual harassment in 2 years

There was a total of 436 cases of outraging modesty of women in public transport during the last two years and a slew of steps have been initiated that include installation of tracking devices in vehicles, the government said.

“A total of 121 cases and 315 cases were reported regarding outraging modesty of women in public transport during 2014 and 2015, respectively,” Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways P Radhakrishnan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

Radhakrishnan said that as per the National Crime Record Bureau, 28 were convicted during the last two years for outraging the modesty of women in public transport and sexual harassment.