Will strive to make education more inclusive, equitable: AAP Punjab MP
Darpan News Desk IANS, 02 May, 2022 11:18 AM
Chandigarh, May 2 (IANS) Newly elected Rajya Sabha member Ashok Mittal, who took oath of office on Monday, called for making higher education more inclusive and equitable for a sustainable global future.
"Besides holding new assigned parliamentary duties, I will keep on propagating the National Education Policy 2020 by working on innovative ideas to address the pressing problems of society and revolutionise the educational scenario in the country," Mittal told IANS.
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu administered oath to the three newly-elected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MPs in New Delhi.
Besides Mittal, the Chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU), others who were elected in the recently concluded biennial election from Punjab are businessman Sanjeev Arora and AAP Punjab co in-charge Raghav Chadha.
Thanking the Centre for the responsibility entrusted to him, Mittal said: "It is an honour to accept the responsibilities laid upon me at the Upper House of the Parliament. I will make every possible effort towards progress and development of the country and its people."
The university faculty members and students witnessed the swearing-in ceremony live on the wide screen at the university's Shanti Devi Mittal Auditorium in Jalandhar city.
Rejecting all opposition to his elevation, Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi appointed Navjot Singh Sidhu as the party's new Punjab unit President along with four Working Presidents.
Calling the reports of alleged snooping on prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware as "baseless", the ruling BJP on Monday said there is not a single shred of evidence so far that links either the central government or the party to this controversy.
Congress MPs from both Houses had met on Sunday afternoon at Rajya Sabha member Pratap Singh Bajwa's residence to discuss the issues related to Punjab and sought an appointment with Gandhi.
Apart from reviewing the security arrangements in the national capital, the Delhi Police have also strengthened the security in and around the Red Fort ahead of the Independence Day.
Police said acting on a specific information, Budgam Police along with the Army's 53 RR and 43 BN of the CRPF arrested one local terrorist linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one Chinese pistol, one magazine, eight live pistol rounds from his possession.
As the Pegasus spyware scandal unravelled within and outside Parliament, he termed it a "shocking assault" on India's democratic polity by the Union government, which had compromised the national security with "this blatantly disgraceful act".
