Demand for restoration of voting rights of under-trial prisoners in Rajya Sabha and journalists' rail concessions

New Delhi, : During the budget session of Parliament, on Friday, members of Parliament from different parties raised issues such as electoral reforms, rail concessions for journalists, Agniveer scheme, guaranteed minimum income for youth, and civic sense during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Iranna Kadadi raised the issue of electoral reforms and demanded that undertrial prisoners lodged in jails be given the right to vote. He said that there are more than 4.9 lakh prisoners lodged in Indian jails, out of which about 77 percent or more than 3.8 lakh are undertrials, whose crime has not been proven in the eyes of the law.
He said that under the existing provisions, a person lodged in jail does not have the right to vote, while a person who comes out on bail or parole is allowed to vote. Additionally, people under house arrest have access to postal ballots and are also allowed to contest elections from jail. Kadadi said that many times poor and economically weaker people remain in jail during the undertrial period due to their inability to pay bail, while rich people accused of the same crime are able to vote from outside. He termed it as against the spirit of Article 326 of the Constitution and demanded an amendment to Section 62(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
He suggested that undertrial prisoners convicted of crimes with sentences of less than seven years should be given the right to vote. He said that the Supreme Court has recently decided to review the matter. He further said that the government has recently repealed several unrelated laws, so this anomaly should also be removed. This will strengthen the roots of democracy.
Congress Rajya Sabha member Neeraj Dangi demanded the restoration of the 50 percent concession given to journalists in rail travel. He said that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the concession given to journalists by the Indian Railways was suspended, which was a temporary step in view of the circumstances at that time. However, despite the situation returning to normal, the concession has not been restored. He said that journalists travel to far-flung and sensitive areas for impartial reporting and this concession is not an entitlement but a facilitating facility for their work.
Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh alleged that despite the completion of the recruitment process under the government's Agniveer scheme, young people are not being issued appointment letters. He also demanded the abolition of the practice of contractual employment.
Aam Aadmi Party's Swati Maliwal expressed concern over the increasing filth in the country and the lack of discipline in public places. She said that the problem is not just of the government but also of the mindset of the citizens. She demanded that civic sense education be made mandatory in schools and heavy fines and strict action be taken against those who violate public laws.