'Bring Indian breed dogs home': PM Modi tells his followers in 'Mann Ki Baat'

Agencies

August 30, 2020

New Delhi, Aug 30: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to adopt dogs of Indian breeds, while emphasising on the need for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.

Addressing his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme, Modi said, "Next time when you think of keeping a pet dog, then you must bring one of the Indian breed dogs home. When self-reliant India is becoming the mantra of the masses, then no area should be left behind."

The Prime Minister said that the Indian Army, Central Industrial Security Force, and the National Security Guard have started inducting dogs of Indian breeds. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research is also conducting research on Indian breed dogs.

Hailing the role of dogs in security forces, he named two such daredevil characters - Sophia and Vida - who were commissioned with the Chief of Army Staff commendation card on the 74th Independence Day, this year. The duo was honoured for discharging their duties while defending the nation.

He added, "Dogs play an important role in disaster management and rescue missions. In India, NDRF has trained dozens of such dogs. These dogs are experts in detecting people trapped under the debris in an earthquake or building collapse."

Modi also named several Indian breeds such as Mudhol Hound, Himachali Hound, Rajapalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai and Combai. "The cost of their upkeep is also quite less, and they are also accustomed to Indian conditions. Our security forces have also inducted and trained Indian breed dogs in their dog squads."

"There are many such brave dogs with our armed forces who live for the country and also made the supreme sacrifice," the Prime Minister said, adding that such dogs have played a crucial role in preventing many bomb blasts and terror conspiracies.

"One such dog Balram detected a large amount of explosives on the Amarnath Yatra route in 2006. In 2002, Bhawna detected an IED. While diffusing the IED, the terrorists triggered a blast and it was martyred," Modi rued.

He said that two to three years ago, CRPF's sniffer dog named Cracker was also martyred in an IED blast in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur. "Recently, you would have seen an emotional scene on TV, where Beed police bade a tearful adieu to their dog Rocky. Rocky had helped police solve more than 300 cases."

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Rahul Gandhi Accuses Speaker of Running Lok Sabha ‘Undemocratically’

Agencies

March 26,2025

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that he was not being given a chance to speak in the House which was being run in a "non-democratic style", and said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had made "unsubstantiated" remarks about him.

Gandhi's remarks came after Birla asked him to follow the rules of procedure that members are expected to observe to uphold the dignity of the House. It was not immediately clear what was the reason for the Speaker to make the observation.

The former Congress president said the Speaker made remarks about him and then adjourned the House without giving him an opportunity to speak.

"The Speaker just got up and left. He did not allow me to speak a word. He was speaking about me, and I don't know what he said about me, all unsubstantiated. I said, 'let me speak as you have spoken about me', but he did not say a word and just left. He adjourned the House when there was no need of it," the former Congress president said.

About 70 Congress Lok Sabha MPs, including deputy leader of Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi, party general secretary KC Venugopal and party's whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore, met the Lok Sabha speaker and raised the "denial" of opportunity to Gandhi to speak in the House.

Speaking with reporters in Parliament House complex, Gandhi said there is a convention that the Leader of Opposition is allowed to speak, but whenever he gets up to speak, he is not allowed to speak.

"So, in what manner is this House being run? We are not being allowed to speak. I have not done anything, I was sitting quietly, I did not speak anything. In the last 7-8 days, I have not been allowed to speak," the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.

In a democracy, the opposition has a place, and the government has its own place but here there is no place for the opposition, he alleged.

Gandhi said he wanted to speak on Maha Kumbh last week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a statement on it but he was not allowed to speak.

"I wanted to state that it is good that Kumbh happened, and I wanted to speak about unemployment, but I was not allowed to speak. I don't know what thinking or approach does the Speaker have but the truth is we are not being allowed to speak. It (the House) is being run in a non-democratic style," Gandhi claimed.

Earlier, in his remarks, the Speaker said members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the high standards and dignity of the House.

"Several instances have come to my notice where the conduct of members does not conform to the high standards," the Speaker said.

"In this House, father and daughter, mother and daughter, husband and wife have been members. In this context, I expect the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself in accordance with Rule 349 that deals with rules to be observed by members in the House," the Speaker said.

"Especially, it is expected of the Leader of the Opposition to conduct himself as per the rules," the Speaker said.

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