Maharaja Ranjit Singh Throne, stray animal attacks, ST reservation raised in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: The demand to bring back the golden throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh from the UK, the reservation of seats for Scheduled Tribes in the Goa Assembly and stray animal management were among the issues raised during Special Mentions in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Aam Aadmi Party Member Raghav Chadha demanded that the golden throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh - kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London - be brought back to India.

He said children should be taught about Maharaja Ranjit Singh's gallantry, state policies and humanity in schools.

“I demand that the government of India should speak to the UK government by using its diplomatic relations and make an effort to bring back that throne to India. That throne should come back to our country. We get inspiration from the life of Maharaja Ranjit Singh,” Chadha said.

BJP member Sadanand Mhalu Shet Tanavade demanded reservation for Scheduled Tribes in the Goa assembly.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashok Kumar Mittal raised the issue of stray animal attacks on children and the elderly and called for a new strategy under the Swachh Bharat Mission to check the menace.

He said that the government made Animal Birth Control rule in 2023 in which sterilisation as population control strategy has been used.

He said that there is a scheme to provide financial support to make animal shelters by the Animal Welfare Board but the results expected out of these scheme have not been met.

"I request the government that there is a need to start a dedicated strategy for the rehabilitation of stray animals under Swachh Bharat Scheme to make shelter for stray animals at block, ward or at Taluka level," Mittal said.

He said dog bite cases in India reached 28 lakh in 2023 from 21 lakh in 2022.

Mittal cited WHO data according to which 36 per cent of rabies-related deaths globally take place in India.

"Stray animal management should be one of the criteria in the ranking of urban local bodies so that urban local bodies can control rising cases in a better manner," he said.

BJP member Brij Lal said that rivers flowing through Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh are highly contaminated with industrial pollutants including heavy metals such as mercury and lead.

He said that the pollution has severely impacted the health of local residents leading to high rates of cancer, bone deformity etc.

“This problem has been there for over two decades and everyone has highlighted the dangerous effect on the life of residents and farmers of this area but little has been achieved.

"I earnestly urge Centre and state bodies involved in this area to make efforts to eradicate this problem. I also appeal for a time-bound action on this problem,” Lal said.

RJD member Manoj Kumar Jha demanded that the government reconsider the non-recognition of the 18-month training programme - Diploma in Elementary Education - from the National Institute of Open Schooling as it impacts lakhs of teachers due to delay in related notification from the National Council for Teacher Education.

BJD member Sasmit Patra demanded the inclusion of some of the languages spoken in Odisha in the 8th schedule of the Constitution.

BJP member Sanjay Seth, Naresh Bansal, Shambhu Sharan Patel, Sikander Kumar and Nagendra Ray, BJD members Niranjan Bishi, Sulata Deo and Muzibulla Khan, DMK member R Girirajan and CPI (M) member V Sivadasan also participated in Special Mentions.