<p>A Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLC from the eastern Indian state of Bihar has been expelled after he 'mimicked' Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.&nbsp;The Ethics Committee of the Bihar Legislative Council gave the marching orders to MLC Sunil Singh who had attempted to imitate the CM's mannerisms during the council proceedings on February 13, earlier this year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The acting Council Chairperson Awadhesh Narayan&nbsp;on Friday (Jul 26) approved Singh's expulsion after the committee on Thursday gave the go-ahead upon completing its investigation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Singh pleaded his innocence saying he did not mimic&nbsp;Nitish and even if he did, it did not warrant an expulsion from the House.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I never mimicked the CM. Even mimicking the CM does not take away one’s membership from either House. Nitish Kumar is a CM who threatened people like me in the Council saying barbaad kar dunga (I will destroy you). He is a CM who disrespects women. There are several corruption cases during his tenure," said Singh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile,&nbsp;Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council, Rabri Devi termed the action a “dark chapter”.</p>

<p>“Ye action kala adhaya hai loktantra mein (this action is a dark chapter in democracy). When the government of the poor comes, it is called jungle raj. It is murder of democracy. Everyone raises slogans, a few months back when the BJP was in the Opposition, they also used to enter the well, they also did not let the House function. The government has forgotten everything,” she said.</p>

<p>The decision against Singh came on the final day of the Monsoon session, meaning he will be suspended when the House reconvenes for the next session.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pm-modi-inaugurates-new-campus-of-nalanda-university-in-bihars-rajgir-733112"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;PM Modi inaugurates new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar's Rajgir</strong></a></p>

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<h2><strong>Nitish targeting RJD?</strong></h2>

<p>Notably, Singh has been a close aide of RJD chief Lalu Prasad for over 20 overs and currently&nbsp;heads the&nbsp;Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nitish's party Janata Dal United (JDU) and RJD were in coalition in the state up until the start of the year. However, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Nitish severed ties with RJD as well as INDI Alliance and joined his old ally, the BJP-led&nbsp;NDA.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bihar-cm-nitish-kumars-you-are-a-woman-dont-you-know-anything-remark-sparks-outrage-743894"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s ‘You are a woman, don’t you know anything?’ remark sparks outrage</strong></a></p>

<p>After tendering his resignation, Nitish took oath as the chief minister of Bihar with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a record ninth time. Since then, JDU has&nbsp;been at loggerheads with RJD.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLC from the eastern Indian state of Bihar has been expelled after he 'mimicked' Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Ethics Committee of the Bihar Legislative Council gave the marching orders to MLC Sunil Singh who had attempted to imitate the CM's mannerisms during the council proceedings on February 13, earlier this year.

A Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLC from the eastern Indian state of Bihar has been expelled after he 'mimicked' Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Ethics Committee of the Bihar Legislative Council gave the marching orders to MLC Sunil Singh who had attempted to imitate the CM's mannerisms during the council proceedings on February 13, earlier this year. The acting Council Chairperson Awadhesh Narayan on Friday (Jul 26) approved Singh's expulsion after the committee on Thursday gave the go-ahead upon completing its investigation. Singh pleaded his innocence saying he did not mimic Nitish and even if he did, it did not warrant an expulsion from the House. "I never mimicked the CM. Even mimicking the CM does not take away one’s membership from either House. Nitish Kumar is a CM who threatened people like me in the Council saying barbaad kar dunga (I will destroy you). He is a CM who disrespects women. There are several corruption cases during his tenure," said Singh. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council, Rabri Devi termed the action a “dark chapter”. “Ye action kala adhaya hai loktantra mein (this action is a dark chapter in democracy). When the government of the poor comes, it is called jungle raj. It is murder of democracy. Everyone raises slogans, a few months back when the BJP was in the Opposition, they also used to enter the well, they also did not let the House function. The government has forgotten everything,” she said. The decision against Singh came on the final day of the Monsoon session, meaning he will be suspended when the House reconvenes for the next session. Watch | PM Modi inaugurates new campus of Nalanda University in Bihar's Rajgir × Nitish targeting RJD? Notably, Singh has been a close aide of RJD chief Lalu Prasad for over 20 overs and currently heads the Bihar State Cooperative Marketing Union. Nitish's party Janata Dal United (JDU) and RJD were in coalition in the state up until the start of the year. However, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Nitish severed ties with RJD as well as INDI Alliance and joined his old ally, the BJP-led NDA. Also read | Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s ‘You are a woman, don’t you know anything?’ remark sparks outrage After tendering his resignation, Nitish took oath as the chief minister of Bihar with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a record ninth time. Since then, JDU has been at loggerheads with RJD. (With inputs from agencies)

India: Opposition leader expelled from House for 'mimicking' Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

<p>Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar is in trouble again. The congresswoman, as per Fox News, embroiled in an ethics complaint. The politician has been accused of alleged abuse of government resources.&nbsp;As per the report, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) has filed a complaint with the House Office of Congressional Ethics. The organisation is calling for an immediate investigation into whether Omar violated house rules and abused official resources for political use from her TikTok account.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-olesya-krivtsova-russian-teen-on-moscows-most-wanted-list-why-is-she-arrested-577355">Who is Olesya Krivtsova? 20-year-old Russian student on Moscow's most wanted list- Why is she arrested?</a></strong></p>

<p>The complaint as per Fox News revolves around the congresswoman's use of Chinese-owned TikTok, which has recently come under the scanner for its alleged spying activities.</p>

<p>Following concern over TikTok's alleged nefarious activities, FBI director Christopher Wray had claimed that the Chinese government could use TikTok for "data operations". Subsequently, the short video format application's use was banned by the House of Representatives on official devices.</p>

<p>However, as per the complaint, "in spite of this, Rep. Omar has a TikTok account that she is clearly using for both official House and political purposes."</p>

<p>The watchdog in its complaint writes "the biography portion of the account describes her as a 'Congresswoman for #MN05.' She has posted overtly political posts, including a video of her urging viewers to support Democrat candidates, a message to Democrats volunteering for campaigns, and several videos of her campaigning and attending campaign events." &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/us-cafe-chain-panera-will-soon-let-customers-swipe-palms-to-make-payment-577378">US cafe chain Panera will soon let customers swipe palms to make payment</a></strong></p>

<p>Congress members are barred from using official resources for campaigning purposes, however as per the complaint along with the political content, Omar "also made posts that used official government resources, including C-SPAN footage from the House floor, what appears to be a cell phone video recorded on the House floor, and an interview from what appears to be her House office."&nbsp;</p>

<p>Another TikTok video allegedly has Omar recording inside "what appears to be her congressional office." This, as per FACT, is in violation of the prohibition of filming in government offices for a campaign or political purposes and the ban on posting political videos on an official social media account.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The watchdog alleges that since Omar identifies&nbsp;the account as that of a Congresswoman and uses official government content, her account is technically an official social media account.</p>

<p>"These violations are disturbing, and clearly not how members are supposed to be using official resources," said Kendra Arnold, FACT's executive director, while speaking to Fox News Digital.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The law is abundantly clear, and her account and the content posted speak for themselves. These rules are to protect the time, resources and integrity of official proceedings for those in elected office," she added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar is in trouble again. The congresswoman, as per Fox News, embroiled in an ethics complaint. The politician has been accused of alleged abuse of government resources.

Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar is in trouble again. The congresswoman, as per Fox News, embroiled in an ethics complaint. The politician has been accused of alleged abuse of government resources. As per the report, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) has filed a complaint with the House Office of Congressional Ethics. The organisation is calling for an immediate investigation into whether Omar violated house rules and abused official resources for political use from her TikTok account. Also read | Who is Olesya Krivtsova? 20-year-old Russian student on Moscow's most wanted list- Why is she arrested? The complaint as per Fox News revolves around the congresswoman's use of Chinese-owned TikTok, which has recently come under the scanner for its alleged spying activities. Following concern over TikTok's alleged nefarious activities, FBI director Christopher Wray had claimed that the Chinese government could use TikTok for "data operations". Subsequently, the short video format application's use was banned by the House of Representatives on official devices. However, as per the complaint, "in spite of this, Rep. Omar has a TikTok account that she is clearly using for both official House and political purposes." The watchdog in its complaint writes "the biography portion of the account describes her as a 'Congresswoman for #MN05.' She has posted overtly political posts, including a video of her urging viewers to support Democrat candidates, a message to Democrats volunteering for campaigns, and several videos of her campaigning and attending campaign events." Also read | US cafe chain Panera will soon let customers swipe palms to make payment Congress members are barred from using official resources for campaigning purposes, however as per the complaint along with the political content, Omar "also made posts that used official government resources, including C-SPAN footage from the House floor, what appears to be a cell phone video recorded on the House floor, and an interview from what appears to be her House office." Another TikTok video allegedly has Omar recording inside "what appears to be her congressional office." This, as per FACT, is in violation of the prohibition of filming in government offices for a campaign or political purposes and the ban on posting political videos on an official social media account. The watchdog alleges that since Omar identifies the account as that of a Congresswoman and uses official government content, her account is technically an official social media account. "These violations are disturbing, and clearly not how members are supposed to be using official resources," said Kendra Arnold, FACT's executive director, while speaking to Fox News Digital. "The law is abundantly clear, and her account and the content posted speak for themselves. These rules are to protect the time, resources and integrity of official proceedings for those in elected office," she added. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

US congresswoman Ilhan Omar accused of alleged abuse of govt resources for using TikTok

<p>BJP MP Shiv Pratap Shukla has been appointed as chairman of the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha. The Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha Desh Deepak Verma informed about the move in a parliamentary bulletin issued on Thursday.</p>

<p>Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu recently appointed three other members of parliament (MPs) in the Ethics Committee apart from Shukla. They include Tiruchi Siva of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Dr K Keshava Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), and national general secretary of YRS Congress V Vijayasai Reddy.</p>

<p>Shukla has been appointed as chairman of this committee. The total strength of the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha is 11 members including the chairman. Apart from the four newly appointed members, MP Anand Sharma of Congress, MP Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Pary, MP A Navneet Krishnan of AIADMK, MP Derek O'Brien of All India Trinamool Congress, MP Ram Chandra of Janta Dal (United), and MP Prasanna Acharya of Biju Janta Dal are also part of the committee in the upper house</p>

<p>The Ethics Committee is in charge of reviewing complaints against the behaviour and activities of MPs. BJP had appointed Shukla as the chief whip of the party in Rajya Sabha on July 21.</p>


BJP MP Shiv Pratap Shukla has been appointed as chairman of the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha. The Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha Desh Deepak Verma informed about the move in a parliamentary bulletin issued on Thursday.

BJP MP Shiv Pratap Shukla has been appointed as chairman of the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha. The Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha Desh Deepak Verma informed about the move in a parliamentary bulletin issued on Thursday. Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu recently appointed three other members of parliament (MPs) in the Ethics Committee apart from Shukla. They include Tiruchi Siva of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Dr K Keshava Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), and national general secretary of YRS Congress V Vijayasai Reddy. Shukla has been appointed as chairman of this committee. The total strength of the Ethics Committee of Rajya Sabha is 11 members including the chairman. Apart from the four newly appointed members, MP Anand Sharma of Congress, MP Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Pary, MP A Navneet Krishnan of AIADMK, MP Derek O'Brien of All India Trinamool Congress, MP Ram Chandra of Janta Dal (United), and MP Prasanna Acharya of Biju Janta Dal are also part of the committee in the upper house The Ethics Committee is in charge of reviewing complaints against the behaviour and activities of MPs. BJP had appointed Shukla as the chief whip of the party in Rajya Sabha on July 21.

BJP MP Shiv Pratap Shukla named Rajya Sabha ethics committee chairman

<p>US House Republicans have scrapped a contentious move that would have weakened an independent congressional ethics office hours before lawmakers were to vote on it, AFP reported.</p>

<p>US President-elect Donald Trump criticised the Republican lawmakers who had mooted to bring the control of the non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics under the broad oversight of Congressional Commitee on Ethics, giving most of the powers to lawmakers themselves to decide on their own conduct.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it</p>
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/816298944456232960">January 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">........may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DTS?src=hash">#DTS</a></p>
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<p>The move was also criticised by Democrats and some Republicans.</p>

<p>House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had created the ethics office when she was&nbsp;House Speaker, said Republicans were eliminating the only independent body charged with monitoring their actions, Reuters reported.</p>

<p>&quot;Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress,&quot; Pelosi said in a statement.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
(WION with inputs from agencies)<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The move came under criticism from US President-elect Donald Trump

US House Republicans have scrapped a contentious move that would have weakened an independent congressional ethics office hours before lawmakers were to vote on it, AFP reported. US President-elect Donald Trump criticised the Republican lawmakers who had mooted to bring the control of the non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics under the broad oversight of Congressional Commitee on Ethics, giving most of the powers to lawmakers themselves to decide on their own conduct. With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017 × ........may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2017 × The move was also criticised by Democrats and some Republicans. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who had created the ethics office when she was House Speaker, said Republicans were eliminating the only independent body charged with monitoring their actions, Reuters reported. "Evidently, ethics are the first casualty of the new Republican Congress," Pelosi said in a statement. (WION with inputs from agencies)

US Republicans scrap move to gut non-partisan ethics watchdog

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