Trade impact, memorials among issues raised in Rajya Sabha

During Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday (February 11, 2026), members demanded proper memorial for Anushilan Samiti revolutionaries in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, curbs on Korean mobile games, and right to recall elected representatives. Issues such as granting Constitutional status to the National Commission for Minorities and the impact of the bilateral trade agreement with the United States on soybean farmers in Madhya Pradesh were also raised during Zero Hour.

Trinamool Congress MP Ritabrata Banerjee said 12 revolutionaries were convicted in Alipore Conspiracy Case and deported to Andaman in 1909. He said three among them — Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Ullashkar Dutta, and Hemchandra Kanungo — were central to the Jugantar and Anushilan Samiti networks.

“They are conveniently forgotten. They need to be given their due respect. These revolutionaries need to be celebrated. Busts of these three revolutionaries must be set up in Andaman because these revolutionaries never wrote mercy petitions, never ever wrote mercy petitions, and they are conveniently forgotten,” Mr. Banerjee said.

Congress MP Jebi Mather Hisham, referring to the cases of the deaths of three sisters in Ghaziabad and a young girl in Kerala, said youth are not able to identify the reality and the fantasy world. “They will create a virtual world, influenced by social media, and especially they share the concern of this Korean content, online games, and pop that is available in the country now,” Ms. Hisham said.

DMK MP P. Wilson asked the Union government to grant Constitutional status to the National Commission for Minorities. “In recent years, India has witnessed a disturbing escalation in targeted violence against minority communities. Mob lynching, attacks on pastors, priests, the systematic vandalism of churches and mosques,” he said, and added that the posts of chairperson, vice-chairperson, and all members of the commission are lying vacant. “It sends a chilling message that minority Constitutional safeguards can be left unaddressed indefinitely,” he added.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha demanded a direct mechanism for voters to de-elect MPs and MLAs on the grounds of non-performance or misconduct. “Five years is a long tenure for the evaluation of performance of elected representatives. There is no profession where you underperform for five years with zero consequences. Globally, more than 20 democracies, including the United States and Switzerland, provide for some form of recall or voter-initiated removal mechanism at various levels of government,” he said.

Ashok Singh of the Congress said soybean farmers of Madhya Pradesh will be badly impacted by the bilateral trade. “1.25 crore soybean farmers are already facing crisis due to the decrease in prices. Now, the government has allowed import of soybean oil and animal feed,” he said.