News Analysis India

Tag: parliament monsoon session

  • Govt, Oppn parties agree to take up statutory resolution, seven bills in Rajya Sabha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: With a stalemate in Parliament over the Pegasus spyware issue continuing for the 11th day, the government and various opposition parties agreed on Tuesday to take up a statutory resolution and seven bills in the Rajya Sabha.

    Sources said at a meeting to chalk out the work to be taken up in the Upper House of Parliament, it was decided to allot 17 hours to a discussion on these bills.

    The meeting was chaired by Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, who again appealed to all sides to enable the House to function normally, the sources said.

    After Naidu met the top brass in the government, including the defence and home ministers, the Centre at the meeting reiterated its willingness to discuss the farmers’ issue, price rise and the economic situation in the country.

    Naidu urged other parties to take this forward, but the Opposition insisted on a discussion on the Pegasus snooping controversy and the threat it poses to national security.

    Among the bills that are likely to be taken up in the House are the Tribunals Reforms Bill, the Airports Regulation Authority Bill, the General Insurance Nationalisation (Amendment) Bill, the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill and the Deposits Insurance Bill.

    The sources said it was also agreed to take up a notice given by Communist Party of India (CPI) member Binoy Viswam and MV Shreyams Kumar for annulling the recently-issued Information Technology Rules.

    However, the Opposition is insisting on a discussion on the Pegasus issue first, before any business is taken up.

    “No business will be taken up in the House till the issue of snooping is discussed,” an Opposition member said.

    The uproar caused by the Opposition members has affected the business in the House and some bills have been passed in the din.

  • Snoopgate strengthens Opposition unity index

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Amid West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chanting the coalition mantra during her ongoing visit to Delhi, the index of Opposition unity in Parliament is getting stronger with daily joint strategy meetings and back channel talks to corner the Centre over the Pegasus snoopgate.

    Given the scale of its footprint, it’s Pegasus that has catalysed unity within the Opposition, with leaders across the spectrum resolving to fight together against the government in Parliament. They are not stalling debate; instead they are pressing for a discussion on the matter in the presence of the prime minister or the home minister. They also want a judicial probe by a Supreme Court-monitored committee.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who generally skips Opposition meetings, has been present at joint strategy sessions in Parliament this time around. Also, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has otherwise not been part of the strategy meetings, is on the same Opposition page on Pegasus.

    Another element of the strategy is all like-minded parties giving adjournment motions on the issue in both Houses. The floor leaders of the Opposition parties have been meeting almost every day to synchronise their approach.

    On Wednesday, floor leaders of 14 Opposition parties met in the office of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament. “Sitting with the entire opposition is extremely humbling. Amazing experience, wisdom and insight in everyone present,” Rahul tweeted after the meeting.

    The 14 parties are the Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party, CPM, CPI, National Conference, Nationalist Congress Party, Shiv Sena, Rashtriya Janata Dal, AAP, IUML, RSP, KCM and VCK. The Trinamool Congress had to skip it because it happened at the same time Mamata had scheduled her meeting with party MPs.  

    Mamata had a busy second day in the Capital, meeting Congress president Sonia Gandhi and AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal to drum up support for Opposition unity. For the record, she told reporters, “I don’t want to be the face of the Opposition… not everyone has to be… I am a simple worker, want to continue as a worker. we all need to work together.” Who would eventually lead the coalition would depend on the situation, she added.

    “Regional parties will lead the nation, we will not bow down before anyone anymore… the time has come,” she said. As for unity in Parliament, Elamaram Kareem, CPM floor leader in Rajya Sabha, said the Opposition has taken a united stand on various issues. 

    Mamata ambiguousChoosing to be cagey about being the face of a united Opposition, Mamata told reporters: “You are asking me the name of the child even before it is born.” Modi government can be defeated. “If Bengal could do it, so can the other states.”

  • Two bills passed without debate as chaos continues in Parliament

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Ruckus ruled in both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday, amid a breakdown of communication between the government and the Opposition. The Pegasus snooping issue is threatening to wash out the monsoon session. Sensing the Opposition’s strategy, the government pushed ahead with legislative business, while both House witnessed relentless sloganeering, tearing and throwing of papers.

    The Lok Sabha saw the Question Hour taken upon amid the din and the passing of the IBC (Amendment) Bill and the supplementary demands, making clear that the treasury benches will seek the nod to legislative proposals to replace the ordinances issued recently.

    While Lok Sabha for the first time in the monsoon session completed the Question Hour, it also witnessed angry Opposition MPs throw torn papers at the Chair. There’s a likelihood of the treasury benches pushing for the suspension of  TN Prathapan, Hibi Eden, Ravneet Singh Bittu, AM Ariff, Manickam Tagore, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, V Vaithilingam and Jothimani Sennimalai for disrespecting Chair.   

    Rahul Gandhi (picture left) demands discussion on Pegasus controversy inNew Delhi on Wednesday;

    It was no different in Rajya Sabha, with the Opposition demanding discussion on Pegasus and the Centre going ahead with legislative business amidst the din. The House passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021 without discussion. 

    Opposition MPs pushed for adjournment notices given by them to take up the discussion and trooped into the well of the House with posters and resorted to sloganeering. While the Zero Hour could not be taken up, the Deputy Chairman managed to take all questions listed for the Question Hour .

    The Opposition held a joint strategy meeting featuring 14 parties to discuss a strategy to corner the government. “The Pegasus row for us is an issue of nationalism, treason. This is not a matter of privacy. It is anti-national work. We are not disturbing Parliament, we are only fulfilling our responsibility. Narendra Modi, Amit Shah have hit the soul of India’s democracy by using Pegasus against India, its institutions,” said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, flanked by others.

    BJP MPs demand OBC quota in NEETWith an eye on next year’s Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, a delegation of BJP MPs called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the demand to include OBC reservation in NEET (National Eligibility Entrance Test). They argued there’s no provision for OBC quota in the all India entrance test for medical education and other courses.

  • Govt assures Parliament on Jammu and Kashmir statehood

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Full statehood will be reinstated to Jammu and Kashmir at an “appropriate time” once the normalcy is restored in the Valley, the Centre informed Parliament on Wednesday.

    It refused to provide any timeline for the process. 

    However, the Centre said the number of terrorist incidents in Jammu and Kashmir have fallen in 2020 by 59 per cent as compared to 2019. In the year 2021, up to June, there has been a 32% fall in terrorist activities compared to the corresponding period last year. 

    The statement on statehood comes a month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the leaders of Jammu and Kashmir that the Centre would restore statehood to J&K. 

    “Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be granted at an appropriate time after normalcy is restored,” Minister of State Nityanand Rai said. He was responding to Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. 

    On the issue of resettling Kashmir Pundits, he said the govt is more confident as 3,841 youths have moved back to Kashmir and taken up government jobs.

  • Parliament’s Monsoon Session commences on rocky note as LS adjourned till 2 pm amid Oppn ruckus

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Monsoon session of the Lok Sabha began on a stormy note on Monday with the Opposition creating a ruckus and preventing Prime Minister Narendra Modi from introducing the newly inducted Union ministers.

    As the disruptions continued despite repeated Speaker Om Birla’s repeated pleas to maintain decorum, the House was adjourned after nearly 40 minutes till 2 pm.

    Four newly elected members — Maddila Gurumoorthy (YSR Congress), Mangal Suresh Angadi (BJP), M P Abdussamad Samadani (IUML), Vijayakumar (Congress) — took oath as the House convened after a gap of nearly four months.

    Following this, the prime minister stood up to introduce the newly inducted ministers who took oath on July 7 following a major rejig in the council of ministers.

    As soon as Modi stood up, opposition members started shouting slogans and disrupted the proceedings.

    Rajya Sabha adjourned for one hour

    Rajya Sabha proceedings on the opening day of the Monsoon session of Parliament on Monday were adjourned for an hour as a mark of respect to departed sitting MPs Raghunath Mohapatra and Rajeev Satav.

    Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu mentioned the passing away of the two sitting MPs as well as 10 former members, including Bollywood veteran actor Dilip Kumar and legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh.

    ALSO READ | Urge MPs, parties to ask sharpest of questions in Parliament, but should allow govt to respond: PM Modi

    He read out obituary references for each of the 13 before adjourning the proceedings for an hour “as a mark of respect to the memory of Raghunath Mohapatra and Rajeev Satav, sitting members of the house”.

    Renowned sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra died on May 9 at the age of 78 years.

    Padma Vibhushan awardee Mohapatra, who was a nominated member of the Upper House since July 2018, was referred as genius in the world of sculptor, Naidu said.

    “In the passing away of Mohapatra, the country has lost a legendary craftsman and a sculptor par excellence,” he said.

    Congress leader Satav passed away on May 16 at the age of 46 years.

    He was elected to Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra in April last year.

    “It is indeed saddening to lose a young colleague in such a short span of time,” Naidu said.

    “In the passing away of Rajiv Satav, the country has lost a promising leader and an able parliamentarian.”

    Naidu also mentioned the passing away of legendary Bollywood veteran actor Dilip Kumar on July 7 at the age of 98 years.

    The ‘tragedy king’ of Hindi cinema made debut in 1944 and had a career spanning over 5 decades, he said.

    “A doyen of the Indian film industry and an inspiration to generations to film artistes, Dilip Kumar herald a new era in the film industry at a time when it was putting behind shackles of colonial rule.

    ” Winner of record eight Filmfare awards, Dilip Kumar represented Maharashtra in the Upper House from April 2002 to April 2006.

    “In passing away of Shri Yusuf Sarwar Khan alias Dilip Kumar marks the era in the Indian film industry and the country has lost a legendary film artist and an able parliamentarian,” he said.

    Naidu said legendary sprinter Milkha Singh passed away on June 18 at the age of 91 years.

    Known as ‘Flying Sikh’, Singh won gold medals in the Asian and Commonwealth Games.

    “He had been a guiding light for the aspiring athletes and left no chance to motivate and guide them,” he said.

    “In passing away of Shri Milkha Singh ji, the country has lost a legendary athlete and a great motivator.”

    The House also mourned the passing away of its former members N M Kamble, Bhagwati Singh, Balihari Babu Ajit Singh, Matang Sinh, Jitendrabhai Labhshanker Bhatt, Ramendra Kumar Yadav ‘Ravi’, Jagannath Prasad Pahadia (ex-Member) and Shanti Pahadia.

    Members stood in silence in their places as a mark of respect to the memory of the departed.

    Soon after, Naidu adjourned the proceedings for an hour.

  • Farmers’ row to fuel hike: Opposition set to corner Centre in Parliament over various issues

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Opposition parties are set to corner the government in Parliament on various issues, including the farmers’ protest and price rise, during the Monsoon session starting Monday.

    Leaders of various parties met at Parliament House to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the government.

    Congress has also geared up to raise various matters, including the issue of snooping. Congress MP Manish Tewari has moved an adjournment motion on the issue of farmers’ protest.

    In his adjournment notice, Tewari said he seeks to discuss a definite matter of urgent importance, namely — “in large numbers, farmers have come out against the three acts passed by the central government which threaten their livelihood”.

    ALSO READ | Urge MPs, parties to ask sharpest of questions in Parliament, but should allow govt to respond: PM Modi

    The Farmers ‘Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 have been opposed on the grounds that they will make the farmers vulnerable to exploitation by the corporate sector, Tewari said in his notice.

    He alleged that the government has failed to assuage the concerns of the farmers or present any viable alternative to these acts.

    “There is a palpable fear among the farmers that the Minimum Support Price will be dismantled and role of state governments in APMCS will be affected.

    “About 300 farmers have died while protesting against the unfair laws passed by the Centre. The matter is of urgent importance and I hereby request the permission to raise this issue,” Tewari said in his notice.

    CPI (M) MPs Elamaram Kareem and V Sivadasan have given adjournment notices under rule 267 for discussing the farmers’ protest in Rajya Sabha.

    CPI MP Binoy Viswam has also given an adjournment notice in Rajya Sabha on the Pegasus spying issue.

  • Trinamool MPs reach Parliament on cycles to protest against fuel hike

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Several Trinamool Congress MPs will cycle to Parliament on Monday to protest against the rise in prices of fuel and other commodities, the party said.

    The party MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will hold the protest at 10:15 am.

    They will also hold a dharna at Vijay Chowk.

    ALSO READ | Opposition parties object to proposed PM’s joint address on Covid to MPs at Parliament annexe

    The All India Trinamool Congress has given multiple notices under various Rules in both house of Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon session, the party said.

    The issues on which notices have been given include price hike of diesel, petrol, LPG and other commodities, demand to repeal farm laws, decline in economic growth, restoration of MPLAD funds and the alleged weakening of the federal structure by the government.

  • Urge MPs, parties to ask sharpest of questions in Parliament, but should allow govt to respond: PM Modi

    Modi said he has urged all floor leaders to take some time out on Tuesday evening when he would like to give them detailed information on the pandemic.

  • Parliament monsoon session: Trinamool MPs to reach venue on cycles to protest fuel hike

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Several Trinamool Congress MPs will cycle to Parliament on Monday to protest against the rise in prices of fuel and other commodities, the party said.

    The party MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will hold the protest at 10:15 am.

    They will also hold a dharna at Vijay Chowk.

    ALSO READ | Opposition parties object to proposed PM’s joint address on Covid to MPs at Parliament annexe

    The All India Trinamool Congress has given multiple notices under various Rules in both house of Parliament on the opening day of the Monsoon session, the party said.

    The issues on which notices have been given include price hike of diesel, petrol, LPG and other commodities, demand to repeal farm laws, decline in economic growth, restoration of MPLAD funds and the alleged weakening of the federal structure by the government.

  • Parliament’s Monsoon Session to commence from today

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: The Parliament is all set to witness a confrontation between the government and the Opposition over raging issues of the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers’ protest, fuel prices hike and vaccination strategy as its monsoon session will start from today.

    The monsoon session will conclude on August 13.

    “The sixth session of the 17th Lok Sabha will commence on July 19. Subject to exigencies of government business, the session is likely to conclude on August 13,” a Lok Sabha release said.

    Rajya Sabha press communique stated that President Ram Nath Kovind has summoned the House to meet on July 19 and the session will continue till August 13.

    This will be the first session of parliament since the results of assembly polls in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry.

    Last year, the monsoon session began in September and the winter session was not held due to the COVID-19 situation.

    ALSO READ | Opposition parties object to proposed PM’s joint address on Covid to MPs at Parliament annexe

    According to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, during the 19 sittings of the session, 31 Government business items including 29 Bills and 2 financial items will be taken up. Six bills will be brought to replace the ordinances.

    Lok Sabha will meet from 11 am to 1 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm unless directed otherwise by Speaker Om Birla. Four days have been allotted for the transaction of private members business, which is taken up in the post-lunch session.

    The Speaker has also allocated days for answering questions by ministers in the rotational order.

    After the all-party meeting held at the Parliament on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said he looks forward to a productive session where all issues can be debated as well as discussed in a constructive manner.

    More than 40 leaders from 33 parties attended the all-party meeting held at the Parliament.

    The Opposition has geared up to corner the BJP-led NDA government on a range of issues including price rise, increasing cost of diesel and petrol and issues related to tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said they proposed to discuss the issues of inflation, poverty and COVID crisis in the house in front of Chairman Venkaiah Naidu who said that an opportunity will be given for discussions.

    “Around 16-17 issues like inflation, poverty, COVID crisis were kept in front of Venkaiah Naidu in the meeting. He has said that an opportunity will be given to discuss this. But we will get to know about it only when the issues arise,” Kharge had told ANI.

    Earlier, Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman Naidu had chaired a meeting of leaders of various parties in the Rajya Sabha ahead of the monsoon session.

    Naidu had said, “A dysfunctional Parliament adds to the prevailing gloom and hence, all sections of the House should ensure a smooth and productive session as it offers an opportunity to address the concerns of the people affected by COVID-19.”

    Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had said the House represents the collective will and aspirations of the country and all members will be given adequate opportunities to express their views within decorum and rules.

    Om Birla chaired an all-party meeting at the Parliament Library Building on Sunday.

    Speaking to media persons, Birla had said the House belongs to all the members and he will give all of them ample opportunities, including members from smaller parties and single-member parties, to participate in the proceedings so that more and more issues of public interest can be discussed.

    He had added that extensive arrangements have been made as per the COVID protocol for the safety of the members, officials and the media.

    The Lok Sabha Speaker also informed that an app is being developed which will be a one-stop solution for all parliamentary matters.