News Analysis India

Tag: Parliament

  • Rajya Sabha adjourned after passing bill to amend Factoring Regulation Act

    By IANS
    NEW DELHI: After repeated adjournments amid sloganeering by opposition MPs, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day on Thursday, but before that it passed the Bill to amend the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Act, 2011.

    The bill, which seeks to widen the scope of entities that can engage in factoring business and will pave the way for non-NBFC factors and other entities to undertake factoring activities, has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.

    Earlier in the day, proceedings in the Rajya Sabha were adjourned second time on Thursday till 2 pm following the opposition’s protests on Pegasus snooping row, farm laws and rise in fuel prices. As opposition members resorted to sloganeering, a sound of whistle was heard in the House and Deputy Chairman Harivansh warned that he will name the member.

    He said that during the golden jubilee celebrations of India’s Independence, the House had passed a resolution not to stall proceedings.

    The Rajya Sabha was adjourned first till 12 noon and when it met again, the Deputy Chairman continued the Question Hour for 35 minutes during which questions of the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Textiles and the Ministry of Women and Child Development were replied.

    Earlier, stepping up its attack on the government, the opposition decided to jointly oppose the government on various issues including Pegasus Project scandal. Though Leader in the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi met the opposition leaders at Mallikarjun Kharge’s office, the opposition insisted on discussion on the snooping row and fuel price rise.

  • BJP says Pegasus row ‘manufactured’ matter; ‘anti-national’ to not discuss pandemic in Parliament

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI:  Asserting that preventing a possible third wave of COVID-19 is the biggest issue now, the BJP hit out at opposition parties on Wednesday for disrupting Parliament proceedings over “manufactured” matters like the Pegasus snooping and claimed it was “anti-national” to not discuss the pandemic in both the Houses.

    The BJP also made light of the unity among opposition parties against the Narendra Modi government, saying they were united earlier too and the main motivation of these parties, from the Congress to several regional ones, was to protect their “family interests”.

    On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains committed to the nation’s development, it said.

    After Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the opposition was united in demanding a discussion in Parliament on the suspected snooping, which he called an “anti-national” work, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra hit back, saying what is “anti-national” is elected representatives not discussing an issue which has impacted the country and the world.

    “Anyone who tries to prevent such a debate is striking a blow to the country… It is anti-national to not discuss the issue on the floor of Parliament,” Patra told reporters, attacking rivals.

    Opposition parties have stalled Parliament over a host of issues with the Pegasus row being at the centre of their protests.

    The biggest issue now is how to prevent the third wave of Covid-19 and the measures like vaccination, Patra added.

    Claiming that the Pegasus row is a “manufactured” issue, he alleged the opposition parties, such as the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, were trying to “weaponise” a “non-existent” issue to stall Parliament.

    The BJP leader said if Gandhi thinks that his mobile was targeted by the Pegasus spyware, then he should go to a police station and lodge a complaint.

    Accusing the opposition parties of “suppressing” people’s voice, he said they had been demanding a special session of Parliament to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic but have been now stalling it when a regular session has begun.

    To a question about opposition parties joining hands against the government over the Pegasus row, Patra noted they had united earlier too and referred to major anti-BJP leaders posing together after the Congress-JD(S) alliance formed the government in Karnataka in 2018 and the Congress and Samajwadi Party fighting the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls together in 2017.

    Be it the Congress, Shiv Sena or the Samajwadi Party, their intention is not India’s development but to save their family interests, he alleged.

    Modi does not come from a political family, and he remains committed to the nation’s development, Patra added.

    Gandhi on Wednesday said the Opposition was united in demanding a discussion on the Pegasus snooping row in Parliament in the presence of the prime minister or the home minister.

    He rejected the government’s charges over the disruption of Parliament and said the Opposition was only fulfilling its responsibility.

    The Congress also attacked the government over the Pegasus snooping row, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit of “hitting the soul of India’s democracy”.

  • No proposal to grant full statehood to Lakshadweep, Parliament told

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: There is no proposal for granting full statehood to the Union Territory of Lakshadweep, the government informed Parliament Wednesday.

    Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said this in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

    He was asked if the government has considered granting full statehood to Lakshadweep and what steps was it taking to increase the participation of the people of Lakshadweep in the democratic process.

    “No such proposal for full statehood for the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is under consideration,” the minister stated.

    Adequate institutional arrangements exist for the expression of the democratic aspirations of the people in thinly populated union territories such as Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, he said.

    “People residing in the UTs elect their Members of Parliament to the Lok Sabha,” Rai stated.

    He further added in his reply that the UTs of Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu also have “a robust two-tier panchayati raj system with village and district panchayat bodies, through which people’s participation in the democratic process is ensured”.

    In Lakshadweep, extensive delegation of powers and functions has been made to the local bodies, he said.

  • ‘United’ Opposition wants Parliament to discuss Pegasus row, Rahul rejects disruption charges

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The opposition on Wednesday hardened its stand on the Pegasus spyware issue with 14 parties unitedly demanding a debate in Parliament in the presence of the prime minister or the home minister and a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.

    Earlier in the day, leaders of various opposition parties met and decided to submit similar adjournment notices on the matter.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting of 14 opposition parties.

    “The opposition is united for a discussion on the Pegasus issue… We are not going anywhere till it is discussed in Parliament,” Gandhi told reporters in the presence of leaders of 13 other opposition parties.

    ALSO READ | Congress MPs throw papers, torn placards at Chair in Lok Sabha

    He also rejected the government’s charges over the disruption of Parliament and said the opposition was only fulfilling its responsibility.

    Gandhi attacked the government over the Pegasus spyware row, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of “hitting the soul of India’s democracy by snooping upon its institutions”.

    The voice of the opposition is being suppressed in Parliament, he alleged.

    “We just have one question. Has the Government of India bought Pegasus, yes or no? Did the government use Pegasus weapon on its own people, yes or no? That is all we wish to know,” he told reporters at Vijay Chowk.

    Gandhi also said the Pegasus spyware row “for us, is an issue of nationalism, treason”.

    “This is not a matter of privacy. For me, it is an anti-national work.” Accusing PM Modi of using Pegasus spyware against the people of India, Gandhi said, “This weapon has been used against India.”

    “It should be used against terrorists. We are asking the prime minister and the home minister why did you use it against democratic institutions? What has Indian democracy done that you have used the weapon against democracy?” he posed.

    The government has been rejecting all opposition charges over the issue.

    Rahul Gandhi said the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are places “where we have to speak and everyone is united on a discussion on Pegasus”.

    “The government is refusing to allow us a discussion. Obviously, the government has done something wrong, something dangerous for the country. That is the issue.”

    “We want a discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha where either the prime minister, who has ordered the action, or the home minister, who is a party to ordering that action, because no one else can do it, has to be present.

    Pegasus is a weapon sold by one country to another,” Gandhi said.

    ALSO READ | Opposition damaged dignity of Parliament, says BJP after ruckus in Lok Sabha 

    The former Congress chief said people need to understand that if the issue of Pegasus spyware is not discussed now, then the matter would be over.

    “The prime minister and the home minister have assaulted the democratic spirit of India. That is why we are seeking Pegasus discussion and without that, we will not go anywhere,” Gandhi said.

    DMK’s T R Baalu said the government has given an impression that the opposition parties are against holding discussions in Parliament.

    “It’s not so. We wanted a discussion from day one. Every day, we are giving notices but the government is not coming forward for a discussion…It is a matter of great concern for democracy. Pegasus matter has to be taken very seriously. Like-minded people should come together to see that the matter is discussed,” he said.

    Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut alleged that “the government has indulged in backstabbing and attacked us with this weapon”.

    Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party said the government’s allegation that the opposition is running away from a discussion is “false propaganda”.

    “No institution has been left out of this snooping and the truth will not come till a Supreme Court-monitored probe is conducted.

    The corruption in the Rafale deal is linked to this snooping issue,” said Sanjay Singh of the AAP.

    NCP’s Supriya Sule said the opposition parties were united in their demand for the discussion in Parliament on the snooping row.

    An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified mobile phone numbers, including of two ministers, over 40 journalists, three opposition leaders and one sitting judge besides scores of businesspersons and activists in India could have been targeted for hacking through the spyware.

  • Lok Sabha conducts Question Hour without adjournments for first time this Monsoon session 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday conducted Question Hour without any adjournments for the first time since the start of the Monsoon session of Parliament on July 19 despite vociferous protests by Opposition members on various issues.

    As soon as the House met for the day, Opposition members trooped into the Well as they sought to raise various issues.

    Some members were shouting slogans and displaying placards.

    From the Pegasus spyware controversy to the three farm laws, the members wanted to raise various issues during the Question Hour.

    Speaker Om Birla continued with the Question Hour despite the protests and more than ten questions related to various ministries as well as supplementaries were taken up.

    This is the first time in the current Monsoon session that the Question Hour went on without any adjournments. Since the commencement of the session on July 19, the proceedings have been repeatedly adjourned due to Opposition protests.

    On Tuesday, there were nine adjournments in the Lower House before proceedings were adjourned for the day in the evening. After being adjourned nine times, the lower house reassembled at 4.30 PM and Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the Chair, had once again taken up one matter of urgent public importance.

  • Pegasus issue: Opposition leaders discuss strategy to corner government in Parliament

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Amid a stalemate in Parliament over the Pegasus snooping issue, leaders of various opposition parties on Wednesday met and decided to submit similar adjournment notices on the matter.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting at the chamber of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge.

    The meeting chaired by Kharge was attended by opposition leaders from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and discussed the joint opposition strategy to corner the government on the issue.

    Gandhi had attended a similar meeting of Opposition leaders of Lok Sabha on Tuesday evening.

    “Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders will submit similar adjournment motions on Pegasus issue in the Lok Sabha,” a senior leader said after the meeting.

    Gandhi later told reporters that they will continue to raise issues of public interest and will not compromise on the issues of Pegasus, price rise and farmers.

    Earlier during the meeting with like-minded parties, Gandhi said the government was trying to defame the opposition by accusing them of not allowing Parliament to run, sources said.

    Gandhi said the opposition was only raising issues concerning the people, farmers and security and will continue to do so, they said.

    Leaders of the Congress, DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena, RJD, SP, CPIM, CPI, NC, AAP, IUML, RSP, KCM and VCK attended the meeting.

    Opposition unity and better coordination and synergy among opposition parties was stressed at the meeting, the sources said.

    Leaders of 14 opposition parties attended the meeting.

    Among the leaders who attended the meeting included Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Jairam Ramesh of the Congress, DMK’s TR Baalu, Tiruchi Siva, Kanimozhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule and Praful Patel, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, National Conference leader Hasnain Masoodi, CPI-M’s Elamaran Karim, CPI’s Binoy Viswam, AAP’s Bhagwant Mann and RJD’s Manoj Jha.

  • Why afraid to discuss Pegasus in Parliament, Digvijaya asks Centre

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday targetted the Central government over the Pegasus spyware issue, asking that why it is afraid to discuss the matter in the Parliament.

    “Why Modi-Shah are afraid to discuss Pegasus in Parliament? Legitimate snooping for internal security or drug-related crimes or against any criminal is acceptable but are we not giving access to all the information to NSO and the Israelis?” tweeted Singh.

    “I had raised this issue in Rajya Sabha in 2019 which the then IT Minister skipped from answering my queries. I have again given Notice to RS for discussing Pegasus today. I hope Modi and Shah agree for full discussion. After all it is an urgent matter of national security,” said the Congress leader.

    Singh further alleged that the Central government is not concerned about national security and hiding the issue.

    “If the Pegasus’ host Nation’s new Israel Prime Minister has ordered a full probe why is Modi-Shah duo hiding? Are they not concerned about national security? Mark Zuckerberg, would you please ask your dear friend Narendra Modi to help you in your case against NSO? Otherwise what was the big “Bear Hug” for?” he added.

    The Opposition is attacking the Centre over the Pegasus Project Media Report issue. Since the commencement of the Monsoon session last week, the functioning of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has been disrupted by the ruckus over the issue.

    The Congress party has demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the issue.

    The development came after the names of several Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, activists and 40 Indian journalists appeared on the leaked list of potential targets for surveillance by an unidentified agency using Pegasus spyware, according to reports published in The Wire.

    Speaking on Lok Sabha on June 19, the first day of the Monsoon session, Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said that it is an attempt to malign Indian democracy and its well-established institutions.He had said that in the past too, similar claims were made regarding the use of Pegasus on WhatsApp and those reports too had no factual basis and were denied by all parties.The Minister also asserted that any form of illegal surveillance isn’t possible with “checks and balances in our laws and robust institutions.”  

  • Monsoon session: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12 noon, Lok Sabha till 2 PM

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha proceedings were on Monday adjourned for almost an hour after opposition parties continued their protests over various issues including snoop gate and farm laws.

    MPs belonging to the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC) and other opposition parties rushed into the well of the House raising slogans against the government.

    Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said members are being prevented from raising issues of public importance.

    “We are becoming helpless day by day,” he said before adjourning the proceedings till 12 noon.

    The Lok Sabha also witnessed disruptions by opposition members and was adjourned till 2 PM.

    Soon after the Upper House paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of the Kargil war and congratulated Mirabai Chanu for winning a silver medal in Tokyo Olympics, slogan-shouting opposition members trooped into the well of the House.

    Amid a din, Naidu said he has not allowed notices under rule 267 by opposition leaders including from Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal (both Congress), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), TMC’s Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Elamaram Kareen (CPI) and others as the issues they want to raise are being discussed in the normal course of time.

    Rule 267 provides for setting aside of the business of the day to take up discussion on the issue being sought to be raised.

    Naidu did not mention the issues the MPs wanted to raise under rule 267.

    He said important public interest issues have been allowed to be raised through zero hour and special mention but “the house is not able to perform its duty. Members they are denied an opportunity.”

    “We are becoming helpless day by day,” he said.

    Since the start of the monsoon session of Parliament last week, zero-hour mentions which members could not raise because of disruption pertained to wide-ranging issues including Covid vaccine, need for time-bound completion of Covid vaccination, unemployment due to the pandemic, problems of students availing higher education, hike in petroleum product prices, freedom of the press, killings of Indians in South Africa and sharing of Cauvery waters between states.

    “All these important issues could not be discussed because of this situation,” he said, referring to the disruption being caused by the opposition MPs.

    “We are becoming helpless. People should know what are the important issues admitted, members were present, they want to speak but they were not permitted by few.”

    Soon after he adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.

  • Parliament stand-off: Washout fear looms large as government, Opposition refuse to budge

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  With the Centre requesting him to convene an all-party meeting, the task is cut out for Speaker Om Birla to prevent a washout of the Moonsoon session in the Lok Sabha.   For the government, the stalemate is due to the race between the Congress and the Trinamool Congress to take credit for the Parliamentary disruptions. “There’s complete confusion in the Congress leadership. The Opposition had agreed for discussion on Covid in the Lok Sabha, but backed off later,” Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Meghwal told this newspaper. 

    The Opposition’s stiff conditions — the presence of PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and a reply on the discussion by either of them on the Pegasus row — for resolution of the Parliament logjam wasn’t agreeable to the government, indicated Meghwal.“This has never been the norm. Reply is always given by the minister concerned, and conditional discussions don’t take place.”

    The Lok Sabha witnessing complete breakdown of communications between the treasury and the Opposition benches is worrying other parties. “My anxiety is that important bills may be passed in din in the House, which will be more disastrous for the democracy,” BJD’s senior leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said, stressing that both sides will need to move forward to arrive at some solutions. He also noted that while the Rajya Sabha took up discussion on Covid, the Lok Sabha, too, should take up public interest issues.      

    But, Congress chief whip in Lok Sabha K Suresh asserted the government has made no effort to reach out to the Opposition. “It is not the Speaker, but the government that doesn’t want discussion on Pegasus.”But Union Minister Bhupender Yadav contended that the Opposition has shown least respect for the conventions. “The Opposition has struck disruptive stance since the beginning by not even allowing the PM to introduce new members of the Council of Ministers.”  

    “It was previously agreed that the Lok Sabha will take up three short duration discussions, and calling attentions each and allow taking up important legislation,” said Meghwal.

    Didi in Delhi, TMC looks to up the anteWhat makes the Lok Sabha Speaker’s task challenging is that the Trinamool Congress is bracing to go more belligerent in the presence of its newly appointed Parliamentary chairperson Mamata Banerjee in Delhi.

     (With inputs from Richa Sharma)

  • Health Secretary to brief floor leaders on COVID-19; ‘Constructive opposition prevails’, says TMC leader

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Union Health Secretary will address floor leaders of political parties on COVID-19 on Tuesday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’ Brien said here, terming it as a victory of a “constructive Opposition” which had insisted that the PM’s address on the issue should be before Parliament.

    At an all-party meeting on Sunday, opposition parties had objected to the government’s offer for a joint address by Modi to all floor leaders on COVID-19 in a building in the Parliament complex, saying this will be “highly irregular” at a time when Parliament was in session and claimed it was intended to “bypass” norms.

    Opposition leaders, including from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the CPI(M), also said that when the pandemic and issues related to it can be discussed on the floor of the House, what was the need to go “outside”.

    “#Parliament. Constructive Opposition prevails. At all-party meet Parliamentary Affairs Minister announced. PM would make presentation on #COVID19 in a conference room’. We insisted any statement by PM must be inside Parliament. Now been informed HEALTH SECRETARY TO ADDRESS MEET in august presence of PM’.Ok (sic),” O’ Brien tweeted.

    He also said that the opposition parties would like to hear the PM speak on the pandemic and the other issues in Parliament.

    “Dear Prime Minister, Sir. We so want to see you in #Parliament We so want to hear you in both Houses.”

    “Tell us about key issues #COVID19 #PriceHike #FarmersProtest #economy #federalism and more. Please don’t book conference halls in the neighbourhood. Parliament is supreme,” he tweeted.

    The health secretary will address the leaders at 6 PM and is also expected to show presentations on the pandemic and how it was managed, sources said.