YSR Congress to Move No-Confidence Motion Against Modi Govt Today
“Country should know what Andhra people are going through. That’s why we moved the no-confidence motion,” said Reddy
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Crimes Against Dalits, Women, Farmers' Distress Likely to be Raised
Other issues that the opposition is likely to raise include those relating to crimes against Dalits and women. The issues of farmers distress, slowdown of the economy and rising unemployment were also expected to be raised by opposition benches.
The government has also listed some other bills for consideration and passage in both Houses. The passage of the OBC bill, that seeks to provide constitutional status for the OBC commission, is another issue high on the government agenda. The triple talaq bill, which seeks jail term for Muslim men practising instant divorce, is another contentious issue.
In the Rajya Sabha, the government has listed 'The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017', and 'The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill, 2017', for the first day of the session.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
Congress Likely to Lock Horns with BJP Over Karti's Arrest
The government and the Congress are also likely to cross swords over the arrest of Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram's son Karti by the CBI in the INX Media alleged bribery case. The Congress has termed the CBI action "political vendetta".
On 28 February 2018, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Karti Chidambaram, in connection with the INX media money laundering case. The investigating agency arrested him at the Chennai Airport upon his return from London.
Congress to Quiz BJP on Prasar Bharti-I&B Stand-Off
Another major issue that is expected to be taken up during the session will be the ongoing tussle between the public service broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, and the I&B ministry.
The Opposition has been targeting the Union Minister Smriti Irani for reportedly blocked the funds that pay salaries of those employed under Prasar Bharati (PB). According to a 1 March report by The Wire, Irani has withheld funds since December 2017, forcing PB to dip into its contingency reserve for payments.
Centre Takes Steps in Light of Bank Frauds
The government has taken several steps in the light of the massive bank fraud - the Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill; the directive to public sector banks to identify and report NPAs over Rs 50 crore to the CBI; nod to set up an authority to oversee auditing standards of large companies besides swift action by the CBI and the ED in the Nirav Modi case.
On 27 February, the Finance Ministry directed public-sector banks to scan their Non-performing Asset (NPA) accounts above Rs 50 crore for possible fraud and refer any such fraud cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Ministry has also given these banks a 15-day window to identify gaps and brace for increasing operational and technical risks to the banking system.
Financial Scams to Dominate the Proceedings
Opposition parties will likely demand answers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and other banking scams took place under his watch and how the government failed to stop them.
Congress deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, has given a notice for a discussion on 5 March under rule 267 of the House on the bank fraud issue.
Adjournment Notices in Rajya Sabha
SP MP Naresh Agarwal gave an adjournment notice at the Rajya Sabha over the PNB scam.
BJP MP Vinay Sahasrabuddhe too gave an adjournment motion notice in the Rajya Sabha under rule 267 on 'reports of corrupt practices indulged in by relatives of former ministers under tacit protection by ministers'.
Adjournment Notices in the Lok Sabha
Jan Adhikar Party chief Pappu Yadav gave an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha over the alleged SSC scam.
Earlier, RJD MP JP Yadav had given an adjournment motion notice in the lower house over the PNB fraud case.
Protests Outside Parliament
TDP MPs continued their protests to demand Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh, with demonstrations near the Gandhi statue of the Parliament – as they had done in the first Budget session.
Meanwhile, TMC MPs raised slogans over the Nirav Modi-PNB scam, shouting: "Chota Modi, Bada Modi ek hai" and "Nirav Modi kahan hai, Narendra Modi jawab do".
Lok Sabha Adjourned till Noon
The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 pm, after TDP MPs in the House protested demanding Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.
The Rajya Sabha too has been adjourned till 11.20 am after TDP MPs gathered in the well of the House, demanding Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh.
Rajya Sabha Adjourned till 2 pm
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned less than ten minutes after it resumed at 11.20 am, with Speaker Venkaiah Naidu considering the adjournment notices given in the house earlier.
The Upper House has been adjourned till 2 pm, as TDP MPs refused to stop sloganeering.
Lok Sabha Adjourned till 6 March
The Lok Sabha resumed business at noon, amid protests by the Opposition and the TDP MPs, only to be adjourned till Tuesday.
Rajya Sabha Adjourned till Tuesday
Seven minutes into the second session for the day, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the Rajya Sabha, even as Opposition MPs raised loud protests over the recurring bank scams, demanding answers from the government over the Nirav Modi fraud.
The Rajya Sabha had resumed business at 2 pm.
Congress Questions PM Modi on PNB Scam
Addressing the media after the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad raised questions on the PNB Fraud case.
Azad said:
RJD Leader Gives Zero Hour Notice in Lok Sabha
RJD Leader Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav gave a zero hour notice in the Lok Sabha over the SSC scam, reported ANI.
BJP Parliamentary Meet in Delhi
The Bharatiya Janata Party held a parliamentary meet in their Delhi headquarters, presumably to discuss the aftermath of the elections in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland.
Lok Sabha Adjourned till Noon, Rajya Sabha till 11.30 am
The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 noon after the Opposition raised a ruckus over the PNB scam.
The Rajya Sabha, meanwhile has been adjourned till 11.30 am, after TDP MLAs once again raised demand for Andhra Pradesh to be declared under the ‘Special Status’ category.
Rajya Sabha Adjourned to 2 pm
After briefly resuming House proceedings for a few minutes, Speaker Venkaiah Naidu adjourned the Rajya Sabha till 2 pm, amid loud protests.
Lok Sabha Resumes Business
After an hour-long adjournment, the Lok Sabha resumed business with the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan calling upon the various ministers to lay their papers before the House.
Meanwhile, TDP MPs and Opposition MPs continued to storm the well of the House in protest.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs minister Anant Kumar appealed to the House to return to their seats and allow for the proceedings to take place in a peaceful manner.
Lok Sabha Adjourned Till 7 March
Amid loud protests raised by various parties in the Lower House, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adjourned the House till 11 am on Wednesday.
Rajya Sabha Adjourned Till 7 March
Following protests over the Punjab National Bank scam, and the Opposition’s demands for the government to bring jeweller Nirav Modi back to India, the Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till 7 March.
YSRCP MP Gives Adjournment Motion in LS
YSRCP MP PV Midhun Reddy gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over the demand of ‘Special Category Status’ to Andhra Pradesh.
DMK MP Gives Adjournment Notice in RS Over Periyar Statue Vandalism
DMK MP T Siva gave an adjournment motion notice under rule 267 in Rajya Sabha on BJP leader H Raja's remark on Periyar and the desecration of the Periyar Statue in Vellore.
Rajya Sabha Adjourned till 2 pm
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm, after DMK MPs protested BJP leader H Raja’s remark on Periyar, and the subsequent vandalism of the Periyar statue in Vellore.
LS Speaker Calls for All-party Floor Leaders Meet
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has called for an all-party floor leaders meeting at 1 pm, reported ANI.
Lok Sabha Adjourned Till 8 March
After a brief adjournment, the Lok Sabha resumed with the Speaker calling for the concerned MPs to lay papers on the table as per the listed business, amid slogans of “Band Karo!”
Following constant protests and sloganeering, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan called for the adjournment of the House till 11 am on 8 March.
Rajya Sabha Adjourned Till 8 March
The Rajya Sabha too has been adjourned till 8 March following uproar over the PNB scam and Andhra Pradesh Special Category Status issue.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Addresses Press Conference on AP's Special Status
Congress MPs Gives Zero Hour Notice to Discuss 33 Percent Reservation
Congress MP Rajni Patil and Renuka Chowdhury have given zero hour notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss the matter of 33 percent reservation to women in parliament.
MPs Speak on Women's Issues
DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi stressed on the importance on passing the Women’s Reservation Bill. Pointing out that domestic violence is on the rise, she said: “workplaces are not safe for women, female children are still unwanted, still there are so many dowry deaths, malnutrition still prevalent.”
“Sadly every party supports the bill but we still can’t pass it,” Kanimozhi said.
Businesswomen, social worker and Rajya Sabha member Anu Aga urged the men to “stop throwing crumbs at us and this one day of tokenism.”
“Today’s day is to take a pledge that the centre and the state and every level of governance will not tolerate the wrongs done unto women. It should be a movement and it should start from the parliament,” MEA Sushma Swaraj said.
Outside the Parliament, women members of the Congress staged a protest over the Women’s Reservation Bill.
BJP Meeting Ahead of Parliamentary Session
PM Modi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Ananth Kumar held for BJP Parliamentary party meeting ahead of the Parliamentary session.
Congress Doesn't Have Democracy in Their Bones: Min of Parl Affairs
As soon as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan took up the Question Hour, members from various parties, including the Congress, AIADMK, TDP and TRS trooped into the Well raising slogans and holding placards.
Most of them were heard shouting "we want justice".
Congress members were holding placards demanding that tainted diamond merchant Nirav Modi be brought back. 'Chota Modi kahan gaya', read one of the placards.
After the Lok Sabha adjourns for the day amid protests by members of various parties on different issues, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Ananth Kumar said, “We request Congress and other parties to let House function. It seems Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi don't believe in democracy. They speak outside on democracy but don't practice it in Parliament. Congress doesn't have democracy in their genes.”
“We have included all important issues in list of business. We have also issued a 3-line Whip to all our MPs,” he added.
There have been several protests outside the parliament on Tuesday. AIADMK MPs have been protesting in Parliament premises over constitution of the Cauvery Management Board, while TMC MPs protest in Parliament premises over the issue of Aadhaar linking. YSRCP MPs on the other hand, have been holding protests in the Parliament premises over demand of Special Status to Andhra Pradesh.
Lok Sabha Approves Finance Bill 2018
Amid chaos, the Lok Sabha approved the Finance Bill 2018 using voice votes on Wednesday. There was no discussion on the Bill.
The passing of the Bill comes a day after Lok Sabha leaders across parties wrote to Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, alleging that the government was “hell bent on passing the bill without any scrutiny”. “This shows the government arrogance and unilateral move to bulldoze all the financial business without discuss (sic) them on the floor of the house,” the letter reads.
Finance Bill, Appropriation Bill Passed Without Debate
The government today got the Budget for fiscal year beginning 1 April passed in Lok Sabha without discussion by applying the guillotine process as the opposition paralysed the functioning for the eighth day.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moved the Finance Bill 2018, which contains taxation proposals of his fifth and final budget, as well as the appropriation bill that details spendings in various departments, amid din created by slogan-shouting opposition. The bills were passed by voice vote. The ruling BJP-led NDA has an absolute majority in the Lower House of Parliament.
The appropriation bill was approved after a guillotine was applied which essentially means that all outstanding demands for grants from various departments are put to vote at once whether they are discussed or not. With the passage of the Finance Bill and the Appropriation Bill, the budget exercise is complete in the lower house.
Technically, the two Bills also have to go to Rajya Sabha but since they are money bill they would be considered approved if the Upper House of Parliament does not return them within 14 days. The Opposition has an upper hand in the Rajya Sabha.
(Source: PTI)
Lok Sabha Adjourned
Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day.
Notices for No-Confidence Motion Not Taken Up
Through the course of the near four-year rule of the BJP-led NDA alliance, this is the first time that no-confidence motion notices were moved against the government.
However, as stated by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, the Lok Sabha could not take up the no-confidence notices that was moved by the Andhra parties against the NDA government, as the House was adjourned amid protests over various issues, reports PTI.
Mahajan, the report adds, had earlier said that she would take up the no-confidence motion only if the House would come to order and party representatives would go back to their seats. When the protests continued regardless, she adjourned the House.
The notices were moved by YSR Congress member Y V Subba Reddy and TDP's Thota Narasimham, who were demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh, PTI also says.
Speaking to ANI about the notices not being picked up, MLA Shashi Tharoor said:
In a tweet, CPI(M) minister Sitaram Yechury also supported the no-confidence motion notices passed against the NDA government.
Protesting Members Sport Multi-Coloured Stoles
The members of the various protesting parties were seen sporting multi-colored stoles to differentiate the cause for which they were protesting. As reported by PTI, while members from TRS were wearing pink stoles, TDP members were seen with yellow ones.
AIADMK members, demanding the Cauvery river management to be instantly set up, were sporting stoles carrying black, white and red stripes.
Members of the Samajwadi Party, led by Mulayam Singh Yadav, were wearing their traditional red-coloured party caps, on the other hand, PTI reports.
(Source: PTI)
House Pays Tribute to Deceased Former Members, Hawking & CRFP personnel
As reported by PTI, the House had earlier paid respects to three of its former members who had passed away. It also offered a tribute to legendary cosmologist Stephen Hawking, who passed away on Wednesday, 14 March and to nine CRPF personnel, who were killed in a IED blast that took place in Chhattisgarh, on Tuesday, 13 March.
It also witnessed the swearing in of three newly elected MPs -- RJD's Sarfaraz Alam (Araria-Bihar) and SP members Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel (Phulpur-UP) and Praveen Kumar Nishad (Gorakhpur-UP).
YV Subba Reddy to Move No-Confidence Motion in Lok Sabha on 19 March
YSR Congress leader YV Subba Reddy will move a no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha against the central government on 19 March 2018.
Speaking to ANI, Reddy expounded on his reasons to move the motion:
The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, 2018, amid din on 14 March.
- The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day, following the outbreak of protests over various issues by the political parties present
- The no-confidence motion notices moved by Andhra parties against the NDA govt were not taken up, on account of the adjournment
- The second phase of the Budget Session has seen eight consecutive days of disruption, with Opposition cornering the ruling party over issues like the PNB-Nirav Modi scam, special category status to Andhra Pradesh and the Rafale deal.
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