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After the uproar in the Lok Sabha on Friday, over comments made by Samajawadi Party MP Azam Khan to BJP MP Rama Devi, Speaker Om Birla met with the opposition leaders of all parties and decided that Khan must apologize.
The women MPs of the BJP in the Lok Sabha, including Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Smriti Irani, demanded an apology from Azam Khan for his objectionable remarks. Irani said, “Let us not reduce this to a problem of just women. This is a blot on all legislators including men.”
Both Houses of the Parliament commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Kargil War on Friday. Rajnath Singh spoke about Kargil Vijay Diwas in the Lok Sabha while a minute of silence in memory of the martyred soldiers was observed in the Rajya Sabha.
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The Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am on Wednesday after being extended till midnight on Tuesday.
Speaking on the extension, Parliamentary Affairs minister Prahlad Joshi said, “It's being done with the initiation of speaker, government and all MPs. Farmer issues were discussed. For the first time there has been such productivity and our concern for farmers can be seen through this”.
Lok Sabha will witness discussion on Appropriation Bill, 2019, discussion and voting on Demand for Grants under the Control of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and on the Demands for Grants under control of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for 2019-20.
Whereas Rajya Sabha will discuss The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
After the Lok Sabha session was extended till midnight on Tuesday, the question hour began in Lower House at 11 am on Wednesday.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha said that India and China respect agreement and are ensuring peace at border and that both the countries are exercising restraint in Doklam.
He also added that infrastructure like roads, tunnels, railway lines and airfields are being developed on the border of India and China to ensure the sovereignty and security of the nation.
However he did not directly comment on the alleged intrusion by Chinese soldiers at Demchok, which earlier Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had refuted.
The discussion in Rajya Sabha steered towards the issue of NRC, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, every illegal settler in the country will be identified and deported in accordance with international laws.
BJP MP Bhupender Yadav raised in the Rajya Sabha the issue of alleged misbehaviour with a woman journalist of a private news channel and urged Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu to refer the matter to the ethics committee of the House if any member was suppressing voice of the media.
“We do not want to interfere in any private organisation, but if a woman is misbehaved with and employees are not paid, it is responsibility of parliamentarians to protect the freedom of speech,” he said.
The government is not in favour of continuing with the MGNREGA scheme forever as it is for the poor and the Modi government's larger goal is to eradicate poverty, Union Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.
Replying to a discussion on demand for grants for the ministries of agriculture and rural development for 2019-20, Tomar also suggested that big corporates can learn from women self help groups as they have only 2 percent NPAs.
On being asked if incidents of mob lynching have increased in the last six months, Nityanand Rai, MoS Home Affairs in the Rajya Sabha said “Police and public order are State subjects under the seventh schedule of the Constitution. State Governments are responsible for prevention, detection and investigation of crimes and for prosecuting the criminals through their law enforcement agencies."
He also said that the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) does not maintain specific data with respect to lynching incidents in the country.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) Amendment Bill, 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha and was supported by the Samajwadi Party.
The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed in Rajya Sabha.
Home Minister Amit Shah during debate on the bill said “Seven were arrested for Samjhauta Blast. A case was created to connect the blasts to a specific religion, culprits were released and new people were arrested. How could've they received punishment, there was no evidence against them.”
He further added, “Who is responsible that justice wasn't served to the victims of Samjhauta Blast. Because it is not us.”
After the NIA (Amendment) Bill was unanimously passed in the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Parliament was adjourned till 11 am Thursday, 18 July.
The Lok Sabha passed a Bill allowing the central government to withdraw Rs 98.18 lakh crore from the consolidated fund to meet its expenditure during 2019-20.
The House approved the Appropriation (No. 2) Bill 2019, after the demands for grants for several ministries were collectively put to vote and passed by applying guillotine.
The Bill, moved by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, was passed by a voice vote.
The Union Cabinet also approved the National Medical Commission (NMC) Bill which seeks to replace the Medical Council of India (MCI) and usher mega reforms in the country's medical education sector.
The Bill will be introduced in the current session of parliament. It was first introduced in Parliament in December 2017, but lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha.
The Union Cabinet cleared the Dam Safety Bill 2019, which aims to address all issues concerning safety of dams, including regular inspection, emergency action plan and comprehensive safety review.
Under the proposed law, a national committee on dam safety will be set up to evolve dam safety policies and recommend necessary regulations.
It provides for establishment of National Dam Safety Authority as a regulatory body which shall discharge functions to implement the policy, guidelines and standards for dam safety in the country.
The Congress has given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over "alarming situation due to spurt in crime in Delhi."
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to make a statement in Parliament on Kulbhushan Jadhav today.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is addressing Parliament on Kulbhushan Jadhav.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) pronounced the verdict, saying that Pakistan deprived India of the right to communicate with Kulbhushan Jadhav, Jaishankar said in Rajya Sabha.
“Jadhav is innocent of the charges levelled against him. We once again call on Pakistan to release and repatriate him to India. His family has shown exemplary courage even in challenging times like this,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Rajya Sabha.
I am sure that the House will join me in welcoming this landmark judgement, he added.
I can assure that the government will vigorously continue its efforts to ensure Kulbhushan Jadhav’s safety and well being, as well as his early return to India, S Jaishankar said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
"I am very happy that the entire House is together in welcoming the ICJ judgement. Hope we will pursue (the case) till Kulbhushan is released," Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said in Rajya Sabha.
Rajya Sabha proceedings have been adjourned till noon following uproar by Samajwadi Party and Congress members.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said seven legislations under indirect taxation are being amended to ensure greater simplicity, as she moved the Finance Bill in the Lok Sabha.
She told the Lower House that amendments to laws are being made through the Finance Bill in five major categories, including in the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke on India-China relations in Rajya Sabha.
“With our policy towards China is concerned, I see more consistency than differences. It is India's endeavour to engage China, they are our largest neighbour,” he said.
On being asked whether the government is making a significant effort to revive the Jet Airways, Hardeep Singh Puri, Civil Aviation Minister in Lok Sabha said “each airline prepares its business plan on the basis of its own market assessment and liabilities.”
He further added that mobilizing financial resources and ensuring efficient operations as per business plan is responsibility of the airline and that the Government of India has no role in raising funds for Jet Airways.
In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Minister for Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the domestic electronics hardware manufacturing sector faces a lack of level-playing field against competing nations on account of "several disabilities which render the sector uncompetitive."
To a question on whether the government is satisfied with the current level of contribution of Indian electronics industry to global market, the minister replied in the negative.
The government has allocated and disbursed Rs 20,431 crore for the BharatNet project till date to connect all 2.5 lakh village panchayats with high-speed broadband network, Parliament was informed on Thursday, PTI reported.
"A lump sum of Rs 20,431 crore (Rs 10,286 crore for phase-I and Rs 10,145 crore for phase-II) has been allocated and disbursed from Universal Service Obligation Fund to Bharat Broadband Network Limited under BharatNet project," Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Congress leader P Chidambaram spoke on The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2019 in the Rajya Sabha and said that the setting up of an Arbitration Centre in New Delhi will make it a mere bureaucratic office and would not be able to meet the real goal.
The Lok Sabha passed The Finance (No 2) Bill, 2019 by a voice vote on Thursday
In Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, “A task force is working on finalising new direct tax code for simplification of tax laws.”
She added, “Tax payers would be allowed to adjust 1 percent TDS on cash withdrawal above Rs 1 crore in a year from bank against his tax liability.”
The government is likely to move Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) Amendment Bill in Parliament on Monday, 22 July, sources in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) said.
According to sources, the amendment will be applicable on all ongoing IBC cases and the cases which are under judicial review.
The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till Friday, 19 July.
A BJP member in Lok Sabha demanded setting up of a task force to deal with the menace of drug abuse in the country.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Meenakashi Lekhi (BJP) said that several people are suffering from drug abuse.
“India is a vulnerable country for smuggling of drugs as the country too is placed at Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle,” she said.
The government is considering extending the ongoing parliamentary session by two to three days to complete its legislative business, sources said on Thursday.
At the BJP's parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the session can be extended, if required.
Lok Sabha session extended for one hour.
Matters of urgent public importance are being discussed, reported ANI.
Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am on Friday, 19 July 2019.
Six Congress MPs have given an Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over "encroachment on democratic institutions", news agency ANI reported.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, while addressing the Lok Sabha on Friday 19 July, touched upon his demand for mob lynchings again. Owaisi said that despite the Supreme Court asking for it, the government has not made laws around mob lynchings yet.
A bill which seeks to take away the stature of information commissioners from equivalent of election commissioners and give the Centre the power to set their salaries and service conditions was introduced in Lok Sabha amid protests by opposition parties.
Introducing the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said no one can question the Modi government on its commitment towards transparency. He asserted that the government works on the principle of maximum governance minimum government.
The bill, he said, aims at institutionalisation, streamlining and ease of delivery of RTI Act. He said it strengthens the overall RTI structure and described it as an enabling legislation for administration purposes.
Activists have criticised the amendments, saying it will weaken transparency panels in the country.
Cutting across party lines, Rajya Sabha members on Friday, 19 July supported a resolution that seeks to set up a National Farmers' Commission with constitutional status, to deal with issues faced by farmers.
Besides, the resolution moved by BJP member Vijay Pal Singh Tomar also sought hike in funds provided to the farmers as Kisan Samman Nidhi from Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 per year and Bharat Ratna for farmers for their contribution to the society.
Initiating the debate on the private member resolution, Tomar said, "India is primarily an agrarian based economy with more than 55 percent population engaged in farming. Besides there are 15 percent people who are engaged in allied sectors. Thus there are 70 per cent population dependent on farm sector."
In a bid to save gullible investors from ponzi schemes, the government on Friday introduced the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha that seeks to put in place a mechanism by which such depositors can be compensated.
The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019 will replace the Ordinance on the same.
The bill seeks to help tackle the menace of illicit deposit taking activities in the country, which at present are exploiting regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard earned money, according to the government.
The Lok Sabha on Friday, 19 July, passed a bill to expedite the process of appointment of chairperson and members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) after the government assured steps were being taken "round-the- clock" to protect human rights.
Piloting the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019 Minister of State (Home Affairs) Nityanand Rai, said changes in the legislation will help in protecting human rights effectively.
The government is likely to extend the ongoing session of Parliament to complete its legislative business, top government told PTI.
The ongoing session is scheduled to conclude on July 26, but the sources said the government is mulling its extension till August 2 to ensure passage of all the bills listed for business.
Union ministers are in touch with opposition parties to bring them on board for the extension.
Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan said there should be no politics over the decision to adjourn the Lok Sabha till 2 pm and not for the entire day following the death of his younger brother and MP Ram Chandra Paswan.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress’ Karti Chidambaram called the RTI Bill a regressive one, stressing that over 16,000 applications were rejected in 2016 alone.
Drawing a comparison between the 303 ruling party MLAs and Indian Penal Code’s Section 303, he said, “Don’t murder RTI.”
(Source: PTI)
DMK MP A Raja dismissed the government's argument that CIC cannot be equated with the CEC since the former is a statutory body, while the latter is a constitutional body.
Meanwhile, TMC leader Sougata Roy said that the government has brought the amendment to curtail the powers of information commissioners and also pointed out the killings of RTI activists.
(Source: ANI)
The opposition slammed the government in Lok Sabha over the provisions of a bill to amend the RTI Act, alleging that it has been brought to undermine the law and make the transparency panel a "toothless tiger" like the National Human Rights Commission.
Rejecting the criticism that the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is intended to weaken the Act, the government said that the opposition is misguiding the people as the proposed changes are only aimed at streamlining functioning.
Leading the opposition charge during the debate on the Bill, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that under the proposed changes, the government can hire and fire independent information commissioners.
"It is not an Amendment bill but an elimination bill," he said.
Talking on the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill in Rajya Sabha, Samajwdi Party's Ramgopal Yadav said that the removal of the tenure clause in re-appointments would make officials tow in line of the government so that they can enjoy the post.
He stressed on the fact that the provision of re-appointment of NHRC members does not exist anywhere in the world and that they should have a fixed tenure of five years.
Six Congress MPs gave Adjournment Motion Notice in the Lok Sabha over 'political leaders being prevented from meeting the people in Sonbhadra,’ reported ANI.
The Bill to amend Right to Information (Amendment) Act has been passed by Lok Sabha amid opposition allegations that it dilutes transparency law, reported ANI.
Rajya Sabha has passed The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill 2019.
Nitin Gadkari, Minister, Road Transport and Highways, has introduced the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Lok Sabha.
Further discussion on Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 will be continued on Tuesday, 23 July.
MPs have begun raising matters of public importance during the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that only courts have the right to decide the fate of people in detention centres in Assam under National Register of Citizen, and the government can only take care of the basic amenities provided there.
He was responding to concerns raised by an opposition member in the Rajya Sabha.
After the House passed the Protection of Human Right Amendment Bill, Congress' Pradeep Bhattacharya raised the issue of the detention of people in Assam.
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari made a strong pitch in Lok Sabha for the passage of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, saying that it will weed out corruption, improve road safety and usher in the use of more technology to regulate traffic.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi slammed the RTI Amendment Act saying Central govt sees RTI as nuisance, wants to destroy status, independence of Central Information Commission.
EAM S Jaishankar, on Tuesday, 23 July, categorically assured the Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made no requests for US mediation in Kashmir issue, as was claimed by US President Donald Trump on Monday, 22 July.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm, following an uproar by the Opposition over the issue.
The Union government is considering to extend the ongoing Parliament session by 10 days, sources said on Tuesday, 23 July.
Several MPs of the ruling dispensation were unofficially conveyed of such a possibility at the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting.
Asked about the likelihood of the session's extension, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters after the meeting, "There is a possibility of this. You will be officially conveyed when a decision is taken." If the session is extended by 10 sittings, then it will be extended by two weeks.
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday said that the Kashmir issue has consistently been a bilateral issue and that Trump would have thought about making the statement he did. He also said that the Congress wanted PM Modi to make a statement about it.
“No matter which government was in power at the Centre in past, our foreign policy has been that Kashmir is a bilateral issue and no third party can intervene and President Trump knows it,” he said.
The Upper House has been adjourned till 2 pm.
Opposition walked out of the Lok Sabha over their demand for Prime Minister Modi's response on statement of US President Trump claiming PM Modi had asked him to mediate in Kashmir issue.
BJP's ally and RLP leader Hanuman Beniwal on Tuesday suggested that those having more than three children should not be allowed to contest Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.
Speaking on the bill to amend the Motor Vehicle Act in the lower house, Beniwal said one of the major reasons for higher road accidents in India is its rising population.
He said uncontrolled population is the root cause of various problems faced by the country.
Asserting the government should put in place some measures to check the increasing population, Beniwal said it should begin with MPs and MLAs. Those who have more than three kids should not be allowed to contest, he said.
The Lok Sabha on Tuesday, 23 July, passed the Motors Vehicles (Amendment )Bill, 2019, reported news agency ANI.
Parliament on Tuesday gave its approval to Modi-2.0 government's maiden budget with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying tax proposals aim at redistribution of funds to bring more equitable development.
The Appropriation (No 2) Bill, 2019 and the Finance (No 2) Bill, 2019 -- cleared by Lok Sabha last week -- were returned by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday after voice vote.
This completed the three stage Parliamentary approval process, which also included a debate on the general budget and working of some of the ministries.
Almost the entire Opposition boycotted the debate, demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement on US President Donlad Trump's claim of him seeking mediation on Kashmir issue.
Congress Parliamentary Party Chief Sonia Gandhi arrives at the Parliament, where she will hold a meeting of Congress Lok Sabha MPs later on Wednesday, 24 July.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday gave an Adjournment Motion Notice in the House over "killing of tribals across the nation".
Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad, the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, will hold a meeting of Rajya Sabha MPs of Congress and other Opposition parties in the Parliament office today.
Opposition MPs continue to protest in Lok Sabha seeking a reply from PM Narendra Modi in Parliament on President Donald Trump’s statement on Kashmir.
The TMC on Wednesday charged that the government was passing bills in Parliament without any "scrutiny" and said a united Opposition cannot be "steamrolled".
TMC MP and national spokesperson Derek O'Brien charged that the government used its "brute majority" in Lok Sabha to bulldoze the "faulty RTI Bill".
He had earlier on Tuesday alleged that the government was trying to bulldoze the opposition.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha said, “As S Jaishankar ji said, the Kashmir issue was not discussed in President Trump and PM Modi meeting. There is no question of mediation in Kashmir issue as it will be against the Shimla agreement.”
“EAM S Jaishankar was present at Trump-Modi meeting. Therefore, his statement is most authentic on issue of Kashmir mediation,” the Defence Minister further added.
Congress MPs walked out of Lok Sabha on Wednesday in protest, demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarification over US President Donald Trump's statement on Kashmir.
"Why are we (the Opposition) at the risk of being called anti-national every time we question this government?": TMC's Mahua Moitra asked the Centre in Lok Sabha on Wednesday after uproar in the House following her statements.
“It is possible to be anti-government and still be pro-India,” Moitra argued.
The Trinamool Congress leader had accused the government of "running propaganda machinery" and using "troll army to attack opposition" while speaking in the Lok Sabha on The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill.
"We do not know what US President Donald Trump and PM Narendra Modi talked about during the G20 Osaka summit. Today, the prime minister was supposed to be present here but he is not here. In 1971, after the war, we had settled some terms and then during the Shimla Agreement, it was said that India and Pakistan can discuss it bilaterally," Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.
The Leader of Opposition added: "We want to learn the fact from the horse's mouth, i.e. PM Modi's mouth whether Donald Trump lied or not."
The Opposition has decided to demand that seven bills out of 16 bills, including RTI Amendment Bill, Triple Talaq Bill and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Bill, in Rajya Sabha be sent to Joint Select Committee.
There is no proposal to make amendments in the Constitution to change the name of West Bengal to 'Bangla', the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
"To change name of any state, constitutional amendment is required. There is no proposal to amend Constitution as of now," Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said.
He was replying to a query on why the Centre was rejecting the West Bengal government proposal to change the name of state to 'Bangla'.
Speaking about the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said in Lok Sabha, “I blame Congress party for this. They're the main culprits for bringing this law. When they're in power they're bigger than BJP, when they lose power they become big brother of Muslims.”
Speaking about the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill, Home Minister Amit Shah stressed that the UPA was responsible for the law, saying, “When you question us you don't see who brought the law and amendments, who made it stringent. It was brought when you (the UPA) were in power, what you did then was right and what I'm doing now is also right.”
“The first Amendment in the Act came in 2004 during the UPA regime. The second and third amendments were also done in 2008 and 2013 during UPA govt's rule in the country,” Shah added.
The Home Minister further told the lawmakers in the Lok Sabha: "We need to unite against terrorism.”
He also said that the provision in the UAPA bill to designate a person suspected to have terror links as a terrorist is necessary to root out terror. “UN has a procedure for it, US has it, Pakistan has it, China has it, Israel has it, European Union has it, everyone has done it,” he added.
The Congress party staged a walkout while Amit Shah was making his remarks on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill.
Home Minister Amit Shah while debating over the Unlawful Activities Bill in the Lok Sabha said that there is no sympathy for those propagating ‘urban maoism.’
“In this country, a lot of people involved in social work are working respectfully, police is not fond of catching them, but we don't have any sympathy for those who work for Urban Maoism,” he said.
Lok Sabha passes Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill.
Union cabinet approves Official amendments to the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019.
Union Cabinet approves determination of ‘Fair and Remunerative Price’ of sugarcane payable by sugar mills for 2019-20 sugar season at Rs 275 per quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10 percent.
Union cabinet approves the merger of National Institute of Miners' Health with ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health.
Rajya Sabha passes The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
While recounting how he was sexually harassed as a 13-year-old, TMC MP Derek O’Brien said that there is need for more awareness about sexual offences against children.
“As a 13-yr-old, after tennis practice and in short pants and t-shirt, I got on a crowded bus. I was sexually molested, it was reason enough for an unknown man to ejaculate at shorts of this boy,” he said.
“I didn't speak about it, till I brought it up once much later in my life with my parents. We need to use this forum to reach out to people. The more people talk about it, the more children will be saved. Let's work towards prevention of this heinous crime,” he added.
Lok Sabha passes The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, 2019.
BJP has issued a whip to it MPs in Rajya Sabha, directing them to be present in the House tomorrow.
The Triple Talaq Bill is listed for consideration and discussion in Lok Sabha today. The ruling BJP has issued a whip to its MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House.
The bill, which criminalises instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for the guilty, was the first draft legislation tabled by the Narendra Modi government in this first session after it took oath of office for a second term in May.
Several Opposition parties have bitterly opposed it but the government has asserted that the bill is a step towards gender equality and justice. Parties like the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK have demanded that it be sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny.
While the Bill is expected to have a smooth passage through Lok Sabha, roadblocks are expected in the upper house.
The Congress party has issued a whip to its MPs in Rajya Sabha to be present in the House today.
BJP MPs, Saroj Pandey and Ajay Pratap Singh have given Zero Hour notices in Rajya Sabha over 'Simultaneous elections' and 'problems due to increasing population in the country', respectively.
Congress MP, K Suresh has given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over 'increase in crime against tribals and dalits in Sonbhadra’.
Congress has spoken to all allies of UPA and all of them have agreed to oppose Triple Talaq Bill in Lok Sabha today.
Congress MP K Suresh alleged that the plan to introduce Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament today had been kept a secret till Wednesday night.
“Yesterday night they put in Triple Talaq Bill in today's agenda and postponed National Medical Commission Bill and DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill without knowledge of Opposition. Why are they keeping it secret and putting in agenda at night?” Suresh questioned.
He added that they would oppose the Bill. “As far as Triple Talaq Bill is concerned, Criminality Clause maybe misused by the police and the government. So we'll strongly oppose the Criminality Clause. If the government sticks to that, we'll ask for division,” he said.
Speaking about the Amrapali case in the Lok Sabha, BJP leader Vijay Goel said that not banks, but buyers who have been cheated after spending money have the first right to get their money back. He pointed out that there are many builders like Amrapali who have cheated middle class people, questioning whether the government would take over other properties through the NBCC.
He also said that many builders were not registered under RERA and many authorities like Noida Authority were involved in scams, and that people were expecting action to be taken against such entities.
NDA partner JDU is reportedly going to oppose the Triple Talaq Bill.
“I'm against Triple Talaq bill. Government shouldn't interfere with internal matter of any religion,” ST Hasan, SP MP said, speaking about the contentious bill.
“The criminality clause provides for three-year-imprisonment and remuneration from man to the wife, how will he provide remuneration if he is in jail?” he further questioned.
The discussion on Triple Talaq Bill has begun in Lok Sabha. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad quoted the three judgments that have been given on triple talaq, he said the first judgment outlined that the practice is arbitrary and affects Muslim women. He added that the practice is banned in several Muslim nations.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said that women have led Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan missions, their representation in Parliament has increased, stressing that it is necessary that everyone ensures that Muslim women too become a part of this growth. He added that gender justice was important for them.
The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm.
After Supreme Court judgement on triple talaq, 345 cases of triple talaq have come to light till 24 July 2019, Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Lok Sabha today.
Contesting the Triple Talaq Bill, Opposition MP NK Premachandran said, "The purpose of the Bill is to penalise Muslim men."
He also questioned how the man was supposed to provide remuneration for the woman while he was in prison for three years, as was given in the Bill.
“Why are you not enforcing imprisonment for divorce in the Hindu and Christian communities? Why alone in Muslim community? This is discrimination against Muslim community,” he added.
“Congress is in the business of breaking homes, we try to keep them intact,” Meenakshi Lekhi said in the debate on the Triple Talaq Bill. “Religion cannot control every aspect of life,” she added, saying that this thought needed to be corrected.
Religion cannot be the basis of social interaction and that is why secular India was constructed, where there is gender justice, she further added.
We’re supposed to work for the weak and not for the exploiters, she also said.
“Please pass the 33 percent women's reservation bill before we talk about women's rights,” DMK leader Kanimozhi lashed out at the centre during the Triple Talaq debate. “Have we even thought about a bill to end honour killing," Kanimozhi questioned.
She also asked the same questions about legislations regarding ending mob lynching.
She questioned why a civil issue was being turned into a criminal issue.
The Right To Information (RTI) bill is set to pass the Rajya Sabha test despite the Opposition's objections, with the government bringing the fence-sitters on board, reports said.
Quoting sources, an NDTV report said non-aligned parties like the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) agreed to support the RTI bill.
Mohammed Jawed of Congress opposed the Triple Talaq Bill bill saying it is against the Muslim community.
"The Bill is the new law that has been brought to jail Muslims. Either brand them terrorists, lynch them like Tabrez or have them jailed for three years because of three words," he said.
Rajya Sabha has resumed again.
Deputy Speaker has allowed Dr Jitendra Singh to move the RTI Amendment Bill for consideration in the Rajya Sabha.
"This bill has to be referred to a select committee,” Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said about the RTI Bill in Rajya Sabha. Former Finance minister P Chidambaram also said that the Bill should be sent to a Select Committee first.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien has moved a motion to send the bill to a Select Committee.
As the Rajya Sabha deteriorated into chaos over the RTI Bill, the Speaker has adjourned the House for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile in the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that Triple Talaq has always been seen from religion point of view.
"It actually is a blot on our society and should be abolished," he added.
Janata Dal (United) opposed the Triple Talaq Bill in Lok Sabha. JDU MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh says “this bill will create distrust in a particular community, our party will not support this bill”.
BJD has extended its support to the Triple Talaq Bill in the Lok Sabha.
Anubhav Mohanty, BJD in Lok Sabha said that the party supports the intent behind the bill but certain issues regarding it need to be addressed.
“Our party supports the government as far as the letter and intent of the bill is concerned, but certain issues including the issue of maintenance need to be addressed,” he said.
Leaders across party lines condemned Azam Khan’s comments on BJP MP Rama Devi (in the chair) saying “Aap mujhe itni acchi lagti hain ki mera mann karta hai ki aap ki aankhon mein aankhein dale rahoon”.
Rama Devi replied saying that Khan must expunge his remarks.
“You are very respected, you are like my sister,” Khan replied.
Ministers, however asked Khan to apologise, following which, he walked out of the Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that statements can be expunged but not before they are already in the public domain.
“It is very easy for all of you to demand 'expunge this expunge that', but why should the need to expunge arise at all? Once a remark is given, it is already in public domain. Therefore, we all should speak keeping the dignity of the Parliament in mind.” he said.
The ongoing Parliament session will be extended till 7 August, PTI reported quoting sources.
Trinamool Congress MPs staged a walk out of the Lok Sabha in protest against the Triple Talaq Bill.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while debating on the Triple Talaq Bill in the Lok Sabha said that he is the minister of the Modi government and not the Rajiv Gandhi government.
“There have been 345 cases of triple talaq after the judgment till 24 July. Should we leave these women on roads? I am a minister in Narendra Modi government and not in Rajiv Gandhi government,” he said.
The Lok Sabha votes on Triple Talaq Bill.
The Triple Talaq Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, 25 July amid uproar in the House by the Opposition over sending the Bill to a Standing Committee. While 303 members voted in favour of the Bill, eight members voted against it.
JDU, TMC and Congress MPs staged walkout from the Lok Sabha in protest against the Triple Talaq Bill.
Congress MPs stage walkout from Rajya Sabha during debate on RTI Amendment Bill 2019.
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Rajya Sabha.
Samajwadi Party MP, Jaya Bachchan has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over 'plight of the entertainment industry in India.'
Samajwadi Party MP, Ravi Prakash Verma has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over 'need for legislation to prevent mob violence'.
Congress MPs Benny Behanan and Anto Antony have given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over 'threats and intimidation of Padma award winning film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan by a Kerala BJP office bearer'.
Both Houses of Parliament commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Kargil War on Friday, 26 July. Rajnath Singh spoke about Kargil Vijay Diwas in Lok Sabha while Rajya Sabha observed a minute of silence in memory of the martyred soldiers.
BJP MP Rama Devi reacted to SP MP Azam Khan’s remarks about her in Parliament on Thursday, saying “He has never respected women. We all know what he had said about Jaya Prada ji. He has no right to stay in Lok Sabha, I will request Speaker to dismiss him. Azam Khan must apologize.”
Pakistan can neither fight a full-fledged nor a limited war with India and is waging a proxy war, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday in Lok Sabha.
Singh said the bravery and sacrifice of soldiers cannot be forgotten.
"Our neighbouring country (Pakistan) cannot fight a full- fledged war or a limited war with India. It is fighting a proxy war," Singh said.
A discussion has begun in Lok Sabha over the objectionable remarks made by SP MP Azam Khan about BJP MP Rama Devi.
Either he apologises or he will be barred from entering Parliament, Ravi Shankar Prasad said, speaking about Azam Khan's comments. “Azam Khan should apologise or else he should be suspended from Lok Sabha, this is our demand,” Prasad said.
"A message should go out to the nation that parliament does not accept such kind of remarks,” Prasad added.
However, Akhilesh Yadav defended Azam Khan, saying, "See what kind of language BJP leaders are using in UP Assembly."
"We come here as professionals, not as men and women and we condemn it," Supriya Sule said about the comments.
Smriti Irani also spoke in Lok Sabha on Azam Khan's statement, asking him to apologise. “Let us not reduce this to a problem of just women. This is a blot on all legislators including men,” she said.
“The entire nation watched yesterday what happened. This House passed the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Bill. I appeal to all to speak in one voice — you cannot misbehave with a woman and get away with it by just dramatising it,” she added.
“Nobody can stand in the Parliament and tell a woman ‘look into my eyes and talk.’ Speaker sir, all women here are expecting something big from you on this,” TMC MP Nusrat Jahan said on the incident regarding Azam Khan.
“Congress party is against disrespect of women. There have been incidents when Sonia Gandhi Ji was called 'Italy ki katputli' etc. in the Parliament,” Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.
Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday in Lok Sabha that she was extremely grateful to all members who stood up in support of Rama Devi after Azam Khan’s comments. She also demanded that ‘exemplary action’ be taken against Khan, so that such an incident would never be repeated again and women would never be politicised again.
"Wish we don't have conditions attached to our support... It is an abominable act,” she added.
The current Budget session of Parliament, which was to end on Friday, has been extended till 7 August to help transact essential government business, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu informed the House.
When the Upper House met for the day, Naidu said the sitting of the house has been extended till 7 August.
During the extended tenure of the session, Question Hour has been dispensed away with, he said.
Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday about the extension of session.
After listening to speeches by Lok Sabha MPs about the Azam Khan incident, Speaker Om Birla said he would would call a meeting with leaders of all parties to make a decision on what to do about him.
Lok Sabha proceedings have been adjourned till 2 pm.
Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2.30 pm.
As many as 10.74 crore poor families in the country have been benefited from the Ayushman Bharat under which free treatment up to Rs five lakh can be availed, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in Lok Sabha on Friday.
Khan said during the Question Hour that as on July 23, a total of 16,039 hospitals (8,059 private hospitals and 7,980 public hospitals) have been empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).
"The total number of beneficiary families under AB-PMJAY are around 10.74 crore. Under AB- PMJAY, states are free to add additional families at their own cost," he said.
Lok Sabha is likely to pass a resolution authorising the Speaker to take "exemplary" action against Azam Khan for his remarks against Rama Devi in Parliament, PTI reports, quoting sources.
17 opposition parties have written to the Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressing "serious concern over the manner in which the Government is hurriedly passing legislations without any scrutiny by Parliamentary Standing or Select Committees".
The Lok Sabha took up discussion regarding a Bill to amend the Companies Act of 2013, which would ensure better compliance levels and re-categorise some of the compoundable offences as civil defaults, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying that it is a "very important Bill for ease of doing business."
Lok Sabha gave its nod to the Companies (Amendment) Bill which seeks to tighten corporate social responsibility compliance and reduce the load of cases on the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the draft law will also ensure more accountability and better enforcement to strengthen the corporate governance norms.
The government admitted in Rajya Sabha that doubling of farm income by 2022 was not possible with the current rate of growth in the agriculture sector, and said that it was trying to promote allied sectors to achieve the target.
Minister Piyush Goyal told the Rajya Sabha, “Efforts are on to make Indian Railways the first ‘Green Railways’ in the world in the next 10 years with steps like setting up solar energy installations on its unutlilised land, electrification of tracks and moving to bio-diesel.”
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla met opposition leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Jayadev Galla, Danish Ali, Supriya Sule, and others over Samajwadi Party MP, Azam Khan's remark on BJP MP Rama Devi on Thursday.
Opposition leaders and the Lok Sabha Speaker have come to the conclusion that SP MP Azam Khan should apologise in the House for his remarks about BJP MP Rama Devi. The Speaker will take action if Azam Khan doesn't apologise, ANI reported.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has appointed Meenakashi Lekhi as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Undertakings for the term 2019-2020. The Committee consists of 15 Lok Sabha members and 22 Rajya Sabha members.
Lok Sabha Secretariat stated, “Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been constituted for the term ending on 30 April 2020. Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury (Leader of Congress in LS) has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Committee.”
A Bill on euthanasia and another which seeks to abolish the death penalty in India were among the 44 private members' bills introduced in the Lok Sabha today. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi of DMK introduced a Bill for abolishing death sentence in the country, PTI reported.
Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day, will resume on Monday, 29 July, at 11:00 am.