05/04/2023

Eight Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs, who were suspended by the House on Monday, have begun an indefinite sit-in protest within Parliament, even as the 15 non-NDA parties have appealed to President Ram Na

Eight Opposition Rajya Sabha MPs, who were suspended by the House on Monday, have begun an indefinite sit-in protest within Parliament, even as the 15 non-NDA parties have appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind not to give assent to the two farm Bills passed in the Upper House on Sunday.
The Opposition leaders will be marching to the President’s House on Tuesday.
The Parliament, which was initially scheduled to end on October 1, will wind up on September 23 taking into account the increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
Here are the latest updates:
The Opposition begins sloganeering in the House.
Ram Gopal Yadav of Samajwadi Party says there has been a mistake by the Opposition. He apologises on behalf of the suspended MPs, asks for their suspension to be taken back.
K. Keshava Rao cites The Hindu editorial “bashing us all. We are feeling bad”
Leader of Opposition speaks on the events of the last two days
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad says no one is happy with what transpired in the House over the past two days. “We fight for each minute in the House like it’s a fight at the border. If we go beyond time restrictions, things will be de-escalated 90%,” Mr. Azad says.
He says, “Day before yesterday was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Bills don’t go to standing committee or the select committee. I don’t approve of the fight – breaking the mics, standing on the tables. But it was the last straw.”
“There were 18 parties on one side and NDA on one side. I don’t know if the government had the numbers or not,” he says, on the farm Bills.
He recalls that Arun Jaitley, in 2016, said that the government becomes illegitimate if division of votes is denied. Mr. Azad says that the stature of the Leader of Opposition has been downgraded. “There would be no time constraints put on the LoP. We could speak freely,” he says.
“The MSP announced yesterday should have been done before. Today, the government has issued an advertisement saying ‘one nation, one market’. Don’t go towards one nation, one party,” the Leader of Opposition says. He also says Government should bring a new Bill to make MSP mandatory on private companies.
We will boycott the session till the government takes back the decision, he says and the House erupts in slogans.
Special Mentions begin
In special mentions, Congress MP Amee Yagnik raises issue of lack of digital access in villages.
AIADMK MP A. Vijaykumar raises demand for resumption of a Tamil service in the Delhi office of All India Radio.
Leishemba Sanajaoba of BJP asks government to accord classical language status to Manipuri. Mr. Naidu asks him the correct pronunciation of his name.
Chairman asks Jairam Ramesh to check if MPs in the Opposition are sitting at the required distance and following COVID-19 protocol.
Mr. Naidu takes a dig at the Treasury Bench. He says not many members this side, so physical distancing is not an issue this side.
He urges Congress members to follow distancing norms.
Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu tells members not to think that he isn’t paying attention to them since he is unable to look at members while they speak because he has pain in his neck.
Kumar Ketkar of Congress raises matter of fishermen from Gujarat in Pakistan custody. Chairman tells External Affairs Minister to take note of the matter.
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva raises lack of representation of Tamil and other scholars in Culture Ministry’s committee to study ancient India.
Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress says unemployment has increased and the government is not filling the 20 lakh posts vacant in govt, public sector, health, education, police. He says there should be emergency recruitment.
Rajya Sabha proceedings begin
Papers being laid on the table by MoS Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan on behalf of other Ministers.
Report of committee on welfare of ST and SC laid on table.
Zero Hour begins.
Samajwadi Party MP Ravi Prakash Verma raises matter of increasing child abuse cases in the lockdown as schools are closed. He says child focused planning is needed.
Ashok Bajpai of the BJP raises matter of ineffective seeds, insecticides and pesticides sold to farmers, demands that the companies be penalised.
K. Vanlalvena of MNF raises matter of frequent earthquakes in Mizoram, asks Earth Sciences Ministry to send an investigation team to the State.
The suspended MPs stayed put in the lawns of Parliament overnight. Seen here is Trinamool member Dola Sen crooning a farmer rights song.
 Bills for consideration and Passing
The Indian Institutes of Information Technology Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The National Forensic Sciences University Bill, 2020
The Rashtriya Raksha University Bill, 2020
The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020
The Appropriation (No.3) Bill, 2020
The Appropriation (No.4) Bill, 2020
Bills for consideration and passing
The Occupational Safety, Health And Working Conditions Code, 2020
The Industrial Relations Code, 2020
The Code On Social Security, 2020
The Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2020