With the second part of the Budget session kicking off, the government's focus will be on the GST Bill, along with the Bankruptcy Bill, and amendments to the Factories Act. There is a significant legislative backlog and lots of questions about scrutiny of ministerial accounts.
With inputs from Devesh K. Pandey , Vikas Pathak, Mehboob Jeelani
3.16 pm: The House will reconvene tomorrow, April 26 at 11 am.
3.15 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day after uproar by Congress MPs over Uttarakhand.
3.05 pm: Congress MPs enter the well of the House and raise slogans "Dictatorship won't work".
3.01 pm: Rajya Sabha proceedings resume with uproar from Congress MPs.
3.00 pm: One of the controversial amendment says that no person who trims or shaves his beard or hair will be entitled to vote in the Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, a body that regulates Gurduwaras across the country.
2.50 pm: Discussion over the amendment of Sikh Gurdwara Act begins in Lok Sabha. AAP MP Bhagwat Mann opposes the amendment, accuses the Akali Dal of politicising Sikh religion.
2.15 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 3 p.m.
2.14 pm: Deputy Chairman requests members to go back to their seats, but uproar continues.
2.13 pm: Congress MP raiset slogans on the Uttarakhand issue.
2.12 pm: Parliamentary affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi says he will speak to concerned authorities about the suggestion of MPs exemption and will make sure duties are not affected .
2.12 pm: Congress, SP MPs complain against inconvenience caused to MPs due to Odd/Even scheme. They demand exemption from the rule.
2.10 pm: Members discuss Delhi government's Odd-Even scheme
2.05 pm: Rajya Sabha proceedings resume.
1:15 pm: MP Pappu Yadav calls Delhi CM a psycho on "odd-even" issue, saying that the focus is not on the areas that contribute to the pollution the most. Citizens of Delhi are suffering because of the "odd-even" formula, he alleges in Lok Sabha
1:02 pm: BJP leader Meenakashi Lekhi raises the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case on developments in Italy court, as reported in the media. She seeks probe and discussion in Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister says he will convey the matter to the Defence Minister.
12:34 pm: BJP leaders Kirit Somaiya raises affidavit issue on Ishrat Jehan case, accusing former Home Minister P. Chidambaram of changing affidavit within three months. He is seeking response from the government on who exactly concealed that she was a "terrorist." The Speaker says Mr. Chidambaram cannot be named (he is not in the Lok Sabha). Congress leaders protest
12:20 pm: Courts making the law is becoming a tradition; the job is primarily of Parliament. Even President coming under judicial review, Parliament should decide limit of the court's "running commentary": BJP MP
12:02 pm: INC member Mullappally Ramachandran raises the drought issue in Lok Sabha. He says Kerala is facing acute shortage of water and rivers are drying up elsewhere.
The govt. is systemically planning to pull down governments in different States where they are in Opposition. If Union Government keeps interfering, democracy will not survive. LS Speaker asks Mr.Kharge to stop only after due notice and allowed by House
11:55 am: Sloganeering by Congress continues in Lok Sabha. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said," Trade deficit with China is growing, but it is just not possible to boycott one country. Wish to inform where there is a reason and facts show that dumping is happening, safety standards are being violated, we have stopped imports."
"On Chinese imports we have taken specific action. Import of mobile phones stopped as certain parts used in them were unacceptable..import of toys stopped. Wind operated electricity generators imported from China under investigation."
11:50 am: RS adjourned till noon following Congress ruckus over President's Rule in Uttarakhand. RS adjourned for second time till 2 pm.
11:42 am: Earlier, leader of Rajya Sabha said when sedition cases were discussed that sub judice does not mean matter cant be raised -- says Yechury of CPM
11:40 am: Suspension of Zero Hour rule has been made by you only, discussion on ( Congress') issue not allowed before Question Hour: LS speaker
11:30 am: Government to provide free gas connections to women in rural areas, PM to launch the scheme on May 1: MOS petroleum and gas Ministry in Lok Sabha
11:17 am: LS Speaker to sloganeering Congress Members,"If you speak (on the issue they want to raise) before 12 o'clock it will not go on record.
11:15 am: RS chairman refers to Brussels terror attack, and quakes of Ecuador in Japan. The House expresses condolences for loss of lives.
11:10 am: Following the odd-even scheme that kicked off in Delhi, MP Anil Dave was seen riding a cycle to the Parliament. Many Ministers took the electric bus to follow the traffic rationing scheme.
11:00 am: The government says it is ready for discussion on drought on April 27.
10:55 am: With Parliament to resume, Sensex went down by 135 points.
10:50 am: Congress for censure motion in Rajya Sabha. The party issues notice on two issues: drought and Uttarakhand, says Ghulam Nabi Azad.
10:45 am: Uttarakhand issue cannot be discussed as is sub judice, says government.
10:42 am: The Rashtrapati Bhavan has approved a list of six nominated members to the Rajya Sabha, including senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, former Test cricketer and BJP MP Navjyot Singh Sidhu and boxing legend Mary Kom among others. >Here is a list of newly appointed Rajya Sabha members
Nominated Rajya Sabha member Subramanian Swamy at the Parliament. He will be taking oath later in the day. Photo: Sandeep Saxena 10:40 am: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge says he will raise Uttarakhand issue at the Parliament today.
10:35 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses presspersons ahead of the Budget session. PM Modi says last session was productive, many important decisions were taken. "I hope this session will also have productive discussions and more decisions will be taken."
10:30 am: Opposition parties are set to raise the issue of drought in the country with several members having already given notices to discuss it. They have been training their guns on the government on drought accusing it of turning a “blind eye” to the problem and asking for an all-party meeting to discuss the resultant water crisis in the country. >Read more
10:20 am: The National Democratic Alliance government hopes to press the accelerator on reforms and pass the landmark Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill for a national Goods and Services Tax (GST) and a separate bill for Bankruptcyand Insolvency Code , 2015, in the second half of the Budget session, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. >Read more
