Both Houses of Parliament are reassembling on Monday for the second leg of Budget session. The session will be on till April 3.
While the government plans to introduce some key Bills on reproductive rights, the Opposition wants to take up anti-CAA protests and Delhi violence. The priority, however, is to get the Finance Bill, 2020, passed.
Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, has moved an adjournment notice on Delhi riots.
The first leg of the Budget Session was held from January 31 to February 11.
Here are the live updates:
Naidu unhappy with absentees
As many as 95 MPs did not attend even a single meeting of the parliamentary standing committees that reviewed allocations for different ministries post-presentation of the Union Budget for the 2020-21 fiscal, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said on Monday.
Giving an account of the meetings of these panels on the opening day of the Rajya Sabha after the recess, Mr. Naidu said, “95 members, accounting for 39% of the total 244, did not attend any meeting on the Demands for Grants. Only 28 members had zero attendance last time.”
Of the 78 Rajya Sabha MPs on these committees, 23, or 29 per cent, did not attend any meeting as against 11 such members in the last review in December. Out of 166 Lok Sabha MPs, 78, or 47 per cent, were absent in all meetings of these panels against 72 MPs in the last review, he said.
“The total number of members who skipped two or more successive meetings has increased from 100 last year to 106 now. These include 28 members from Rajya Sabha as in the case of last review and 78 members from Lok Sabha, with an increase of six from the last time,” he said.
Mr. Naidu said the exercise was to bring in more accountability and transparency in the system so that Parliamentary functioning can improve.
“I would like to reiterate my appeal to leaders of all parties, floor leaders and members to ensure better attendance in the meetings of Parliamentary Committees so that they do justice to the mandate with which they have been conceived. This warrants qualitative and quantitative improvement,” he said. - PTI
House reconvenes and is immediately adjourned for 30 minutes.
Congress MP Ramya Haridas on Monday lodged a complaint with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla that she was assaulted by a BJP woman MP inside the Lower House and sought immediate action over the matter.
BJP and Congress members pushed and shoved each other in Lok Sabha as opposition members vehemently protested over the issue of violence in Delhi and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.
“On March 2, at 3 PM, inside Lok Sabha, I was physically assaulted by MP Jaskaur Meena (BJP parliamentarian from Rajasthan),” Haridas said in her complaint.
In her complaint to Birla, she asked if such things were repeatedly happening to her because she was a Dalit and a woman. She sought action against the BJP MP.
During the Winter Session last year, the Congress had alleged that two of its women parliamentarians, including Haridas, were “manhandled” by marshals in the Lok Sabha when they were protesting in the Well of the House over the Maharashtra government formation. Both the MPs had lodged a complaint with Speaker Birla.
The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 is being introduced amid sloganeering.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks about The Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020. She requests the Bill be taken up for consideration.
The Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Finance, Ms. Sitharaman, on February 5, 2020. The Bill provides a mechanism for resolution of pending tax disputes related to income tax and corporation tax.
Opposition Members shout slogans drowning out the Speaker’s requests for peace.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi says the Members are protesting in an unruly manner. He says this is disrespectful to the people of the country.
House is adjourned.
BJP’s chief whip in Lok Sabha, Sanjay Jaiswal, who was speaking when the members of both the ruling party and the Congress started pushing and shoving each other on Monday, said the scuffle happened as Congress members approached his seat holding a banner to obstruct him from speaking.
As soon as the House met at 2 pm, opposition members started raising slogans from the Well against the government as opposition members vehemently protested over the violence in Delhi and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah.
Jaiswal said Congress members approached him aggressively and placed the placard in front of his face, following which BJP members came to his rescue, but Congress members started pushing them.
He said the BJP too had been in opposition but never did anything to hurt the dignity of the House and that is what Congress is doing.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla first adjourned the House till 3 pm thereafter he adjourned it till 4 pm
In Rajya Sabha Minister 'Nishank' continues to sing paeans on Sanskrit. Opposition members troop the Well of the House.
Sanskrit is the language of gyaan, vigyaan and anusandhaan (knowledge, science and research), he says adding ancient Indians had knowledge on plastic surgery and post mortem.
The Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019, seeks to convert three deemed universities to Central Universities. They are Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, New Delhi, and Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth, Tirupati.
Opposition MPs are shouting slogans in the House.
House is adjourned.
Lok Sabha assembles. Speaker Om Birla is in the Chair. Papers are being laid on the table.
Opposition MPs raise slogans protesting Delhi violence. The Speaker continues to proceed despite sloganeering.
Motion for election to various committees is being taken up.
Rajya Sabha convenes. Deputy Chairperson Harivansh is in the Chair. HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank introduces The Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019. He requests the House to take up the bill for consideration.
Some members wear black ribbons. Opposition members raise slogans.
The minister goes on to speak the importance of Sanskrit language, but he is barely audible.
Rahul Gandhi among Congress MPs protesting Delhi violence
After Lok Sabha was adjourned, Congress MPs held a separate protest near the Gandhi statue against the Delhi violence. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who was not in the country when the riots happened was also seen taking part in the protest.
The MPs held placards demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu is in the Chair.
He discusses the attendance of Members in the House.
Leader of Opposition in the House Ghulam Nabi Azad raises the issue of the recent riots in Delhi .
As the Opposition seeks discussion on the matter, Mr. Naidu denies permission and adjourns the House till 2 p.m. amidst uproar.
Speaker Om Birla is in the Chair.
Lok Sabha is adjourned until 2 pm to mourn the demise of JD(U) MP Baidyanath Prasad Mahto who died on February 28.
TMC, AAP stage protests outside Parliament
Trinamool Congress MPs were spotted covering their eyes in a novel protest against the recent Delhi violence. They claim the Union government has turned a blind eye when the northeast Delhi was witnessing communal clashes.
Trinamool Congress Party MPs staging a protest against the recent violence in Delhi.
AAP members were also seen holding placards, likening the BJP to rioters.
Aam Admi Party MPs staging a protest demonstration against the recent violence Delhi.
Bills to be introduced in Lok Sabha:
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020
The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
Bills for consideration and passing in Lok Sabha:
The Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Bill, 2020.
The Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020
Bills for consideration and passing in Rajya Sabha:
The Central Sanskrit Universities Bill, 2019.
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019.
The National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019.
