SP forces repeated adjournments
Soon after the ministers and MPs lay their reports on the table, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav spoke on how "Centre was neglecting Uttar Pradesh." He vowed that his party will not allow the House to function if his State doesn't get its due. And he and his party kept their word. The forenoon session of Rajya Sabha could not function.
When women spoke for men
A discussion on enhancing maternity beneifts witnessed a record 10 women parliamentarians speaking on it. Intrestingly most of them sought paternity leave. Nominated MP Anu Aga's speech was shortest and takes the cake. Suggesting if 28-week leave can be shared by both parents, Ms. Aga said "Men leave the burden of bringing up kids to women. By bringing paternity leave, we can sensitise men on parenting." The Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha.
Maiden report
Popular Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi on Thursday briefly hogged limelight in the Rajya Sabha as he presented his maiden parliamentary report and Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien complimented him.
When Mr. Kurien called Meghraj Jain (BJP) to present the reports of the department-related standing committee on information technology, the BJP leader said his co-member on the panel, Suresh Gopi, will present it.
“I have seen you acting in films. This is first time I am seeing you present a report in the House,” Kurien remarked.
Money Bill continues to haunt Rajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha passed The Central Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill, 2016 without discussion. When Mr. Kurien lauded the 'constructive opposition', Sitaram Yechury pointed out the Bill wants to create a university in Nagaland. "So it is a Money Bill and Rajya Sabha MPs cannot discuss on such Bills," he said referring to Aadhaar Bill not been discussed in the Upper House.
Citizenship Amendment Bill referred to Panel
Congress, Trinamool Congress and BJD sought clarification and raised objections to the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Despite the BJP having a majority in Lok Sabha, Home Minister Rajnath Singh accepted to send the Bill to Joint Parliamentary Committee.
On atrocities against Dalits
Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said in LS, "The Dalit issue is not restricted to a party. This is everyone's issue. Everyone shed tears for Rohit Vemula. But when there was a suicide in the same university, you all ignored the issue."
N.K. Premachandran of RSP, Kerala quoted Babasaheb Ambedkar, 'Untouchability is removed but casteism cannot be removed.'
'Trigonometry is useless'
No one uses Trigonometry in their lives. But the student has to clear the same," said Dr. K Keshava Rao, TRS, Andhra Pradesh in Rajya Sabha.
The Upper House discussed the National Policy for Education (NEP) with various MPs voicing their opinion against the draft policy.
The beef talk
Asaduddin Owaisi spoke in Lok Sabha about cow vigilantes and beef issue. "No democracy has prioritised animal life over human life. This is the ideology of the ruling party. What right do they [the protectors of the cow] have on what I eat? Would you ban beef export when it make so many millions for the country?"
