No business could be conducted in Parliament pre-lunch on Wednesday as a combative Opposition sought to force a discussion on corruption in the wake of the Lalit Modi case and the Vyapam scam.
In the Lok Sabha, several Opposition MPs sported black bands in protest and also held up placards. When they continued to hold them up despite directions from the Chair not to do so, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan warned the Congress and TRS MPs of disciplinary action.
In the Rajya Sabha, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien chided the BJP MPs for disrupting proceedings and asked why the Treasury Benches were behaving like the Opposition. As in the Lok Sabha where the TRS was demanding the establishment of a seperate High Court in Telangana in the din over corruption, the Rajya Sabha also saw members of various parties raise a slew of issues.
4:45 pm: Lalit Modi Row: The Government rejected demand for a probe into charges against Union minister Sushma Swaraj and two BJP chief ministers, contending they had not violated any law and sharpened its attack on Opposition for stalling Parliament. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley lashed out at the Opposition saying it is “weak on arguments and strong on disturbance“. >Read more
4:20 pm: 275 persons given central security cover: Govt
Union government is providing security cover to 275 persons based on a threat-assessment exercise made for them, the government told Parliament on Wednesday.
The government, however, said it cannot give out the total expenditure made for VIP security arrangements as such a data is not compiled centrally.
“The central government provides security cover on the basis of assessment of threat to some individuals. The security provided is subject to periodic review, based on which security is continued, withdrawn, downgraded or upgraded. Thus, the number of protected in the central list varies from time-to-time.
“However, as on date, there are 275 threat-based protectees in the central list,” Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
4:00 pm Lok Sabha has congratulated tennis stars Sania Mirza, Leander Paes and Sumit Nagal and golfer Shubham Jaglan for bringing laurels to the country in international tournaments.
While Mirza, Paes and Nagal won Wimbledon cups, Jaglan won Junior World Golf Championship in the US.
3:10 pm "In the event of disorderly conduct, I would be constrained to initiate appropriate disciplinary action against erring members," Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said after Congress and Left members stormed the Well carrying placards to protest over the Lalit Modi issue.
3:00 pm Home Minister Rajnath Singh termed the opposition’s conduct in parliament “unfortunate” after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed her willingness to make a statement on the Lalit Modi issue.
“Sushma ji requested that she wanted to make a statement in parliament on the baseless allegations against her. But, the opposition did not want to listen. This is very unfortunate,” Mr. Singh told reporters outside parliament.
2:50 pm '228 CRPF jawans committed suicide in last seven years'
A total of 228 CRPF jawans committed suicide in the last seven years even as the government said Yoga has been made compulsory for all paramilitary forces, beginning this year.
"The causative factors in most of the cases were found to be generally the personal and domestic problems, like marital discord, personal enmity, mental illness, depression etc.
"In few cases the same could be owing to the work related stress," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
2:45 pm Some Metro projects are behind schedule, admits Centre
Some of the ongoing Metro projects, including Badarpur-Faridabad extension stretch and Bangalore Metro Rail Project, being implemented on 50:50 equity sharing joint venture between the Centre and the state governments concerned are delayed, Lok Sabha was told on Wednesday.
The progress of Metro rail projects is reviewed periodically by the Centre, state governments and the concerned Metro Railway Board of Directors from time to time, Minister of State for Urban Development Babul Supriyo said in a written reply.
2:41 pm Naga insurgents have stationed groups of militants in Nagaland, Arunachal
Naga insurgent group NSCN-K has stationed small groups of its cadres at various strategic locations in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
“Most of these groups have sneaked into Indian territory from across the Indo-Myanmar border,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said in reply to a written question.
2:40 pm Rajya Sabha has been adjourned for the day.
2:36 pm Congress MP Anand Sharma refuting Mr. Jaitley's claim, says, "My notice was for suspension of business for PM to fix accountability, not discussion."
2:35 pm GST will enhance the country's GDP by 1.5 to 2 per cent, says Mr. Jaitley
2:15 pm Lok Sabha adjourned for the day in view of uproar over Lalit Modi issue. >Full story
1:50 pm BJP too wants the country to hear Sushma Swaraj's reasons but the opposition is preventing it: Jaitley
1:45 pm Opposition wants investigation, when we ask them which provision of law is violated, they are silent: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says outside the Parliament.
12:39 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 p.m.
12:14 pm: Lok Sabha Speaker warns MPs of disciplinary action amid protests. Unfazed, they storm the well of the House.
12:04 pm: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12:30 p.m; Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 p.m.
11:54 am: The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2015 will be introduced today. Its key objectives: reduces the age of juvenile from 18 to 16 years for committing crimes under certain categories of heinous offences and provides for various types of institutional care for children and lays down procedures and eligibility for adoption. (Source: PRS India)
11:30 am: Sushma Swaraj tells BJP Parliamentary Party that she offered no help to Lalit Modi and defends MP government over Vyapam issue.
11:20 am: Rajya Sabha adjourned for 15 minutes as BJP MPs object to BSP leader Mayawati's intervention.
11:19 am: Why are the Treasury Benches creating disturbances, asks RS Deputy Chairman Kurien as some BJP MPs object to BSP leader Mayawati's intervention
11:10 am: LS adjourned till 12 noon amid Opposition protests. Some Opposition MPs brought in placards, black ribbons and picketed the well.
11:00 am: There will be no resignations, asserts Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi after BJP Parliamentary Party meeting.
10:45 am: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj says a Congress leader had pressed her to give diplomatic passport to coal scam accused Santosh Bagrodia. She also said she will disclose the name of the Congress leader in Parliament. > More..
Following is today’s schedule for both Houses of Parliament:
Lok Sabha:
Bill for consideration and passing:
The Delhi High Court (Amendment) Bill, 2015.
Rajya Sabha:
Bill for consideration and passing:
The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2015.
The Juvenile Justice Bill that seeks to equate 16 to 18-year-olds with adult criminals will be presented in the Rajya Sabha. Will the rights of children below 18 be protected? >More..
Highlights: day 1 of monsoon session
| 1 | Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day, following uproar over the Lalit Modi issue. |
| 2 | Government said it is not formulating any policy for implementing ‘One Rank One Pension Scheme’ for paramilitary forces. |
| 3 | Congress members forced three adjournments in the pre-lunch session making both Question Hour and Zero Hour a casualty, even as Leader of the House Arun Jaitley offered an immediate discussion and said Ms. Swaraj could make a statement on the issue. |
| 4 | BJP’s national spokesman M.J. Akbar, who won the Rajya Sabha bypolls from Jharkhand earlier this month, took oath as a Rajya Sabha Member. |
| 5 | Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after obituary references. It paid tributes to a sitting member and 13 former MPs who died in the recent past on the first day of the Monsoon session |
| 6 | Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan also informed the House that TRS member from Warangal in Telangana Kadiyam Srihari had resigned on June 11 and she has accepted his resignation. |
| 7 | I hope that promises made by some political parties during the last session to help good decisions in this session will be kept, Mr. Modi said ahead of the session. |
| 8 | Mr. Modi stepped in to face an adamant Congress that had said it would not permit Parliament to function unless BJP leaders facing allegations from impropriety to corruption, quit. |
| 9 | Countering Congress’ attack, the BJP said it was ready for discussion on all issues, including the the “scams” in Congress-ruled States. “This is nothing more than the noise of skeletons of Congress’ corruption. We are ready to discuss pending issues from ‘damaad’ to Quattrocchi,” Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said referring to the controversial land deals of Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and the Bofors scam. |
| 10 | Mr. Jaitley said: "We think they are not ready to speak, we can have discussions post 2 p.m. I even proposed Sushma Swaraj will participate or even give a statement first. The Opposition wants to disrupt the House. We are ready for discussion in any form at any time." |
