Parliament proceedings live | BJP practising coercion in politics: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury

February 05, 2020 11:31 am | Updated 07:17 pm IST

The Parliament house in New Delhi. File

The Parliament house in New Delhi. File

The parliament budget session 2020 resumes on Wednesday. On Tuesday, some of the talking points were the Anant Hegde's remarks on Mahatma Gandhi, that forced an early adjournment in the Lok Sabha, the NRC and the delayed hanging of the convicts in the Nirbhaya case.

Papers to be laid on table in Rajya Sabha

AMIT SHAH for Ministry of Home Affairs;

SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR for Ministry of Labour and Employment;

HARDEEP SINGH PURI for Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Ministry of Civil Aviation;

KRISHAN PAL for Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment;

G. KISHAN REDDY for Ministry of Home Affairs.

Here are the live updates

Lok Sabha | 7:20 p.m.

Lok Sabha is adjourned till 11:00 p.m., January 6.

Rajya Sabha | 7:00 p.m.

The House is adjourned till 11:00 p.m., January 6.

Rajya  Sabha | 6:30 p.m.

Rakesh Sinha of the BJP, while referring to an NCERT book authored by JNU professor Satish Chandra which allegegly called Guru Tegh Bahadur a 'plunderer', says that if honoring Guru Tegh Bahadur is saffronisation of education, the BJP will "continue its project of saffronisation."

He further says that while some people glorify Tipu Sultan and Aurangzeb, the BJP "respects the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur."

Mr. Sinha's comment trigger protests by Opposition members and they demand an apology. Mr. Sinha refuses to apologise.

The Chairman urges members to maintain the decorum.

Lok Sabha | 6:15 p.m.

Tejaswi Surya cites incidents of persecution of minority girls in the neighboring countries and slams the opposition for protesting against the citizenship law, which he says will be a means of justice for them.

He also says that muslims from the three neighbouring Islamic countries (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh) are not under the ambit of the law as the "persecutor and the persecuted cannot be seen on an equal footing."

Rajya Sabha | 5:30 p.m.

Vijay Goel of the BJP says no other government has worked as much as the BJP in the last 5 years.

Hinduism is a way of life, he says.

He adds that when Sanjay Singh was speaking, the AAP was cheering him and hence there is a nexus between the two parties.

He lauds PM Narendra Modi for introducing the GST tax regime and says not a single trader has anything to say against it. He also adds that withdrawing Article 370 was a "long-pending dream."

Lok Sabha | 5:20 p.m.

M. Badruddin Ajmal of the AIUDF says that opposing the Motion of Thanks does not mean that he opposes the President.

Rajya Sabha | 5 p.m.

Sanjay Singh of the AAP says the BJP government at the Centre does not discuss real issues and uses Shaheen Bagh protests as a response to every question. He adds that the BJP will be defeated in the 2020 Delhi elections.

Lok Sabha | 4 p.m.

RLP's Hanuman Beniwal from Rajasthan says that India should think how to save its farmers.

BJD's Achyutananda Samanta from Odisha says special focus status should be given to Odisha and that the state should be given assistance as it is prone to natural calamities.

Rajya Sabha | 4 p.m.

SP's Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav from Uttar Pradesh says the amount of corruption in NCLT has never happened at this high a rate before. He also mentions the injustice towards farmers. After discussing many issues, he says, "A country's foreign policy is great when its friendly countries are more than the unfriendly ones."

CPI(M)'s K.K. Ragesh from Kerala says more than 50,000 Muslims have died for the country in the fights against the British. "You can kill us, shoot us, but you cannot defeat the secular fabric of our country."

Nominated MP Swapan Dasgupta says that we forget that the partition of India took part in two halves, one in the East and one in the West. "In the East, we refuse to acknowledge that partition had actually taken place. What was the need for CAA? The reason is that this deals with a tentative, hazy citizenship of nearly 1 crore of people."

"A demographer of Dhaka University has said, 'Between 1964 and 2013, 113 lakh Hindus left Bangladesh due to religious persecution and discrimination. We decided that March 25, 1971 was going to be the cut-off. That was just before the liberation war. After the liberation war, 1 crore people have actually come in. From 1971 to 1981, 512 Hindus crossing over daily; 1981 to 1991, 438 daily. 1991 to 2001, 767 daily. 2001 to 2012, 774 daily."

Lok Sabha | 3 p.m.

AITC's Prof. Sougata Roy from West Bengal talks about protests against the Citizenship Amendments Act. "Women have joined the protests in large numbers, even in Shaheen Bhag. There have been firing and attack by BJP leaders and pro-Hindu elements. My main protest against the CAA is because it is against a religion. It violates an article 14 of the Constitution."

TDP's Jayadev Galla from Andhra Pradesh: "It is for each state to decide its own capital. This means that Amaravati has been decided as the capital by the state of AP. But this is not only a state issue. This is also a national issue. The bifurcation of AP was done to an act of parliament. Just a capital, not three capitals. The central govt should provide connectivity by road, rail and air to the capital. Will the central govt give connectivity to three cities, when we are struggling to get even for one?"

Rajya Sabha | 3 p.m.

Minister of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi speaks about India being secular and how it is good that when a section of society's population grows in the country.

INC's Digvijay Singh from Madhya Pradesh: "GDP is falling. Manufacturing sector's growth is going down. Exports are lesser. IMF, World Bank, RBI, SBI are asking us to worry. The condition is bad but our Prime Minister says that these are lies."

"If Atal Bihari Vajpayee was here today, he wouldn't have let the J&K situation to become this way."

AIADMK's Vijila Sathyananth from Tamil Nadu: "Tamil Nadu bagged Krishi Karman award for the fifth time.  In a step to promote agriculture, our CM Dr. Edappadi K. Palanisamy who himself is a farmer, has taken up a scheme. He has also ensured water for successful crops.  Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu had tweeted that he was pleased to see the Tamil Nadu CM Shri Edappadi K. Palaniswami working in fields as a farmer, who will never forget his roots. Our govt should clearly say, 'No harm to anyone for those who have been in this land for years'."

Lok Sabha | 2 p.m.

Discussion on motion of thanks on the President's address is on.

INC's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury lists a number of issues the country is facing.

He says, "Swami Vivekananda used to say, Our motherland was a junction of two great forces, Hinduism and Islam. He also said, every human soul is potentially divine. Our goal is to manifest the divinity in human beings. So don't try to become a pseudo-nationalist/Hinduist."

"400 militants are arrested in the Valley. Yet govt is trying to normalise the situation. J&K Ministers have been detained. PoK has become another possession of Pakistan."

"In morality, China has gone forward and India has come backward. New Delhi is now resembling a provincial capital. What is BJP's motto? They said they want a New India. They are practicing coercion in politics. We are lagging behind Bangladesh, Pakistan & Nepal in the Global Hunger Index."

“Our people are coming out to save the Constitution from you,” he says.

Referring to the CAA and NRC, he says: “It was your sinister design foiled by the common people.”

Rajya Sabha | 2 p.m.

Further discussion on motion of thanks on the President's address is on in the Upper House.

MDMK's Vaiko from Tamil Nadu says, "Even if your mother starves without food, do not commit any act to feed her which is condemned by the elders. Today everywhere Muslims are agitated. They are in the grip of fear. It was a pre-meditated conspiracy by the Hindutva forces."

TDP's Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar from Andhra Pradesh says, "Andhra Pradesh farmers agitation and CAA protests have to be taken notice by the govt. It is right time to take cognisance of the affairs of the state govt. Police are going hand-in-glove with the govt. The economy of Andhra Pradesh is going down. The central govt should come forward to protect the people of Andhra Pradesh."

RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha from Bihar says that we are silent about rights and that the President's address should have mentioned that.

Lok Sabha | 1 p.m.

Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad says the Nirbhaya convicts are misusing the law by using all the means available to them to delay their hanging.

Lok Sabha | 12.15 p.m.

Nishikant Dubey of the BJP says that the Congress and the JMM, by quashing the Pathalgarhi cases, are encouraging Naxalism.

Shashi Tharoor speaks about the destruction of coastal fishing villages near Thiruvananthapuram after cyclone Ockhi.

Suresh Kodikunnil (Congress) says that the Speaker is aware that MPs and MLAs in Kashmir are under detention for the last six months. He mentions that Dr. Farooq Abdullah has been unable to attend the House for the last three Sessions. He has the right to attend, he says. Both Treasury and Opposition Benches erupt in protest.

Kunwar Danish Ali of the BSP speaks of the Delhi Police's response to peaceful protests in Jamia Millia and JNU and says that it was disproportationate. Virendra Singh of the BJP says protesters in JNU say anti-national slogans. He wants JNU to be shut down.

Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Trinamool) asks the government to intimate the House about Dr. Abdullah’s health and welfare.

House is adjourned till 2 p.m.

Rajya Sabha | 12 noon

Question Hour begins in Rajya Sabha. The first question is on job opportunities for unemployed youth. Manas Ranjan Bhunia (Trinamool) says the unemployment rate has reached 7.6%. He asks the Minister for an explanation. Majeed Memon (NCP) also says that there has been a decline of one crore jobs in the last year.

Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Labour Minister, lists the schemes by the government to fight unemployment. He says that skill development and Ease of Doing Business will contribute to lessening the unemployment rate.

House has been adjourned till 2 p.m.

Lok Sabha | 11.45 a.m.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad answers a question on linking social media profiles with Aadhaar.

He says the government will explain everything soon, but there is no proposal to do so now.

The next question is on free holding of properties in Cantonments. This is followed by a question on canteen stores departments. Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore asks if the CSD in his district can remain open. Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says she will have to go back and check on that.

Thie next question is on product patents of medicines. Minister Piyush Goyal says that the answer to the question is available on the website.

N.K. Premachandran objects to the Minister's response. He says, “If everything is available on the website, then why should we come to Parliament?”

T.N. Prathapan asks if the government has taken any measures to control the prices of patented drugs. Minister answers that the government has revised all the patent prices.

Ajay Bhatt rises to ask a question on railway lines in Uttarakhand.

Lok Sabha

 

Cabinet to set up trust for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya: Modi

"The Union Cabinet has decided to set up trust for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The people of the country have shown great maturity in accepting the court order and I praise them for this maturity.

 

 

 

Recap of yesterday's stories

No decision yet on nationwide NRC, Minister tells Parliament

The government informed the  Lok Sabha  on Tuesday that till now it “ has not taken any decision to prepare National Register of Citizens (NRC) at the national level.” Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai was responding to a question by Lok Janshakti Party’s (LJP) Chandan Singh and Telengana Rashtra Samithi’s (TRS) Nama Nageswara Rao on whether the government had any plans to introduce the NRC all over the country.

 

Won’t compromise on patients’ interests while privatising district hospitals, says Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

The government will not compromise on the interest of patients while handing over district government hospitals to private medical colleges through public-private partnership (PPP) mode, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said in the  Rajya Sabha  on Tuesday.

 

No detention camp in Assam to exclusively house NRC exludees: Centre

The Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that the  Assam  government has not constructed any detention camp in the State to exclusively detain those who do not have documents proving their citizenship under the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

 

BJP hits out at Congress, AAP over anti-CAA protests

The BJP on Tuesday said in the Rajya Sabha that the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were supporting the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act protests in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, while the Opposition said the issues raised by the Centre were a distraction from the real problems facing the country, including the state of the economy.

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