Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day in the afternoon due to vociferous protests. In Lok Sabha, the Congress demanded dismissal of MoS Ajay Mishra Teni and in Rajya Sabha a united opposition wanted reinstatement of suspended MPs. The government refused to heed to both the demands.
Here are the updates:
Syed Zafar Islam (BJP) takes permission from the Chair and removes his mask. He says it is his maiden speech and requests the Opposition to allow him. But the chanting increases.
He says the government should probe how the variant landed in India.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Parlhad Joshi intervenes. On the request of Opposition members, we scheduled this discussion. But the members are not allowing the House to run, he says.
Sukendu Shekar Roy raises point of order. He objects to the Minister says "we have scheduled this discussion" "Who is he to decide? The Chair decides. His remarks have to be adjourned." Treasury Benches oppose him.
House is adjourned for the day.
I am happy that the House is discussing COVID-19 for the second time. But the suspended members also want to take part. This government cannot run the House with my way or highway attitude, he says.
The learned BJP member compared the opposition with a virus. Is it right, he asks.
Sushil Kumar Gupta also joins the issue. He says the Chair has become weak and it cannot rein in the Treasury Benches.
Ram Nath Thakur (JD-U) says the Bihar government has provided Rs. 4 lakh as compensation for kin of those who succumbed to Covid. Other States should follow suit, he says.
Mr. Thakur says the vacancies in medical field have to be filled up and the number of nurses and paramedical personnel have to be increased.
Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK) rises to speak but he is barely audible. "My brothers and sisters, please listen to me," he pleads but opposition members chant slogans in Tamil.
"Health is Wealth... our PM is waging an all out war against the pandemic," he says.
We have a robust healthcare system in place in India. Our PM is gaurding us like Maduraveeran and Ayyanar ( Tamil folk deities), he says.
Shiv Pratap Shukla (BJP) dubs protesting opposition members as "omicron threatening the parliamentary democracy." He criticises vaccine hesitancy and how people were discouraged from having "Modi vaccine".
He says this 'variant of concern' will be dealt with like how it was dealt effectively by the government earlier. All people visiting India are being subjected to mandatory screening.
He says scientists have said this variant will be more contagious but less serious. He goes on to explain the symptoms of omicron variant.
If you have not vaccinated yet, please vaccinate yourself with two doses. Wear a mask, he says but he doesn't wear a mask. He looks at opposition benches and says follow social distancing, taking a dig at them storming the well.
Vasan's six suggestions
G.K. Vasan (TMC-M) begins his speech. He appeals to the Opposition parties to allow the debate. Mr. Vasan also congratulates the government for carrying out vaccination drive.
Both the Centre and State governments should join hands in this fight, checks to be intensified in airports... as he talks, the sloganeering gets louder. Despite this, Mr. Vasan puts forth six recommendation.
1. Rely on scientific recommendation and not bureaucratic management.
2. Consider booster doses.
3. Reach out to anti-body test kits and government should encourage indigenous test kits.
4. Give booster shots to frontline workers.
5. Social distancing norms should be effectively followed. Let political parties set the example by moving to digital campaigns.
6. Adhere to social distancing. We should be alive to take part in discussions, he says as opposition members storm the well.
LoP Mallikarjun Kharge speaks. They are asking us to apologise for a crime which we didn't commit, he says. The Leader of the House is misleading the House, he says.
Nadimul Haque also raises the issue of suspension. The Chair disallows him.
Sushmita Dev (TMC) is the first speaker. This is her maiden speech here. "We are raising an important topic here. But 12 colleagues are not able to attend the proceedings..."
Leader of the House Piyush Goyal responds. "They had attacked lady Marshalls. On Dec. 13 we pay respects to the personnel who saved us from parliament attack. The least they can do, is seek an apology," he says.
Ms. Dev reiterates her request of revocation the suspension.
Din continues.
Lok Sabha adjourned
Lok Sabha reassembles. Members are tabling papers pertaining to their names. Congress members storm the Well with placards and shout slogans related to Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
The Chair says Zero Hour submissions can be made in writing and it will be considered as recorded.
The House says it will take up discussion on price rise. Since protest continues, Lok Sabha is adjourned for the day.
Rajya Sabha reassembles and takes up short duration discussion on the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Opposition MPs once again take up the suspension of 12 members.
Members also point out that the Health Minister is not present in the House. However, MoS Bharti Pawar is present. Opposition is unhappy, House is adjourned for 15 minutes.
Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2pm
Barely 30 minutes into the Question Hour, the House got adjourned till 2 pm over increasing protests from the Opposition.
The Deputy Chair says that protesting while the House is in session is against the rules, and adjourns the House.
During Question Hour
Prakash Javadekar, BJP MP, says that the protesting members are not letting the House proceed smoothly.
As Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways starts speaking, the protests become louder.
Mr. Javadekar, further says that the protesting members should apologize for disrupting the proceedings of the House.
Protests continue
Protesting members are in the Well demanding discussion on the issue.
Giriraj Singh, Minister of Rural Development is responding to a question amidst a clamour for justice by the Opposition.
The Deputy Chair urges the members to go back to their seats and let the Question Hour continue.
Rajya Sabha resumes
Anand Sharma, MP, urges the Deputy Chair to speak on the suspension of MPs.
Deputy Chair, Harivansh Singh, says that the notice given by Mr. Sharma is inadmissible since it's not accompanied by the motion. He signals the beginning of the Question Hour amid protests.
Lok Sabha adjourned till 2pm
Lok Sabha proceedings on Wednesday were adjourned till 2 pm amid vociferous Opposition protests over the findings of the SIT report on the Lakhimpur Kheri violence in Uttar Pradesh.
Opposition members also demanded sacking of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni whose son Ashish Mishra is an accused in the case.
As soon as the House met for the day, Opposition members started their protests by shouting slogans and displaying placards.
Amid the din, at least four questions as well as supplementaries were taken up.
Protests in Lok Sabha
The Speaker urges the protesting members to let the other members ask questions during the Question Hour as the voices of the protesters increase.
Pralhad Joshi, union minister urges the protesting ministers who are in the Well to wear masks and protest.
The Speaker says that if the protesting members let the Question Hour proceed, then he will allow the discussion in the House.
Question Hour in Lok Sabha
Issues on railways in various constituencies are being discussed during the Question Hour.
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Consumer Affairs, in response to a question, says through various schemes by the govt., we are working hard to install ethanol plants across the country. Sugarcane farmers, and the ecosystem surrounding sugarcane production is developed by the union govt., says Mr. Goyal.
Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12pm
Rajya Sabha adjourned till 12:00, due to protests from opposition parties. The opposition leaders had moved adjournment notices to suspend the business of the day to debate Lakhimpur Kheri and the SIT report that described the killing of four farmers and a journalist as a pre-planned conspiracy.
Soon after the listed papers were tabled in the House, some Opposition party members tried to raise their points.
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu refused to admit these notices.
Lok Sabha proceedings begin
The Speaker urges the House to let the Question Hour begin amid protests from the Opposition members. The protesting members are in the Well of the House.
Rajya Sabha proceedings begin
Papers are being laid on the table.
Rahul gives adjournment notice in Lok Sabha for discussing SIT report on Lakhimpur Kheri violence
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has given an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha for discussing the SIT report in a case of violence in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, in which eight people were killed.
In his notice, Gandhi has sought for adjourning the business of the House and demanded that the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) report on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident be taken up for discussion.
"I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance.
Citing the UP SIT report that the Lakhimpur Kheri incident was a pre-planned murder and not a negligent act, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha, demanding the sacking of MoS Home Ajay Mishra Teni.
Lok Sabha MPs of the Congress will also have a meeting at 10:30 am to discuss strategy.
Legislative Business for December 15, 2021 is as follows:
Lok Sabha:
Question Hour
Consideration of any item of Government Business entered in the Revised List of Business for Tuesday, the 14 th December, 2021 and not concluded on that day.
Rajya Sabha:
Papers to be laid on the table.
Discussion on Omicron variant spread in the country.
Nirmala Sitharaman to move the Bill to amend the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, as passed by Lok Sabha, be taken into consideration.
Day 12 recap
The suspension of 12 opposition MPs continued to echo in Rajya Sabha. The opposition parties continued to raise it, staged a walk out and even boycotted the session. The Rajya Sabha Chairman, and the government too are firm on their stand - they will consider revocation only if the suspended members tender an apology. The Upper House also witnessed some commotion when AAP member Sanjay Singh attempted to disrupt proceedings by entering the well of the House.
The Upper House passed two bills — The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Both bills seek to replace ordinances and pertains to increasing the tenure of heads.
The Lok Sabha passed the second batch of supplementary demands for grants for this financial year. The government has sought permission to spend Rs 3,73,761 crore additionally this fiscal, which would mean an additional outgo of Rs 2,99,243 crore. The remaining funds will be met through savings or enhanced receipts from various ministries.
