Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha on December 9.
The Bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 by seeking to grant citizenship to undocumented and illegal non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.
After a marathon debate, Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill.
Today, the Rajya Sabha discussed and passed the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 .
The Lok Sabha discussed and passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019 .
Here are the live updates:
Division Vote is in progress. Voting on The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth) Amendment Bill, 2019 is on.
The Amendment Bill is passed by the Lok Sabha, with all 352 members voting in favour.
The Bill extends the reservation accorded to SC and ST communities in legislatures by ten years.
House is adjourned till December 11.
The Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is passed in the Rajya Sabha.
The Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on December 9. It provides a maximum punishment of life imprisonment for manufacturing and carrying illegal arms. Sportspersons will be entitled to get licences for different types of firearms under the Bill. A person can have a maximum of two firearms, as against the present norm of three. Those who own more than two firearms will have to deposit the third one with authorities or authorised gun dealers within 90 days for de-licensing once the amendment is approved by the Parliament.
The Rajya Sabha takes up Special Mentions.
The House is adjourned.
Defending the number of Anglo-Indians as given by the Census, Mr. Prasad says, "Census is a respected and reliable exercise".
G. Kishan Reddy, MoS Home affairs begins his response on the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
The Chairman applauds the reponse, saying, "We should commend how a first-time Minister responded to all questions today."
The House begins voting on the Bill.
Benny Behanan, INC, invites the Minister to his constituency-Chalakudy- and Hibi Eden's constituency - Ernakulam - and says, "Just in these two constituencies, we will show you at least 10,000 Anglo-Indians". He dismisses the number given by the Census and says there exist over two lakh Ango-Indians all over the country.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says the Minister should move an Amendment to the Bill to the effect of extending the SC/ST reservation for 10 years but removing the part on Anglo-Indians.
Ravi Shankar Prasad, Law and Justice Minister, starts his response.
"Dr. Ambedkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1990, Sardar Patel in 1991, both posthumously, by the BJP government and not by the " parivarsarkar '", Mr. Prasad says and the House erupts in commotion. "Our party was voted to power and we ensured a minority community President for the country," he says. The House again erupts in commotion.
"Our government is very clear that the creamy layer will not be applied to the SC and ST. They are an extremely backward community and we will not discriminate," he says.
Dr. Narendra Jadhav, Nominated, speaking on the Arms Amendment Bill, supporting the Bill, says conditions for granting licence should be further strengthened.
V. Vijaisai Reddy, YSRCP, supporting the Bill, says "I don't understand the justification of possessing more than one firearm for personal security." He says vintage arms kept exclusively for show, must be excluded from the Bill.
Veer Singh, BSP, supports the Bill.
Digvijay Singh, INC, asks for exemption for heirloom arms and antique arms from the licensing. "Violent crimes committed by licensed arms was minuscule," he says, adding, "illegal arms market should be tracked down, rather than reducing the number of arms with licensed users." Mr. Singh has introduced an amendment in this regard, which he urges the House to be sent to a Select Committee.
N.K. Premachandran, RSP, says he supports that part of the Constitutional Amendment Bill which extends the reservation of Sc and ST communities for another ten years. He says he strongly opposes the part of the Bill which takes away reservation for Anglo-indians. Calling the legislative drafting "shabby", he says, "this is ambiguous and confusion". It is factually wrong that the Anglo-Indian community is doing economically and socially well, he says and quotes a 2013 fact-finding report by the Minorities Ministry.
Dr. Sanghamitra Maurya, BJP, stresses the importance of economic and social empowerment of all communities, including the SC and ST community, for the development of the country, invoking the Modi government's slogan of " Sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas ".
"Increase the representation of SC and ST communities, both in the Assembly and the Parliament, taking into account the Census of 2011" D. Ravikumar, DMK, says. He says delimitation should be done every ten years. He says the reservation followed now is not the reservation system proposed by Dr. Ambedkar. "I urge the government to reintroduce the double member constituency in India," he says.
Madhusudan Ministry, INC, says "it has become a habit of this government to bring to this House, a Bill passed in the Lok Sabha and get it passed on the same day, without giving the other members enough time to deliberate upon the Bill and move amendments." The Deputy Chairman says that will inform the Chairman of the grouse. Om Birla also says that a waiver of Rule 1, 2, 3 has already been issued.
G. Kishan Reddy, Minister of State Home Affairs, moves The Arms (Amendment), Bill, 2019 for consideration. He lists the changes proposed by the Bill. The Bill was approved by Lok Sabha on December 9.
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, DMK, cites the admission figures of IIMs and IITs, calling it intellectual untouchability and stresses the need for empowerment of the SC and ST community.
Sougata Ray, AITC, brings up the issue of the West Governor Jagdeep Dhankar withholding the Sc and ST legislation cleared by the State Assembly and says, "I urge him to change his ways". He says the report on the number of Anglo-Indians -- 296-- is grossly wrong, "throw it (report) away," he says. "Ravi Shankar prasad is seeking to take away what Dr. Ambedkar gave us," he says. Anglo-Indians have contributed immensely for the country, he says, adding, "their biggest contribution is in the field of education. Even many BJP leaders themselves would want to enrol their children in these institutions". "Retain the part about SC and STs and do away with the part on Anglo-Indians," he says. "Do not obliterate a community of proud people."
26-year-old Goddeti Madhavi from YSRCP, the second youngest Member of the House, says that more than 45% of the tribal community lives below the BPL. "My presence here is because of the reservation," she says stressing the importance of rural connectivity.
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry is presenting India's position in the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership).
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth) Amendment Bill, 2019 is being discussed.
Hibi Eden, INC, says there is not a single Anglo-Indian member in the Lok Sabha - just one, Derek O' Brien, is a nominated Anglo-Indian in the Rajya Sabha . Anglo-Indians face many problems including social, educational and economic. Reservation for them thus, is still relevant and must not be done away with, he says, adducing data of number of anglo-Indians from every State. "A constitutional guarantee should not be taken away," he says. Appoint a committee to study their social, educational, economic and employment status, he says.
Law Minister clarifies that the discussion is about SC and ST reservation and not Anglo-Indians. To this, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says the Minister is "running away" from answering the questions that have come his way on Anglo-Indians by saying this. The Chairman admonishes and says, "A discussion about everything is unnecessary. The Minnister has clarified."
Dr. Heena V. Gavit, BJP, spaeks about the problems patients from tribal communities face to reach hospitals in far-off locations from their villages. She brings up the issue of non-SC/ST candidates applying for jobs and admission in colleges. "A proper system of scrutiny is needed to ascertain who originally belongs to SC and ST category and who does not. If the bogus candidates take advantage of the reservation, it is injustice for the SC and ST candidates," she says. She commends the Modi government for implementing welfare schemes and other schemes for the SC and ST community in a timely manner.
The House is discussing "the need for completion of National Irrigation Projects to tackle the emerging water crisis and transfer Water to Concurrent List from State List".
A. Navaneethakrishnan of AIADMK urges the central govenrment to implement the river-linking project and says Water should remain in the State List with support from the Centre.
T. Subbarami Reddy, INC, raises objections to money being routed through NABARD instead of direct allocation in the budget. "If money does not reach Andhra Pradesh, how do you expect complete the Polavaram project by 2011?" he asks the Water Minister.
Manoj Kumar Jha, RJD, asks about the Indo-Nepal predictable pattern of floods and what precautions are being taken to reduce property and lives loss.
Zero Hour continues.
Hanuman Beniwal (RLP) says the film Panipat should be banned, and that the Jat community in Rajasthan is against it. Sumedhanand Saraswati (BJP) also says the same thing.
Shashi Tharoor, INC, urges for better working conditions and time-bound implementation of minimum wages for nurses.
House is adjourned till 2 p.m.
Trinamool Congress has walked out of Rajya Sabha.
Addressing reporters, Derek O Brien said, "the WB Governor has withheld the SC &ST Bill that was cleared by the West Bengal Assembly. This is an insult to Indian Constitution, West Bengal Assembly and people of West Bengal".
On orders of Venkaiah Naidu, the RS TV stream was suspended for few minutes as TMC held the protest.
The TMC is now demanding that the Narendra Modi government should call back the Governor. "The West Bengal Governor's house has turned into a local branch of the RSS", Mr. O'Brien says.
--Sobhana K. Nair, The Hindu
Selling of electoral bonds through bearer forms is discussed.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says that only in case of a court's order, or in case of a law enforcement agency chargesheeting any agency, can the government access information on an anonymous donor.
Achievements from demonetisation are discussed.
MoS Finance Anurag Singh Thakur cites reasons for the demonetisation move including flushing out of black money, counterfeit currency, formalisation of non-economy, cutting down terror funding among others. He cites the improvement in India's rating from Baa3 to Baa2.
He also says that digital payments have advanced India as a soft power.
House is adjourned till 2 p.m.
G. Kishen Reddy, MoS, Home Affairs, speaks on infiltration of militants.
In 2018, 8 lakh incidents of stone-pelting were recorded whereas only 544 have been recorded this year, he says.
Post August 5, only 190 stone pelting incidents occurred in J&K. 7,67,470 OPD patients were treated in Srinagar only in Sept., he adds.
"Whatever measure needs to be taken to protect law and order in Jammu and Kashmir will continue to be taken by this government," he says.
Rs 4800 crore has been released for government employees in J&K, he says.
Leader of Opposition on the floor, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, asks why normalcy has not been restored in J&K. He speaks on the detainment of politicians and political leaders not being allowed to visit.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah says J&K is completely normal, "but normalcy cannot be restored for Congress". He says Mr. Chowdhury's definition of normalcy hinges on political activity. Mr. Shah alleges that children taking examinations, treatment of OPD patients, zero deaths from police firing, are not instances of normalcy for Mr. Chowdhury. There has been no violence in the block development council polls, he says.
The detained political leaders will be released as soon as the J&K administration decides to do so, Mr. Shah says. "There will be no interference from our side," he adds.
The next question pertains to farm incomes.
Jayadev Galla, TDP, says there is no data beyond 2013 to show how government policies have impacted farmers' income.
Question Hour concludes. Papers are laid on the table.
Matters of urgent public importance are undertaken.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, INC, speaks on the increase in incidents of rape in india.
PM Modi has not made a single comment on the recent rape cases, he says.
Prof. Manoj Kumar Jha, RJD, talks about the increase in cases of assault victims being burnt.
With the Nirbhaya fund, can funds be added to upgrade medical expertise and psychological aid for victims as well as rehabilitative surgery, he asks.
Kumari Selja, INC, speaks on the necessity to protect the Aravallis in order to safeguard the environment of the Delhi-NCR region.
Nominated Member K.T.S. Tulsi speaks on the issue of manual scavenging. Lack of employment causes poor families to take up such jobs under contractors who provide no safety measures, he says.
Speaker Om Birla is in the Chair. Question Hour begins.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana is being discussed.
Suresh Kodikunnil, INC, says PMGSY is not applicable to Kerala. Hence, Kerala does not get the estimated kilometres every year.
Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Rural Development, responds, saying when the third phase will begin, there is provision to give one thousand odd kilometres to Kerala. Kerala already has roads, and hence it gets lower numbers, he says.
The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is discussed.
Sunil Kumar Mondal, AITC, says 2%-5% of farmers have got benefits under PM-KISAN.
Contract farmers, however, get no benefits, he says. He asks if the government will frame any scheme to address this issue.
Parshottam Rupala, MoS, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, responds, saying PM-KISAN has benefited 7 crore farmers except in West Bengal because the State has not furnished the necessary data to the centre.
Chairman Venkaiah Naidu is in the Chair. Papers are laid on the table.
Vijila Sathyanath, AIADMK, commends Tamil Nadu CM Palaniswami's Kudimaramathu scheme.
She talks about a shortfall of urea allocated to the State. The total allocation that was announced in November by the Ministry of Fertilisers for the State has not been received yet, she says.
