Being a Friday, Parliament is taking up Bills introduced by private Members for discussion and passing them. It also adopted the resolution to impose President’s rule in J&K. On Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, after a heated debate.
Here are the live updates:
Triple talaq bill will find support in Rajya Sabha: Law Minister
The government expressed hope that the triple talaq bill, which criminalises the practice of instant divorce by Muslim men, will find support in the Rajya Sabha, whose approval is necessary for the bill to become law.
The contentious triple talaq bill was passed by the Lok Sabha for the second time in less than a year after a heated debate on Thursday.
“I appreciate the maturity of the Rajya Sabha and also the sensitivity of the issue. We believe that we will get support in the Rajya Sabha,” Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters during a Cabinet briefing. - PTI
Cabinet approves Bill for setting up of National Commission for Indian System of Medicine
The Union Cabinet Friday approved the draft National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCIM) Bill, 2018, which seeks to replace the existing regulator, the Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM), with a new body to ensure transparency and accountability, an official statement said.
The draft bill provides for the constitution of a National Commission with four autonomous boards entrusted with conducting overall education of Ayurveda under the Board of Ayurveda and Unani, Siddha and Sowarigpa under the Board of Unani, Siddha and Sowarigpa. - PTI
Centre committed to democratic process in J&K: Rajnath
As the Opposition slammed the decision to impose President’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh told Lok Sabha that no party was in a position to form government in the State and asserted that the Centre is “ready” for assembly election there.
He also rejected claims of some opposition parties that the BJP was propping up a regional party to form government, saying if his party had such an intention, it would have done so within six months of the Governor’s Rule.
“The government doesn’t conduct elections but the government is ready for the election. It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to hold elections... we are totally committed to democratic process,” he told the lower house while replying to the Statutory Resolution on imposition of President’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir.
The resolution was adopted by a voice vote. - PTI
The Lok Sabha reconvenes after the adjournment. Deputy Speaker Dr. M Thambi Durai is in the Chair.
Lok Sabha adjourned till 3.30 p.m.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh responds to the points raised by the Opposition on the resolution to impose President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr. Singh says: I am glad that we are discussing the imposition of President's rule, because I believe that deliberation and discussion is the basis of a democracy. He goes on to explain that Congress did not have majority and hence the President's rule was imposed. Farooq Abdullah objects to this.
Rajnath Singh explains: the Governor spoke to all parties and submitted a reporting saying that no party has majority to do the same. The Governor said no one has staked claim to form government following which he sent his recommendations to Presidents.
The HM continues: Don't raise questions on the intentions of this government - if it was so, we could have done that a long time ago. We tried our best to make the alliance work. Kashmir problem is ages old - the people of Kashmir are our own, we are hurting when they are hurting too. I visited J&K twice with all party delegation. People said I should talk with stakeholders - I was ready to, I told everyone who wants to talk on the issue can come and meet me.
Mr. Singh goes on to list the government's achievements in the State to which Opposition leaders say that first hold elections.
N.K. Premachandran, RSP, Kollam speaks about the legal points that lead to the imposition of President’s rule in J&K. "The ideal way to resolve the situation is for the Governor to call for a floor test and see if there is any chance to form a popular government," he says.
Farooq Abdullah, INC Jammu and Kashmir speaks on the same issue:
"State is going through a lot of turmoil - terrorism prevails, no doubt. But the only way to resolve it is not by using mulitary and force. The Home Minister went and met different stakeholders but they did not meet the Hurriyat members, which is a shame because no solution can be formed unless you talk to the people," he says.
"The unfortunate killing of civilians affects each and every one of us. We have to move forward together, without hatred. For India to survive, Kashmir has to be given it's due priority. To this day, we do not have good consistent power supply in Kashmir, then how can we say India has been electrified?" he adds.
Mulayam Singh Yadav speaks about Kashmir:
Our soldiers are working in the difficult conditions of Kashmir. I have gone to Kashmir and spoken to people there, and so I know that this is a problem which has a solution. But the government have to have courage.
Arvind Sawant, Shiv Sena, Maharashtra speaks on the imposition of President's rule:
He says: "Kashmir is our head, so whenever there is a problem there, we feel bad. Bal Thackeray used to draw cartoons about Kashmir, sometimes as a snake to which however much you feed milk, it strikes you in the head."
"The PDP-BJP government governed the State for a while, but even then young kids were pelting stones and such. But no one spoke about bringing back the Pandits of Kashmir. I want the development of J&K, but it is integral that they be brought into the mainstream," he adds.
Bhagwant Mann, AAP, Punjab, in his turn, says: "this government speaks about one nation, one election, and yet there is no election for J&K? The governments actions in different places, including in Delhi, is arbitrary. Section 356 should not be imposed in J&K."
Mohammed Salim, CPIM, West Bengal speaks on the resolution that was passed pertaining to the imposition of President's rule:
"Earlier we used to discuss and then take a decision, now we take a decision and then discuss that decision," he says.
"BJP says the PDP-BJP coalition was a marriage of convenience, even though in India, marriages are supposed to last for lifetimes, not just two years. The imposition of President's rule is a way of ruling the State via a proxy. They are not giving any solution to the issue. Congress has been committed to solving the Kashmir issue," he says.
He adds: Kashmir issue has to be discussed in the Parliament, it is important. India does not stand for bullets.
MoS Jitendra Singh speaks on the resolution:
"There was a phase of dangerous separatism in Kashmir, which is one of the reasons that necessitated imposition of President's rule. We never said we will not hold elections in Kashmir - we follow a procedure, we are not like certain parties where decisions are taken in the kitchen when the mother and son eat their food," he says.
Opposition party members raise objections to this.
"After President's rule, lawmakers are at ease, people are happy. We are ready for elections but not the kind that has been practised by Congress," he adds.
A Punjab MP raises the issue of potato farmers not getting adequate price for their crops. Several others associate with this issue. Another MP puts forth his concerns in Gujarati.
A Telangana MP raises the issue of tribal universities.
Shashi Tharoor speaks about the imposition of President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Saugata Roy and Bhartruhari Mahtab also speak against this resolution.
House reconvenes. Speaker dismisses all notices of adjournment. Papers are laid on the table.
Minister Pon. Radhakrishnan lay a statement on the table. Harsh Vardhan rises to table the next statement.
The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2018 has been introduced. Slogans get louder as Rajnath SIngh rises to move a statutory resolution on imposition of President’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir.
Zero Hour begins. Members hold placards in the Well of the House.
House is in Session. Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is in the Chair. Question Hour begins. BJP MP Kirti Jha Azad asks a question on Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. Minister J.P. Nadda says RSBY has been subsumed by the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Slogans can be heard.
The next question is on hostels for children. Anandrao Adsul of the Shiv Sena asks what the government is doing to ensure the safety and well-being of children in school hostels. Minister Maneka Gandhi says that at the moment, hostels are treated as child care institutions. The government, she says, has got all institutions to register, and those that have proved to be bad have been shut down, mostly in Maharashtra. “We need feet on the ground. I have written again and again to every Member of Parliament. They should be going to the institutions in their constituencies and do spot checks.” She says that in Muzaffarpur, they warned the State six months ago that something is not right in this institution.
But slogans get louder and House is adjourned till noon.
House is in Session. Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu is in the Chair. Papers are laid on the table. Committee reports are tabled now.
Ravi Shankar Prasad makes his statement, followed by Manoj Sinha. The House passes a resolution to increase the basic customs duty on certain goods.
The House also wishes Arun Jaitley and A.K. Antony on their birthdays. Once Zero Hour begins, though, the decibel level increases, as Chair rejects two notices from Members. As the noise level goes up, House is adjourned till Monday.
In government business today in the Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad will make a statement regarding Status of implementation of recommendations contained in the 46th Report of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology.
Manoj Sinha will make two statements — on the statuses of implementation of recommendations/observations contained in the 47th and 48th Reports of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology on Demands for Grants.
Today, the Lok Sabha will take up discussion and voting on the second batch of The Supplementary Demands for Grants 2018-19.
Mahesh Sharma, the Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, will introduce The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment) Bill, 2018. J.P. Nadda will move that The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018 be passed, and Arun Jaitley hopes to have The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2018 passed. Mr. Nadda will also to move to pass The National Medical Commission Bill, 2017, and Ravi Shankar Prasad will want the The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill, 2018 passed.
