Parliament Winter Session 2019 Updates: The issue of fee hike at the Jawaharlal Nehru University witnessed sharp arguments from the BJP and Left in Rajya Sabha on Friday. Soon after CPI-M’s K K Ragesh raised the issue and demanded a judicial probe into alleged police thrashing of protesting students, BJP’s Prabhat Jha responded raising the issue of defacing of Swami Vivekananda’s statue inside the JNU campus.
The ongoing Winter Session of Parliament has so far witnessed little business amid daily interruptions from the Opposition led by the Congress. Privatisation of Public Sector Units including the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Electoral Bonds, fee hike in Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) are some of the issues over which the Opposition has been demanding an explanation from the government.
The issue of Electoral Bonds reverberated in Rajya Sabha on Thursday with both the Congress and BJP trading barbs. Congress leader Manish Tewari raised the issue first describing electoral bonds “opaque” and called them “threat to democracy”. Responding to the charge, Union Minister Piyush Goyal defended Electoral Bonds while terming Congress’s stand as an “alliance of the defeated and the dejected corrupt politicians”.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and CPI-M’s KK Ragesh had earlier given zero-hour notice in Rajya Sabha over ‘fee hike in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)’. On the other hand, Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen has given zero-hour notice in Rajya Sabha over ‘privatisation of profit-making Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)’.
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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has asked Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani to prepare a diet chart for pregnant women and provide it to all members for circulation in their respective constituencies.
'We should make a collective effort to end malnutrition in the country. If we can create a mass movement to end malnutrition in the country...I hope it will be eradicated by the last session of this (17th) Lok Sabha,' PTI quoted him as saying during Question Hour.
Earlier in the day, BJP and Left MPs on Friday clashed in Rajya Sabha over the issue of JNU students' protest against a increase in hostel fees and a draft hostel manual, PTI reported.
Taking a strong note of repeated disruptions in the House, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said notices given by MPs for raising issues of public importance during Zero Hour will lapse if the proceedings of the House are adjourned due to ruckus created by them. 'Some people have developed a habit of disturbing the House in making their point of view and insisting it beyond a point and thereby stalling the House for a variety of reasons. Then the Chairman adjourns the House because I don't want ugly scenes to be seen by the people,' Naidu said.
The issue of fee hike at the Jawaharlal Nehru University witnessed sharp arguments from the BJP and Left in Rajya Sabha. Soon after CPI-M's K K Ragesh raised the issue and demanded a judicial probe into alleged police thrashing of protesting students, BJP's Prabhat Jha responded raising the issue of defacing of Swami Vivekananda's statue inside the JNU campus.
Rajya Sabha witnessed heated arguments between BJP and AAP over the water quality in Delhi. AAP's Sanjay Singh was reprimanded by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu when he started shouting when BJP's Vijay Goel was called to make his Zero Hour submission over the matter. | READ MORE HERE
Centre to convene meeting of environment ministers of all states to discuss the problem of single-use plastic, solid waste management and measures to solve it, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar tells Lok Sabha
This House represents 130 crore people and I think the entire House will agree with the fact that single-use plastic should be stopped. If the MPs of India take this resolution then the message will be spread among 130 crore people of our country, says Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Congress leaders are protesting inside Parliament premises over the issue of Electoral Bonds.
Congress has given Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267, over "reservation expressed by RBI (Reserve Bank of India) and ECI (Election Commission of India) on Electoral Bonds Scheme".
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh has also moved a zero-hour notice in Rajya Sabha over 'privatisation of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)'.
Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, and KK Ragesh of the Communist Party of India-Marxist have given zero-hour notice in Rajya Sabha over 'fee hike in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)'.
TMC MP Dola Sen has given zero-hour notice in Rajya Sabha over 'stop privatisation of profit-making Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)'.
BJP MPs Gautam Gambhir, Hema Malini are attending Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban Development meeting over air pollution in Delhi . The meeting, which was scheduled to be held last week, had to be postponed after only a handful MPs and civic officials turned up.
Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut has written a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu raising questions over the move to change his seating in the Upper House. 'Astonished to know that my seating position in Rajya Sabha chamber is changed from 3rd to 5th row. This decision was taken by someone deliberately to hurt Shiv Sena's sentiments and suppress our voice,' Raut stated in his letter.
Some statements have appeared, based on media reports, regarding this. These attempts to malign government for reported breach are misleading. The government operates strictly as per provisions of law and laid down protocols. There are adequate provisions in IT Act, 2000 to deal with hacking, spyware etc, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad says in Rajya Sabha.
Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha said that the process of National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be carried out across the country. No one, irrespective of religion should be worried, it is just a process to get everyone under the NRC.
The MHA in Rajya Sabha: Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in 2016 and was referred to a joint committee of Parliament. Committee presented its report to Parliament on 7.1.2019. Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was considered & passed in Lok Sabha on 8.1.2019. It was pending for consideration of Rajya Sabha. Consequent to dissolution of 16th Lok Sabha the Bill has lapsed.
On National Conference MP Farooq Abdullah's detention, G Kishan Reddy, MoS Home Affairs in Rajya Sabha, said, "Time to time some measures have to be taken in the interest of the nation. During emergency 36 MPs were arrested to save the chair of 1 person, while we are working keeping law and order in mind."
G Kishan Reddy, MoS Home Affairs in Rajya Sabha, said, "Right now, only 609 people are in jail. We have released the rest. Total 5,161 people including stone-pelters, separatists and some political leaders were arrested preventively on August 5th."
Amit Shah said that people whose name has not figured in the draft list have the right to go to the Tribunal. "Tribunals will be constituted across Assam. If any person doesn't have the money to approach Tribunal, then Assam govt to bear the cost to hire a lawyer," he said.
Amit Shah said that NRC has no such provision which says that no other religion will be taken under NRC. All citizens of India irrespective of religion will figure in the NRC list. The NRC is different from Citizenship Amendment Bill
Amit Shah said that Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Christian, Parsi refugees should get citizenship, that is why Citizenship Amendment Bill is needed so that these refugees who are being discriminated on basis of religion in Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan, get Indian citizenship
Amit Shah sais that after August 5, the day Article 370 was scrapped, not even a single person has died in police firing. People in this house were predicting bloodshed but I am happy to inform that no one has died in police firing. Incidents of stone pelting have declined
Home Minister Amit Shah also challenge Ghulam Nabi Azad to counter these facts which I presented, why don't you object to these figures on record? "I am willing to discuss this issue for even an hour. All Urdu/English newspapers and TV channels are functioning, banking services are fully functional as well. All Govt offices and all Courts are open. Block development council elections were held, 98.3% polling was recorded," he said.
On the availability of petrol, diesel, kerosene, LPG and rice, he said that all the items are easily available to the people of Valley. "22 lakh metric ton apples are expected to be produced. All landlines are open," he said.
Amit Shah said that availability of medicines is adequate, there is no problem in the Valley. Mobile medicine vans have also started. The administration has taken care of health services.
Home Minister Amit Shah told the Rajya Sabha that with regard internet services in Jammu and Kashmir, the local authorities will take the decision. "There are activities by Pakistan too in Kashmir region, so keeping security in mind, whenever the local authority deems it fit, a decision will be taken," he said.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in Lok Sabha, "I can commit myself that I had gone there, sat with the CM of Arunachal Pradesh & cleared many of the compensations which was due for the people of Arunachal Pradesh."
Tapir Gao of BJP in the Lok Sabha said, "I had requested the former Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman & present Defence Minister Rajnath Singh too to provide compensation to the people of Arunachal Pradesh for the land of the locals that has been acquired by Army. But no compensation has been given till now."
BJP's working president and Rajya Sabha MP JP Nadda said that the decision to withdraw SPG cover for Sonia and Rahul is not political. "There is nothing political, security hasn't been withdrawn. Home Ministry has a very set pattern and there is a protocol. It is not done by a politician, it is done by Home Ministry and according to threat perception the security is given and withdrawn."
Parliamentary Meeting will be held today in Parliament House Annexe Extension building, over the issue of environment.
In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress on Wednesday raised the issue of SPG cover withdrawal for Sonia and Rahul. "We urge government that issues of security of our leaders have to be beyond partisan political considerations," MP Anand Sharma said.
NCP chief and MP Sharad Pawar arrives at the Parliament. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 12 pm today, over the issue of Maharashtra farmers.
PDP MP Nazir Ahmed Laway gives Calling attention Notice in Rajya Sabha over "Present Political situation in Kashmir Valley".
Revolutionary Socialist Party and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over "JNU issue & brutal and inhuman lathicharge on students of Kerala who are demanding CBI inquiry into Walayar case(alleged rape&murder of 2 minor girls in 2017)."
The Trinamool Congress has given an Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over "telecom blackout in Kashmir valley"
A meeting of Congress Lok Sabha MPs, to discuss Parliament strategy, is underway at the Congress parliamentary party office in Parliament. Party interim president Sonia Gandhi is chairing the meeting.
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has given Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha, over 'purchasing of paddy from Chhattisgarh in Central Pool.' (File pic)
Union Home Minister & BJP President Amit Shah will speak in Rajya Sabha today, news agency ANI reported.
Congress party has given Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267, over "withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover of certain persons".