Parliament LIVE updates: Winter Session ends, no headway on Triple Talaq Bill

Winter session of Parliament started from December 15 and will end today. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)

The last day of Parliament winter session will see the government hoping to find a breakthrough in the standoff over the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill which seeks to outlaw talaq-e-biddat or instant triple talaq and punish offenders with a jail term.

The Opposition has stuck to its demand that the Bill be referred to a select committee, while the government has accused parties of “double standards” as they supported it in the lower House.

Sources told The Indian Express that Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel met Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad three-four days ago, seeking Congress support for the passage of the Bill that had sailed through Lok Sabha on December 28.

However, the ruling coalition did not accept Congress’ proposal seeking financial assistance from the government to support Muslim women whose husbands are in jail for pronouncing instant triple talaq.

Meanwhile, the Congress issued a three-line whip asking all its members to be present in Rajya Sabha today.

Parliament LIVE updates:

1.00 pm: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu reads out a statement on the House’s functioning. Nine government bills passed in the Rajya Sabha this session.

12.22 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned sine die.

12.18 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends Lok Sabha proceedings.

PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha on Friday. (Source: loksabhatv.nic.in)

12.12 pm: Ram Vilas Paswan rises to withdraw the The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015. The Consumer Protection Bill and The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill introduced.

12.02 pm: Question Hour ends in Lok Sabha and papers are now being laid on the table.

In Rajya Sabha, zero hour ends. Question Hour begins.

11.55 am: Questions being raised in the Rajya Sabha now. MP Pradeep Kumar Balmuchu raises the issue of fake surrender and fake encounter in Jharkhand.

11.50 am: “Arun Jaitley, finance minister and leader of the house, has told the Rajya Sabha that the Supreme Court has directed the government to legislate on the (triple talaq) issue within six months. The court’s deadline will expire on February 22. The Parliament is thus bound to enact law within that period, he added. At best, this is a complete misunderstanding of the Supreme Court judgment,” write Sanjay R Hegde and Pranjal Kishore. Read the ExpressOpinion here.

11.47 am: In case you are just joining us, today is the last day of the Winter Session which started on December 15. All eyes are on the Triple Talaq Bill which was cleared by a voice vote in Lok Sabha last week and is currently stuck in the Rajya Sabha. Apart from this, the other Bills likely to be taken up for consideration are The Goods and Services Tax(Compensation to States) Amendment Bill and The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill.

11.44 am: Parliamentarians in Lok Sabha speak on complaints against Private companies.

11.25 am: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley answered questions on Farm Loan waiver during zero hour in Lok Sabha.

(Express Photo/Praveen Jain)

11.20 am: Rajya Sabha MPs bid farewell to retiring members — Janardan Dwivedi, Parvez Hashmi and Karan Singh. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad convey their best wishes to the members.

11.18 am: BJP issues whip asking all its MPs to remain present in both the houses of Parliament, today

11.10 am: Parliament Business today

Lok Sabha

Bill to be withdrawn:
The Consumer Protection Bill, 2015.

Bills to be introduced:
The Consumer Protection Bill
The New Delhi International Arbitration Centre Bill

Consideration of Rajya Sabha
The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill.

Bills for consideration and passing:
The Dentists (Amendment) Bill
The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill
The Representation of the People(Amendment) Bill
Private Members’ Business.

Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan capturing images with his mobile phone outside Parliament on Friday. (Express Photo/Praveen Jain)

Rajya Sabha

Private Members’ Business.

Bills for consideration and return:
The Goods and Services Tax(Compensation to States) Amendment Bill

Bills for consideration and passing:
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill
The Prevention of Corruption(Amendment) Bill
The Central Road Fund (Amendment)Bill
The State Banks (Repeal and Amendment) Bill
The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill
The Appropriation (No.5) Bill

11.05 am: Rajya Sabha proceedings begin.

11.03 am: Parliamentary Standing Committee for Transport also noticed reports of some private airlines creating long queues at the check-in counters to delay the process of check-in so that passengers miss their scheduled flights. This compels them to buy tickets at exorbitant prices to travel in the next available flight.

10.50 am: The Law Minister, sources said, was told that the Congress would be ready to support the Bill, even with the criminal clause, if the government takes upon itself the responsibility of financially supporting all such Muslim women whose husbands are in jail for pronouncing instant triple talaq. Sources said the Law Minister did not agree to the proposal. Read more here. 

10.40 am: While narrating some of the incidents of misbehavior in airlines, especially in Indigo, majority of the Committee Members opined that the attitude of airlines staff is very condescending, often uncooperative and on many occasions, downright rude, reports news agency ANI.

10.30 am: On Thursday, Parliamentary Standing Committee for Transport laid on the table of Rajya Sabha a report on the issues related to improving consumers satisfaction of airlines. The Committee deliberated on the issue of exorbitant airfares charged during the festival seasons, holiday seasons, natural disasters and political/social unrest. The Committee also noted there were many incidents of manhandling, discourteous and rude behavior by airlines staff.

Opinion | The instant triple talaq Bill is a remedy that can worsen the disease

10.05 am: There are indications that the budget session may begin towards the end of January.

10.00 am: On Thursday, the Lok Sabha passed a bill aimed at increasing over twofold the salaries of Supreme Court and high court judges. The High Court and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Amendment Bill also proposes revision of the rates of house rent allowance from July 1, 2017, and of sumptuary allowance from September 22, 2017. However, unless Rajya Sabha clears it Friday, the hike will have to wait till the budget session.