Parliament LIVE: Anti-terror Amendment Bill Passed in Lok Sabha after Opposition Ruckus, Cong Stages Walkout

Derek O'Brien Shares Own Experience of Sexual Harrasement | Derek O'Brien spoke about his own experience of sexual harassment when he was 13-years-old. He says it took him many years to tell others about the experience. O'Brien said the government must encourage families to report such cases and talk about the same. Punishment is important but the government must address the root of the issue, he said.

No Proposal to Fence Borders Along China, Nepal, Bhutan & Myanmar | There is no proposal for fencing of international borders along China, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar, the government informed Rajya Sabha today. Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai asserted that instances of infiltration are almost nil because of high security on borders. "As of now, there is no proposal to erect fence along Indo-China, Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Myanmar Borders," Rai said in a written reply.

Derek O'Brien, on Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amend) Bill 2019, said prevention of such offences should be looked into. Most cases begin at home with a relative where the family tells the victim to remain silent. We should encourage families to come out and speak about what this, he said.

On Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amend) Bill 2019, CPI(M) leader Jahrna Das Baida said, "The Bill needs many rectifications and it needs to be examined more closely." Talking about the Kathua rape case, she said, “Death penalty doesn’t find any place under POSCO Act. Who all will we hang? There are umpteen number of cases as pointed out by other members of the Parliament. And there is an urgent need of counselling for backward people.”

But the leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad told the chair that Finance Minister can talk about it at the time of consideration of the bill and sought continuation of the discussion on The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2019. The proposed amendments to the Code are aimed at filling critical gaps in the corporate insolvency resolution framework while at the same time maximising value from resolution. The changes in the law are aimed at timely admission of applications and timely completion of the corporate insolvency resolution process.

Sitharaman Introduces Bill in Rajya Sabha for Faster Resolution of Bad Loans | The Government today introduced The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill 2019, that seeks to ensure timely completion of the debt resolution process and provide more clarity on the rights of stakeholders. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the bill seeking as many as seven amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, which provides for resolution of bad loans. The minister referred to a few points about the importance of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

As the discussion and consideration of the the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is being discussed in, TDP leader Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar says mere legislation is not effective in such cases. The government should make sure it is implemented as well. He says sexual offences against children should be made the rarest of rare cases. In the cases of the possession of pornography, minimum punishment should be meted out instead of just a mere fine.

Govt Yet to Take Call on Privatisation of Kerala Airport | The government today said it is yet to take a final call on the privatisation of Thiruvananthapuram airport in Kerala where the state government is keen on running it and has urged for the same. "The Government still has to take a call on whether the airport to which there is a reference... whether we should proceed or the request of the Kerala government should be considered," Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said during the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha.

According to the Unregulated Deposit Ordinance, the amounts received by way of contributions towards the capital by partners of any partnership firm or a limited liability partnership are exempt. Besides, the amount received by an individual by way of loan from his relatives or amount received by any firm by way of loans from relatives of any of its persons is exempt among other exemptions.

Lok Sabha session resumes. The Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes is being discussed in

Union cabinet approves sale of 481.79 acres of land held by Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT) to the Government of Kerala and utilization of the sale proceeds by FACT.

Opposition to insist government send following 7 bills to Select Committee:

- Triple Talaq

- RTI

- Code Wages

- Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code

- Inter State River Water Dispute

- DNA Technology (Use & Application) Regulation

- Unlawful Activities Prevention 

Owaisi Blames Cong for Bringing UAPA Law | Dedicating his speech to what he called innocents who have suffered due to this law, Owasi said: "I blame Congress party for bringing this law. They are the main culprits of bringing this law. When they are in power they are bigger than BJP, when they lose power they become the big brother of Muslims."

Owaisi Says He is a Victim of UAPA Act | Speaking on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said he has been a victim of this act and that Congress would realise what they have done only if their leader spends several months in prison.

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill is being discussed in.

Who May Commit Terrorism? Under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill Act, the central government may designate an organisation as a terrorist organisation if it: (i) commits or participates in acts of terrorism, (ii) prepares for terrorism, (iii) promotes terrorism, or (iv) is otherwise involved in terrorism.  The Bill additionally empowers the government to designate individuals as terrorists on the same grounds. Read More 

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, on July 8, 2019. The Bill amends the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.  The Act provides special procedures to deal with terrorist activities, among other things.

"Available data shows that there is no common pattern of mob lynching and incidents have happened in different states at different times. Incidents have happened in different states ruled by different political parties," Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said. Reddy said such incidents have been reported from Tripura, West Bengal and Kerala and had occurred previously also.

There is no common pattern of mob lynching across the country with incidents occurring in different states ruled by different political dispensations, the government said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said during Question Hour that the BJP government was serious about tackling the issue and the prime minister had expressed concern.

Union Cabinet approves the merger of National Institute of Miners' Health with ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health.

Union Cabinet approves determination of ‘Fair and Remunerative Price’ of sugarcane payable by sugar mills for 2019-20 sugar season at Rs. 275 per quintal for a basic recovery rate of 10%.

Union cabinet approves Official amendments to the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019.

Lok Sabha Clears UAPA Bill | The Lok Sabha passes Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill proposed by Home Minister Amit Shah.

Home Minister Amit Shah while defending the UAPA Bill, 2019

Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha: In this country, a lot of people involved in social work are working respectably, police is not fond of catching them, but we don't have any sympathy for those who work for Urban Maoism. pic.twitter.com/ieJYj8CQkY

— ANI (@ANI) 24 July 2019

‘Don’t Have Sympathy for Urban Maoists’: Amit Shah | Amit Shah says, “The bill is only to wipe of terrorism from India and it will not be misused.” “ We don’t have any sympathy for the urban Maoists. We will act strongly against them. The amendment that we have brought in this bill is to give our security agencies a strong law that helps them to do their work.” he added.

Defending the proposed amendments, Home Minister Amit Shah says that there is a need for a provision to declare an individual as a terrorist. "The UN has a procedure for it, US has it, Pakistan has it, China has it, Israel has it, the European Union has it, everyone has done it."

The Lok Sabha takes up The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act Bill, 2019. Pushing for the passage of the Bill, Home Minister Amit Shah says, "When you question us you don't see who brought the law and amendments, who made it stringent. It was brought when you (UPA) were in power, what you did then was right and what I'm doing now is also right."

The Opposition has decided to demand that seven bills out of 16 bills, including RTI amendment bill, Triple Talaq Bill and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Bill, in Rajya Sabha be sent to Joint Select Committee.

"This country still has people who have not degenerated into this mindless world of black and white, where either we can only be pro-govt or anti-country. All of India doesn't believe this," says TMC MP Mahua Moitra in Lok Sabha.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra flayed the amendments proposed by the Centre to The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Moitra vehemently opposed the Bill and said that if the Centre wants to target someone, they will get them somehow. "Each time the Trinamool opposes a Bill, they run the risk of being labeled as anti-national," she added. "Why do I feel a sense of menace. Why is the Opposition called anti-national every time we disagree with the government on issues of national security?"