Parliament LIVE updates: The Rajya Sabha witnessed dramatic scenes over the farm laws on Tuesday.Parliament Today Live Updates: Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the third consecutive day on Thursday due to protests by opposition members over the three new farms laws, but amid repeated adjournments, the government managed to introduce a bill and the House took up the Zero Hour where various members raised issues related to their states and constituencies.
During the Question Hour, which takes place soon after the House convenes, Union minister Nitin Gadkari replied to a few questions related to the ministry of roads and highways. But as opposition members continued with their protest by trooping into the Well of the House, the proceedings were adjourned.
Amid continuous uproar, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced a bill to amend the arbitration law to ensure that all stakeholders get an opportunity to seek unconditional stay on enforcement of arbitral awards where the agreement or contract is “induced by fraud or corruption”.
MPs from 10 Opposition parties on Thursday wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla saying that the situation at Ghazipur border was like that of India-Pakistan border and condition of farmers resembles prisoners in jail. Fifteen MPs from these parties including SAD, DMK, NCP and Trinamool Congress were stopped by police from meeting the protesting farmers at Ghazipur border in the morning. According to SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal who coordinated the visit, the leaders were not allowed to cross the barricades and reach the protest site. Besides Badal, Supriya Sule from NCP, Kanimozhi and Tiruchi Siva from DMK and Saugata Roy from TMC were part of the delegation besides members of National Conference, RSP and IUML.
In a scathing attack on the government over its handling of the ongoing farmer agitation, Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) MP M V Shreyams Kumar on Thursday said the government has remained a mute spectator while democracy is being “butchered” just a few kilometers away from the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Participating in a discussion on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session, Kumar alleged that none of the constitutional values are being upheld by the current dispensation and that the country is being mortgaged to private entities.
“Rashtrapati (President) can see how democracy is butchered just a few km away from the Rashtrapati Bhavan — the Singhu border (the epicentre of the farmer agitation). Our annadatas, the kisan, on whom the Rashtrapati showers praise in his speech, is silenced and traumatised with multi-layered barricading, iron nails on road, barbed wires and iron rods between cemented barricades, reminding one of the horrific Tiananmen Square,” he said in Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha adjourned till 4 pm tomorrow. Uproar by Opposition MPs over Farm Laws continued in the House.
Road construction has touched record 30 km per day, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Lok Sabha on Thursday. While responding to queries raised by members during Question Hour, the Road Transport and Highways Minister also said Bharatmala Pariyojana is an important project that will change the face of the country.
Lok Sabha has resumed proceedings amid sloganeering from Opposition in support of farmers. BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who is in the Chair, has requested the protesting members to use the Zero Hour to raise important issues.
Aviation regulator DGCA has conducted more than 3,600 surprise checks in more than three years, Lok Sabha was informed on Thursday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issues an annual surveillance plan which contains programme of surveillance and regulatory audits for scheduled and non-scheduled operators.
"The DGCA conducted 3,615 surprise checks during the last 3 years (2018-2020) and 57 surprise checks have been reported during the current year till 29.01.2021. No aircraft has been grounded as a result of these surprise checks," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said in a written reply. In another written reply, the minister said there has been a severe adverse impact on revenue performance of Air India with a drop of 67 per cent in sales compared to last year as on January 23, 2021. (PTI)
The government should not question the patriotism of farmers as they are the ones who have made the country self-sufficient in food, Congress Rajya Sabha member Deepinder Singh Hooda said on Thursday. Participating in the debate on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session, he also said that the government should show a big heart and accept the demands of the farmers by repealing the three new farm laws.
Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting against the laws for over two months at Delhi's border points and demanding that the legislations enacted in September last year be repealed. Attacking the Centre, Hooda said, "You talk about making (the country) self-sufficient. Let me warn you that a self-obsessed government cannot make an Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-sufficient India)."
Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the third consecutive day on Thursday as protests by Opposition members demanding a separate discussion on the three contentious farm laws created uproar, leading to repeated adjournments of the House. As soon as the House assembled at 4 PM, members of the Opposition started shouting slogans against the government and the three agri laws.
Few questions related to the ministry of roads and highways were replied by Union minister Nitin Gadkari. But as sloganeering continued, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked members to return to their seats. "Question Hour is the right of MPs...This behaviour is not good and I again request you all to return to your seats so that the House proceedings run properly," he said. Shouting slogans and showing placards are against parliamentary tradition, he added.
Lok Sabha adjourned till 8:30 pm
As many as 296 mobile apps have been blocked by the government since 2014 in the interest of the country's sovereignty, security, and public order, Union minister Sanjay Dhotre told Rajya Sabha on Thursday. "A total of 296 mobile applications have been blocked by government since 2014, under the provisions of section 69A of IT Act 2000 and its rules... in the interest of sovereignty & integrity of India, security of the State and public order," Dhotre, Minister of State for Electronics and IT, said in a written reply.
The minister also said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) -- the requesting agency for blocking of these apps under section 69A of the IT Act -- had received "several reports about misuse of some Chinese mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms". He said several reports had been received about some of these apps being misused for "... for stealing and transmitting user data such as financial data, permission for accessing of all possible data available in device, etc and real-time activity surreptitiously to servers located outside India".
"This has serious repercussions in light of national security and current tense border situation," he noted. (PTI)
Lok Sabha adjourned till 5 pm
Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien on Thursday pressed the government to repeal the three controversial farm laws and offered a ''Repealing Bill 2021' drafted by him for the purpose. Participating in a discussion on the motion of thanks on the president's address in the Rajya Sabha, the Trinamool MP also referred to the death of a farmer during the tractor parade in Delhi on Republic Day and said there should be a "proper inquiry" so the truth could come out.
He interrupted his speech to observe a minute's silence in the House along with other Opposition leaders, mainly the Congress, to pay tribute to farmers who had lost their lives during the two month agitation. "The 'Repealing Bill 2021'... this will repeal all (three controversial farm laws). I have taken the liberty of drafting the Repealing Bill 2021. I will share it with them. You repeal these bills (farm laws). There is a way to do it. Eighteen months' pause you will put on these (laws), but how?" he said in the Rajya Sabha. (PTI)
Rajya Sabha adjourned till 9 am tomorrow
Haryana MP and Congress leader Deepinder Hooda asks the government to shed its hard stance and withdraw the farm Bills. "Internt is blocked there, barricades are placed and farmers are being illtreated."
Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, says that the NDA government has never differentiated between BJP and non-BJP ruled states. "Our mantra is minimum government maximum governance. We don't discriminate between States ruled by us and others," he added
Sanjay Singh slammed the BJP and said saffron party workers stormed the Red Fort and disrespected the Flag. "On seven routes farmers marched peacefully on January 26, those who stormed Red Fort and disrespected triciolour belong to BJP. Deep Sidhu is a BJP man. He has met PM Modi. They can stoop to any level for their politics. The internet has also been shut down there," he said.
"It was said that Delhi CM is supporting the farmers. We want to assert that we did support farmers, and we will continue to do so. You asked for a stadium to make into a jail, we denied it. Now, we are arranging water and toilets, and you are stopping us," he added
Speaking on how the government has undermined federalism, Mr. O'Brien cites how cess (which is not shared with States) has been increased, and how MPLAD funds have been suspended under the guise of pandemic. He touches on the manipulation of BARC, fake news, media reporting among other things
TMC leader Derek O Brien is addressing the House now. "In these times, we should be thankful for small freedoms like being allowed to speak without the mike being muted, or the television feeds being censored or MPs not being escorted out by marshals."
Talking about the death of the farmer during the tractors rally, O Brien says if something similar to the death of the farmer in Delhi had happened in West Bengal or Maharashtra, what would have the reaction been? The Home Minister and Prime Minister are in charge of the law and order, so they should investigate the circumstances and provide a report.
Karnataka MP Deve Gowda calls farmers the backbone of the country. Speaking on the events of Republic Day, he says all political parties have condemned the actions of the miscreants and agree that they need to be punished. But the farmers' issue should not be mixed with it. The whole thing should be dealt with amicably.
Lighter moment in the House as Congress leader Digvijay Singh is called next to speak on the issue. Chairman Naidu says that was the order he was handed, and he didn't switch it up on purpose, as House laughs.
Digvijay Singh says that the gap between Modi government's promises and implementation of those promises are huge. He also speaks about how the lockdown was announced strategically to form government in Madhya Pradesh.
Participating in the debate on farmers’ issues in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, BJP’s Jyotiraditya Scindia in Rajya Sabha reiterated the party’s stand that the three farm bills were brought for the benefit of farmers. “We have broken the shackles to ensure that farmers can independently sell their produce anywhere in the country.”
“Those who earlier said they support [farm reform laws] have changed tack,” said Jyotiraditya Scindia as he cited the Congress 2019 manifesto.