Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Lok Sabha today. (Source: Screengrab/LokSabhaTV)Parliament Highlights: Launching into the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said those who are disrupting the House proceedings are doing so as per a well-planned strategy. On the farm laws, PM Modi said his government has immense respect for the farmers but they need to come up with specific demands which can be changed in the law.
“After the Laws relating to agriculture were passed by Parliament – no Mandi has shut. Likewise, MSP has remained. Procurement on MSP has remained. These facts can’t be ignored,” the PM emphasised.
Speaking on the Union Budget, Congress leader Kapil Sibal Wednesday said while the NDA government accuses its predecessor UPA government of doing vote bank politics, they themselves have done the same in the budget this year by awarding infrastructure projects to the states which are going to polls this year. “The government engages in vote bank politics in budget. Outside the budget, it engages in note bank politics,” he said.
The Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 was passed in the Rajya Sabha. The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 will be discussed by the Lok Sabha later today.
Parliament has witnessed a number of disruptions over the last few days, as the Opposition continuously clashed with the Centre over its contentious new farm laws.
Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad speaks at Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (RSTV/PTI Photo)
Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 4 pm on February 11
The opposition Congress on Wednesday walked out of Lok Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech, saying he did not address its concerns over the agri laws, and called him "jumlajivi" as it questioned his commitment to farmers' welfare. "We thought the prime minister will talk about some important steps for the welfare of the farmers. Over 206 farmers have lost their lives, but the prime minister is not willing to say anything about it," Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told reporters outside Parliament.
Taking to Twitter, the Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala attacked the prime minister over his remarks in Lok Sabha, alleging that the PM's show of commitment to the welfare of farmers is one of duplicity. PTI
Senior TMC leader Saugata Roy said in Lok Sabha today that the lockdown imposed by the Centre in March last year to curb the spread of coronavirus was cruel.
He accused the BJP-led central government of delaying the announcement of lockdown by four days in order to topple the Madhya Pradesh government. "Imposing a lockdown without notice was cruel. Mamata Banerjee had said the same," he claimed.
The Election Commission has not shared any electoral roll data with the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Responding to a question on whether the Election Commission (EC) has shared electoral rolls data along with photos with agencies under the Ministry of Home Affairs, such as NATGRID, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad replied in the negative.
"The commission has stated that it has not shared any electoral roll data with NATGRID," the minister said in a written reply.
He also said that the poll panel has informed that electoral roll data base is shared with departments of the central government or state governments as and when requests are received from them for specific purposes.
Citing the EC, Prasad said election commissions of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra use electoral roll data of assembly constituencies for preparing their electoral roll for local body and panchayat elections. (PTI)
There is a need to come out of the mindset of excessive regulation and the baggage of socialism for reforms in the country, BJP leader Sushil Modi said in Rajya Sabha Wednesday, defending the budget proposals on disinvestment.
He said the budget for 2021-22 will bring in reforms in the country and create huge employment opportunities with enhanced capital expenditure of Rs 5.54 lakh crore. "We need to come out of this mindset of excessive regulation and excessive baggage of socialism. There was a time when excessive baggage of socialism established control on the entire economy. There is a need to come of this mindset," Sushil Modi said in his maiden speech in the Upper House.
"Will taxpayers' money be spent on businesses running in losses, on Air India? I would like to thank Narendra Modi ji. If any Prime Minister has presented a reformist budget after 1991, then the government of India has done it for 2021-22," Sushil Modi said. (PTI)
Congress MP in Shashi Tharoor: "The govt has come out with a budget which deceives people with respect to the allocation in defence and health sectors. Lal Bahadur Shastri had said 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan'. The contribution of this budget is 'Na Jawan na Kisan'."
"This tepid budget ignored the middle class in their hour of need. You've given them increase in fuel prices. The excise duty on petrol has risen by 348% since 2014. Soon banks will have to provide fuel loans."
There is no proposal to bring in changes in FDI (foreign direct investment) norms for the e-commerce sector, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Som Parkash also said there is no proposal at present to establish an e-commerce regulator.
"There is no proposal to bring in changes to FDI investment rules for e-commerce sector in India, at present," he said.
To a query on prices of steel and cement, Parkash said complaints regarding cartelisation by cement companies have been received and Competition Commission of India (CCI) is the appropriate authority to deal with such types of complaints. (PTI)
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Hasimrat Kaur Badal says, "I think the need of the hour is to listen to what farmer wants. PM said that in Punjab, ministers went and spoke to farmers. I wish he'd tell which farmer was spoken to because as far as I recall, the only minister who went to Punjab called farmers hooligans."
"It is unfortunate that he said nothing for the 150 people who died (during farmers' agitation). Where would the ministers have gone in Punjab when they couldn't go to the borders of Delhi in the last 75 days?" (ANI)
Congress attacks PM Modi for 'andolanjeevi' remark in the Parliament.
Lok Sabha passes motion to thank President for his address to both Houses of Parliament.
Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury after staging a walkout from the Lok Sabha: We walked out because PM didn't discuss our concerns over farmers' death. He agreed that amendments are required in #FarmLaws, some states will be benefitted and some' won't. Why do you have to bring laws that won't be benefitting everyone? (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: There are people who talk the right things. But this same section, when it comes to doing the right things, fail to convert words into action. Those who talk big on electoral reforms oppose One Nation One Election. They speak of gender justice but oppose Triple Talaq.
PM Modi in Lok Sabha: I consider the Kisan Andolan to be pious. But, when Andolanjeevis hijack protest, showcase photos of those jailed for serious offences, does it serve any purpose? Not allowing toll plazas to work, destroying telecom towers- does it serve pious protests.
TMC MPs walkout of the House during PM Narendra Modi's reply in Lok Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha says the private sector is as important as the public sector for the development of the country. It is not right to malign them. Wealth creators are important for the country.
"To use improper words against the private sector may have got votes for a few people in the past but those times are gone. The culture of abusing the private sector is not acceptable any longer. We cannot keep insulting our youth like this," PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: Till the time we could not bring investment and new technologies to our agriculture, we will not be able to make our farming sector strong. We need to go beyond growing only wheat and paddy.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: I am surprised for the first time a new argument has come that we did not ask, so why did you give. Be it dowry or triple talaq, no one had demanded a law for this, but due to being necessary for progressive society, the law was made.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to the motion of thanks to the President's address, Congress stages walkout from the Lok Sabha raising slogans to repeal farm laws.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: Those who are disrupting the House are doing so as per a well-planned strategy. They are unable to digest that people are seeing through the truth. Through their games, the trust of the people can never be won.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says no MSP, no mandi has stopped even after the farm laws were passed brought through ordinance.