Budget Session Highlights: The Opposition raised an uproar in the Lok Sabha, demanding a discussion on the January 29 stampede at the Maha Kumbh, which killed at least 30 people. The Opposition is also asking for an official list which states the names of those who died, accusing the government of lack of transparency. Later, the leaders staged a walkout.
The sloganeering comes two days after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on Saturday, announcing among other key steps the abolition of tax for salaried individuals earning up to Rs 12.75 lakh per annum. On the day of the Budget presentation, the Samajwadi Party had raised slogans demanding transparency on the deaths at the Maha Kumbh. They later staged a walkout.
The first part of the ongoing Budget session will continue till February 13. The session will reconvene on March 10 and continue till April 4.
Highlights From Day 3 Of Budget Session:
Lok Sabha has been adjourned for today and the proceedings will begin at 11 am tomorrow.
M Kharge Puts Condition For Apology Over "Thousand Deaths At Kumbh" Comment
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has put up a condition for him to apologise over his comment that "thousands died" in the stampede at the Maha Kumbh venue in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.
Sonia Gandhi Faces Privilege Motion Over "Demeaning" Remarks On President
A group of BJP MPs on Monday moved a breach of parliamentary privilege motion against Congress MP Sonia Gandhi, alleging use of "derogatory and slanderous words" to describe President Droupadi Murmu.
"Falsehood": S Jaishankar On Rahul Gandhi's Trump Invite Charge
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar Monday rejected the charge that he was sent "three-four times to get an invite for our Prime Minister", as alleged by Rahul Gandhi, for Donald Trump's inauguration as US president.
Constitution Will Rule India Always: Rahul Gandhi In Lok Sabha
Rahul Gandhi said, "I remember before the elections, all of you (BJP) were saying '400 Paar' and you were saying you would change this (Constitution). I was glad to see that the Prime Minister walked in and then was forced to bow his head in front of the Constitution. It was a moment of pride for all Congress people, we had explained to the Prime Minister and to the whole country that no force will dare touch this," he said.
Mr Gandhi further said, "Mohan Bhagwat has said that India didn't get Independence in 1947. He has said that this is meaningless. We will never let your dream come true. This Constitution is going to rule India always."
'Present Evidence': Om Birla To Rahul Gandhi On India-China Border Remark
#BudgetSession2025 | Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says "The Prime Minister has denied it and the Army has contradicted the Prime Minsiter that China is sitting on 4000 sq km of our territory..."
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2025
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla says "You will have to present the evidence… pic.twitter.com/u4XswMd2VO
Rahul Gandhi's Remark On PM's US Invite Sparks Row
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi hit out at Inia's production system, adding that if there was a robust system in place, the foreign minister need not have gone to the US to seek invitations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The statement invited the Opposition's ire, with Parliamentary Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju objecting the "unsubstantiated claim". In response, Mr Gandhi apologised for disturbing Mr Rijiju's peace of mind.
#WATCH | Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju objects to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's remarks on PM Modi over the inaugural ceremony of US President Donald Trump
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2025
Kiren Rijiju says, "Leader of Oppostion cannot make such serious unsubstantial statement. This is… https://t.co/zdbDl1RnRl pic.twitter.com/gO4PYOv2UT
Wars Fought Between Industrial Systems, Not Armies, Says Rahul Gandhi
Speaking on the Motion of Thanks On The President's Address, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said wars are fought not between armies but between industrial systems.
He said China's industrial system is far stronger and bigger than India's, which is why Beijing's army is daring to enter Indian territory.
He added that Make In India has failed as India has failed to produce.
"Make In India Was A Good Idea But PM Modi Failed": Rahul Gandhi
"The share of Manufacturing fell from 15.3% in 2014 to 12.6% today. This is the lowest in 60 years. I am not blaming the PM (Narendra Modi). It would not be fair to say he did not try. Make in India was a good idea but PM Modi failed," Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha.
“Neither UPA Nor NDA Could Tackle Unemployment”: Rahul Gandhi In Parliament
"Even though we have grown, we've grown fast, growing slightly slower now but we are growing. A universal problem that we have faced is that we have not been able to tackle the problem of unemployment. Neither the UPA government nor today's NDA government have given a clear-cut answer to the youth of this country about employment," says Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha.
#WATCH | Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi says, "...Even though we have grown, we've grown fast, growing slightly slower now but we are growing. A universal problem that we have faced is that we have not been able to tackle the problem of unemployment. Neither the UPA govt nor today's… pic.twitter.com/RIzjEusYv1
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2025
“Pretty Much Same Like Last Time”: Rahul Gandhi On President's Address
"I heard pretty much the same address this time as the one delivered last time and the time before that," says Rahul Gandhi on President Droupadi Murmu's address to the Parliament last week.
#BudgetSession2025 | Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says "I must say, I struggled through the President's address to maintain my attention on what was being said because I had heard pretty much the same President's address the last time and the time before that. It… pic.twitter.com/krBCXH6i5S
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2025
Budget Session Live Updates: Rahul Gandhi Addresses Lok Sabha
Rahul Gandhi, the Congresss MP and the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, is now addressing Lok Sabha.
“Government Trying To Hide Answers”: Congress MP On Maha Kumbh Stampede
Speaking to reporters after the Opposition staged a walk out over the Maha Kumbh stampede last month, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi says, "Today the opposition demanded only one thing, that the government answer on the atrocities committed with the tourists and death of people at Maha Kumbh... The government is trying to hide the answers... The topic of Maha Kumbh is very serious and should be subjected to investigation... We gave motion in urgent, but the speaker negated it."
#WATCH | Delhi | On Maha Kumbh stampede, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi says, "Today the opposition demanded only one thing, that the government answer on the atrocities committed with the tourists and death of people at Maha Kumbh... The government is trying to hide the answers... The… pic.twitter.com/JtmOOoTY6e
— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2025
"Irresponsible": LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Slams Opposition
Walkout staged by Opposition members shows how "irresponsible" they are about the country's affairs, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary has said.
"This shows the thoughts of the Opposition. They started creating a ruckus during the question hour. The Speaker even told them that if they want to have discussions on this particular matter, they can do so during the 'motion of thanks to the President's address'... They did not listen to him and walked out," she told the news agency ANI outside the Parliament.
"They have no strategy to put forward their point and neither do they know the correct way to do so," she added.
Lok Sabha Takes Up 18 Questions Amid Opposition Din
Lok Sabha saw opposition members storming into the Well of the House and resorting to noisy protests and sloganeering.
Led by deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, the opposition members also sought suspension of the Question Hour and demanded a discussion on the stampede.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the Question Hour, where important issues are discussed, should not be disrupted and the opposition members should allow the House to run smoothly.
The House took up 18 questions with brief replies from ministers. Usually, 20 questions are listed for oral replies during the Question Hour every day.
Opposition members, including those from Congress, DMK, TMC and SP, returned after conclusion of the Question Hour, shortly after walking out.
#MeetingAlert#LokSabha pic.twitter.com/Zdu0vQv9WB
— LOK SABHA (@LokSabhaSectt) February 3, 2025
On the statement of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, BJP MP and former UP deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma says, "These people who were waiting for an incident to take place in Mahakumbh so that they can do politics on it. The incident that took place there is unfortunate. Investigation is underway for the same. Over 40 crore people are coming there and the arrangements are very good. The opposition will have to stop doing politics on such incidents."
