Budget Session Of Parliament: Ghulam Nabi Azad criticised the BJP government in his Rajya Sabha speech
Today is the fourth day of the on-going Parliament session. Both Houses of Parliament were expected to discuss the Motion of thanks on the President's Address on Monday. The Lok Sabha assembled for the first time after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley tabled the Union Budget. The
Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day after paying tributes to BJP member Hukum Singh, who died on Saturday,
Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm following protests by Opposition members.
Here are the highlights of the Budget Session Of Parliament:
BJP government not a "Game Changer" but a "Name Changer": Ghulam Nabi AzadCongress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, during his speech in the Rajya Sabha, said that all the schemes launched under the UPA government after 1985 had been changed. This is why, he said, the BJP government was a "name changer" and not a "game changer".
When the UPA government was in power, 24.03 crore bank accounts were opened, but since the BJP came to power, only 7 crore accounts were opened, Ghulam Nabi Azad said. In politics, there is a need for at least some honesty, he said.
"Nobody knows repackaging better than the BJP government," Mr Azad said.
Ghulam Nabi Azad criticises the BJP government over security, policies for women
Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Beti Bacchao Beti Padhaao scheme was earlier there in 161 districts, now gone up to 600 districts. The budget allocated earlier for this was Rs 200 crore and it should have gone up to Rs 800 crore, but in reality, has only Rs 80 crore allocated to it in the budget, said Mr Azad.
He also took the government to task over news of increasing rape and harassment against women. He said minors were being raped everyday and questioned the government reponse to the crimes.
Mr Azad claimed the UPA government was sensitive enough to bring a strict law in place during the Nirbhaya case and said the current BJP government was not doing the same.
Rs 550 crore have been spent only on publicising schemes, after an RTI was filed, said Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
He said the Modi government to task over the alleged promises of 15 lakh going into the bank accounts of the poor and the country's youth being promised 10 crore jobs.
Ghulam Nabi Azad said that petrol and diesel have now become much more expensive than what they used to be during the UPA government's rule.
Ghulam Nabi Azad has taken to criticising the promises that the Modi government had made in 2014. He said that farmers were promised 50 per cent profit on their produce. He also said that it was promised that petrol, diesel and gas prices would be reduced.
Mr Azad said gas cylinders that used to cost Rs 300 earlier, now cost Rs 800.
Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad speaks in Rajya Sabha
Ghulam Nabi Azad, while speaking in the Upper House, says that the BJP government has been renaming schemes that had been started by UPA government.
Mr Azad then gave examples of the schemes that he said were renamed by the BJP government. He said the Jan Awshadi Scheme had become the Prime Minister's Jan Awshadi Scheme. He also said the National Child Programme, started by the UPA government in 2008, was renamed the Beti Bachaao Programme.
After the result of the Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh elections, I can say for certain that the Narendra Modi government has uprooted and thrown out the age old practices of dynastic politics, caste politics, and politics of religion. We overcame all this and still won the elections and I give Narendra Modi full credit for making this possible.
- This years budget cleared a landmark decision to provide healthcare for the poor.
- Like other promises, this too shall be a reality very soon.
- The Modi government show the work for the promises it makes. The poor can now lead a healthy life with dignity.
Modi government has opposed the practice of Triple Talaq: Amit Shah
- The Modi government has opposed the practice of Triple Talaq, and is determined to give Muslim women... mothers and sisters their right to live freely and fearlessly.
- It is not the first time that the court has given a verdict.
- It had given a verdict in the past as well.. in the Shah Bano case... but it was stopped by a legislation brought in by the Congress Party....
- Yes, yes, you will say that you are not opposing the ban on Triple Talaq, but my friends in the Congress... the manner of your protest may not be open as was the case in the past too.
- The methods of your intensions have been seen taking other forms.
Amit Shah on surgical strikes - This government gives the armed forces the power it needs to stand up to threats.
- After the surgical strikes, India showed to the world that after the United States and Israel, India is the only country that can go to any extent to protect its armed forces and its people.
- The world has taken notice and views India in a very different light today.
Amit spoke on OROP (One Rank One Passion)
On One Rank One Pension, many governments came and promised a lot... but went as far as to give a token 100 crores in a budgetary speech. It was the Modi government which finally walked the talk and made OROP a reality.
- I want to ask the Congress what exactly they think they are doing? You say one thing in parliament, another in the state assemblies, and yet another In GST council meetings.
- What on earth are you doing? We can show you that all decision on GST matters for states was done taking into account your approval. We can show it to you. But you go out and call it Gabbar Singh Tax..
- Where do you think money from the GST goes? It goes towards providing financial security to the soldier on the border, to the poor for their gas subsidy, towards electrifying homes of those who have never seen electricity in their homes.
- It is my humble appeal to you all that the GST is going to take India forward leaps and bounds. Let us all work together for the common man. Some things should be above petty politics. This of course, is my request, you all know better...
- We are a government that takes decisions that ensure the betterment of the people, not one that just says things to please them. We take tough decisions so that the country becomes strong.
- GST was the biggest reform that was possible under the strong leadership of PM Narendra Modi.
- Let me reassure my friends in the opposition, that BJP was never against the GST, when we were in opposition. We were against the manner in which the UPA was handling it.
- The UPA had weakened the federal structure... States did not have the trust or confidence that the precious government would be able to manage it. There was a huge trust deficit.
- The Modi government promised that we would bailout states when they need it at the start of GST. We are now doing that.
- States are being compensated. The NDA government has earned the trust of the states. The UPA must know that you need to work and live up to your word to earn trust.
Only BJP has worked towards reducing unemployment: Amit Shah
- Many came to power with "Gareebi Hatao" slogans, but it is only BJP has worked towards it.
- Yes, we acknowledge that employment and jobs are an area of concern.
- In fact, we are very happy to see the opposition talk so much about it.
- But let me ask them. The current day scenario is there after 60 years of your rule.
- It tells directly of the job you did. This is the result of the so-called work you have done.
- We already started dealing with the job situation for some years now.
- Numerous initiatives have already been taken and many more are going to be done to ensure that the youth finds employment. Start Up India, Mudra Yojana, etc have been promising.
Amit Shah spoke about the Swachh Bharat Mission
- Under Swachh Bharat, one of the tasks the government took up was to build toilets.
- Women in rural and even in certain urban areas had to face the humiliation of defecating in open.
- Governments in the past too, had many schemes to clean India, but what had been done. It was all on paper. But finally this government took the action needed and constructed 7 Crore toilets.
- Today, instead of women worrying about going out in the open to relieve themselves, they have the confidence to go out and focus on a career and make the country and their families proud of their achievements.
Amit Shah attacks Congress
For 70 years this country was run just by one family. At one point people started believing that this is how things will be. They had lost hope. Today, there is a new hope, an optimism across the country.
BJP President Amit Shah makes his debut speech in Rajya Sabha:
- In 2014, the people of India made a historic decision, by voting a government to power with full majority.
- The people want progress at a fast pace and hence they chose the BJP.
- Despite winning a complete majority by itself, the BJP formed the government with all its NDA partners.
- This government is determined to uplift the poor, it is determined to come to the aid of the farmer... to help them every step of the way.
Rajya Sabha resumes session.
Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm after uproar from opposition over various issues.Samajwadi Party MPs trooped into the Well raising slogans against alleged encounter killings by the police in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Mr Naidu adjourned the proceedings straightaway till 1400 hours.
Members of the Aam Aadmi Party AAP too were in the Well, apparently raising the issue of sealing of commercial establishments in Delhi.
Congress member Ramachandra Rao too came into the Well holding a banner that read "Do Justice to Andhra Pradesh" in protest against the state not finding a mention in the Union Budget for 2018-19 presented last week.