Two bills related to "reforms" in agriculture marketing were passed in the Lok Sabha. (File)
A fierce row in the Lok Sabha over a Minister's comments on the Nehru-Gandhi family and a Congress leader calling him a chhokra (boy) led to the first adjournment in this parliament session, which is being held with unprecedented changes because of the coronavirus crisis.
The row erupted when Union Minister Anurag Thakur spoke out in defence of the PM-CARES fund, which the opposition says lacks transparency.
"From the high court to the Supreme Court, every court has validated the PM-CARES fund. Little children have contributed to it from their piggy banks. Nehru set up a fund that has not been registered to date. You (Congress) only made a trust for the benefit of the Gandhi family. You made Sonia Gandhi its chairman. It should be investigated," said Anurag Thakur.
His remarks provoked a roar of protests from the opposition benches, specifically Congress MPs. The house was adjourned soon after.
The Rajya Sabha has passed the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in Rajya Sabha said today: "A member of the House called the reform and regulation of the Indian systems of medicine being undertaken through the bills, as promoting 'quackery'. I am pained by the use of this word."
The Lok Sabha passed two bills on Thursday related to "reforms" in agriculture marketing after a debate with Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar stating that the legislations will "end licence raj" and farmers will be free to sell their agricultural produce according to their choice. The bills will now be tabled in Rajya Sabha and become laws after the Upper House also passes them.
Akali Dal's lone Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet on Thursday as her party faced heat from farmers over its initial support to ally BJP's farm sector bills. Ms Badal, who attended the cabinet meet that cleared the bills, stepped down shortly before the bills were passed by the Lok Sabha.
The Produce Trade and Commerce and the Price Assurance and Farm Services bills sailed through Lok Sabha as the opposition parties walked out. The Lok Sabha had earlier passed a bill to amend the Essential Commodities Act.
Here are the Highlights from Parliament:
Parliament nod to bill to cut MPs' salaries, opposition demands restoration of MPLADSParliament on Friday passed a bill to reduce salaries of MPs by 30 per cent for one year to augment financial resources required to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, with members supporting the move but demanding restoration of the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS).
Rajya Sabha passed the bill on Friday, while Lok Sabha had cleared it on Tuesday.
Opposition members in both the House supported the move, but pressed for restoration of MPLADS fund, which has been suspended for two years. They also said public money should not be spent under such circumstances on projets, including a new Parliament building and bullet train.
Lok Sabha has 543 members and Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245.
A member of Parliament draws a salary of Rs one lakh per month and a constituency allowance of Rs 70,000 per month, besides other allowances.
The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 will replace a similar ordinance issued in April this year.
The consolidated amount of MPLADS funds for two years -- Rs 7,900 crore -- will go to the Consolidated Fund of India.
Speaker asks government to tell him in advance if any minister remains absent for tabling papersLok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday to inform him in advance if a Union minister remains absent, despite his or her name being mentioned in the agenda for tabling papers in the House.
The directive came after the speaker called Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Rameswar Teli's name for tabling certain papers in the House.
As Mr Teli was not present, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal tabled the papers in the House on his behalf.
The speaker told the parliamentary affairs minister that there was a similar situation on Thursday too when he called a minister to table some papers, but the minister was not present in the House.
"For some unavoidable reasons, a minister may remain absent. But please inform me in advance in the future. We can take up the matter the next day," Mr Birla said.
Lok Sabha adjourned till 6 pm, fourth time in the day, amid ruckus by OppositionLok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 6 pm, the fourth time on Friday, following ruckus by the Opposition over certain remarks by BJP members.
The ruckus happened during the introduction of the Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020.
After speaking for sometime, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that her deputy Anurag Singh Thakur will talk about PM-CARES Fund.
Opposition members raised concerns about the fund and while speaking, Mr Thakur alleged that the Congress had misused the PM Relief Fund.
His remarks triggered protests from Congress members. Later, Congress members walked out of the House.
Speaker Om Birla warned members against standing up and speaking, saying that then they would be suspended from the House.
BJP holds discussion over passage of Agriculture Bills in Rajya Sabha
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is facing tough hurdles from its own ally, Akali Dal, on passing Agriculture Bills 2020 in Lok Sabha, following which Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the NDA on Thursday.
After resigning from NDA, the top BJP leaders, including the President and the Union Minister, have discussed the strategy on how to pass Agriculture Bills 2020 in Rajya Sabha.
On Thursday, the Agriculture Bills 2020 were passed in the Lok Sabha by a majority, and now the Bills will come to the Rajya Sabha for the passage. But, the Opposition parties have already come out with a strong statement that almost all Opposition parties in the house will oppose the Agriculture Bills in the Upper House.
Today, Parliament BJP President JP Nadda, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav, and Jyotiraditya Scindia, in a picture, were seen holding a discussion over the strategy to pass the Agriculture Bills 2020 in Rajya Sabha.
YSRCP MPs protest in Parliament demanding CBI probe in Amaravati capital land deals
YSRCP MPs on Friday staged a protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi''s statue in Parliament complex premises demanding CBI inquiry in "Amaravati capital land scam" and Antarvedi temple incident.
YSRCP Lok Sabha MP Krishna Devarayalu Lavu alleged that "insider trading" took place in the Amaravati capital region during the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) regime.
"There was insider trading that had happened and the previous government misled people over the location of the capital. In the meantime, some people purchased land in a location where the capital was going to come up. We have formed an SIT," the MP told ANI.
"Based on findings of SIT, we have moved the High Court to start proceedings in this case," he added.
JUST IN | Lok Sabha again adjourns for 30 minutes.
Protests Over Anurag Thakur's Nehru-Gandhi Remarks, Lok Sabha AdjournedA fierce row in the Lok Sabha over a Minister's comments on the Nehru-Gandhi family and a Congress leader calling him a chhokra (boy) led to the first adjournment in this parliament session, which is being held with unprecedented changes because of the coronavirus crisis.
In the commotion, opposition members also accused the Speaker of bias.
The row erupted when Union Minister Anurag Thakur spoke out in defence of the PM-CARES fund, which the opposition says lacks transparency. Read
here Lok Sabha AdjournedSpeaker adjourns House after opposition members expressed apprehensions and alleged partisan behaviour in dealing with members. This is the first time in the current session Lok Sabha had to be adjourned due to chaos.
Opposition leaders comment on the new Farm Bills- Congress government had made APMC Act in favour of farmers. But now, any big trader can open a Mandi and under these new anti-farmer Bills, any dispute at Mandi will be handled by officials. All these anti-farmer 4 ordinances should be seen in totality. I want to congratulate Harmisrat Singh Badal for resigning from government in support of farmers and would warn Dushyant Chautala not to support BJP on these anti-farmer bills, otherwise he will suffer big defeat in future. He should support farmers: Digvijaya Singh, Congress leader
- Presently, farmers in Punjab and Haryana are staging protests on the streets. Soon farmers from all over the country will hold demonstrations on the streets: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel
- These bills are anti-farmer and a conspiracy against farmers. In these difficult times, farmers saved our economy but now big industrialists are eying on farming which will render farmers like labourers: Former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav
Manish Tewari on PM CARES in Lok Sabha
Rajya Sabha passes Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill
Rajya Sabha has passed the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill 2020.
Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Pralhad Joshi moved the Salaries and Allowances of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the Rajya Sabha.
The Minister of State (MoS) Home Affairs said that he was moving the Bill on behalf of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"To control this pandemic and provide relief the Centre is working on all angles. Under this amendment, there will be a deduction of 30 per cent in the salaries and allowances of MPs, Ministers from April 1, 2020, to March 2021. I urge all MPs to unanimously pass this Bill," Reddy said.
Congress gives adjournment notice in Lok Sabha over Facebook
Congress MP Manickam Tagore gave an adjournment notice in Lok Sabha "to discuss the need to initiate probe over Facebook's alleged interference in the country's electoral democracy."
The Congress had earlier written a letter to Facebook expressing concern and asking them to acknowledge the issue and take corrective action.
P Chidambaram criticises Centre over agricultural reform Bills
Congress leader P Chidambaram has slammed the Central government over the passage of agricultural reform Bills in Lok Sabha, saying that it challenges the pillars of the food security system of the country.
In a series of tweets, P Chidambaram said: "Two farmer-related ordinances have been approved by the Lok Sabha. Farmers of Punjab and Haryana are on the streets protesting. Captures the distance between the people and the government."
"The two ordinances challenge the three pillars of our still-imperfect food security system. They are Minimum Support Price; public procurement; and Public Distribution System," he added.
Rajya Sabha passes Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill
The Rajya Sabha has passed the Homeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in Rajya Sabha says: "A member of the House called the reform and regulation of the Indian systems of medicine being undertaken through the bills, as promoting 'quackery'. I am pained by the use of this word."
DMK MP T Siva says: "This is one more attempt of this government to strike at roots of federalism. From the day they assumed office, most Bills passed have taken away powers of state government."
"The Standing Committee has very clearly stated that there is no representation of State Medical Councils in the Advisory Council. So, it is recommended that there should be a provision for representation of elected members of State Medical Councils," he adds.
Sanjay Raut gives zero hour notice in Rajya Sabha over farmers' protest
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has given a zero hour notice in the Rajya Sabha over the farmers' agitations in Maharashtra and elsewhere over the ban on the export of onion.
The Centre had earlier this week banned the export of all varieties of onions except those cut, sliced or broken in powder form, with immediate effect, in a move aimed at increasing domestic supply and reducing the prices.
Farmers in Maharashtra have taken to streets against the ban on onion export.
Rajya Sabha takes up Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has moved a motion to take up Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in the Rajya Sabha.
The Union Minister claimed that the Central Council of Homoeopathy did not cooperate with the Centre in carrying out its duties.
"Central Council of Homeopathy failed in its responsibility... it did not cooperate with the government in carrying out its duties," said the Minister while moving the Bill.
Liquor mafia operating in Punjab: Congress MP in Rajya Sabha
Congress MP Shamsher Singh Dullo raised the matter of liquor mafia in Punjab during the Zero Hour in the Upper House of Parliament, saying "no action" has been taken in the matter despite 136 people dying in the state recently after consuming spurious liquor.
Mr Dullo alleged that a liquor mafia is operating in Punjab under political patronage and demanded the Centre's intervention and probe into the matter through the CBI or independent agencies.
He said, in the recent hooch tragedy in the state, 150 people were hospitalised in addition to 136 deaths. While several people have turned blind after drinking spurious liquor, kidneys of many have been impacted but no action has been taken against the perpetrators of the crime, he said, demanding compensation for the family of those killed and impacted.
Congress MP K Suresh gives Adjournment Motion notice in Lok Sabha over lathi-charge on Kerala States Union and Youth Congress workers during protests, deteriorating law and order situation in the state and demand for Home Ministry to intervene.
Rajya Sabha adjourned for 30 minutes
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for 30 minutes as a mark of respect to sitting member Ashok Gasti and former nominated member Kapila Vatsyayan, who died recently.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu read out obituary references for both the leaders.
Ashok Gasti, who represented Karnataka, was a first time Rajya Sabha member. He had taken oath on June 26 this year and could not participate in the proceedings of the House after he tested positive for coronavirus, he said.
Zero Hour notices in Rajya Sabha
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over farmers' agitation over ban on the export of onion while CPI(M) MP KK Ragesh has given Zero Hour notice over non-payment of GST compensation to states.
BJP MP Ashok Bajpai has given Zero Hour notice over "the issue of missing children."