New Delhi: 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:
Sep 18, 2020 18:56 (IST)
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.
Sep 18, 2020 18:23 (IST)
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.
Sep 18, 2020 17:13 (IST)
JUST IN | Lok Sabha again adjourns for 30 minutes.
Sep 18, 2020 10:01 (IST)
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.