Parliament Live Updates: On the last day of the Budget Session, the Centre will look to pass several key legislations, including the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024. Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy will introduce a Bill to amend the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and the Mental Healthcare (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
A day after the Rajya Sabha discussed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill past midnight and then passed it with 128 votes in its favour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a nod to the legislation a "watershed moment". The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, has also been passed in Parliament.
Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the opposition parties of trying to mislead people on the Waqf Amendment Bill and said it will benefit crores of people from the Muslim community.
The Budget Session of the Parliament was convened in two parts; it commenced on January 31 and went till February 13. The second part of the budget session of Parliament began on March 10 and will end on April 4.
Live Updates From The Last Of Parliament's Budget Session:
Both Houses Adjourned As BJP Demands Sonia Gandhi's Apology For Waqf Remarks
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 12 noon amid high-pitched protest by Treasury benches over remarks by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi against the government.
As the House reconvened today, BJP MPs chanted "Sonia Gandhi maafi maango" (Sonia Gandhi apologise).
Hours after the Lok Sabha had passed the Waqf Amendment Bill, Gandhi said the Bill was "bulldozed" through in the Lower House.
"Yesterday, the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024 was passed in the Lok Sabha, and today it is scheduled to come up in the Rajya Sabha. The bill was in effect, bulldozed through. Our party's position is clear. The Bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is very much part of the BJP's deliberate strategy to keep our society in a state of permanent polarization," Sonia Gandhi said on Thursday.
Congress Demands Discussion On US Tariffs
The Congress is holding protests demanding a discussion on the reciprocal tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump.
Supreme Court Order On West Bengal Teachers' Recruitment Mentioned In Rajya Sabha
BJP MP Laxmikant Bajpayee raises Supreme Court order upholding the Calcutta High Court's decision to quash the recruitment of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016 for the state-run and aided schools.
The bench of Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar had found that the selection process carried out by the West Bengal SSC was based on large-scale manipulations and fraud.
"In our opinion, this is a case wherein the entire selection process has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution. Manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with the attempted cover-up, have dented the selection process beyond repair and partial redemption. The credibility and legitimacy of the selection are denuded", the apex court bench stated in its judgement.
Lok Sabha Reconvenes With Chaos From Opposition Benches
As the last day of the Budget Session commenced, chants and protests erupted from the Opposition Benches in the Lok Sabha.
As the Opposition pressed its demands with some members warning that the Constitution is in danger, the Question Hour was drowned out.
With no signs of abatement of protests, the Lok Sabha was adjourned within minutes.
What's New In The Waqf Amendment Bill?
The government introduced the revised bill after incorporating the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which examined the legislation introduced in August last year. The bill seeks to amend the Act of 1995 and improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India.
The Bill aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards, improving the registration process and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records.
What Union Minister Said During Waqf Debate
Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the opposition parties of trying to mislead people on the Waqf Amendment Bill and said it will benefit crores of people from the Muslim community.
During a debate on the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Rijiju said that the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, will be renamed as the UMEED (Unified Waqf Management Empowerment Efficiency and Development) Bill.
Parliament Passes Waqf (Amendment) Bill
The Parliament passed the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 in the early hours of Friday after a marathon and heated debate. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "Ayes 128 and Noes 95, Absent zero. The Bill is passed."
The Lok Sabha, which discussed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday, passed it past midnight after a marathon debate.
The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, has also been passed in Parliament. The House sat beyond midnight to pass the legislation.
Bills On Agenda On Last Day On Budget Session
On the final day of the Parliament's Budget Session, the Centre is pushing to pass several key legislations.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is expected to introduce the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024, which aims to reserve seats for Scheduled Tribes in Goa and rescind seats in the Legislative Assembly.
Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy will introduce a Bill to amend the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and the Mental Healthcare (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
