New Delhi: The Rafale debate continued in the Parliament after a heated debate yesterday between the Opposition and the ruling party. Rahul Gandhi, Congress chief and leader of the Opposition, took shots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and challenged him for an one-on-one on the Rafale deal. "The PM has no guts to come to the Parliament and give answers on Rafale," the Congress president said, adding that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was "hiding" behind AIADMK members in the house. The Rajya Sabha will take up the triple talaq bill today for consideration and passing.
The Upper House will also take up for consideration and passing the National Council for Technical Education (NCTE) Amendment Bill '18, and Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Amendment Bill '18, the Appropriation (No.6) Bill '18.
Both houses saw repeated adjournments with 19 AIADMK and TDP lawmakers being suspended from the Lok Sabha for 4 days. Lok Sabha was then adjourned for the day.
Here are the Highlights of the Parliament proceedings:
Jan 03, 2019 16:39 (IST)
The Rajya Sabha functioned smoothly and completed the zero and question hours for the first time in this Winter Session of Parliament.
Jan 03, 2019 14:08 (IST)
Ghulam Nabi Azad speaks on Kashmir in Rajya Sabha.
Jan 03, 2019 14:05 (IST)
Lok Sabha adjourned again after protests soon after the proceedings resumed at 2pm.
Jan 03, 2019 13:22 (IST)
Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2pm after AIADMK members were suspended for the day for protesting.
Jan 03, 2019 13:21 (IST)
M Venkaiah Naidu took strong objection to some lawmakers blaming him for not doing enough to bring the House to order for conduct of proceedings, and said he had on several occasions spoken to members to break the deadlock.
Jan 03, 2019 13:12 (IST)
AIADMK members staged a walkout from Rajya Sabha after they were disallowed from raising the issue of planned construction of Mekedatu dam on Cauvery river in Karnataka.
Soon after Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressed anguish at proceedings of the House being repeatedly adjourned because of disruptions, A Navaneethakrishnan from AIADMK raised the issue of the party's 24 members in Lok Sabha being barred from attending the lower house for five days.
The AIADMK members, he said, are unable to participate in Lok Sabha proceedings.
"This is undemocratic," he said as Mr Naidu ruled that conduct in Lok Sabha cannot be discussed in the Upper House.
Demanding that the central government withdraw permission given for a detailed feasibility report (DFR) for Mekadatu dam project, he said people of Tamil Nadu are being adversely affected.
Referring to party MPs being suspended from Lok Sabha, he said, "Our people are suffering".
To this, Mr Naidu said, "People of the country are suffering" because of disruptions his party has caused in Rajya Sabha resulting in washout of proceedings on most days of current winter session of Parliament.
He said Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari came to the House on Wednesday to give a statement on the issue but could not do so due to disruptions by the party members.
The Chairman did not allow Mr Navaneethakrishnan to raise the issue any further, following which the AIADMK members walked out of the House.
Jan 03, 2019 12:47 (IST)
Sushma Swaraj says every issue on Rafale has been clarified by Supreme Court.
Jan 03, 2019 12:47 (IST)
Congress lawmakers walk out of Rajya Sabha.
Jan 03, 2019 12:29 (IST)
Lok Sabha adjourns till 2 pm again following uproar by AIADMK and TDP members.
Jan 03, 2019 12:27 (IST)
To Rahul Gandhi's jibe yesterday on his 4 questions, Nirmala Sitharaman said, "A student who fails in the classroom boasts and challenges from outside." She is to speak on the Rafale deal today in the Lok Sabha.
Jan 03, 2019 12:01 (IST)
Rajya Sabha begins Question Hour.
Jan 03, 2019 11:14 (IST)
Lok Sabha adjourned till 12pm amid sloganeering and protests of TDP and AIADMK members over various issues.
Jan 03, 2019 11:12 (IST)
Asaduddin Owaisi speaks in the Lok Sabha on banned channels. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, minister of information and broadcasting answers his question.
Jan 03, 2019 11:09 (IST)
TDP members started protesting in the Well prompting the speaker Sumitra Mahajan to ask them to go back.
Jan 03, 2019 11:04 (IST)
Proceedings begin in the Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha amid sloganeering.