Monsoon Session Highlights: Lok Sabha Adjourned For The Day

A bill to curb piracy to help the film industry and simplify licensing procedure was passed by Rajya Sabha on Thursday after the opposition staged a walkout over its demand for a discussion on the Manipur situation.

The bill, which seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952, was passed by a voice vote.

In the bill, the government has proposed a maximum three-year jail term and a fine up to five per cent of the production cost of a film for persons making pirated copies of movies. Read here. 

Amid "unprecedented and complex" geopolitical situation, India is now recognised as a voice that speaks for all and stands for peace, security and prosperity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Parliament on Thursday.

Making a suo-motu statement on 'Latest Developments in India's Foreign Policy' in both houses of Parliament, he also said India's G20 presidency has served as a catalyst in invigorating the country's foreign policy and also realising the vision of 'Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat'.

Lok Sabha Thursday passed The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2023 that seeks to promote ease of business by decriminalising minor offences by amending 183 provisions in 42 acts.

The Bill was discussed and passed in Lok Sabha through a voice vote as Opposition members protested and raised slogans on the Manipur issue.

They have been demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi make a statement in Parliament on the violence in the northeastern state.

According to news agency PTI, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Thursday amid continuous protests by opposition members over the violence in Manipur.

The House took up and passed two bills after brief discussions as opposition members kept raising slogans and displaying placards demanding the presence of the prime minister in the lower house.

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill as well as a measure to repeal obsolete laws were passed before the Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day.

The House witnessed a total of three adjournments in the day over the Manipur issue.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was upset by the sloganeering of the Opposition when he was giving a suo moto statement in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday on India's foreign policy in the past few months.

His statement was completely superseded amid the constant sloganeering by the opposition. EAM said that he felt bad that the opposition was not ready to listen to anything adding that the Opposition's objective is to criticise any progress India makes and prevent its message to spread in the country.

"I wanted to inform the House of the developments made in the past month. You saw a very successful visit of the PM to the US...I felt bad that the Opposition was not ready to listen. It seemed that they wanted to criticise any and every achievement of the country," said Mr Jaishankar.

Opposition MPs were firm in their protest over the Manipur issue, demanding an 'elaborate' statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter.

Mr Jaishankar urged the Opposition to "display a united front" and said  "This is India's foreign policy, not any party's foreign policy. So when we present the achievements of India's foreign policy in front of the house but we saw that the opposition was not ready to listen at all."

He said that foreign policy is an area where both the Government and Opposition work together.

"Foreign policy is one area where we must work together. If there is a dispute between each other in the country, we should keep India's image united outside the country," added Mr Jaishankar.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha faced disruptions on Thursday over demands of opposition members related to Manipur situation and both Houses were adjourned till 2 pm.

While the Lok Sabha saw an adjournment soon after it met for the day, the Rajya Sabha was first adjourned till 12 noon and then till 2 pm.

Rajya Sabha saw noisy scenes almost from the beginning of the proceedings. Opposition party members raised slogans over their demands related to Manipur situation including discussion under Rule 287.  Many opposition members were wearing black clothes.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who made a statement on 'Latest Developments in Foreign Policy', faced constant interruptions as opposition members raised slogans.

The ruling party members also countered them by raising "Modi, Modi" slogans briefly.

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm today as Opposition parties continued to protest on the Manipur issue.

Members from various opposition parties sought to raise the issue as soon as the House met for the day. Some members shouted slogans and displayed placards in the Well of the House.

Speaker Om Birla reminded them that it was not appropriate to do so, saying it was against the decorum of the House.

Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Piyush Goyal makes a remark on the black clothes worn by Opposition MPs soon after Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar's statement on the latest developments in India's Foreign Policy.

He says, "Unfortunate that politics is being done even on such a serious matter. This is a matter of India's honour, a matter of India's emerging image before the world...I think that the people who are wearing black clothes can't understand the increasing power of the country....Their present, past and future are black. But we hope there will be light in their life too..."

NDA MPs chant "Modi, Modi" in Rajya Sabha as Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar makes a statement on the latest developments in India's Foreign Policy. To counter this, INDIA alliance MPs chant "INDIA, INDIA."

Leaders of the INDIA alliance meet at the LoP Chamber in Parliament to chalk out the strategy for the Floor of the House.

When asked about his objection that why only Congress, and not all INDIA alliance parties, sign the No Confidence Motion, CPI MP Binoy Viswam says, "That chapter is closed. No Confidence Motion is there in the Parliament now signed by a sufficient number of MPs. Not only the CPI but many parties feel that it would have been effective & meaningful if all the parties in India would have been represented in that Motion by signature...We all raised our objection to the Congress leadership in a responsible way. Congress understood it and their leadership was so democratic in understanding that they agreed that it happened out of hurry. We don't want to make it a big issue. All the parties will be together in fighting the BJP Gobt inside & outside the Parliament..."

The Centre's bill for the control of services in Delhi is set to clear both houses of parliament with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party deciding to support the BJP-led government in parliament on two big votes, including a no-confidence motion on Manipur. Read more

The Centre's bill for the control of services in Delhi is set to clear both houses of parliament with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party deciding to support the BJP-led government in parliament on two big votes, including a no-confidence motion on Manipur. Read more

Congress MP Manish Tewari gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha, demanding to discuss border situation with China.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore gives Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha, demanding to discuss Manipur situation.

RJD MP Manoj Jha, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi, Syed Naseer Hussain and Deepender Hooda and AAP MP Raghav Chadha give suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha to discuss the Manipur situation