Parliament winter session: The Health Minister is expected to address Covid pandemic issues. (File)
The Parliament winter session 2021 commenced for the fifth day today amid protests and debates by the Opposition on the issue of suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs.
Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is expected to reply on the discussion on COVID-19 pandemic, that happened on Thursday in the Lok Sabha. During yesterday's marathon debate, that also saw political attacks from both the opposition and treasury benches, members expressed concern about Omicron variant and raised queries about "booster dose" and providing vaccination to the entire population of the country.
The Lok Sabha sat beyond midnight to conclude the discussion on "COVID-19 pandemic and various aspects related to it".
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare is expected to submit its Report on Action Taken by Government on the Recommendations contained in its 123rd Report on "Outbreak of Pandemic Covid-19 and its Management" in the Rajya Sabha today.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed a bill that seeks to set up an institutional mechanism for the safety of specified dams in the country. The Dam Safety Bill, 2019 was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 2, 2019. The Rajya Sabha passed the bill with two official amendments through a voice vote.
The winter session of Parliament commenced on Monday and is likely to conclude on December 23.
Here are the LIVE updates on Parliament winter session 2021:
Lok Sabha Adjourned Till Monday
After a marathon debate on the COVID-19 situation, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 11 am Monday.
153 Private Members' Bills Introduced In Lok Sabha Today
As many as 153 private members' bills were introduced in Lok Sabha today, including those on giving protection from lynching and compulsory teaching of Bhagavad Gita in educational institutions.
Rajya Sabha adjourned The BJP mounted counter-protests outside Parliament where 12 suspended opposition members of Rajya Sabha were on a sit-in demonstration against the action on them.
There were some tense moments as BJP members, carrying placards, marched towards the opposition members near the Gandhi statue in Parliament premises to condemn their "undemocratic actions" inside the House.
"We are here to highlight the duplicity of the opposition parties," BJP member GVL Narsimha Rao said.
The issue also figured in both houses of Parliament when opposition leaders complained about "hooting" by BJP members to the presiding officers.
The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till Monday, December 6
Centre seeks Parliament nod for Rs 3.73 lakh crore additional spending this fiscalThe government has sought Parliament's nod for gross additional spending of over Rs 3.73 lakh crore in the current financial year.
As per the second batch of supplementary demands for grants tabled in Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, the net cash outgo would be over Rs 2.99 lakh crore and Rs 74,517 crore extra expenditure would be matched by savings by different ministries.
The amount includes extra spending of Rs 58,430 crore towards fertiliser subsidy, over Rs 2,000 crore towards various schemes of Department of Commerce and over Rs 53,000 crore by Department of Expenditure under various export promotion schemes.
12 suspended MPs not ready to apologise: Union Minister in Rajya SabhaAmid a stalemate over the suspension of 12 opposition Rajya Sabha MPs, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said how can there be a reconciliation when these members are unwilling to apologise for their unruly behaviour in the previous session.
The issue came up in the House when Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Kumar Jha said in the Rajya Sabha that some BJP members "gatecrashed" the site in Parliament complex where the 12 suspended members were staging an agitation. "Gatecrashing amounts to taking away the democratic values," Mr Jha said.
Addressing, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, Mr Goyal said how can there be a reconciliation when the suspended members are not ready to tender an apology. "I want to understand from you sir, what does the Opposition expect from us?" he asked.
Bills introduced in Lok Sabha
The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021 have been introduced in the Lok Sabha amid the winter session.
"Needlessly Provocative": Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on protest by BJP MPs
"It was needlessly provocative of the BJP MPs to come here (at protest site) and rub salt in the wounds. If anything, the BJP should've shown solidarity. My colleagues were unjustly expelled by a party that has institutionalised disruption," says Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on BJP MPs' protest against Opposition.
Congress, Left, others move joint suspension notice in Rajya Sabha for discussion on Tripura civic pollsThe Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Nationalist Congress Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Aam Aadmi Party jointly gave suspension of business notice in Rajya Sabha and demanded a discussion on the "alleged rigging of Municipal elections in Tripura".
The suspension of business notice was moved under rule 267 of Rajya Sabha procedures.
Congress MP moves adjournment motion in Lok Sabha seeking discussion on UP violenceCongress MP Manickam Tagore has moved an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha demanding discussion on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident and seeking direction to the Centre to dismiss Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra 'Teni'.
The winter session of the Parliament commenced on Monday. The session remained stormy so far with the adjournments of both the Houses following sloganeering and protests by the Opposition members.
As many as eight people including four farmers had died in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence that took place on October 3. The Uttar Pradesh police have so far arrested three people including the son of Union Minister of State Ajay Mishra Teni's son Ashish Mishra.