Parliament Winter Session 2021: The Houses assembled amid protests. (File)
After the commencement of business on the fourth day of the ongoing winter session today, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the House could not transact any business during the last three days. Mr Naidu urged both the Opposition and treasury benches to hold discussions and let the House function, raising concerns over the continued disruptions.
Speaking at the House, the Rajya Sabha Chairman said, "I urge both the sides of this august House to talk it out and let the House do its mandated job."
Days after Mr Naidu suspended 12 members of Parliament for their alleged ''misconduct'' in the House, Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem, who is one of the suspended MPs, said that he will continue to protest against the illegal and anti-democratic action of the Rajya Sabha Chairman. Mr Kareem said, "We, 12 MPs, had started a dharna. In the morning, our fellow MPs assembled in front of the Gandhi statue near Parliament premises and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi inaugurated the dharna. Our protest is against the illegal, anti-democratic action of the Rajya Sabha Chairman and government."
Opposition members continued to protest today as well against the suspension of 12 of their Rajya Sabha MPs. Several Opposition parties also staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha over the issue of inflation as well as the suspension of MPs.
The winter session of the Parliament commenced on Monday and is likely to conclude on December 23.
Here are the Highlights from Parliament Winter Session 2021:
Former PM Manmohan Singh Granted Leave From Parliament Winter Session On Health GroundsRajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday granted leave to former Prime Minister and member of the Upper House Dr Manmohan Singh from the Winter Session of the House taking cognizance of his illness. The Chairman made the announcement after the papers were laid on the table.
Citing a letter received from Mr Singh seeking permission of the House to grant him leave from the ongoing Winter Session on health grounds, the Chairman approved leave to the senior Congress leader. "A letter has been received from Dr Manmohan Singh in which he has expressed his inability to attend the Winter Session citing illness. The permission to remain absent is grantedHe has been granted leave from the entire Winter Session from November 29 to December 23," said the Chairman.
Opposition parties urge Centre to send Dam Safety Bill to select committee for scrutinyOpposition parties, including the Congress, the Trinamool and the DMK, demanded from the government in the Rajya Sabha that the Dam Safety Bill, 2019 be sent to a parliamentary select committee, saying it needs scrutiny as it is "unconstitutional and encroaches upon the states'' rights".
The bill seeks to provide for surveillance, inspection, operation and
maintenance of specified dams for the prevention of dam failure-related disasters and to provide for an institutional mechanism to ensure their safe functioning and for matters connected with or incidental to.
It has been passed by the Lok Sabha.
Will continue agitation, raise issues of common people: Congress leader on Parliament deadlockAmid the deadlock between the Government and Opposition over the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs in the Parliament's winter session, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said the agitation will continue.
"We will continue with our agitation, but we will also raise the issues concerning the common people in the House," he said.
The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned twice following the Opposition leaders' protest and walkout over several issues including suspension of 12 MPs, inflation, and compensation for the families of farmers who died during protests. The Lok Sabha was also adjourned.
Suspended MPs shift dharna from Gandhi statue to Parliament Gate no 1 due to rainAfter Delhi witnessed spells of rain on Thursday, the suspended MPs shifted their dharna from Gandhi statue to Gate no 1 of Parliament.
All the 12 suspended MPs sat on dharna demanding revocation of their suspension from the House during the Winter session.
"Revoke Rajya Sabha's MP suspension. Save Democracy," the suspended MPs demanded.
As many as 12 MPs from the opposition parties were suspended from Parliament's winter session for allegedly creating ruckus on the last day of the Monsoon Session.
Congress members walk out of Rajya Sabha
Congress members walked out of the Rajya Sabha after the Chair rejected demand for a discussion on issue of inflation.
Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu on suspension of MPs"Since I can't go public with my anguish in any other way, the only platform to share my anguish and thoughts is to speak in the House. Some of the respected leaders and members of this august House, in their wisdom, chose to describe the suspension of 12 members as 'undemocratic'. I have struggled to understand if there was any justification in that kind of a narrative being propagated but could not. The latest suspension is not the first time to have happened. Such suspension of members, starting in 1962 happened on 11 occasions till 2010, further to a Motion moved by the Governments of the day. Were all of them undemocratic? If so, why it was resorted to so many times?" questioned Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu.
"The reasons for the latest suspensions were in the public domain and the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs gave the reasons while moving the Motion for suspension on the first day of this session. I don't want again to recall those forgettable acts of misconduct during the last monsoon session that laid the ground for the latest suspensions. While calling this suspension as undemocratic both within and outside the House, not even a word is being said about the reasons given for the suspension, the disdainful conduct of some members during the last session, which I have categorically called as 'acts of sacrilege' on the last day of last session."
Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu's statement in Rajya Sabha
In a statement in Rajya Sabha at 11 am, Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu said: "This is the fourth sitting of the first session of this august House in the 75th year of our hard fought Independence. The House could not transact any business during the last three days. The people of India gave themselves the Constitution of India that stipulated democracy as the instrument of nation building as per the dreams of freedom fighters and the vision of makers of the sacred Constitution. The Constitution cast a huge responsibility on the legislatures and elected representatives of the people."
Opposition MPs protest in Rajya Sabha
Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu says Opposition MPs do not want to even express their regret for their conduct. "Suspension cannot be termed as anti-democratic... I appeal to the entire House to ensure that House works."
Health Minister to move National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill in Lok SabhaUnion Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will move the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha on the fourth day of the ongoing winter session of Parliament.
The Bill seeks to amend the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act, 1998.
The Lower House will also discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and various aspects related to it today.
Rashtriya Janata Dal MP moves Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over caste-based censusRashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Kumar Jha has moved a Zero Hour Notice in Rajya Sabha on the matter of "caste-based census".
In his letter to Secretary-General of the Upper House, Mr Jha said, "In order to assure that 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' is a reality, we must urgently count the ladder of our social edifice and for that it is important that Socio-Economic Caste Census be undertaken on priority and with an urgency. While there is a strong possibility of sub-categorization of OBC, we need to have a solid scientific data about the relationship between access to several resources vis-a-vis caste."
He also said: "Denying a caste-based census is denying that a problem exists especially in a country whew caste has become not only an identity but a way of life and it has stories of discrimination attached therein. A caste-based census will identify the wealth and education gap between the upper and non-upper caste groups relative to their population and assist in framing targeted policy interventions."
Congress MP seeks compensation for farmers, people affected by Tamil Nadu rainsCongress MP Manickam Tagore has moved an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha to "discuss damage followed by the heavy floods as well as excessive rainfall in Tamil Nadu and to direct the government to announce compensation of Rs 4,626 crore flood relief for affected farmers and people who lost their property".
In his letter to Secretary-General of the Lower House, Mr Tagore said, "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the house for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance, namely: To discuss damage followed by the heavy floods as well as excessive rainfall in the state of Tamil Nadu and when no Union cabinet minister visited and to direct the Government to announce compensation of Rs 4.626 crore flood relief for affected farmers and people who lost their property".
Last week, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin met Governor RN Ravi at Raj Bhawan in Chennai. Mr Stalin briefed the Governor about the rain situation and ongoing relief and restoration work in the rain-affected areas in the state.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi MP moves adjournment notice on Minimum Support Price guarantee for farmersTelangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP Nama Nageswara Rao has given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the issue of "national policy on foodgrains procurement and legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price to farmers".
In his letter to the Secretary-General of Lok Sabha, Mr Rao said, "I hereby give notice of my intention to ask for leave to move a motion for the adjournment of the business of the House for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent importance on 'national policy on foodgrains procurement and legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price to farmers'."
After the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 was passed in both Houses of Parliament on the first day of the Winter session, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that farmers will not leave the protest sites unless a discussion is held on their demands including that for MSP.