Parliament Winter Session Highlights: The session will continue till December 22
The proceedings in both houses of Parliament resumed today at 11 am and were rocked by the remarks of DMK MP DNV Senthil Kumar, who on Tuesday sparked controversy by describing the Hindi heartland as "gaumutra states".
Participating in a discussion on the J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in the House, Mr Kumar had said that the BJP can win elections only in the Hindi heartland states and not in south India.
His description of the Hindi heartland as "gaumutra" states was expunged by the Lok Sabha Speaker later, but the remarks triggered a row with several members across party lines condemning the DMK leader.
Here are the highlights on the Winter Session of Parliament:
These Bills Will Provide Justice To Those Who Were Insulted For 70 Years: Amit Shah In Lok SabhaUnion Minister Amit Shah said that these two Bills (Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Amendment Act 2023 and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Amendment Bill 2023) will provide justice to "those who were wronged, insulted and ignored for 70 years".
Amit Shah Speaks On Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023Union Home Minister Amit Shah is currently speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
He has called it the "two landmark bills" related to the Jammu and Kashmir.
Nitin Gadkari Addresses Rajya Sabha On Pervasive Vehicle PollutionIn today's Rajya Sabha session, Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari delivered a comprehensive address shedding light on the escalating issue of vehicle pollution in India.
He outlined key strategies involving hydrogen-driven and electric vehicles to combat the rising carbon footprint.
"It is absolutely true that the emission of CO2 in our country is from the transport sector and it is increasing day by day, this is a matter of concern. 330 metric tons of CO2 emission every year, it is a very dangerous problem. 85 percent of the fuel in our country is fossil fuel which is imported and the cost of import is Rs 16 lakh crore," he said
"This is a very serious problem from the point of view of both economics and pollution, and it is petrol and diesel which need to be made special. The Indian government has made a lot of efforts for the pollution that is talked about here and has given it priority," the minister added.
Mallikarjun Kharge Asks Centre To Release Rs 18,171 Crore For Karnataka DroughtLeader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge today asked the central government to release Rs 18,171 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for Karnataka, which is reeling under the impact of severe drought.
Raising the matter in the House during the Zero Hour, the Congress president said Karnataka is grappling with the most severe drought in 123 years and the damage to crops is estimated at over Rs 35,162 crore.
The damage to crops ranges from 40-90 per cent, he said.
"This financial support is crucial for providing input subsidies, gratuitous relief and implementing other immediate growth measures due to low rainfall (in Karnataka)," the senior Congress leader said.
He further highlighted that water levels in various reservoirs have reached an alarmingly low mark and there may also be a shortage of drinking water in the coming days.
Apologise First: Piyush Goyal To TR Baalu Over Senthil Kumar's RemarkUnion Minister Piyush Goyal today sought an apology from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP TR Baalu for the controversial remarks made by his party colleague Senthil Kumar in the House on Tuesday.
Mr Goyal sought an apology as Mr Baalu sought to raise a question during the Question Hour on the third day of the Monsoon Session.
"He (Baalu) should first apologise. He is their leader. The kind of remarks he made in this House! Balu should apologise first. How will the House function like this? How can any person say anything in this House and go?" Mr Goyal said demanding an apology from the DMK MP.
Lok Sabha Adjourned
Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 noon amid ruckus in the House.
Congress' Sonia Gandhi Arrives At Parliament
Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is at the Parliament for its winter session proceedings.
Gaurav Gogoi Demands Discussion On Manipur Violence In Lok SabhaCongress MP Gaurav Gogoi has given an Adjournment Motion Notice in the Lok Sabha and demanded a discussion on the ethnic violence in Manipur.
"There is an urgent need to review the current situation and discuss the roadmap for bringing back peace and normalcy in the region," he said in his notice.
The Congress MP stated that a firing incident was reported in Manipur's Tengnoupal on Monday, after which the Assam Rifles initiated an operation in the area, following which, 13 bodies were recovered in Tengnoupal district.
"The ethnic violence in the state had already claimed at least 175 lives since May 2023," Mr Gogoi said.
Lok Sabha To Discuss J-K Reservation and Reorganisation Amendment BillsThe Lok Sabha will continue to discuss the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 today.
Both these Bills were moved in the Lower House on Tuesday by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for consideration and passage.
Rajya Sabha Agenda TodayA) Supplementary Demands for Grants 2023-24
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to table a statement showing the Supplementary Demands for Grants, 2023-24.
B) Short duration discussion
Further discussion on the "Economic Situation in the country" raised by Derek O'Brien on December 5.
Rajya Sabha To Discuss Economic SituationThe Rajya Sabha is likely to continue the discussion, initiated on Tuesday, on the prevailing economic situation in the country.
The discussion was initiated by Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien on Tuesday.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to table a statement showing the Supplementary Demands for Grants, 2023-24, the news agency ANI reported citing sources.
Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Likely To Be Rocked By DNV Senthil Kumar's "Gaumutra States" TodayLok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are likely to be rocked by the remarks of DMK MP DNV Senthil Kumar, who on Tuesday triggered a row by describing Hindi heartland as "gaumutra states".
Participating in a discussion on J&K Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill in the House, he said that the BJP can win elections only in the Hindi heartland states and not in south India.
His description of the Hindi heartland as "gaumutra" states was expunged by the Lok Sabha Speaker later, but the remarks sparked a controversy with several members across party lines condemning the DMK leader.
Parliament Winter Session LIVE Updates: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Proceedings To Resume At 11 AM
The proceedings in both the houses of Parliament will resume at 11 am today.