Parliament Winter Session: Today was the sixth day of the on going session.
Disruptions continued as the lawmakers attended the sixth day of the winter session in parliament today.
The winter session started last week following attacks by the opposition over delay in the session due to Gujarat assembly election. In the past few days, Congress lawmakers have demanded apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi over remarks made against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh leading to uproar in the parliament. While campaigning in his home state, PM Modi had said that the former Prime Minister and other Congress leaders had discussed Gujarat with Pakistani guests on the dinner table.
Here are the highlights on the Day-6 of the winter session of parliament:
Home Minister Rajnath Singh says in Lok Sabha that initial figure of missing persons in the Cyclone Ockhi was 433. "Now after return of some, the number of missing remains 275. Even today, which is the 22nd day, 18 ships of Navy and Coast Guard are conducting search ops," he says.
"There were things that I wanted to say yesterday but couldn't. As a child i loved playing sports and my father always supported me for it. There are pressing matters in the country which require our attention - economic growth, poverty, food security, among many others," Mr Tendulkar asserted.
"India needs to become not just a sport-watching nation but a sport-playing nation," he said.
"We must build a sporting culture as an unhealthy India is a recipe for disaster," he added.
Talking about how sports helped him in his personal life, he said, "There were places where I failed in life, but sports helped me get back on my feet."
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After adjournment of the upper house of parliament till December 27, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu spoke to Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma of Congress and Minister of State Vijay Goel separately and together in his chamber. He stressed the house needs to resume normal functioning from December 27. Mr Naidu suggested that Leader of House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitely and Leader of opposition Mr Azad may further discuss and resolve the stalemate in Rajya Sabha.
Regulate Remuneration Given To Nurses, Centre Tells States
Union Health Minister J P Nadda said in Lok Sabha that several advisories have been sent to the chief ministers of all the states for providing better salaries to the nurses working in private hospitals and nursing homes, PTI reported.
"Private institutions cannot remain unregulated" and for that the state governments, if necessary, should bring a legislation so that "this sector can be regulated," he said. Mr Nadda added the government has received representation from the All India Government Nurses Federation demanding revision in pay and allowances against the seventh central pay commission's report.
Ghulam Nabi Azad Insists On Resolving Impasse In Rajya Sabha
In Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad insisted today on resolving the impasse in the house over PM Modi's remarks on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"The House should be adjourned till a solution is found,"Mr Azad was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI, adding that the Congress members did not want to enter the Well to force adjournment. The senior Congress leader also mentioned that two meetings headed by Leader of the House Arun Jaitley have taken place to find a solution. He said the opposition also wanted the house to function.
Amid disruption, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel suggested the House should continue to function and in the meantime, a solution is found, PTI reported. "This is not such an issue that a solution cannot be found," he said, adding, the Rajya Sabha did function for a day even during the impasse.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma too insisted that the House should be adjourned without any disruption.
While Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu tried to continue with the Zero Hour proceedings, however, when the Congress did not budge, he adjourned the House for the day.
According to the PTI, the overall attendance in Lok Sabha was on the lower side, both in the Treasury and the Opposition sides.
PM Modi, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi were also not present in the House.
Congress Leaders Stage Walkout
While Rajya Sabha was adjourned till December 27, Lok Sabha also witnessed protests by Congress lawmakers. The Congress MPs, who have been demanding apology over PM Modi's remarks on Manmohan Singh, also asked the BJP to apologise for the charges made against the formed UPA government in 2G spectrum case. The protests by Congress in the Lok Sabha over the remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against former premier Manmohan Singh entered the fifth
day today.
Soon after the House assembled and took up the Question Hour, Congress members trooped into the Well raising slogans demanding an apology from PM Modi, PTI reported. The protesting Congress members continued to raise slogans for an hour even as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan continued with the Question Hour proceedings. Few minutes after the Zero Hour began at noon, the protesting Congress members walked out.
HRD Minister Prakash Javdekar today called the disruptions in parliament "condemnable." "When govt is ready for discussion, such disturbances are condemnable. This is an insult to democracy," he said.
As Congress lawmakers demanded apology over PM Modi's remarks on Manmohan Singh leading to disruption, Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 11 AM, December 27, news agency ANI reported.
Uproar ensued in Lok Sabha this morning on the sixth day of winter session over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. During campaigning in his home state of Gujarat, PM Modi had said that Mr Singh, in a dinner held for Pakistani guests, had discussed Gujarat election with them along with other Congress leaders.
"I hope this issue is not politicised by the Congress party, they should take part in the discussion," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar told ANI referring to the Cyclone Ockhi discussion, which will be held today after the Question Hour.
Finance Minister
Arun Jaitley on Thursday tried to allay fears over the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill, 2017. "The government is committed to protecting every depositor in public sector banks and therefore we need not create any fear psychosis," he said in Lok Sabha while replying to a discussion on 'Supplementary Demand for Grants - Second Batch for 2017-18'.
The FRDI Bill, 2017, introduced in the Lok Sabha in August this year, has a 'bail-in' clause, which some experts say brings potential harm to deposits in the form of savings accounts. The bill is currently undergoing scrutiny by a joint parliamentary committee.
The Triple Talaq bill, which was earlier scheduled to be discussed today, will now be discussed next week, parliamentary affairs ministry sources have indicated. The Bill has been removed from Friday's revised list of legislative business of Lok Sabha uploaded on Thursday night.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will introduce "The Goods and Services Tax (Compensation To States) Amendments Bill, 2017" in Lok Sabha today.
Today, Lok Sabha will discuss Cyclone Ockhi that wreaked havoc in southern parts of India. The debate has been scheduled after the Question Hour and the discussion would be held under rule 193.