Parliament Budget Session Day 4 Highlights: Those who walk with Constitution in their pocket made Muslim women live troubled lives, says PM Modi in Lok Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that while Ayushman Bharat extended to 30,000 hospitals, some political parties had "kept the poor away from the scheme". "Cancer patients have had to suffer. Lancet said some time ago that because of Ayushman Bharat, cancer treatment has begun early. It has given credit to the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Even in this budget, we have made cancer medicines cheaper," Modi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that while some people had chosen "tushtikaran (appeasement)", his government had taken the path of "santushtikaran (satisfaction)". "The real social justice, secularism and respect for constitution is 100 per cent saturation of schemes," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that before 2014, there were 387 medical colleges in India. "Today, there are 780 medical colleges. The number of seats has increased with more medical colleges," Modi said. "Before 2014, there were 7700 SC seats in medical colleges; now the number is 17000. For OBCs, from 14000, the number of medical seats has gone up to 32000," the Prime Minister added.

While saying that it had become "fashion for some people to talk about caste", Prime Minister Narendra Modi added that for the past 30 to 35 years, Members of Parliament from across parties were demanding constitutional status for the OBC Commission. "Those who talk about it now did not remember it then, but we gave constitutional status to the OBC Commission," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha, said that his government had given the Muslim women their rights by ending 'triple talaq'. "Those who walk with the constitution in their pocket do not know how they had compelled Muslim women to live a life full of trouble," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that some people were speaking "the language of urban naxals these days". "To resist the Indian state is the language of naxals. Those who speak this language can understand neither the constitution nor national unity," the Prime Minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Lok Sabha, said that the NDA government had built a museum documenting all PMs. "You will find spaces in Delhi where some families have made their museums. What living by the constitution means is shown by the fact that we built the PM museum documenting every Prime Minister," Modi said. The Prime Minister added that he would want family members of those PMs to visit the museum and give their suggestions. "This is the spirit of the constitution. It is easy to live for oneself, but the ones living for the constitution are sitting here," Modi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that in 2014, the leader of the second largest was invited to the meetings, despite there being no official Opposition at the time. "In 2014, there was no official opposition. Yet it was our commitment to the constitution, we decided that the leader of the second biggest party would be invited to meetings. This is the spirit of the constitution," Modi said.

Highlighting his government's focus on double AI - "artificial intelligence and aspirational India" - Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the NDA government had started 10,000 tinkering labs in the country. "This budget has made provision for 50000 new tinkering labs. The world is looking towards India on AI," Modi said.

In a veiled jibe at the Aam Aadmi Party ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that "some parties are like AAP-da for the future of the youth". "Some parties are deceiving the youth. They make promises they never fulfil," Modi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Centre, through the Union Budget had "opened up the nuclear energy sector", while adding that it would bring long gains to the country. "For me, it is not single AI but double AI. One AI is artificial intelligence and the other aspirational India," Modi said.

Talking about the tax relief announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government had freed people earning up to Rs. 12 lakh from paying income tax". "If we add the Rs. 75000 standard deduction, the salaried class will pay no income tax till an annual income of Rs. 12.75 lakh," Modi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his reply to the Motion of Thanks said that the government had removed 10 crore "fake beneficiaries", while identifying the deserving "labharthis". "The removal of Rs 10 crore fake beneficiaries prevented Rs. 3lakh crore from going into wrong hands," Modi said.

Relying to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the NDA government had sent Rs 40 lakh crore directly to the people's accounts. "We had a Prime Minister who was called Mr Clean out of fashion. He had said if Re 1 leaves Delhi, 15 paise reach the village. At that time only one party was in power," Modi said. "We tried to find a solution. We brought Jana Dhan and Aadhar. We sent money directly to people through Direct Benefit Transfer. We have sent Rs. 40 lakh crore directly into people’s accounts," Modi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the poor population had been given over 4 crore houses, while 12 crore toilets had been built in the country "to rid sisters and daughter of problems". "Those who have lived in poverty understand the meaning of a roof. There are people who cannot understand the plight of a woman who has to defecate in the open," Modi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, replying to the Motion of Thanks to the discussion on President’s Address in Lok Sabha, said that several studies had shown that in the past ten years, 25 crore Indians had "defeated poverty and come out of it". He said that this happens when "we sacrifice our lives for poor in a planned way".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, replying to the Motion of Thanks to the discussion on President's Address in Lok Sabha, said that those who "carry out photo sessions in the huts of the poor" will find talk about the poor in Parliament "boring". He further said that the NDA government's focus was not on jacuzzis but on providing water connections to households.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the NDA government's focus was not on "jacuzzis" but on providing water connection to the people of India. Modi said that before the NDA's tenure, 75 per cent people, or more than 16 crore households, did not have tap water connections. "Our government in five years gave 12 crore households tap water connection," Modi added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his reply to the Motion of Thanks, said that 25 crore people had "defeated poverty" through the schemes of the NDA-led government at the Centre.

Commencing his reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the people of India for giving him the opportunity to do so for the 10th time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address at 5 pm today. The discussion, which began on Monday, witnessed the members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) underscoring various things that the Centre had accomplished, while the Opposition MPs, specifically Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, questioning the government on a host of issues.

BJP MP Hema Malini said, "He (CM Yogi Adityanath) is managing everything well. So many people are coming, it is difficult to manage... it is very difficult to manage but still we are doing the best. The prime minister is also going which shows everything is alright."

After his address in the Lok Sabha, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "Govt knows the time of the incident...Imagine the number of deceased if the incident took place at 1 AM and Ambulances were coming till 11 AM...Several devotees could not even take a holy dip; they had to go back. CM Yogi Adityanath said that he has made arrangements for 100 crore people...Now they are saying there is a conspiracy, the officials who are saying there is a conspiracy should be terminated by the Central Govt."

The Chairman of the Waqf JPC Jagdambika Pal on Tuesday responded to AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi's remarks on Waqf (Amendment) Bill and said that when the new Bill comes, it will benefit the poor Muslims, Pasmandas and widows.

"When Article 370 was discussed, Mehbooba Mufti had said that rivers of blood would flow. The way Triple Talaq Bill benefited, similarly, when the new Waqf Bill comes, it will also lead to benefits," Pal told ANI.

He further said, "Owaisi himself has been part of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), participating in meetings, amendments were passed through voting, report was adopted and even dissent notes were taken."

Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi, while speaking on the Motion of Thanks in Lok Sabha, accused the central government of "sowing the seeds of hatred" in the country, and taking away the rights of Dalits.

He also demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah apologize to the nation over his remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday gave an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha over the issue of the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj.

"I rise to discuss the tragic incident that occurred during the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj, where a horrific stampede resulted in the loss of numerous lives and left many others injured," Gogoi wrote in his letter.

"The Maha Kumbh, one of the largest religious congregations in the world, was expected to be a gathering of spiritual importance and unity. However, due to inadequate safety measures, overcrowding, and lapses in crowd management, this sacred event turned into a tragedy that shook the entire nation," the letter further reads.

The government does not tolerate irregularities and will take action if anyone is found guilty of indulging in corruption, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Tuesday amid allegations of corruption in Maharastra's agriculture department.

Chouhan was responding to an allegation levelled by NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule, who quoted a minister and an MLA of Maharashtra of talking about alleged corruption to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore in the state's agriculture department.

"This is for the first time I am hearing. I don't know what is the real position. But if there is any irregularity anywhere, we will conduct an inquiry and action will be taken against the guilty," he said in the Lok Sabha. (PTI)

Akhilesh Yadav said in Lok Sabha, "I remember, the biggest event of investment meet was held in Uttar Pradesh. Not only were investors invited to the investment meet, but many programs of defence expo were also held. Assurances were given that the MoUs worth Rs 40 lakh crores are being done. I want to know from this double-engine government that out of the Rs 40 lakh crores of MoUs that have been done, how much has this government been able to bring on the ground? Is it not that the double engines of the government are clashing with each other? Now the news we read is that not only engines are colliding, even coaches have started colliding..."

Akhilesh Yadav said in Lok Sabha, "When it was known that some people had lost their lives, their bodies were lying in the mortuary and in the hospital, then the govt filled their government helicopter with flowers and showered flower petals. What kind of Sanatani tradition is this?... God knows how many slippers, clothes, and sarees were lying there and they lifted all of them using JCB machines and tractor trolleys. Nobody knows where they were thrown. To hide everything, it is heard that some pressure and some sweeteners are being given so that their news does not come out..."

Akhilesh Yadav said in Lok Sabha, "There was nothing new in President's address. Nothing of significance was spoken during the address, she didn't raise any important issues during her speech."

Akhilesh Yadav said in Lok Sabha, "I demand an all-party meeting should be called to give clarification about the arrangements for Maha Kumbh. The responsibility of Maha Kumbh disaster management and lost and found centre should be given to the Army. The figures for the deaths in Maha Kumbh accident, treatment of injured, availability of medicines, doctors, food, water, transport should be presented in the Parliament. For the Maha Kum tragedy, there should be strict punitive action against those responsible and those who have hidden the truth should be punished. We ask the double-engine government, if there was no guilt, then why were the figures suppressed, hidden and erased?..."

Akhilesh Yadav said in Lok Sabha, "The chief minister expressed no grief over all those who died in the stampede in Maha Kumbh. Only after the Prime Minister and President spoke about the deaths, the CM expressed his condolences over the innocent people who lost their lives."

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the 'Shahi Snan' tradition was sullied by the Uttar Pradesh government, and blamed the Yogi Adityanath administration for the stampede. He questioned why provisions were not made to prevent such an incident when the government was prepared to host over 100 crore people in the Maha Kumbh festival.

During his reply to the Motion of Thanks debate in Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav demanded two minutes of silence be observed for those who passed away in the Maha Kumbh stampede in Prayagraj.

When the motion was denied by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Yadav said, "The government which is releasing figures on the Union Budget should also release the real death toll of the Maha Kumbh tragedy."

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed concerns regarding the PM Internship programme, speaking about the safety of female interns and the benefits of the scheme.

On Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan's statement on Maha Kumbh stampede deaths, Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma said, "I say you should prove it, if you don't prove it then people will question you. Indian constitution doesn't allow misrepresentation. If you spread rumours then you have to give proof... If you misrepresent then you are in the legal dock."

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule raised a question on an alleged scam of over Rs 500 crore in the PM Fasal Bhima Yojana, to which Shivraj Singh Chouhan replied that there is strict scrutiny in all schemes launched by the government.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said, "When there was a big stampede in 1954, on the very first day Jawaharlal Nehru said in the House that 400 people had died and 2000 were injured. After that the government said that people come in such large numbers, without giving letters, without advertising, so no VIP should go which may cause inconvenience to the people. But our Chief Minister is there every day, all the officers are busy there that the VIP lane should be good and they are not concerned about the common people who are going there, whether they drown or die. So now it depends on the Prime Minister whether he should go there or not, because such a big tragedy has happened there. If he is going there then he should meet those people who are searching for their family members...15,000 people are saying that their family members are not being found, the government is not giving any information..."

Notices submitted by Opposition MPs regarding the Maha Kumbh stampede were dismissed by the Rajya Sabha Chair under Rule 267 of the House, prompting protests from members.

After the resumption of House on Tuesday, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla commenced the Question Hour, with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressing the Parliament.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha resume proceedings for the day.

On Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha speech, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "The people of Maharashtra will not forgive those who conspired against Maharashtra, who drove the country's industries out of Maharashtra, who broke two regional parties and made them betray and formed their government, Maharashtra will not forgive those who added 48 lakh new voters within 5 months. Every person in Maharashtra is asking that Lok Sabha to Vidhan Sabha, 48 lakh voters were added in 5 months, whereas 37 lakh were added in 5 years. Till now, 72 lakh new voters have come, of which 70 lakh voters have been added to the camp of BJP..."

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back are LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi after his address during Motion of Thanks debate in the Parliament.

The Union Minister said, "Today, the LoP praised China more than a Chinese spokesperson. Rahul Gandhi should apologize for all the land China took away in 1959 and 1962 because his grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was the PM then."

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday hailed Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha speech as an ideal oration, that chalked out a vision for the country's future.

Claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative has failed, Rahul Gandhi in his speech presented an alternative vision for the country with a greater participation of Dalits, tribals and OBCs, powered by an energy and mobility revolution that outpaces the Chinese.

Speaking with reporters after her brother's speech, Priyanka Gandhi said, "Since I have come into Parliament there have been many speeches of different kinds. This is how a speech of a leader should be, that he gives a vision for the country (and explains) what is the thinking for the future, rises above the bickering and speaks for the country." (PTI)

A group of BJP MPs from the tribal community filed a breach of privilege notice on Monday against Congress parliamentary party leader Sonia Gandhi for using "derogatory and slanderous" words against President Droupadi Murmu.

Led by Sumer Singh Solanki, the BJP MPs met Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and sought disciplinary action against Gandhi, a Rajya Sabha member, contending her remarks lowered the dignity of the office of the President.

The notice was filed over Gandhi's remark on President Murmu after her address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Friday. In a video clip, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were seen discussing the speech in the Parliament complex.

"The poor lady, the President, was getting very tired by the end...she could hardly speak, poor thing," Sonia Gandhi was heard saying in the video doing the rounds on social media. (PTI)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday accused Rahul Gandhi of resorting to "falsehood" after the Congress leader suggested that the minister's visit to Washington in December was to manage an invite for the prime minister to Donald Trump's inauguration as the US president.

Following Gandhi's comments in Parliament, Jaishankar said an invitation for the prime minister was not discussed at "any stage".

"We would not send our foreign minister to the United States to get our prime minister invited to the US President's 'coronation'," Gandhi said in Lok Sabha while participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address.

"Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately spoke a falsehood about my visit to the US in December 2024," Jaishankar said in a post on 'X'. (PTI)

Asaduddin Owaisi questioned how India could resume ties with China after losing 2,000 sq. km of land.

With respect to US immigration crackdown, the Hyderabad MP, gathering data from Pew Research Centre, raised concerns about there being 7.25 lakh unauthorised immigrant Indians. “Are we going to accept all of them?” the AIMIM MP said

Nagina MP Chandrasekhar said, “You spent Rs 7,500 crore on the Mahakumbh, how much would you be willing to spend for Ambedkar Jayanti?”

Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) MP argued that a caste census is crucial for accurate data to ensure proper budget allocations and effectively reaching to beneficiaries.

Chandrasekhar also raised concerns about the treatment of scheduled castes and tribes pointing to the alleged murder of a 22-year-old Dalit woman. 

Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) leader Kiran Choudhry on Monday launched a scathing attack on Opposition parties, saying they are bereft of ideas and trying to build a false narrative against the Modi government, as the Rajya Sabha started a discussion on 'Motion of Thanks On The President's Address'.

Moving the motion in the Upper House, Choudhry said the Prime Minister has addressed all the important issues, which had been lying dormant for a long time because of policy paralysis and the indifferent attitude of the erstwhile Congress government.

"And it is heartening to know that Modi has put Bharat on the centre stage of the world community," said the BJP MP from Haryana.

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday, the first day of the Budget Session, addressed both the Houses of Parliament assembled together in the Lok Sabha chamber and said the pace of work has tripled in the third term of her government, which has worked with strong determination to lift the economy out of the state of "policy paralysis." (PTI)

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day and will resume tomorrow at 11:00 am, with the discussion on the motion for the vote of thanks on the President’s address to resume then.

Considering the long list of members yet to speak, officiating Speaker Sandhya Ray received consent from the house to extend proceedings till 10 pm.

Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha on Monday voiced strong concerns over the Kumbh Mela stampede, accusing the government of negligence and insensitivity and calling for accountability.

Speaking during the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, DMK MP Kanimozhi expressed her condolences and criticised the government for its failure to ensure the safety of pilgrims. "I would like to express my grief and empathy to the people who lost their lives in the Kumbh Mela stampede. These people trusted the Union and state governments, hoping they would be protected, but unfortunately, no one protected them," she said.

She alleged that the government's approach to governance has led to societal divisions. "When religion and politics merge, it is the innocent who suffer. We don't even know the exact number of people who died in the stampede," she remarked.

Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Chandra Uttam Patel also lashed out at the Uttar Pradesh government's handling of the Kumbh event. "The Kumbh Mela was not struck by a natural disaster; it was a glaring example of the government's failure," he said.

Trinamool Congress MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar condemned the government's response to the Kumbh tragedy, criticising the brevity of the President's mention of the incident.

"Millions of Hindus were preparing for the Mahakumbh, and many poor people saved money for the Mauni Amavasya. It is sad to say that the President only spent 61 words on this tragedy. She has neither condemned the deaths nor sent condolence messages to the families of the deceased," she said.

On the issues of national security and civil unrest, she criticised the lack of mention of Manipur in the President's Address.

"Not a single word was spoken about Manipur. Houses were burnt, women were gang-raped, and children were born in camps. The prime minister has no time to visit Manipur but visits election-bound states instead," she remarked. (PTI)

Hours after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s speech in the Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar refuted the Congress leader’s remarks alleging that the EAM had visited the United States to secure an invite for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President.

“Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately spoke a falsehood about my visit to the US in December 2024. I went to meet the Secretary of State and NSA of the Biden Administration. Also to chair a gathering of our Consuls General. During my stay, the incoming NSA-designate met with me,” Jaishankar said in a post on social media platform X.

While saying that “at no stage” was an invitation in respect of PM Modi discussed, Jaishankar added that it was common knowledge that the Prime Minister “does not attend such events”. The EAM further said that India is generally represented by Special Envoys. Read More

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien highlighted key national issues by referencing ten films submitted as India’s official Oscar entries, including Mother India, Court, and Newton. He criticized the budget for omitting terms such as price rise, smart cities, crimes against women, malnutrition, federalism, farmer income doubling, MNREGA, income inequality, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Manipur.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday paid tributes to "thousands" who died in the January 29 Maha Kumbh stampede, triggering an uproar from the treasury benches even as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to retract the statement.

Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, was quick to add that "this is my estimate (and) if this is not right you (the government) should tell what is the truth". He said he was ready to be corrected.

"I did not say 'thousands' to blame anyone. But how many people died, give that information at least. I will apologise if I am wrong. They should give figures how many died, how many are missing," he said.

There was a stampede during the Amrit Snan on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya on January 29. According to the figures provided by the Uttar Pradesh government, 30 people were killed and 60 others were injured.

However, while participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Rajya Sabha, Kharge used the phrase "the thousands who died in Kumbh" to pay tributes to the deceased. (PTI)

Recalling the use of unparliamentary language against MP Danish Ali in a previous Lok Sabha session, Thoothukudi MP described it as a "dark day," especially as India celebrated its Republic Day. She also alleged that there has been a decline in the representation of Muslims, SCs, and STs in Parliament and government positions.

“The government wants to ensure that minorities do not feel comfortable,” she said, citing legislations like triple talaq and the uniform civil code, along with alleged state excesses. “They are pushing minorities and making them feel threatened,” she added.

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said that the Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is a result of the Constitution, not the Manusmriti, which denied rights to women and lower castes. He said that all progress is owed to the constitution created by Ambedkar. Kharge concluded his speech with "Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Sanvidhan," criticizing the shift in Parliament from displaying Mahatma Gandhi's photo to that of Savarkar and honoring Godse.

"Today Mahatma Gandhi is not part of the budget," he said, adding that the allocation for MNREGA (named after Mahatma Gandhi) was reduced.

Kharge also criticized people like Savarkar and Golwalkar who were against participating in the freedom struggle, accusing the ruling party of being unpatriotic and even "selling the country." He condemned Mohan Bhagwat’s remark that India’s freedom came after the Ram Mandir was built, calling it an insult to freedom fighters.

Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the government’s silence on the murder and alleged rape of a Dalit girl in Ayodhya, asking why the Centre has not made any statements on the matter despite being vocal about other incidents. He also questioned the government’s "sabka prayas" slogan, pointing to incidents of discrimination, including an attack on an MLA and the fact that 80-90 per cent of faculty in IITs are from the general category.

The Barasat MP, pointing to National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) data about 30 per cent of India's population being middle class, criticized the budget for making promises to this group while overlooking issues like inflation, food price hikes, and farm loan waivers.

“This (the alleged negligence) is unwarranted for a country that depends on farmers for their food,” she said.

Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the government for shutting down 12,000 MSMEs in the past four months. But the government doesn't admit it, he said. He also alleged that the government favours industrialists like Adani by granting public sector resources, and questioned if there are no other industrialists.

“Leader of Opposition cannot make such serious unsubstantial statement. This is related to the relation between two countries and he is making an unverified statement," he said.

Rahul Gandhi said, "There are basically four technologies driving change in mobility -- electric motors, batteries, optics and on top of that, application of AI. People talk about AI but AI on its own is meaningless because it operates on data. If we look at data today, every single data that comes out of the production system is owned by China."

"We have as a country failed in organising production and handed it over to the Chinese," he added.

Rahul Gandhi said, “We have done caste survey in Telangana. We found almost 90% of the State comprises of Dalits, tribals, backward, minorities."

“None of the largest corporates in this country are owned by OBCs, Dalits or tribals,” he added. 

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi said, "The Prime Minister proposed 'Make in India', a good initiative. We saw the statues, functions, and the so-called investors, and the result is right in front of me today."

"Manufacturing fell from 15.3 per cent of GDP in 2014 to 12.6 per cent of GDP today i.e. the lowest share of manufacturing in 60 years," he added.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju raised objection to Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi's remarks on PM Modi over the inaugural ceremony of US President Donald Trump. Kiren Rijiju said, "Leader of Opposition cannot make such serious unsubstantial statement. This is related to the relation between two countries and he is making an unverified statement about the invitation of the Prime Minister of our country...."

Rahul Gandhi said, "It was a moment of pride for our Congress party to see PM Modi bow in front of the Constitution after winning the Lok Sabha election."

He also invoked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwant's statement that India did not get freedom in 1947.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha, "Any country basically organizes two things, you can organize consumption and then you can organize production. The modern way of saying organizing consumption is services. The modern way of saying organizing production is manufacturing, but there is more to production than simply manufacturing. We have as a country failed in organizing production. We have excellent companies that try to organize production...essentially what we have done is we have handed over the organization of production to the Chinese. This mobile phone, even though we are saying we make this mobile phone in India, that is not a fact. This phone is not made in India. This phone is assembled in India. All the components of this phone are made in China...we are paying a tax to China."

Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha, "People talk about AI, but it's important to understand that AI on its own is absolutely meaningless because AI operates on top of data. Without data, AI means nothing. And if we look at data today, there is one thing which is very clear. Every single piece of data that comes out of the production system in the world. The data that was used to make this phone, the data that is used to make electric cars. The data that is used to make basically all electronics on the planet today is owned by China."

Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha, "The Prime Minister had denied that Chinese forces are inside our country but our armed forces still continue to hold talks with the Chinese forces over their entry in our country. This is not a farce but a fact."

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju attacked Rahul Gandhi during the Motion of Thanks to President's address, with many NDA MPs showing disagreement with LoP's remarks on organisation production failure in India.

Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha, "You can organise consumption and production. Every govt since 1990 has done a decent job on consumption. We have as a country failed in organizing production."

Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha, "I don't think anyone in this room will disagree. I will give a little statistic for the PM. The PM, something I would agree with directionally, Make in India program -- a good idea. We saw the statues, functions, so called investment, and the result is in front of you. Manufacturing fell from 15.3 per cent of GDP in 2014 to 12.6 per cent of GDP. That is the lowest share of manufacturing in 60 years."

Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha on Monday, "The future of this country will be decided by the youth of this country. Anything I say has to be addressed to them, focused on them."

The Leader of Opposition added, "The first thing in front of us. This is something PM and everyone in this room will accept. Even though we have grown, we have grown fast. We are growing slightly slower now. A universal problem we have not been able to tackle is unemployment. Neither the UPA govt nor today's NDA govt has give a clear cut answer to youth on employment."

Rahul Gandhi said during Motion of Thanks debate, "It was the same laundry list -- 50-100 things govt has done. While listening I was thinking I'm being critical about what is being said. And I am saying that this is not the type of President's address that should be delivered. Well, the question came to mind that what type of address India alliance govt deliver. How would be different. Today I would like to lay out some dimensions what an alternate address look like."

Speaking on the Motion of Thanks to President's address, Rahul Gandhi said, "I struggled through the President's address because it is the same thing that I have heard Presidents speak over the years."

During the debate over Motion of Thanks to President's address, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked Congress MP Sonia Gandhi for her 'poor thing' remark on President Droupadi Murmu.

On Maha Kumbh stampede, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi said, "Today the opposition demanded only one thing, that the government answer on the atrocities committed with the tourists and death of people at Maha Kumbh... The government is trying to hide the answers... The topic of Maha Kumbh is very serious and should be subjected to investigation and lapses by the Uttar Pradesh government should be revealed... We gave motion in urgent, but the speaker negated it..."

Samajwadi MP Jaya Bachchan said on Question Hour, "Question hour is going on in Rajya Sabha and questions were raised on 'Jal Shakti'. I have already spoken on clean water... Right now Kumbh has the most contaminated water. Dead bodies were disposed into the river which contaminated the water in Prayagraj and the same water is being supplied to common people... They (the government) are not giving any answers to these real issues."

Lok Sabha on Monday witnessed prolonged noisy protests by opposition parties demanding a discussion on the recent stampede at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj and a list of those deceased.

When the House met for the first time after the President's address to the joint sitting and presentation of the 2025-26 budget, the opposition MPs led by Congress were on their feet and demanded a discussion on the recent tragedy in Maha Kumbh.

Soon the opposition members stormed the well of the House resorting to noisy protests and sloganeering.

Led by deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi and Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, the opposition members also sought suspension of the Question Hour and demanded a discussion on the stampede.

The opposition MPs also sought a complete list of those who died in the stampede. Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members that they can raise their issues during the debate on motion of thanks to the President for her address to the joint sitting. "The Honourable President had referred to the tragedy at Maha Kumbh. You can raise your issues during the debate," he said. (PTI)

BJP MP Ramvir Bidhuri said that the public transport system has collapsed in Delhi, with the number of buses gradually decreasing in the city. He said that AAP has failed the public transport system in the national capital over the last decade, and the only reason its functioning is because of new reforms by the central government.

BJP MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri attacked the Aam Aadmi Party in Lok Sabha over the upcoming Delhi elections 2025, blaming the government for not letting Centre implement PM Awas Yojana in the national capital. He also said that people in Delhi have been kept away from basic healthcare, and called the AAP government corrupt.

The Question Hour in Lok Sabha came to a conclusion as the ruckus in Parliament died down. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks in Lok Sabha tomorrow at 5 pm. 

Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha raised slogans and walked out of the House against Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath government over Maha Kumbh stampede issue.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said "...The incident took place because of the mismanagement of the administration. The eyewitnesses say that thousands were killed in the stampede...Families are not getting bodies, no action has been taken against the officials...We have given notices here but they have been rejected..."

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla appealed to the Opposition MPs, "Please don't try to disrupt the Question Hour. It is not the norm that Question Hour be delayed or disrupted. Everyone will be given a chance to voice their concerns during the Motion of Thanks to the President's address. Do not come to the Parliament just to raise slogans and waste taxpayers' money."

Opposition MPs raised slogans of 'Tanashahi nahi chalegi' in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, while Speaker Om Birla continued to urge the members to maintain decorum as other MPs raised their questions. This comes as MPs demand a discussion on the stampede in the Mahakumbh.

On JPC's report on Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh said, "By suspending some members of the Parliamentary Committee, BJP has passed this bill in its own way. I predict that the government will bring this Waqf Board Bill to the Parliament after amending it again..."

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, "I want to raise 10 questions but the opposition is not allowing me to do that. I will expose the relationship between the Gandhi family and George Soros...A photo of George Soros's son with the CEO of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus has been published and his son stayed in Bangladesh for 4 days. He has made Bangladesh the centre for sending infiltrators to India and dividing our country, I am going to expose that..."

Loud sloganeering continued in Lok Sabha as Opposition MPs demanded a discussion on the stampede during Mahakumbh. Speaker Lok Sabha slammed the Opposition MPs, saying, "The people of India didn't elect you to break tables or raise slogans in Parliament."

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday moved a notice of motion to discuss the "growing instances of disrespect" towards the Constitution and Dr BR Ambedkar across the country, focusing on remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the previous Parliament session.

Sujrewala in his notice claimed that there is a "deliberate effort" to undermine the principles of social justice and equality enshrined in the Constitution.

Before moving to Zero Hour, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "I have received nine notices under Rule 267. Members will recall my detailed ruling from December 8, 2022, and December 19, 2022, explaining how issues related to Rule 267 should be addressed. These notices, however, do not align with the guidelines provided."

Opposition MPs raised slogans in Parliament, demanding a discussion on the stampede in the Mahakumbh festival in Prayagraj, which claimed 30 lives and injured over 60 people.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attacked the Opposition MPs for raising a ruckus during Question Hour, saying, "Have the people of India elected you as MPs for sloganeering and disturbing House proceedings?"

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar said that this is the first time that the obituary of deceased MPs has been disrupted by MPs, calling it "highly disrespectful."

Question hour commenced in the Lok Sabha while opening remarks continues in Rajya Sabha. Opposition leaders raised slogans against the Centre in both houses.

The third day of the Budget session in Parliament resumed at 11 am today. Waqf Bill panel report and debate over the Motion of Thanks are on the roster for today.

The food inflation rate in India has remained firm over the past two years defying the global trend, and frequent extreme weather events are one of the reasons, the government said in its latest Economic Survey.

Tabled in Parliament on Friday, the report said that the decline in onion and tomato production over the past two years can be partly attributed to frequent extreme weather events in major producing states compared to other regions.

Extreme weather events in 2023-24 damaged crops in major horticulture-producing states, leading to inflationary pressure on horticultural commodities, it said. (PTI)

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that the central government is dismissing the suggestions of the opposition over the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, and that the purpose of the JPC is just political.

"You rejected all 44 amendments from the opposition and accepted all the amendments from the ruling party. You are not listening to us. Was this a JPC or a formality? The purpose of this JPC was political," Tiwari told ANI.