Prime Minister Narendra Modi
addressed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)Parliament Budget Session Highlights (February 9): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a frontal attack on the Opposition, even as they were protesting for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the allegations against the Adani Group raised by the Hindenburg Research.
PM Modi, while replying to the motion of thanks in Rajya Sabha on the President’s address, also launched a stinging attack on the Congress. He claimed that the Congress govt at the Centre had dismissed 90 state governments by “misusing” Article 356 of the Constitution and that former PM Indira Gandhi “misused” it 50 times to dismiss elected state governments.
Earlier in the day, Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge raised objection over expunging few words from his statement. “Former Prime Ministers, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, have used the word that was expunged from my statement. I have not said anything unparliamentary,” the Congress MP said. The Congress chief had targetted PM Modi and his government on Wednesday, questioning the rise in the wealth of the Adani Group “in the last two-and-half years”. Some of Kharge’s remarks were later expunged from House records.
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PM Narendra Modi speaks in the Parliament. (Source: Sansad TV/YouTube)
On Thursday (February 9), Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled in Rajya Sabha that Congress governments at the Centre had dismissed 90 state governments by “misusing” Article 356 of the Constitution, and that former PM Indira Gandhi had “misused” it 50 times to dismiss elected state governments.
Article 356 of the Indian Constitution contains provisions for the imposition of “President’s Rule” in a state, removing an elected government. While the Constitution intended Article 356 to be used only under extraordinary circumstances, central governments, including the Janata government of which members of the BJP’s predecessor Jana Sangh were part, repeatedly used the provision to settle political scores.
Read more here
JD(U) MP Mahabali Singh on Thursday said that while Budgets have come and gone, the plight of the people has not changed.
The MP from Karakat also demanded a special status for his home state Bihar, saying it has been denied a special package for years.
Despite the people of Bihar showing their faith in the BJP, the saffron party has not come through for the state, he added.
"People of Bihar had put all their hopes in the Budget and had kept a keen eye out for an announcement of a special package for the state and a special status. But nothing has come. What have you given Bihar," Singh asked as BJP MPs protested.
He referred to railway lines pending for decades and rail factories yet to see the light of day.
(With PTI inputs)
Bahujan Samaj Party MP Sangeeta Azad described the Union Budget 2023 as "Mungeri Lal Ke Haseen Sapne (daydreaming)" and claimed it only shows dreams to people, without amounting to much on the ground.
The Lalganj MP said, "They are dishonest. Under them, the middle class has become lower class. The middle class has become unemployed."
(With PTI inputs)
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said the Union Budget 2023 was anti-farmer, anti-poor and anti-rural, on Thursday.
Lashing out at the finance minister for slashing the Budget for the MGNREGA and the reduction in food and fertiliser subsidies, the Dum Dum MP said, "The Budget has exposed the farmers to the vagaries of the global markets and rendered the economy of agriculture even more fragile."
The TMC leader also demanded an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) into the allegations of round-tripping against Adani Group made in a report by the US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research.
He said the fall in the stock prices of the corporate group caused huge losses to investors and needed to be investigated.
"You send the Enforcement Directorate after every opposition leader but not this company," Roy claimed.
He also said that the Union finance minister could have reduced the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas but did not do so as she had to "beautifully balance the Budget".
The finance minister has failed to address the problem of unemployment in the Budget and is leading the country to a "jobless future", Roy alleged.
(With PTI inputs)
YSRCP MP from Rajahmundry Margani Bharat Ram Thursday said that the Union Budget 2023 made no special provisions for Andhra Pradesh, which was bifurcated "like a birthday cake" by the previous Congress-led UPA government in 2014.
The YSRCP leader said injustice was meted out to Andhra Pradesh, which lost 13 years due to the separate Telangana movement and the allocation of assets created over decades to the new state, including the city of Hyderabad. Hyderabad was the capital of united AP and is now the capital of Telangana.
Bharat Ram demanded that the Centre should grant special status to Andhra Pradesh, as promised by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament when the AP Reorganisation Bill was passed in 2014.
He said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has missed the opportunity to rein in the rising prices of cooking gas. "The government missed an opportunity for an electoral gamble," the YSRCP leader added.
(With PTI inputs)
PM Modi says the Congress government at Centre dismissed 90 state governments by “misusing” Article 356 of the Constitution.
Speaking about the technological advancements made by the country, PM Modi said: “Drones are being used to benefit the common man as the government has modified policies. The Opposition is against science and technology as they are not bothered about the country, but only about their politics. Today, more than 350 private companies have come into the defence sector. Our country is doing exports worth almost Rs 1 lakh crore in this sector. From retail to tourism, every sector has grown.”
Talking about medical advancements that India has made in the last few years, the Prime Minister said: “There was pressure from people in the world to sell their vaccine in our market. Articles were written, TV interviews were given. There were attempts till yesterday to insult our scientists, but my country's scientists made vaccines that were approved and benefitted over 150 countries.”
The voice of small and marginal farmers was not heard in past, but now, our government is working for their welfare. The Congress party's economic, social and political policies were based on vote bank politics, but we focus on development, says PM Modi in Parliament
Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Modi said: “The country is with us and people have rejected the Congress party and punished them from time to time. Had the Congress worked with good intentions for tribals, I would not have to work so hard in the third decade of 21st century.
“We have decided to achieve saturation levels in schemes to benefit everyone during ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal’. This is true secularism. We pledge to achieve 100 per cent saturation in all schemes and will put an end to all kind of appeasement”: PM Modi in Rajya Sabha.
Talking about the measures his government has taken for the tribal people, PM Modi said, “We identified 110 aspiration districts in the country. Education, infrastructure, and health was improved in these districts due to continued focus and performance reviews. This has benefitted more than 3 crore tribals.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in reply to Motion of Thanks on President's address in Rajya Sabha, said on Thursday: “True secularism is making sure that the benefits of different government schemes reach all eligible beneficiaries. We have transformed the working culture with the power of technology. Our focus is on increasing speed and enhancing scale.”
Continuing his attack at the Congress party, PM Modi said: “They (Congress) used to say ‘Gareebi Hatao’ but did nothing for over 4 decades. As against them, we work hard to meet the expectations and aspirations of the people of the country. Our priority is the common public, and this is the reason we made LPG connections available to 25 crore families in the country.”
Hitting out at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who, on Wednesday, had launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister and his government over the Adani issue, PM Modi said: “Khargeji complains that I visit Kalaburagi too often. He should see the work done there. 1.70 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts have been opened in Karnataka, including over 8 lakh in Kalaburagi. While general public is being empowered, the accounts of many are getting shut and I understand their pain.”
Speaking about the developmental measures undertaken by his government, the Prime Minister said: “In the last 3-4 years, around 11 crore houses have got tap water connections. Talking of empowerment of common people, we started the Jan Dhan account movement. In the last 9 years, 48 crore Jan Dhan accounts were opened across the country.”
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address continued in the Rajya Sabha, “We want JPC” slogans rung in the House.
In a retort to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s statements, Prime Minister Modi said: “When I became the Prime Minister in 2014, I saw that the Congress had created problems and issues everywhere, even though they wanted to create a strong foundation for India's overall development."
Reacting to the chants by the Opposition members, the Prime Minister said: “The country carefully hears what is said in this House. Some MPs are bringing disrepute to this House. I want to remind everyone that the more mud you fling towards us, more the lotus will bloom.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amid sloganeering by members of the Parliament. The Opposition parties continued with their jibe over the Adani controversy, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amid sloganeering by members of the Parliament. The Opposition parties continued with their jibe over the Adani controversy, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amid sloganeering by members of the Parliament. The Opposition parties continued with their jibe over the Adani controversy, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, replying to the Motion of Thanks.
Differences of opinion are a part of democracy and there are ways to find solutions to that, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Thursday in Rajya Sabha on whether there exists differences between the judiciary and the executive on the issue of appointment of judges.
The government also said aspersions should not be cast on appointment of Victoria Gowri as a judge of the high court, asserting that she has been appointed through a process. Asked by TMC member Jawhar Sircar whether the appointment of Gowri was right even when she has been accused in public of making casteist remarks, of remarks against minorities, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal sought the indulgence of the chair.
"I think there should be some decorum. An honourable judge has been duly appointed through a process. I don't think we, as honourable members here, should be casting aspersions of this nature. I seek your indulgence," Goyal said. Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the three wings of the state have to act in tandem and "we must have mutual respect for them". (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply on Motion of Thanks in Rajya Sabha shortly. In his speech in Lok Sabha Wednesday, PM Modi said trust reposed in his government by 140 crore people was a “protective shield” that neither “abuse” nor “false allegations” can pierce. During his 87-minute speech, punctuated by calls of “Adani, Adani,” and “JPC, JPC” from the Opposition, Modi made no direct reference to the allegations made by Gandhi a day earlier regarding the Adani group.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm Thursday following protest by Congress members after Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge raised objections to his statements being expunged.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday issued a three-line whip to all the Lok Sabha MPs to remain present in the House, during the budget session, till February 13. The Budget Session in the Parliament began on January 31 with President Droupadi Murmu's joint address to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
If international price of fuel comes down from its current price of $750 per metric tonne, domestic LPG can then be sold at “even more economical rates”, the Centre told Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The day international price is determined by a “variety of factors” and “one of the analysis I read said that in a few years’ time it will all be thing of the past because there will be so much gas available,” Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri said in the Lower House.
“But we will have to navigate the next two or three years through the kind of global situation as it exists today and as it is evolving,” he added. The Minister was replying to questions of the members who wanted to know why the cost of the domestic gas cylinders is not being reduced. He said the government is “sensitive” to the requirements of the consumers, particularly the most vulnerable. (PTI)
The government on Thursday said almost all 100 cities selected under the smart cities initiative are progressing “fairly well” with some facing a slowdown in work due to Covid and local factors.
The Centre's assertion came in response to a question in Lok Sabha by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who asked about “discrepancies” in the implementation of the projects under the smart city programme. Tharoor cited a comparison between Varanasi with Atal Nagar in Chhattisgarh, saying while most projects are complete for the former, only a few had wrapped up for the latter.
In response to the question during Question Hour, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri said, “When you read facts and figures, you have to be careful.” Sometimes, very little work is left for a project under construction to be completed but till the completion certificate comes, it will be shown as work under progress, Puri pointed out. “Almost all 100 cities are doing fairly well. In some due to the Covid period, there was a slowdown, or there were local factors.... the state governments also has a role in this (projects),” he said. (PTI)
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, while speaking about the Prime Minister’s speech in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, said: “The PM never faces the media because he doesn’t want to listen to uncomfortable questions. Rahul Gandhi’s questions were uncomfortable. The PM doesn’t have any answer at his disposal to refute charges brought about by Rahul Gandhi.”
The Congress on Wednesday also strongly criticised the expunging of certain remarks made by Rahul Gandhi in Parliament targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and alleged that "democracy was cremated" in Lok Sabha.
Members of the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bharat Rashtra Samiti protested outside the Parliament in front of the Gandhi statue on Friday, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani controversy.
Reacting to the expunging of a few words from his speech in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said: “Expunging of words should be done after considering all rules. We have also studied the rules as to what words they can't expunge. I have given them a 3-page reply and maybe they will be satisfied after that.”
Members of the Opposition parties in Rajya Sabha questioned the expunging Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks in the House on Wednesday.
Dhankar, however, responded, "I have taken my call." He stated that he had followed the rules of the House.
Amid the Opposition’s demands for a Joint Parliamentary Committee over the Adani-Hindenburg episode, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a dig at the Opposition, saying, “After some people’s remarks yesterday in the Lok Sabha, entire ecosystem and their supporters were jubilant.” On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi had launched a scathing attack on the Modi government on the matter.
“Ecosystem” has been the BJP’s go-to word for many contexts: violence, protests, attacks on rivals, and even the introduction of policy. On June 28, 2022, responding to a question on the arrests of AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair and activist Teesta Setalvad, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia at a press conference in New Delhi suggested protests against the same showed “there is a poisonous ecosystem”.
Bhatia went on to accuse Congress of supporting and opposing judicial actions as per its convenience. Read more
Congress MP Manickam Tagore has given an adjournment notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss "the details of PM's foreign travels with Gautam Adani and the consequent benefits received by the Adani Groups in respect of getting foreign tenders," news agency ANI reported.
The Opposition has remained resolute over its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani Group that has come under fire over the allegations of stock manipulation and fraud by the US-based firm, Hindenburg Research. The issue led to stalled Houses for three days.
On Wednesday, CPI’s Sandosh Kumar said in Rajya Sabha, “The gravity of the situation is such that they are fearful of even a JPC where the ruling coalition would have a majority”. Read more
In his speech in Lok Sabha, PM Modi delivered a stinging attack on the Opposition, saying that the trust reposed in his government by 140 crore people was a “protective shield” that neither “abuse” nor “false allegations” can pierce. (Read here)
During his 87-minute speech, punctuated by calls of “Adani, Adani,” and “JPC, JPC” from the Opposition, Modi made no direct reference to the allegations made by Gandhi a day earlier regarding the Adani group. Gandhi, on his part, told reporters that the PM was “shell-shocked” and did not give answers to his questions on Adani. Read more
With the proceedings resuming in Parliament over the last two days, which saw replies by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President’s address, both the Houses are set to discuss the Union Budget 2023-24 today.
The Presidential Address at the commencement of the Budget Session is a very important event in parliamentary tradition. It has great sanctity and propriety attached to it. This Budget Session has its own added significance because it was the maiden address of President Droupadi Murmu whose elevation to the top-most post is historic. After all, she comes from a deprived community and is a leader of great distinction.
It is tragic that Rahul Gandhi used the “Motion of Thanks” to level baseless, reckless, and shameful allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While doing so, he threw all parliamentary proprietary to the winds and indulged in lies. Rule 353 of the parliamentary procedure rules clearly stipulates that “No allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature shall be made by a member against any person unless the member has given adequate notice to the Speaker and also to the Minister concerned”. None of these procedures was followed. What is utterly irresponsible is that even in sensitive matters such as foreign relations with neighbouring countries, he deliberately uttered a lie related to the award of a contract in a power facility: The president of Sri Lanka publicly repudiated the statement of a particular officer, who also withdrew his comments. Rahul Gandhi did not mention this. Read More
Rajya Sabha Congress MP K C Venugopal on Wednesday alleged that the government was "running away" from an investigation by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the allegations against the Adani Group as it wanted to "hide something".
Leaders from different opposition parties in the Upper House also alleged that the President's speech missed out key issues, especially the "attacks" on minority Muslims, price rise and unemployment, and demanded a caste-based census. Several of them demanded a JPC probe into the Hindenburg-Adani issue.
Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Rajya Sabha, Venugopal said the truth will not come out with a JPC probe. (PTI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Lok Sabha and said it instilled new hope among the youth and revived the trust he has built among the poor, tribals and the deprived by giving them their rights. Shah said with his power-packed positive approach, Modi validated that there is no looking back for India in its 'Amrit Kaal'.
'While setting new examples of best Parliamentary practice in his speech, PM @narendramodi Ji today, instilled new hope among the youth. With his power-packed positive approach, PM Modi validated that there is no looking back for India in its Amrit Kaal,' the home minister tweeted.
Prime Minister Modi's speech revived the trust he has built among the poor, tribals and the deprived by giving them their due rights and lifting their living standards, Shah said.
'And this bedrock of trust now cannot be shaken by the ones who kept them deprived for decades after independence,' he said in another tweet. (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address at 2 pm in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
President Droupadi Murmu had addressed the joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on January 31, the first day of the Budget Session.
"Reply by prime minister will be at 2 pm tomorrow," said Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar after the last speaker spoke on the motion on Wednesday. Modi replied to the motion of thanks in Lok Sabha earlier in the day. (PTI)
Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Opposition while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha Wednesday, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Modi was “shell-shocked” and did not give answers to any of the questions that he had raised regarding his government’s alleged role in the rise of Gautam Adani’s fortunes. Rahul alleged that the PM was trying to “protect” Adani.
“The Prime Minister was shell-shocked. He was in shock and there was no answer. The Prime Minister did not give a single answer. I had not asked any complicated questions. I had only asked how many times he (Gautam Adani) had travelled with you, how many times you had met him there. Those were simple questions but there were no answers,” Rahul said.
In his 53-minute speech in the Lok Sabha Tuesday, Rahul had accused Modi and his government of allegedly pulling strings in Adani’s favour and flouting rules to fuel the meteoric rise of the businessman since 2014. Read More
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday avoided making any direct reference to the questions Opposition parties have raised on the Adani-Hindenburg row even as he strongly countered his party’s rivals by saying that crores of people who are beneficairies of his government’s welfare schemes and programmes will not believe their “lies” and “false allegations” against him.
In his address to the Lok Sabha as part of the debate on the President’s address, Modi said “140 crore Indians” had placed their trust and faith in him and tried to identify himself as one of them. The PM said the welfare schemes rolled out by his government had benefited crores of people, especially people who are poor.
Modi did indirectly refer to the accusations levelled against him by senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. In his speech on Tuesday, Gandhi had flagged allegations about the award of a power project to Adani in Sri Lanka. “In June 2022, the Chairman of Sri Lanka’s Electricity Board M M C Ferdinando informed a Parliamentary committee in an open hearing that he was told by President (Gotabaya) Rajapaksa that Prime Minister Modi pressured him to give the wind power project directly to Adani,” Gandhi alleged. Read More
Concluding his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Lok Sabha, PM Modi said: "There can be difference of opinion in politics, but we are focused on building a developed India by 2047."
Several Opposition MPs walked out of Lok Sabha as PM Modi replied to Motion of Thanks on President's address, in Lok Sabha.
The Opposition has wasted the last nine years in making allegations, says Prime Minister Modi, and adds that "compulsive criticism replaced constructive criticism during this period."
Taking a swipe at the previous UPA government, PM Modi says "Vote bank politics harmed the country, delayed India's development and the middle class was ignored, but the NDA government provided them protection."
In his address in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi went on to say that "people's trust in Modi is not because of newspaper headlines or TV visuals but because "of my years of dedication." "People know Modi has come to their help in times of crisis, how will they then agree with your abuses and allegations?" he asks. The prime minister says that the "trust of crores of people is my protective shield and it can't be breached by your abuses and allegations."
"Our priority is to work for the welfare of the deprived, poor and tribals, and that is our mission," he says.
Further attacking the Opposition, PM Modi says the Opposition keeps contradicting itself saying India is weakened and then allege that India is pressuring other countries.
Stating that the ED has brought all Opposition parties together on one platform and that it has done what the electorate could not do, Modi added: "Not just Harvard, but all big universities of the world will conduct studies on Congress' downfall."
"During the 10 years of the UPA govt, inflation was in double digits and hence, when something good happens, their sadness increases. In the history of the country's independence, 2004-2014 was full of scams. Terror attacks took place across the country in those 10 years," says PM Modi
"The pandemic divided the world and destruction due to war has caused instability in several countries. There is acute inflation, unemployment and food crisis in several countries. Which Indian would not be proud that even in such times, the nation is world's 5th largest economy?" asks PM.
There is positivity, hope and confidence in the world about India today, says PM Modi and adds that hosting the G20 summit was a matter of pride but some people were irked by it.
"India emerging as a manufacturing hub, the world sees its prosperity in India's growth, but some people don't want to accept it," he adds.
"There is political stability in India. There is a stable and decisive government in India today," says PM Modi. He adds that there is reform not out compulsion but out of conviction.
After some people's remarks yesterday in Lok Sabha, entire 'ecosystem' and their supporters were jubilant, PM Modi says in Lok Sabha. "I was watching yesterday. After the speeches of a few people, some people were happily saying,'Ye hui na baat'. Maybe they slept well & couldn't wake up (on time). For them it has been said, 'Ye keh keh ke hum dil ko behla rahe hain,wo ab chal chuke hain, wo ab aa rahe hain'." (PTI & ANI)