On Wednesday, post-lunch, the debate on the Budget 2019-20 began amid din as Congress MPs trooped into the Well during the entire discussion period. They shouted slogans like "Loktantra ki Hatya Band Karo, Pradhan Mantri Jawab Do, Horse Trading Nahi Chalegi, Sarkari Gundagardi Nahi Chalegi and Kharid Farokht Band Karo".
The other Opposition Members also were on their feet. Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who was to initiate the debate in the Upper House, did not speak amid noisy scenes despite the chair calling his name repeatedly. As no one could hear the debate, Samajwadi Party members staged a walk out saying they cannot discuss in a noisy atmosphere. A BJD member also said he would speak when the House is in order. Later, both ruling and Opposition Congress discussed and came to a consensus.
"We have agreed to continue the discussion on Budget tomorrow from 11 am. (Anand) Sharma has urged presence of the Finance Minister in the House during the debate. There is an understanding on this," Leader of the House Thawarchand Gehlot said after protesting members returned to their seats.
Deputy Leader of Opposition Anand Sharma said the party has "agreed" for discussion on the Budget Thursday. "My party and Opposition are serious about the discussion on Budget. I requested the finance minister to be present in the House. Tomorrow, let there be an orderly debate and I request the Chair to adjourn the House for the day," he said.
Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day. The House will resume on July 12 at 11 am.
In the debate for Railways budget 2019-2020, Raveendranath Kumar (AIADMK, Theni, T.N.) thanks to Mr. Modi for renaming Chennai Central station to Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, and goes on to praise Modi and Railway Minister for the "excellent work" done by the government.
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Supriya Sadanand Sule of NCP raised the issue of privatization of the Indian railways in the Lok Sabha today. She fears that like privatization of Air India, the ruling government might allow private enterprises to dominate Indian Railways under PPP model.
The House is adjourned till 11 am, July 12, 2019
Achieving a USD five-trillion economy will have little meaning if the majority of people in the country are poor, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said in
Rajya Sabha. Participating in the debate on the Union Budget, the former Union minister said, "In terms of per capita, we rank 122nd in the world. Tell us how you will improve income of the poor."
A BJP MP sharing a "love story" between a mosquito and a fly during a discussion in Lok Sabha on Thursday raised hackles of Trinamool Congress women members who demanded that his remarks be expunged. During the discussion on the demands for grants on railways for 2019-20, BJP member Rajveer Singh started his speech with the story. However, agitated TMC members, including Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Aparupa Poddar, said that Parliament is a place to discuss serious matters and demanded that Rajendra Agrawal, who was in Chair, expunge the "derogatory" remarks.
AIADMK Minister D Jayakumar compared India's loss in the World Cup to the "temporary setback" suffered by his party in the Lok Sabha polls in the state. He quipped that the Virat Kohli-led team could have won had he played in the squad.
"For sure, they would have won if I had played. Get me a chance," a smiling Jayakumar said, leaving his cabinet colleague K Pandiarajan and others in splits while interacting with reporters.
The bullet train concept is not possible in India and it is a "hoax" and a false promise of the government, the TMC Thursday said in the Lok Sabha. Participating in the debate in Lok Sabha on demand of grants for Railways, TMC member Sudip Bandyopadhyay said these can be called as high-speed trains and not bullet trains. "It is a hoax and a false promise," Bandyopadhyay said, adding bullet trains have a separate structure. "It is bogus on Indian soil," he added.
"It's not important if we have bullet trains, what we have to be ashamed of is that the railways still employ manual scavengers. They've said railways don't employ manual scavengers directly. But it's done through contractual labour. It is shameful for the nation to continue it," Kanimozhi told the House.
On 'whether visas would be granted to athletes from all the countries, including Pakistan, in events taking place in India', Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha said, "The stated policy of the Government of India is to permit all qualified athletes belonging to any National Olympic Committee recognised by it or any national federation affiliated to the International Federation concerned to participate in international sporting events in India."
"This govt has taken up that every program will be only named in Hindi. I would like to ask you how will a villager in my district understand what it is? I've seen signboards in Thoothukudi saying PM Sadak Yojana, with no translation. I don't understand it," Kanimozhi said.
Congress leaders walked out of the Lok Sabha to protest against the ongoing political situation in Karnataka and Goa. Chaos erupted in the House after a Congress member's request to raise the issue during Zero Hour was not accepted by Speaker Om Birla.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi said, "This government has decided to name every scheme in Hindi. There is no translation in English and Hindi. How will the people in Tamil Nadu understand this? Common man is struggling to figure out the details of the welfare schemes."
Rahul Gandhi addressed the Lok Sabha on farmer suicides today. Watch video here:
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant arrived in Parliament along with two of the 10 Congress MLAs who have merged with BJP. The MLAs will meet BJP president Amit Shah and working president JP Nadda later today.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of the Trinamool Congress said the total tax revenues were lower than the revised estimates.
Chidambaram also told the House that the Centre was showing people a "pie in the sky" by talking about the goal of achieving a $5 trillion economy by 2020-25. He added that as long as the rate of growth is 11-12 per cent, the rate of the economy will continue to double every five or six years. "It is the magic of compounding," he said, adding, "Any money lender will be able to explain the same. Instead, bold structural reforms is needed because the economy is weak."
Speaking on the state of railways in the country, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary said, "Hamare Rail Mantri bade dilwale hain, keh rahe hain ki hum Rs 50 lakh crore kharch karenge. Aaj ke rail ki stithi jo hai, ki raat mein sone ki chattai (mat) nahi hai, tambu (tent) ki pharmaish (demand) ho rahi hai (Our railway minister has a big heart. He said he will spend Rs 50 lakh crore for development. The present condition of the railways is such that there are no mats to sleep at night and passengers have been demanding for tents at stations)."
"The Government of India has no role in raising funds for Jet Airways (India) Limited as it is an internal matter of the airline. Mobilizing financial resources and ensuring efficient operations as per business plans are the responsibility of the airline," HS Puri told the Lower House.
"But taking note of the reality, you should've been bold. The government has a superb mandate, 303 people in Lok Sabha. Dr Manmohan Singh and I've exchanged notes and we wish he had such mandate of that kind sometime in our life. With your allies, you have a mandate of over 352, why have you inherited this situation? Why did you not take bold measures," Chidambaram asked.
'The gravity of unemployment can be looked by only one example -- for 62,907 khalasi posts, 82 lakhs people had applied,4,19,137 of them were BTech graduates and 40,751 had Masters in Engineering. This is the economy you inherited. I don't blame her for that," Chidambaram told the Upper House, in an indirect address to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
"I would like to request the Central government to direct the Reserve Bank of India to consider the moratorium by the Kerala government and ensure that banks don't threaten farmers with a recovery notice. Yesterday, a farmer in Wayanad committed suicide due to debt. In Wayanad, bank notices for non-payment of loans have been given to 8,000 farmers. Under a relevant act, their properties are attached against their bank loans, this is resulting in a rise in farmers suicide," Gandhi said.
Union Civil Aviation Min Hardeep Singh Puri told Lok Sabha, "The government has no intention of stepping in to sort out the finances of private operators. As far as Air India is concerned, we have taken a conscious decision to privatise the operation because of the debt it has incurred over a period of time."
"The farmers in the country are suffering. I would like to draw the govt's attention towards it. No concrete steps were taken in the Union Budget to provide relief to the farmers," Rahul Gandhi told the Lower House.
Responding to the Congress leader's claims, Union Minister Rajnath Singh said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken several initiatives for the farmers. Our government has done a lot and will continue to do the same. I can assure you that there has been a drop in farmer suicides under the Modi government."
Addressing the Lok Sabha on farmer suicides, Rahul Gandhi said, "Farmers are speaking across the country. They are facing the threat of immediate eviction. There has been a spate of suicides. In Kerala, 18 farmers have committed suicides so far."
"What we've seen in Karnataka, Goa may appear to be political upmanship but it has a very damaging effect on the economy. Foreign investors, rating agencies, international organisations don't follow Indian media. What they hear and read on political instability, will have an impact on the economy," Chidambaram said.
"Every reform is not structural reform. Every minor change at the margins is not structural reform. Show me one structural reform in the entire Budget speech. For the last five years, there have been 11 structural reforms. All were introduced by the Manmohan Singh-led government," Chidambaram added.
"Every reform is not structural reform. Every minor change at the margins is not structural reform. Show me one structural reform in the entire Budget speech. For the last five years, there have been 11 structural reforms. All were introduced by the Manmohan Singh-led government," Chidambaram added.
Former finance minister P Chidambaram, who is now speaking in Rajya Sabha, said, "I wish I was speaking under happier circumstances. I'm not unhappy only because India lost a cricket match yesterday, I'm very unhappy that democracy is suffering a blow every day."
Speaking in Lok Sabha, Union Minister of Jal Shakti GS Shekhawat said, "There are 6,881 blocks in the country which are assessed for groundwater levels four times a year. Of these 6,881 blocks, 4,310 still fall under the safe zone with ample quantity of groundwater, on the basis of which schemes like 'Har Ghar Jal' can be accomplished."
While speaking in Rajya Sabha, BJP MP from UttarPradesh Anil Jain said, "Improving infrastructure is the only way to create jobs. Electricity supply is being improved to ensure power supply in every household by 2022."
Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma, protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament. "We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue," Rahul told ANI.
Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Anand Sharma, protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament. "We are protesting against Karnataka and Goa issue," Rahul told ANI.
The continuing crisis in Karnataka is likely to rock Parliament for yet another day today as Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saugata Ray has given an Adjournment Motion Notice in Lok Sabha over the situation in the state. Meanwhile, BSP MP Ritesh Pandey has given Adjournment Motion Notice in the Lower House over “irregularities in the rehabilitation of people evicted for land Acquisition”. Follow our blog for all the latest updates.