Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Narendra Modi-led government will never misuse the National Investigation Agency (NIA) law. (PTI)
Parliament Session 2019 Highlights: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019 which gives powers to the NIA to probe terror attacks targeting Indians and Indian interests abroad.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Narendra Modi-led government will never misuse the National Investigation Agency (NIA) law, but in turn, use it to finish off terrorism in the country.
The Lower House also witnessed a heated discussion between the Home Minister and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi over the NIA (Amendment) Bill. The spat started when several opposition leaders, including Owaisi, started interrupting BJP’s Satyapal Singh in the middle of his speech. Singh alleged that the then Hyderabad Police Commissioner was threatened to be transferred if he did not change the course of the investigation of a particular case.
Opposing his claim, Owaisi demanded that Singh should place all records related to his claim in the House. On this, the Home Minister got up from his seat and said that the treasury members did not disturb opposition members during their speeches so they should also do the same.
Lok Sabha has been adjourned for the day, will commence tomorrow at 11 am.
Lok Sabha discusses the Demands for Grants under the control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for 2019-20.
Rajya Sabha has been adjourned for the day, will commence tomorrow at 11am.
A discussion on the working of Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidhha, and Homeopathy (Ayush) underway in the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which will empower the agency to probe terror attacks targeting Indians and Indian interests on foreign soil. During a discussion on the NIA (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Union Home Minister Amit Shah countered opposition claims over “misuse” of the NIA law. He asserted that the Narendra Modi-led government will never misuse it on the basis of religion and said instead it will ensure the menace of terrorism is uprooted irrespective of the religion of the guilty. Read more
Samajwadi Party leader Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, resigns from Rajya Sabha. His resignation has been accepted by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu.
Lok Sabha passes The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019, giving powers to the NIA to probe terror attacks targeting Indians and Indian interests abroad.
Heavy rains lashed the Parliament premises on Monday evening
Heavy rain lashed the Parliament premises
The discussion on The National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2019, started in the Lok Sabha. MoS G Kishan Reddy said that the bill is brought in the national interest to broaden the investigating powers of the NIA as part of its zero tolerance policy against terrorism. Meanwhile, Congress leader Manish Tewari accused the government of trying to turn India into a "police state."
In his Zero Hour mention, Congress' P Bhattacharya talked about illegal coal mining in the country and demanded a CBI inquiry to find out people behind such activities. He said many labourers work in illegal mines and they do not even get compensation.
Earlier in the day, BJP Rajya Sabha member Swait Malik suggested uniform electricity tariffs across the country to ensure affordable power for all. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the House, he highlighted that power tariffs varies across states. He said while one has to pay Rs 8 per unit of electricity in Punjab, consumers in neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir were paying much less. Malik said because of high power tariff, poor people in Punjab are forced to switch off appliances like fan to save money. He also said that industrial units were migrating from the state due to high cost of power. The BJP member said like GST, one nation one tax, there should be 'one nation, one electricity tariff'.
Proceedings have resumed in Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla today said that he has asked the chief secretary of West Bengal to convene a meeting of a committee which monitors implementation of central schemes in states. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had recently complained that District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee, also called Disha committee was not meeting regularly. The Speaker was responding to Chowdhury's complaint.
Satyanarayan Jatiya (BJP) raised the issue of inter-linking of rivers to solve the problem of drought. A K Selvaraj (AIADMK) raised similar demand.
Addressing the Upper House, TMC's Shanta Chhetri raised the issue of death of a person after his hand got stuck between two sliding doors of the Kolkata Metro on Saturday last. She alleged passenger safety was being compromised with by the Railway Ministry and demanded immediate allocation of funds for proper maintenance and upgrade of the metro rail.
Raising the issue of fishermen languishing in Pakistan jails, V Vijayasai Reddy (YSR-Congress), in Rajya Sabha, said 46 fishermen were captured by Pakistan maritime security agency in October-November last year after illegally entering into Indian waters. According to Pakistan, as many as 483 fishermen are languishing in its jails, he said, adding 22 out of the 46 fishermen captured in October/November 2018 were from Andhra Pradesh who had gone to Gujarat for working on fishing trawlers. "What was the Indian Coast Guard doing when Pakistan intruded into Indian waters," he asked. He said when the issue was first raised, the then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had promised to get consular access. "But neither the fishermen were released nor consular access given to families," he said, asking the Government to urgently intervene to get families consular access.
MP from Baghpat in UP, Satya Pal Singh, said, "Terrorism is a serious crime against humanity. It cannot be treated as a political issue. When we discuss terrorism and laws to tackle it, we should be totally apolitical."
Congress' Jairman Ramesh, while speaking in Rajya Sabha, asked the Environment and Forest Ministry to reject clearance to building of a mega port complex in North Chennai which, he said, poses danger to the fragile ecosystem in the region and livelihood of thousands of fishermen.
CPM's K K Ragesh demanded roll back in steep hike in airfares in the Kerala-Gulf sector which, he said, was a "loot" by airlines by exploiting migrant workers. While the Calicut-Dubai flight costs Rs 6,000, a Dubai to Calicut flight costs Rs 40,000, he said, adding airfares are jacked up during festive seasons and holidays when migrant workers seek to return to their hometown.
Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm after the Question Hour was over.
Demands to raise royalty on coal, roll back of steep hike in airfares between Kerala and Gulf region and government intervention to help release fishermen captured by Pakistan were among issues raised during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha today. BJD's Amar Patnaik said the rate of royalty paid to state governments on coal produced in states was last changed in April 2012 and as per rule was due to be revised in April 2015 but was not done.
Opposing the Bill, Congress' Manish Tewari told those gathered in the Lok Sabha, "The NIA Bill, in 2008, came under specific circumstances after the country felt some unprecedented incidents. The constitutional validity of the NIA Act is not settled as of now. The Bombay High Court had upheld the constitutional validity of the act. The J&K court has not yet given its approval. In November 2013, a division bench of Gauhati High Court had spoken of the 'illegal organisation'."
While introducing the bill, Reddy said special court judges will continue to be appointed by the Chief Justice in order to fast-track the trial processes. He added that state governments must constitute special courts to tackle terrorism. "We will continue to fight terrorism with zero tolerance," he said.
National Investigation Agency Amendment Bill was introduced by Home Minister (MoS) G Kishan Reddy in Lok Sabha. "This Bill is for the security of the country," he said.
Congress leader in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, also opposed the Motor Vehicles Bill, mainly clauses 33 and 17. However, he acknowledges that it has been overdue.
In Lok Sabha, TMC's Mahua Moitra opposes the Motors Vehicle Bill on grounds that it provides the public an extension period from a month to a year upon the expiry of driving license, thereby raising questions over one's safety.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, TMC MP Sudipto Sen said, "Why is Bengal government getting targetted? Why is the central government sending its advisories to Bengal?"
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is addressing the Upper House.
Congress MP and Assam Congress Committee President Ripun Bora gave a Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over the flood situation in the north-eastern state.
Assam Congress MPs today staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament over the flood situation in the state and demanded that the flood situation be declared a national problem.
The Congress has given notice over the pension of disabled Army personnel.
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy moved an Adjournment Motion in connection with the Kolkata metro incident in which a senior citizen was killed after his hand got stuck between the train doors.
Both Houses of Parliament resumed on Monday. After failing to get it through Rajya Sabha in the previous term, the Narendra Modi-government is slated to introduce the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019, in Lok Sabha on Monday. The Bill, which will be introduced by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, proposes stricter punishment for traffic violations, simplify vehicle registration process, and overhaul the traffic and transport regulatory framework in India with a view to minimise road accidents. Follow this space for all the latest updates.