Parliament Session Highlights : Can’t hear truth… running away, says Modi in Rajya Sabha after Oppn walkout; House adjourned sine die

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh "lied" in Parliament about the issue of compensation to families of martyred Agniveers and demanded an apology for it.

The Congress leader also shared a video on X purportedly of the father of a deceased Agniveer who stated that Rajnath Singh had claimed that Rs 1 crore compensation had been given to the next of kin of martyred Agniveers but no such assistance was received by his family.

Sharing the video message posted by her brother, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also accused the BJP of "insulting the sacrifice of the families" who gave up their sons for the country In his video, Rahul Gandhi said that he had stated in his speech in Parliament that the protection of truth is the basis of every religion. (PTI)

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on Manipur in the Rajya Sabha, the Congress on Wednesday said he made an "astounding claim" that the situation is normal there when in actuality it is still tense and pointed out that he has still not visited the state since violence erupted in May last year.

The opposition party's attack came after Prime Minister Modi said violence in Manipur is continuously declining and the schools have reopened in most part of the state, and efforts are being made to ensure a return of complete peace.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said the Centre was working with the state government and others to restore normalcy in the state.

In his reaction to the remarks, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Today in the Rajya Sabha, after months of absolute silence on the issue, the non-biological PM made the astounding claim that the situation in Manipur is normal." "In actuality, the situation is still tense as the MP from Inner Manipur pointed out in the Lok Sabha on 1st July. And the non-biological Pradhan Mantri has still not visited Manipur since it erupted on the night of May 3rd, 2023 -- nor has he met with the political leaders of the state. The President's Address too was silent on the issue," he said. (PTI)

With some Lok Sabha members resorting to sloganeering during oath taking, Speaker Om Birla has amended the rule which now bars MPs-elect from adding any remark to the oath as members of the House.

Birla added a fresh clause to 'Direction 1' to the 'Directions by the Speaker' for regulating certain matters related to the functioning of the House that are not specifically provided in the rules.

According to the amendment to 'Direction 1', the new clause 3 now states that a member shall make and subscribe oath or affirmation, and "shall not use any word or expression or make any remark as a prefix or suffix to the form of oath or affirmation".

The amendment came against the backdrop of several members raising slogans like "Jai Samvidhan" and "Jai Hindu Rashtra" while taking oath last week. One member had also raised the slogan 'Jai Palestine', which too was objected to by several members. The speaker had urged the members to stick to the prescribed format but in vain.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged several members used the solemn occasion of taking oath or making affirmation to send a political message. (PTI)

A day after the BJP submitted a notice against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha over alleged inaccuracies in his speech, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said any member trying to mislead the House will not get away easily and the "rules will get them".

Rijiju was referring to a notice submitted in Lok Sabha by BJP member Bansuri Swaraj urging the Speaker to take cognisance of her notice against certain inaccuracies in Gandhi's speech on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.

"When the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha kept on lying on many things, including facts and figures, a notice was put to the Speaker and we have requested the Speaker to take appropriate action. We are waiting for the action," Rijiju said in response to questions on the issue.

The minister said rules apply equally to everyone as no member is above the Chair in the House. (PTI)

The Rajya Sabha in the next session will deliberate on a mechanism to prevent Hathras-like incidents, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Wednesday.

The House paid homage to the devotees who were killed in the stampede at a religious congregation in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on Tuesday.

Referring to the tragic incident which claimed 121 lives, Dhankhar said the House should deliberate in structured manner on the matter "...where people gather, there needs to be a structured mechanism. I will welcome inputs from members. In the next session we will work for a mechansim," he said, adding such incidents are avoidable.

Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge suggested there should be a law for holding large gathering. He said that Maharashtra and Karnataka have laws on it. Dates for the next session will be announced in due course. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday invoked Emergency in his speech, saying Indians voted on the plank only once when they threw out the Indira Gandhi government in 1977 after the Emergency.

Speaking in Rajya Sabha, he gave an account of the situation in strife-torn Manipur, promised action in the NEET paper leak case, and listed out achievements of his past two terms and priorities for the third.

Referring to the Congress party's repeated claim during elections that BJP would change the Constitution, Modi said, "I want to remind them. Will you continue this fake narrative? Have you forgotten the 1977 elections when newspapers and radio were shut. There was no freedom of speech. People then voted on one issue - re-establishing the Constitution and protection of Constitution." There has not been more painful election than the one held in 1977 in the world, he said.

"The 1977 elections clearly shows how (the urge of) saving the Constitution was alive in the hearts of people. Are you misleading the people (now)? At that time, people threw (Indira Gandhi) out of power," he said. He said that for his party, the Constitution is not just a compilation of articles but its spirit and words are very important too. The Constitution is like a lighthouse which shows his government direction, Modi said. (PTI)

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh on the Opposition walkout and PM's speech said, "When PM Modi came to Rajya Sabha, he levelled allegations against Congress and when Mallikarjun Kharge stood up, he was not given an opportunity for rebuttal. PM should understand one thing - though the Congress didn't get a majority, he didn't get one either. The 2024 elections are a personal, political and moral loss for him. He didn't get the mandate. He would not have been the PM without Naidu and Nitish. It is true that he has become the PM for the third time but he didn't get the majority..."

Two unaligned and key regional parties charted separate political paths in Parliament's first session in the Modi government's third term as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) joined the opposition in targeting the treasury benches, while the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) kept away from such protests and remained sympathetic to the Centre.

The Andhra Pradesh-based YSRCP and Odisha's BJD continue to have a sizeable presence in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP-led NDA does not have a majority, and their stand on issues can tilt the balance of power. The BJD has nine members in the 245-member House, while the YSRCP has 11. The BJD has no MP in the Lok Sabha, while the YSRCP has four members in the Lower House of Parliament.

BJD leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra led his party colleagues on Wednesday in walking out of the Rajya Sabha, along with the opposition parties, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to the Motion of Thanks on the president's address to a joint sitting of Parliament. V Vijayasai Reddy, the YSRCP leader in the Rajya Sabha, condemned the opposition parties' decision to stage protests in the Lok Sabha when Modi spoke there on Tuesday. (PTI)

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday attacked the opposition alleging it is misleading students by spreading lies on the NEET issue and should stop to 'create instability'. Pradhan's comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Rajya Sabha that the government will not spare those playing with the future of students.

The opposition has been demanding a discussion on the issue over alleged irregularities, including paper leaks, in competitive examinations such as the NEET and the NET in Parliament. 

"Congress has a history of cheating the country on past and present issues. This intention of theirs is out in the open while discussing the NEET case as well. The intention of the INDI alliance to create instability by deviating from the issues with the help of lies and rumours is anti-national and anti-student.

The country is confident that no one guilty of irregularities in the examination will be spared. Now Congress Party and Indi Alliance should stop their misleading Cheat Policy on NEET issue," wrote Pradhan in a post on the social media site X. 

National President BJP, JP Nadda, on Wednesday flayed the opposition members for staging a walkout during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in the Rajya Sabha. He said their intention was to only create ruckus in the House as they did not have the “strength” to hear the truth.

The opposition parties' INDIA bloc, led by the Congress, staged a walkout of the Rajya Sabha after the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was not allowed to intervene during Prime Minister Modi's reply on the motion thanking President Droupadi Murmu for her address to the joint sitting of Parliament.

“The opposition is demoralized, aimless and anarchic due to its defeat (in the Lok Sabha polls) for the third time in a row. It is disrespecting our constitutional values These negative efforts of its cannot hinder the NDA government's journey towards achieving its goal of building a 'developed India'” said Nadda in a post on X. 

While taking about the Opposition walkout from Rajya Sabha today, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said "In a democracy, everyone has the right to speak and also the right to listen. When the Prime Minister started speaking in the Lok Sabha, the Congress and some of their allies created a huge ruckus and disrupted the entire speech of the Prime Minister. The Congress party will have to think that the Prime Minister of the country does not belong to any party. He leads the entire country." Led by the Congress, the INDIA bloc parties walked out of the Rajya Sabha after Kharge was not allowed to intervene during Modi's speech. 

Leader of Opposition Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday accused the RSS, the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP, of being anti-Constitution. The Congress leader also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving wrong information in the House.

The MPs of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), who staged the walkout from the Upper House of Parliament in the middle of Modi's reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the president's address, gathered at the gate of the old Parliament building, the Samvidhan Sadan.

The Congress leader quoted an article from RSS mouthpiece 'Organiser' from November 30, 1950 and claimed that the organisation had opposed the Constitution saying it does not have anything Indian. "They(RSS) had burnt the effigies of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru at that time. This is was a shameful thing and an affront to Democratic values. The truth is that Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had given the credit of drafting the Constitution to the Congress party," wrote Kharge in a post on the social media site X.  

Led by the Congress, the INDIA bloc parties walked out of the Rajya Sabha after Kharge was not allowed to intervene during Modi's speech. (With inputs from PTI)

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday said the Opposition has set a "dangerous precedent antithetical to democratic values" by walking out during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply during discussion on the motion of thanks to President's address.

In his concluding remarks of the 264th session of Rajya Sabha before adjourning the House sine die, Dhankhar also termed the instance of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge walking into the well of the House during the session "a disgrace to parliamentary conduct and proprietary".

Pointing out the instance of Kharge entering the Well of the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Dhankhar said, "It was extremely painful to notice that even the Leader of the Opposition walked into the Well of the House and that was a disgrace to parliamentary conduct and proprietary." 

The Rajya Sabha chairman said while the prime minister gave a "spirited address while participating in the debate", the House lost 43 minutes due to forced adjournments but the shortfall was "made up by continuing discussion during lunch break and sitting beyond the scheduled time".  (PTI)

The Congress on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's legitimacy has been diminished to "one-third" and his government is on its "last legs" and can fall anytime.

The opposition party's assertion came over Prime Minister Modi's remarks in the Rajya Sabha that since the results came out, one Congress leader kept on beating the drum that there is a "one-third government" in place.

Modi's remarks were an apparent dig at Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who has been referring to the PM as 'one-third PM'.
Reacting to the remarks, Congress general secretary Ramesh said, "After the resounding personal, political, and moral defeat of June 4th, it is his(PM Modi) legitimacy and aura that has been diminished to one-third - and he himself is dependent on two other Ns for his political survival. His Government is anyways on its last legs and can fall anytime," Ramesh said in an apparent reference to JD(U)'s Nitish Kumar and TDP's N Chandrababu Naidu. (PTI)

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Wednesday after the House adopted the motion of thanks on the President's address following the reply to the debate by PM Narendra Modi.

Regarding Manipur, I spoke in detail in the last session. The government is committed to making the situation peaceful there. More than 11000 FIRs have been registered, more than 500 people have been arrested. Violent incidents are reducing in frequency. So, it is now possible to hope for peace there. Schools, colleges and offices are now functional. Exams were also held there, and students are continuing their journey of progress," said Modi regarding Manipur, which has been embroiled in ethnic conflict since May 2023. 

"The state and Centre are trying their best to talk to everyone to restore peace. Previous governments have not done so. The Home Minister stayed there for several days. The MoS Home stayed there for weeks. Officials pay regular visits there. Right now, there is also a flood situation in Manipur. Today itself, two teams of NDRF have reached there. The state and Centre are working together there. We should rise above politics and work for peace there," he said. 

"I warn those elements who are trying to provoke tensions there, that Manipur will reject them. The conflict there has deep roots. May Congress not forget that President’s Rule was imposed 10 times in Manipur. There must have been difficulties. We haven’t done so. In 1993, too, such things happened in Manipur. It went on for five years. We should learn from history and try our best to restore peace," Modi said further. 

Speaking about the paper leaks issue in his Rajya Sabha address, PM Modi said: "On the paper leaks issue, the opposition sacrificed an important matter at the altar of politics. I assure the youth that the government will not spare the culprits. Action is being taken to ensure that they get strict punishment. We have also made a tough law for it."

"I would like to say without hesitation that I have given a free hand to agencies to take stringent action against corruption and the corrupt. Government will not interfere anywhere. They should work honestly for honesty...I would like to tell the citizens that no corrupt will be safe from the law. Ye Modi ki guarantee hai," said Modi in his Rajya Sabha address today. 

'We were demanding our Constitutional rights. When the LoP demanded time to interject, the chairman denied it. He forgot that when LoP was speaking in the Lok Sabha, the PM, Home Minister and others interjected unconstitutionally. We walked out to keep the dignity of the House,' says  Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi. 

The Congress-led INDIA bloc parties walked out of the Upper House of the Parliament after the Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, was denied the chance to speak during Modi’s address. RS chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar condemned their act of walkout, saying this was an insult to the Constitution.

Speaking to the media after walking out of the House, Mallikarjun Kharge accused PM Modi of lying in his speech and said: “We walked out because the PM was addressing the House on the President’s address and told some wrong things to the House. It’s his habit to lie and say things beyond truth. I have just asked him that, when he was speaking about the Constitution, you didn’t make the Constitution, you people were against it. I was just clarifying that who the people were for and against the Constitution. They (RSS) have opposed the Constitution. They burnt the effigy of BR Ambedkar & Pandit Nehru.”

Speaking about the recent flogging incident in Bengal, PM Modi said that "those who see themselves as progressive female leaders are tongue-tied."

"It is painful. I am not scoring points, but I saw a video of a woman being beaten up publicly in Bengal. That sister is screaming, but no one is coming to help her. What happened in Sandeshkhali was gruesome. But not even in the words of the big leaders am I hearing anything about it at all. Even those who see themselves as progressive female leaders are tongue-tied. Their politics is selective. They keep quiet when it does not suit them," he said. 

What is the Bengal flogging case? West Bengal Police invoked sections of attempt to murder and molestation against a TMC functionary, who was accused of publicly flogging a man and a woman in West Bengal’s Uttar Dinajpur district over allegations of having an extramarital affair.

The Congress-led INDIA bloc parties walked out of the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday because the Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, was denied the chance to speak during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar did not grant Kharge's request to intervene, which led to MPs shouting slogans and demanding his opportunity to speak. Despite the disruption, Modi continued his speech.

Eventually, after repeated pleas, Kharge was not allowed to speak and the INDIA bloc MPs decided to walk out of the House.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi said that it was his duty to give a detailed account of works done by the government to people.

'India has taken decisive steps towards women-led development and today we are its results. We have also worked in the areas of women's health, sanitation and wellness,” said Modi.

Attacking the Congress, Modi said that during the party’s tenure, there was a scheme for Rs 60,000 crore farmers' loan waiver but names of the needy small farmers were not even included in the list of beneficiaries.

Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar criticised the Opposition, saying that despite the Leader of the Opposition being given a chance to speak, he has insulted the constitution. 

"I gave the LoP a chance to speak without interruption. He has turned his back not to you and me, but to the constitution. He has insulted the constitution. I condemn their conduct. People of the country would be sad. It is an occasion where they have challenged the Indian constitution. They have disregarded the oath they have taken. I am saddened about this big insult to the Constitution. The constitution is not something to keep in their hands but to live. I hope they will introspect," he said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Opposition as they staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha during his address. "They (Opposition) are running away as they can't hear the truth," he said. The Opposition leaders were raising slogans asking that the Leader of the Opposition be allowed to speak in the upper house of the Parliament. Meanwhile, RS speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar called it an insult to the constitution.

"They (Opposition) are not being able to digest defeat. Their activities yesterday failed, so they have run away today. I am not here to score points. I am a sevak of the people that I believe I have to inform them what all I have done," the PM said.

Disruptions marred the Prime Minister's speech in the Rajya Sabha, as the Opposition leaders rasied slogans asking that the Leader of Opposition be allowed to speak in the upper house of the Parliament. 

Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi said: I used to tell people – what we did in 10 years is only the appetiser. The main course starts now. The coming five years are about a decisive fight against poverty."

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha today, PM Modi said that his government helped the Indian economy to reach number 5 in the world, up from number 10. 

"We have brought the economy from number 10 to number 5. Challenges also mounted – and despite corona pandemic and global conflicts, we could bring the economy from number 10 to number 5. This time the people have given a mandate for taking the economy from top fifth to top third economy in the world," he said. 

"Some wise people believe that this is anyway bound to happen. These are people who have experience of running auto pilot or remote pilot governments. So, they don’t believe in working. But we never shirk hard work," Modi said. 

"This election is not just a stamp on 10 years of achievement but also a stamp of approval for work to be done in future. People trust only us, so they gave us this chance," Modi said. 

Taking a dig at the Opposition, PM Modi on Wednesday said that those who wave copies of the Constitution today, had protested when we observed Constitution Day on Nov 26. 

'When we said in the Lok Sabha that on November 26 we will observe Constitution Day, those who wave copies of the Constitution today opposed it, asking why this was required when we have January 26,' he said. 

'We have to decide to have public celebrations of the constitution in its 75th year across the country to spread awareness about the constitution,' said Modi. 

"There have been many like me in whose family there was not even a sarpanch or pradhan – but they are serving the country in important positions. The reason: Dr Ambedkar’s constitution has given people like us a chance. The people also endorsed it," Modi said while addressing the Rajya Sabha today. 

Amid uproar by the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his address in the Rajya Sabha by saying that India “rejected the politics of illusion in the Lok Sabha election and prioritised performance over propaganda”.

“I want to thank Congress friends too. Some kept saying 1/3rd government. What can be a bigger truth – we have completed 10 years, 20 remain. In 10 years, the work we have done with commitment has got whole-hearted support and blessings from people,” he said

Addressing the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi said that in the democratic journey of India, after a lot of decades, the people of the country have chosen a government for the third consecutive time.

"But some people deliberately unseeing this achievement, some people can't understand, some people tried to black out this important decision made by the people of this country," he said. 

PM Modi has arrived in the Rajya Sabha. He will be speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. 

Speaking on the issue of the Hathras stampede incident, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge expressed concerns about people practising blind faith.

There should be a plan for all such Satsangs held on such a large scale.. which area it should be held, and how many hospitals are there nearby,” Kharge said.

He then went on to request that the government should make a law on the lines of the one in Maharashtra and Karnataka against superstition.

Kharge also said that there should be a statement given by the Home Minister or the Leader of the House on the issue. 

The Rajya Sabha session on Wednesday commenced with Speaker Jagdeep Dhankar addressing the Hathras Stampede incident, describing it as both painful and unfortunate.

He assured the House that all necessary measures are being implemented to provide medical assistance to the injured. Additionally, authorities have convened a committee to investigate the matter, he said. 

Expressing condolences to the bereaved families on behalf of the House, and prayed for the swift recovery of the injured. He then called upon all members to stand in their respective places and observe a moment of silence in remembrance of those who tragically lost their lives in this incident.

Commenting on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s speech in the Lok Sabha given on Monday, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj today said that Gandhi should apologise for his “irresponsible statement” and accused him of doing vote bank politics.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi deliberately made an irresponsible statement. He should apologise for his statement. He made the statement to encourage appeasement politics. and for this political gain. When he sees vote bank politics, he goes on a temple run. But when he gives a speech in Parliament, his anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan (Sanatan Dharma) mentality becomes visible,” she said.

Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address, Rahul accused the ruling BJP of having created an atmosphere of fear in the country and “spreading violence and hatred” against minorities, including Muslims and Sikhs.

According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, which commenced on June 24, 2024 and concluded on July 2, recorded a productivity rate of 103%.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also informed that the first session comprised 7 sittings and lasted approximately 34 hours.

-- Mounting a scathing attack on the Congress Prime Minister told Lok Sabha Tuesday that his government had a clear mandate for stability and continuity with a third consecutive term in office while the Congress, like a “parasite” (parjeevi) feeding on its allies for survival, remained in denial.

-- He alleged that the Congress was trying to spread chaos in defeat and was deliberately abusing Hindus.

-- “These are people who tried to coin the phrase Hindu terror. Their allies compare Hinduism with dengue, malaria, etc, and these people clap,” he said.

-- “We are committed to the Constitutional principle of Sarva Panth Sama Bhava. The country has seen the politics of appeasement for a long time. For the first time, the country has seen true secularism, which is santushtikaran,” said Modi.

-- “The country has chosen the path of development. But the Congress is bent upon spreading chaos. They speak against the North in the South, and against the West in the North. They have tried to divide on the basis of religion.”

-- They (Congress) are also attempting to spread economic chaos. The way they are taking economic decisions in their states is taking the country towards a financial crisis, Modi said

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party during his address on the Motion of Thanks in the Lok Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha, even as the Opposition staged protests and trooped into the Well of the House, demanding justice for Manipur. 

Day after mounting a scathing attack on the Congress in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will respond to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address in the Rajya Sabha today. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked an iconic scene from Hindi movie 'Sholay' to mock the Congress, saying that despite losing the Lok Sabha polls for a third time, the grand old party's refrain was -- "mausi ji, it is a moral victory after all".

"The statements of Congress leaders have even surpassed film Sholay. You all would remember Mausi ji from the film. Teesri baar toh haare hain par Mausi ji, moral victory toh hai na (we have lost third time but Mausi ji, it is a moral victory). Arey Mausi 13 rajyon mein zero seat aayi hai par hero to hai na (Mausi, we got zero seats in 13 states but I am a hero)," he said.

"Party ki lutiya toh duboyi hai, arey Mausi party abhi saansein toh le rahi hai (Have sunk the party but it is still breathing)," Modi said.

His reference was to the iconic comic scene from 'Sholay' in which Amitabh Bachchan's character goes to speak with the 'mausi' (aunt) of the character played by Hema Malini. He seeks Malini's hand for marriage with his friend played by Dharmendra and keeps mentioning the vices of his friend while defending them simultaneously, giving hilarious reasons.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed profound sorrow over the stampede in Hathras and announced Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for the next of kin of the dead and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

Amidst his reply to a two-day debate on the motion of thanks on the President's address to both Houses of Parliament, Modi condoled the death. "In the midst of discussions, I have also been given sad news. It has come to my attention that there have been many tragic deaths in the stampede in Hathras, UP," PM Modi said in Lok Sabha.

"I express my condolences to those who lost their lives in this incident. I hope for the speedy recovery of all the injured," he said.

The prime minister said senior officials of the central government are in constant contact with the Uttar Pradesh administration to coordinate aid efforts. "Through this forum, I assure everyone that all possible assistance will be provided to the victims," he said.

Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty pressed for a government-sponsored vaccination programme to combat cervical cancer. "There is a vaccination which is given to girls, between the age of nine to 14, known as a cervical vaccination. If the girls take that, it (cancer) can be avoided ... we should promote vaccination for the benefit of our girls because prevention is better than cure," Murty said.

In her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, she also pitched for promoting domestic tourism.

Numbers matter in a democracy. This has been hammered home repeatedly by the BJP and its supporters over the past decade as the Narendra Modi government swept to power with an absolute majority. Numbers represent the people’s mandate. The BJP used its majority to delegitimise and dismiss the Opposition from Parliament, short-circuiting debate, pushing through crucial legislation, and bypassing accountability.

Now, with the BJP reduced to a minority and reliant on alliances, a united Opposition underscores the same lesson: Numbers matter. While a view of democracy driven entirely by numbers is reductive, the changed equations have allowed at least one aspect of a more expansive view of democracy to flourish: The return of Parliament as a forum for national debate and discussion.

Read more here

In his maiden speech in the Lower House of Parliament, Chandrashekhar Azad said social justice will only happen when a caste census is conducted and reservation is given as per population

He said that SC, ST, OBC and Muslims suffer caste and religion-based discrimination in education and at workplaces. He further stressed the need for reservation in private sector.

Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP in Rajya Sabha, called out PM Modi's non-biological remarks and said the election results showed how the biological voters defeated non-biological people.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die after Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his reply to Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in the Lok Sabha.

Ahead of the adjournment, the Lok Sabha passed a resolution condemning opposition's disruptions during PM Modi's address.

Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Faizabad in Uttar Pradesh Awadhesh Prasad regretted that there was no mention of Ayodhya, the birth place of Lord Ram, in the president's address to a joint sitting of Parliament.

In his maiden speech in the Lok Sabha, Prasad said there is filth on the streets of Ayodhya and people have to wade through the filth to reach the newly-built Ram temple. "I was very surprised to see that in the 29-page speech of the president, there was no mention of Ayodhya, no mention of the birth place of Lord Ram," the SP leader said during a discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the president's address.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, concluding his over two-hour-long speech, said "truth cannot be suppressed, lies have no roots".

"May Baalak Buddhi get Sadbuddhi (may childish mindset gain wisdom). The truth can never be defeated by shouting. I enjoyed today – I have lived the power of truth today," Modi said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi singled out Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying the House witnessed the wailing of a person with "balak buddhi (childish behaviour)" who tried to gain sympathy without disclosing the wrongs he had committed.

"Speaker sir...you endure everything with a smile but something has to be done about what happened here on Monday, otherwise it will not be good for Parliament. Such attempts should not be ignored by calling them 'balak buddhi'. There is a deeper conspiracy," Modi said.

As the NEET row rages on, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he will he will tell every leader to work towards stopping paper leaks. "Those who played with the future of the youth shall not be spared. There have been arrests across the country. We have already made a strict law on this. To strengthen the exam system, necessary steps are being taken," he said.

Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on Hinduism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the "conspiracy to falsely accuse Hindus" is a serious matter.

"People of the country will never forgive what happened yesterday. It was said that Hindus are violent. Are these your values? Is this your character? Is this your hatred for Hindus of this country? This country will not forget this for centuries. These are people who tried to coin the phrase Hindu terror. Their allies compare Hinduism with dengue, malaria, etc,. and these people clap. Their entire ecosystem wants to look down upon, abuse and insult Hinduism. After the scenes yesterday, Hindus have to think – is this insult a coincidence or part of a design," said.

Gandhi had said on Monday caused an uproar in the House when, while attacking the BJP, he said “those who call themselves Hindus talk violence… hatred… untruth 24 hours”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of making lies the weapon of politics.

While hitting out at Congress' campaign promise of giving financial assistance of Rs 8,500 per month to every woman, Modi said the Congress has lied about EVMs, Constitution, reservation, Rafale, HAL, LIC and banks.

"On Agniveer, there were lies told to the House. The same was said about MSPs. It is the House’s bad fortune that its dignity is being hurt. A party that has sat here for 60 years and knows the work of government – when it chooses the path of chaos, we get proof that the country is moving in a dangerous direction. This is an insult of our freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for the country," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that even as the country chose the path of development, the Congress is bent on spreading chaos.

"They speak against the North in the South, and against the West in the North. They have tried to divide based on religion and even gave election tickets to those who had advocated division of the country. They are spreading rumours to divide people on caste grounds. They are also attempting to spread economic chaos. The way they are taking economic decisions in their states is taking the country towards financial crisis. They tried to bring the Indian democratic system under a question mark. They spread chaos on CAA. The whole ecosystem promoted this to fulfill their political ends. They tried to provoke riots in the country," he said.

Over a dozen students were detained while attempting to march towards the Parliament to protest against alleged irregularities in several competitive exams. The students belonging to different outfits under the banner "India against NTA" gathered at the Patel Chowk metro station here and started raising "anti-NTA" slogans.

Carrying posters and banners with slogans like "sack Union Education Minister" and "NTA must go" written over them, the students staged demonstration against the reported incidents of paper leak and corruption in the medical entrance exam, besides others.

A Delhi court granted custody parole for two hours to jailed Kashmir leader Sheikh Abdul Rashid, also known as Engineer Rashid, to take oath as an MP on July 5. The order is awaited. This comes a day after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) gave its consent to Rashid to take oath as a Member of Parliament.

Rashid, who is lodged in Tihar Jail in Delhi in a 2017 terror funding case, won the Lok Sabha elections 2024 as an Independent candidate from the Baramulla constituency in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Hitting out at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the party has won its seats on the back of its allies. "Congress and its ecosystem trying to impress upon people that they have defeated us. It has become parasitic party after 2014 and eats up the votes of its allies," he said.

Hitting out at the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the party has won its seats on the back of its allies. "Congress and its ecosystem trying to impress upon people that they have defeated us. It has become parasitic party after 2014 and eats up the votes of its allies," he said.