New Delhi: Opposition leaders stage a protest in Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Monday, Nov. 29, 2021. (PTI)A Bill to repeal the three contentious agricultural laws, against which farmers have been protesting for over a year, was passed in both Houses of the Parliament without any discussion.
In Lok Sabha, the Opposition came to the Well of the House demanding a debate on the Bill and raised slogans and banners. Speaker Om Birla said he was ready to allow discussion on the Bill provided the protesting MPs go back to their seats and there is order in the House.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking outside the Parliament ahead of the commencement of the Winter Session, said the government was ready to discuss and reply to queries about all issues. “The government is ready to debate any issue and answer any question. We should debate in Parliament and maintain the decorum of the proceedings,” Modi said.
Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu chairs a meeting of floor leaders of all parties, a day before the beginning of the Winter Session, on Sunday. (Photo: PTI)
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Monday termed the passage of a bill in Parliament to repeal the three farm laws a "real victory of democracy" but questioned the BJP-led Union government's "silence" over the demand for a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP).
"The repeal of the three contentious agriculture laws in both Houses of Parliament following a year-long intense agitation gave some relief to farmers and is a real victory for the country's democracy. This is a lesson for all governments to conduct themselves democratically, both in and out of the House," Mayawati said in a series of tweets in Hindi.
She also questioned the Union government's silence over the other demands of the farmers. (PTI)
Leaders of the Opposition parties unitedly condemned the “unwarranted and undemocratic suspension” of the 12 members and said this was done in “violation of all the Rules of Procedure of Rajya Sabha”.
This suspension is simply unfair and unjust. There were other members from other parties who created a ruckus but the chairman suspended me. PM Modi is doing just as he wishes since he enjoys a brute majority: Chhaya Verma, Rajya Sabha member, INC. (ANI)
"From District Court to Supreme Court, an accused is heard even there, lawyers are provided for them too, sometimes Govt officials are sent to take their version. Here our version wasn't taken," Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who is amongst the 12 Rajya Sabha MPs suspended for this session, said.
"If you see the CCTV footage it has been recorded how male marshals were jostling female MPs. All of this on one side and your decision on the other? What kind of unparliamentary behaviour is this?" Chaturvedi told ANI.
AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi Monday said that the government has repealed the three farm laws "in fear of political loss" ahead of Assembly elections. "A large group in the country is saying that CAA is a violation of Article 14 of the Constitution. We demand that the Centre should repeal Citizenship (Amendment) Act," he added.
Following the suspension of a dozen Opposition members from the House, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till tomorrow.
A dozen members of the Opposition have been suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of the current session due to their behaviour on the last day of the Monsoon Session under Rule 256. The motion was introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, and it was passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha.
The suspended members include: Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh of the Congress; Dola Sen, Shanta Chhetri of TMC; Priyanka Chaturvedi, Anil Desai of Shiv Sena; Elamaram Kareem of CPM; and Binoy Viswam of CPI.
Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday said that the government has no proposal to recognise Bitcoin as a currency in the country. She also informed the Lok Sabha that the government does not collect data on Bitcoin transactions.
When asked whether the government has any proposal to recognise Bitcoin as a currency in the country, the Finance Minister replied, “No, sir”.
This development comes as the government plans to introduce the Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill 2021 in the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. The Bill seeks to ban all but a few private cryptocurrencies to promote underlying technologies while allowing an official digital currency by RBI. More details here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Monday greeted by members of the BJP with thumping of desks and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan as he entered the Lok Sabha chamber on the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament.
Members of the Opposition raised the 'Jai Kisan' slogan.
The prime minister reached the Lok Sabha minutes before the House met for the day. It is usual for BJP and its allies to greet the prime minister with slogans and thumping of benches when he enters the House on day one of the Parliament session. (PTI)
"Earlier, we had said that the govt will have to withdraw the farm laws, and today these laws were repealed. It is unfortunate that the farm laws were repealed without discussion. This government is scared of holding a discussion," Congress MP Rahul Gandhi
was quoted as saying by ANI outside Parliament.
"The fact is that the Central government could not face the strength of the Indian people represented by farmers in this case. The upcoming State elections must have also played on their mind," Gandhi added.
Amid indications that the Union government may push for the suspension of some of the Opposition members over the acrimonious scenes that were witnessed during the passage of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill in the last session, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday in his opening address touched upon the issue saying the “bitter and unpleasant experiences” of the last monsoon session “still continue to haunt most of us.”
Naidu said “the treasury benches wanted a detailed enquiry into the conduct of some members during the final two days of the last turbulent session” and added that he had tried to reach out to the leaders of various parties. Read More
The Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, has been passed in the Rajya Sabha through voice vote without any discussion. The House has been adjourned for 30 minutes.
The Congress on Monday attacked the government over the passage of the farm laws repeal bill in the Lok Sabha without a discussion, charging that all parliamentary norms have been "thrown to the wind".
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked why the government was shying away from a discussion on the bill, when the opposition was supporting them. A bill to repeal the three contentious farm laws, against which farmers have been protesting for over a year, was passed by the Lok Sabha within minutes of introduction on Monday. The Congress has also demanded that there should be legal guarantee for the minimum support price to farmers and that compensation should be granted to farmers who suffered during the agitation and lost their lives, Chowdhury told reporters outside Parliament. (PTI)
"We also wanted to discuss the MSP issue, compensation to farmers and the Lakhimpur Kheri incident," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said on the issue of no discussion in the Lok Sabha over the Farm Laws Repeal Bill.
In response to a question in Parliament, the finance ministry said, "The Government does not collect data on bitcoin transactions. The Government has no proposal to recognise bitcoin as a currency."
The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 without any discussion. The Bill, which is aimed at repealing three farm laws, was introduced in the house by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar. Read More
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "The three anti-agriculture laws were passed in Parliament without discussion and have been repealed without discussion."
"I think some people have come determined to not let the House function," Rajya Sabha chairperson Venkaiah Naidu said.
“This (Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 passed by Lok Sabha) is a tribute to all 750 farmers who lost their lives during the agitation. The protest will continue as other issues including MSP are still pending,” BKU leader Rakesh Tikait told news agency ANI.
Speaker Om Birla had requested Opposition MPs to bring the House in order to allow any discussion before the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021 was passed.
The Lok Sabha passed tha Farm Laws Repeal Bill without any discussion after it was introduced by Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
Lok Sabha passes the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, without any discussion.
The first day of Parliament’s Winter Session began on a disruptive note on Monday as the Opposition MPs rushed to the well of the House in Lok Sabha, raising various issues. While the Congress and TMC MPs were raising slogans in support of farmers, DMK’s T R Baalu was heard demanding that the House passes a resolution condoling the death of farmers who lost their lives during the agitation against the contentious farm laws. Read Liz Mathew's report
Rajya Sabha proceedings adjourned for 1 hour to mourn passing away of sitting MP Oscar Fernandes
Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 12 noon following sloganeering by Opposition MPs.
Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi leads the party's protest demanding repeal of the Centre’s three farm laws. (ANI)
Ahead of Parliament’s Winter Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said that the government is ready to discuss all issues in the House. “This is an important session of the Parliament. The citizens of the country want a productive session. They are fulfilling their responsibilities for a brighter future,” PM Modi said. Read More
The criteria to judge the session should be how much work is done, and not how many days are wasted, PM Modi said ahead of the first day of winter session. “Voices can be raised, but the dignity of Parliament, Speaker and the Chair should be maintained,” he added.
Speaking ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, PM Modi said, "The government is ready to debate any issue and answer any question."
A meeting called by Rajya Sabha’s Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge is currently underway in the Parliament premises.
AAP MP Sanjay Singh said his party will raise the issues of legal guarantee of MSP and the UP TET exam in Parliament.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury appealed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to pay tribute to the farmers who died in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident during the session. However, the Speaker rejected this demand and said it will start a "wrong tradition".
CPI MP Binoy Viswam has submitted a notice to suspend the business of the day and discuss issues raised by farmers, apart from the repeal of the three farm laws. This includes legal guarantee for MSP, withdrawal of the electricity bill and compensation to farmers who lost their lives during the farmers' agitation. The MP has also demanded that the prime minister issue a statement as to why Union minister Ajay Misra has not been removed from his post, given the alleged role of his son in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
The CPI(M) has given notices in both Houses of Parliament against the two bills regarding the Centre's ordinances to extend the tenures of CBI and ED directors.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore gives adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha “to direct government to initiate repealing of three farm laws & to announce compensation for families of 700 farmers who had died in the last one year during farmers’ protest at Delhi’s borders”.
Congress MP Manish Tewari gives adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss “to direct the government to create a record of farmers who lost their lives during farm laws protest and give compensation to their families”.
From the withdrawal of the Centre’s three contentious farm laws, to the Cryptocurrency Bill — the government has listed as many as 26 bills for introduction in Parliament during the Winter session, which is set to take place between November 29 and December 23. Click Here to see full list