Parliament Winter Session 2025 Highlights: Oppn walks out after Amit Shah’s ‘illegal immigrants’ jibe

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day

Union Home Minister Amit Shah came up with vote chori allegations against the Congress. He said, "Post Independence, Sardar Patel was backed by 28 persons, J L Nehru by two persons; yet Nehru became PM, this was vote chori." Pointing out second vote chori, Shah said, it was by Indira Gandhi, when she granted herself immunity after court set aside her election. Dispute of third "vote chori" has just reached civil courts on how Sonia Gandhi became a voter before becoming citizen of India, said Amit Shah.

Soon after Shah claimed vote chori by Sonia Gandhi, KC Venugopal argued that the case was dismissed by the court and said Sonia Gandhi never cast her vote.

Opposition worried because they can no longer run away with ballot boxes and win elections by corrupt practices, says Amit Shah

If electoral rolls were corrupted, why did you contest elections, asks Amit Shah. Shah said, "BJP has lost more elections than it has won, but we never questioned Election Commission."

Opposition parties' actions have tarnished the image of EC, not the government, across the world, says Amit Shah in LS.

Leader of Opposition flagged irregularities in electoral rolls, SIR is an exercise to have pure electoral rolls, says Amit Shah in Lok Sabha

Opposition worried as people of country do not vote for them and SIR will delete names of illegal immigrants who back them: Amit Shah

Amit Shah rebuffs Rahul Gandhi's "vote chori" allegations claiming those to be an attempt to create a fake narrative.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Shah said the Opposition gets angry when history is invoked. He said the most past SIRs were conducted during Congress rule.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses Lok Sabha on electoral reforms. Taking a dig at the Congress, Shah said lies have been spread and there were attempts to manipulate people in the country. Even though the topic of discussion is electoral reforms, many Opposition MPs are discussing SIR.

Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on Wednesday demanded dedicated emergency lanes on roads for ambulance movement, saying that in India, groceries reach doorsteps in under 15 minutes, pizzas in 30 minutes, but patients bleed to death due to the delay in reaching the hospital.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Bachchan demanded that the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health should also look into the issue of patient death due to the delay in reaching the hospital.

"In a country where groceries reach doorsteps in under 15 minutes, pizzas in 30 minutes via quick commerce platforms, patients bleed to death because ambulances get trapped in traffic, lacking dedicated emergency lanes, despite the Supreme Court's 2018 directive. No national data tracks these tragedies," Bachchan said.

"60 per cent of ambulances arrive late, with urban delays averaging 15 to 30 minutes due to an absence of green corridors and police escorts, missing the golden hour for 55 per cent of accident victims. No dedicated lanes on highways, despite the National Ambulance Code 2016. These critical failures need to be taken notice of and dealt with immediately," she stated.

She suggested an immediate nationwide mandate for dedicated emergency lanes, with AI traffic signals, prioritizing ambulances, 30-second green corridors, enforcing the Supreme Court's 2018 ambulance corridor directive via Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, penalties on violators, and a high-level probe into ambulance delay deaths.

BJP MP Rekha Sharma demanded a gender-sensitive mental health facility for traumatised women in the country.

She drew attention towards the severe shortage of accessible gender sensitive mental health support, particularly for survivors of violence, harassment and trauma.

While the Modi government's initiatives, such as Tele Manas and district mental health programmes, are commendable, some gaps persist, especially in rural, marginalised, and low-income communities, she said, adding that lack of awareness and scarcity of trained professionals prevent countless women from receiving timely care.

Survivors of domestic violence, cyber harassment, acid attacks, trafficking and workplace abuse frequently carry long-lasting psychological scars, she told the House.

The mental health system that should support them remains fragmented and under-resourced, she pointed out.

She urged the government to deploy dedicated women's mental health counsellors at centres, police stations, and hospitals, ensuring immediate and specialised assistance. Tele Manas outreach should be expanded and integrated with women's helpline, self-help groups, and Anganwari worker network, she said.

PTI

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day.

“Eastern India will become the engine of growth for the country under PM Modi’s leadership,” says JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha in the Rajya Sabha during the Vande Mataram debate.

Criticising the NDA, Gandhi asked why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are keen on who gets selected as the Election Commissioner. Further, he said the election campaigns are tailored in such a way that they cater to the Prime Minister of the country.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi says: “Everybody knows how VCs of universities are selected. It does not matter whether the professor has qualifications or a scientific temper”. Taking a veiled dig at the RSS, Rahul said the selection of Vice Chancellors in Universities depends on whether the person belongs to a particular organisation.

Everybody knows how VCs of universities are selected. It does not matter whether the professor has qualifications or a scientific temper, says Rahul Gandhi.

Following the statement, MPs raise objections.

Discussion on Vande Mataram is ongoing in Rajya Sabha.

Giving a major jolt to Maoists, the security forces have neutralised 29 top Naxal leaders since 2019, with 14 Central Committee Members (CCM) and Politburo members (PBM) killed this year alone, Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday.

Responding to a supplementary during the Question Hour, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said the number of effected states have gone down from 10 in 2014 to 5 in 2025 (till October) showing a reduction of 50 per cent while the number of districts affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) has witnessed a sharp decline of 91 per cent from 126 to 11 during the period.

He said the number of districts affected by left-wing extremism has decreased from 126 in April 2018 to 90 in July 2021, 70 in April 2024, 38 in April 2025, and further to 11 in October 2025, with only three districts now considered to be the "most affected" by left-wing extremism.

"However, to prevent the CPI (Maoist) from re-establishing itself in areas recently freed from the influence of left-wing extremism, 27 districts have been included under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme as 'Legacy and Thrust Districts'," the Minister said.

He said under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the successful guidance of the Home Minister, left-wing extremism will be "eradicated by March 2026 and there is no escape for them now".

"Previous governments considered left-wing extremism a state problem, due to which the central government did not formulate any concrete policy against it. But the Modi government has formulated a comprehensive and effective policy against left-wing extremism, where the central government has resolved to eliminate it. This campaign is being made successful in collaboration with the state governments," he said.

Underlining the outcome of the zero-tolerance policy of the central government against Naxals, Rai said that from the highest level of Maoist violence witnessed in 2010, the incidents have seen a massive decline of 81 per cent in 2024.

The minister said Maoist violence had resulted in 6,508 deaths from 2004 to 2014 (till May that year), which included 4,684 civilians and 1,824 security personnel.

Rai said in the following decade, between 2015 and 25 (till May), the number of deaths dropped by 71 per cent to 1,868, which included 1,404 civilians and 464 security personnel. He said 44 deaths have been reported between May and November this year.

PTI

Congress MP Deepender Hooda urged the government on Monday to install a statue of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, the composer of national song Vande Mataram, in the Parliament House complex.

Participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the completion of 150 years of Vande Mataram, the Congress MP said if the government brings a proposal to install Chatterjee's statue in Parliament, the opposition party will support it.

In an apparent swipe at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for initiating the discussion on Vande Mataram, Hooda said, "India is our mother and no true devotee can bring his mother into politics." "Today, attempts are being made to use nationalism for electoral gains. Devotion to the motherland is being used for devotion to votes. Some people pronounce 'Vande Voteram' more than 'Vande Mataram'. The country is watching all this," he added.

Also participating in the debate, Congress MP A Bimol Akoijam said at least three hours should be given for a discussion on the situation in ethnic strife-torn Manipur.

He also alleged that the BJP believes in dividing people and that its nationalism is based on religious and cultural imagination.

The Lok Sabha member from Inner Manipur said, "What is the purpose of this discussion? There are many real issues that need to be discussed. There is massive unemployment, poor air quality, the IndiGo crisis.... We are demanding a three-to-four-hour discussion on Manipur, but nobody cares. You talk about patriotism." He alleged that 65,000 people have been rendered homeless in the northeastern state due to the crisis caused by the "government's failure".

PTI

Taking a swipe at Congress, BJP MP Anurag Singh Thakur on Monday said national song "Vande Mataram" is not just a song but a 'maha mantra' which provides energy to patriotic people, while for some it is a reason for allergy, who indulge in divisive politics.

Participating in a Lok Sabha discussion marking 150 years of Vande Mataram, Thakur said, "'Vande Mataram' for patriotic people like us gives energy, but for some it is the reason for allergy...Britishers had a problem with 'Vande Mataram,' (Mohammed Ali) Jinnah had a problem, now Munna of Jinnah also has a problem with 'Vande Mataram'," he said.

"'Vande Mataram' is not just a song but a maha mantra. It does not hurt any religious sentiment. It is the song of India's glory," he said.

"Now it is time for Congress to repent its past mistake, and that is why they are afraid, he said, adding, "'Vande Mataram' sirf geet nahi balki rashtriya prem ki reet hai, isliye Congress bhaibheet hai (Vande Mataram is not just a song, but a tradition of national love, that's why the Congress is worried)." When Prime Minister Narendra Modi started this historic debate in the House, two important members of the Opposition were missing, he said without taking the names of Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi. Those who don't get energy from this are either Congress, Communist or Muslim League, he added.

"These twin words 'Vande Mataram' have no beginning, no end. They are eternal and immortal," he said.

Citing the indifference of Congress toward 'Vande Mataram,' Thakur said, the UPA government in 2006 had taken a decision that the song would be sung in all educational institutions, but the government had to relent to radicalists and their idea and made it "voluntary" from "compulsory." He emphasised that every Indian has to bow their head before the tricolour and chant "'Vande Mataram', 'Vande Mataram.'"

"It is the maha mantra for nationalism, and our country has weakened whenever we have forgotten." During the debate, Arvind Sawant Shiv Sena (UBT), alleged that how can BJP forget that their parent organisation RSS did not unfurl the national flag at their headquarters for 50 years and also did not sing "Vande Mataram," and today they are all praise for it.

PTI

“Mission Sudarshan Chakra building an impenetrable security ring around key national assets, Operation Sindoor proved its precision; steady revenue is needed to keep our defence forces fighting,” says Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajya Sabha.

Vande Mataram did not get the justice it deserved, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha, and added the national song was marginalised post Independence.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is speaking in Lok Sabha. Addressing the necessity of discussion on Vande Mataram, Vadra says, "The Bengal Assembly polls is upcoming and there has been several deaths in the country. The government wants to divert its attention from the core issues."