Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has criticized the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, calling it a 'brazen assault' on the Constitution and part of the BJP's strategy to keep society in a 'permanent state of polarization.' She also spoke out against the One Nation, One Election Bill, calling it a 'subversion of the Constitution.' Gandhi further accused the Modi government of ignoring the women's reservation bill and other demands for reservation, and of 'dragging the country into an abyss' where the Constitution will only exist on paper. She also criticized the government for limiting the speaking time of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament and for not allowing discussions on important issues like the working of the defense and external affairs ministries and the challenges posed by China on the border.
The umbrella body of over 40 farmer unions said at a press conference that two days before the session begins, a "chetavani patra" (warning letter) will be given to all the opposition MPs to protest the laws inside the House.
In a lengthy statement on X late Monday night, a defiant Kamra said those busy leaking his number on social media or calling him incessantly should know that it all goes to his voicemail where they will be subjected to "the very song" that they hate.
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday asserted that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee should be allowed to lead the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday urged all political parties, including the Congress, to unite against anti-India forces, and raise their voice if they find their leaders working against the country's interest.
Gandhi said the central issue is that they are attacking the Constitution and insulting the memory of Ambedkar.
Sitharaman, India's first full-time woman Finance Minister, broke away from the colonial tradition of carrying a Budget briefcase in July 2019, opting instead for a traditional 'bahi-khata', to carry the Union Budget papers.
A Pakistani court sentenced jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 and 7 years in prison respectively after finding them guilty of corruption in the 190 million pounds al-Qadir Trust case. The verdict was announced in a makeshift court set up in Adila jail where Khan is currently lodged. Khan has been convicted for "corrupt practices" and "misuse of authority", while his wife has been convicted for "involvement in illegal activities". The court also ordered the confiscation of the land of Al-Qadir University set up by them. Supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party staged a protest outside Parliament House, demanding his release. Khan claims all cases against him were politically motivated.
The Congress president also came down heavily on the BJP over the Adani issue.
Bhagwat highlighted the vital role of families and warned that according to population science, if a society's total fertility rate dips below 2.1, it could face extinction.
India's opposition parties have sharply criticized the Union Budget, calling it inadequate to address the country's economic woes and accusing the BJP-led government of using it to woo voters in Bihar and Delhi ahead of upcoming elections. Leaders from the Congress, TMC, DMK, SP, and CPI(M) voiced their disapproval, highlighting concerns over inflation, unemployment, and the lack of substantial measures to support the agricultural sector and the poor. They also criticized the tax cuts for the middle class as insufficient and coming too late after years of high taxes and rising prices.
Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Congress of twisting facts and distorting his comments on B.R. Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha, saying the opposition party launched a malicious campaign after a parliamentary discussion "established" the Congress as being "anti-Ambedkar and anti-reservation." Shah defended his remarks, stating his address was clear and without confusion, and that his party would explore all legal options against the Congress for misrepresenting his comments. He also accused the Congress of insulting V.D. Savarkar, crushing constitutional values by imposing Emergency, and humiliating soldiers who laid down their lives.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged a 'well-planned' conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, where a team of Congress MPs led by Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit on December 4 amid restrictions imposed by the district administration.
Questions are being raised on the future of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) as differences among its constituents come to the fore and several parties call for serious introspection by the Congress after a string of debilitating electoral losses.
Gandhi's remarks drew massive protests from the treasury benches and a rare intervention from the prime minister, who slammed the Congress leader for calling the entire Hindu community violent.
In Parliament, the BJP will raise other issues, such as the India-US nuclear deal and the woes of Kashmiri Pandits, which it has on its agenda for the remaining session, he said.
Oppn members raised slogans demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe into the issue.
Draped in black shawls, Trinamool Congress MPs on Monday staged a protest outside Parliament House against the arrest of West Bengal minister Madan Mitra in the Saradha chit fund case, accusing the Centre of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation.
On Friday, May 3, 2024, the National Security Guard and the Delhi police conducted a security mock drill at the Parliament building. The primary objective of the drill was to assess and synchronise the readiness of the security forces to counter potential future threats effectively.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party would oppose the Centre's move to bring a bill in Parliament to amend the 1995 law governing Waqf boards, and accused the BJP of trying to snatch the rights of Muslims.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday read out a resolution condemning the imposition of Emergency and termed the decision by then prime minister Indira Gandhi an attack on the Constitution, triggering a wave of protests by the opposition in the House.
Family members of Neelam, one of the two persons arrested for protesting outside Parliament on Wednesday, said she had earlier participated in several agitations including farmers' movement.
Protests by various parties could be seen as they demanded the Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled back the demonetisation scheme.
The TDP and the LJP also supported the Bill being sent to a parliamentary committee for further examination.
'Union Budgets are often used as political instruments and that was the intention of this government too.' 'But while the exercise has settled two fronts, it has left open several others and this has the potential to aggravate with time,' predicts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
Holding a placard with the slogan 'why I can't feel safe in my own Bharat', Anu Dubey, in her mid-20s, sat on the pavement near gate number 2-3 of the Parliament House complex to protest crime against women in the country.
After taking oath, he hailed his state Telangana, Bhimrao Ambedkar, apart from raising the AIMIM's slogan for Muslim, along with the West Asian country.
With the tablet carefully kept inside a red cover with a golden-coloured national emblem embossed on it instead of the briefcase, Parliament will be her next destination after the call on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Birla informed the House that four persons have been arrested - two from inside the House, and two from outside Parliament in connection with the incident.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged MPs on Monday to follow the prescribed format while taking oath or affirmation and not add words as it lowered the dignity of the Constitution.
The row over Bharatiya Janata Party MP Anurag Thakur's remarks in Lok Sabha escalated on Wednesday with the Congress submitting a notice to move a privilege motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for posting on 'X' a video that allegedly also contained expunged portions of Thakur's speech.
Amol Shinde (25), a resident of Zari village in Chakur tehsil of Latur, was arrested on Wednesday along with Neelam, 42, of Haryana's Hisar, after they opened gas canisters that emitted smoke outside the Parliament building and shouted Tanashahi Nahi Chalegi (dictatorship will not be allowed), "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Jai Bhim, Jai Bharat".
Meanwhile, the Delhi government has ordered magisterial enquiries into the demolition and also the death of a six month-old child.
"Everything may look normal in Kashmir. Everything may look normal here. We may be celebrating the victory, although of course some people believe that that victory or that success of 2024 was perhaps only marginal, perhaps a lot more needs to be done," he said.
The credibility of the examination system has also come under question, they said.
The Congress party on Tuesday vowed to oppose the present format of the land bill both inside the Parliament and outside.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Saturday said the Lok Sabha poll mandate is a "decisive rejection" of the politics of divisiveness and hate, and stressed that the INDIA bloc must continue functioning cohesively both inside and outside Parliament.
This will be the first time that the Congress, since its ouster from power in 2014, will get the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. It failed to get the position in the past 10 years as its tally was below the requisite 10 per cent of total seats in the House, both in 2014 and 2019.
Now, every state election -- first up, Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand later this year, then Delhi in January and Bihar in September next year -- will be seen by his followers for evidence of his recovery, and by rivals of sharpening decline, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Lalit Jha, the fifth accused and mastermind in Parliament security breach case, has burnt the mobile phones of his associates along with his friend Mahesh after fleeing to Rajasthan's Kuchaman, said police sources.
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