In an extraordinary step, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday suspended eight Congress members from Telangana region for four days for repeatedly causing disruptions over separate statehood issue.
The killing of six Sikhs in a United States gurdwara led to a slanging match between the opposition and treasury benches in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal accusing Akali Dal of "baking the political cake on funeral pyre" of the victims.
The new Lokpal Bill was introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal in Lok Sabha on Thursday after an hour-long acrimonious debate among members of various political parties.
The United Progressive Alliance government on Tuesday extended the Winter session Parliament to pass four crucial anti-corruption bills -- the Lokpal Bill, the Citizens' Charter Bill, the Judicial Accountability Bill and the Whistleblowers' Bill.
Parliamentary Affair Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said he wanted the BJP not to disrupt the proceedings today so that the bill can be taken up. "We have already lost three weeks due to disruptions. I would request them to let Parliament function for last two days so that important issues could be taken up," he said
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said that parties, who had supported the Bharatiya Janata Party in disrupting the proceedings, would now prevail upon it in the next week to go for a discussion.
Rejecting P A Sangma's claim and objection, the government on Monday said that the United Progressive Alliance nominee Pranab Mukherjee resigned as the chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute a week before he filed his nomination in the President's election and does not not hold any office of profit.
The government said on Friday that the controversial Women's Reservation Bill would be brought for consideration in the Lok Sabha in the Monsoon Session of Parliament -- a move apparently aimed at dividing opposition unity.
Pressing for tabling of the Lokpal Bill on Wednesday itself in the Rajya Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Left sought to corner the government which was not ready for immediate discussion on it.
Acknowledging that consensus eluded the all-party meeting on Lokpal issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Thursday said the government was confident that it would be able to table the proposed bill in the winter session itself.
The government had a close shave on the penultimate day of the budget session of the Parliament when the Left demanded a division at the time of introduction of the Pension Regulatory Authority Bill.
"Do you think the answer to break the deadlock is to demand the resignation (of the Prime Minister)? They are not moving forward. Today we had invited them for talks. But they are probably not willing to talk. Perhaps they will be ready to talk on Monday," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters outside Parliament House.
Uncertainty prevails over the much-talked about Lokpal Bill being brought up for consideration in the monsoon session of the Parliament beginning on August 8.
After introducing the controversial nuclear liability bill in the Lok Sabha amid opposition protests, the government on Friday said it hopes to bring it for consideration in the Monsoon session of Parliament.
Liberhan report debate in LS rescheduled to Dec 7.
The Winter Session of Parliament is being advanced by a week to enable United States' President Barack Obama to address members, which is likely on November 9.
The government on Wednesday said it wants to bring the bill to set up anti-corruption ombudsman, Lokpal, in Rajya Sabha during the first part of the current Budget session of Parliament.
With the washout of winter session of Parliament weighing heavily on its mind, the government on Sunday appealed to the opposition to ensure a smooth budget session beginning next month expressing readiness to discuss all issues, including 2G spectrum, "on priority".
Ahead of Anna Hazare's dharna in New Delhi on Sunday, government on Friday said Team Anna should await the passage of the Lokpal Bill before going ahead with any agitation on the issue.
Hectic political activity is on in New Delhi with the government upset with what it terms as Team Anna's attempts to seek political consensus on its Jan Lokpal Bill. There is also uncertainity surrounding the scheduled debate in Parliament over the draft bill.
Charges and counter-charges over links with Maoists flew thick and fast between the Opposition and the government on Thursday as the Lok Sabha began discussion on the Dantewada Naxal attack.
Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Monday postponed a debate in the House on the report of the Liberhan Commission, which was scheduled for Tuesday, due to non-availability of Hindi version of the Commission's report on Banri mosque demolition.
As many as 81 legislations have been lined up by the United Progressive Alliance government for the Winter Session of Parliament beginning on Thursday. However, with only 23 working days till the Lok Sabha winds up on December 21, the fate of several such legislations remains doubtful.The government will also push for the passage of six of the ten Bills pending in the Lok Sabha and 13 of the 36 Bills pending in the Rajya Sabha.
At least 25 MPs of the Congress and its allies in the United Progressive Alliance were absent during voting on the Constitution Amendment Bill on Lokpal in the Lok Sabha which was defeated for lack of numbers.
The delegation, to be led by Home Minister P Chidamabaram, is expected to meet a cross-section of people of the troubled state before arriving at a package of solutions
"Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal had said the discussion on the Lokpal Bill will only take place on Monday. But to our utter surprise we got a call that Sandeep Dikshit (Cong MP) will initiate the debate on Lokpal in five minutes. The government wanted a casual debate on such an important and serious issue," Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said.
After its passage by an overwhelming majority in Rajya Sabha, the impeachment proceedings against Justice Soumitra Sen will be taken up in Lok Sabha on September 5 and 6, government announced on Tuesday.
A solution is expected on the issue of suspension of seven Rajya Sabha members by Thursday evening.
A day's joint sitting of Parliament is likely on November 9 to enable US President Barack Obama to address the members while the Winter session could be convened from the third week of November as usual.
A much talked about bill seeking a three-fold hike in salaries of MPs from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000 and doubling their two key allowances to Rs 40,000 each was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Parliamentary affairs minister P K Bansal told reporters. He said the government has held discussions with leaders of opposition parties and the Budget would be passed without being sent to the Standing Committee. There would be a detailed discussion on General Budget, demands for grants of four ministries, appropriation bills and Finance Bill.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal on Monday asserted that terrorism issue had not taken a backseat in the talks with Pakistan President Asif Zardari and India had made this clear to him during his visit to the capital.
According to the party sources, the preparations are in full swing and seasoned BJP workers are being deployed on more than 50 seats.
Both Houses of Parliament had to be adjourned on Friday during Question Hour after Opposition parties created an uproar demanding that Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor submit his resignation over the Kochi IPL ownership controversy.
Union minister for parliamentary affairs and water resources Pawan Kumar Bansal, on Thursday claimed that the situation on the ground water was not as grave as is made out to be by certain sections of the media.
The Centre has appointed senior IAS officers Vumlunmang Vualnam and Neeraj Mittal as new secretaries in the ministry of civil aviation and the department of telecommunications respectively in a major secretary-level bureaucratic reshuffle, a government order stated.
The much-talked about Judicial Accountability Bill that will provide for accountability of judges and establish a credible mechanism for investigating individual complaints of misbehaviour will be taken up by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Past recipients of the award include Mother Teresa, cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, actors Dev Anand, Shammi Kapoor and Rajesh Khanna, among others.
Poet, artist and award-winning diplomat Abhay K will release his second book of poems Remains Thursday, June 28.
Setting the stage for confrontation in Parliament, an all-party meeting called in New Delhi on the eve of the monsoon session on Monday ended in a deadlock over controversies related to the Lalit Modi and Vyapam scam even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered to discuss all issues. The government ruled out any resignations.
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