The pandemonium in Parliament over corruption issue continued for the 11th day on Friday disrupting functioning, but members gave a break to their agitation to pay homage to the martyrs of Mumbai terror attacks on its second anniversary.
The Rajya Sabha will take up the impeachment proceedings of Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen in perhaps the first case of its kind in the history of the Upper House. The controversial judge has been held guilty on corruption charges by a panel appointed by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari. The issue will be taken up on August 17, Parliament sources said.
Suspended Janata Dal-United MP Upendra Kushwaha on Friday resigned from the party, slamming Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's alleged "autocratic" functioning in Bihar.
Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta high court, who has been indicted by a judicial committee on an impeachment motion, has filed his reply to the Rajya Sabha, countering the charges against him.In his reply submitted on Thursday, Justice Sen is understood to have contended that he had done no wrong and there was no basis for the charges against him, on the basis of which he was found guilty by the committee set up by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.
Accusing the government of not being serious in passing the bill for providing quota for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes in promotions in government jobs, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati threatened to take a 'tougher' stand, saying her Wednesday's 'outburst' in the Rajya Sabha was only 'the first step'.
The Union Budget for 2017 is likely to be presented on February 1. An approval for merging the Railway Budget with the General Budget was accorded by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday.
In further trouble for beleaguered Karnataka Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, a petition seeking impeachment proceedings against him was moved by as many as 76 Rajya Sabha members on Monday.
Both Houses of Parliament will mark the 60th anniversary of their first sitting by holding a special sittings on Sunday.
In a setback to Sikkim High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to quash some of the charges framed against him by a Rajya Sabha-appointed panel looking into allegations of corrupt practices and misconduct against him.
With more than 50 Rajya Sabha members favouring impeachment of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice P D Dinakaran, a petition in this regard is likely to be submitted to the House Chairman Mohammed Hamid Ansari early next week. A signature campaign is underway and more than 50 Rajya Sabha members from the Bharatiya Janata Party, Left parties and Samajwadi Party, among others, are understood to have signed the petition, sources said.
Ravi Shankar Prasad is set to become the new deputy leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Rajya Sabha with Parliamentary Party chief L K Advani on Thursday recommending his name for the post to the vice president.
Pradeep Gandhi, one of the 11 MPs expelled from Parliament after being found guilty in the cash-for-query scam in 2005, was seen standing next to Sachin after his swearing-in inside Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari's chamber and was prominently seen during the photo-op later.
"Baalu must resign. He and the Prime Minister's Office have misused powers for personal gains," Dr Maitreyan said. On Thursday, Dr Maitreyan was asked to leave the Rajya Sabha by Chairman Hamid Ansari after he sought the prime minister's response to charges against his Cabinet colleague Baalu favouring his sons' firms.
Apparently exasperated over frequent disruptions, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has called an all-party meet on Monday to discuss possible changes in rules for smooth running of House.
Hamid Ansari of United Progressive Alliance-Left, Najma Heptulla of National Democratic Alliance and Rasheed Masood of the Third Front are in the race for the second highest office.
Parliament was adjourned on Monday morning after condoling the death of 3 sitting members, including former Union minister Murli Deora.
Mulayam Singh Yadav wrote to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari informing him about the expulsion of Ramgopal Yadav.
Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance on Thursday stuck to its demand for the Prime Minister's resignation on the coal block allocation issue at a meeting convened by the Rajya Sabha chairman to end the impasse and boycotted a meeting called by the Lok Sabha Speaker on the matter.
Akhilesh Das, who was recently dropped from the Union Council of Ministers recently, on Tuesday resigned from the party as well as the Rajya Sabha after blaming the "coterie" around Rahul Gandhi
Several Union Ministers and leaders of various political parties apologised on Monday to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari for the disrespect shown to him by some members and their unruly behaviour in the House on the issue of taking up the Women's Reservation Bill.
The incident happened at around 11.30 am during Question Hour when a Congress member pointed out that there was a leakage of gas.
The decision was taken at a meeting in senior BJP leader LK Advani's residence on Monday, which was attended by the party's allies. At a press conference soon after, Jaswant Singh described the decision as a "great honour".
Dubbing the Mumbai terror strikes as 'most horrendous', Parliament on Wednesday sought strict action and all out efforts to prevent recurrence of such attacks. In the wake of the Mumbai terror strikes, Home Minister P Chidambaram will make a statement on terrorism in Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha till noon when it created uproar over alleged shift in government stand on anti-graft activist Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal Bill.
Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi's daughter M Kanimozhi on Monday took oath as a member of Rajya Sabha on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.
The name of the next vice president of India will be known on Saturday evening after members of Parliament cast their ballot during the day in Parliament House.
Irked by the developments in the Rajya Sabha over the women's bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh telephoned Vice President Hamid Ansari and expressed regret over attempts by some Samajwadi Party members to attack him in the House.
A metal detector was on Monday installed in front of Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari's office in Parliament after he wondered why he is exempt from usual checks that all others are subjected to.
The Rajya Sabha was on Wednesday adjourned till 2 pm to allow the government to collect information on the bomb blast outside the Delhi high court and make a statement.
Describing the Women's Reservation Bill as a 'giant step' towards the empowerment of women, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said in the Rajya Sabha that the measure was not anti-minority and anti-Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe. Dr Singh also expressed 'profound apology' to Chairman Hamid Ansari for the disrespect shown to the Chair by members in the House over the past two days. "On behalf of the government, I owe you a profound apology," Dr Singh said to Ansari.
Opposition National Democratic Alliance and estranged United Progressive Alliance ally Trinamool Congress on Friday criticised the decision to allow Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail, saying government has surrendered to crony capitalism and feared that the policy will spell doom for farmers and small traders.
The United Progressive Alliance government's austerity drive is expected to be extended to all Members of Parliament following an all party meeting, according to sources.Vice President Hamid Ansari will call an all-party meeting to decide on the issue once Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar returns from Rome. The chairman of the Rajya Sahba and the Lok Sabha speaker are expected to hold a discussion on the austerity drive.
Questioning the impartiality of the parliamentary committee examining the Lokpal Bill, a leading citizens' forum has sought the reconstitution of the panel as a befitting response to unprecedented anti-corruption movement in our country.
Shumsher K Sheriff, who took over as secretary general of Rajya Sabha last month, was on Thursday introduced in the House by Chairman Hamid Ansari.
The National Democratic Alliance could not have got a candidate for vice-presidential poll with more gravitas than Jaswant Singh, a former army officer who has headed finance, defence and external affairs ministries, authored books and even served as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
The Parliamentary committee examining the Lokpal Bill has sought one more week to submit its report on the subject.
Seventeen members, including new and re-elected ones, took oath in Rajya Sabha, which reassembled after a month-long break, on Thursday.
Parliament on Thursday remembered those killed in the terror strike in Mumbai on this day last year with the Lok Sabha resolving to unitedly fight and defeat the forces of terrorism which pose the 'gravest threat to humanity.'
Decks were on Wednesday cleared for impeachment proceedings against Calcutta high court judge Soumitra Sen with a judicial committee set up by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari finding him guilty of misappropriating "large sums" of funds and making false statement regarding it.
Soon after the Rajya Sabha met for the day, members from Bharatiya Janata Party, Janata Dal-United, Bahujan Samaj Party, All India Anna Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam and the Left parties were on their feet seeking a discussion on the issue.
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