Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad has accused the BJP of orchestrating 'Operation Lotus' to induce defections from the Mamata Banerjee-led party, citing recent resignations and meetings of dissident MPs as evidence of an organised attempt to weaken the TMC.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that violence in Manipur is continuously declining and educational institutes along with businesses have opened in most parts of the state.
Major bills, including those on women's reservation, delimitation, and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), face an uncertain future in the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament due to persistent opposition protests and a lack of consensus.
The Rajya Sabha is slated for a 12-hour discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address to the joint session of the two Houses of Parliament, which also includes the reply by the prime minister, which is likely next Tuesday.
Veteran Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy has suggested that the rebellion within the Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s legislative wing could extend to its Members of Parliament, following an unprecedented revolt by MLAs and the party's recent electoral defeat in West Bengal.
The bill aims to include all the Muslims sects in the Waqf board, Rijiju said.
The Lok Sabha's monsoon session concluded on Thursday, marked by relentless opposition protests over critical issues like the NEET paper leak and police action on students, yet saw the passage of several key bills without extensive debate. Home Minister Amit Shah expressed readiness to debate the student protest issue, urging the speaker to allocate time.
The opposition parties in India have announced a boycott of the Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election, citing the Modi government's failure to appoint a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha for seven years and lack of consultation.
According to a Rajya Sabha bulletin, nine of the MPs are from the Congress and three from the AAP.
Opposition alliance INDIA on Thursday boycotted a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Rajya Sabha to protest Prime Minister Narendra Modi not making a statement on Manipur violence in Parliament, a senior leader said.
Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday defended Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the House saying it has 'unimpeachable credentials' and is doing 'national service', as he took umbrage to remarks by a Samajwadi Party MP.
'Where is the official record? Media bytes are not parliamentary records. What matters is what is recorded on the floor of Parliament. I am not denying that we had a heated exchange.'
The Rajya Sabha proceeding washed out completely on Wednesday and was adjourned for the day amid continued protest by the Opposition parties led by the Congress over price rise and levy of Goods and Services Tax (GST) on daily essentials.
The Punjab Police has reportedly withdrawn the security cover for Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh after he switched from AAP to BJP. This follows protests by AAP workers outside the residences of Singh and other defectors.
The Congress' chief whip Jairam Ramesh, said, 'Today, too, the INDIA parties demanded the prime minister's presence in the Rajya Sabha to make a statement on Manipur, to be followed by a discussion.'
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has initiated raids on business entities linked to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal in Punjab and Haryana, as part of a Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) investigation into alleged financial irregularities.
The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday gave its green light to the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill 2023. This Bill introduces significant amendments to the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act. These modifications aim to enhance the transparency and accountability of these cooperatives' operations in a bid to improve governance.
Rajya Sabha witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches after Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge made remarks on the manner in which political parties select women candidates from weaker sections and raised the issue of 'delayed' GST payments to non-Bharatiya Janata Party ruled states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday took the Congress to the cleaners over making the 2024 general elections about the protection of the Constitution, saying Indians voted on the plank only once when they threw out the Indira Gandhi government in 1977 after the Emergency.
This is the Upper House's third best productive session in the last 14 sessions since the Monsoon Session (243rd Session) of 2017, the Rajya Sabha officials said.
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief J P Nadda and new party entrant Ashok Chavan and Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan were among the 41 candidates elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha on Tuesday while Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh will witness polling on February 27.
In the Upper House of Parliament, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow adjournment notices moved by opposition members on the issue of price rise, prompting members of the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Left parties, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Nationalist Congress Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Shiv Sena to create an uproar.
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has responded to criticism that he has not adequately raised Punjab-related issues in Parliament by sharing a video showcasing his interventions on key concerns affecting the state.
'The chair is a referee in a match, whether this side is playing better or that side is playing worse is no concern of the chair.'
The ruling NDA coalition in India faces a significant challenge in passing the women's reservation bill in Parliament due to insufficient numbers. The bill requires a two-thirds majority in both houses, and the NDA needs to secure additional support or abstentions from other parties to achieve this.
Mallikarjun Kharge and Narendra Modi addressed the Rajya Sabha, acknowledging the contributions of retiring MPs and emphasising the enduring nature of public service.
Rejecting these notices, the Chairman said, "I have not admitted (the notices) as there are other avenues to raise this matter in the House and some matters are local."
The House, which was briefly adjourned in the morning, will now meet at 11 am on March 13 after recess.
'You cannot run Parliament with 800 MPs as nobody will get time (to speak in Parliament). And Parliament sits for barely 60 days in a year.' 'Look at the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. They have 650 MPs and they sit for 150 days on an average in a year.'
The Union Budget allocates Rs 1,492 crore for the functioning of both Houses of Parliament, with specific provisions for Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, and related secretariats.
A complaint has been filed against Rajya Sabha member Anurag Sharma, alleging concealment of property details and violation of election rules during the nomination process.
The prime minister is now expected to speak on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha, where the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address has taken place without any disruption.
According to a bulletin issued on Wednesday, 'The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026', 'The Delimitation Bill, 2026' and 'The Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill), 2026' will be introduced and debated for passage in the Lower House.
Confident of securing a massive majority in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday outlined his vision for his next five-year term saying the Modi 3.0 government will put all its might to strengthen the foundation of 'Viksit Bharat' or a developed nation.
Police in Agra have registered a case regarding a death threat allegedly received by Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman via WhatsApp. An investigation is underway.
Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O'Brien was suspended from the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday for the remaining part of the Winter session after he threw a Rajya Sabha rule book at the Chair.
'Who among Opposition party MPs has so much power that they raise some issue and the government implements it? The answer is no one except Raghav Chadha.'
The Lok Sabha is set to debate a motion seeking the removal of Speaker Om Birla, a rare event where he will be seated among members as the House considers allegations of partisan conduct.
Chairman of Bajaj Auto, Rahul Bajaj says that if he becomes a member of the Rajya Sabha he will not be a silent spectator.
