Ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament, leaders of the UPA allies on Monday met in New Delhi to discuss their strategy to counter the Opposition which is geared up to target the government on price rise and a host of other issues.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologise to students for alleged police brutality and resign along with Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi criticised the government's handling of student protests concerning the education and testing system, highlighting the use of force against demonstrators near Parliament.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Monday accused the Delhi Police of using excessive force against protesters during its "Sansad Chalo" march, alleging that several students were injured and Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjali J Angmo, was pushed around, as the outfit continued its protest with a sit-in near Kerala House, after police dismantled the stage at Jantar Mantar.
A decision on the 26-day session was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Paliamentary Affairs headed by Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday.
Out of the 24 NCP MLAs who attended the session, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, cabinet ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, Hasan Mushrif, Aditi Tatkare, Sanjay Bansode, Dhananjay Munde, Anil Patil and Dharmarao Atram were seated on the ruling side.
Kangana Ranaut said some of the women protestors were "so ugly and corrupt that they can't be home makers either"
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde mocked the Shiv Sena (UBT) in the assembly following the defection of six of its Lok Sabha MPs to his faction. Shinde stated that the opposition had lost its mental balance and predicted more "shocks" for them. The jibe came after opposition MLAs, including Aaditya Thackeray, walked out over procedural objections during the monsoon session.
The month-long Monsoon Session of Parliament will end on Friday and it may have just been one of the least productive sessions of all time, as the logjam over the coal blocks allocation paralysed the House.
The MPs include ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Meenakshi Lekhi, Anant Kumar Hegde and Parvesh Singh.
The Maharashtra government is considering invoking the stringent MCOCA law against those accused in the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) question paper leak case. School Education Minister Dada Bhuse informed the assembly that three arrests have been made, and a Special Investigation Team is probing the matter. The government also plans to form a committee to explore online modes for conducting state-level examinations to prevent future leaks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced stringent measures, including the establishment of fast-track courts, to combat exam paper leaks and protect the future of India's youth, following widespread protests over the NEET paper leak.
In run-up to the session, while over 4,000 people including MPs and staff have been tested for COVID-19, most parliamentary operations have been digitalized, entire premises sanitised and doors made touch-free.
Holding Home Minister Amit Shah responsible for alleged police brutalities on protesting students, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that "Jan Shakti" (people's power) will "drag him out" one day to make him accountable.
Officials have said the national capital lacked a convention centre big enough to seat so many MPs and adhere to social distancing norms. Additionally, holding a 'virtual session' looks slims as any change in the rules requires a motion to be carried in both the Houses of Parliament.
'It is not because of the war in West Asia, which began on February 28.' 'Petroleum product prices are already going through the roof. They are bound to have a serious inflationary impact.' 'A country's leadership is tested in trying times. It is here that the current leadership is failing.'
Parliament proceedings were stalled for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday as loud protests by an unrelenting opposition over the NEET paper leak and demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation reverberated in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, leading to adjournment of the two Houses for the day without transacting any business.
The Mumbai civic body declared a holiday for schools and colleges in the afternoon session following an India Meteorological Department (IMD) red alert for extremely heavy rainfall. Citizens have been advised to stay indoors unless necessary, as the city continues to experience significant monsoon downpours, with some areas receiving over 100 mm of rain.
'I remember that Indira Gandhi was virtually worshipped as a goddess. The kind of power wielded by Indira Gandhi in the early 1970s was much more than what Modi does today, but in just three years down the line Indira Gandhi faced defeat.' 'So you cannot take people's sentiments for granted. That is a lesson that the BJP should learn.'
Voters who exercise their franchise in favour of a particular political dispensation do not do so unconditionally. Their loyalty is subject to maintaining trust and living up to their expectations. It is subject to allowing the freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution, points out Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Passage of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax bill and a unanimous resolution on Kashmir were the highlights of the "highly productive" Monsoon session of Parliament which was adjourned sine die on Friday after 20 sittings.
Two days after a 36-day student agitation concluded at Jantar Mantar, the iconic protest site in New Delhi is already witnessing new demonstrations, including calls for Gorkhaland and women's reservation, alongside curious visitors documenting the aftermath.
The remaining part of the Monsoon Session of Parliament looks set for a washout with the Bharatiya Janata Party adamant on resignation of the Prime Minister, though it stands isolated among opposition parties, many of whom favour a debate instead of disruption.
The spiralling agitation over the NEET issue saw protests and counter-protests by Congress and BJP across the country on Wednesday, with clashes and tense face-offs at many places, a day after Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders were forcibly removed from a dharna outside the prime minister's residence.
Dialogue must be encouraged rather than adoption of hardline stands, violence and use of force, recommends Biswajit Dasgupta.
The United Progressive Alliance government's confidence about getting legislative business done in the monsoon session of Parliament, beginning August 5, might be misplaced.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk's health is deteriorating on the 18th day of his hunger strike, with his weight dropping significantly and vital signs requiring continuous monitoring. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has accused the government of 'cruelty' for its refusal to engage in dialogue regarding alleged NEET irregularities, intensifying calls for accountability from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The three-week monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly ended on Friday on a stormy note with Opposition targeting the government on the police firing in Pune district, saying its version was contradictory to what the police had to say about the incident.
The joint drafting committee on Lokpal bill on Saturday had its first meeting when civil society representatives presented a new draft of the legislation to the government with both sides expressing hope that the new law will be brought in the monsoon session of Parliament.
Renu Mittal explains why United Progressive Alliance government's crucial legislative plans may not work despite all its efforts.
Noting that the session is taking place just ahead of the 70th Independence Day, Modi said he was confident that discussions of the highest standard will be held.
Sarfaraz Khan has been recalled to India's Test squad for the two-match away series against Sri Lanka, starting August 15, following an injury to Sai Sudharsan. This recall comes after two years of consistent performance and a significant physical transformation, including shedding 17kg.
Actor-turned-politician and Trinamool Congress MP Rukmini Mallick, popularly known as Koel Mallick, on Thursday resigned from the Rajya Sabha, the fourth TMC MP to do so ever since the Mamata Banerjee-led party was ousted from power in West Bengal.
The Opposition is likely to raise the issues of fuel price hike, the Bhopal gas tragedy case, unrest in Kashmir and talks with Pakistan. It is also likely to attack the government over a series of train accidents in recent months, including the one today in West Bengal.
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The Direct Taxes Code bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in 2010 and Standing Committee on Finance has given a report after its scrutiny.
The CCPA meeting, chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, was held on Friday evening after National Democratic Alliance presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind filed his nomination papers.
A decision on the vexed issue of Telangana is expected before Monsoon session of Parliament which is likely to start after August 15.
MLAs from the Opposition AIADMK were suspended for the rest of the monsoon session when they created a ruckus in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday. The MLAs shouted slogans and created chaotic scenes when Tamil Nadu local administration minister M K Stalin's raised a privilege issue in the state assembly against AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa. Stalin's speech was hardly audible as AIADMK members kept on shouting slogans and creating chaotic scenes.
Government on Thursday claimed that it had Congress "cornered" on the penultimate day of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
The new Companies Bill, which was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2008, seeks to give a fillip to the cause of corporate social responsibility and corporate governance.
The code, which will replace the existing Income Tax Act 1961, aims to rationalise tax rates to bring more people and companies under the tax net.
