Rajya Sabha sitting extended till January 9

The Rajya Sabha sitting has been extended till January 9 in view of the various pending Bills and other important legislative business, informed sources said on Monday.

The government has been trying to push the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 in the Upper House, which has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.

The Rajya Sabha could not take it up because of opposition's reservations over the proposed legislation and its insistence on sending the bill to a parliamentary panel.

The government has also been trying to push the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2018, The National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019, The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2018, and The Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2018, among others.

The Rajya Sabha has been witnessing protests over several issues including Congress' demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Rafale fighter jets deal, TDP's demand for a special status to Andhra Pradesh and AIADMK's demand for withdrawal of the proposal to construct a dam across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu.

Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha, the government has listed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill that aims to give citizenship to illegal migrants of six minority groups from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, a move that has stoked a major row in Assam.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will introduce to the bill for discussion and passage, which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Monday.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the bill soon after a JPC presented its report in the Lok Sabha endorsing the move to legalise minority immigrants who entered Assam till December 31, 2014, but asked the government to tread with caution in view of the matter being sub judice and take all legal steps, lest it causes embarrassment at a later stage.

The Lok Sabha sitting is also likely to be extended till January 9 as the government wanted to push some other important bills, the sources said.

The Winter Session of Parliament, which commenced on December 11, was due continue till January 8.

--IANS

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