Parliament highlights: 45 MPs suspended; Rahul says Modi fled Rafale debate

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has challenged PM Narendra Modi for a debate on the Rafale deal

11:35 PM

Parliament passes Bill that scraps 'no detention' policy

 

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed after a brief discussion the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that seeks to scrap the "no detention" policy up to Class 8th for improving "learning outcomes". (Read more here) 

 

However, the Bill empowers the state governments to either scrap the "no detention" policy or keep it intact.

 

The Lok Sabha has already passed the Bill.

 

As per the old policy, children could not be failed in examinations, and their promotion to next class could not be withheld up to Class 8.  

11:28 PM

Rajya Sabha passes National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill

 

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2019, that seeks to retrospectively grant recognition to certain institutions running teacher education courses as well as grant retrospective permission to start new courses. The Bill amends the National Council for Teacher Education Act, 1993. (Read more here) 

 

1) The Bill grants retrospective recognition to institutions which offered teacher education courses after the establishment of the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) until the academic year 2017-18.

 

2) The Bill also seeks to grant retrospective permission to start a new course or training in teacher education to institutions which satisfy certain conditions and which have offered teacher education courses after the establishment of the NCTE until the academic year 2017-2018. 

11:24 PM

Rajya Sabha runs smoothly for first time in Winter Session

 

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday functioned smoothly and completed the zero and question hours for the first time in this Winter Session of Parliament. (Read more here) 

 

The session has seen a washout amid protest by AIADMK and DMK members who would come near the Chair's podium and shout slogans against Meketadu dam on the Cauvery river in Karnataka. 

5:14 PM

As the members refused to budge, the Speaker suspended 11 TDP MPs, seven AIADMK members and an unattached member under Rule 374(A) for the next four sitting of the House.

 

Among the suspended MPs were former Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju (TDP), Thota Narasimham (TDP) and Renuka Butta (unattached) who had won on a YSR Congress ticket. 

5:13 PM

Proceeding in the Lok Sabha during the winter session that commenced on December 11 have been repeatedly stalled due to protests by AIADMK and TDP members over a proposed dam on river Cauvery and special state status to Andhra Pradesh, respectively. 

5:12 PM

Action against such a large number of MPs is unusual. In February 2014, the then Speaker Meira Kumar had suspended 18 MPs from Andhra Pradesh following bedlam in the House. Those suspended then were either supporting or opposing the creation of Telangana. 

5:12 PM

45 Lok Sabha members from TDP, AIADMK suspended in 2 days for disruptions

 

Cracking the whip on unruly MPs, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has suspended 45 Lok Sabha members belonging to the TDP and the AIADMK since Wednesday after they created a ruckus in the House and continuously disrupted proceedings for days. 

 

Mahajan had suspended 24 AIADMK members on Wednesday for five consecutive sittings. A day later, she suspended 21 members of AIADMK and TDP and an unattached YSR Congress member. The action was taken under rule 374A of Lok Sabha which says that they cannot attend the remaining days of the session, which concludes on January 8. (Read more here) 

2:22 PM

Lok Sabha adjourned for the day.

2:10 PM

PM Modi has fled Parliament and his 'open book Rafale exam': Rahul Gandhi

 

Escalating his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal issue, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Thursday said it seems the PM has "fled" his "open book Rafale exam" in Parliament and is instead lecturing students in Punjab.

 

Gandhi's attack came a day after he said Modi faced an open book exam on the deal in Parliament and asked if he will show up at the exam or send a proxy.

 

The Congress president had Wednesday also tweeted four questions related to the Rafale deal and demanded answers from the prime minister.

 

"So it seems our PM has fled Parliament & his own open book Rafale exam & is instead lecturing students at Lovely University in Punjab, today," Gandhi tweeted on Thursday.

1:16 PM

Sushma Swaraj says every issue on Rafale has been clarified by Supreme Court.

12:52 PM

Rafale debate

Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress on Rahul Gandhi asking for a one-to-one with PM on Rafale: He (PM) must answer, It's a direct allegation on him that he helped his friends. He's the leader of the House, where will he answer if not here?Why is he letting other people advocate for him?

12:50 PM

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm.

12:50 PM

Lok Sabha speaker suspended 12 TDP MPs under rule 374A today. The 12 TDP MPs are still present in the House.

12:23 PM

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 pm

 

The AIADMK members were demanding withdrawal of the proposal to construct a dam across the Cauvery river at Mekadatu, while the TDP raised several issues related to their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh.

 

Amid the din, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan tried to conduct the Question Hour.

 

Some agitating AIADMK members threw some torn papers in the air.

 

Mahajan warned the protesting members not to do so but they did not relent.

 

"This is not fair. You should not be in the well. Please go to your seats otherwise I will name all of you," Mahajan said.

 

Mahajan tried to conduct the proceedings but the protest continued, forcing her to adjourn the House till 12 p.m.

12:18 PM

12:18 PM

Parliament Schedule for today

 

Rajya Sabha:

 

Bills for consideration and passing

 

The National Council for Teacher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018

 

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill, 2018

 

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018

12:05 PM

Parliament Schedule for today

Lok Sabha

Bills for consideration and passing:

The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2018

The Aadhaar and other Laws (Amendment) Bill 2018 

The New Delhi International Arbitration Bill, 2018

The National Medical Commission Bill, 2017 

The Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2017 

The Personal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2018 - Discussion under Rule 193

Further discussion on issues relating to Rafale deal 

Discussion on natural calamities in various parts of the country, particularly Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Odisha with special reference to cyclones Gaja, Titli etc. 

11:45 AM

Nirmala Sitharaman to reply to Congress' allegations over Rafale deal.

10:48 AM

Telugu Desam Party MPs protest in Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

10:42 AM

Telugu Desam Party MPs protest in Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

10:42 AM

Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, Sunil Kumar Jakhar & Rajiv Satav move adjournment motion over the order of Ministry of Home Affairs allowing 10 central agencies to monitor any computer resource.

10:39 AM

AIADMK MPs protest in Parliament premises over Cauvery issue. Yesterday, 24 AIADMK MPs were suspended from 5 consecutive sittings of the Lok Sabha for their unruly behaviour in the House

9:39 AM

Congress President Rahul Gandhi: Entire cabinet heard what Parrikar said, essentially what Parrikar is doing is threatening & blackmailing the Prime Minister of India because he (Parrikar) has information of the Rafale deal.

9:38 AM

Rahul Gandhi: I asked the Lok Sabha Speaker can I play the tape, Speaker refused to allow me to play it, so there was no question of authenticity of the tape there. Congress has already played it. Also, there might be other tapes as well.

9:36 AM

Congress President Rahul Gandhi: One thing I found very surprising and interesting in his interview yesterday was that PM said the allegation is not against me personally. What world is the PM living in?

9:30 AM

CPI-M's Mohd Salim said: "Operation coverup began before the deal started. If Jaitleyji is accepting that the deal was finalized taking lessons from Kargil War, then why didn't he tell the reason behind reducing the number of aircraft?"

 

The House held a debate on the Rafale jet deal in the Lok Sabha on its first meeting on the New Year. The Congress had already got Speaker's approval on such a debate.

9:28 AM

The demand was made by Arvind Sawant who participated in the debate on Rafale deal in the Lok Sabha along with members of Trinamool Congress (TMC), Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-M) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

 

"I have heard Jaitely saab, but could not find any solution. You had earlier talked about the withdrawal of the deal, then what led you to do the deal again?

 

"When the HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) is capable of manufacturing Rafale, why was it deprived of it and the deal given to an entity which got registered a few days ago," Sawant asked the government.

8:45 AM

If government is honest, it should be ready for JPC: Shiv Sena

 

The BJP's ally Shiv Sena on Wednesday sought clarification from the ruling party in Rafale fighter jet deal, saying: "if the government is honest, then it should be ready for a JPC probe."

8:24 AM

In the morning, the Congress released the audio clip of a purported conversation between Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and another person. In the recording, the person identified as Rane said that during a Cabinet meeting last week, Parrikar had told his colleagues he had "an entire file" on the Rafale deal lying in his bedroom, which could prove to be embarrassing for the BJP leadership.

8:23 AM

Congress leader maintained the clip was genuine and challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a one-on-one debate on strategic issues.