Parliament Winter Session Highlights: Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha adjourned sine die amid Oppn protest

Parliament Winter Session LIVE updates: Follow all the latest updates from Parliament as government and opposition debate key issues

1:47 PM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Winter Session productive, key bills passed, says Kiren Rijiju

12:58 PM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Priyanka Gandhi meets Nitin Gadkari to urge swift action on Wayanad issues

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to raise concerns about pending works in her Wayanad constituency. She urged that the projects be expedited without further delay.

 

Gandhi said Gadkari was receptive to her concerns and obtained updates from the relevant officials. She expressed hope that these pressing issues, which directly impact residents’ safety and daily lives, would receive the attention and urgency they deserve.

12:18 PM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Chirag Paswan criticises Opposition protest against VB-G RAM G Bill

Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Friday criticised Opposition MPs for their protest against the VB-G RAM G Bill, saying their actions went against the principles of Mahatma Gandhi.

 

Addressing the demonstrations, Paswan said those invoking Bapu should understand his ideology, which emphasised peaceful protest, sit-ins and orderly demonstrations. He condemned the disruption in Parliament, including disrespect towards the Chair and throwing of papers during ministerial replies.

 

Paswan also questioned whether the Opposition’s objection was to the name “Ram” in the bill, noting that it was a name dear to Gandhi, who uttered “Ram” in his final moments. He said such protests misrepresented Bapu’s ideals of non-violence and respect.

11:41 AM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: House recorded a productivity of 111%, says Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla

11:25 AM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Rajya Sabha’s 269th session concludes, V-P lauds productive proceedings

Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan on Friday announced the conclusion of the 269th session of the Rajya Sabha and thanked members for electing him as Vice-President and Chairman of the Upper House.

 

Describing the session as highly productive, he said there had been a noticeable improvement in the functioning of both Zero Hour and Question Hour. He also highlighted the conduct of several high-quality debates during the session.

 

Radhakrishnan expressed hope that the spirit of constructive discussion would continue and that future sessions of the Rajya Sabha would be even more fruitful.

11:04 AM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Lok Sabha adjourned sine die after ‘Vande Mataram’

Amid continued Opposition protests over the passage of the VB-G RAM G Bill, the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die by Speaker Om Birla after Vande Mataram was played in the House, bringing the session to an abrupt close.

10:59 AM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Oppn MPs continue protest against VB-G RAM G Bill

10:57 AM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: Pvt members to introduce Constitutional, labour and data protection Bills

Several private members’ bills are scheduled to be introduced during the session, covering constitutional amendments, labour rights, data protection and environmental regulation.

 

D Ravikumar is set to seek leave to introduce two Constitution Amendment Bills, 2024 — one proposing the insertion of a new Article 21B and another seeking to substitute Article 129 with a revised provision.

 

Adv Dean Kuriakose will move for leave to introduce the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to amend Section 22 and related provisions of the Act.

 

HRI Shafi Parambil is expected to introduce the Digital Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2024, proposing amendments to Sections 19 and 20, along with the National Commission for Fair Labour Practices Bill, 2024.

 

Rajesh Verma will seek to introduce the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024, which proposes changes to Section 2A and other relevant provisions.

10:40 AM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: BJP MP seeks action against Oppn MPs over ‘shameful’ conduct

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey strongly criticised Congress, DMK and Trinamool Congress MPs for their conduct during protests in Parliament, calling their actions “deeply shameful” in a democratic setup.

 

Dubey alleged that Opposition members climbed onto the tables of Secretariat staff seated before the Speaker, raised slogans and turned violent. He accused them of betraying the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, saying non-violence, truth and honesty were being disregarded.

 

The BJP MP said a privilege notice had been moved against eight MPs over the incident. He added that while the current session could be allowed to conclude, the MPs concerned should be barred from House proceedings until the Budget session.

10:12 AM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: VB-G RAM G Bill passes from Rajya Sabha by voice vote amid Oppn protests

Both Houses of Parliament on December 18 passed the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, replacing the 20-year-old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), amid strong Opposition protests.

 

In the Lok Sabha, Opposition members stormed the well of the House, tore copies of the Bill and raised slogans during the discussion on Thursday. The Rajya Sabha took up the Bill later in the evening and passed it by a voice vote after midnight, despite sustained and vociferous protests from Opposition parties.

10:10 AM

Parliament Winter Session LIVE: TMC MPs stage 12-hour dharna against VB-G RAM G Bill

As Trinamool Congress MPs continued their protest against the VB-G RAM G Bill, party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose said the party had been sitting on a 12-hour dharna since midnight inside the Parliament complex.

 

Accusing the Modi government of adopting “bulldozer tactics”, Ghose said the bill was pushed through without adequate consultation and amounted to an attack on the rural poor by replacing the MGNREGA Act. She also alleged that the move insulted the legacies of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.

 

Ghose said such disregard for parliamentary processes and democratic consultation was unacceptable.