Page 2 - Lok Sabha

PM's absence in LS was an act of fear, Speaker under BJP pressure: Cong MPs

Congress' women MPs in the Lok Sabha wrote to Speaker Om Birla on Monday, claiming that under pressure from the ruling party to defend the "non-appearance" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he made grave allegations against them. They urged the Speaker to act as an impartial custodian of the Lower House. Their letter to the Speaker comes days after Birla stated in the House that he had "concrete information" that many Congress members might move towards Prime Minister Modi's seat and carry out "some unexpected act" as a result of which he had requested him not to come to the House to reply to the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address. Speaking about the letter signed by her, along with other women MPs of the Congress, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, "There is so much pressure on the Speaker which is not right. There is no question of anyone raising a hand on the PM or do anything like this. There are 11 women MPs, they are all serious MPs." "He (Birla) should not

LS adjourned for day amid uproar over Oppn demand for Rahul to speak first

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Monday with opposition parties insisting that Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi be allowed to speak before the House takes up discussion on the Union Budget. As Krishna Prasad Tennati called Congress' Shashi Tharoor to initiate the debate on the Budget, opposition members dug in their heels and said Gandhi be allowed to speak first. Tennati underlined that the discussion was on the Budget and Tharoor's name had been given by the Congress as its lead speaker. He said he would need to get clarity on whether LoP can be allowed to speak. He also asked Gandhi whether he wanted to speak on the Budget. Tharoor, meanwhile, said he yields to the LoP. As the stalemate continued, Tennati adjourned the House till 2 pm. Earlier, Lok Sabha proceeding were adjourned till 12 noon after Speaker Om Birla slammed opposition members for "planning" disruptions. As the House took up Question Hour, opposition members started raising issues which they

Parliament session: Both Houses to begin discussion on Union Budget 2026-27

Both Houses of Parliament are scheduled to begin discussion on the Union Budget 2026-27 on Monday, which was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1.FM Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, for the ninth consecutive time. Asserting that the Budget is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas," she proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years.The Centre also announced an increase in the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) on futures and options (F & O) to discourage speculative trading.While the NDA has welcomed the Budget, the Opposition alleged an exclusion of the marginalised communities. The Secular Progressive Alliance, led by the DMK in Tamil Nadu, has called a protest against the Budget on February 12.While the Houses are scheduled for general discussion on the Budget, the Opposition MPs are likely to demand a ...

India aims for self-reliance in fruits, vegetables, flowers, says Chouhan

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said India has set a clear target of achieving self-reliance in the production of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, asserting that imports in these sectors would no longer be necessary. Addressing a review meeting with officials at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) here, Chouhan said the focus was on identifying high-demand crops and ensuring that their domestic production is profitable for farmers. Outlining the government's approach, the minister said, "Our target is simple. We will not import fruits, flowers, and vegetables. We have to become self-reliant in these areas." The Union Minister for Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare added that India had already made significant progress, calling current production levels "historic". Referring to crops previously dependent on imports, Chouhan said, "We were importing avocados; now we have started producing them." He stressed the need to extend th

Parliament Session: Lok Sabha to hold general discussion on Union Budget

The House will meet at 11 am to transact government business, beginning with Question Hour

Had inputs Congress MPs may act unexpectedly, asked PM to skip LS: Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said he had concrete information that many Congress MPs could carry out an "unexpected act" by reaching the spot where Prime Minister Narendra Modi sits and therefore he asked him not to come to the House to deliver his address. If this incident had taken place, then this would have left the democratic traditions of the country in shreds, Birla said as the House reassembled at 3 PM. Lashing out at opposition members, the Speaker said the conduct of some of them in his office on Wednesday was not appropriate and in fact was "like a black spot". "With sadness I have to inform that some members displayed such behaviour in the House on Wednesday that had never been witnessed in its history," he said. The Lok Sabha on Wednesday witnessed dramatic scenes as women opposition MPs charged towards the prime minister's seat holding banners ahead of his scheduled speech, leading to adjournment of proceedings for the day. Modi was not present in the House

LS passes Motion of Thanks on President's address without PM's response

The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the Motion of Thanks on the President's address without the customary reply by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid vociferous protests by the opposition. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla put the opposition amendments to the Motion of Thanks to vote, which were rejected. The Speaker then read out the Motion of Thanks to the President for her address to both Houses of Parliament on January 28, which was passed by a voice vote, amid sloganeering by the opposition members. As the protests continued, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings till 2:00 PM.

Bedlam in Lok Sabha goes on over ex-Army chief Naravane's 'memoirs'

Opposition protests over ex-Army chief Naravane's memoir derail Lok Sabha for third day, forcing adjournment and delaying PM Modi's reply

Lok Sabha adjourned till 5 pm amid heavy sloganeering by Opposition

BJP MP Dubey said while Rahul Gandhi wants to speak about an unpublished book, he has brought a series of books to expose the Gandhi family

Sensitive sectors safeguarded in US trade deal: Piyush Goyal in Lok Sabha

Parliament Budget session: Piyush Goyal said that India protected sensitive sectors like agriculture and dairy in India-US trade deal, adding that labour-intensive sectors will benefit

Oppn MPs to continue raising issue of Gen Naravane's unpublished 'memoirs'

Eight Opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha amid uproar over Rahul Gandhi's attempt to cite former Army chief M M Naravane's unpublished memoir

Parliament Budget session: 8 Oppn MPs suspended over 'unruly behaviour'

Eight Opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha during the Budget session for unruly behaviour after repeated disruptions and protests in the House over the President's Address debate

Opposition walks out seeking Indo-US trade deal debate, govt hits back

Members of several opposition parties on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha while demanding a discussion on the Indo-US trade deal, with the government accusing them of venting out their frustration. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised the issue of the Indo-US trade deal soon after the Zero Hour ended and alleged that the information about the deal was being received from Washington instead. As opposition members started protesting in the house, Leader of the House J P Nadda said the government was ready to discuss the matter and will make a statement on the Indo-US trade deal in Parliament on Tuesday. He said the US President had informed about the reduction in tariffs on Indian goods through a post on social media and also referred to the Prime Minister as a "true friend". Nadda alleged that the Opposition's frustration was coming out, and it had started "seeing bad even in good things" while referring to the trade deal. "I want to assure the house that the governmen

Rahul Gandhi's claims on India-China conflict trigger uproar in Lok Sabha

Repeated references by Rahul Gandhi to reports on former Army chief M M Naravane's unpublished memoirs drew objections from the Speaker and ministers

Lok Sabha Speaker hints at action over alleged e-cigarette use in House

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday did not rule out "exemplary punishment" over the alleged use of e-cigarette in the House, asserting that maintaining the dignity of Parliament was non-negotiable. BJP member Anurag Thakur had sent a complaint to the Speaker alleging that one Trinamool Congress (TMC) member was "openly using" e-cigarette in the House during the proceedings despite such devices being banned across the country. "No one has the right to undermine the sanctity of the House," the Lok Sabha Speaker told reporters here. Birla said the matter was under investigation and would be later referred to an appropriate committee of the House for further action. "We will act on the recommendation of the committee. Everyone will have to maintain decorum in the House. A member could even lose his membership," the Lok Sabha Speaker said. "Nobody will be allowed to lower the dignity of the House," Birla said. "It is a responsibility. You will have to maintain decorum inside the Hou

Budget session of Parliament begins on January 28; to continue till April 2

The Budget session of Parliament will be held from January 28 to April 2, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Friday. The Budget session begins with the address of President Droupadi Murmu to the joint session of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in the Lok Sabha chamber. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will table the Economic Survey and present the general Budget. However, Rijiju did not share details on the date of the presentation of the Budget. February 1, which has been fixed as the Budget Day, falls on a Sunday this year. Parliament will be in recess from February 13 till March 9. "On the recommendation of the Govt of India, Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu ji has approved the summoning of both the Houses of Parliament for the Budget Session 2026. "The Session will commence on 28 January 2026 and continue till 2 April 2026," Rijiju said in a post on X. "The first phase concludes on 13 February 2026, with Parliament reassembling on 9 March

SC flags legal grey area on whether LS impeachment survives RS rejection

Supreme Court says rejection of an impeachment motion in one House may not block proceedings in the other, as it hears Justice Yashwant Varma's challenge to the inquiry panel

Pvt Members' Bills return to spotlight, even as history shows rare success

Despite rarely becoming law, these have left a lasting imprint on India's legislative journey

Did MGNREGA act as safety net for casual labour during sowing, harvest?

Civil society groups say the VB-G RAM G Bill could weaken casual labour's bargaining power, as MGNREGA served as a safety net and fall back option when farm wages turned unattractive

No formal policy yet on AI use in courts, Centre tells Lok Sabha

The Supreme Court has also constituted an Artificial Intelligence Committee to explore the use of AI in the judicial domain