Page 8 - Parliament Winter Session

One yr of Parliament security breach: 3 chargesheets, 6 in jail, probe on

A year after a security breach in Parliament, sources in the Delhi Police said they have submitted clinching evidence and made a watertight case against the six accused. The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack on December 13, 2023 and the accused have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The trial in the case is yet to start as the Delhi Police's probe is underway. But officials claim that they have sufficient evidence against the perpetrators, who were led by Karnataka resident Manoranjan D. The accused had launched a coordinated gas attack by opening colourful canisters in both inside and outside the Parliament house during the Zero Hour. Manoranjan, along with Sagar Sharma, jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery and opened the canisters that released a yellow gas in the House. Two others -- Amol Shinde and Neelam Azad -- sprayed coloured gases from canisters outside the Parliament .

Parliament Session: Cabinet okays 'One Nation, One Election' Bill

Sources said the constitution amendment Bill once introduced would be referred to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny

Outstanding dues of discoms decline 82% in over 2 years to Rs 24,000 cr

Power distribution utilities (discoms) legacy dues have come down by a whopping 82 per cent in over two years to Rs 24,684 crore this month, Parliament was informed on Thursday. Around 13 states reported arrears amounting to Rs 1,39,947 crore as of June 3, 2022, and rescheduled them into EMIs (equated monthly installments), Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha. The minister said after the payment of 29 EMIs by the distribution utilities, including pre-payment of legacy dues by some utilities, the outstanding dues have reduced to Rs 24,684 crore as of December 6, 2024. The discoms have paid Rs 1,15,263 crore outstanding since June 2022, he added. In another reply, Naik said that the Ministry of Power, in consultation with states, has envisaged a plan to add thermal capacity of a minimum 80,000 MW by 2031-32. Against this target, 29,200 MW thermal capacity is already under construction while 51,520 MW is at various stages of planning & ...

Govt trying to divert from questions on electoral integrity, says Congress

With the Union Cabinet approving bills to implement 'one nation, one election', the Congress on Thursday accused the government of trying to divert from the questions being raised on the electoral integrity of the democratic system. The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved bills to implement 'one nation, one election', and the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing Winter session, sources said. Asked about the development, Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said that in the past also, his party has raised many questions related to elections, electoral systems, and electoral integrity. "Now let this Bill come, let us see what they are trying to do. But we have said in the past also there are many concerns among the INDIA bloc about the impact on the federal character of our country through this Bill," Gogoi told PTI. "PM Modi has not walked the talk, he talks of 'one nation, one election' and yet whe

Parliament session highlights: LS debates Disaster Management Bill, Rajya Sabha adjourned

Parliament winter session news updates: Catch all the latest news developments related to the proceedings in the Parliament here

Jorhat-Jhanji portion of NH to be completed by Feb 2025: Gadkari to Gogoi

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday assured Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi that the Jorhat-Jhanji portion of the national highway 37 in Assam will be completed by February 2025. The assurance was given by Gadkari in response to a question posed by Gogoi in the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour. "I had taken 10-12 meetings to discuss about this road. Due to various reasons it was delayed. Work is now going on in full swing. The Jorhat-Jhanji portion will be completed by February 2025," the minister said. Gogoi has been pressing for completion of the construction work of the national highway, which passes through his Lok Sabha constituency Jorhat, for a long time. The Congress leader had met Gadkari in the past and also wrote to him urging that work on the road be completed at the earliest as people have been facing lots of inconvenience due to its poor progress and "deplorable" condition. Gogoi had also said that the construction of the highway has been

Rahul Gandhi doing mimicry in Parliament premises is immature: JP Nadda

JP Nadda also slammed Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his remarks against Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar

RS adjourned till 2 pm amid uproar over BJP's remarks on Cong-Soros nexus

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Thursday amid sloganeering after BJP president J P Nadda attacked the Congress for questioning the ruling given by the Chairman and the party's alleged nexus with US hedge fund tycoon George Soros. After laying of listed papers and reports during the pre-noon session, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected six notices to adjourn the scheduled business of the day and take up matters mentioned in the notices. As several members from the opposition benches raised objections, Nadda criticised Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in the House Mallikarjun Kharge for holding a press conference and criticising the Chairman. The Chair cannot be "questioned" with regards to admissibility and for other purposes, Nadda said. "The Chairman's ruling cannot be questioned or criticised. To do so is contempt of the House and the Chairman," the senior BJP leader said. Nadda reiterated the allegation of a link between the Congress and Soros,

Modi govt believes in democratising technology: Vaishnaw in Lok Sabha

The government on Wednesday said it is "open to the idea" of bringing in a new law to regulate artificial intelligence but a "lot of consensus" is required for it. Responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also said that the Modi government believes in "democratising technology" which was not the case during the Congress rule, remarks that triggered protests by opposition benches. Responding to a supplementary on whether the government plans to bring a law on regulating artificial intelligence, Vaishnaw also said that fake narratives is a major challenge faced by societies across the world today. He said accountability has to be established in the society and the legal framework has to change for which "lots of consensus" is required because as on the one hand there is freedom of speech and creating of a real, proper news network on the other. "There are things which need to be debated and if the House agrees and if there is a consensus in the society

Railways Amendment Bill passed; won't lead to privatisation, says Vaishnaw

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to amend Railway laws with the government insisting that it will not lead to the national carrier's privatisation. Responding to a debate on the Railway Amendment bill, Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw said in the Lower House that a fake narrative was set afloat that the amendment would privatise railways. "Their (opposition) fake narrative on Constitution has failed... now this will also fall flat," he asserted. The Bill was passed by a voice vote after debate which could not be held earlier due to frequent disruptions of House proceedings during the last week. "A few members have said the Bill will lead to privatisation of railways, an attempt has been made to set a fake narrative. I want to appeal to them with all sincerity not to do this, their one fake narrative about the Constitution has already failed," Vaishnaw said. The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 which seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board was

India's atomic power capacity to be tripled by 2032: Jitendra Singh

The union minister said that by 2031-32, the generation capacity would triple to 22,480 megawatts

Ruling NDA MPs term notice against VP Dhankhar politically motivated

Opposition parties on Tuesday submitted a notice to move a motion for removing Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for allegedly conducting the House in a partisan manner. Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Naseer Hussain submitted the notice to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody. The vice president is the ex-officio chairman of Rajya Sabha. The sources said about 60 opposition MPs -- including from the Congress, RJD, TMC, CPI, CPI-M, JMM, AAP, DMK -- have signed the notice. However, they said top Congress leaders who hold Constitutional posts have not signed the notice. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the floor leaders of various opposition parties are also not among the signatories, the sources said. The notice, spearheaded by the Congress, comes in the wake of turbulent ties between opposition parties and the Rajya Sabha chairman. "ALL parties belonging to the INDIA group have had no option but to formally submi

Motion against chair an attempt to deviate attention, says Nadda

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day Wednesday afternoon without transacting any business amid uproar by treasury and opposition benches over the no-trust notice against the House Chairman and the George Soros issue. Soon after the RS reassembled at 12 noon following the day's first adjournment, Leader of the House J P Nadda accused the Congress of standing with billionaire investor George Soros in seeking to destabilise the country, and demanded a discussion. He also condemned the Congress for the opposition's no-confidence notice against Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. He said it was an attempt by the opposition party to divert attention from the issue of "ties between the top Congress leadership and Soros". The members of the treasury benches were on their feet soon after the House met and Deputy Chairman allowed the leader of the house to speak. "I want to bring to your notice that for the last two days our people are raising the issue of

Govt not allowing LS to function as part of a strategy: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday alleged the government was not allowing Lok Sabha to function as a strategy because it is afraid of discussing the Adani issue. She also said the ruling party is accusing the Congress leadership of having links with George Soros to divert attention from the main issue involving the business conglomerate Adani. "Either the government does not want to run the House or they are not capable of running the House. Our protest is from 10:30 to 11 and then we go inside the House for work but work is not happening," Priyanka Gandhi told reporters after the House was adjourned for the day. "As soon as we sit they start something to get the House adjourned. I think It is their strategy, they do not want a discussion," the Congress general secretary said. The government is scared of discussing the Adani issue as they know that all issues will be out in the open, she claimed. "I am amazed, I am new in the House, the PM has not even come to ...

Oppn MPs protest on Adani issue in Parliament premises with black 'jholas'

Several Opposition MPs on Tuesday demonstrated over the Adani issue in Parliament premises, carrying black 'jholas' (bags) with caricatures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and billionaire Gautam Adani printed on it and 'Modi Adani Bhai Bhai' written on the obverse side. This is the latest in the series of unusual protests led by the Congress daily ahead of the sitting of Parliament in the morning. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, MPs from the Congress, DMK, JMM, Left, among others, protested in front of the Makar Dwar steps. They were carrying black 'jholas' with caricatures of Modi and Adani printed on one side and 'Modi Adani Bhai Bhai' written on the obverse side of the bag. They raised slogans against alleged collusion between Modi and Adani and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter. Earlier, Gandhi chaired a meeting of Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha to take stock of the party's stance

Rural literacy rate up by 10 percentage points in last 10 yrs: Govt in LS

The literacy rate in rural India recorded a jump of more than 10 percentage points in the past decade, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday. It was also told that the literacy rate among women rose 14.50 percentage points during this period. The information was shared by Union Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary in response to a written question about government efforts, challenges and strategies in achieving 100 per cent rural literacy. According to the statistics shared by Chaudhary, rural India's literacy rate rose from 67.77 per cent in 2011 to 77.50 per cent in 2023-24 among individuals aged seven and above. Female literacy rose from 57.93 per cent to 70.40 per cent during this period. Male literacy improved from 77.15 per cent to 84.7 per cent. "In order to improve the literacy rate, including rural literacy among adults, the government of India has launched several centrally-sponsored schemes and programmes, such as the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Saakshar Bharat

Govt may bring 'One Nation One Election' Bill in ongoing winter session

The government is keen on holding wider consultations on bills it proposes to bring for implementing its 'one nation, one election' plan, sources said on Monday. Though the proposed legislation or set of legislations has not yet been approved by the Union Cabinet, the government may bring it as early as the ongoing Winter session of Parliament, they noted. The sources said once the bill or bills are introduced in Parliament, the government would like to refer the measures to a joint committee of the two Houses for wider consultations. The government is also keen to consult all the Speakers of various state legislative assemblies through committees. In September, sources had said that the government is likely to bring three bills, including two to amend the Constitution, to put in place its plan to hold simultaneous elections. Moving ahead with its one nation, one election' plan, the government in September accepted the recommendations of the high-level committee for holding ...

Rahul Gandhi comedy king, Parliament protest a desperate attempt: Pradhan

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over protests by opposition members in Parliament complex and termed him "comedy king" who is trying to stay relevant. Leaders of some INDIA bloc parties on Monday protested in Parliament complex over the Adani row, with Gandhi conducting a mock 'interview' over the issue with Congress members wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani "Rahul Gandhi is indulging in what he does best Stand-up comedy! His malicious claims and rants have crumbled under the weight of comprehensive investigation every time. Playing the role of a pawn to perfection, he yet again attempts to mislead despite his misinformation campaigns failing to cut ice with the people of India," Pradhan wrote on X tagging a video of the protest. "Electoral verdicts since 2014 are a thundering testament that there are absolutely no takers for his stale, recycled propaganda. Such a clumsily crafted hit job i

All must unite to neutralise the evolving 'deep state': Dhankar in RS

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said forces within or outside India cannot be allowed to "sacrilege our unity, integrity and sovereignty", and asserted that all must unite to neutralise the evolving "deep state", amid uproar in the House over BJP's allegations of Congress leaders colluding with billionaire investor George Soros to destabilise the country. "We cannot afford to overlook such kind of evil designs", he said, adding that the 1.4 billion Indians are "extremely concerned". All divisive forces that are pernicious to the concept of Bharat and have sinister designs to run down "our democracy, to bring down our progress and to impede our economic upsurge have to be defeated by us", he told the members after repeated disruptions in the House. While the ruling BJP members demanded a discussion on the alleged Congress-Soros links, terming it as an issue of national security, the opposition MPs claimed it was the ruling party's plan to divert attention from the ...

Rahul takes dig at Modi, Adani; conducts mock interview in Parliament

Leaders of some INDIA bloc parties on Monday protested in Parliament complex over the Adani row, with Rahul Gandhi conducting a mock 'interview' over the issue with Congress members wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani Standing outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with MPs of other opposition parties raised slogans of "Modi, Adani ek hain" and "we want justice". After sloganeering, Rahul Gandhi conducted the mock 'interview' with Congress leaders wearing masks of Modi and Adani. Gandhi asked the party member sporting mask of Adani why Parliament was not being allowed to function to which the Congress MP (posing as Adani) said "we'll have to ask Amit bhai...that man is missing". Asked by Gandhi about the relationship between the two, the Congress MP said, "We are together". The Congress leader sporting mask of Adani also said, "He does whatever