Page 41 - Parliament

AAP MPs boycott President's address to House over arrest of CM Kejriwal

AAP MPs boycotted President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Thursday to protest against the arrest of party convenor Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal was on Wednesday arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the alleged excise policy scam being probed by it. MPs of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) boycotted the President's address and claimed it was written by the Central government, while maintaining that they had full respect for her. They protested against Kejriwal's arrest outside the Parliament and alleged it "was a gross misuse of investigation agencies". They held placards that read 'ED, CBI ka durupyog bandh karo' (stop the misuse of ED, CBI), 'Taanshahi nahi chalegi' (dictatorship will not be allowed), 'Kejriwal ko riha karo' (free Kejriwal), and raised slogans such as 'PM Jawab do' (answer us, PM). "The protest is against dictatorship. This protest is to protect the Constitution and democracy. T

Govt committed to fair investigation in paper leaks, says President Murmu

The government is fully committed to a fair investigation in the recent incidents of paper leaks and ensure that the guilty are punished, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday, asserting there is a need to rise above party politics and undertake concrete measures nationwide. In her address to the joint sitting of Parliament, Murmu said the government is working towards major reforms in all aspects of exam process and the functioning of examination-related bodies. Addressing the 18th Lok Sabha for the first time, the president said the examination process requires complete transparency and probity, whether it is competitive examinations or government recruitment tests. As she mentioned steps taken by the government on the education front, some opposition members were heard shouting "NEET", the medical entrance exam whose question paper was allegedly leaked according to an investigation by the Bihar Police. "Whether it is competitive examinations or government recruitment, there

Indians have given clear mandate for third time, says President Murmu

The people of India have given a clear and stable mandate to the Modi government for a third time, President Droupadi Murmu said on Thursday as she addressed a joint sitting of Parliament. The President also congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the high voter turnout recorded in the union territory in the recent Lok Sabha elections and lauded the Election Commission for holding the world's biggest democratic exercise. Congratulating the new MPs in her first address to the joint sitting of Parliament after the constitution of the 18th Lok Sabha, Murmu said she hoped they would act as the medium for fulfilling the aspirations of the people of India. "A very good outcome has emerged from Jammu and Kashmir in this election. Voting records of decades have been broken," she said. "In the last four decades, we only saw low voter turnout in Kashmir amid strikes and shutdowns. Enemies of India used to project it as the opinion of Jammu and Kashmir on the global stage. This time

Trained cops, new apps: Centre readies for rollout of three criminal laws

Parliament passed the three laws - the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 - in its winter session last year

Kenyan police fire blanks to disperse protesters after parliament breach

Authorities fired blanks to disperse protesters in Nairobi suburb overnight Wednesday, hours after protestors stormed parliament in deadly demonstrations, burning parts of the building while legislators fled, as the country grapples with controversial tax increases. Police said they fired over 700 blanks in Githurai, a suburb east of the capital Nairobi. Videos of gunfire piercing the night air were shared online and reported by local media. The military was deployed overnight to support police during the security emergency and patrolled the central business district on Tuesday night as President William Ruto called the events treasonous and vowed to quash the unrest at whatever cost. Thousands of protesters stormed and burned a section of Kenya's parliament Tuesday to protest tax proposals. Police responded with gunfire and several protesters were killed. More than 100 people were injured in Tuesday's protests, according to civil society groups. It is still unclear how many people

LS set for first Speaker seat contest since 1976; NDA fields Om Birla

The INDIA bloc, in turn, pointed to the convention that the Opposition should be given the post of Deputy Speaker

Why Opposition thinks govt should accede to its demand for Dy Speaker post

In the history of independent India, the 17th Lok Sabha was the first that didn't have a Deputy Speaker, a post mandated under Article 93 of the Constitution

In rare fight for Speaker's post in 1952, candidate voted for his rival

Om Birla vs K Suresh would be only third time that Lok Sabha members will have to choose between two candidates

Lok Sabha highlights: Radical preacher Amritpal Singh fails to take oath as MP

Lok Sabha updates: As the 18th Lok Sabha began, Rahul Gandhi underscored that the Opposition-led INDIA bloc would not tolerate the alleged attacks on Constitution by PM Modi and Amit Shah

Will support NDA Speaker if Deputy Speaker post goes to INDIA: Rahul Gandhi

After the controversy around pro-tem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab's selection, it is anticipated that the Speaker will be a BJP nominee, with incumbent Om Birla being the frontrunner

First day of 18th LS session: Country needs responsible Oppn, says PM Modi

Modi, Shah among other MPs take oath amid sloganeering by Opposition

Parliament session Day 2: NDA to announce Speaker, 281 MPs to be sworn in

By noon, the name of the next Speaker will be decided. Given the support from NDA allies, it is expected that the Speaker will be a nominee from the Bharatiya Janata Party

BJD to oppose govt in RS; TMC to be bridge between third front, INDIA bloc

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the party's leader in Rajya Sabha, Sasmit Patra, said Patnaik has asked the BJD MPs to fight for the rights of the state's people in Parliament

News updates: AAP dissolves Assam state organization ahead of elections

Latest news updates: Catch all the news updates from around the world here

Lok Sabha session highlights: BJP chief Nadda named Leader of House in Rajya Sabha

Parliament session updates: PM Modi was the first one to take oath as the Leader of the House. This is PM Modi's third term as a member of the Lok Sabha

Australia mulling to outlaw vape sales outside pharmacies from next week

Australia plans to outlaw the sale of vapes outside pharmacies from next week under some of the world's toughest restrictions on electronic cigarettes, the health minister said on Monday. The government had reached a compromise with the minor Greens party to get the legislated restrictions through the Senate this week, Health Minister Mark Butler and the party said. Our world-leading laws will return vapes and e-cigarettes to what they were originally sold to the Australian community and to governments around the world as therapeutic products to help hardened smokers kick the habit, Butler said in a statement. From Monday next week, it will be unlawful to supply, manufacture, import or sell a vape outside a pharmacy in Australia, he said. The ban applies to all vapes regardless of whether they contain nicotine. There are currently no restrictions on what retail outlets can sell vapes. Many products do not disclose that they contain nicotine. The Greens had insisted on amendments t

1st session of 18th Lok Sabha: Members take oath in Sanskrit, Hindi, Odia

The Lok Sabha witnessed a display of linguistic diversity on Monday, with the newly-elected MPs taking their oaths in English and Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Dogri, Bengali, Assamese and Odia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi took his oath in Hindi amid slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" from the treasury benches. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Urban Development Minister ML Khattar were among those who took oath in Hindi. Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the MP from Odisha's Sambalpur, took oath in Odia. As Pradhan proceeded to take his oath, members of the opposition raised "NEET, NEET" slogans, amid a controversy over alleged irregularities in competitive exams, including the medical entrance exam National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG). Suresh Gopi, the first BJP MP to

INDIA bloc's show of unity in Parliament, raise call to save Constitution

INDIA bloc MPs gathered in the Parliament complex on Monday in a show of strength on the first day of the first session of the 18th Lok Sabha, holding copies of the Constitution and raising slogans on "saving democracy". Opposition leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress' Sudip Bandyopadhyay, DMK's TR Baalu, among others assembled at the spot where the Gandhi statue once stood in the Parliament complex. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi also joined the MPs. Holding copies of the Constitution in their hands, they raised slogans such as "long live Constitution", "we will save Constitution", "save our democracy". Rahul Gandhi said they would not allow the Constitution to be "attacked" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. "This attack is not acceptable to us and that is why we held the Constitution and took oath," he said. "Our message is reaching the public and no power can touch the Constit

Who Is Bhartruhari Mahtab? BJP's pro-tem speaker who sparked controversy

BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab was sworn in as the pro-tem Speaker by President Droupadi Murmu in the 18th Lok Sabha's first Parliament session on June 24

NEET row to Agnipath: Key issues in the first Lok Sabha session today

The Opposition is likely to corner the government for lapses in national examinations and the Agnipath scheme, among others, in the first session of the Lok Sabha for the Modi 3.0 govt