Parliament LIVE | Winter Session ends amid NDA-INDIA bloc face-off; ONOE bill sent to JPC
The raging row over the Ambedkar issue spilled over to the last day of Parliament’s Winter Session with both INDIA Bloc and NDA MPs staging separate protests
Both Houses of the Parliament were adjourned sine die on Friday (December 20) following an uproar on the premises after protests by MPs of the Opposition bloc over various issues, including the BR Ambedkar row.
As a mark of protest, the INDIA bloc skipped the Lok Sabha Speaker's customary tea party. Opposition leaders said there was no point in joining such a tea party when FIRs were being filed against their MPs, and they were not getting a chance to speak in the House.
Amid ruckus over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks related to BR Ambedkar, the Lok Sabha referred the two bills on simultaneous bills to a joint committee of Parliament.
Opposition members were raising slogan haling Ambedkar and slamming Shah when the House met for the day.
Also read: Parliament LIVE | Delhi police book Rahul Gandhi for scuffle in House
Priyanka Gandhi, Anurag Thakur in JPC
Instead of taking up the Question Hour, Speaker Om Birla asked Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to move the resolution to refer the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, referred to Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) comprising 27 members from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha.
Congress MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari and the Trinamool's Kalyan Banerjee and Saket Gokhale are among the Opposition faces in the committee, while former Union Minister Anurag Thakur, Sambit Patra, and Anil Baluni will represent the government.
The resolution was adopted by a voice vote amid noisy scenes. The Lok Sabha was then adjourned sine die (indefinitely), bringing to an end the Winter Session which began on November 25.
Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday after the House adopted a motion to nominated 12 members to the joint committee of Parliament on simultaneous polls.
When the House met this morning, it witnessed protests by Opposition members and was adjourned amid the din. The Chairman also held a meeting with Leader of the House JP Nadda and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge besides leaders of various Opposition parties in a bid to end the impasse in the House.
Parallel protest by INDIA Bloc, NDA MPs
Earlier, the raging row over the Ambedkar issue spilled over to the last day of Parliament’s Winter Session with both INDIA Bloc and NDA MPs staging separate protests.
Opposition MPs have taken out a protest rally from Vijay Chowk to Parliament demanding an apology from Home Minister’s Amit Shah’s and his resignation as well for his remarks against BR Ambedkar.
BJP MPs also protesting inside the Parliament complex at the Gandhi statue in Prerna Sthal demanding action, including suspension from Parliament, against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi for allegedly assaulting party MPs.
LS speaker bans protests at Parliament gates
After political protests turned ugly, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday banned demonstrations by MPs and political parties at any of the gates of Parliament, PTI said, quoting sources.
Also read: Parliament scuffle: Who are MPs Pratap Sarangi, Mukesh Rajput, Phangnon Konyak?
"Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has issued strict instructions that no political party, Member of Parliament or groups of members will hold any dharna and demonstration at building gates of Parliament House," sources told PTI.
The instructions came on a day when Parliament premises saw rival protests by the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led INDIA bloc parties on the alleged insults to BR Ambedkar, which soon turned into jostling and scuffles leaving two MPs injured and a woman MP claiming intimidation by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.
Watch | Chaos, scuffle and blood: As ugly as it can get in Parliament
Delhi police registered an FIR against Rahul under various sections after BJP leaders filed a police complaint. A police officer said that all sections in the FIR are bailable except Section 117 (voluntary causing grievous hurt) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Congress too has filed a complaint with police alleging BJP MPs of misbehaving with its chief Mallikarjun Kharge and LoP Rahul.
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- 20 Dec 2024 6:10 AM GMT
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LS adopts resolution recommending simultaneous polls bills to joint committee
Minutes before the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, the House on Friday adopted a resolution recommending the two bills on holding simultaneous polls to a joint committee of the two Houses.
Passed by a voice vote amid a din created by the opposition over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks related to Ambedkar, the resolution moved by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal recommended to the Rajya Sabha to communicate to the Lok Sabha names of the members to be appointed by the upper houses to the joint committee.
While 27 members on the panel will be from the Lok Sabha, 12 others will be from the Rajya Sabha.
Former Union ministers Anurag Thakur and P P Chaudhary from the BJP, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress are among the Lok Sabha members, who will be part of the joint committee of Parliament that will scrutinise two bills on simultaneous elections.
The two 'one nation, one election' (ONOE) bills, including one requiring an amendment in the Constitution, lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections and were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after a fiery debate.
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RS adjourned till 12 pm
Rajya Sabha Chairman slams disruptions in the House, adjourns the House till noon while asking Leader of the House JP Nadda and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to meet him in his Chambers in the meantime.
- 20 Dec 2024 5:30 AM GMT
BJP using a tribal woman to level false allegations against Rahul: Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan
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- 20 Dec 2024 5:27 AM GMT
BJP MPs stage protest at Gandhi Statue, demand Rahul’s suspension
BJP MPs are also protesting inside Parliament complex at the Gandhi statue in Prerna Sthal on Parliament premises. The BJP has demanded action, including suspension from Parliament, against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly assaulting party MPs.
Protesting BJP MPs also pointed to the alleged "assault and intimidation" by Rahul of BJP's tribal woman MP from Nagaland, Phangnon Konyak on Thursday claiming that it exposes the Congress and Rahul's "true face" regarding tribals, women and people from the Northeast.
