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.
Follow this space for more live updates
Live Updates
- 20 Dec 2024 3:08 AM GMT
Parliamentary panel on ONOE bills to have 39 members
The government has moved to increase the strength of the joint committee of Parliament that will scrutinise the two bills proposing simultaneous elections from 31 MPs to 39, giving representation to more parties.
The list of Lok Sabha MPs proposed by the government now includes one member each from the Shiv Sena (UBT), CPI(M) and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), besides two more members of the BJP and one more of the Samajwadi party.
The list of business for the House for Friday includes a motion from Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to refer the two bills to a joint committee, including 27 members from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha.
The new Lok Sabha MPs proposed to be part of the committee are Baijayant Panda and Sanjay Jaiswal from the BJP, the SP's Chhotelal, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Anil Desai, LJP's Shambhavi and the CPI(M)'s K Radhakrishnan.
The committee will scrutinise the two "one nation one election" (ONOE) bills, including one for amending the Constitution.
Former Union ministers Anurag Thakur and P P Chaudhary, besides Bhartruhari Mahtab from the BJP, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress are among the Lok Sabha members proposed for the panel.
Among the Lok Sabha members, 17 are from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, including 12 from the BJP.
- 20 Dec 2024 2:43 AM GMT
Assam CM asks Rahul Gandhi to apologise to Nagaland MP
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday asked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to apologise to BJP Rajya Sabha MP Nagaland S Phangnon Konyak as his alleged behaviour towards her has hurt the sentiments of the people of North East.
Konyak alleged in the Rajya Sabha that Gandhi shouted at her after coming in "close proximity" that made her feel uncomfortable during a demonstration outside the Parliament's Makar Dwar.
''The people of North East are hurt and angry with Rahul Gandhi for his alleged behaviour towards our MP from Nagaland. He must immediately apologise to her for this,'' the CM said at a press briefing after the cabinet meeting held here.
Sarma said that he is appealing to Gandhi now to apologise, but if he does not do so immediately, "we will have to force him to do so in our own way''.
- 20 Dec 2024 2:42 AM GMT
Amit Shah remarks about Ambedkar: Congress protest march in Thiruvananthapuram
The opposition Congress in Kerala on Thursday held a protest march to the office of the Accountant General (AG) in the Kerala capital against Union Minister Amit Shah's remarks allegedly slighting B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) led the protest march and also burned an effigy of Shah.
They were protesting against Shah who on Tuesday evening had said in the Rajya Sabha that Congress leaders would have got a place in heaven had they chanted the name of God rather than following the fashion of repeating Ambedkar's name.
- 20 Dec 2024 2:41 AM GMT
Rahul likely to be called for questioning: Police
A Delhi Police officer said the FIR was registered against Rahul under sections 115 (voluntary causing hurt), 117 (voluntary causing grievous hurt), 125 (act of endangering life or personal safety of others), 131 (use of criminal force), 351 (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS at the Parliament Street Police station.
The officer said that police are likely to call Rahul for questioning in connection with the case and will request the Lok Sabha Secretariat to provide the CCTV footage of the area where the alleged incident happened.
Both sides also complained to the respective Chairs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha against each other.
