A group of 15 Members of Parliament from 10 opposition parties were stopped by the Delhi Police from meeting the agitating farmers at the Ghazipur border, even as the stalemate over the demand for a separate discussion on agricultural reforms continued in the Lok Sabha.
Lok Sabha adjourns for the third time, now till 7 pm as Opposition members continue their protests against new farm laws.
This is not nice. You go to your seats. We are making a mockery of ourselves: Meenakshi Lekhias Presiding Officer in Lok Sabha, after sloganeering continues in the House.
Lok Sabha adjourned till 5 pm as the Opposition MPs walk to the Well of the House, sloganeer and demand that the three farm laws be repealed.
Over 20 lakh public grievances, highest in the last three years, has been received on an online platform run by the central government, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
Anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal, which came into being in 2019, is required to present to president and Parliament an annual report on the work done by it but no such report has been laid in the two Houses, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya on Thursday asked the government to withdraw the three contentious farm laws and hold talks with the agitating farmers.
Over 20 lakh public grievances, highest in the last three years, have been received on an online platform run by the central government, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Upper House, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said a total of 22,71,270 grievances were received on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) in 2020, as against 18,67,758 in 2019 and 15,86,415 in 2018.
Of these, 23,19,569 grievances were disposed last year, 16,39,856 in 2019 and 15,05,950 in 2018, according to the reply. (PTI)
The government has failed India at many levels, it failed to uphold Parliament's sanctity because of its arrogance. On September 20, 2020, seven MPs who stood for farmers were suspended. I stand in solidarity with the farmers who lost their lives: Derek O'Brien, TMC in Rajya Sabha
It was BJP supporters who caused the violence on Republic Day, who insulted the National Flag that day. Stop treating your farmers as if they were citizens of another country: Sanjay Singh, AAP.
Sanjay Singh, AAP, slammed the government over the farm bills. "The problem is not that the farmers have not understood the Bill. The issue is that they have understood exactly how bad the Bills are and they want them to be repealed."
In the backdrop of MEA's critique of international personalities' supporting the farmers' movement, Derek O Brien said the government is touchy now but Modi had said,"Abki baar Trump sarkar"
Farmers are not at all responsible for the Republic Day incident some anti-social elements are. The matter is a state subject, it's in the concurrent list. State government's opinion also has to be taken: HD Devegowda, JD (S)
We condemn actions of certain miscreants on Republic Day, but farmers are not responsible for it. They should not be punished. Centre's decision to put concrete walls at the protest site won't help. The government must end the matter peacefully: HD Devegowda, JD(S) in RS.
"In these times, we should be thankful for small freedoms like being allowed to speak without the mike being muted, or the television feeds being censored or MPs not being escorted out by marshals," Derek O Brien of TMC said in RS.
He hit out at government's Covid response, asking the states, "how much did you get for Covid?"
Congress leader Digvijay Singh called the farm Bills as"anti-farmers" in the Rajya Sabha.
"The hoisting of cases against farmers, journalists, activists and such need to stop. We respect the mandate you have, but the way in which dissent (which is the backbone of a democracy) is being suppressed in our country is deplorable," he said.
"In Singapore, they gave 8 days notice before lockdown. But in a country as vast as India, just four hours? PM Modi misused the federal structure in this decision," Congress' Digvijay Singh said in RS.
He said that the Modi government's promises never seeimplementation.
Commenting on farmers' issues in RS, BJP's Jyotiraditya Scindia reiterated the party's stancethat the three farm bills are for the benefit of farmers. "We have broken the shackles to ensure that farmers can independently sell their produce anywhere in the country," said Scindia.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Jyotiraditya Scindia said 2020 was a challenging year for everyonebut after a year, India has performed well during Covid-19, looking at the falling Covid-19 cases every day.
He also hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and government for their timely response to Covid.
LOK SABHA
-Motion of thanks on the president's address
Bills to be introduced -The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021
RAJYA SABHA
-Motion of thanks on the president's address
Bills to be introduced
-The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Congress MP and Whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore has given adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over farm laws issue. (ANI)
Congress MP Manish Tewari has given adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over farm laws issue. (ANI)
It is important to understand that no one can know about agriculture and good laws and bad laws, better than farmers. Why are they trying to make the farmers understand? Why is Khalistani, Pakistani angles being brought into the discussion? Our democracy is very strong, it will not be weakened by a Tweet: Manoj Kumar Jha, RJD, in Rajya Sabha.
Rajya Sabha proceedings for February 4 have begun. Manoj Kumar Jha from RJD, Bihar, is currently speaking.
Congress MP Chhaya Verma and Samajwadi Party MP Vishambhar Prasad have given short duration discussion notice in Rajya Sabha"over rising unemployment in the country". (ANI)
"The governmentcarefully monitors all developments on Brahmaputra river. As lower riparian state, with considerable established user rights to waters of trans-border rivers, the government has consistently conveyed its views and concerns to Chinese authorities,"MoS for External Affairs said in Lok Sabha yesterday.
British Parliament's Petitions Committee will consider a Westminster Hall debate in the House of Commons complex on the issue of farmers protests and press freedom in India after an online petition attracted over 106,000 signatures.
While the list of signatories for the e-petition also reflects a signature of Boris Johnson, in his capacity as a west London Conservative Party member of Parliament, Downing Street on Wednesday categorically denied that the UK Prime Minister had signed the petition. (PTI)
Home Minister Amit Shah will lay on the Table today, a statementexplaining the circumstances which had necessitated immediate legislation by the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021. He will also introduce the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
No foreign government has given support to the farmers' agitation against the three farm laws, but protests related to these laws by a "few motivated" persons of Indian origins (PIOs) were reported in Canada, the UK, the US and in some European countries, Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. (PTI)
On Wednesday, the Opposition called for a repeal of the farm bills, while the Centre reiterated that doors are always open for discussion with the farmers.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad condemned the violence on Republic Day but asked the government to repeal the laws. He also slammed the government for FIRs on journalists, former MoS for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor.