Parliament highlights: Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow amid uproar by Oppn MPs over farm laws

Parliament took up the farmers' issue in the House on Wednesday. Lok Sabha proceedings have been adjourned till 5 pm today due to protests by the opposition. Congress MPs protested at the Gandhi Statue at the Parliament premises. BJP leaders reiterated that the doors are always open for the farmers to discuss the Bills, while the Opposition called for a withdrawal of the laws. Stay tuned for updates from today's session.

Opposition MPs stopped from meeting farmers as deadlock in Lok Sabha over three farm laws continues

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.

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Lok Sabha adjourned till tomorrow. Uproar by Opposition MPs over farm laws continued in the House

Road construction by NHAI has touched record 30 km per day: Union minister Nitin Gadkari in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha adjourns again, now till 8:30 pm as Opposition members continue their protests against new farm laws

Lok Sabha adjourns for the third time, now till 7 pm as Opposition members continue their protests against new farm laws.

We're making mockery of ourselves: Meenakshi Lekhi on sloganeering in the House

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 proceedings begin

LS adjourned till 5 pm

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till 5 pm as the Opposition MPs walk to the Well of the House, sloganeer and demand that the three farm laws be repealed.

In Lok Sabha, The Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 will be introduced today

Over 22 lakh public grievances, highest in last three years, received in 2020: Centre

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.

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No annual report from Lokpal laid in Parliament: Centre

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.

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Withdraw farm laws, says CPI(M) Rajya Sabha Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya member to government

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.

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Rajya Sabha adjourned till 9:00 am on February 5

Watch MP Derek O'Brien's speech in the RS

Over 22 lakh public grievances, highest in last three years, received in 2020: Centre

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."

Derek O'Brien slams govt on reaction to international interference

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"

HD Devegowda says farmers not responsible for R-Day violence

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.

Thankful for small freedoms in these times: Derek O'Brien

"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?"

Dissent is suppressed under Modi govt: Digvijay Singh

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.

Digvijay Singh comments on impact of Covid-19 lockdown on migrant workers in RS

"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.

BJP leader Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia speaks at Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi

India rose like a phoenix from ashes of Covid: Scindia in RS

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.

Parliament schedule for February 4

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)

Our govt will not be weakened by a tweet: RJD MP in RS

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.

Proceedings begin

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.

UK Parliament to consider debate on farmers issue as e-petition attracts thousands of signatures

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 supported farmers' agitation: MoS Muraleedharan

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)

Centre vs Opposition on agri laws

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.