Monsoon Session highlights: Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha adjourned till 11 am on July 22

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been adjourned till July 22. Rajya Sabha on Tuesday saw the Opposition relentlessly attack the Centre on its Covid-19 handling. The Monsoon Session is apparently going to be a challenging time for the ruling side as the Opposition looks determined to raise their demands vociferously. Stay tuned for more updates.

That's all for today readers. Thank you for tuning in to our coverage of the Monsoon Session in Parliament. We will see you again on July 22, when both Houses resume proceedings. Till then, visit www.deccanherald.com for more latest news.

JUST IN | Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am on July 22

Rajya Sabha MP Hardeep Singh Puri slammed the Opposition for 'promoting' vaccine hesitancy.

Furious Opposition targets govt on Pegasus, disrupts Parliament

A furious Opposition on Tuesday stalled proceedings in Parliament over revelations that Opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi and Abhishek Banerjee among others were potential targets for snooping by Israeli spyware Pegasus though a discussion on Covid-19 in Rajya Sabha was held in the afternoon following an agreement. Read more

As Civil Aviation Minister, I was the first to stop flights coming from China, others followed. We went into a total lockdown on March 25, 2020. On one hand we are told lockdown is too severe and at the same time you want to have the cake and eat it too, says Puri.

An uninformed comment is bad enough but when an attempt is made to deliberately produce a false narrative, it's an even more serious matter. Even one death of any Indian citizen on account of any cause, whether Covid or non-Covid-related, is a matter of regret, says Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

CPI leader Binoy Viswam asked the government to share their strategy to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. Taking a dig at the Centre, he said, "Cow dung and urine can't be the only solution."

Why are you hiding Covid data? Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut asks government

"Why are you hiding the data?" Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Rautasked thegovernment in Rajya Sabha. "Tell us, how many people have lost their lives (due to Covid). Reports say more people have diedthan the government's official figures," he said.

Rajya Sabha MPs recountIndia gasping for breath, struggling for beds in hospitals andseek better management of the Covid pandemic.

Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav asked the Centre to raise the Budget of the Health Ministry andbuild infrastructure for future challenges. "Before the Budget, I told Nirmala ji to raise health Budget. The current health Budget is fake, the actual Budget is only Rs 72,000 crore. You've added other departmentsBudget in health," he alleged.

More than 30 lakh children have been orphaned during the second Covid wave, says BSP leader.

"We'd said that all MPs be called in Central Hall instead of just the Floor Leaders. Everyone must be spoken to. We had said that this be done in twoslots. We're not attending it as everyone should get to know (Covid situation0," said Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge on PM briefing on Covid.

Lok Sabha adjourned till July 22.

Several Opposition leaders in the Rajya Sabha opined that vaccination is the only way to end the Covid-19 pandemic and prevent the dreaded third wave.

The insensitivity of the government towards the misery of the common people, giving bites in the press instead of doing anything created an alarming situation during the Covid-19 pandemic: Elamaram Kareem, CPI(M) in Raya Sabha.

The figures released by the government on Covid-19 deaths in the country were far from true. The govt has failed to handle the situation and it will have to take responsibility for that: Mallikarjun Kharge.

Tamil Nadu had polls for 234 assembly seats in a day. West Bengal with 294 assembly seats had polls in 8 phases. The infection rate was 2.3% before polls but after 8 phases, it rose to 33%. Kudos to our CM, it has again come down below 1.8% now: Santanu Sen in Rajya Sabha.

Centre and state both failed to handle the coronavirus pandemic. Both lacked strategy and proper co-operation: Amar Patnaik, BJD leader in Rajya Sabha.

We saw dead bodies floating in the Ganges. If our PM does not work properly, the day is not far when we will see dead bodies lying on the road: Santanu Sen.

PM Modi said that the Kurukshetra war was over in 18 days, our fight against Covid-19 will be over in 21 days: Santanu Sen.

Narendra Modi can call our Chief Minister 'Didi', but we will maintain decorum and not call him 'Dada', says Santanu Sen, TMC leader in Rajya Sabha.

PM Narendra Modi never takes the blame himself, but instead makes someone else 'bali ka bakra: Mallikarjun Kharge.

Supreme Court itself had to intervene to make the government act properly: Mallikarjun Kharge.

I pay tribute to Covid warriors including doctors and paramedics. I salute people who helped others by running 'oxygen langer' in Delhi. I also want to salute plasma donors, who came out in support: Kharge.

Oxygen was scarce, hospital beds were not available, but the government was busy is banging 'thalis', lightening 'diyas', says Mallikarjun Kharge.

The government did not care about common people during Covid-19 second wave, it only knows how to give speeches, says Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha.

This pandemic has been a constant learning experience for us: BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta in Rajya Sabha.

The Government keeps the welfare of the people at the centre of all its activities. The identification of problems faced by the people is a continuous process and the Government takes appropriate action to resolve them from time to time: MHA in Lok Sabha.

YSR Congress MPs in the Well of Rajya Sabha as it assembles for a discussion on Covid-19. They are protesting on Andhra Pradesh related issues. Leader of House Piyush Goyal appeals to protesters to allow the discussion to start. (DHNS)

The debate on Covid-19 starts with nominated MP Swapan Dasgupta's speech amid sloganeering by YSR Congress MPs. (DHNS)

Illegal migrants (including Rohingyas) pose a threat to national security. There are reports about some Rohingya migrants indulging in illegal activities: Ministry of Home Affairs in Lok Sabha.

Foreign nationals who enter into the country without valid travel documents or whose travel documents expire while staying in India are treated as illegal migrants and are dealt with as per existing legal provisions: Ministry of Home Affairs in Lok Sabha (ANI)

'Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu stressed for normalcy in the House'

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu stressed for normalcy in the House so that important issues can be discussed smoothly. Leader of House Piyush Goyal had an informal discussion with Opposition leaders seeking their cooperation for resumption of functioning of the House, reports ANI quoting sources.

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 1 pm.

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned soon after it began till 12 noon amid uproar by the Opposition.

Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm, another stormy day expected.

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has moved a motion of Adjournment of the business of the House to discuss over Pegasus issue. (ANI)

CPIM floor leader in the Rajya Sabha Elamaram Kareem gives notice to suspend the business and discuss alleged snooping by the government on opposition party leaders, journalists, judges and even union ministers using Pegasus spyware. (DHNS)

RSP MP NK Premachandran submits adjournment motion to discuss the Pegasus issue in Lok Sabha. Snooping a direct affront to Indian democracy, says Premachandran. (DHNS)

Trinamool MPs to stage dharna near Gandhi statue in the Parliament today at 10.30 am over Pegasus issue. Party has also submitted notices to discuss the issue in both Houses. Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool’s all-India general secretary, was among those whose phone was allegedly hacked. (DHNS)

Congress Lok Sabha members to meet at CPP Office today at 10.30 am to chalk out the floor strategy on the issue of 'Pegasus Project' media reports. (DHNS)

CPI Parliamentary Party leader Binoy Viswam submits notice in Rajya Sabha to suspend business and discuss Pegasus. He says that it is shocking that Constitutional authorities, Ministers and Opposition leaders were snooped. (DHNS)

Any statement made which is not followed by critical question(s) is a futile exercise. Jai Hind: Manoj K Jha on IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw going to make a statement on Pegasus in Rajya Sabha.

PM Modi urges MPs, parties to ask sharpest of questions in Parliament but allow govt to respond

As the Monsoon Session of Parliament got under way, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said all MPs and parties must ask the sharpest of questions but also allow the government to respond to them in a cordial environment.

Read more here

AAP MP Sanjay Singh gives Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over Pegasus snooping row

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha over Pegasus issue.

(ANI)

Pegasus spyware issue: Opposition slams govt over alleged phone-tapping, seeks probe

Opposition parties Monday hit out at the government over the alleged phone-tapping of prominent personalities in the country using Israeli Pegasus spyware and demanded an independent judicial or parliamentary committee probe.

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Uproar in RS as Opposition asks govt to clarify on nationality of newly-inducted minister

Opposition members in Rajya Sabha on Monday sought to raise the issue of the nationality of a newly inducted Minister of State for Home, alleging he was a Bangladeshi national, but the government dismissed the charge as "baseless" and slammed them for casting such aspersions on a leader from a tribal community.

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Buoyed by victory, TMC goes full blast against BJP as first Parliament session after Bengal polls begins

Buoyed by its landslide victory in West Bengal assembly polls, the Trinamool Congress went on the offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s government on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament.

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