Parliament Highlights: No SC in Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Sitharaman hits back at Rahul's remark on Halwa ceremony

Most states got nothing in budget, says opposition parties

Opposition parties on Monday tore into the Union Budget saying most of the states have got nothing in the first major economic document of the Modi 3.0 government.

Treasury benches on the other hand lauded the Rs 48.2 lakh crore Union Budget presented in Parliament on July 23 saying the country has made all-round development.

Participating in the general discussion on the budget, senior BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi reeled out data on GDP growth, rising foreign exchange reserves, declining fiscal deficit and a sharp increase in foreign remittances to highlight the achievements of the government on the economic front.

Seeking to counter the charges levelled by opposition parties during the discussion regarding government favouring corporates, Trivedi said the corporate taxes have been reduced to make the industry competitive.

-PTI

Rahul Gandhi not above Constitution: Kiren Rijiju

As Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised questions on the presiding officer in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Kiren Rijiju hit back at the former Congress chief, saying he has no intention to follow constitutional norms while participating in parliamentary debates.

"I condemn the manner in which the leader of opposition attacked the speaker and spoke with disregard for the rules and procedures of the House," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju said.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Vaishnaw said there was a history to Gandhi's behaviour.

"Rahul Gandhi had once torn an ordinance promulgated by his own party's government. I do not think he has any intention to follow constitutional norms," Vaishnaw said.

-PTI

Discrepancy in number of votes polled and votes counted in 538 constituencies in LS polls: ADR

Poll rights body Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has claimed that there is a discrepancy in the number of votes polled and the number of votes counted in 538 constituencies in the Lok Sabha election.

According to an analysis by the ADR released in a press conference on Monday, in the recent Lok Sabha polls a total of 5,54,598 votes counted are less than the votes polled in 362 parliamentary constituencies while a total of 35,093 votes have been counted in excess of the votes polled in 176 parliamentary constituencies.

A reaction from the Election Commission was awaited on the matter.

-PTI

'Restricted to a cage': Rahul Gandhi asks LS Speaker to end restrictions on media in Parliament

Restrictions on the movement of the media in the Parliament house on Monday evoked strong reactions with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi raising the issue during his intervention in the Budget debate.

A political row broke out in Parliament on Monday with the government restricting the access of the media to a glass enclosure in the Parliament complex, prompting Rahul Gandhi to urge Speaker Om Birla to take the restrictions back. Birla then held an extensive meeting with several reporters, and promised to ease their access in the Parliament complex.

-PTI

Congress MP Manish Tewari gives Adjournment Motion notice in Lok Sabha, 'to have a discussion on the border situation and the huge trade deficit with China'.

Congress Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore submits adjournment notice to suspend business & discuss issue of delay in conducting Census 2021, which subsequently delaying 33% quota for women

Congress MP K C Venugopal gives Adjournment Motion notice in Lok Sabha regarding the massive landslide in Wayanad; urges immediate search and rescue measures

Congress MP Hibi Hiden gives Adjournment Motion notice in Lok Sabha on Wayanad landslide

Credit: X/@ANI

Serving farmers is greater than praying to God: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Nirmala Sitharaman is set to reply to the debate on the Union Budget today.

We express condolence, solidarity with people who have lost close ones in Wayanad landslides, says Dhankhar in RS

Four villages have been cut off due to the landslide, John Brittas says in Rajya Sabha

CPI's Sandosh Kumar says death toll has reached 50 in Wayanad landslide.

Joseph K Mani of KC(M) says 500 families have been affected due to the landslide

Deploy Army, announce Rs 5000 crore relief fund: Jebi Mather Kolam demands regarding Wayanad landslide.

The entire country is devasted by the loss of lives in Kerala: J P Nadda in Rajya Sabha

We will not leave any stone unturned in rescue efforts, the union minister also said.

Request union govt to send immediate help, aid to the dead, says LoP Rahul Gandhi

PM has spoken to Kerala CM already, says Kiren Rijiju

TMC's Sudip Bandyopadhyay asks Ashwini Vishnaw to come to Lok Sabha and speak on the many rail accidents taking place.

Bandyopadhyay's specific focus was on the Howrah-Mumbai Mail that derailed early Tuesday morning, leading to the loss of four lives.

Akhilesh Yadav begins speaking on Budget in Lok Sabha

People with families know how difficult their lives have become after inflation: Akhilesh Yadav

UP did not get any project despite sending the highest number of MPs from any state: Akhilesh

Modi inaugurated Bundelkhand Expressway, now it needs repair. Who will give that money?: Akhilesh Yadav

A lot of MoUs have been signed to build industries on paper, but nothing has happened in reality: Akhilesh

100% employment guarantee for Agniveers: Anurag Thakur in LS

This is not a government that will run smoothly, this is a government that is about to fall, says Akhilesh Yadav to BJP MPs in Lok Sabha

Alfred Kanngam S Arthur of Manipur asks in Lok Sabha why no union minister has visited the state since the May 3, 2023 violence began in the northeastern state.

Till 1970 nobody mentioned any state in budget, because it is for the nation: Telangana BJP MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy in Lok Sabha

GST collection has increased from Rs 7.9 lakh crore in 2017-18 to Rs 20.18 lakh crore in 2024: Health minister J P Nadda during Union Budget debate in Rajya Sabha

Indian economy shining like bright spot post-pandemic: J P Nadda

The Union Health Minister while speaking during the debate on Union Budget 2024 in Rajya Sabha said that while other economies are struggling after the Covid pandemic, Indian economy is like a bright spot among them. He also attacked the opposition Congress for calling the Covid relief package of Rs 20 lakh crore a 'hoax'.

World's perspective towards India has changed: Nadda

Union Health Minister J P Nadda quoted IMF, Moody's and Morgan Stanley to show that Indian economy has improved over the years.

Some people trying to become champion of OBC's: Nadda slams opposition in Rajya Sabha

"How many OBC's are there in your working committee or your Rajiv Gandhi Foundation?" asked Nadda on Tuesday. He further claimed that the largest representation of SC, ST and OBC's has been in the Modi government cabinet.

Notably, Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on Monday had attacked the government over the Union Budget and said, "'Budget ka halwa' is being distributed in this photo. I can't see one OBC or tribal or a Dalit officer in this."

Keep Army out of politics: Nadda

Speaking on the Agniveer row, the union minister said that the Agnipath scheme was brought into force after more than 400-500 consultations.

Anurag Thakur quotes Tharoor's 'The Great Indian Novel' in Lok Sabha

Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday read quotes from Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's satirical novel The Great Indian Novel, during the discussion on Union Budget. The novel is a work of fiction that recasts the story of the Mahabharata, in the context of the Indian independence movement and the first three decades post-independence.

The MP took jibe at Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi for using motifs from mythological epic Mahabharata during discussion on Monday.

Ruckus in Lok Sabha over Anurag Thakur's remarks

The Hamirpur MP while attacking LoP Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on "no SC, ST, OBC" being present in budget Halwa ceremony said, "People who think about 'only-brother in law' are talking about OBCs."

People who don't know their caste talking about caste census: Thakur

You can insult me all you want, but we will fight for caste census: Rahul Gandhi

Anyone who fights for the backward classes has to listen to the insults: Rahul

How can you ask someone's caste? blasts an angry Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha

As ruckus ensued in Lok Sabha over MP Anurag Thakur's now expunged remarks, the speaker let LoP Rahul Gandhi and Kannauj MP Akhilesh Yadav speak.

Shashi Tharoor replies to Anurag Thakur quoting his book

"Under rule 353 Anurag Thakur had no business taking my name again and again without giving notice," Tharoor remarked.

Tharoor also said that the his novel is a satire, "a point that Anurag missed."

FM Nirmala Sitharaman replying on Budget debate

We shall all work together to make Viksit Bharat by 2047: Sitharaman

Two core elements of the budget are social and geographical inclusivity: FM

India is the fastest growing economy post-Covid: Sitharaman

The budget has nowhere given lower allocation than previous budgets: FM

Expenditure is going towards quality asset creation: FM Sitharaman

Unemployment rate has come down for Jammu and Kashmir: FM

"Unemployment rate has come down for Jammu and Kashmir to 4.4 per cent," said Sitharaman.

"After two decades forest rights were given to the tribals."

2004-05 Budget did not take name of 17 states: FM

Replying to the opposition questions that some states were ignored in the Union Budget, the finance minister said that not mentioning the name of states in the budget doesn't mean they have not been given money.

No state being denied any money: FM

Opposition has a problem because an ordinary OBC 'chaiwala' is leading the country: FM

Our policy is to make the youth competent, independent and capable: Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, "In order to make youth competent independent and capable a lot of schemes have been brought in other than the five schemes in PM package,

Rs 29 lakh crore dispersed in MUDRA Loan

Under the UPA regime, employment declined, says Nirmala Sitharaman

I want to highlight something regarding joblessness in UPA era. According to RBI's data, from 2012-13 and 2013-14, employment declined under the UPA regime.

Today, I want to raise the issues of unemployment during the UPA era.

Slamming the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, Nirmala Sitharaman demanded to know, that if the opposition is claiming that their economy management was all good during their regime how and why did total employment figure come down?

Sitharaman calls Global Hunger Index 'flawed'

Sitharaman asked how are countries like Pakistan and Sudan ranked better than India in Global Hunger Index. She said that she doubts the credibility of the Index.

The hallmark of PM Modi is fiscal prudence without compromising on welfare: FM

UPA used to hide fiscal deficit, we are transparent: FM

Minority budget hasn't come down: Sitharaman

Under NMDFC, since 2014, loans worth Rs 8.3 crore have been disbursed to the minorities of which 85 per cent are women.

Does studying in Indian universities mean being bereft of new ideas?, asks Sitharaman

The finance minister made the remarks referring to TMC MP Saugata Roy's statement about Sitharaman being from JNU.

Bengal's contribution to total industrial production has fallen from 24% at the time of independence to 3.5% now: FM

Parliament, Army, economy under attack: Sitharaman

Hardworking entrepreneurs being made villians: Sitharaman

"There is a conspiracy going on to portray India unsafe for foreign investors."

FM speaks on controversy over 'Halwa' ceremony

"If only we know the background of the Halwa ceremony. In India there is a tradition of having something 'sweet' before an important event."

She said that the tradition of finance minister taking part in the ceremony began in 2013-14 under UPA.

Nehru wrote in 1961 that he hated any kind of reservation: FM

No SC in Rajiv Gandhi Foundation: Sitharaman

The finance minister took out the names of the members of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust and pointed out that there is no SC member among them.

Basarhat TMC MP Kakali Ghosh Dastidar raises issue of unmanned railway crossings in West Bengal.

Eluru MP Putta Mahesh Kumar thanks government for budget allocated to Amravati for development.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned till Wednesday, 11 am