Tag: RAJYA SABHA

INDIA bloc Parliamentary meet

INDIA Bloc Leaders Strategise For Day 2 Of Parliament Session

By LokMarg

Ahead of the second day of the winter session, the meeting of INDIA bloc Parliamentary leaders was held at the office of the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge.

The meeting was called by Congress president, Mallikarjun Kharge.

Several leaders including AAP MP Raghav Chadha whose suspension was revoked in the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, TMC MP Derek O’Brien, LoP in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Jairam Ramesh are present in the meeting.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Tuesday gave an Adjournment Motion Notice in the Lok Sabha and demanded a discussion on the death penalty for eight former Indian Navy personnel in Qatar.

“Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Ragesh, were sentenced by the Qatari court on October 26, 2023. I have been constantly raising this matter since August 2022 both inside and outside the House but the response of the Government has been – NO RESPONSE for -14 months,” Tewari said in his notice.

The Central government is set to move the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha later on Tuesday for consideration and passage.

Both the Bills, as per the list of business in the Lower House, are to be moved by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for consideration.

According to the list of business, Shah is to move the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha further to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 26, 2023. It amends the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act of 2004.

Meanwhile, the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament saw two bills being passed with the Rajya Sabha also deciding to discontinue suspension of AAP MP Raghav Chadha.

The Standing committee reports on ‘The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023’, ‘The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023’, and ‘The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023’ were tabled in the two Houses. The reports were submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on November 10 by Brij Lal, MP and Chairman of the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The three bills are on the agenda of the government for passage in the winter session of Parliament.

On Monday, Rajya Sabha passed the Bill to repeal the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 and to consolidate and amend the law relating to the post offices in India. The opposition members raised questions over some provisions of the bill and asked if the government wanted to create a “surveillance state”. The government rejected the apprehensions of the members.

The bill was passed by a voice vote after a reply by the Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. The bill provides that Post Office shall provide such services as the Central Government may by rules prescribe and the Director General of Postal Services shall make regulations in respect of activities necessary to provide those services and fix the charges for such services. The bill provides India Post will not incur any liability with regards to its services, except any liability prescribed through rules.

Lok Sabha passed the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which is in line with the government’s policy of repealing all obsolete laws or pre-independence Acts which have lost their utility. The Government in consultation with the Bar Council of India has decided to repeal the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879. It has decided to amend the Advocates Act, 1961 by incorporating the provisions of section 36 of the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879 in the Advocates Act, 1961 so as to reduce the number of superfluous enactments in the statute book (ANI)

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Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha elections

Raghav Chadha Suspension From Rajya Sabha Revoked

By LokMarg

Aam Aadmi Party Raghav Chadha’s suspension from Rajya Sabha was revoked by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday

The membership of Chadha was suspended during the Monsoon session of Parliament, was revoked after a motion moved by BJP Member of Parliament GVL Narsimha Rao.

A Privileges Committee meeting of the Rajya Sabha was held in Parliament this afternoon to discuss the suspension matter of the AAP leader.

In a video message, Chadha said “The intervention by the Supreme Court led to the revocation of my suspension (from the Rajya Sabha as a member). The suspension was revoked through a motion moved in the House. I was kept suspended for 115 days, and I could not ask people’s questions during the period. Today, I thank the honorable Supreme Court and the Rajya Sabha Chairman.”

Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11 this year for “breach of privilege” after complaints.

The MP was accused of not obtaining the consent of five Rajya Sabha MPs before including their names in a select committee.

He was suspended till the Privilege Committee submitted its findings on the allegation against him for forging the signatures of five MPs in a motion related to the Delhi Services Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Chadha had earlier termed the suspension patently illegal and without the authority of the law.

Faced with suspension, Chadha had moved to the top court, challenging his indefinite suspension from the Upper House.

However, the Supreme Court asked Chadha to meet Jagdeep Dhankhar and tender an unconditional apology.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra hoped that the chairperson would take a “sympathetic” view of the matter.

The bench recorded the statements of Chadha’s lawyer that the MP has no intention to affect the dignity of the House of which he is a member and he will seek an appointment with the Rajya Sabha Chairperson so that he may place an unconditional apology. (ANI)

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Women's Reservation Bill

Supriya Sule Calls Women Reservation Bill A Post-Dated Cheque

By LokMarg

Terming the bill as a “post-dated cheque”, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule slammed the Bharatiya Janta Party for calling a special session for parliament for passing the Women’s Reservation Bill. 

Meanwhile, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Women’s Reservation Bill for discussion in Rajya Sabha.

Stating that neither census and delimitation has been done, the NCP MP also said that the Centre could have introduced the bill during the upcoming winter session.

Speaking to ANI ahead of the passage of the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Supriya Sule said “They did this in such a haste, in a special session. There was so much haste that it seemed that they could have done it in December (Winter Session). Even if they did it then, the outcome would have been the same…”

“We are supporting it strongly. But it is a post-dated cheque because neither census nor delimitation has been done. Unless both of them are done it can’t be implemented. It will perhaps be implemented in 2029, who knows?”

BJP MP, Hema Malini congratulated PM Modi for his “vision” following the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

 “The people who question will only question. But PM Narendra Modi has done it. He has done what has never happened before. We all should thank him, and congratulate him. He has a vision…” the Mathura MP told ANI.

The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is the first bill passed by Lok Sabha during the special session after it shifted to the new Parliament building on Tuesday.

The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is a “historic legislation” that will further boost women’s empowerment and will enable “greater participation of women in our political process,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday after the passage of the bill in Lok Sabha.

The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the first sitting of the House in the new Parliament building.

The five-day Special Session of Parliament began on Monday and will conclude on Friday. (ANI)

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Women Reservation Bill

Lok Sabha Passes Women Reservation Bill; BJP Calls It Historic

By LokMarg

Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Women’s Reservation Bill which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed after a reply by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The Bill was passed following division with 454 members voting in favour of the legislation and two against it on the motion for the passage moved by Meghwal. The amendments moved by opposition members were negatived and there was also voting on clauses of the bill.

Speaker Om Birla announced that the Bill had been passed.

The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is the first bill passed by Lok Sabha after it shifted to the new Parliament building on Tuesday.

The bill was passed by a majority of the total membership of the  House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of the House “present and voting”

The division was carried out through the distribution of slips.

Meghwal said “history” was being made with the passage of the bill.

Rejecting the opposition’s criticism about the delay in the implementation of provisions of the Bill, Meghwal said that the bill ensures transparency. The bill was passed after a day-long debate which was initiated by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.    

Intervening in the debate, Home Minister Amit Shah also rejected the opposition’s contention and said the bill will follow due procedure and seats which are to be reserved will be decided by the Delimitation Commission.

Several opposition members including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that caste census and delimitation are not required for implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill and it should come into force soon after it is passed by Parliament.

“There is one thing in my view that makes this bill incomplete. I would like to have seen the OBC reservation included in this bill,” Gandhi said.

“Delimitation and census is not required, the bill should be immediately implemented,” the Congress leader added.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 is expected to be taken up by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.  

The Rajya Sabha had earlier passed the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2010 during the Congress-led UPA government but it was not taken up in the Lok Sabha and subsequently lapsed in the lower House of Parliament.

The government introduced the new bill on Tuesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the government’s intention to bring ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’.

Sources said the division was carried out through slips as information regarding division numbers in the New House is awaited from some parties in the Lok Sabha.

The Special Session of Parliament began on Monday and will continue till Friday. (ANI)

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Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut

Women Reservation Bill: Sanjay Raut Says End Fight For Credit

By LokMarg

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday that the Women’s Reservation Bill is for the entire nation so there should be no fight over the credit for the bill. 

“The fight for credit should end…This work (Women’s Reservation Bill) is for the entire nation…It is your (BJP) government at present, it may be some other government (in rule) tomorrow. If you (BJP) talk about women then why do you fight over credit…You have brought the bill, you have tabled it, you’ve shown the courage and we appreciate your courage,” said Raut. 

Meanwhile, ahead of the discussion on the Women’s Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha on the third day of the ongoing Parliament special session, the INDIA bloc held a meeting to chalk out the strategy for the floor of the house. 

The meeting was held at the office of Rajya Sabha leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament. 

On Tuesday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill in the first sitting of Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building. The bill has been named Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. 

In 2008, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government tabled the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, and it was passed in 2010. However, the Bill was never taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha.

Introducing the bill in the house, Meghwal said “This bill is in relation to women empowerment. By amending Article 239AA of the Constitution, 33 percent of seats will be reserved for women in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. Article 330A reservations of seats for SC/ST in the House of People.” 

Meghwal also said that once the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is passed, the number of seats for women in Lok Sabha will increase to 181. 

The Bill will be taken up in Rajya Sabha on September 21, government sources said. (ANI) 

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Women Reservation Bill Parliament

Pass Women Quota Bill During Special Parl Session: Cong

By LokMarg

A day ahead of the week-long special session of Parliament, the Congress party has yet again raised their demand for a greater reservation for women in legislative roles.

In a post on X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said the Congress Working Committee demands that the Women’s Reservation Bill must be passed during the special session of Parliament.

Praising the previous Congress governments, Jairam Ramesh said former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi first introduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation in panchayats and nagarpalikas in May 1989 — which passed in Lok Sabha but failed in Rajya Sabha.

“Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao reintroduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas in April 1993. Both Bills passed and became law. Now there are more than 15 lakh elected women representatives in panchayats and nagarpalikas,” he said.

Former PM Manmohan Singh brought the Constitution Amendment Bill for one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. The Bill was passed on March 9, 2010 in the Rajya Sabha but was not taken up in Lok Sabha.

“Bills introduced/ passed in Rajya Sabha do not lapse. Women’s Reservation Bill is still very much active. The Congress party has for the past nine years been demanding that the Women’s Reservation Bill already passed by the Rajya Sabha should now get passed by the Lok Sabha as well,” Jairma Ramesh wrote on X.

As per the Parliamentary Bulletin, released on Wednesday, a discussion on “Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha – Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings” will be held in Parliament on the first day of the five-sitting long special session starting tomorrow.

Also, four bills including a Bill to regulate the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners are part of the legislative business of the government for the session.

The other bills to be taken up include ‘The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ and ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023’, which were already passed by Rajya Sabha on August 3, 2023.

‘The Post Office Bill, 2023’ has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business. The bill was earlier introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2023 and it repeals the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. (ANI)

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Election Commissioner bill

Bill On Appointment Of CEC, Other Election Commissioners Among 4 Bills Listed For Parliament’s Special Session

By LokMarg

A Bill to regulate the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners is among the legislative business of the government for the upcoming Special Session of Parliament, beginning on September 18. 

As per the Parliamentary Bulletin, apart from the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023, The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, and The Post Office Bill, 2023, are among the bills listed for the five-sitting long Special Session. 

The Bill on Appointment of Election Commissioners was introduced in Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session on 10 August. 

This Bill also deals with the procedure for the transaction of business by the Election Commission. Besides, it proposes that the Election Commissioners will be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will chair the panel. 

The Bill, if it comes into effect, will negate the Supreme Court’s March 2023 judgement that held that the appointment of Election Commissioners will be done by the President on the advice of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India. However, in its judgement, the apex court had held that the procedure underlined by it would hold till a law is enacted by Parliament. 

The proposed bill also evoked sharp reactions from the opposition parties with the Congress leader KC Venugopal earlier stating that the legislation aims to make the Election Commission a “puppet in the hands of Prime Minister”. 

The Special Session will be held from September 18 to 22. 

The Parliamentary Bulletin, also mentioned that a discussion on “Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha – Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings” will be held in Lok Sabha on the first day of the upcoming session. (ANI)

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Eight-Member Committee

Eight-Member Committee To Examine ‘One Nation, One Election’ Headed By Kovind

By LokMarg

The Centre on Saturday constituted an eight-member High-Level Committee to examine the issue of ‘one nation, one election’ and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country.

Apart from former President Ram Nath Kovind, who is Chairman, the committee comprises Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Ahir Ranjan Chowdhury, former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former Finance Commission Chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, Senior Advocate Harish Salve and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari.  

A government notification said that Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will attend the meetings of the High-Level Committee as a special invitee.

The committee has been set up months before assembly polls in five states and ahead of Lok Sabha polls next year.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had informed about the constitution of the committee on Friday.  

“Right now, a committee has been constituted. A report from the committee will come out which will be discussed. The Parliament is mature, and discussions will take place, there is no need to get nervous. India is called the mother of democracy, there is always an evolution. I will discuss the agenda of the Special session of Parliament,” he said. (ANI)

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Mamata

Mamata Attacks Centre Over EC Appointments Bill

By LokMarg

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday slammed the central government over the introduction of the Chief Election Commissioner Bill in the Rajya Sabha. 

Banerjee said that the Bharatiya Janata Party bows down to anarchy. 

“Amidst calls to bow down to the judiciary, the @BJP4India instead bows to anarchy! The CJI’s role in the 3-member committee for selecting the CEC is crucial. We strongly oppose replacing the CJI with a cabinet minister in the EC selection. The discomfort suggests their vote manipulation could suffer”, said the Bengal CM on Twitter. 

Further, she added that India must question this blatant disregard for the judiciary. 

“Are they aiming to turn the Judiciary into a minister-run kangaroo court? We pray to the Judiciary for India. My Lord, save our country”, said Banerjee. 

Notably, a Bill to regulate the appointment, conditions of service and term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners was introduced in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with opposition parties strongly opposing its introduction.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023.

The Bill also deals with the procedure for the transaction of business by the Election Commission.

The Bill proposes that the Election Commissioners will be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will chair the panel.

The Bill, if it comes into effect, will negate the Supreme Court’s March 2023 judgment that held that the appointment of Election Commissioners will be done by the President on the advice of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.

However, in its judgement, the apex court had held that the procedure underlined by it would hold till a law is enacted by Parliament.

The proposed bill has evoked a sharp reaction from opposition parties.

Congress leader KC Venugopal said the bill aims to make Election Commission a “puppet in the hands of the Prime Minister”.

“A blatant attempt to make the Election Commission a total puppet in the hands of the Prime Minister,” he said in a tweet.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a tweet that the bill shows that “the Prime Minister will change any decision of the Supreme Court that he does not like by introducing a bill in the Parliament”.

In response to Arvind Kejriwal, BJP leader Amit Malviya said that the government is within its rights to bring the bill.

“The SC judgement had suggested a transient method for appointment of the CEC, in the absence of a statutory mechanism. The govt is well within its right to bring in a bill for the same,” he said in a tweet. (ANI)

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Opposition bloc INDIA Kejriwal

Chadha Suspended From RS Over ‘Breach Of Privilege’

By LokMarg

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha was suspended on Friday from the Rajya Sabha for “breach of privilege” after complaints of ‘fraud’.

The move came after a complaint from four MPs alleging he named them in a house panel without their consent.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, while announcing Chadha’s suspension, said, “…I suspend Raghav Chadha from the service of the Council till the Council has the benefit of the report by the Committee of Privileges.”

His suspension followed a motion moved by the Leader of the House Piyush Goyal who sought action against the AAP leader for including names of some members of the Upper House without their consent in a proposed select committee for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

However, according to the AAP, the suspension has been done due to Raghav’s press conference yesterday defending himself in the alleged breach matter.

“Nowhere has Piyush Goyal’s motion for suspension or notice served by Privilege Committee mentioned the words – forgery or fake, signatures, farziwada etc. It doesn’t even remotely allege anything to this effect. The Leader of the House has also quoted excerpts from the Press Conference on 10th August 2023 and quoted the example of using birthday invitation to explain the process of consent,” the party said.

Earlier on August 8, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha alleged fraud after five MPs of the Upper House — S Phangnon Konyak, Narhari Amin and Sudhanshu Trivedi of BJP, M Thambidurai of AIADMK and Sasmit Patra of BJD — said that their name was included without their consent in a motion moved by Chadha in the House.

“Two members (BJD MP Sasmit Patra and BJP MP Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi) are saying that they have not signed the motion (to be part of select committee) moved by AAP MP Raghav Chadha. Now it is a matter of investigation how the motion was signed,” said Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha on Delhi Services Bill.

While addressing a press conference on Thursday, the AAP leader hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over “forged signatures” allegations by five Rajya Sabha MPs and challenged the BJP to show him the piece of paper where they are claiming the forged signatures.

“I challenge the BJP leaders to bring the paper on which forged signatures were done,” he said.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Wednesday, sent the complaints of the MPs to the privileges committee to look into the matter. (ANI)

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