Opposition parties said their floor leaders will meet on Tuesday to discuss the future course of action after 12 Rajya Sabha MPs were suspended for rest of the Winter Session on Monday. The MPs were suspended for their alleged indiscipline during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament.
Earlier in the day, the Parliament passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, without any discussion even as Opposition leaders demanded a debate. Farmers have been protesting against the laws for more than a year.
Soon after Parliament convened for the Winter Session, Lok Sabha was adjourned as Opposition leaders shouted slogans against the three farm laws. The Lower House reconvened at noon and the bill was passed within minutes.
Similarly, Rajya Sabha Deputy Speaker Harivansh Narayan Singh rejected the Opposition’s demand for a discussion and passed the bill with a voice vote.
In his customary remarks before the start of the Winter Session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government was willing to discuss and respond to all questions. He urged leaders to maintain the dignity of the House during the proceedings.
6.46 pm: Another suspended Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen alleges that the Centre was engaged in lawlessness and dictatorship, reports ANI.
“We condemn the unprecedented attack on democracy and Constitution and are proud to be suspended for raising our voices in favour of the farmers and Constitution in the Parliament,” she adds.
6.44 pm: One of the suspended MPs belonging to the Trinamool Congress Shanta Chhetri claims the Opposition was informed about the suspension, reports ANI.
“I’m TMC’s and Mamata Banerjee’s soldier, working for the people,” she says. “They suspended us for protesting for this country; I’m very happy. Public understands this dictatorship.”
6.42 pm: Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt told the Rajya Sabha 557 women officers have been granted permanent commission in the Indian Army following the Supreme Court’s February 2020 verdict, reports ANI.
“No delay has been made in granting permanent commission to any women officer,” he said.
6.38 pm: Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt told the Rajya Sabha that 190 armed forces personnel have died due to the coronavirus disease, reports PTI. Bhatt said that the maximum deaths were reported from the Indian Army with 137 casualties, followed by the Air Force with 49 and four in the Navy.
5.07 pm: Leaders from the Opposition party issue a joint statement condemning the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, reports ANI.
Members of the Opposition parties will meet at Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s office on Tuesday to deliberate on ways to “resist the authoritarian decision of the government”.
4.15 pm: Suspended Congress MP Ripun Bora says they have not been given a chance to narrate their side of the events.
4.12 pm: Congress’ Chhaya Verma, who has also been suspended, calls it an unfair decision. “There were other members from other parties who created a ruckus but the chairman suspended me,” she tells ANI. “PM Modi is doing just as he wishes since he enjoys a brute majority.”
4.05 pm: Suspended MP Priyanka Chaturvedi alleges that male marshals were jostling with women lawmakers.
3.40 pm: Rajya Sabha proceedings have been adjourned for the day, PTI reports.
3.38 pm: Twelve Rajya Sabha MPs from Opposition parties have been suspended for unruly conduct in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, ANI reports. The MPs will remain suspended for the rest of the Winter Session.
The suspended leaders are Elamaram Kareem of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress’ Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, R Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Communist Party of India’s Binoy Viswam, Trinamool Congress’ Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri, and Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai.
2.55 pm: Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 3.09 pm.
2.48 pm: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says it is unfortunate that the farm laws were repealed without a discussion in the Parliament, reports ANI.
“Earlier, we had said that the government will have to withdraw the farm laws, and today these laws were repealed,” says Gandhi. “...This government is scared of holding a discussion.”
2.12 pm: Rajya Sabha has been adjourned for 30 minutes as chaos erupted after Opposition leaders sought discussion on the bill to repeal the farm laws.
2.09 pm: Rajya Sabha passes the Bill to repeal the Centre’s three farm laws by voice vote amid ruckus.
2.05 pm: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, says the move to repeal the farm laws was taken due to upcoming elections.
2 pm: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar introduces the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, in Rajya Sabha.
12.50 pm: The bill to repeal farm laws will be tabled in Rajya Sabha at 2 pm, says Union minister Pralhad Joshi.
12.47 pm: Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 2 pm amid protests from Opposition during the Question Hour.
12.45 pm: Treasury benches are dismissing the Opposition’s demand for a debate on the bill to officially scrap the three central farm laws, saying there is no disagreement in repealing the legislation, The Indian Express reports.
12.40 pm: In Rajya Sabha, Chairperson Venkaiah Naidu says he had spoken to political leaders after the disruptions in the last session.
12.38 pm: Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee says the Modi government is scared to discuss the conditions of the farmers, reports ANI. “Government is not giving Opposition a chance to speak on behalf of the farmers,” he adds.
12.20 pm: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla adjourns the House till 2 pm.
12.15 pm: The Lok Sabha passes the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, without any discussions even as Opposition leaders call for a debate.
12.08 pm: As Lok Sabha proceedings resume, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar tables the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, in the House.
11.58 am: Only one question was taken up during the Question Hour in Lok Sabha before it was adjourned, reports The Indian Express.
11.55 am: Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks that his government was willing to answer any questions during the Winter Session of Parliament.
“Hollow words, Mr Prime Minister,” the MP says in a tweet. “You ran away from discussing Pegasus and are responsible for disrupting full Monsoon Session. In Septermber 2020, your government broke every rule and bulldozed farm laws. The problem is no one in your Cabinet will tell you that Parliament is not Man Ki Baat.”
11.20 am: Rajya Sabha proceedings are adjourned till 12.19 pm to pay tributes to senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, who died in September.
11.11 am: Lok Sabha is adjourned till 12 pm as Opposition MPs continue to shout slogans against the farm laws. The Opposition is also demanding a legal guarantee that all farmers should get remunerative prices for their crops.
11.08 am: Opposition shouts “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan” slogans in Lok Sabha.
11.06 am: The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings for the Winter Session have started.
11.05 am: Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi leads a protest against the Centre’s three farm laws. The government has listed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, in the Lok Sabha’s list of business for today.
10.38 am: The prime minister speaks about the detection of the Omicron coronavirus variant. He urges all MPs and others to be cautious during this time.
10.35 am: Modi adds that this is an important session of Parliament and citizens want it to be a productive one.
10.33 am: The dignity of the House should be maintained, he says, adding that the conduct of political leaders should inspire younger generations.
10.32 am: Modi says his government is ready to discuss and respond to all the questions in Parliament.
10.30 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is speaking ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament.