Budget Session

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday claimed that people would not forgive the opposition parties for disrupting Parliament proceedings over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha based on a legislation brought by the Congress-led UPA government. Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the Kaushambi Mahotsav, he exhorted people to elect Narendra Modi as prime minister once again in 2024 for the all-around welfare of all sections of society. "The country will not forgive opposition parties for disrupting Parliament proceedings over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification... Democracy is not in danger, it is casteism and dynastic politics ('parivarwad') which are in danger," Shah said. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, and state BJP president Bhupendra Chaudhry also attended the event. In a big blow to the Congress, its leader Rahul Gandhi was on March 24 disqualified from Lok Sabha, nearly 24 hours after

Rajya Sabha was on Thursday adjourned sine die, ending the four-week-long second leg of the Budget session, during which treasury and opposition members locked horns over Rahul Gandhi's "democracy" remark and the Adani issue. When Rajya Sabha reassembled at 2 pm after an adjournment in the morning session, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar informed that the suspension of Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil for filming proceedings of the House has been extended beyond the Budget Session based on the privileges committee's recommendations. Before that DMK's Tiruchi Siva and Congress' Shaktisinh Gohil sought clarity over the implications of Dhankhar's Wednesday decision to reject Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's objection to Rajya Sabha discussing a statement of Gandhi. The chairman, however, was firm on his decision. Amid protest by opposition members over the suspension issue, Dhankhar read out his valedictory remarks and adjourned Rajya Sabha sine die (for indefinite period). Earlie

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of not walking the talk on democratic principles and causing disruptions in Parliament to divert attention from the Opposition's demand for a JPC probe into the Adani issue. Addressing a joint press conference of opposition leaders at the Constitution Club after a "Tiranga March" from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk, he said the government's intention was to get the Budget Session washed out. He said the government talks a lot about democracy, but it does not follow what it says, and asserted that the Opposition was unitedly fighting for democracy and the Constitution. "The budget of Rs 50-lakh crore was passed in just 12 minutes, but they (BJP) always allege that the opposition parties have no interest and they keep disturbing the House," Kharge said. "The disturbance was created by the ruling party. Whenever we made a demand, we were not allowed to speak. This has happened for the first time in

Parliament could function much less than the planned duration with daily protests and frequent adjournments disrupting the second half of the Budget Session, data compiled by a think tank showed. According to it, the Lok Sabha functioned for over 45 hours against a scheduled duration of 133.6 hours while the Rajya Sabha worked for over 31 hours out of 130 hours. This translates to Lok Sabha functioning for around 34.28 per cent of its scheduled duration and 24 per cent for the Rajya Sabha, the PRS Legislative Research said. Both Houses witnessed repeated adjournments of the Question Hour throughout the Session. The Lok Sabha could take questions for 4.32 hours while the figure for Rajya Sabha was worse at 1.85 hours for the entire Budget Session. In his concluding remarks, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the House held discussions on the General Budget for 14.45 hours, and 145 MPs participated in it. Discussions on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address were held for 13 ho

Lok Sabha's Budget session ended as scheduled on Thursday after Speaker Om Birla announced that the House had been adjourned sine die (for indefinite period). As soon as the House met for the day, opposition members came to the well raising slogans and demanding a JPC probe into the Adani issue. They were also carrying placards with their demands written on them. The speaker said the behaviour of opposition members had lowered the dignity of the House and they had "systematically" disrupted proceedings. Such behaviour, he added, is against the parliamentary system and not good for the House or the country. However, opposition members ignored the speaker's pleas and continued their protests. Birla announced the adjournment of the House sine die after completing his customary valedictory speech.

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Wednesday as MPs from the Congress and other opposition parties created a ruckus in the House, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into fraud allegations against the Adani Group. Opposition MPs started raising slogans as the listed papers were laid on the table of the House at the start of the day's proceedings. Several Congress MPs were dressed in black as a mark of protest. Sloganeering increased as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he has received a notice from Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge under Rule 267 of Rajya Sabha for suspension of the scheduled business of the day. Amid the din, the Chairman adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Monday after obituary references to sitting MP Girish Bapat and former MP Innocent who passed away recently. Bapat, who was a sitting BJP MP from Pune, passed away on March 29 while Innocent, a former independent MP from Chalakudy constituency in Thrissur, passed away on March 26. Lok Sabha now adjourns for a few hours as mark of respect for a sitting member who has passed away. Earlier, the House used to adjourn for the day after paying obituary to a sitting member who has passed away.

A special meeting called at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi headquarters on Tuesday to discuss and deliberate on the civic budget was adjourned for the day soon after it convened. Mayor Shelly Oberoi said the session would resume at 2 pm on Wednesday. A few members had said that they did not get adequate time to go through the budget document and so time has been allowed till the session resumes on Wednesday, she said. Tuesday's session was scheduled to commence at 2 pm but began 15 minutes late. Proceedings had taken place for a brief period when the mayor adjourned the session. As required by the norms, the civic budget is to be cleared by March 31. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) passed the "schedule of taxes" in the civic budget for 2023-24 on February 15. But the remaining budget process was stalled as the civic body's standing committee is yet to be elected. The MCD had earlier said the "special budget meeting" for proposals for the Revised Estimates for 2022-20

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned in the pre-lunch session on Tuesday as opposition MPs, several dressed in black, created a ruckus over the Adani issue. MPs of the Congress and other parties started raising slogans such as "Modi-Adani Bhai Bhai" as listed papers were being laid on the table of the House. Several Congress MPs were in the Well while other opposition members were on their feet. They were also raising slogans demanding a probe by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) into allegations of corporate fraud and stock price manipulations against the Adani Group. When Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was making a listed statement, opposition members raised the pitch of their sloganeering, apparently asking him to apologise for his remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. After the laying of papers and statements by ministers were over, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he has received notices under Rule 267 of the house for suspension of listed business and take the

Kharge alleged that the Centre used the probe agencies to bend those who did not bow before the government

With the stalemate continuing in Parliament, the session is likely to be wound up early

Major changes without debate should be avoided

Finance Bill 2023: Debt funds with less than or equal to 35 per cent invested in equity shares will be taxed at the investors' income tax slab and treated as short-term capital gains

New Mutual Fund rules: All existing investments and new investments made in debt MFs before March 31 will not be affected by the proposed mutual fund tax change

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday, will move the Finance Bill 2023, to give effect to the financial proposals of the central government

Both the houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2 p.m. minutes after the proceeding began on Thursday

With the stalemate in Parliament between the BJP and the opposition, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi hit out at the BJP-led central govt and accused it of stalling the all-important proceedings in Parliament

The violence by Naxals has come down by 77 per cent in over a decade while casualties of the security forces and civilians dropped by 90 per cent, Lok Sabha was informed

The meeting is likely to be held at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge's office in Parliament

The Congress leader said in a statement that he had moved the motion to discuss the need to constitute a JPC to investigate the "government's role in promoting the business interests of Adani Group"