Rajya Sabha LIVE: House adjourned till 11 pm tomorrow

18:15 December 02

House adjourned till 11 pm tomorrow

18:14 December 02

Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Bill, 2019 passed in the House.

17:29 December 02

This is not ordinance Raj, we live in democracy: CPI (M) MP KK Ragesh hits out at govt over promulgation of ordinance banning e-cigarettes

I am totally in favour of banning e-cigarettes. The issue here is that we are not living in an ordinance Raj, we are living in a democracy. An ordinance can only be used to meet the urgent demands of extraordinary situations. But what is the extraordinary situation here? If an extraordinary situation is prevailing, it is applicable to liquor, cigarettes, bidis and various other substances. Why did the government all of a sudden decide to ban e-cigarettes through an ordinance?
 

16:42 December 02

Why not ban tobacco instead of e-cigarettes consumed by .002 percent population? asks Congress' Hariprasad

INC's BK Hariprasad from Karnataka said that the government should have banned tobacco altogether, instead of cherry-picking E-cigarettes, while discussing the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Bill, 2019.

"We (Congress) do not support e-cigarettes. This bill we are discussing on the basis of an ordinance promulgated in September. What was the urgency behind the Bill? We were meeting in the Parliament winter session within two months. He could have brought the Bill."

"As per the statistics provided by the minister, every 10 seconds people die due to cigarette smoking. This ordinance should have been brought to ban cigarettes as a whole, instead of just e-cigarettes. The e-cigarette was invented as an alternative to cigarettes. As per research done by the doctors at AIIMS, the e-cigarettes are not as hazardous as conventional cigarettes. 

"The tobacco lobby is a huge one in our country. There are apprehensions. People are smelling a rat in the hasty manner in which the Bill was brought in."

"Only .002 percent people use e-cigarettes in the country."

"Nobody bothers about the young children from underprivileged backgrounds who get addicted to substance abuse. I feel the urgency in bringing this ordinance is to protect the rich kids who can afford to buy these cigarettes at Rs. 5,000. If the government is serious about tackling this menace they should have banned tobacco altogether."
 

16:01 December 02

Ashamed and shocked: Sonal Mansingh on Hyd vet rape-murder case

While I'm ashamed and shocked, I'm also disappointed that such incidents are reported from across country. Why this apathy on the part of the govt, police, and civil society? Each time such an incident occurs there are candle marches and rallies, but why is it still continuing? asks Sonal Mansingh, Rajya Sabha MP on veterinarian doctor's rape and murder in Hyderabad

15:14 December 02

RS discusses Bill to ban e-cigarettes

The Rajya Sabha is currently discussing the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage, and Advertisement) Bill, 2019.

14:10 December 02

Ruckus over Chowdhury's 'intruder' remark

Ruckus ensued in Rajya Sabha over Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's 'intruder' remarks on PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

13:09 December 02

'Sorry state of affairs,' Chairman expresses disappointment over absenteeism

Expressing disappointment at members giving the session a miss even after asking questions. "It is a sorry state of affairs," he said.

11:51 December 02

Will, not Bill required: Chairman

Seeking a review of juvenile laws, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said, "What is required is not a new Bill. What is required is political will, administrative skill, change of mindset and then go for kill of the social evil."

11:34 December 02

Rapists should be lynched: Jaya Bachchan

Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan said, "The people now want the government to give a proper and a definite answer."

"These people need to brought out in public and be lynched," she added.

11:29 December 02

Rapists should be hanged before December 31: Sathyanath

AIADMK MP Vijila Sathyananth said that the four accused should be hanged to death before December 31. "A fast track court should be set up. Justice delayed is justice denied," she said.

11:28 December 02

Social reformation required on emergency basis: Yajnik

Congress MP Amee Yajnik said, "I request all the systems, judiciary, legislative, executive and other systems to come together to see that a social reformation takes place. This should be on emergency basis."

11:26 December 02

Only laws not enough: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Strongly condemning the Hyderabad gangrape case, Congress MP Ghulam Nabi Azad said that only laws are not enough to put a stop to such heinous crimes, but there is also a to spread awareness.

10:53 December 02

LIVE: Rajya Sabha takes up Bill banning e-cigarettes

Case being given communal colour: Mohd Ali Khan

As the Opposition raised the Hyderabad gangrape case in the Rajya Sabha, Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh, Mohd Ali Khan took the name of the victim, which is prohibited.

Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said that it will not be taken in  record.

Khan said that the case was being given a communal colour.