18th Lok Sabha 1st Session Day 6 Updates | Ruckus in LS Over Rahul Gandhi's 'Aap Hindu Ho Hi Nahi' Remark

The Discussion On Motion Of Thanks For President’s Address Continues In Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, Speaker Om Birla on Monday named a panel of chairpersons to help him run the House proceedings. Birla named Jagdambika Pal, P C Mohan, Sandhya Rai, Dilip Saikia, Selja, A Raja, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Krishna Prasad and Avdhesh Prasad on the panel. Members of the panel of chairpersons preside over the House proceedings when the Speaker is not in the Chair. They enjoy all powers vested in the Speaker.

On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's speech in Parliament, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says, "Tomorrow the Prime Minister will reply in the Lok Sabha...Today when the Leader of Opposition came and started speaking, the Prime Minister was present. What we saw during his speech today, we were very saddened by it. He was repeatedly told from the Speaker's chair that he should not turn his back towards the Speaker while speaking. He was repeatedly addressing his MPs and repeatedly turning his back towards the Speaker... The level of debate has fallen so much. We have never seen this before. Today, there is nothing left for the new MPs to learn from Rahul Gandhi... I am very sad that Rahul Gandhi has degraded our parliamentary system so much, but there are some senior leaders in the Congress, I still appeal, they should give him some knowledge..."

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday took exception to allegations by opposition members that their microphones are turned off when they are speaking in the House and said the presiding officers do not have any switch or remote control to turn off the mikes of MPs.

Birla strongly objected to some members in Lok Sabha casting aspersions on the Chair by alleging that when they rise to speak in the House, their microphones are turned off by the presiding officers. The allegation about the Chair turning the microphone off was a matter of utmost concern, the Speaker said, adding that he wanted the House to deliberate on the issue.

"The Chair only gives ruling/directives. The member whose name is called gets to speak in the House. The mike is controlled as per the directives of the Chair. The person sitting in the Chair does not have a remote control or a switch for the microphones," he said.

Birla said the members of all political parties have representation on the panel of chairpersons who preside over the proceedings in the absence of the Speaker. "This is a matter of the dignity of the Chair. At least those who occupy the Chair should not raise such objections. (K) Suresh also occupies the Chair. Does the Chair have control of the mike?" the Speaker said, addressing the Congress veteran.

Later in the day, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi again raised the issue, asking as to who controls the microphone. "My question is... who has the control of the mike," he asked while speaking on the motion of thanks to the President's address. Responding to Gandhi, the Speaker said he did not have any button to switch off the microphone.

"This has been raised several times... you are the Leader of Opposition, you say outside Parliament too that the mike is switched off. I don't have any button to switch off the microphone. There existed a similar set-up earlier. There is no mechanism to gag the microphone "I have requested several times that such allegations should not be raised against the Chair," Birla said.

Dhankhar's remarks on the matter in Rajya Sabha came up when the Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Mallikarjun Kharge was speaking on the motion and there were some interruptions. "I take strong exception to this kind of statement by Pramod Tiwari. What does he mean by 'mike band kar diya'.... you only want to do these optics... it is automatic. What is this.. can't understand simple technology.

"Nobody has the right to shut this mike.... those who spread such misconceptions, tainting Parliament, demeaning diminishing our institutions," the Chairman said. As the uproar continued, Dhankhar added, "Mr Kharge, you know it is mechanically controlled. When I speak, no one else's mike will be on. It is clear, it is the concept. You know it more than me... others should learn from you."

During the debate on the motion, several opposition members alleged that their voice was scuttled in the last Lok Sabha, and said that it cannot happen anymore as the opposition's strength has increased in the 18th Lok Sabha. (PTI)

DMK leader A Raja on Monday called for a caste-based census as he condemned the government's policies and actions and emphasised the necessity of equality and inclusivity. Speaking during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Raja underscored the importance of a caste-based census, arguing that true integration of Hindus can only be achieved by acknowledging and addressing caste disparities.

"We are all Hindus. I am a Hindu according to the law in the Constitution since I am not a Mohammadan, not a Christian, not a Buddhist, not a Parsi. The law says this is Hindu," Raja explained. "If you are really worried about the integration of Hindus, you need to have a caste-based census. I want to celebrate my religion as long as you give equal opportunity to everybody," he said. Raja further elaborated on the historical context of caste discrimination.

"Ambedkar rightly said that Hindu religion is nothing but an assortment of castes. Division of labour is universal to the entire world, but what has been done in our religion is division of labourers by birth. If you are a scavenger, you do it after your father and forefathers. That discrimination must be removed," he said. (PTI)

Congress MP from Chandigarh Manish Tiwari Monday said the BJP-NDA government have failed to deliver on five essential parameters essential for any government. He listed them as national security, economic development, institutional reforms, international affairs and diplomacy as well as communal harmony.

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till July 2 at 11 am.

Union Minister and BJP national president JP Nadda says LoP Rahul Gandhi must immediately apologise for his statement in Lok Sabha "terming all Hindus as violent". In a series of posts on X, Nadda said Gandhi has "not learnt Parliamentary norms".

"First day, worst show! Lies + Hindu hatred = Rahul Gandhi Ji in Parliament. Third Time Fail LoP has a knack for agitated, flawed logic. His speech today has shown that neither has he understood the mandate of 2024 (his third successive loss) nor does he have any humility," Nadda tweeted.

In another post, he wrote: "Rahul Ji must immediately APOLOGISE to all Hindus for terming them as violent. This is the same person who was telling foreign diplomats that Hindus are terrorists. This intrinsic hate towards Hindus must stop."

"The Leader of the Opposition is now a 5 time MP but he has not learnt Parliamentary norms and neither does he understand civility. Time and again, he reduces the levels of discourse. His utterances towards the Chair today were in very poor taste. He owes and apology to the Chair for casting unsubstantiated aspersions on his integrity and personality," Nadda said in another post.

"The LoP BLATANTLY LIED on many counts including matters that concern our hardworking farmers and brave armed forces. He was duly fact checked by Union Ministers for FALSE claims on MSP and Agniveer. For his own cheap politics, he wont even spare our farmers and security forces. Discussion on the President’s Speech is about healthy debate. The Opposition, in their misplaced triumphalism continues to be destructive not constructive. Never in the last 60 years has an opposition been rejected 3 times consecutively. They way they are going, they will beat their own record in the coming times," the BJP chief said.

On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's speech in Parliament, Union Minister Chirag Paswan says, "No devotee of Lord Shiva will tolerate it. You cannot play with the religious sentiments...Being the LoP he should put forward his views based on facts. He always tried to create confusion on every issue..."

After the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of calling Hindus violent, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said her brother did not insult Hindus, but was talking about the saffron party and its leaders. "He cannot insult Hindus. He said it very clearly. He talked about the BJP, he talked about BJP leaders," Priyanka Gandhi said while leaving the Parliament building along with her mother Sonia Gandhi, after Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, in what will be his first speech to the MPs of the ruling bloc during the first session of Parliament since he assumed office for a third term. Though Modi in the past has addressed the NDA MPs on a few occasions, especially when he was elected as their leader ahead of all his three terms, he generally speaks at the meetings of BJP MPs during sessions.

Quoting official sources, PTI reported that all members of Parliament of the BJP and its allies have been notified about Tuesday's meeting and asked to attend it. The NDA meeting comes amid discussions going on in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint sitting of Parliament. Modi is expected to reply to the discussions in both Houses.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi during his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday questioned why the camera recording the house proceedings stopped filming him whenever he showed the picture of Lord Shiva. Rahul demonstrated how the camera moved away as soon as he picked up the picture. "Sir dekhiye woh hata diya camera see (see the camera is not covering me)," he said. Rahul then picked up the picture again to show what he meant, and just then the camera cut to the speaker. Congress posted the video on X with the caption: "How the camera works in Parliament, see the magic."

TMC MP from Krishnanagar Mahua Moitra Speaks in Lok Sabha on the President’s Address. The ruling party has paid a very heavy price for throttling the voice of one MP, she says. "By the end of 2023, the government had reached the pinnacle of arrogance. However, if you act with arrogance towards the gods, you will be punished," she slams the NDA government. "The government spent the last five years in almost perfecting an elected autocracy and by the end of 2023, this government had reached the pinnacle of their arrogance, where this parliamentary democracy was replaced by a monstrous super cult, the cult of the supreme leader, the non-biological leader who stood in this house and proclaimed 'Ab ki baar 400 paar' and 'ek akeli kitno pe bhari pada'. This was the turning point when the destiny of the ruling party changed..if you act with arrogance towards the gods, you will be punished. We have 33,000 gods in India but in our democracy the most supreme of them is the 'Ganadevata', the lord of the people, and they have punished you," the TMC MP said.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his poll speeches and levels allegations against the ruling BJP's ideological parent RSS, however, most of his remarks are expunged by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Dhankhar also defends the RSS, calling it an organisation engaged in working for the nation. During his speech in the Upper House of Parliament on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Congress chief Kharge mentions comments made by Modi in his election rallies and presents statistics showing the number of times the prime minister referred to minorities and Pakistan. The Rajya Sabha chairman asks Kharge to authenticate his assertions and refuses to accept newspaper clippings that the Congress leader shows to buttress his points.

Opposition not your enemy, we are here to make your work easier, Rahul Gandhi tells members of treasury benches in Lok Sabha. He slams government and says what it has come to represent is untruth, complete lack of courage and violence.

LoP Rahul Gandhi questions Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, reminding him why he (Birla) "bowed" when shaking hands with PM Modi on the day he was reelected as speaker. "You (Birla) stood straight when you shook my hand after I accompanied you to your chair. But you bowed in front of PM Modi when shaking his hands," he says. To this, ruckus breaks in the house as the BJP leaders question Rahul's statement. The speaker eventually explains why he did so. "My culture states that I must bow to a person elder to me," Birla says. Earlier, Rahul began this part of his speech stating that "when I became LoP, I realised my personal aspirations, fears have to be put aside, I represent all opposition parties."

During his speech in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi asserts that INDIA bloc is going to defeat BJP in Gujarat elections. "Modi ji, please take it in writing...This time the INDIA alliance is going to defeat you in Gujarat," Rahul says.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi says BJP threatens minorities and spreads hatred, violence against Muslims, Sikhs, Christians. He says that minorities represent India in all spheres, bring pride to nation. "They stand like a rock with country, are patriots," he says.

Rahul Gandhi says BJP government has given a gift of fear to everyone - Farmers, Women, Soldiers, Farmers, Youth, and Students. He says NEET is not a professional exam any more. "NEET is a commercial exam...It has been made for the rich students. Government not allowing discussion on NEET as they are not interested in future of students," Rahul says. "Truth is NEET students do not believe in the exam, they think it's designed for rich students and not the meritorious," Rahul says.

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi continues his attack on the NDA government, saying due to demonetisation, flawed GST, backbone of job creation has been broken by the government. He questions the government over its treatment of farmers, and alleges that it had called them (farmers) "terrorists". To this, BJP leaders in the house led by Amit Shah intervene and ask Rahul to provide proof of his allegation.

In his speech in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi slams government over Agnipath issue, asserting that Agniveer is 'use-and-throw labour' for government. "Agnipath scheme is brainchild of PM Modi not of armed forces," Rahul Gandhi said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh intervenes, saying the LoP was misleading the House on Agniveers. "When our government comes, we will scrap Agnipath scheme because we think it is against armed forces, patriots," Rahul said.

Rahul Gandhi, continuing his speech in the Lok Sabha, says the Prime Minister does not greet him or smile at him in the house as he was "intimidating", not just the people of the country, but the BJP leaders as well. "Today morning, Rajnath Singh greeted me, but he does not do that when PM Modi is around." At this, PM Modi intervened and said: "The Constitution has taught me to take the Leader of Opposition with utmost seriousness". This banter follows the uproar over Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Hinduism and violence.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi slammed BJP in the lower house as he said that Hinduism was not about spreading fear, hatred and falsehoods. Rahul took a swipe at the ruling BJP saying those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in "violence and hate" round the clock, drawing massive protests from the members of the treasury benches, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious matter. He, however, retorted that he was speaking about the BJP. "The BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or Modi are not the entire Hindu society," he said.

Rahul held up a picture of Lord Shiva and said his message is about fearlessness and non-violence. He also cited the teachings of other religions to make a similar point. "All religions and all our great men talk about non-violence and fearlessness, but those who call themselves Hindus only talk about violence, hatred and falsehood.... Aap Hindu ho hi nahi (You are not Hindus)," he says.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened and said calling entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue. Rahul then hit back at PM, saying BJP and Modi "are not the entire Hindu society". Home Minister Amit Shah too interjected Rahul over his statement, stating "crores of people take pride in being Hindus, does Rahul Gandhi think they are all violent?"

In the first part of his speech, Rahul Gandhi said the country has together protected Constitution, and it felt nice that BJP was "now repeating 'Jai samvidhan' after me". "There has been systematic attack on Constitution, idea of India and on millions of people who resisted ideas proposed by BJP...I was attacked on orders of PM Modi; there were 20 plus cases, house was taken away, 55 hours of interrogation by ED," Rahul said.

"I am happy and proud to be in opposition; for us there is something more than power, it is truth," he said. Speaker Om Birla said rules don't allow display of placards after Rahul Gandhi shows picture of Lord Shiva.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who was responding to loud sloganeering from the treasury benches, began his speech presenting a copy of the constitution with a remark holding that it was good to see BJP talking about constitution more often.

Proceedings commence in the Lok Sabha post lunch.

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned and the House will meet again at 2.15 PM.

In a fiery session at the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leder of Opposition demanded the immediate scrapping of the Agniveer scheme. Kharge criticised the government, stating that the scheme has severely impacted the morale of the youth due to its unplanned nature. He described it as reminiscent of medieval ruler Tughlaq's policies.

He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of neglecting Manipur amidst ongoing unrest, emphasising that the region has been engulfed in turmoil for over a year without adequate attention from the Centre.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said under Jan Dhan Yojana 50 crore banks accounts were opened and half of the accounts belonged to women. She said Modi government's Viksit Bharat and women-centric schemes came good for women especially for rural women. "The Modi government's landmark step towards 33 per cent women empowerment through the Women Empowerment Bill was a historic one. Again, government's farmer development schemes ensured socio economic development for people," Soon after bansuri Bansuri speech, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 PM.

Anurag Thakur attacked Congress over its alleged apathy towards Indian traditions. "The BJP governemnt has built Ram temple in Ayodhya and refurbished religious places of Sikhs while Sikhs were butchered during Congress rule. Congress gave tickets to those who opposed terrorist Afzal Guru's hanging," Thakur said. He questioned the rationale of Congress's alleged support to terrorist sympathisers.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said past 10 years of governance under Narendra Modi saw a steady development in all sectors. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's economy is on growth path. It has become the fifth largest economy and is poised to become third largest economy in the world. Not only that, India is the fastest growing economy in the world now," Thakur said.

Rahul Gandhi says he wanted a discussion on NEET 70 times papers were leaked in the seven years and two crore students were affected by it. He said as NEET is a crucial issue, the opposition wants a discussion on the topic considering the gravity of the matter. Gandhi further requested Speaker Om Birla to allow a one-day discussion on NEET after the President's Speeches Thanks Motion gets over. Earlier, Opposition MPs, including Gandhi, protested at the Parliament complex alleging the misuse of central agencies.

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha were stalled for a brief period amid Opposition uproar after Speaker Om Birla refused to admit notices moved by members of the Opposition. After a brief disruption, proceedings continued as per revised list of business. Ministers laid papers on the table of the House followed by the House taking up motions for elections of committees.

During the commencement of the Lok Sabha session, Speaker OM Birla extended heartfelt congratulates to the Indian Men's cricket team for their remarkable victory in the ICC T20 World Cup. Speaking on behalf of the entire House, Speaker Birla lauded the team's achievement and specifically mentioned captain Rohit Sharma for his leadership.

After Opposition MPs protested against the misuse of central probe agencies outside the parliament building, the proceedings of both the Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha commenced at 11 am.

As Parliament gears up for its session, opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc are preparing to stage a protest. They intend to voice their concerns over what they perceive as the central government's misuse of investigative agencies such as the CBI, ED and the IT department. The protest is scheduled to take place at Makar Dwar, the entrance of the new parliament building, highlighting growing tensions over governance and accountability issues.

Congress MPs KC Venugopal and Manickam Tagore on Monday gave adjournment motion notices in Lok Sabha, demanding a discussion on the ongoing controversy over the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). In his notice, Manickam Tagore urged the House to suspend all listed business of the day to discuss the "unprecedented cases of paper leaks in the conduct of exams, including NEET-UG and UGC NET, and the failure of NTA." On June 28, before both Houses adjourned for the day, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed several adjournments, with Congress and other opposition parties insisting on a debate on the NEET-UG controversy while the government was keen to take up the motion of thanks on the President's address. No business was conducted in Lok Sabha on Friday, with the opposition pressing for a discussion on the alleged irregularities in NEET.

The Discussion On Motion Of Thanks For President’s Address Continues In Lok Sabha. Meanwhile, Speaker Om Birla on Monday named a panel of chairpersons to help him run the House proceedings. Birla named Jagdambika Pal, P C Mohan, Sandhya Rai, Dilip Saikia, Selja, A Raja, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Krishna Prasad and Avdhesh Prasad on the panel. Members of the panel of chairpersons preside over the House proceedings when the Speaker is not in the Chair. They enjoy all powers vested in the Speaker.

On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's speech in Parliament, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju says, "Tomorrow the Prime Minister will reply in the Lok Sabha...Today when the Leader of Opposition came and started speaking, the Prime Minister was present. What we saw during his speech today, we were very saddened by it. He was repeatedly told from the Speaker's chair that he should not turn his back towards the Speaker while speaking. He was repeatedly addressing his MPs and repeatedly turning his back towards the Speaker... The level of debate has fallen so much. We have never seen this before. Today, there is nothing left for the new MPs to learn from Rahul Gandhi... I am very sad that Rahul Gandhi has degraded our parliamentary system so much, but there are some senior leaders in the Congress, I still appeal, they should give him some knowledge..."

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday took exception to allegations by opposition members that their microphones are turned off when they are speaking in the House and said the presiding officers do not have any switch or remote control to turn off the mikes of MPs.

Birla strongly objected to some members in Lok Sabha casting aspersions on the Chair by alleging that when they rise to speak in the House, their microphones are turned off by the presiding officers. The allegation about the Chair turning the microphone off was a matter of utmost concern, the Speaker said, adding that he wanted the House to deliberate on the issue.

"The Chair only gives ruling/directives. The member whose name is called gets to speak in the House. The mike is controlled as per the directives of the Chair. The person sitting in the Chair does not have a remote control or a switch for the microphones," he said.

Birla said the members of all political parties have representation on the panel of chairpersons who preside over the proceedings in the absence of the Speaker. "This is a matter of the dignity of the Chair. At least those who occupy the Chair should not raise such objections. (K) Suresh also occupies the Chair. Does the Chair have control of the mike?" the Speaker said, addressing the Congress veteran.

Later in the day, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi again raised the issue, asking as to who controls the microphone. "My question is... who has the control of the mike," he asked while speaking on the motion of thanks to the President's address. Responding to Gandhi, the Speaker said he did not have any button to switch off the microphone.

"This has been raised several times... you are the Leader of Opposition, you say outside Parliament too that the mike is switched off. I don't have any button to switch off the microphone. There existed a similar set-up earlier. There is no mechanism to gag the microphone "I have requested several times that such allegations should not be raised against the Chair," Birla said.

Dhankhar's remarks on the matter in Rajya Sabha came up when the Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Mallikarjun Kharge was speaking on the motion and there were some interruptions. "I take strong exception to this kind of statement by Pramod Tiwari. What does he mean by 'mike band kar diya'.... you only want to do these optics... it is automatic. What is this.. can't understand simple technology.

"Nobody has the right to shut this mike.... those who spread such misconceptions, tainting Parliament, demeaning diminishing our institutions," the Chairman said. As the uproar continued, Dhankhar added, "Mr Kharge, you know it is mechanically controlled. When I speak, no one else's mike will be on. It is clear, it is the concept. You know it more than me... others should learn from you."

During the debate on the motion, several opposition members alleged that their voice was scuttled in the last Lok Sabha, and said that it cannot happen anymore as the opposition's strength has increased in the 18th Lok Sabha. (PTI)

DMK leader A Raja on Monday called for a caste-based census as he condemned the government's policies and actions and emphasised the necessity of equality and inclusivity. Speaking during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Raja underscored the importance of a caste-based census, arguing that true integration of Hindus can only be achieved by acknowledging and addressing caste disparities.

"We are all Hindus. I am a Hindu according to the law in the Constitution since I am not a Mohammadan, not a Christian, not a Buddhist, not a Parsi. The law says this is Hindu," Raja explained. "If you are really worried about the integration of Hindus, you need to have a caste-based census. I want to celebrate my religion as long as you give equal opportunity to everybody," he said. Raja further elaborated on the historical context of caste discrimination.

"Ambedkar rightly said that Hindu religion is nothing but an assortment of castes. Division of labour is universal to the entire world, but what has been done in our religion is division of labourers by birth. If you are a scavenger, you do it after your father and forefathers. That discrimination must be removed," he said. (PTI)

Congress MP from Chandigarh Manish Tiwari Monday said the BJP-NDA government have failed to deliver on five essential parameters essential for any government. He listed them as national security, economic development, institutional reforms, international affairs and diplomacy as well as communal harmony.

The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till July 2 at 11 am.

Union Minister and BJP national president JP Nadda says LoP Rahul Gandhi must immediately apologise for his statement in Lok Sabha "terming all Hindus as violent". In a series of posts on X, Nadda said Gandhi has "not learnt Parliamentary norms".

"First day, worst show! Lies + Hindu hatred = Rahul Gandhi Ji in Parliament. Third Time Fail LoP has a knack for agitated, flawed logic. His speech today has shown that neither has he understood the mandate of 2024 (his third successive loss) nor does he have any humility," Nadda tweeted.

In another post, he wrote: "Rahul Ji must immediately APOLOGISE to all Hindus for terming them as violent. This is the same person who was telling foreign diplomats that Hindus are terrorists. This intrinsic hate towards Hindus must stop."

"The Leader of the Opposition is now a 5 time MP but he has not learnt Parliamentary norms and neither does he understand civility. Time and again, he reduces the levels of discourse. His utterances towards the Chair today were in very poor taste. He owes and apology to the Chair for casting unsubstantiated aspersions on his integrity and personality," Nadda said in another post.

"The LoP BLATANTLY LIED on many counts including matters that concern our hardworking farmers and brave armed forces. He was duly fact checked by Union Ministers for FALSE claims on MSP and Agniveer. For his own cheap politics, he wont even spare our farmers and security forces. Discussion on the President’s Speech is about healthy debate. The Opposition, in their misplaced triumphalism continues to be destructive not constructive. Never in the last 60 years has an opposition been rejected 3 times consecutively. They way they are going, they will beat their own record in the coming times," the BJP chief said.

On Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's speech in Parliament, Union Minister Chirag Paswan says, "No devotee of Lord Shiva will tolerate it. You cannot play with the religious sentiments...Being the LoP he should put forward his views based on facts. He always tried to create confusion on every issue..."

After the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of calling Hindus violent, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said her brother did not insult Hindus, but was talking about the saffron party and its leaders. "He cannot insult Hindus. He said it very clearly. He talked about the BJP, he talked about BJP leaders," Priyanka Gandhi said while leaving the Parliament building along with her mother Sonia Gandhi, after Rahul Gandhi's maiden speech as the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday, in what will be his first speech to the MPs of the ruling bloc during the first session of Parliament since he assumed office for a third term. Though Modi in the past has addressed the NDA MPs on a few occasions, especially when he was elected as their leader ahead of all his three terms, he generally speaks at the meetings of BJP MPs during sessions.

Quoting official sources, PTI reported that all members of Parliament of the BJP and its allies have been notified about Tuesday's meeting and asked to attend it. The NDA meeting comes amid discussions going on in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu's address to a joint sitting of Parliament. Modi is expected to reply to the discussions in both Houses.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi during his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday questioned why the camera recording the house proceedings stopped filming him whenever he showed the picture of Lord Shiva. Rahul demonstrated how the camera moved away as soon as he picked up the picture. "Sir dekhiye woh hata diya camera see (see the camera is not covering me)," he said. Rahul then picked up the picture again to show what he meant, and just then the camera cut to the speaker. Congress posted the video on X with the caption: "How the camera works in Parliament, see the magic."

TMC MP from Krishnanagar Mahua Moitra Speaks in Lok Sabha on the President’s Address. The ruling party has paid a very heavy price for throttling the voice of one MP, she says. "By the end of 2023, the government had reached the pinnacle of arrogance. However, if you act with arrogance towards the gods, you will be punished," she slams the NDA government. "The government spent the last five years in almost perfecting an elected autocracy and by the end of 2023, this government had reached the pinnacle of their arrogance, where this parliamentary democracy was replaced by a monstrous super cult, the cult of the supreme leader, the non-biological leader who stood in this house and proclaimed 'Ab ki baar 400 paar' and 'ek akeli kitno pe bhari pada'. This was the turning point when the destiny of the ruling party changed..if you act with arrogance towards the gods, you will be punished. We have 33,000 gods in India but in our democracy the most supreme of them is the 'Ganadevata', the lord of the people, and they have punished you," the TMC MP said.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge criticises Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his poll speeches and levels allegations against the ruling BJP's ideological parent RSS, however, most of his remarks are expunged by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Dhankhar also defends the RSS, calling it an organisation engaged in working for the nation. During his speech in the Upper House of Parliament on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Congress chief Kharge mentions comments made by Modi in his election rallies and presents statistics showing the number of times the prime minister referred to minorities and Pakistan. The Rajya Sabha chairman asks Kharge to authenticate his assertions and refuses to accept newspaper clippings that the Congress leader shows to buttress his points.

Opposition not your enemy, we are here to make your work easier, Rahul Gandhi tells members of treasury benches in Lok Sabha. He slams government and says what it has come to represent is untruth, complete lack of courage and violence.

LoP Rahul Gandhi questions Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, reminding him why he (Birla) "bowed" when shaking hands with PM Modi on the day he was reelected as speaker. "You (Birla) stood straight when you shook my hand after I accompanied you to your chair. But you bowed in front of PM Modi when shaking his hands," he says. To this, ruckus breaks in the house as the BJP leaders question Rahul's statement. The speaker eventually explains why he did so. "My culture states that I must bow to a person elder to me," Birla says. Earlier, Rahul began this part of his speech stating that "when I became LoP, I realised my personal aspirations, fears have to be put aside, I represent all opposition parties."

During his speech in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi asserts that INDIA bloc is going to defeat BJP in Gujarat elections. "Modi ji, please take it in writing...This time the INDIA alliance is going to defeat you in Gujarat," Rahul says.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi says BJP threatens minorities and spreads hatred, violence against Muslims, Sikhs, Christians. He says that minorities represent India in all spheres, bring pride to nation. "They stand like a rock with country, are patriots," he says.

Rahul Gandhi says BJP government has given a gift of fear to everyone - Farmers, Women, Soldiers, Farmers, Youth, and Students. He says NEET is not a professional exam any more. "NEET is a commercial exam...It has been made for the rich students. Government not allowing discussion on NEET as they are not interested in future of students," Rahul says. "Truth is NEET students do not believe in the exam, they think it's designed for rich students and not the meritorious," Rahul says.

In his speech, Rahul Gandhi continues his attack on the NDA government, saying due to demonetisation, flawed GST, backbone of job creation has been broken by the government. He questions the government over its treatment of farmers, and alleges that it had called them (farmers) "terrorists". To this, BJP leaders in the house led by Amit Shah intervene and ask Rahul to provide proof of his allegation.

In his speech in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi slams government over Agnipath issue, asserting that Agniveer is 'use-and-throw labour' for government. "Agnipath scheme is brainchild of PM Modi not of armed forces," Rahul Gandhi said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh intervenes, saying the LoP was misleading the House on Agniveers. "When our government comes, we will scrap Agnipath scheme because we think it is against armed forces, patriots," Rahul said.

Rahul Gandhi, continuing his speech in the Lok Sabha, says the Prime Minister does not greet him or smile at him in the house as he was "intimidating", not just the people of the country, but the BJP leaders as well. "Today morning, Rajnath Singh greeted me, but he does not do that when PM Modi is around." At this, PM Modi intervened and said: "The Constitution has taught me to take the Leader of Opposition with utmost seriousness". This banter follows the uproar over Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Hinduism and violence.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi slammed BJP in the lower house as he said that Hinduism was not about spreading fear, hatred and falsehoods. Rahul took a swipe at the ruling BJP saying those who call themselves Hindus are engaged in "violence and hate" round the clock, drawing massive protests from the members of the treasury benches, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserting that calling the entire Hindu society violent is a serious matter. He, however, retorted that he was speaking about the BJP. "The BJP, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or Modi are not the entire Hindu society," he said.

Rahul held up a picture of Lord Shiva and said his message is about fearlessness and non-violence. He also cited the teachings of other religions to make a similar point. "All religions and all our great men talk about non-violence and fearlessness, but those who call themselves Hindus only talk about violence, hatred and falsehood.... Aap Hindu ho hi nahi (You are not Hindus)," he says.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened and said calling entire Hindu society violent is a serious issue. Rahul then hit back at PM, saying BJP and Modi "are not the entire Hindu society". Home Minister Amit Shah too interjected Rahul over his statement, stating "crores of people take pride in being Hindus, does Rahul Gandhi think they are all violent?"

In the first part of his speech, Rahul Gandhi said the country has together protected Constitution, and it felt nice that BJP was "now repeating 'Jai samvidhan' after me". "There has been systematic attack on Constitution, idea of India and on millions of people who resisted ideas proposed by BJP...I was attacked on orders of PM Modi; there were 20 plus cases, house was taken away, 55 hours of interrogation by ED," Rahul said.

"I am happy and proud to be in opposition; for us there is something more than power, it is truth," he said. Speaker Om Birla said rules don't allow display of placards after Rahul Gandhi shows picture of Lord Shiva.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, who was responding to loud sloganeering from the treasury benches, began his speech presenting a copy of the constitution with a remark holding that it was good to see BJP talking about constitution more often.

Proceedings commence in the Lok Sabha post lunch.

Rajya Sabha has been adjourned and the House will meet again at 2.15 PM.

In a fiery session at the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leder of Opposition demanded the immediate scrapping of the Agniveer scheme. Kharge criticised the government, stating that the scheme has severely impacted the morale of the youth due to its unplanned nature. He described it as reminiscent of medieval ruler Tughlaq's policies.

He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of neglecting Manipur amidst ongoing unrest, emphasising that the region has been engulfed in turmoil for over a year without adequate attention from the Centre.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj said under Jan Dhan Yojana 50 crore banks accounts were opened and half of the accounts belonged to women. She said Modi government's Viksit Bharat and women-centric schemes came good for women especially for rural women. "The Modi government's landmark step towards 33 per cent women empowerment through the Women Empowerment Bill was a historic one. Again, government's farmer development schemes ensured socio economic development for people," Soon after bansuri Bansuri speech, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 PM.

Anurag Thakur attacked Congress over its alleged apathy towards Indian traditions. "The BJP governemnt has built Ram temple in Ayodhya and refurbished religious places of Sikhs while Sikhs were butchered during Congress rule. Congress gave tickets to those who opposed terrorist Afzal Guru's hanging," Thakur said. He questioned the rationale of Congress's alleged support to terrorist sympathisers.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said past 10 years of governance under Narendra Modi saw a steady development in all sectors. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's economy is on growth path. It has become the fifth largest economy and is poised to become third largest economy in the world. Not only that, India is the fastest growing economy in the world now," Thakur said.

Rahul Gandhi says he wanted a discussion on NEET 70 times papers were leaked in the seven years and two crore students were affected by it. He said as NEET is a crucial issue, the opposition wants a discussion on the topic considering the gravity of the matter. Gandhi further requested Speaker Om Birla to allow a one-day discussion on NEET after the President's Speeches Thanks Motion gets over. Earlier, Opposition MPs, including Gandhi, protested at the Parliament complex alleging the misuse of central agencies.

Proceedings in the Lok Sabha were stalled for a brief period amid Opposition uproar after Speaker Om Birla refused to admit notices moved by members of the Opposition. After a brief disruption, proceedings continued as per revised list of business. Ministers laid papers on the table of the House followed by the House taking up motions for elections of committees.

During the commencement of the Lok Sabha session, Speaker OM Birla extended heartfelt congratulates to the Indian Men's cricket team for their remarkable victory in the ICC T20 World Cup. Speaking on behalf of the entire House, Speaker Birla lauded the team's achievement and specifically mentioned captain Rohit Sharma for his leadership.

After Opposition MPs protested against the misuse of central probe agencies outside the parliament building, the proceedings of both the Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha commenced at 11 am.

As Parliament gears up for its session, opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc are preparing to stage a protest. They intend to voice their concerns over what they perceive as the central government's misuse of investigative agencies such as the CBI, ED and the IT department. The protest is scheduled to take place at Makar Dwar, the entrance of the new parliament building, highlighting growing tensions over governance and accountability issues.

Congress MPs KC Venugopal and Manickam Tagore on Monday gave adjournment motion notices in Lok Sabha, demanding a discussion on the ongoing controversy over the alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). In his notice, Manickam Tagore urged the House to suspend all listed business of the day to discuss the "unprecedented cases of paper leaks in the conduct of exams, including NEET-UG and UGC NET, and the failure of NTA." On June 28, before both Houses adjourned for the day, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed several adjournments, with Congress and other opposition parties insisting on a debate on the NEET-UG controversy while the government was keen to take up the motion of thanks on the President's address. No business was conducted in Lok Sabha on Friday, with the opposition pressing for a discussion on the alleged irregularities in NEET.