New Delhi: On Day 3 of the ongoing winter session of the Parliament on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Opposition members also walked out of the House in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's comments about former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, Shah said if Nehru had taken the right steps, a large chunk of territory would not have been ceded and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would have been part of India. There was an uproar by the opposition benches over the remarks on Nehru and they staged a walkout but returned later.
Earlier in the day, the debates resumed at 11 am in both Houses. In the Lok Sabha, a brief uproar occurred over DMK MP N V Senthilkumar's remarks on Hindi heartland states, leading to demands for an apology from DMK's T R Balu by BJP leader Arjun Ram Meghwal. Additionally, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's presentation of the "Supplementary Demands for Grants — First Batch for 2023-24" was a key agenda in both Houses.
Here are the updates from both the houses today:
- 6.05 pm
Both of the parliament houses' sessions have been adjourned for today. The next session will resume at 11 am on Thursday.
- 5.14 pm
The Opposition party members walked out of the lower parliament house over Amit Shah’s remark on former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, following the two important Bills of Jammu and Kashmir.
- 5.02 pm
Congress MP Vivek K Tankha criticized the BJP government during the Rajya Sabah session. He picked up a famous Hindi movie dialogue and aimed at the BJP saying, "Tarikh pe tarikh, tarikh pe tarikh diye par vikas nahi mila."
- 4.49 pm
Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi talks about rising inflation and urges the Centre to concentrate on Per Capita income.
- 4.16 pm
During the ongoing session in Rajya Sabha, AAP MP Raghav Chadha slams the Modi-led government while pointing out several of its 'undone promises'. He highlights how India fares poorly worldwide when it comes to providing healthy and nutritious food for children. Chadha criticises the BJP government for failing to provide broadband services in rural areas. He also sheds light on the increasing number of rail accidents and how PM Modi's promise to reduce them remains unfulfilled.
- 4.05 pm
DMK MP P. Wilson asked the centre to provide Rs 5000 crore of Interim Financial Assistance to help Tamil Nadu deal with the ongoing flood situation. "Our Chief Minister has requested for the interim relief. I request the government to approve the same immediately," the MP said while speaking in Rajya Sabha.
- 3.56 pm
In 2023, a total of 43 projects are pending in Tamil Nadu, says MP P. Wilson of the DMK party during the Rajya Sabah session.
- 3.52 pm
In the Rajya Sabha session, AITC MP Jawhar Sircar questioned the unemployment in India, which fell to 23.2 per cent compared to Pakistan's 11 per cent, Bangladesh at around 13 per cent, and Bhutan's at 9 per cent, as per the World Bank 2022 report.
- 3.40 pm
Congress MP Jebi Mather Hisham has taken a dig at PM Modi during the ongoing Rajya Sabha session. She raised questions about his 10 years of heading the government by highlighting issues such as unemployment, per capita debt, and the increase in LPG Cylinder prices among others.
- 3:17 pm
Amit Shah has started speaking on the Jammu & Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha: Shah spoke about the evacuation of Kashmiri pandits and stated that the pandits had to live as refugees in their own nation. However, the bill allows them to get their rights to jobs, education, and contest elections via reservation. - 3.03 pm Adhir Ranjan says Amit Shah forgot to fulfil his promise of peace in Jammu and Kashmir: During the ongoing Lok Sabha session, while discussing the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganisation) Bill, the Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury took a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said he has forgotten his promise of peace and stability in the Union Territory. In addition, he also urged the House to decide on a day to talk about J&K and the mistakes of former PM Nehru.
- 11 am
Rajya Sabha session begins - 11.10 am
Independent MLA Ajit Kumar Bhuyan raises dwindling number and habitat loss of endangered Gangetic Dolphins in Assam's Kulsi river. - 11. 15 am
BJD MP Mamata Mohanta requests the Centre to bring areas in Odisha which are yet to be brought under rail connectivity under railway ambit. - 11.20 am
BJD MP Amar Nayak urges the government to bring 7 lakh people to Odisha under the housing scheme. - 11.24 am
BJD MP Sasmit Patra requests the Centre to lift GST on Kendu leaves which is crucial to the rural economy. - 11.30 am
BJP MP Narendra Roy flags the issue of unfenced areas along the porous India-Bangladesh border. He alleges the West Bengal government did not allot land to the BSF to carry out border fencing. - 11.35 am
BJP MP Deepak Prakash says the Jharkhand government fails to tap mining potential. - 11.43 am
BJP MP Ashok Vajpayee says over 25 lakh teachers are increasingly feeling unsafe in the country. He demands decisive steps from the government to ensure healthcare officials' safety. - 11.45 am
Mallikarjun Kharge says Karnataka is experiencing severe drought. He further adds that the state government has sought over 18,000 crore in fund support to deal with the issue. He alleges the Centre is not ready to release funds. - 11.55 am
Congress MP Amee Yajnik raises women's safety issues. - 12.06 am
Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda says the Centre has allotted Rs 24,000 funds for the development of tribal people in India. - 12.11 am
BJD MP Amar Patnaik wants to know the exact parameters of SC and ST development. - 12.16 am
BJD MP Sasmit Patra wants to know if the number of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups(PVTG) is increasing or decreasing in the country. - 12.22 am
Congress MP Neeraj Dangi wants to know the government's plan to ensure more women's participation in Panchayati Raj. - 12.29 am
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan says the Centre priorities collaboration with foreign countries to scale up education standards in the country. Two IITs will open campuses in Abu Dhabi and Zanzibar. - 12.47 am
Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari says India is surging ahead with goal-oriented plans to attain energy efficiency. - 12.52 am
Congress MP Ranjit Ranjan raises doubt over the government's plan to promote electric vehicles as the methodology of EVs is hazardous to health.
